Fri.’s Devo - The Branch

Read: Zechariah 6:1-7:14; Revelation 15:1-8; Psalm 143:1-12; Provers 30:24-28 Zechariah saw the same horses that John saw when the seals were opened in Revelation 6. John saw the white horse, then the red horse, then the black horse, then the pale horse. Zechariah saw four chariots being driven by horses. The first horses were red, then black, then white, then pale. They represented the four spirits of heaven who watch over the four directions of the earth. The black horses - the north; the white horses - the west; the the gray horses - the south, and it leaves us to guess that the red horses are the east. They were sent to patrol these areas and to vent God’s anger. God told Zechariah that three men: Heldai (worldliness); Tobijah (goodness of Jehovah); Jedaiah (Jehovah has known) would bring silver and gold that were gifts from the Jews still in exile in Babylon. Zechariah was to make a crown from the metals and put it on the head of Jeshua, the son of the high priest, Jehozadak. It would be a picture of Jehovah putting his crown on the head of Jesus. He prophesied about Jeshua being the Branch who would build the Temple of the Lord. He would be given royal honor to rule as a king but he would also serve as a priest from his throne. No one had ever been both a king and a priest. Jesus is also called The Branch and he will be both prophet, priest and king. People would come from all over the world to help them rebuild the Temple of the Lord. The exiles in Bethel sent some of his attendants there to seek the Lord’s favor in a matter. The wanted to know if they should continue celebrating a feast in the fifth month. They did this to commemorate the murder of Gedidiah, the governor that the king of Babylon had set over the remnant left in the land. They were tired of fasting during this time and wanted to be relieved from it. God told him that they hadn’t fasted for him but their fast was a selfish fast. What God wanted them to do was to judge fairly, show mercy and kindness to one another and to stop oppressing widows, orphans, foreigners and the poor. And, to stop scheming against one another. This is so like us. We get so bogged down in the details of our lives that we forget what is important to God. It is loving him and loving others. In Revelation, John saw in heaven the seven angels holding the seven last plagues which would bring God’s wrath to an end. Then in the foreground, he saw a glass sea mixed with fire. On it stood all the people who had been victorious over the beast and his statue and the number of his name. They were holding harps and singing the song of Moses. The Temple was open wide and the seven angels who held the seven plagues came out of the Temple. They were clothed in white with gold sashes across their chests. One of the four living beings handed each angel a gold bowl filled with the wrath of God. The Temple was so full of smoke of God’s glory that no one could enter until the angels had fulfilled their mission. Lord, your plan is marvelous and your glory is awesome. We look forward to seeing your plan fulfilled in our nation, in the world and in our lives.