Haggai 2:23 “In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, will I take thee, O Zerubbabel, my servant, the son of Shealtiel, saith the LORD, and will make thee as a signet: for I have chosen thee, saith the LORD of hosts.”

   When reading and studying the Bible, the genealogy of the kings of Judah can seem boring and not of much importance. The Bible also gives details about these kings such as how many children they had and their names. Despite their appearance of being tedious details, all of this information is of critical importance when establishing who can be the Messiah of Israel.

   All of the scriptures are important, and God did not put scriptures in the Bible as filler. The following the genealogy of the kings of Judah and the New Testament leads to the conclusion that only Jesus of Nazareth can be the King Messiah.

   The clear line of the Messiah starts with King David. God promised King David that the Messiah would come through him. A direct descendant of David would sit on the throne as king in an everlasting kingdom. Although David would have many sons, God narrowed the Messianic line through one of David’s sons. The line would go through the son who would build the temple or as it is also called, the house of God. David’s son who built the temple is the one to follow for the messianic line.

2 Samuel 7:12 “And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. (13) He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.

(14) I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men: (15) But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee. (16) And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.”

This promise to David was not just a statement, but it was recorded in the Bible as a covenant. A covenant is a solemn oath and is very serious with God. God links His holiness to the fulfillment of this covenant He made with David. God cannot base the covenant on anything greater than His holiness. The very character of God was at stake to uphold this covenant. Since God upholds this promise, it was God’s responsibility to bring the Messiah and establish the kingdom forever.

Psalm 89:34 “My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.(35) Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David. (36) His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me.”

The covenant that God made with David was that David’s throne would be everlasting. He would have a descendant who would sit as king on this throne forever. This was an incredible promise that God made to David. In fact, the Messiah and David are closely linked in the Bible. On several occasions, God speaks of the Messiah in the name of King David. Hosea 3:5 is a good example of this. At the time of the prophet Hosea, King David was already dead about 300 years, and now he has been dead for 3000 years. Yet, the prophet says that in the time period known as the latter days, the Jews would return to God and seek David their king. The reference to David their king is directed toward the Messiah of whom David is a type.

Hosea 3:5 “Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the LORD their God, and David their king; and shall fear the LORD and his goodness in the latter days.”

The Bible develops that this covenant with King David was not only for Israel, but the kingdom of the Messiah would include the entire world. The entire world would come under the direct authority of David’s greatest Son, the Messiah of Israel. David, in Psalm 72, shows the fullness of the covenant God made with him. This Psalm shows that the Messiah was to rule all the earth and not only Israel. In Psalm 72, David speaks of the Messiah in the name of Solomon.

Psalm 72:1 “A Psalm for Solomon. Give the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness unto the king's son.

(7) In his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth. (8) He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth. (9) They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him; and his enemies shall lick the dust.

(10) The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents: the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts. (11) Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him.”

The Bible records that David had 19 named sons and additional ones unnamed. His son Solomon followed David as king and built the temple. The Messianic line continued through Solomon.

1 Chronicles 3:1 “Now these were the sons of David, which were born unto him in Hebron; the firstborn Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess; the second Daniel, of Abigail the Carmelitess:(2) The third, Absalom the son of Maachah the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur: the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith: (3) The fifth, Shephatiah of Abital: the sixth, Ithream by Eglah his wife. (4) These six were born unto him in Hebron; and there he reigned seven years and six months: and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty and three years.(5) And these were born unto him in Jerusalem; Shimea, and Shobab, and Nathan, and Solomon, four, of Bathshua the daughter of Ammiel: (6) Ibhar also, and Elishama, and Eliphelet, (7) And Nogah, and Nepheg, and Japhia, (8) And Elishama, and Eliada, and Eliphelet, nine.(9) These were all the sons of David, beside the sons of the concubines,”

There is no doubt that the Messianic line went through Solomon because he was king and built the temple or as it also called the house of the LORD. According to 2 Samuel 7:13, the son who built the temple would produce the Messiah, so Solomon’s line is critical and has to be studied very closely. Solomon knew of the covenant and that the Messiah was coming through his line:

1 Kings 5:3 “Thou knowest how that David my father could not build an house unto the name of the LORD his God for the wars which were about him on every side, until the LORD put them under the soles of his feet. (4) But now the LORD my God hath given me rest on every side, so that there is neither adversary nor evil occurrent.

(5) And, behold, I purpose to build an house unto the name of the LORD my God, as the LORD spake unto David my father, saying, Thy son, whom I will set upon thy throne in thy room, he shall build an house unto my name.”

By building the house of the LORD, Solomon becomes a type of the Messiah. Solomon is the son of David the first in the line leading to the Messiah. Like the Messiah, Solomon will build the house of the LORD. The difference is that the Messianic temple and kingdom will never pass away.

   The Bible lists only Rehoboam as the son of Solomon. There is no indication whatsoever of any other sons of Solomon. Because of the importance of Solomon's genealogy in regards to the Messiah, it is clear that the messianic line went through Rehoboam. There is no other conclusion, but that the Messianic line follows the kings of Judah. The line goes all the way through Jeconiah and his grandson Zerubbabel. The Bible does mention that Solomon had two daughters, 1 Kings 4:11, 15.

   Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines, but the Bible lists only one son for him, Rehoboam: 1Chronicles 3:10 “And Solomon's son was Rehoboam.” The scriptures then list that Rehoboam had 28 sons and 60 daughters and gives the numbers of his wives. It tells us what he did with his children.

2 Chronicles 11:21 “And Rehoboam loved Maachah the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and his concubines: (for he took eighteen wives, and threescore concubines; and begat twenty and eight sons, and threescore daughters.)

(22) And Rehoboam made Abijah the son of Maachah the chief, to be ruler among his brethren: for he thought to make him king. (23) And he dealt wisely, and dispersed of all his children throughout all the countries of Judah and Benjamin, unto every fenced city: and he gave them victual in abundance.”

The Bible mentioned what David did with his sons, “...and the sons of David were chief about the king.” 1 Chronicles 18:17. There is no mention whatsoever of Solomon having more than one son. When Solomon set-up the authority structure of his kingdom, no sons were mentioned.

1 Kings 9:22 “But of the children of Israel did Solomon make no bondmen: but they were men of war, and his servants, and his princes, and his captains, and rulers of his chariots, and his horsemen. (23) These were the chief of the officers that were over Solomon's work, five hundred and fifty, which bare rule over the people that wrought in the work.”

The Bible gives great detail about David, his wives and sons. Solomon wives are listed in detail along with Rehoboam’s sons and wives. However, Rehoboam is the only son listed for Solomon. The Bible limits the Messianic line from David to Solomon to Rehoboam. The fact the Bible lists only one son for Solomon leads to two conclusions. The first is that although Solomon had hundreds of wives, Rehoboam was the only son. The second is the Bible focuses on Rehoboam as the messianic line. In either case, there is no doubt that the Messiah will come through Rehoboam’s line.

   The Scriptures give the progression of the weakening of David’s kingdom and how God dealt with the rebellion against Him. The first thing to happen was that after Solomon died, the kingdom was divided in two because of the sin of Solomon and the people. The kingdom, then divided into two sections: Israel and Judah. The northern kingdom of Israel with 10 tribes was given to Jeroboam, and Rehoboam was given the southern kingdom with two tribes. Jeroboam was not a son of Solomon nor was he a descendant of King David. He was one of Solomon’s top leaders who was appointed the governor of a section of Israel.

   When Solomon died, Jeroboam became the king of Israel while Rehoboam became the king of Judah. The messianic line followed Rehoboam as Solomon's only son and not Jeroboam. As the kings and people continued to rebel against God, the judgments became progressively worse on the kingdom. The first major judgment on the messianic line was when God divided the kingdom. This division as found in 1Kings 11 follows:

1 Kings 11:31 “And he said to Jeroboam, Take thee ten pieces: for thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to thee: (32) (But he shall have one tribe for my servant David's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel:)

(33) Because that they have forsaken me, and have worshipped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the children of Ammon, and have not walked in my ways, to do that which is right in mine eyes, and to keep my statutes and my judgments, as did David his father.

(34) Howbeit I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand: but I will make him prince all the days of his life for David my servant's sake, whom I chose, because he kept my commandments and my statutes:

(35) But I will take the kingdom out of his son's hand, and will give it unto thee, even ten tribes. (36) And unto his son will I give one tribe, that David my servant may have a light alway before me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen me to put my name there.”

King Hezekiah was the next king to bring judgment on the Messianic line. Hezekiah was a good king and did that which pleased God. God greatly blessed him, but Hezekiah made a huge mistake that would drastically affect the future of the kings of Judah. Babylon sent ambassadors to meet with Hezekiah. In a foolish moment, Hezekiah showed them all the great wealth of the kingdom.

   After the ambassadors left, the prophet Isaiah came to Hezekiah and asked him about showing the Babylonians the treasury. Isaiah rebuked the king for being so proud to show the treasury to the pagans. Isaiah then pronounced a judgment on the king that his descendants would be taken captive to Babylon and made eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon. Because of pride, Hezekiah showed all the wealth of the treasury. This would be the lore one hundred years later that would draw the Babylonians to destroy Jerusalem. The Scriptures to show this follow:

Isaiah 39:2 “And Hezekiah was glad of them, and showed them the house of his precious things, the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious ointment, and all the house of his armour, and all that was found in his treasures: there was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah showed them not.”

Isaiah 39:5 “Then said Isaiah to Hezekiah, Hear the word of the LORD of hosts: (6) Behold, the days come, that all that is in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store until this day, shall be carried to Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith the LORD. (7) And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.”

The kings' rebellion against God started with Solomon and reached a climax with King Manasseh. This king did everything to provoke God’s wrath against the kingly line and the people of Judah. Manasseh worshipped the pagan gods and sacrificed his own children to their images. He led the people of Judah to the same pagan worship.

   The result of Manasseh's rebellion against the God of Israel led God to pronounce his judgment upon Manasseh and the people of Judah. This judgment included the destruction of the nation and Jerusalem. The judgment was set during the time of Manasseh and never reversed.

2 Kings 21:10 “And the LORD spake by his servants the prophets, saying, (11) Because Manasseh king of Judah hath done these abominations, and hath done wickedly above all that the Amorites did, which were before him, and hath made Judah also to sin with his idols: (12) Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Behold, I am bringing such evil upon Jerusalem and Judah, that whosoever heareth of it, both his ears shall tingle.

(13) And I will stretch over Jerusalem the line of Samaria, and the plummet of the house of Ahab: and I will wipe Jerusalem as a man wipeth a dish, wiping it, and turning it upside down.

(14) And I will forsake the remnant of mine inheritance, and deliver them into the hand of their enemies; and they shall become a prey and a spoil to all their enemies;

(15) Because they have done that which was evil in my sight, and have provoked me to anger, since the day their fathers came forth out of Egypt, even unto this day.”

When God set the judgment decree, nothing could change it. Manasseh was taken captive and chained. In his affliction, he cried out to God. He repented of the wickedness he had done and led Israel into; however, Manasseh’s repentance did not annul the judgment decree. Manasseh’s repentance follows:

2 Chronicles 33:12 “And when he was in affliction, he besought the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, (13) And prayed unto him: and he was entreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD he was God.”

Israel had a tremendous revival under King Josiah. Josiah led Israel to cleanse the land of paganism and restore the Passover. The Bible says that Josiah turned to God with all his heart and soul. Even with this tremendous turning back to God, this could not change the judgment decree upon Judah. The decree was set because of the sin of Manasseh. King Josiah's repentance and returning could not alter this decree.

2 Kings 23:26 “Notwithstanding the LORD turned not from the fierceness of his great wrath, wherewith his anger was kindled against Judah, because of all the provocations that Manasseh had provoked him withal. (27) And the LORD said, I will remove Judah also out of my sight, as I have removed Israel, and will cast off this city Jerusalem which I have chosen, and the house of which I said, My name shall be there.”

Because of the judgment decree made during the reign of Manasseh, the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem and took the Jews captive to Babylon.

2 Kings 24:3 “Surely at the commandment of the LORD came this upon Judah, to remove them out of his sight, for the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he did;”

The next king of Judah to bring judgment on the messianic line was Jeconiah. He is also called Coniah and Jehoiachin. All three names Jeconiah, Coniah and Jehoiachin refer to the same king of Judah. Jeconiah was an evil king and God was outraged with him. During Jeconiah’s reign, God judged the kingly line with a curse. The curse was that no descendant of Jeconiah would sit as king of Israel. Jeconiah had children, but the prophet Jeremiah said to consider him childless. Jeconiah was removed as king and replaced with his uncle Zedekiah.

Jeremiah 22:24 “As I live, saith the LORD, though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were the signet upon my right hand, yet would I pluck thee thence; (29) O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the LORD.

(30) Thus saith the LORD, Write ye this man childless, a man that shall not prosper in his days: for no man of his seed shall prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling any more in Judah.”

   This curse on king Jeconiah was made in the strongest possible language. The prophet said, “O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the Lord.” The curse was initiated with a triple declaration of “earth, earth, earth.” This is the only time in the Bible that such a triple declaration of a curse was made. This is unique in all the Bible. There was no remedy for this curse. It was not conditional. The curse was final. There is no indication in the scriptures that if Jeconiah repented the curse would be lifted. This curse was final, and it was established forever.

   God made a decree during the reign of King Manasseh that Jerusalem was going to be judged. King Manasseh eventually repented of the evil which he had committed. God forgave him, but the repentance did not release the judgment decree. Jerusalem was destroyed exactly like God had decreed. There is no indication that Jeconiah even repented. If God did not lift the judgment decree after Manasseh repented, there is absolutely no reason to believe this curse on Jeconiah was rescinded. All the indications are that once this curse was given it was sealed.

   One part of the curse was that Jeconiah would be taken captive to Babylon. He would desire to return to Israel, but would die in captivity. He would be unable to return to Israel and would die in the land of Babylon. Exactly as the prophet stated in the curse happened to Jeconiah. He never again saw the land of Israel. He died under the curse in Babylon. There is no indication in the Bible this curse was lifted off Jeconiah or any of his descendants. It stands to this day.

A condition of the curse:

“And I will cast thee out, and thy mother that bare thee, into another country, where ye were not born; and there shall ye die. But to the land whereunto they desire to return, thither shall they not return.” Jeremiah 22:26, 27

The fulfillment of the curse:

“And for his diet, there was a continual diet given him of the king of Babylon, every day a portion until the day of his death, all the days of his life.” Jeremiah 52:34

   Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon and was taken prisoner. All of the king’s sons were killed by the Babylonians. The combination of the curse on the kingly line and the deaths of all Zedekiah’s sons ended the line from Solomon through Rehoboam. From 586 BC when Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon ended the kingdom of Judah, there has not been a king to sit on the throne of David. No son of David since that time has sat as the king of Israel.

Jeremiah 52:10 “And the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes: he slew also all the princes of Judah in Riblah.”

The Messianic line through Solomon thus was cut off and came to an end. The line ended three ways. The sons of King Zedekiah were all killed. A curse was placed on all the sons of king Jeconiah that they could not sit on the throne as the king of Israel. The descendants of King Hezekiah were all made eunuchs in Babylon, and thus they were unable to continue the kingly line.

   God was furious with the kings of the Messianic line. From Solomon to Zedekiah there were 21 kings and only a few did that which was right before the Lord. God’s fury at the kings can be seen even far into the future. During the Messiah’s reign, God condemns these kings and wants their sin far from Him.

   God will require Jerusalem to be cleansed of all the iniquity the kings were doing as a prerequisite for His presence in the temple in Jerusalem. God’s dealings with the Messianic line will be carried far into the future. A condition for God’s presence among His people is the iniquity of the kings must be cleansed. This will occur thousands of years after the line ended. God was furious with the Messianic line through Solomon and ended it. The Scriptures to show God’s fury follow:

Ezekiel 43:7 “And he said unto me, Son of man, the place of my throne, and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel for ever, and my holy name, shall the house of Israel no more defile, neither they, nor their kings, by their whoredom, nor by the carcases of their kings in their high places.”

Ezekiel 43:8 “In their setting of their threshold by my thresholds, and their post by my posts, and the wall between me and them, they have even defiled my holy name by their abominations that they have committed: wherefore I have consumed them in mine anger. (9) Now let them put away their whoredom, and the carcases of their kings, far from me, and I will dwell in the midst of them for ever.”

Zerubbabel as a Type of Messiah

   Although Jeconiah’s descendants were cursed in that they could not sit on the throne as the king of Israel, clear messianic promises were made to Jeconiah’s grandson, Zerubbabel. Zerubbabel returned from the Babylonian captivity and helped rebuild the temple. Because he was a direct descendant of David, Solomon and Rehoboam, he was eligible to sit as king. The scriptures are clear, from Zerubbabel’s genealogy that he is from King David through Rehoboam and Jeconiah. Zerubbabel’s genealogy follows:

1 Chronicles 3:10 “And Solomon's son was Rehoboam, Abia his son, Asa his son, Jehoshaphat his son, (11) Joram his son, Ahaziah his son, Joash his son,(12)  Amaziah his son, Azariah his son, Jotham his son, 13  Ahaz his son, Hezekiah his son, Manasseh his son, (14) Amon his son, Josiah his son.(15) And the sons of Josiah were, the firstborn Johanan, the second Jehoiakim, the third Zedekiah, the fourth Shallum. (16) And the sons of Jehoiakim: Jeconiah his son, Zedekiah his son. (17) And the sons of Jeconiah; Assir, Salathiel his son, (18) Malchiram also, and Pedaiah, and Shenazar, Jecamiah, Hoshama, and Nedabiah. (19) And the sons of Pedaiah were, Zerubbabel, and Shimei: and the sons of Zerubbabel; Meshullam, and Hananiah,”

However, the kingdom was taken away from the Jews, and Israel was under the authority of a foreign power. Zerubbabel was recognized only as the governor and not the king of Israel. The curse was in effect as Zerubbabel did not sit as the king of Israel.

Haggai 1:1 “In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet unto Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah,”

There is no scripture in the Bible to indicate that the curse was lifted off Jeconiah’s descendants which would include his grandson, Zerubbabel. Although the curse was not lifted off Jeconiah’s descendants, clear messianic promises were made to Zerubbabel by the prophet Haggai. The prophet Haggai shows a direct link between Zerubbabel and the Messiah. The Messiah is being addressed and described by Haggai under the name of Zerubbabel. By addressing the Messiah in the name of Zerubbabel, a clear messianic link was established from David, Solomon, Rehoboam, and Jeconiah to Zerubbabel. The scriptures by Haggai follow:

Haggai 2:21 “Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, I will shake the heavens and the earth;

(22) And I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms, and I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the heathen; and I will overthrow the chariots, and those that ride in them; and the horses and their riders shall come down, every one by the sword of his brother.

(23) In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, will I take thee, O Zerubbabel, my servant, the son of Shealtiel, saith the LORD, and will make thee as a signet: for I have chosen thee, saith the LORD of hosts.”

The above scriptures could not have been about Zerubbabel, but have to be directly related to the Messiah. There are several indicators in Haggai 2:21-23 which completely rule out Zerubbabel. In Zerubbabel’s day, God did not shake the heavens and earth. The kingdoms of the Gentiles were not overthrown. Zerubbabel was never made as a signet as he never was the king of Israel but only a governor of Judah. The person of the Messiah is God’s signet.

   This promise by God was to show that although the kingdom was taken away, under the Messiah it would be restored. All of this waits for a time in the future and the rule of the King Messiah. The key is the Messiah is addressed as Zerubbabel. This means the messianic line is continuing through him.

   God will shake the heavens and the earth at the time the messianic kingdom is being set up. The Bible refers to this time as the Day of the LORD.

Isaiah 13:9 “Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. (10) For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.

(13) Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.”

During the Day of the LORD the nations of the earth will be united in an attempt to destroy Israel and take Jerusalem. This event will trigger the coming of the Messiah to overthrow these nations and set up His everlasting Kingdom over all the earth. The Messiah will stand on the Mount of Olives and destroy the armies that are trying to destroy Jerusalem. With His Divine power, He will annihilate these armies. The prophet Zechariah shows this:

Zechariah 14:1 “Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. (2) For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.

(3) Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. (4) And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof

(12) And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.

(9) And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.

(16) And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.

(17) And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain.”

Only three people in the Hebrew Scriptures are addressed as the Messiah: David, Solomon and Zerubbabel. They are all of the kingly line and all become a type of the Messiah. Zerubbabel was addressed as the Messiah in Haggai 2:23. Solomon was addressed as the Messiah in Psalm 72 and David was addressed in several places as the Messiah. One example from Ezekiel follows:

Ezekiel 34:23 “And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd.”

   The genealogy of King David through Rehoboam was maintained until the close of the Old Testament. The only progenitor for King Messiah, as recorded in the Bible, has to come through Zerubbabel. The only genealogical line from David to King Messiah, after the Jews returned from the Babylonian captivity, is that of Zerubbabel. There are no others that are recorded. God has very carefully narrowed the Messianic line directly through Zerubbabel. The Bible lists the descendants of Zerubbabel to the sixth generation after him.

   There is no other descendant of King David whose genealogy is maintained after the captivity. Zerubbabel is the only progenitor in the Bible for King Messiah. The scriptures to show that Zerubbabel’s genealogy was maintained until the sixth generation follow:

“And the sons of Pedaiah were, Zerubbabel, and Shimei: and the sons of Zerubbabel; Meshullam, and Hananiah, and Shelomith their sister:  And Hashubah, and Ohel, and Berechiah, and Hasadiah, Jushabhesed, five.  And the sons of Hananiah; Pelatiah, and Jesaiah: the sons of Rephaiah, the sons of Arnan, the sons of Obadiah, the sons of Shechaniah.  And the sons of Shechaniah; Shemaiah: and the sons of Shemaiah; Hattush, and Igeal, and Bariah, and Neariah, and Shaphat, six. And the sons of Neariah; Elioenai, and Hezekiah, and Azrikam, three.  And the sons of Elioenai were, Hodaiah, and Eliashib, and Pelaiah, and Akkub, and Johanan, and Dalaiah, and Anani, seven.” 1Chronicles 3:19-24

The genealogy of Zerubbabel, as recorded in the Book of 1Chronicles has a very unique factor. This further shows the Bible’s special attention given to Zerubbabel and his descendants. The Book of 2Chronicles ends with Cyrus, the King of Persia, allowing the Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple. Zerubbabel was with the first group of Jews that returned. This event occurred in approximately 535 BC. The last verse recorded in 2Chronicles follows:

“Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath the LORD God of heaven given me; and he hath charged me to build him an house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? The LORD his God be with him, and let him go up.” 2 Chronicles 36:23

The unique factor is that Zerubbabel’s genealogy was kept for six generations after the close of 2Chronicles! The genealogy of Zerubbabel was maintained by some person or persons for approximately 100-150 years after the completion of 2Chronicles. God sent several prophets to Israel after the return from Babylon. These prophets included Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi. It is entirely probable that the prophets were monitoring Zerubbabel’s genealogy because they were aware of the Messianic significance.

   Haggai was well aware of Zerubbabel as he prophesied of King Messiah in the name of Zerubbabel, Haggai 2:21-23. Malachi was the last prophet of Israel until the coming of King Messiah. Because Malachi was a prophet, he would have the authority to add to the Bible. Malachi probably updated Zerubbabel’s genealogy until he passed away. With his passing, no person would have the authority to add to the Bible; thus Zerubbabel’s genealogy ended. The only progenitor of King Messiah in the Bible is Zerubbabel.

   The Messianic line runs from David to Solomon to Rehoboam to Jeconiah to Zerubbabel to the Messiah. There is no place in the Bible which shows the curse on the kingly line has been lifted. Because of the curse, anyone born of a human father and claims to be the Messiah will have the curse of Jeconiah to block such a claim. The Messiah of Israel cannot have a human father.

King Messiah is not a mere man

The Bible shows that the Messiah is not just a naturally born king. His birth is to be supernatural. He is not to be viewed as merely a great general or political leader. He existed before His birth. The Messiah will come directly from heaven to set up His universal, everlasting Kingdom. King Messiah is not elected nor is He appointed. He will not be the head of any political organization like the United Nations. His Kingdom will be established on earth by God’s supernatural power. The prophet Daniel shows the supernatural origin of the Messiah:

Daniel 7:9 “I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. (10) A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.

(13) I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.

(14) And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.”

The Messiah will use His supernatural power to destroy the nations of the world gathered together to crush Israel and Jerusalem. After destroying the nations of the world, He will then establish His Kingdom over all the earth. He will build the Messianic temple in Jerusalem and reign over the entire earth from this temple (Zechariah 6:12, 13 and Jeremiah 23:5, 6). Everything about the Messiah is supernatural. Zechariah gives details to the awesome coming of the Messiah to establish His Kingdom on earth.

Zechariah 14:1 “Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. (2) For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle...

(3) Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. (4) And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof... (5)...and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.

(12) And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.

(9) And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.”

The Bible shows the supernatural coming of the King Messiah and it also shows His supernatural birth. The Messiah, the one who will rule the nations with a rod of iron, will have God as His Father. King Messiah will be able to declare that the God of Israel is His Father. This is recorded in Psalm 2. This Psalm can only be about the Messiah because His Kingdom is world-wide just not limited to Israel. The Messiah’s Kingdom will go to the uttermost parts of the earth. None of the kings of Judah or Israel could claim that God was their father.  David’s father was Jesse and Solomon’s father was David. 

Psalm 2:6 “Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. (7) I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.

(8) Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. (9) Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. (10) Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth.”

The prophet Isaiah explains that the birth of the Messiah will be supernatural by an almah, virgin, conceiving a son. The promise of the virgin conceiving a son was not made to the nation but specifically to the house of David. The house of David is the kingly line from which the Messiah was to come. The house of David continued the covenant. The promise in Isaiah 7:14 pertained to the King of Israel.

Isaiah 7:13 “And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David; Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also?

(14) Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”

2 Samuel 7:18 “Then went king David in, and sat before the LORD, and he said, Who am I, O Lord GOD? and what is my house, that thou hast brought me hitherto? (19) And this was yet a small thing in thy sight, O Lord GOD; but thou hast spoken also of thy servant's house for a great while to come. And is this the manner of man, O Lord GOD? (25) And now, O LORD God, the word that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant, and concerning his house, establish it for ever, and do as thou hast said.”

2 Chronicles 21:7 “Howbeit the LORD would not destroy the house of David, because of the covenant that he had made with David, and as he promised to give a light to him and to his sons for ever.”

In Isaiah 9:6, 7 the promise of the coming Messiah was made in reference to a child that is born. Psalm 2 which shows that King Messiah is to be the Son of God ties in so beautifully with Isaiah 9:6. Together both these scriptures show that the Messiah is going to be born as the Son of God. According to Isaiah 9:6, the Messiah will be called the “Mighty God.”

   The Messiah was to come as a child, and yet at the same time He was supernatural. This is how the virgin birth ties in. Psalm 2:7, Isaiah 9:6 and Isaiah 7:14 give a complete picture of the Messiah’s supernatural coming as a child. This child is to rule the world in an everlasting kingdom. Only king Messiah is to have such a kingdom. No king of Judah was promised to rule forever.

Isaiah 9:6 “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

(7) Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.”

The Branch of David, the Messiah is to rule the earth with justice. This is one of the hallmarks of the Messiah’s rule, universal justice in all the earth. This never happened under any of the kings of Judah, and it awaits the supernatural coming of the Messiah to set up His kingdom over all the earth:

Jeremiah 23:5 “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.

(6) In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.”

At the Messiah’s first coming He would come supernaturally through the virgin birth as a child. At the second coming, the Messiah will also come supernaturally, as the prophet Daniel says with the clouds, saints, of heaven.

Daniel 7:13 “I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.

(14) And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.”

Jesus of Nazareth the King Messiah of Israel

The New Testament opens with the genealogy of the Lord Jesus. His genealogy is perfect to be the Messiah. He is the son of David through Solomon to Rehoboam to Jeconiah to Zerubbabel. He is eligible to be the king of Israel because He is of the Messianic line. The genealogy of Jesus of Nazareth follows:

Matthew 1:1 “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

(6) And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias; (7) And Solomon begat Roboam; and Roboam begat Abia; and Abia begat Asa;

(11) And Josias begat Jechonias and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon: (12) And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat Zorobabel; (13) And Zorobabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor;”

The Bible then shows that this genealogy was only for Jesus’ adopted father, but that He was really the Son of God through the virgin birth. Just as the Tanakh (Old Testament) showed with the curse of Jeconiah that it was impossible for the Messiah to have a natural father, so Jesus of Nazareth’s Father was God, Psalm 2:7. The New Testament shows the supernatural first coming of the Messiah:

Matthew 1:18 “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.

(20) But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

(21) And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

(22) Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,

(23) Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”

The birth of Jesus of Nazareth follows the exact path needed to overcome the curse of Jeconiah and yet be entitled to be the Messiah. The promise for David’s seed to sit on the throne was conditional. The covenant was eternal but to David’s seed it was conditional. They failed the conditions and God moved to fulfill the covenant by providing His own Son as the Messiah.

1Kings 2:1-4 “Now the days of David drew nigh that he should die; and he charged Solomon his son, saying, And keep the charge of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself: That the LORD may continue his word which he spake concerning me, saying, If thy children take heed to their way, to walk before me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail thee (said he) a man on the throne of Israel.”

Psalms 132:12 “If thy children will keep my covenant and my testimony that I shall teach them, their children shall also sit upon thy throne for evermore.”

The kingly line from Solomon on failed to keep the statutes and commandments of the LORD. Because of this failure, the LORD was free to send His Son born of a virgin to reign as King Messiah. Jesus of Nazareth’s mother was also from the line of David, but not through Solomon. God fulfilled the covenant to David, through the virgin birth of Jesus of Nazareth.

   The second phase of the supernatural coming of the Messiah will be fulfilled at the second coming of the Lord Jesus. He will return with the clouds of heaven, the saints, just as the prophet Daniel wrote. When Jesus stood before the high priest, He claimed that Daniel 7:13 referred to Him and His second coming. He was condemned to die because He claimed to be the Son of God according to Daniel 7:13. The Lord’s account before the high priest follows:

Matthew 26:63 “But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God.

(64) Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.

(65) Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy.”

At the first coming, the Messiah was born as the Son of God and came lowly with salvation. This was fulfilled at the first coming of Jesus of Nazareth. At the second coming of the Messiah, He will come in awesome glory and setup His Kingdom over the entire earth. This will be fulfilled at the second coming of the Lord Jesus, when He fulfills Daniel 7:13, 14.

   Zechariah sums up the two comings of the Messiah. He came the first time lowly with salvation riding a donkey. At His second coming, His Kingdom will be to the ends of the earth.

Zechariah 9:9  “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.

(10) And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off: and he shall speak peace unto the heathen: and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth.”

About 40 years after the death of the Lord Jesus, God sealed that no one can claim to be the Messiah of Israel without the curse on the genealogy. The genealogy of the Messiah goes from David to Solomon to Rehoboam to Jeconiah to Zerubbabel. With the destruction of Israel and Jerusalem, the records to prove the genealogy were destroyed. The link to Rehoboam was ended. Any would-be Messiah will have to be traced back to Zerubbabel and be virgin born. He then will have to come with the clouds of heaven to supernaturally set up the everlasting kingdom.

   The Bible warns of a false messiah who shall appear just before the second coming of the Lord Jesus. This false messiah is commonly known as the anti-Christ or as Daniel calls him the Beast, Daniel 7:11, 19. He will be a political messiah that will have a supernatural element to him. Although the Bible says the false messiah will use lying signs and wonders to fool the masses; he will not be the Son of God as Psalm 2:7 demands, nor will he come with the clouds of heaven as Daniel 7:13, 14 requires.

   Many of those who reject the need for the true Messiah to be the only begotten Son of God will succumb to this false messiah. The Lord Jesus warned of the results for rejecting Him:

John 5:43 “I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.”

The only perfect candidate for the Messiah of Israel is Jesus of Nazareth. He has all the credentials to be the King of Israel. At the conclusion of the present church age when Jews and Gentiles are one in the Messiah, Jesus will return in Divine supernatural power and setup His everlasting kingdom. This kingdom will be centered in Jerusalem. From the world events which are now transpiring around Jerusalem, the second coming of the Lord Jesus does not appear to be too far in the future, Zechariah 14:1-5.

   The genealogy of God’s Messiah is David to Solomon to Rehoboam to Jeconiah to Zerubbabel to Jesus of Nazareth, the only begotten Son of God. Only Jesus of Nazareth can be the King Messiah.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

 

Israel's King Messiah The Son of God

Many people believe the concept of Israel's Messiah being the Son of God was strictly a Christian belief that began in the First Century; however, this teaching is rooted in the Hebrew Scriptures. The Messiah being the Son of God is not Christian in origin but Jewish.

   God's everlasting covenant with King David established the first direct connection with King Messiah being the Son of God. Solomon sat on the throne of David as the King of Israel as the chosen son of God. He was the first king of Israel under this covenant and a type of the last king who would be King Messiah, the begotten Son of God.

   We first see in scripture that God's everlasting covenant with David established the first connection to show King Messiah as the Son of God. David's son, Solomon, sat on the throne as God's chosen son as well as Israel's sovereign. Under this covenant, he became the first king of Israel and a type of the last king who would be King Messiah, the begotten Son of God.

   God chose Solomon to sit as the first king of Israel, and therefore God declared him His son. From this position, we can then see that Solomon becomes a type or picture of King Messiah. He is the first king who leads directly to King Messiah. The Son of God will sit forever on the throne of David.

Solomon as a type of King Messiah

King Solomon's reign is a type or forerunner of the everlasting reign of King Messiah. Five key issues emerge to show Solomon as a type of King Messiah which Jesus of Nazareth fulfilled. The five characteristics include:

Solomon built and reigned in the first temple of the Lord while King Messiah will build and reign in the final temple of the Lord.

Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord over Israel while King Messiah will sit on the throne of the Lord over all the nations.

Solomon, as King, ruled as the chosen son of God while King Messiah will rule as the begotten Son of God.

Solomon's rule brought peace to Israel while King Messiah will bring peace to all the nations.

Solomon reigned in magnificent material glory while King Messiah will rule in the awesome glory of God.

God's Everlasting Covenant with David

The Bible records the covenant God made with King David regarding his throne. The Scriptures reveal two very important characteristics of this covenant. First, God establishes an everlasting kingdom, and secondly God introduces a Father-son relationship with the king so that Solomon would reign as God's chosen son. This covenant is found in 2 Samuel 7:13-16:

2 Samuel 7:13 He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever. (14) I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men:

2 Samuel 7:15 But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee. (16) And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.

In these verses, God makes it very clear that David's throne and the kingdom will be forever and not simply limited to David and Solomon. Both David and Solomon died about 3000 years ago so this promise obviously could not be made exclusively to them, but God proclaimed that King Messiah would be of David's seed. There is no doubt that King Messiah's reign and His throne and kingdom would be forever.

   The Scriptures supporting 2 Samuel 7:13-15 give very important additional information about King Solomon and his reign. King David reinforces that Solomon will follow him as king. He then shows that Solomon is not to reign simply as the King of Israel, but he is to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the LORD over Israel. Thus Solomon represents the God of Israel on earth as the king over Israel. Further, according to scripture, God was to be Solomon's Father, and Solomon would be God's chosen son. Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord over Israel as the Son of God.

1 Chronicles 28:4 Howbeit the LORD God of Israel chose me before all the house of my father to be king over Israel for ever: for he hath chosen Judah to be the ruler; and of the house of Judah, the house of my father; and among the sons of my father he liked me to make me king over all Israel:

1 Chronicles 28:5 And of all my sons, (for the LORD hath given me many sons,) he hath chosen Solomon my son to sit upon the throne of the kingdom of the LORD over Israel. (6) And he said unto me, Solomon thy son, he shall build my house and my courts: for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father.

While Solomon and the other kings would reign, this dominion was restricted to the land of Israel. Only when King Messiah would take the throne of David as the King of Israel, would He reign over all the earth.

   With the foundation that Solomon reigned over Israel as the son of God, we can compare this with King Messiah's reign. He will have dominion over the entire earth and not only Israel. All the nations will come under His authority, and He will rule them with a "rod of iron." While Solomon was the chosen son of God, King Messiah who rules over all the nations will be the begotten Son of God. King David was Solomon's father, but the God of Israel is King Messiah's Father. He will rule the nations with God's decree that He was begotten of God and not man.

Psalm 2:6 "Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. (7) I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.

Psalm 2:8 Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. (9) Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel."

God's promise to David was eternal. It was not limited to David or Solomon, but it reached to the eternal kingdom of King Messiah. The very authority of God's word and character bridges this covenant because it originates from His holiness.

   God promised to bring His begotten Son into the world to rule the nations as King Messiah. And we see that the begotten Son of God would reign forever as King Messiah based on the everlasting covenant God made with King David.

Psalm 132:11 "The LORD hath sworn in truth unto David; he will not turn from it; Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne."

Psalm 89:34 "My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.(35) Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David. (36) His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me."

The Bible states clearly in verse after verse that King Messiah will rule the nations forever from the throne of David. Once again let's look at 2 Samuel 7:13-16 and see how the Bible emphasizes the everlasting throne and kingdom. God directs this covenant to the begotten Son of God who will sit on the throne of David forever.

2 Samuel 7:13 "He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever. (14) I will be his father, and he shall be my son...(16) And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever."

   In key scriptures, the Bible shows that King Messiah will rule over the nations forever with awesome power. All peoples of the earth will serve the glorious King. He will sit on the throne of David to establish justice and judgment throughout the nations. Based on the covenant with David and God's decree in Psalm 2:7, King Messiah will rule over the nations in everlasting dominion as King Messiah, the Son of God.

Daniel 7:13 "I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.

Dan 7:14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed."

Isaiah 9:6 "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this."

These Messianic verses show not only the supreme power of the Son of God, but also of His character. The nations will see him as the mighty God and everlasting Father who will usher in a kingdom of unprecedented peace.

The New Testament and the Son of God

Jesus of Nazareth is the only begotten Son of God which is the very core foundation of Christian belief. First century zealots did not originate this concept, but as we see based on the Hebrew Scriptures, King Messiah is the Son of God. Further, the Jews of Jesus' time bore witness to the fact that the Son of God would be King Messiah. Clearly if the Lord Jesus were not the Son of God, there would be no Christianity.

John 20:31 "But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name."

Jesus claimed to be the Son of God.

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

When the angel announced to Mary she would be pregnant as a virgin, he told her that the child would the Son of the Highest and would be given the throne of David. His reign would be forever and the kingdom would be of no end. This promise parallels exactly with the everlasting covenant with David. We can see from Scripture that King Messiah was to be both the Son of God and the son of David.

Luke 1:32 "He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: (33) And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end."

Others in the Bible understood that King Messiah must be the Son of God. At the time the Lord Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, Martha, Lazarus' sister, knew the Lord was the Son of God according to the Hebrew Scriptures. Her confession was in line with the everlasting covenant God made with king David.

John 11:27 "She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world."

When the Lord Jesus was arrested and tried, the High Priest interrogated Him about his identity. The Lord did not respond to the questioning until the High Priest asked Him in the name of the living God if He were the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus replied by combining Psalm 110:1 and Daniel 7:13 and 14 for His answer. Thus He claimed to be King Messiah, the Son of God according to the Hebrew Scriptures.

   The High Priest was well aware that King Messiah would be the Son of God. He understood the everlasting covenant with David. And he knew the promise that 2 Samuel 7:13-15, 1 Chronicles 28:4-6 and Psalm 2:6-9 provided regarding King Messiah as the Son of God. When the Lord Jesus responded that He was the Son of God, the High Priest rent his clothes and said the Lord Jesus should die because he had committed blasphemy.

   Jesus claimed to be the Son of God, and this was in perfect agreement with the Hebrew Scriptures. The Jews expected King Messiah to be the Son of God, but many rejected that Jesus of Nazareth was the promised Son.

Matthew 26:63 "But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God.

Matthew 26:64 Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.

Matthew 26:65 Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy."

When the Lord ascended to heaven, God proclaimed Him to be King Messiah, the begotten Son of God.  He is the one who will rule the nations forever.

Acts 13:32 "And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers, (33) God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee."

In heaven, The Lord Jesus is seated on the throne of God. All of heaven acknowledges that He is the Root of David. The Lord Jesus reigns in heaven as the Son of David and the Son of God. Henceforth, God's throne in heaven is directly connected to the throne of David. At the Lord's second coming, His throne will be transferred to earth where He will reign as the Branch of David on the throne of David.

Revelation 5:5 "And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. (6) And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth."

When King Messiah returns, He will come in His awesome glory. His throne will be established on earth in Jerusalem on Mount Zion. He will reign as King over all the earth as the begotten Son of God, sitting on the throne of the LORD according to God's everlasting covenant with David. At this time, Israel will be exalted among the nations, and King Messiah will rule all the nations of the earth from His throne in Jerusalem.

Matthew 25:31 "When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: 32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:"

The Bible further links the coming of King Messiah and His rule to the building of the temple in Jerusalem. The Lord Jesus will rule as King Messiah from Mount Zion in Jerusalem. And He will be King over all nations on the earth, ruling as the Son of God according to God's covenant with David.

Psalm 2:6 "Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. (7) I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee."

Psalm 2:8 "Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. (9) Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel."

At the time of the prophet Ezekiel, King David had been dead for approximately 400 years. Ezekiel makes reference to David as King over the people during the Messianic reign. This refers to the fact that the Messiah would come from the Davidic line, and clearly, it is King Messiah, the Son of God, who rules forever and not David. At this time, God will make an everlasting covenant of peace with Israel. And Israel will then be brought under the New Covenant which was established with the death of King Messiah at His first coming.

Ezekiel 37:24 "And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them."

Ezekiel 37:25 "And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children's children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince for ever."

Ezekiel 37:26 "Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore."

At the second coming of the Lord Jesus, He will reign as the King of Israel over all the earth forever. At that time He will establish the everlasting covenant of peace with Israel and restore them to the land given to Jacob.  The Messiah will build the sanctuary of the LORD on Mount Zion, and the Lord Jesus will rule as King Messiah over the nations.

The Branch of David, King and High Priest

Another title for King Messiah is the Branch of David. The prophet Jeremiah links the Branch of David to King Messiah the Son of God. The title, David's Righteous Branch, is given to the one who will rule as King Messiah over all the nations.

Jeremiah 23:5 "Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. (6) In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS."

Here we see that King Messiah whose name is the Branch will build temple of the LORD. The prophet Zechariah refers to the high priest of his day as the Branch. He puts the crown of a king on the head of the high priest and addresses him as the Branch. This connection shows that the Son of God will be both King Messiah and the High Priest. The Son of God will bear the glory as King, and He will rule upon His throne as both King and High Priest.

Zechariah 6:11 "Then take silver and gold, and make crowns, and set them upon the head of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest; (12) And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD:

Zechariah 6:13 Even he shall build the temple of the LORD; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both."

The Bible shows that Son of God will be made High Priest by decree just as He was made King Messiah by decree. Under the law of Moses it was impossible for one person to be both the King of Israel and high priest. The king came from the tribe of Judah and the line of David. The high priest came from the tribe of Levi and the line of Aaron. Thus one person could never be both king and priest.

   However, King Messiah will be both King and High Priest by God's decree. He will not sit on His throne as the Son of God under the law of Moses, but He will rule under the New Covenant which is by the oath of God. Only with a New Covenant could King Messiah be both King and High Priest. Here we see these two key scriptures give clear reference to this concept:

The Son of God to be King Messiah by the oath of God:

Psalm 2:6 "Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. (7) I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee."

The Son of God to be High Priest by the oath of God:

Psalm 110:1 "A Psalm of David. The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. (4) The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek."

The prophet Ezekiel further shows King Messiah's temple and the Lord sitting on His throne. These Scriptures bring together the Branch of David, King Messiah, High Priest and the Son of God all in one person.

The Son of God in Ezekiel's Temple

God gave Ezekiel a vision of the LORD'S future temple. In this vision, Ezekiel sees the God of Israel in His glory enter His temple and seat on His throne. The throne the God of Israel is seated on is the very throne of King Messiah. He is the Son of God, the LORD God of Israel in His glory. In the Messiah's temple, the Bible mentions only one throne. This throne is located in the holy place with the God of Israel seated on it. It is evident that the God of Israel and the Messiah of Israel are one.

   King Messiah can sit on His throne in the holy place of the temple, because He is both King and High Priest. As a King, He can sit on the throne. As a High Priest, He can enter into the holy place of the temple which only the high priest can do. Definitely, God decrees Him to be both King and High Priest.

Ezekiel 43:1 "Afterward he brought me to the gate, even the gate that looketh toward the east: (2) And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: and his voice was like a noise of many waters: and the earth shined with his glory. (3) and I fell upon my face."

Ezekiel 43:4 And the glory of the LORD came into the house by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east. (5) So the spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court; and, behold, the glory of the LORD filled the house."

Ezekiel 43:6 "And I heard him speaking unto me out of the house...(7) And he said unto me, Son of man, the place of my throne, and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel for ever..."

Ezekiel witnesses the God of Israel enter in by the eastern gate of the temple. He then watches as the glory of the God of Israel enters into the temple. And he hears the God of Israel speak to him from the temple. God speaks to him as He was seated on His throne from the holy place in the temple.

   God will literally sit on His throne on Mount Zion in His temple. This is shown as the Eastern gate will be permanently sealed because the LORD, the God of Israel had entered into the temple by it. The sealed gate proves this event is literal because the God of Israel walked through it on the way to His throne in the temple. Even the name of Jerusalem will be changed to mean, "the LORD is here."

Ezekiel 44:1 "Then he brought me back the way of the gate of the outward sanctuary which looketh toward the east; and it was shut. (2) Then said the LORD unto me; This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter in by it; because the LORD, the God of Israel, hath entered in by it, therefore it shall be shut."

Ezekiel 48:35 "...and the name of the city from that day shall be, The LORD is there."

God will literally reign on earth in Jerusalem on Mount Zion in the temple. And He will dwell among His people as King Messiah, the only begotten Son of God: Jesus of Nazareth, Israel's King Messiah. We see in Scripture that the Son of God desires to dwell among His people. His desire is so great that He will sing with joy in the midst of His people. The Bible says God will rest in His love with His people.

Zephaniah 3:15 "The LORD hath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out thine enemy: the king of Israel, even the LORD, is in the midst of thee: thou shalt not see evil any more. (16) In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not: and to Zion, Let not thine hands be slack. (17) The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing."

God established the everlasting covenant with King David, so His begotten Son through this covenant could sit as King Messiah, over Israel and the nations. This was the heart's desire of the LORD God of Israel.

Psalm 132:11 "The LORD hath sworn in truth unto David; he will not turn from it; Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne."

Psalm 132:13 "For the LORD hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation. (14) This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it."

The Beating of the Son of God for Sin

The Scriptures clearly teach that Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord and ruled over Israel as the son of God. The Bible warned that if Solomon sinned he would be beaten with a rod and scourged with a whip as punishment. It is clear from the Scriptures that Solomon grievously sinned. Therefore the son of God, King of Israel was to be punished and beaten for his sin.

2 Samuel 7:14 "I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men:"

Solomon committed some of the worst sins possible including worshipping the pagan god Molech. The worship of this pagan god even involved child sacrifice.  In his disobedience, Solomon married many pagan wives who turned his heart away from the God of Israel. The wives led him into the worship of the pagan gods including offering incense and sacrifices to them.

   Because Solomon sinned, he should have been beaten by rods and scrouged with a whip. The Scriptures show Solomon's many sins:

1 Kings 11:1 "But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites; (2) Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love. (3) ...and his wives turned away his heart. (5) For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. (7) Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon. (8) And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods."

There is no indication in the Bible that anyone had beaten or scourged Solomon for all the sins which he had committed. Who would be able to approach the King of Israel with a rod and beat him for the sin? Who would be able to make Solomon stand still to be scourged with a whip?

   The Bible fails to show that Solomon was beaten as 2 Samuel 7:14 states he should. There is nothing in the Scriptures to indicate that anyone even attempted to do this. God was very upset with Solomon's sin, and after Solomon's death, God had the kingdom divided into two sections.  Since this happened after Solomon died, this was hardly the punishment demanded by 2 Samuel 7:14.

1 Kings 11:11 "Wherefore the LORD said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant. (12) Notwithstanding in thy days I will not do it for David thy father's sake: but I will rend it out of the hand of thy son."

The Scriptures show that Solomon was due the punishment for his sin, but he never received it during his lifetime. The Bible shows that it was King Messiah who received Solomon's punishment. King Messiah, the begotten Son of God, took the punishment that King Solomon the chosen son of God deserved.

   The final King of Israel took the punishment for sin that the first king deserved. King Messiah was the one beaten with a rod and He was scourged with a whip for sin. He was beaten not for His own sin, but He was beaten for the sins of others.  King Messiah, the judge of Israel, was beaten with a rod on the face. King Messiah, God's servant, was whipped. His back was scourged. He took the horrible beating for sin that not only Solomon deserved, but which all of mankind deserved.

Micah 5:1 "Now gather thyself in troops, O daughter of troops: he hath laid siege against us: they shall smite the judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek."

Isaiah 50:6 "I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting."

King Messiah was called God's shepherd, a ruler over the nations. However, the Scriptures show that God's shepherd was to be smitten. King Messiah, the Son of God was to be smitten just like the Judge of Israel was to be smitten with a rod upon the cheek.

Ezekiel 37:24 "And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them."

Zechariah 13:7 "Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the LORD of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones."

The Branch of David, Ruler and Suffering Servant

   We earlier brought in the scripture of the High Priest as the Branch to show that the roles of High Priest and King Messiah would be fulfilled in the Son of God.  However, we can also grasp understanding from scripture that the Son of God would rule in glory and in suffering for sin.  The Branch of David will rule the nations as King Messiah, the Son of God. He will be called the LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

Jeremiah 23:5 "Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. (6) In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS."

The Branch of David is a title for the exaltation of King Messiah the Son of God, but the engraving of the Branch is responsible for removing the iniquity of Israel in one day. In Zechariah 3, the Branch is called God's servant and is compared to a stone. This stone is engraved or marked and is connected with removing the iniquity of the nation in one day.

Zechariah 3:8 "Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH. (9) For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day."

The Hebrew word in Zechariah 3:9 for engrave means to open wide, plough or carve. The opening wide of the Branch will cause the iniquity to be removed in one day. This verse does not provide what the opening will be or how it occurs. It simply states the engraving of the Branch will be connected with the removal of sin.

   However, Zechariah 13:1 shows how the iniquity is removed. A fountain will be opened (the same Hebrew word as engrave) to cleanse the people from sin and uncleanness. The fountain comes from the engraving of the Branch, the Son of God. King Messiah would be beaten and die for sin. The beatings and scourging engraved Him with stripes and marks which will remove iniquity and sin in one day to open a wide fountain of His blood to cleanse the people from their sin and iniquity.

Zechariah 13:1 "In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness."

Isaiah chapter 53, the fourth Servant Song, clearly tells the reason why King Messiah, the Son of God, was beaten and the reason for His death. He was going to take the punishment that was due for sin, and He was going to die in the place of others. We see 2 Samuel 7:14 describes the punishments which were due Solomon for his sins, but centuries later, King Messiah received them in his place. The punishment that the Son of God took for Solomon was a picture of what He was going to do for all of mankind. Through King Messiah's suffering and death, all of mankind could be reconciled to the holy God of Israel.

   God's righteous Servant, the Son of God was wounded for transgressions, he was bruised for iniquities and with His scourging we are healed. He was sinless, with no deceit in Him. The LORD laid on the Son of God the iniquity of us all.

Isaiah 53:9 "...he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth."

Isaiah 53:5 "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. (6) All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all."

The prophet also shows that God's righteous Servant, the Son of God, would pay the death penalty for sin. By His death, those who would believe in Him would be justified before the holy God of Israel.  King Messiah would take upon Himself the sins of the people to bear the punishment for all their sin.

Isaiah 53:8 "...for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. (10)...when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin...(11) He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. (12)...he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many..."

Before King Messiah could rule over His people, the problem of sin had to be addressed. God had to deal with the sin of man before the Son of God could sit on His throne in the temple on Mount Zion. Man's sin is a serious matter with God, and sin must be reconciled before He could rule in glory upon the earth.

   Jesus of Nazareth, the sinless, only begotten Son of God was beaten and died on the cross to pay the penalty for the sins of mankind. For the promised punishment for sin, he was beaten with rods and scourged with a whip just as 2 Samuel 7:14 states should have happened to Solomon for all his sin. The sinless Son of God took not only Solomon's punishment for sin, but the punishment due all of mankind. Anyone who repents of sin, and comes under the death of the Son of God for sin, is then forgiven and reconciled with God. The New Testament is in perfect agreement with the Hebrew Scriptures.

2 Corinthians 5:21 "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."

Hebrews 2:9 "But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man."

1 Peter 3:18 "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:"

1 Peter 2:24 "Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed."

Revelation 5:9 "And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;"

The Son of God for Mankind

The New Testament is in perfect agreement with the Hebrew Scriptures. The Gospel of Jesus of Nazareth is not something that was invented 2000 years ago. The Gospel is the fulfillment of the Hebrew Scriptures showing that King Messiah, the Son of God would be the sin bearer of mankind. The death of the Son of God reconciled sinful man with the holy God of Israel.

   God is now establishing His church where Jew and Gentile are one in King Messiah. At the conclusion of the church age, the Son of God will return in His awesome glory and build the promised glorious kingdom on earth. He will rule and reign from His throne in the holy place of the temple on Mount Zion in Jerusalem. Hopefully, this will not be too far in the future.

Revelation 22:20 "He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus."

PROPHECY ABOUT KING MESSIAH

Zechariah 3:8 "Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH. (9) For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day."

     Zechariah chapter three is a beautiful chapter full of vivid imagery.  The chapter opens with a vision.  Joshua, the high priest of Israel, is standing before the angel of the LORD.  This Joshua was the high priest who returned from the Babylonian captivity and had no connection with the Joshua at the time of Moses.  The two Joshua's are about 800 years apart.

     The vision begins with the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD in a very unusual manner.  In verse three, He is standing dressed in filthy garments.  The high priest had a very special dress code which was carefully outlined by Moses.  The high priest had to be dressed in a certain way to minister before the LORD.  The garments worn by him were called "holy garments."  The holy garments were to be made for glory and beauty!  The garments were made by special people who God were filled with the spirit of wisdom.  The high priest had to wear these garments to stand before the LORD.  The garments worn by the high priest were beautiful and holy and were essential in his ministry before the holy God of Israel.

    The high priest dressed in filthy garments is shocking and needs special attention.  This means he is barred from ministering to the LORD.  This is the only time in the Bible that the high priest is described like this.  The verses from Exodus showing the high priest's special dress code follow:

Exodus 28:1 "And take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office...(2) And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and for beauty. (3) And thou shalt speak unto all that are wise hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron's garments to consecrate him, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office.

(4) And these are the garments which they shall make; a breastplate, and an ephod, and a robe, and a broidered coat, a mitre, and a girdle: and they shall make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, and his sons, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office."

     The head covering of the high priest requires special interest.  The covering was called a mitre or turban.  It was part of the holy garments, the dress code, he needed to minister before the holy God of Israel.  There was a pure gold band around the mitre.  This band made it so special because on this band was written the words: "HOLINESS TO THE LORD."  The high priest wearing his holy garments reflected God's holiness.  When the people observed the high priest, they were to think of God's holiness.  The mitre was the key to drawing everyone's attention to the holiness of God.

     The high priest was always required to wear the mitre.  He must wear this to be accepted before the LORD.  The mitre was the most crucial of all the garments because it brought clearly to the attention of everyone the holiness of God.  So any mention of the mitre needs careful attention as it focuses upon God's holiness.  The verses about the mitre follow:

Exodus 28:36 "And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, like the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD. (37) And thou shalt put it on a blue lace, that it may be upon the mitre; upon the forefront of the mitre it shall be.

(38) And it shall be upon Aaron's forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts; and it shall be always upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before the LORD."

    In Zechariah 3:3,4, the angel of the LORD associates the high priest's filthy garments with iniquity.  This means the high priest has no right to stand before the holy God of Israel.  He should have been blocked from standing before the LORD because he no longer reflects God's holiness.  The filthy garments, including the mitre, would forfeit his ability to stand before God.  What a dichotomy this creates.  The high priest wearing filthy garments of iniquity while at the same time wearing a mitre with a gold band stating, Holiness to the LORD!

     Joshua's garments are then changed, and a fair or clean mitre is put on his head.  A clean mitre means that the high priest was now able to function and stand before the LORD.  He was reflecting God's holiness.  The Angel of the LORD said that he had caused the iniquity to pass from Joshua and to then clothe him with clean garments.  The high priest's sins were now cleansed.  God does not tell at this point what happened to cause the iniquity to pass.  The reason the filthy garments of iniquity could be changed to clean ones was also not mentioned at this time.  The Angel of the LORD simply stated that He had caused the iniquity to pass and to clothe Joshua with clean garments.  These verses follow:

Zechariah 3:3 "Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel.

(4) And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment. (5) And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the LORD stood by."

     The high priest represented the nation before the holy God of Israel.  In this chapter, he is seen in filthy garments because of both his sin and the sin of the nation.  This is a vivid picture of how a person in sin looks like before the holy God of Israel.  It also shows that in an instant how a person filthy because of iniquity can be made pure and clean before the LORD.  The high priest was made clean by no action of his own.  It was all God's doing that allowed the high priest's sin to pass and be dressed in clean garments.

     The Bible gives special attention to the garments of the high priest on the Day of Atonement.  On this day, he represents all of Israel before God.  He offers the sacrifices and the atoning shed blood in the holy place for himself, his family, and the entire nation.  He does this while wearing garments which the Bible calls, "Holy garments."  After this ritual is completed, he then changes his garments to clean ones and offers burnt offerings for himself and the people.  The Bible, for a second time, carefully describes the garments of the high priest on the Day of Atonement.  The importance of the high priest's garments are shown in the following verses:

Leviticus 16:4 "He shall put on the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh, and shall be girded with a linen girdle, and with the linen mitre shall he be attired: these are holy garments; therefore shall he wash his flesh in water, and so put them on.

(23) And Aaron shall come into the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall put off the linen garments, which he put on when he went into the holy place, and shall leave them there: (24) And he shall wash his flesh with water in the holy place, and put on his garments, and come forth, and offer his burnt offering, and the burnt offering of the people, and make an atonement for himself, and for the people."

     On the Day of Atonement, when the high priest was dressed properly and able to minister before the LORD, the people were made clean of all their sin.  The priest must wear holy garments for the people to be clean of their sin before the holy God of Israel.  The garments must be clean as filthy garments would cause the people to remain unclean before the holy God of Israel.  God showed His way to be clean of sin before Him.  The dress of the high priest was critical, and the shed blood was needed to atone for the sin. It took the combination of the high priest in proper garments plus the sacrifices and sprinkling of the shed blood to cleanse the people of their all the iniquity, transgression and sin.  The Scriptures to show this follow:

Leviticus 16:30 "For on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the LORD.

(32) And the priest, whom he shall anoint, and whom he shall consecrate to minister in the priest's office in his father's stead, shall make the atonement, and shall put on the linen clothes, even the holy garments: (33) And he shall make an atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make an atonement for the tabernacle of the congregation, and for the altar, and he shall make an atonement for the priests, and for all the people of the congregation."

     According to Leviticus 16, for the iniquity to pass, there had to be a vicarious death and sprinkled blood in the holy of holies in the temple.  But, here lies the dilemma for the high priest.  How can he offer the holy sacrifices needed to make him clean if he is wearing the filthy garments of iniquity?  He must be wearing holy garments to offer the sacrifices on the Day of Atonement to make himself and the people clean before the holy God of Israel.  He needs to be clean, but he cannot be made clean by himself because of his filthy garments of iniquity!  Notice it is the Angel of the LORD that causes the iniquity to pass from the high priest.  Joshua had no part in being made clean as he just stood and both did and said nothing.  This was all of God.  If Joshua the high priest of Israel stands before the LORD in filthy garments of iniquity, what about the rest of us?  How will our garments look standing before the holy God of Israel?

Behold My Servant the Branch

Zechariah 3:8 "Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH.

(9) For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day."

     In verse eight, God tells the prophet He is going to, "Bring forth my servant the Branch."  We are not told at this point who is the Branch, but just that the Branch is God's servant.  In the very next verse, the Branch is associated with a stone.  This is not a normal stone, but it has supernatural element to it.  The stone has seven eyes which means that it is all seeing, and it is representing something of the Branch.  The Branch is going to be supernatural and not a mere man.  Only God is all seeing.  

     God uses a stone to represent the Branch for several reasons.  A stone is solid and does not change.  It is strong and you can use it as a foundation to erect a building.  It is enduring and will last over time.  The pyramids built of stone by the Egyptians thousands of years ago are still standing today.  A heavy stone can be used to crush objects.  All of these descriptions can be applied to the Branch.

     In verse nine, God is going to engrave this stone.  This engraving is going to answer the question of why Joshua could be made holy before the LORD.  This explains what caused the iniquity to pass from Joshua, and allowed him to be dressed in clean garments.  The answer to being made clean is found by the engraving of the stone.  This engraving will cleanse the people's sin in one day!  God is now showing how Joshua was changed from filthy garments of iniquity to clean ones, and why a clean mitre could be placed on his head.  The ability for Joshua and the people to be cleansed from iniquity had to do with the Branch being engraved.  The Hebrew word for engrave (Strong's 6605) has the connotation of being carved and opened wide.

     It is critical to identify the Branch.  Although verse eight does not indicate who is the Branch, other Scriptures reveal the identity.  The Branch is a title for King Messiah.  The word used here for Branch in Hebrew is tzemach (Strong's 6780.)  Three of the prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah and Zechariah, use the term the Branch to represent King Messiah.  King Messiah is the Branch of David.  He is David's Son who will rule over all the nations in an eternal kingdom.

     Jeremiah refers to the Branch as the King who will reign and will be called, "THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS."  He also called King Messiah the Branch of Righteousness.  He will execute judgment and justice over the earth and will rule from Jerusalem.  When He is ruling, there will be universal peace.  Jeremiah used the word Branch to clearly describe King Messiah, the Son of David.  This leaves no doubt that God's Servant the Branch is King Messiah.  The verses from Jeremiah chapters 23 and 33 follow:

Jeremiah 23:5 "Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. (6) In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS."

Jeremiah 33:15 "In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land. (16) In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, The LORD our righteousness."

     Zechariah uses the term the Branch a second time in chapter six.  Like Jeremiah, he uses  the Branch to illustrate King Messiah.  In this illustration, Zechariah puts the crown of a king on Joshua the high priest and addresses him as the Branch.  By doing this to Joshua, Zechariah is showing the Branch will be both King Messiah and the High Priest of Israel.  He then states the Branch will build the temple of the LORD.  This is King Messiah's temple, and it will be built when He sets the kingdom up on earth.  He will bear the glory as king and sit and rule upon His throne in the temple as both a king and priest.

     It is so clear from Zechariah 6:11-13 that the Branch is a reference to the Messiah.  What beautiful Scriptures these are to show the glory of the Branch, Israel's King Messiah!  The prophet Zechariah gives such clear illustrations of the Branch and His ministry.  These verses follow:

     Zechariah 6:12 "And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD: (13) Even he shall build the temple of the LORD; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both."

     The combination of both Jeremiah and Zechariah's use of the word Branch make it very clear this is King Messiah.  It is the engraving/carving of King Messiah which will end iniquity in one day and allows the high priest to take off the filthy garments of iniquity and put on clean ones.  It is the carving of King Messiah for iniquity which allows the Angel of the Lord to place a clean mitre on the head of Joshua.  Joshua could do nothing of his own to be made clean.  It was all the engraving of the Stone which allowed him to be made clean.  God's Servant the Branch is King Messiah, the Son of David.

    The prophet Isaiah ties in beautifully with Zechariah and the engraving of God's Servant the Branch for the removal of iniquity.  Isaiah identifies the Branch as God's righteous Servant.  He gives a vivid picture of what was the actual engraving of King Messiah and how it made Joshua clean from sin.  The Branch would take the punishment for sin that mankind deserved.  The engraving of the Stone was the bruises, stripes and punishment He took for sin. 

     God's righteous Servant took all the punishment for iniquity even to the point of death.  His soul was made an offering for sin as He bears our iniquities.  The Angel of the LORD could have the high priest's iniquity pass because of the engraving of the Stone.  Joshua could wear the high priest's mitre because he was made holy by the death of the Branch, God's righteous Servant  This entire chapter 53 was about the engraving of the Stone.  It is a picture of King Messiah's first coming to pay the penalty for sin and enable us to be clean before the holy God of Israel.

Both Isaiah and Zechariah present a beautiful picture of how the Stone would be engraved to pay the penalty for sin.  The Scriptures from Isaiah 53 to show the extent of the engraving follow:

Isaiah 53:4 "Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. (5) But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. (6) All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

(8)...for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. (10) Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.

(11) He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.

(12) Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors."

     Zechariah uses the Hebrew word for engraved one more time.  He uses it to show that when the Branch comes to set up His kingdom there will be a fountain opened for sin and uncleanness.  The fountain opened to be cleansed from sin is caused by the engraving of the Branch.  The word opened in this verse is the same as engraved.  The engraving of the Branch will provide all that is needed to be clean from sin and uncleanness.  The verse follows:

Zechariah 13:1 "In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness."

     The New Testament gives more details about the engraving of the Branch for iniquity.  The Lord Jesus, the King Messiah, was scourged, beaten and whipped by the Romans.  The Romans used a whip with several lengths to it.  At the end of each length were sharp objects like a piece of bone or metal.  During the whipping, the sharp object would tear and rip the flesh.  He had a crown of thorns driven into His skull.  He was beaten with rods and then taken to be crucified.  During the crucifixion, huge nails where driven into the Lord Jesus' hands and feet.  These nails were as large as railroad spikes.  At the very end of the ordeal, a spear was driven into His side which caused both blood and water to flow from His body.  The Scriptures to show the extent of the engraving of King Messiah follow:

John 19:1 "Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him. (2) And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe, (3) And said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote him with their hands. (17) And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha: (18) Where they crucified him, and two others with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst. (34) But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water."

    The openings in the body of King Messiah were enormous.  The nails holes in the hands and feet of the Lord Jesus were large enough that a finger could be placed in it.  Apparently, the spear that was driven into His side must have been turned and twisted.  This action made a huge cavity because a hand could be placed in the wound.  The engraving of the Branch was both deep and wide.  A tremendous personal sacrifice was made by the Lord Jesus so the high priest of Israel could be dressed in clean garments.  The Scriptures to show the enormous wounds in the Lord's body follow:

John 20:25 "The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.(27) Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing."

The Coming of the Stone Cut Without Hands

Daniel 2:34 "Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. (35) Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth."

     The Bible clearly uses the example of an engraved stone to show how King Messiah was going to cleanse Israel's high priest from sin.  This was all accomplished at the first coming of the Lord Jesus.  At His glorious second coming to set up His kingdom, the Bible also uses the imagery of a stone.  The first use of the stone was having it engraved for sin.  For His second coming, the stone is an awesome crushing weight that destroys all the rebellious kingdoms of the word.  The stone then becomes a huge mountain filling the entire earth.

     The prophet Daniel interprets a dream of the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar.  This dream involved four world kingdoms which would arise and have power over Israel.  These kingdoms were Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome.  The dream ends with a stone smashing a world-wide kingdom and then filling the entire earth.  This last kingdom which is depicted as a, "Stone cut out without hands," is the kingdom of the Lord Jesus.

     In both references to the Stone and the coming of King Messiah, there is a supernatural element.  The engraved Stone had seven eyes showing the all seeing of the Branch.  This time the Stone is made without hands.  This means what is happening is all of God, and man has nothing to do with this event.  The coming of the Stone to set up the kingdom will be supernatural.

     At His second coming, He will smash this world kingdom and set up His over the earth.  The Hebrew word for stone in Daniel 2 is the same word used by Zechariah.  Daniel sees King Messiah's second coming like a huge stone that crus