Community on Columbia

The prophet Zechariah sees a vision of the high priest Jeshua clothed in filthy garments and being resisted by Satan. It’s a courtroom scene with the Angel of the Lord as defense attorney and Satan as prosecutor. After the Lord rebukes Satan, the filthy garments are removed and clean ones put on. Although the roles are blurred together, this is a picture of Christ taking on our sins, forgiven on the cross. Symbols of Messiah in the Branch and the Stone are seen as well.

Notes on Zechariah 3:1-10

God through Haggai chides the people again for neglecting to finish the Temple. But He also offers them a word of hope. By seeing the future coming of Messiah, God assures them that the glory of the “latter house” would be greater than Solomon’s original Temple, and identifies Zerubbabel as a type of the “signet ring” of the Davidic Kingdom, ultimately embodied by Jesus.

Notes on Haggai 2:1-23

Haggai was a prophet who accompanied Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the Jewish mission to rebuild the Temple. After “the people of the land” convinced the Persian king Cambyses to order the Jews to stop their work, the Temple remained unfinished for years. But when a new king Darius took the throne, he reversed Cambyses’ policies. Still the Jews did nothing. So Haggai delivered a scathing message exhorting them to finish the Temple.

Notes in Haggai 1:1-15

After Zerubbabel and his contingent laid the foundation of the new Temple, the surrounding “people of the land” said they worshipped the same God as the Jews and offered to help. But they also worshipped idols. Zerubbabel turned them down, fearing that their involvement might pollute the project. In response, these adversaries complained to the new Persian king, reminding him of Jerusalems rebellious past.

Notes on Ezra 4:1-24

The priests begin to rebuild the Brazen Altar so that sacrifices and offerings can resume. They regather the stones that formed its base, and restore the bronze covering to the grate and fire pan. Later, they celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles and lay the Temple’s foundation stone, as priests sing and blow trumpets, and the oldest among them weep in sorrow for the faded glory of the original Temple and the sins of the people that caused its destruction. For Christians, the Altar is a picture of the cross, and the foundation stone represents Christ Himself.

Notes on Ezra 3:1-13