“Here is the man whose name is Sprout. He will sprout from his own place, and he will build the temple of Jehovah”
(Zechariah 6:12)
Before directly answering this question, it is important to understand the context of this divine declaration. It concerns the enthronement of Yeshua as king and high priest during Zerubbabel’s rule over Jerusalem:
“The word of Jehovah again came to me, saying: 10 “Take from Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah what they brought from the people in exile; and on that day, you must go to the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah along with these who have come from Babylon. 11 You should take silver and gold and make a crown and put it on the head of Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. 12 And say to him,
“‘This is what Jehovah of armies says: “Here is the man whose name is Sprout. He will sprout from his own place, and he will build the temple of Jehovah. 13 He is the one who will build the temple of Jehovah, and he is the one who will assume the majesty. He will sit down on his throne and rule, and he will also be a priest on his throne, and there will be a peaceable agreement between the two. 14 And the crown will serve as a memorial for Helem, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Hen the son of Zephaniah, in the temple of Jehovah. 15 And those who are far away will come and take part in building the temple of Jehovah.” And you will have to know that Jehovah of armies has sent me to you. And it will occur—if you do not fail to listen to the voice of *Jehovah (YHWH) your God’”” (Zechariah 6:9-15).
* YHWH is the tetragrammaton, or four-letter for the Divine Name. In the New World Translation of the Bible, it appears with the vocalization commonly used for centuries as « Jehovah ». This vocalization is doubly inaccurate because it inserts the pronunciation J instead of I (i) or Y, and the V corresponding to W, which is pronounced « U » or « ou » (not V). The correct vocalization of the Tetragrammaton is YeHou(W)aH, Yehouah. The inaccurate vocalization « Jehovah » is retained in the Bible translation used, just as the inaccurate vocalization of « Jesus, » pronounced Yeshua or Yeshoua, because they are the most known to readers (click on the link to examine the study on the Divine Name in more detail: The Divine Name YHWH is pronounced as it is written).
In the Bible, the first mention of a priest-king is that of Melchizedek, when he came to meet Abraham:
“And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was priest of the Most High God.
19 Then he blessed him and said:
“Blessed be Abram by the Most High God,
Maker of heaven and earth;
20 And praised be the Most High God,
Who has handed your oppressors over to you!”” (Genesis 14:18-20).
The apostle Paul, under inspiration, designated Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of the prophetic figure of the priest-king, Melchizedek, king of Salem:
“A man does not take this honor of his own accord, but he receives it only when he is called by God, just as Aaron was. 5 So, too, the Christ did not glorify himself by becoming a high priest, but was glorified by the One who said to him: “You are my son; today I have become your father.” 6 As he also says in another place, “You are a priest forever in the manner of Melchizedek.”
7 During his life on earth, Christ offered up supplications and also petitions, with strong outcries and tears, to the One who was able to save him out of death, and he was favorably heard for his godly fear. 8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered. 9 And after he had been made perfect, he became responsible for everlasting salvation to all those obeying him, 10 because he has been designated by God a high priest in the manner of Melchizedek” (Hebrews 5:4-10; Psalms 110:4).
Therefore, Zechariah’s prophecy of Joshua’s enthronement as king and high priest refers to Jesus Christ as King and High Priest. In a prophetic vision in the book of Apocalypse chapter 19, King Jesus Christ is also described as King and a High Priest:
“I saw heaven opened, and look! a white horse. And the one seated on it is called Faithful and True, and he judges and carries on war in righteousness. 12 His eyes are a fiery flame, and on his head are many diadems. He has a name written that no one knows but he himself, 13 and he is clothed with an outer garment stained with blood, and he is called by the name The Word of God. 14 Also, the armies in heaven were following him on white horses, and they were clothed in white, clean, fine linen. 15 And out of his mouth protrudes a sharp, long sword with which to strike the nations, and he will shepherd them with a rod of iron. Moreover, he treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16 On his outer garment, yes, on his thigh, he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords” (Apocalypse 19:11-16).
Although this passage does not explicitly state that the « King of kings and Lord of lords » is also a High Priest, he is described as wearing an outer garment sprinkled with blood. This symbolism signifies his installation as High Priest of God:
“Then take some of the blood that is on the altar and some of the anointing oil and spatter it on Aaron and his garments and on his sons and his sons’ garments, so that he and his garments and his sons and their garments may be holy” (Exodus 29:21).
In chapter 29 of the book of Exodus it is written the installation procedure as high priest and priest, showing that part of the anointing oil and animal blood was sprinkled on the priestly garments of Aaron, the high priest, and his sons the priests.
Therefore, the Sprout mentioned in Zechariah’s prophecy is the current King and High Priest, Jesus Christ (Yehoshuah: transliteration in Greek Iêsous and in Latin Jesus. Hebrew name Mashiah, translated into Greek Kristos (Christ in English)). Which temple is it?
The temple rebuilt by the « Sprout » is not an architectural work, but a spiritual work. The new spiritual temple would be made up of several people, including the « Sprout », Yehoshuah Mashiah, the « cornerstone », both king and high priest (Matthew 21:42). When Jehovah God transferred the « Sprout » into the womb of Mary, the Jewish virgin, the angel Gabriel told her this: « And look! you will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus. This one will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and Jehovah God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule as King over the house of Jacob forever, and there will be no end to his Kingdom” » (Luke 1:31-33). By comparing the words of the angel Gabriel with the prophecy of Zechariah 6:12-14, there is no doubt that the Sprout is Yehoshuah Mashiah (Jesus Christ).
eshua Mashiah (Jesus Christ) is the builder of this spiritual temple made of living stones (human stones). This is the Christian congregation built by Jesus Christ:
“As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but chosen, precious to God, 5 you yourselves as living stones are being built up into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, in order to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it says in Scripture: “Look! I am laying in Zion a chosen stone, a precious foundation cornerstone, and no one exercising faith in it will ever be disappointed” (1 Peter 2:4-6).
This temple is the Christian congregation, whose cornerstone is Jesus Christ:
“So you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens of the holy ones and are members of the household of God, 20 and you have been built up on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, while Christ Jesus himself is the foundation cornerstone. 21 In union with him the whole building, being harmoniously joined together, is growing into a holy temple for Jehovah. 22 In union with him you too are being built up together into a place for God to inhabit by spirit” (Ephesians 2:19-22).
“Do you not know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that the spirit of God dwells in you? 17 If anyone destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him; for the temple of God is holy, and you are that temple” (1 Corinthians 3:16,17).
“And what agreement does God’s temple have with idols? For we are a temple of a living God; just as God said: “I will reside among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people” (2 Corinthians 6:16).
In the Book of Apocalypse, it is written that Jesus Christ is the builder of this spiritual temple:
“The one who conquers—I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God, and he will by no means go out from it anymore, and I will write upon him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the New Jerusalem that descends out of heaven from my God, and my own new name” (Apocalypse 3:12).
This means that the Heavenly Father has granted him the right to choose who will be part of this construction because he has full authority over this construction: « All authority has been given me in heaven and on the earth » (Matthew 28:18).
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