“Hear now, O Joshua the high priest…. behold, I will bring My Servant the BRANCH.”
Zechariah 3:8 ESV
Plain and specific prophecies had been given regarding the appearance of the Promised One, offering hope and guidance to the faithful throughout all generations. To Adam was given an assurance of the coming of the Redeemer, a crucial moment that reverberated through time, instilling a profound anticipation in the hearts of those who longed for salvation. The sentence pronounced on Satan, “I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her Seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel” Genesis 3:15, served not merely as a declaration of conflict but as a divine promise to our first parents. This promise stood as a beacon of light in the darkness of sin and despair, representing the redemption to be wrought out through Christ, who would ultimately triumph over evil, restore the fractured relationship between humanity and God, and usher in an era of hope, grace, and reconciliation for all believers.
However, not only was the Promised Redeemer foreshadowed as the Seed. Among many other names found throughout the word of God, He was also given the name of the BRANCH, the One that would spring forth from the line of Jesse, the father of King David, the Promised Priest-King. See: Isaiah 11:1
And say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, “Behold, the Man whose name is the Branch: for He shall branch out from His place, and He shall build the Temple of the Lord. It is He who shall build the temple of the Lord and shall bear royal honour, and shall sit and rule on His throne. And there shall be a Priest on His throne.”
Zechariah 6:2-13 ESV
In all normal circumstances, a priest does not sit on a throne. A priest resides in a Temple, and a king rules from a throne. But what we see here is that the Promised Redeemer, the Branch, would be a Priest in the Temple of God ruling upon His Throne.
What is the Temple but the Christian Church today?
Says Paul:
“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?”
1 Corinthians 3:16
Again he says:
“…for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” — 2 Corinthians 6:16
God’s Temple, is His People; all those in Christ, for He is the Way, Truth and Life.
Again we are told that we are being built up a Spiritual House built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ being the very cornerstone. See Ephesians 2:19-22
It was the Promised Redeemer, the Great High Priest who would also reign as a King.
“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for (king) David a righteous Branch, and He shall reign as King and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land… this is the name by which he will be called: The Lord our Righteousness.”
Jeremiah 5-6
“For thus says the Lord: David shall never lack a man (a king) to sit on the throne of the house of Israel, and the Levitical priests shall never lack a man in my presence to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings, and to make sacrifices forever.”
Jeremiah 33:17-18
Who is this Promised Priest-King? No it isn’t the Roman Catholic Church State system led by the Pope, the professed priest of Roman Catholicism and King of the Vatican, that system of apostasy that sets itself up in the Temple of God, showing himself that he is God. See: 1 Thessalonionas 2:3-4
There is One among the sons of men who is worthy of this Blessed Title. Who can it be but Jesus Christ Himself. The Branch of Jesse, the Root and Off Spring of David?
Note the Scriptures:
“Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For because he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to help them that are tempted.”
Hebrews 2:17-18
Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.
Hebrews 4:14-15
And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, called by God as High Priest…”
Hebrews 5:9
But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood…. For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens.”
Hebrews 7:24,26
None of these principles in any shape or form apply to the Pope of Rome or any earthly prelate for that matter, for none of them are free from sin. For “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” Romans 3:23, this includes all popes, priests, cardinals, bishops and the like.
A sinful man cannot intercede on behalf of sinful humanity. Only Christ, who alone is separate from sin, who alone is holy and righteous in all His ways, can stand before a Holy God as man’s representative. “For there is one God and One Mediator between God and man, the Man, Christ Jesus.”
Not only is Christ the Promised Priest, but also the Promised King:
Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:9-10
Blessing and honor and glory and power
Revelation 5:13 (John 1:29)
Be to Him who sits on the throne,
And to the Lamb, forever and ever!”
Then to Him (Christ) was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed.
Daniel 7:14
He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”
Luke 1:32-33
And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written:
Revelation 19:16
KING OF KINGS AND
LORD OF LORDS.
Note the Scriptures friends, they are very clear. “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
Christ is the Righteous Branch, He is the Promised Priest-King. Throughout history, countless teachings have emerged that distort the truth, leading many astray. Today, billions of people look to a figure in Rome, convinced that this individual and his organization serve as intermediaries for them before God. However, this belief is nothing but a lie from the depths of hell, designed to divert attention away from the true source of salvation, and to place a mere man in the place of Christ—AntiChrist.
Look to Jesus and to Jesus alone. He is the Author and Finisher of our faith, the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. Only through Christ can we find true peace, guidance, and purpose in our lives.
Lift up your eyes to the heavens and look to Christ, not to sinful man. While human leaders may falter, Jesus remains steadfast and true. It is He who lives forever to make intercession for us as our representative in the Heavens. His role as our High Priest is to advocate on our behalf, offering His sacrifice as the ultimate atonement for our sins. And not only does He intercede, but He reigns and rules forevermore in majesty and power upon His mighty throne as King.
Imagine the depths of His love and commitment to us! He reigns not as a distant ruler but as a compassionate Saviour who understands our struggles and stands with us in our trials. He invites us into a relationship with Him, where we can find refuge and strength.
Is He reigning supreme in your life, Reader? Are you allowing His presence to guide your decisions and illuminate your path? Let us turn our hearts back to Christ, inviting Him to take His rightful place at the center of our lives—upon the throne of our hearts. In doing so, we can experience the fullness of His grace and the transformative power of His love.
Forever and always, let us seek Him above all else.
Loud Cry Compendium
Loud Cry Compendium 