Zechariah 4:8Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Yet, when the opportunity to rebuild returned, the temple was ultimately completed during the high priestly tenure of Joshua and Zerubbabel.

This historical account carries significant meaning, particularly as Zerubbabel, descended from the tribe of Judah, is viewed as a prefiguration of Christ. It is important to understand how he began the construction of the Lord’s house, as his intent and spirit (embodied by Zerubbabel) ultimately led to its completion. Initially, he established a sacred space—the Jewish synagogue—for God and himself, as noted in his reference to Moses: ‘If there be in you a prophet of the Lord, in a vision I will recognise him, and in a dream I will say unto him, Not as my servant Moses, in all my house is he faithful’ (Num. 12:6-7).

In a sense, the foundation laid through Christ represented the house of God, even though it faced destruction. Consequently, the prophet Jeremiah lamented its ruin, proclaiming, ‘The house of Israel is fallen, and there is none who can restore it’ (Am. 5:1-2). However, through Christ, it is restored and transformed, welcoming the Gentiles and giving rise to the church—referred to as ‘the house of the living God’ (1 Tim. 3:16)—which the Lord of Hosts delights in. The temple established in later times, namely the church, surpasses the earlier one, a truth affirmed by the prophet Haggai: ‘Who is there among you who has seen this temple in its former glory, and how do you see it now? Is it not in your sight as nothing?’ And again, ‘For great shall be the glory of this last temple, more glorious than the first, saith the Lord Almighty’ (Haggai 2:3, 9).

It is unreasonable to interpret this solely in a historical moment; it is evident that the latter glory of the divine temple exceeds that of the former. The original temple faced destruction when burned and looted by Nebuchadnezzar; the temple rebuilt after the captivity similarly succumbed to flames at the hands of the Romans, who also ravaged Jerusalem and the surrounding nation. Thus, historical narratives alone do not suffice for grasping the deeper truth. The latter glory is supremely greater than the former, as the Church has been made part of ‘the holy temple, and the habitation of God by the Spirit,’ being built ‘upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets’ (Eph. 2:20-22). This structure grows ‘through every mutually binding bond, according to the efficacy of every member working in concert’ (Eph. 4:16), uniting faith and love through the Spirit for the purpose of edifying the holy temple. As living stones, the community of believers is regarded as God’s field or God’s building (1 Cor. 3:9). The wise Builder, Jesus Christ, has laid the foundation, and it is upon Him that we find our stability, as we embody His presence and are anchored by the Spirit.

This theme is addressed at length by both the Hebrew tradition and our own. From this, we will highlight as we wish, focusing on the critical aspects while dismissing less relevant points, enabling us to identify Him who is foretold through history by understanding historical truth. Zerubbabel, the leader of the Jews returning from Babylon, laid the foundation of the temple, completing what he began. As recorded in Ezra, Zerubbabel both initiated and completed the temple's construction. The prophet Zechariah states, "When you see the roof laid over the temple that you are building, then you will know that the Lord has sent me to you, and that what I have said has been spoken by His command. For who has despised the days of insignificance?"

The word "who" is used here to refer to something rare, similar to the phrase, "Who then is that faithful and wise steward?" (Luke 12:42) and in the question, "Lord, who shall dwell in Your holy hill?" (Psalm 15:1). It is uncommon for someone to look down upon the humble days of this age, treating royalty with disregard. When observing the powerful of this world, adorned in gold and precious stones, surrounding themselves with mighty armies, we may ponder, "Who, in your estimation, pays no heed to these humble days?" Jacob, aware of the brevity of human existence, expressed, "The days of my life have been few and evil" (Genesis 47:9).

Thus, those who disregard the humble days—especially in the context of royal authority—encourage Zerubbabel, Jesus, and the people building the temple of God not to fear their adversaries but to be faithful to the Lord’s commands. Through such disregard for earthly powers, they will experience joy and see the Savior's aid, who is promised from the lineage of Zerubbabel and is spoken of as a stone and a precious stone. The Hebrew refers to this as "abdil," indicating He is the wall, strength, and fortress of the faithful. Just as tin protects other metals from the heat of fire, so too does the Savior provide strength to men and angels; without His aid, all their power is weak and easily broken.

This stone signifies a foundation, as the Hebrew "abdil," or tin, implies separation—indicating distinction. Just as tin separates various metals forged in fire, so the Lord, the true judge and refiner, distinguishes between the copper and lead of vice and the gold and silver of righteous deeds, leaving only pure gold and silver. This separating function is depicted in the Gospel when it states, "His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly cleanse His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His barn, but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire" (Luke 3:17). He speaks through Jeremiah: "Is not My word like a fire? says the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?" (Jeremiah 23:29).

Many interpret that under Zerubbabel’s guidance, who laid the foundation and completed the temple, there is a foreshadowing of Christ. If we accept this interpretation, we must clarify what the precious stone in Zerubbabel's hand represents. Shouldn’t we see another Christ in the hand of Christ? Some interpret the precious stone to signify the body of the Lord, untainted by any imperfection, characterized as the purest of metals. The seven eyes observing the whole earth symbolize the seven spirits, representing God's omniscience, who observes all things from the past, present, and future, rewarding everyone according to their actions, especially when He comes to distinguish between good and evil, and to unite His people as the divider.