Page:Visions and Prophecies of Zechariah (Baron, David).djvu/216

 and beneficent in the hands of the Holy One, Who is infinite in wisdom, power, and love. The result of His blessed rule will be that

" In His days shall the righteous flourish; And abundance of peace till the moon be no more. He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, And from the River unto the ends of the earth. Yea, all kings shall fall down before Him; All nations shall serve Him. He shall judge the poor of the people, He shall save the children of the needy, And shall break in pieces the oppressor; For He shall deliver the needy when he crieth, And the poor that hath no helper.

He shall redeem their soul from oppression and violence: And precious shall their blood be in His sight. . . . And men shall be blessed in Him: All nations shall call Him blessed."

(Ps. Ixxii.)

The character of His blessed rule is further explained in the next sentence:

" And He shall be a priest upon His throne"

How full of significance is this one sentence of Holy Writ! As is the manner of Zechariah, we have in these four Hebrew words a terse summary of nearly all that the former prophets have spoken of Messiah and His work.

Here is the true Melchizedek, Who is at the same time King of Righteousness, King of Salem, which is King of Peace, and the great High Priest, whose priesthood, unlike the Aaronic, abideth " for ever." " He shall be a Priest upon His throne."

Now He royally exercises His high priestly office as the Advocate with the Father, and only Mediator between God and man, at the right hand of God in heaven. From thence He shall come forth again to take possession of His throne, and to commence His long-promised reign on the earth. But, even when as King he exercises His sovereign rule, He will still be " a Priest upon His throne," who will have compassion upon the ignorant and erring (Heb. v. 2),