Zechariah 6:10–15 and Revelation 3:9

By Timothy Kitchen

A Prophecy of Those Coming Out of Babylon

There is a remarkable prophecy recorded in the sixth chapter of Zechariah. It speaks of those who have come out of Babylon, of silver and gold being gathered, of crowns being made, of a house, of a memorial, and of those who are far off coming to build in the temple of the Eternal.

But when we place this prophecy beside the message Jesus Christ gave to the Philadelphia era of God’s Church in Revelation 3:7–13, we begin to see the same work, the same calling, the same promise, and the same divine purpose.

These are not two unrelated accounts. They are two perspectives of the same spiritual reality. One describes the work through the prophecy of Zechariah. The other reveals the promise Christ makes to Philadelphia.

And both concern those who come out, those whom God causes to know, and those whom He gathers to Himself.

1. Take of Them That Have Come Out of Babylon

“Take of them of the captivity, even of Heldai, of Tobijah, and of Jedaiah, which are come from Babylon, and come thou the same day, and go into the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah.”

— Zechariah 6:10

Notice the instruction: TAKE OF THEM OF THE CAPTIVITY. These are people who have come out of Babylon. They were in captivity, but now they have come out.

Babylon represents spiritual confusion, captivity, and the religious systems of this world. God’s people are commanded to come out of her.

“Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.”

— Revelation 18:4

Notice that God calls them MY PEOPLE, even while they are in Babylon. They belong to Him, but they must come out.

Now compare this with Christ’s words to Philadelphia:

“Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.”

— Revelation 3:9

Here Christ speaks of those belonging to the synagogue of Satan. They claim an identity that is not theirs. Yet notice what Christ promises to do: I WILL MAKE THEM. And again: I WILL MAKE THEM TO COME.

The action belongs to Jesus Christ. It is not accomplished through the persuasive ability of men, through organizational power, or through human religious authority. Christ Himself brings them.

And what does He bring them to do? To come, to worship, and to know.

Just as Zechariah speaks of those coming out of Babylon and being brought to a particular house, Revelation speaks of those coming out of the synagogue of Satan and being brought before Philadelphia.

The captives come out. Christ causes them to come. And they are brought to the place where God is working.

2. The House of Josiah — Hen, Grace, and the Supporter of Christ

Zechariah 6:10 gives a specific destination: THE HOUSE OF JOSIAH. This is not an incidental detail.

The name Josiah carries the meaning of Yahweh supporting, or Yahweh healing. And in verse 14, this same house is identified with Hen, meaning grace or favor.

Here we see the meaning brought together: Josiah — the support of Yahweh. Hen — grace.

Yahweh, the God of the Old Testament, is the One who became Jesus Christ.

The name Kitchen carries this same connection through Kit, a shortened form of Christopher, associated with Christ and the bearing or support of Christ.

Thus we see the relationship:

Kitchen — the supporter of Christ.
Josiah — supported by Yahweh.
Hen — grace.

The house of Josiah, the house of Hen, the house of Kitchen. The supporter of Christ, supported by Yahweh, through grace.

This is the house to which those coming out of Babylon are directed. But whose work is being accomplished? It is the work of Jesus Christ, who causes those of the synagogue of Satan to come, worship, and know that He has loved Philadelphia.

And what does Philadelphia mean? BROTHERLY LOVE. This is the Church to which Christ gives the promise: “I have loved thee.” — Revelation 3:9.

Grace, love, and the support of Christ are brought together in this prophecy.

3. Take Silver and Gold — The Resources and Power to Do God’s Work

“Then take silver and gold, and make crowns, and set them upon the head of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest.”

— Zechariah 6:11

What is to be taken? SILVER AND GOLD. Silver represents money, the material resources gathered for God’s Work. The tithes belong to God.

“Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.”

— Malachi 3:10

God provides the physical means for His Work. But physical resources alone cannot accomplish a spiritual work. There must also be gold.

Gold, precious and refined, points to the spiritual riches that come from God. Consider Christ’s instruction to Laodicea:

“I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich.”

— Revelation 3:18

The gold is not merely material wealth. It represents what is precious before God. And what makes God’s people spiritually rich? THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD.

It is the power and ability to obey God, to worship Him in spirit and in truth, and to accomplish what human strength cannot accomplish.

“Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.”

— Zechariah 4:6

The silver provides the physical means. The gold points to the spiritual power. Together, they are gathered for God’s purpose.

The tithes and the Holy Spirit. The physical and the spiritual. The resources and the ability.

But notice what God commands to be made from them: CROWNS.

4. Make Crowns — A Form of Protection

Zechariah 6:11 commands: “Then take silver and gold, and make crowns…”

Why crowns? A crown is placed upon the head. It signifies authority, honor, and a covering. Here the crowns represent a form of protection established through what God provides.

The resources and the spiritual power are not gathered merely to establish another human organization. They are gathered for the purpose of God: TO MAKE CROWNS. To provide protection.

And notice that the crowns are placed upon the head of Joshua, the high priest. Joshua stands before God in Zechariah 3, where Satan is present to resist him.

“And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan…”

— Zechariah 3:1–2

Joshua does not overcome Satan by his own authority. God rebukes Satan. God removes the filthy garments. God provides the change of raiment. God establishes the conditions for Joshua to walk in His ways and keep His charge.

And now, in Zechariah 6, the crowns are placed upon the head of Joshua. The protection belongs to the work of God under the authority of the High Priest.

Jesus Christ is our great High Priest. Hebrews 4:14 tells us to hold fast our profession because we have a great High Priest, Jesus the Son of God.

Christ is the Head of the Church. He is the One who protects His people. He is the One who opens the door. And He is the One who promises Philadelphia protection from the hour of trial.

“Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.”

— Revelation 3:10

Here is the purpose of the crowns: PROTECTION. Not merely earthly honor. Not merely a symbol of human authority. But the protection God promises to those who remain faithful to Him.

5. Behold the Man Whose Name Is the Branch

“And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD.”

— Zechariah 6:12

Here the prophecy identifies the One responsible for building: THE BRANCH. Jesus Christ!

He is the One who builds the temple. Not a corporation. Not a collection of independent religious organizations. Not a humanly constructed replacement for the Church God established.

JESUS CHRIST BUILDS HIS CHURCH.

“I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

— Matthew 16:18

He did not promise to build a succession of unrelated churches. He promised to build MY CHURCH. The same spiritual organism. The same Body. The same Church of God.

Herbert W. Armstrong taught that the Church of God is a spiritual organism, with Jesus Christ as its living Head.

The Worldwide Church of God was not merely a corporate identity. The corporation was a physical instrument used to assist the spiritual organism in carrying out God’s Work.

The spiritual Church was never dependent upon the continued existence of a particular corporate structure. And the scattering of its members did not change the identity of the Church Christ established.

The BRANCH builds the temple. And those who belong to Him are called to return to the Head, not to replace Him with another human authority.

6. He Shall Be a Priest Upon His Throne

“Even he shall build the temple of the LORD; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.”

— Zechariah 6:13

Notice the order. He builds. He bears the glory. He sits. He rules. He is the priest. And there is the counsel of peace.

Everything proceeds from Jesus Christ. He is both King and High Priest. And it is through Him that peace and unity are established.

Philadelphia does not create its own unity through mutual agreement among men. It is united through surrender to Jesus Christ.

The unity comes from the Head. The government comes from the Head. The protection comes from the Head. And the spiritual power to do God’s Work comes from the Head.

“I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.”

— Revelation 3:8

Philadelphia has LITTLE STRENGTH. Yet it has an open door. Why? Because the strength required to accomplish God’s Work comes from Christ. Not from numbers. Not from money alone. Not from human influence. But from the Spirit of God.

7. The Crowns Shall Be for Helem, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Hen

“And the crowns shall be to Helem, and to Tobijah, and to Jedaiah, and to Hen the son of Zephaniah, for a memorial in the temple of the LORD.”

— Zechariah 6:14

Notice carefully. The crowns are not simply made and forgotten. They have a continuing purpose. They are FOR those named. And they are FOR A MEMORIAL.

Helem — To Restore to Health

Helem carries the meaning of restoration to health, or making healthy.

What has happened to God’s scattered people? Many have been wounded. Many have become spiritually weakened. Many have wandered. Some have lost sight of the spiritual organism to which they were called.

The purpose is not to establish another competing body. It is to restore to health those who belong to the Body of Jesus Christ. Christ is the One who heals, restores, and gathers.

HELEM — RESTORATION TO HEALTH.

Tobijah — The Goodness of Yahweh

Tobijah means the goodness of Yahweh. What is good must be determined by God. Not by what men agree upon. Not by what a religious organization declares good. Not by what is popular among the scattered groups.

God determines what is right. God determines what is holy. God determines the way His people are to walk. And those coming out of Babylon must return to what is good according to Him.

TOBIJAH — GOOD ACCORDING TO GOD.

Jedaiah — To Know Yahweh

Jedaiah carries the meaning of knowing Yahweh. Now notice the direct connection with Revelation 3:9. Christ says: “…and to know that I have loved thee.”

TO KNOW! This is precisely what Christ promises. Those who come out are brought to know. Not merely to acknowledge a religious organization. Not merely to recognize a name. But to KNOW what Jesus Christ has done, whom He has loved, the Church He has established, and the love He has shown Philadelphia.

JEDAIAH — TO KNOW YAHWEH.
REVELATION 3:9 — TO KNOW THAT I HAVE LOVED THEE.

Hen — Grace

Finally, Hen: GRACE. God’s favor. God’s gift. God’s love extended to His people.

And once again, Revelation 3:9 declares: “…to know that I have loved thee.” To know grace. To know Hen. To know that Jesus Christ has loved Philadelphia.

Here the names come together in their appointed order:

HELEM — TO RESTORE TO HEALTH.
TOBIJAH — THE GOODNESS OF YAHWEH.
JEDAIAH — TO KNOW YAHWEH.
HEN — GRACE.

Restored to health. Returned to what is good according to God. Brought to know Yahweh. And brought to know His grace and love.

This is what the crowns are for. This is the purpose of the protection. And this is what Christ promises to accomplish in Revelation 3:9.

8. Hen, the Son of Zephaniah — The Hidden Reserve of God

There is yet another remarkable detail. Hen is identified as the son of Zephaniah.

The name Zephaniah carries the meaning: YAHWEH HAS HIDDEN. It speaks of the hidden or treasured reserve of Yahweh.

Now place these meanings together: HEN — GRACE. ZEPHANIAH — THE HIDDEN RESERVE OF YAHWEH.

The son of the hidden reserve of God. And what has Jesus Christ promised Philadelphia? Protection!

“I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world…”

— Revelation 3:10

This is the promise of divine protection. The Church is not promised that it will become a great and powerful organization in the eyes of the world. Philadelphia has little strength. Yet Christ promises to keep it.

Revelation 12:14 reveals the woman being given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished away from the serpent.

Here is the place of protection. The place of safety. The place where God preserves and nourishes His people.

The crowns are for restoration, for what is good according to Yahweh, for knowing Yahweh, and for grace. And this grace is connected with the hidden reserve of Yahweh.

THE PHILADELPHIA CHURCH — PROTECTED AND HIDDEN BY GOD.

Not hidden because men have devised a secret organization. Not protected because of human power. But preserved because Jesus Christ has promised to protect those who keep His Word.

The crowns are a form of protection. The hidden reserve belongs to Yahweh. And Philadelphia is the Church to which Christ has given His promise.

9. For a Memorial in the Temple of the Lord

Now notice the final words of verse 14: “…for a memorial in the temple of the LORD.”

A MEMORIAL! Why a memorial? Because something must be remembered. Something must not be forgotten.

God’s people must remember where they came from. They must remember who called them. They must remember the truths restored through His Apostle, Herbert W. Armstrong. They must remember the spiritual organism into which they were called. They must remember the government of God, the Head of the Church, and the love Jesus Christ has shown Philadelphia.

The memorial is not merely a monument to the past. It is a call to remembrance.

“Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent.”

— Revelation 3:3

REMEMBER! Remember what you received. Remember what you heard. Hold fast. Repent.

And to Philadelphia, Christ says:

“Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.”

— Revelation 3:11

Notice: THY CROWN! The same symbol appears again.

Zechariah speaks of crowns made from silver and gold, preserved as a memorial in God’s temple. Revelation speaks of the crown Philadelphia must hold fast. And Christ warns that no man is to take it.

The crown is not something to surrender to another man. It is not something to abandon for another organization. It is something to HOLD FAST.

And the memorial reminds God’s people of what they have received: the truths restored, the calling, the Church, the promise, the protection, and the love of Jesus Christ.

10. They That Are Far Off Shall Come

“And they that are far off shall come and build in the temple of the LORD, and ye shall know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto you. And this shall come to pass, if ye will diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God.”

— Zechariah 6:15

Who are these who are far off? They are those who have wandered. Those who have become scattered. Those who have been carried away into spiritual captivity. Those who have become separated from the spiritual foundation upon which they were established.

THE SCATTERED WORLDWIDE CHURCH OF GOD.

The splinters. The brethren dispersed among many organizations. Those who still possess portions of what they received, but who have lost sight of the one spiritual organism.

The prophecy says: THEY THAT ARE FAR OFF SHALL COME.

Not that another church must be invented for them. Not that they must choose which human organization best represents their personal preferences. But that they shall come and build in the temple of the Eternal.

And who builds that temple? We have already been told: THE BRANCH — JESUS CHRIST!

He builds His Church. And those who are far off are called to participate in what He is building.

“But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.”

— Ephesians 2:13

Those who were far off are brought near. And Ephesians 2:19–22 explains that they become fellowcitizens with the saints, members of God’s household, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone.

The building is joined together. It grows into a holy temple. It becomes a habitation of God through the Spirit.

This is not a collection of independent temples. IT IS ONE TEMPLE. One spiritual Body. One Church. One Head.

And those who are far off are called to return to that spiritual unity.

11. And Ye Shall Know — The Same Promise as Revelation 3:9

There is one final connection that must not be overlooked.

“…and ye shall know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto you.”

— Zechariah 6:15

YE SHALL KNOW! Compare this again with Revelation 3:9:

“…and to know that I have loved thee.”

— Revelation 3:9

Both prophecies speak of those who come. Both speak of a work accomplished through God’s authority. And both culminate in knowing.

In Zechariah, they shall know that the Eternal has sent His servant. In Revelation, they shall know that Christ has loved Philadelphia.

This is not merely an intellectual recognition. It is a recognition of what God has done: who has been sent, who has been loved, who has been protected, and where Jesus Christ is working.

The scattered brethren are not being called to follow the personality of a man. They are being called to recognize the work of Jesus Christ, His love for Philadelphia, the Church He built, and to return to Him.

12. If Ye Will Diligently Obey

But the prophecy concludes with a condition:

“And this shall come to pass, if ye will diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God.”

— Zechariah 6:15

IF YE WILL DILIGENTLY OBEY. This is not unconditional. God does not call His people merely to recognize a name. He calls them to obedience.

“If ye love me, keep my commandments.”

— John 14:15

And Philadelphia is identified by its obedience. Revelation 3:8 says: “…thou hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.” Revelation 3:10 says: “Because thou hast kept the word of my patience…”

The protection is connected with keeping His Word. The promise is connected with obedience. And the gathering is connected with surrender to the authority of Jesus Christ.

Those who come out of Babylon must not bring Babylon with them. Those who return must return to God. Those who build must build according to His instructions. And those who seek His protection must remain faithful to Him.

13. The Memorial Is a Call to the Scattered Church

What, then, is the message of Zechariah 6:10–15? It is a call to those who have come out of captivity. It is a call to those who are far off. It is a call to those who have wandered away from the spiritual foundation. It is a call to remember.

REMEMBER THE WORLDWIDE CHURCH OF GOD.

Not merely the corporation. Not merely the physical organization that once administered its activities. But the spiritual organism Jesus Christ established and continued to lead through His Apostle, Herbert W. Armstrong.

Remember the truths restored. Remember the government of God. Remember the purpose of the Church. Remember the calling. Remember the love of Jesus Christ. And remember His promise to Philadelphia.

The crowns are for a memorial. For restoration to health. For returning to what is good according to Yahweh. For knowing Yahweh. For knowing His grace. For knowing that Jesus Christ has loved Philadelphia. And for the protection of those whom God has reserved and hidden.

The house of Josiah, Hen, Kitchen — the supporter of Christ, supported by Yahweh, through grace — stands within this prophetic picture of those coming out of Babylon, the gathering of God’s resources, and the memorial established for those who must remember.

The silver and gold are gathered. The crowns are made. The protection is provided. The memorial is established. And those who are far off shall come.

But they must diligently obey the voice of the Eternal their God.

Conclusion: Return to Philadelphia

There is a reason Jesus Christ told Philadelphia to hold fast. There is a reason He promised to make those of the synagogue of Satan come and know that He had loved them.

There is a reason Zechariah was instructed to take from those who had come out of Babylon. There is a reason the silver and gold were gathered. There is a reason the crowns were made. And there is a reason those crowns were established as a memorial in the temple of God.

TO REMEMBER.

To remember what God established. To remember what Christ restored. To remember the Church into which we were called. And to remember that the Church belongs to Jesus Christ.

The scattering of God’s people did not destroy His Church. The multiplication of human organizations did not create multiple spiritual bodies of Christ. And the abandonment of a corporate name did not abolish the spiritual organism God had established.

Jesus Christ remains the Head. The BRANCH remains the Builder. The High Priest remains upon His throne. And His promise to Philadelphia remains.

“I WILL MAKE THEM TO COME.”
“AND TO KNOW THAT I HAVE LOVED THEE.”
“AND THEY THAT ARE FAR OFF SHALL COME.”
“AND YE SHALL KNOW.”

These are the promises. These are the connections. And this is the memorial.

The scattered Worldwide Church of God is being called to remember what it received, to hold fast to what Christ restored, and to return to the spiritual unity of His Body.

Not to another branch cut away from the tree. Not to another humanly established substitute. But to the foundation. To the living Head. To the Church Jesus Christ built.

RETURN TO PHILADELPHIA.

For the crowns are a memorial. The protection belongs to God. And those who are far off shall come.