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 honor, and shall sit and rule on his throne. And there[shall be a priest on his throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.”’ Zechariah 6:12-13
In this beautiful passage from the Old Testament prophet Zechariah, a crown is placed on the head of Joshua the high priest, and the offices of priest and king are united into one named the Branch. “Joshua” is the same as “Yeshua,” Jesus, and the vision points forward to our Lord Jesus Christ – Priest and King, Mediator and Ruler.
And the “counsel of peace” shall exist between His priesthood and His kingship.
This phrase struck me and intrigued me. What is the “counsel of peace?” Why is that such a significant and hopeful statement?
The Hebrew word used there is “shalom.” We translate it as peace, but its meaning goes much deeper than the absence of conflict and anxiety. It means wholeness, completeness, and well-being. It implies the complete absence of anything evil, untoward, immoral, or imperfect.
The “counsel of peace” means the establishment and expression of God’s perfect will toward man and all of His creation still under the curse of sin. It is established by the unification between Christ’s priesthood and sovereign reign – two offices combined into One Person.
But what does that have to do with us?
The expression of God’s counsel of peace – His goodwill toward man – is multifaceted.
First – it has resulted in reconciliation. In Christ, the High Priest, the sins that separated us from God and caused enmity with Him have been atoned for. Because He shed His blood, there can be peace between us and God. He continues to be our Priest by interceding for us at the right hand of the Father (see Hebrews 7:25).
Secondly – the presence of Christ the Ruler in our lives through the indwelling Holy Spirit brings peace.
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” John 14:27
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7
The counsel of peace that comes into our lives daily as a result of Him living in us is perfect. It is sufficient to still anxiety, fear, and inner turmoil and bring undisturbed serenity in the midst of the raging world around us.
I don’t know about you, but I am hungry for the counsel of peace. Satan is whipping up the busyness, the noise, and the speed of life in the world because he knows it causes stress and anxiety and keeps us from stillness – the quality needed for intimacy with God and experiencing His peace. That makes inner peace ever harder to come by.
But it is a quality of life that God wants to give us.
Peace leads to inner healing.
It calms racing thoughts and reins in wandering minds.
It opens our minds to His divine truth and wisdom, which are always perfect.
It produces joy.
It enables us to rest in the Lord.
It gives renewed strength and rest to our bodies.
It opens our spiritual eyes to see the beauty and splendor of our invisible God which deepens our delight in Him.
It fills our hearts with the hope of heaven – the place and time when we experience eternal peace in His presence.
And when it resides in us with abundance, it will exude from us and calm and bless others.
Receiving the counsel of peace requires a lifestyle of listening and receiving. It is there for the taking, but we must do the taking. God offers to pour His fullness into us but does not force it.
It is worth reordering our daily lives around receiving the counsel of peace.
Put down our cell phones.
Stay off social media for a couple of hours.
Set aside our to-do lists.
Read and pray, instead, and greet each day with God as the first One we turn our attention to and express to Him our desire for the counsel of peace.
The beauty is that the counsel of peace exists within you through the Holy Spirit. It is not far or hard to obtain. It’s only a prayer away!