The coming King

 Read Zechariah 6.

The word of the LORD was revealed to Zechariah in a series of eight visions in a single night.  Their purposes served to give encouragement in the near-term and hope for the nation's future. 

Vision #8 concerns four horses of different colors.  Their assignment is to "patrol the earth" (v.7).  Except for the mention of the chariots, these appear to fulfill the same role as those mentioned in chapter one (1:8-10).  It underscores the fact that beyond this physical realm, God is at work.  There is a spiritual war that constantly takes place.  "The LORD of all the earth" (v.5) has full knowledge of what is happening everywhere.  His angelic messengers are on patrol to protect, to intervene, and/or mete out God's judgment.

The north and south are the only directions mentioned here.  Presumably, the immediate objects of attention are Babylon in the north and Egypt in the south.

Four horses of the same colors are seen again in Revelation 6.  There, each of them has a rider.  During the Great Tribulation, they will be instrumental in implementing God's judgment upon the earth.  This will be done to deal with the enemies of God, to prepare the Jews to be a holy nation, and to introduce Jesus in His second coming.  Then, He will establish His earthly kingdom, as promised.

In order to give tangible hope for the advent of Messiah's reign, Zechariah was told to make a king's crown of gold and silver.  The precious metals were received from a delegation of Jews who just arrived from Babylon.  The crown was then placed on the head of the High Priest.  Three items to keep in mind to understand what is happening and what is not happening here.
1. They were not reestablishing the kingdom of Judah.
The "holy land" (2:12) was part of the Persian Empire and fully under that control.  Reestablishing another kingdom would have been viewed as rebellion against the empire and resulted in a swift military reprisal.
2. Joshua was not qualified to be king of Judah.
He was a Levite, a priest, and held the office of High Priest.  One must be of the tribe of Judah in the lineage of David to serve as king.
3. Therefore, this was a ceremonial gesture pointing to the Messiah.
Verses 12-13 are prophetic statements.  The real King is one "whose name is the Branch."  He is a branch of the royal family tree.  Matthew 1:1-"The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham."  This is a clear and certain statement that Jesus has a legal right to be King of the Jews.  The crown was placed in the Temple as a hope-filled reminder.  One day the Messiah will rule and reign from the Temple in Jerusalem.  He will serve as both priest and king, just like the order of Melchizedek.  See Genesis 14 and Hebrews 7.

With all of these encouragements of the blessings God has stored up, the chapter ends with a challenge to "diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God."