Illustrations of the same usage might be adduced from almost every part of the Old Testament, where the Messiah, as announced by designations peculiar to his complex official Person and character, and as visibly present, speaks to and of himself and also to and of the Father, under designations which refer only to the Divine Nature. The same is customary likewise with the prophets. Thus David, Ps. cx.: “Jehovah (the Father) saith to Adonai, (the Messiah, as is declared in the New Testament,) Sit thou at my right hand,” &c. And Ps. ii.: Why do the heathen rage?... and the rulers take counsel against Jehovah and against the Anointed, or Messiah, v. 1, 2. The Adonai shall have them in derision, v. 4. I (the Messiah) will declare the decree: Jehovah hath said onto me, Thou art my Son, &c., v. 7.
The exceeding confusion which obscures our common version of Zechariah, and especially of the first chapter, implies that the translators did not understand the designations above quoted, a man, the Melach, Melach Jehovah, and Adonai, as referring to one and the same person, nor all or any of them as referring to the official Person, Messiah.
In chapter ii., the Melach is the Divine speaker throughout: “And behold the Melach that talked with me (see i. 9) went forth, and another angel (a messenger) went out to meet him; and He (the Melach) said unto him, (i. e., to the messenger,) Run,” &c. v. 3, 4. Here, according to our version, the other angel is made to direct the Melach who is Jehovah (see i. 9, 11, 12) to run, &c., by the omission of the relative He, as printed in capitals above; which, it is obvious from the original, and also from the ensuing context, ought to be retained. For after directing the approaching messenger to run, &c., he proceeds: “For I, saith Jehovah, will be unto her, Jerusalem, a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her:” the reference of which is further evidence that the speaker is the Messiah, here designated the Melach and Jehovah. The same speaker, continuing to the end of the chapter, treats of the dispersion, preservation, and subsequent restoration of the Israelites, and reëstablishment of Jerusalem as his dwelling-place.
Throughout the remainder of the book, the Divine Person speaking to the prophet is the same as the man, the Melach, the Adonai, the Melach Jehovah, of the first chapter. He announces what is said by Jehovah, and Jehovah Zebaoth; his rebuke of Satan, iii. 2; his promise of The Branch, referring to the Messiah as he was to be manifested incarnate, iii. 8, and vi. 12. In various places the prophet designates the Melach, and Jehovah as his Adonai, and as the Adon of the whole earth, iv. 4, 5, 13, 14; vi. 4, 5; ix. 4. Adonai Jehovah, ix. 14, and Jehovah their Elohe, ix. 16, x. 6, declares that the man whose name is The Branch shall build the temple of Jehovah, and shall sit and rule upon his throne, and shall be a Priest upon his throne, &c., vi. 12, 13. That it was Jehovah who was prized at thirty pieces of silver, i. e., Jehovah says of himself, as Messiah, that he was so prized, xi. 13. Represents Elohim and Melach Jehovah as equivalent, identifies Jehovah Zebaoth with the Shepherd, the man that is his fellow, xiii. 7. Jehovah whose feet shall stand upon the mount of Olives which is before Jerusalem, xiv. 4. Jehovah who shall be King over all the earth, xiv. 9. The King Jehovah Zebaoth, whom all nations shall worship.
The term Zebaoth, Hosts, coupled with the Divine designations, points to the official Person, the Messiah, evidently in many, and probably in all instances. Thus He who, in Isaiah vi., is called Adonai, the King, Jehovah Zebaoth, is by the apostle John referred to as the Messiah. He who wrestled with Jacob as a man, Gen. xxxii., is called by Hosea (chap. xii.) the Messenger, and Jehovah Elohe Zebaoth. It was the Messiah who, with Moses, was with the church in the wilderness. (Acts vii. 38.) The Melach, or Messenger, who dwelt in the cloud and between the cherubim, (Exod. xiv. 19,) over the ark of Adonai (who is) Jehovah. (Isa. iii. 15.) The ark of the Elohim (who is) Jehovah that dwelleth between the cherubim. (1 Chron. xiii. 6.) The ark of the Elohim, whose name is Jehovah Zebaoth. (2 Samuel vi. 2.) The Adon (who is) Jehovah Zebaoth. (Isa. iii. 1.) The Adon (who is) Adonai Zebaoth. (Isa. x. 16.) The Adonai (who is) Jehovah Zebaoth. (Isa. x. 23, 24.)
This term is coupled with these designations more than three hundred times, chiefly in the prophets after the defection of the tribes to the worship of Baal as the Lord of the hosts of heaven, in opposition to Jehovah Zebaoth.
A personal reference to the Messiah is evidently intended in numerous instances by the term rendered in our version Holy One; as is often manifest from its connection with other designations, and from the personal acts or relations mentioned. Thus Isaiah xliii.: “I am Jehovah, thy Elohe, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom. Fear not, for I am with thee. (v. 3.) Thus saith Jehovah, your Redeemer, [Goel,] the Holy One of Israel, (v. 14,) I am Jehovah, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King,” (15.) Chap. xli. 14: “I will help thee, saith Jehovah, thy Redeemer, [Goel,] the Holy One of Israel.” v. 20: “The hand of Jehovah hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it.” xlvii. 4: “As for our Redeemer, [Goel,] Jehovah Zebaoth is his name, the Holy One of Israel.” xlviii. 17: “Thus saith Jehovah, thy Redeemer, [Goel,] the Holy One of Israel, I am Jehovah thy Elohe, which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go.” xlix. 7: “Thus saith Jehovah, the Redeemer [Goel] of Israel, his Holy One.” liv. 5: “Thy Maker is thy husband, Jehovah Zebaoth is his name, and thy Redeemer, [Goel,] the Holy One of Israel; the Elohe of the whole earth shall he be called.” lx. 14: “They shall call thee, The city of Jehovah, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel.” 2 Kings xix.: “Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed? and against whom hast thou exalted thy voice, and lifted up thine eyes on high? even against the Holy One of Israel. By thy messengers thou hast reproached Adonai.” Ezek. xxxix. 7: “The heathen shall know that I am Jehovah, the Holy One in Israel.” Ps. lxxxix. 18, 19: “Jehovah is our defence, and the Holy One of Israel is our King. Then thou spakest in vision to thy Holy One.”
That “The Holy One,” “Jehovah,” and “The Messiah,” are the same, is taught in various other passages. Thus in the first instance in which the title occurs, Deut. xxxiii. 8, constituting in part the blessing on the sacerdotal tribe, and containing a reference to other passages: “And of Levi he said, Let thy Thummim and thy Urim be with thy Holy One, whom thou didst prove at Massah, and with whom thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah.” But He whom they proved at Massah, and with whom they strove at Meribah, was Jehovah. “And Moses called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted Jehovah, saying, Is Jehovah among us or not?” Exod. xvii. 7. “Ye shall not tempt Jehovah your Elohe, as ye tempted him in Massah.” Deut. vi. 16. “This is the water of Meribah, because the children of Israel strove with Jehovah.” Numb. xx. 13. “At ... Massah ... ye provoked Jehovah to wrath.” Deut. ix. 22. Now, we learn from 1 Cor. x. and Heb. iii., compared with Ps. lxxviii., xcv., and cvi., that it was the Messiah whom they tempted: “Neither let us tempt Christ as some of them also tempted.” ... “Harden not your hearts as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness, where your fathers tempted me;” that is, Christ, as the context shows.
“Thou wilt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption,” Ps. xvi. 10; quoted with the context, Acts ii., as designating Christ: “For David speaketh concerning Him,” Jesus of Nazareth, “I foresaw the Lord always before my face.... Neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.” Again, Acts xiii., in proof of the resurrection of Christ as predicted: “Wherefore he saith also in another Psalm, Thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.” So the Christ is recognized in various other passages as the Holy One. “I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God.” Mark i. 24, Luke iv. 34. “But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, ... and killed the Prince of Life.” Acts iii. 14.
Of the passages, besides those above cited, in which he is identified with Jehovah, the Creator, the Redeemer, Saviour, and King, a few are subjoined. The remnant of Israel “shall stay upon Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel.” Isaiah x. 20. “At that day shall a man look to his Maker, and his eyes shall have respect to the Holy One of Israel.” Ibid. 17. “Thus saith the Holy One of Israel.... Thus saith Jehovah Elohim, the Holy One of Israel.” Ibid. 30. “The hand of Jehovah hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it.” Ibid. 41. “Thus saith Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker.” Ibid. 45.