Verses 20-23 are the promise concerning the Messiah (typified by Zerubbabel) in the coming kingdom. Jehovah’s making Zerubbabel as a signet ring (v. 23) indicates that Jehovah regarded him as His representative and that He loved him and trusted him. In this matter Zerubbabel is a type of Christ. He represents God (Matt. 28:18), and He is the One whom God loves and trusts (Matt. 3:17; 17:5; John 3:35; 17:2). As such a person, He is qualified to take care of the building of God’s house, the church (Matt. 16:18).

The uncleanness here was not related to their physical offerings but to their moral and spiritual situation, which involved their relationship with God. Once the uncleanness was removed, they would be blessed by God.

This refers to Christ, who is the Desire of all the nations (Mal. 3:1b). Even though the nations do not know Christ, they still desire Christ. All people desire to have peace and a good life with virtues such as light, love, patience, humility, meekness, endurance, joy, and righteousness. Since Christ is the reality of all these things, for the nations to desire these things means that, unconsciously, they desire Christ.

The coming of Christ as the Desire of all the nations depends on the return of God’s people from their captivity in Babylon and the recovery of the building of God’s house. Christ came the first time, in His incarnation, through the return of a remnant of Israel to Jerusalem from their captivity in Babylon for the rebuilding of the temple. He will come the second time through the return of a remnant of His New Testament elect from their captivity in the religious Babylon (Rev. 17) to the proper ground of the church for the recovery of the building of the church, God’s spiritual house (1 Tim. 3:15; 1 Pet. 2:5).

The prophecy in vv. 6-9 concerns the house of Jehovah in the millennium. It was an encouragement to the building of Jehovah’s house at Zerubbabel’s time.