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Scripture Reading: Zech. 3
In this message we will consider the vision of consolation and promise in Zechariah 3. This vision is for the strengthening and assuring of the returned captives regarding the rebuilding of the temple of God in their distress.
In the first four chapters of Zechariah, the Angel of Jehovah is taking care of five visions. This implies that Christ as God's sent One is always with God's people taking care of them. In chapter three we have a vision showing us that Joshua the high priest was perfected, established, and strengthened by the Angel of Jehovah with Zerubbabel the governor of Judah. Joshua, a most important leader among God's people, was under the care of the Angel of Jehovah. The way the Angel of Jehovah took care of Joshua was to measure him. Thus, the measuring in chapter two is continued in chapter three. Christ came to measure Joshua and thereby to take care of him.
The Angel showed Zechariah Joshua the high priest (v. 1a). Joshua typifies Christ as the High Priest sent by God to His people (Heb. 3:1; 4:14-15; 7:26). Joshua represents and signifies Israel as a nation of priests (Zech. 8:20-23; Isa. 2:2-4a).
Joshua was standing before the Angel of Jehovah to be perfected, established, and strengthened (Zech. 3:1-10). The Angel of Jehovah would do this by measuring him. Therefore, Joshua stood before the Angel of Jehovah for the purpose of being measured by Him.
While Joshua was standing before the Angel of Jehovah, he was resisted by Satan, who was standing at his right hand to accuse him (v. 1b). The word Satan means "the accuser," "the adversary," and it is the base for the word accuse at the end of verse 1. An adversary is an inward enemy. For example, if someone outside your family opposes you, that person will be your enemy. But if a member of your family opposes you, that person will be your adversary. Such an adversary is a more serious threat than an enemy. As the adversary, Satan's intention was to put Joshua down in front of his fellows (v. 8) and to frustrate the rebuilding of God's temple.
Verse 2 says, "And Jehovah said to Satan, Jehovah rebuke you, Satan! Indeed, Jehovah, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?" Jehovah's word here indicates two things. First, it indicates Jehovah's determination to rebuild Jerusalem, since He has chosen her. Second, it indicates that Jehovah would do something for Joshua, since he was a brand plucked from the fire (Amos 4:11; Jude 1:23a). As the Angel of Jehovah rebuked Satan, He seemed to be saying, "Why have you come here to bother us? I know that you are accusing Joshua and opposing him. I know also that although he is the high priest of My people, he is not that good. He is a brand plucked from the fire, but he is in My hand. Satan, I rebuke you."
In Zechariah 3:1 and 2 we have three parties: Joshua, the Angel of Jehovah, and Satan. In our Christian life, as God's chosen people we are always in this kind of situation. God is in front of us, and the evil one is at our right hand to resist us, to oppose us, to accuse us, and to be our adversary. This is a repetition of the scene in the garden of Eden described in Genesis 2, where God put the man He had created in front of two trees — one denoting God and the other denoting Satan. Zechariah 3 is also a repetition of Genesis 2.
Zechariah 3:3-10 shows us how the perfection of Christ as the Angel of Jehovah was extended to Joshua.
"Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments and was standing before the Angel. And He answered and spoke to those standing before Him, saying, Remove the filthy garments from him. Then He said to him, See, I hereby make your iniquity pass from you" (vv. 3-4a). Recently, as I was considering how the high priest could still be clothed with filthy garments, I was reminded how even the believers in the church could steal (Eph. 4:28). We may not steal outwardly, but we may inwardly desire something that belongs to someone else. This is covetousness and greediness. Likewise, every day we speak a lot, and the matters we cover in our talk or gossip may be either dirty or with an evil intention to defame others. This is why we must often pray, "Lord, cleanse me. I realize that I am still filthy because I still live in the flesh, which is altogether filthy."
The Angel of Jehovah knew all the things concerning Joshua and did not give Satan any time to accuse. In such a situation Joshua may not have been at peace. Satan was beside him, the dirty garments were upon him, and the Angel of Jehovah was before him. However, the perfection of Christ as the Angel of Jehovah was extended to Joshua by removing the filthy garments from him, thus making his iniquity pass from him.
Not only did Joshua's iniquity pass from him, but he was also clothed with "stately robes" (vv. 4b, 5b). A stately robe is a garment that is fitting to one's office and status. For example, judges are clothed with stately robes. Likewise, Joshua was clothed with garments befitting his office and status as high priest.
"And I said, Let them put a clean turban upon his head. And they put the clean turban upon his head and clothed him with garments while the Angel of Jehovah stood by" (v. 5). This clean turban signifies that Joshua had been fully cleansed and was now clean in the presence of Christ as the Angel of Jehovah.
In verses 6 and 7 Christ as the Angel of Jehovah testified to Joshua. Here testified actually means "charged."
In His charge to Joshua, Christ as the Angel of Jehovah said, "Thus says Jehovah of hosts, If you will walk in My ways and if you will keep My charge, then you will both judge My house and keep My courts, and I will grant you to walk among these standing here." With respect to this charge, I would like to point out that in God's administration among the people of Israel, there were three offices: the priests, the kings, and the prophets. The responsibility of the high priest was to be clear about the matters concerning God's people and to bring these matters to God and wait on God until He enlightened him and gave him a definite answer. The enlightenment and the answer came through the Urim and the Thummim. The high priest, therefore, received God's decision and instruction regarding various situations, and then he passed on the decision and instructions to the king, who was responsible in God's administration to carry them out. We may compare the priest's duty to that of those in the legislative branch of the government, and the king's duty to that of the president in the executive branch. Just as the president is responsible for enforcing the laws passed by the legislature, so the kings in Israel were responsible for carrying out the instructions received from God by the high priest. However, sometimes both the priests and the kings were weak and inadequate. At such times God would raise up the prophets to speak for Him. Here in Zechariah both Joshua the high priest and Zerubbabel the king were rather weak and somewhat discouraged. Therefore, God used Zechariah the prophet to speak for Him and to strengthen and encourage Joshua and Zerubbabel. The vision in chapter three is related to God's decision concerning Joshua. As we will see, the vision in chapter four is related to Zerubbabel and to his responsibility to carry out God's decision to continue and complete the rebuilding of the temple.
In verses 8 through 10 Christ as the Angel of Jehovah strengthened Joshua with Zerubbabel the governor of Judah (Hag. 1:1, 14).
Verse 8 says, "Hear then, Joshua the high priest, you and your fellows who sit before you — for they are men of symbol — for, behold, I am bringing forth My Servant, the Shoot." This refers to Zerubbabel who is a type of Christ as the Servant of Jehovah, the Shoot of David, in His humanity and royal faithfulness (Zech. 6:12).
Zechariah 3:9 goes on to say, "For behold, this is the stone that I have set before Joshua: upon one stone are seven eyes. Behold, I will engrave its engraving, declares Jehovah of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day." This stone (Zerubbabel) set before Joshua also typifies Christ (Isa. 28:16; Matt. 21:42). Zerubbabel was a stone set before Joshua to carry out God's economy.
Upon this one stone (Christ) are seven eyes (Zech. 3:9; 4:10). These seven eyes signify the sevenfold intensified Spirit (Rev. 5:6). Christ is the stone with the seven Spirits as His eyes.
Jehovah will engrave the engraving of the stone (Zech. 3:9b). This indicates that God will work on Christ as the stone for God's redemption, salvation, and building. To engrave is to cut. When Christ was on the cross, He was engraved, cut, by God.
Furthermore, Jehovah will remove the iniquity of that land in one day (v. 9c). This indicates that the Christ on whom God has worked will redeem the sin of the land of Israel in one day, the day of His crucifixion (1 Pet. 2:24). Through His death on the cross, Christ the Lamb of God took away the sin of the world (John 1:29).
Zechariah 3:10 concludes, "In that day, declares Jehovah of hosts, each of you will invite his neighbor to come under the vine and under the fig tree." After our sin has been taken away and our situation with God has been appeased, there is peace between us and God, and we can come together to enjoy the vine and the fig tree. This portrays how we enjoy Christ as the vine, the tree of life, and as the fig tree, full of the fruit of life. Christ first came to accomplish redemption, bearing the Spirit and being cut by God on the cross. This then issued in His redemption for our enjoyment of Him as the vine and as the fig tree. The measuring carried out by Christ as the Angel of Jehovah issues in such a wonderful situation.
