Zechariah 3

Zec 3:1-10.

FOURTH

VISION.

Joshua the high priest before the angel of Jehovah; accused by

Satan, but justified by Jehovah through Messiah the coming

Branch.

1. Joshua as high priest

(Hag 1:1)

represents "Jerusalem"

(Zec 3:2),

or the elect people, put on its trial, and "plucked" narrowly "out of

the fire." His attitude, "standing before the Lord," is that of a high

priest ministering before the altar erected previously to the building

of the temple

(Ezr 3:2, 3, 6;

Ps 135:2).

Yet, in this position, by reason of his own and his people's sins, he

is represented as on his and their trial

(Nu 35:12).

he showed me--"He" is the interpreting angel. Jerusalem's

(Joshua's) "filthy garments"

(Zec 3:3)

are its sins which had hitherto brought down God's judgments. The

"change of raiment" implies its restoration to God's favor. Satan

suggested to the Jews that so consciously polluted a priesthood and

people could offer no acceptable sacrifice to God, and therefore they

might as well desist from the building of the temple. Zechariah

encourages them by showing that their demerit does not disqualify them

for the work, as they are accepted in the righteousness of another,

their great High Priest, the Branch

(Zec 3:8),

a scion of their own royal line of David

(Isa 11:1).

The full accomplishment of Israel's justification and of Satan the

accuser's being "rebuked" finally, is yet future

(Re 12:10).

Compare

Re 11:8,

wherein "Jerusalem," as here, is shown to be meant primarily, though

including the whole Church in general (compare

Job 1:9).

Satan--the Hebrew term meaning "adversary" in a law court: as

devil is the Greek term, meaning accuser. Messiah, on the

other hand, is "advocate" for His people in the court of heaven's

justice

(1Jo 2:1).

standing at his right hand--the usual position of a

prosecutor or accuser in court, as the left hand was the

position of the defendant

(Ps 109:6).

The "angel of the Lord" took the same position just before another high

priest was about to beget the forerunner of Messiah

(Lu 1:11),

who supplants Satan from his place as accuser. Some hence explain

Jude 9

as referring to this passage: "the body of Moses" being thus the

Jewish Church, for which Satan contended as his by reason of its

sins; just as the "body of Christ" is the Christian Church.

However,

Jude 9

plainly speaks of the literal body of Moses, the resurrection of which

at the transfiguration Satan seems to have opposed on the ground of

Moses' error at Meribah; the same divine rebuke, "the Lord rebuke

thee," checked Satan in contending for judgment against Moses' body, as

checked him when demanding judgment against the Jewish Church, to which

Moses' body corresponds.

2. the Lord--JEHOVAH, hereby identified

with the "angel of the Lord (Jehovah)"

(Zec 3:1).

rebuke thee--twice repeated to express the certainty of Satan's

accusations and machinations against Jerusalem being frustrated. Instead

of lengthened argument, Jehovah silences Satan by the one plea,

namely, God's choice.

chosen Jerusalem--

(Ro 9:16; 11:5).

The conclusive answer. If the issue rested on Jerusalem's merit or

demerit, condemnation must be the award; but Jehovah's "choice"

(Joh 15:16)

rebuts Satan's charge against Jerusalem

(Zec 1:17; 2:12;

Ro 8:33, 34, 37),

represented by Joshua (compare in the great atonement,

Le 16:6-20,

&c.), not that she may continue in sin, but be freed from it

(Zec 3:7).

brand plucked out of . . . fire--

(Am 4:11;

1Pe 4:18;

Jude 23).

Herein God implies that His acquittal of Jerusalem is not that He does

not recognize her sin

(Zec 3:3, 4, 9),

but that having punished her people for it with a seventy years'

captivity, He on the ground of His electing love has delivered

her from the fiery ordeal; and when once He has begun a deliverance, as

in this case, He will perfect it

(Ps 89:30-35;

Php 1:6).

3. filthy garments--symbol of sin

(Pr 30:12;

Isa 4:4; 64:6);

proving that it is not on the ground of His people's righteousness that

He accepts them. Here primarily the "filthy garments" represent the

abject state temporally of the priesthood and people at the return from

Babylon. Yet he "stood before the angel." Abject as he was, he was

before Jehovah's eye, who graciously accepts His people's

services, though mixed with sin and infirmity.

4. those that stood before him--the ministering angels (compare the

phrase in

1Ki 10:8;

Da 1:5).

Take away the filthy garments--In

Zec 3:9

it is "remove the iniquity of that land"; therefore Joshua

represents the land.

from him--literally, "from upon him"; pressing upon him as an

overwhelming burden.

change of raiment--festal robes of the high priest, most costly and

gorgeous; symbol of Messiah's imputed righteousness

(Mt 22:11).

The restoration of the glory of the priesthood is implied: first,

partially, at the completion of the second temple; fully realized in

the great High Priest Jesus, whose name is identical with

Joshua

(Heb 4:8),

the Representative of Israel, the "kingdom of priests"

(Ex 19:6);

once clad in the filthy garments of our vileness, but being the chosen

of the Father

(Isa 42:1; 44:1; 49:1-3),

He hath by death ceased from sin, and in garments of glory entered the

heavenly holy place as our High Priest

(Heb 8:1; 9:24).

Then, as the consequence

(1Pe 2:5),

realized in the Church generally

(Lu 15:22;

Re 19:8),

and in Israel in particular

(Isa 61:10;

compare

Isa 3:6; 66:21).

5. And I said--Here the prophet, rejoicing at the change of

raiment so far made, interposes to ask for the crowning assurance that

the priesthood would be fully restored, namely, the putting the

miter or priestly turban on Joshua: its fair color

symbolizing the official purity of the order restored. He does not

command, but prays; not "Set," but "Let them set." Vulgate and

Syriac version read it, "He then said," which is the

easier reading; but the very difficulty of the present Hebrew

reading makes it less likely to come from a modern corrector of the

text.

angel of . . . Lord stood by--the Divine Angel had

been sitting (the posture of a judge,

Da 7:9);

now He "stands" to see that Zechariah's prayer be executed, and then to

give the charge

(Zec 3:6, 7).

6. protested--proceeded solemnly to declare. A forensic term for

an affirmation on oath

(Heb 6:17, 18).

God thus solemnly states the end for which the priesthood is restored

to the people, His own glory in their obedience and pure worship, and

their consequent promotion to heavenly honor.

7. God's choice of Jerusalem

(Zec 3:2)

was unto its sanctification

(Joh 15:16;

Ro 8:29);

hence the charge here which connects the promised blessing with

obedience.

my charge--the ordinances, ritual and moral

(Nu 3:28, 31, 32, 38;

Jos 1:7-9;

1Ki 2:3;

Eze 44:16).

judge my house--Thou shalt long preside over the temple ceremonial

as high priest

(Le 10:10;

Eze 44:23;

Mal 2:7)

[GROTIUS].

Or, rule over My house, that is, My people

[MAURER]

(Nu 12:7;

Ho 8:1).

We know from

De 17:9

that the priest judged cases. He was not only to obey the Mosaic

institute himself, but to see that it was obeyed by others. God's

people are similarly to exercise judgment hereafter, as the reward of

their present faithfulness

(Da 7:18, 22;

Lu 19:17;

1Co 6:2);

(Re 1:6).

keep my courts--guard My house from profanation.

places to walk--free ingress and egress

(1Sa 18:16;

1Ki 3:7; 15:17),

so that thou mayest go through these ministering angels who stand by

Jehovah

(Zec 4:14; 6:5;

1Ki 22:19)

into His presence, discharging thy priestly function. In

Eze 42:4

the same Hebrew word is used of a walk before the

priests' chambers in the future temple. Zechariah probably refers here

to such a walk or way; Thou shalt not merely walk among

priests like thyself, as in the old temple walks, but among the

very angels as thine associates.

HENGSTENBERG

translates, "I will give thee guides (from) among these," &c.

But there is no "from" in the Hebrew; English Version is

therefore better. Priests are called angels or "messengers"

(Mal 2:7);

they are therefore thought worthy to be associated with heavenly

angels. So these latter are present at the assemblies of true Christian

worshippers

(1Co 11:10;

compare

Ec 5:6;

Eph 3:10;

Re 22:9).

8. Hear--On account of the magnitude of what He is about to say, He

at once demands solemn attention.

thy fellows that sit before thee--thy subordinate colleagues in the

priesthood; not that they were actually then sitting before him; but

their usual posture in consultations was on chairs or benches before

him, while he sat on an elevated seat as their president.

they are--From speaking to Joshua He passes to speaking

of him and them, in the third person, to the attendant angels

(compare

Zec 3:9).

men wondered at--Hebrew, "men of wonder," that is, having a typical

character

(Isa 8:18; 20:3;

Eze 12:11; 24:24).

Joshua the high priest typifies Messiah, as Joshua's "fellows" typify

believers whom Messiah admits to share His Priesthood

(1Pe 2:5;

Re 5:10).

This, its typical character, then, is a pledge to assure the desponding

Jews that the priesthood shall be preserved till the great Antitype

comes. There may be also an indirect reproof of the unbelief of the

multitude who "wonder" at God's servants and even at God's Son

incredulously

(Ps 71:7;

Isa 8:18; 53:1,

&c.).

behold--marking the greatness of what follows.

my servant--the characteristic title of Messiah

(Isa 42:1;

49:3; 50:10; 52:13; 53:11;

Eze 34:23, 24).

the Branch--Messiah, a tender branch from the almost extinct royal

line of David

(Zec 6:12;

Isa 4:2; 11:1;

Jer 23:5; 33:15).

Lu 1:78,

where for "day spring," "branch" may be substituted

(Mal 4:2,

however, favors English Version). The reference cannot be to

Zerubbabel (as GROTIUS thinks), for he was

then in the full discharge of his office, whereas "the Branch" here is

regarded as future.

9. For--expressing the ground for encouragement to the Jews in building

the temple: I (Jehovah) have laid the (foundation) stone as the chief

architect, before (in the presence of) Joshua, by "the hand of

Zerubbabel"

(Zec 4:10;

Ezr 3:8-13),

so that your labor in building shall not be vain. Antitypically, the

(foundation) stone alluded to is Christ, before called "the Branch."

Lest any should think from that term that His kingdom is weak, He now

calls it "the stone," because of its solidity and strength whereby it

is to be the foundation of the Church, and shall crush all the world

kingdoms

(Ps 118:22;

compare

Isa 28:16;

Da 2:45;

Mt 21:42;

1Co 3:11;

1Pe 2:6, 7).

The angel pointing to the chief stone lying before Him, intimates that

a deeper mystery than the material temple is symbolized. MOORE thinks the "stone" is the Jewish Church,

which Jehovah engages watchfully to guard. The temple, rather,

is that symbolically. But the antitype of the foundation-stone

is Messiah.

upon one stone shall be seven eyes--namely, the watchful "eyes" of

Jehovah's care ever fixed "upon" it

(Zec 4:10)

[MAURER].

The eye is the symbol of Providence: "seven," of perfection

(Re 5:6;

compare

2Ch 16:9;

Ps 32:8).

Antitypically, "the seven eyes upon the stone" are the eyes of all

angels

(1Ti 3:16),

and of all saints

(Joh 3:14, 15; 12:32),

and of the patriarchs and prophets

(Joh 8:56;

1Pe 1:10, 11),

fixed on Christ; above all, the eyes of the Father ever rest with

delight on Him. CALVIN (perhaps better) considers

the seven eyes to be carved on the stone, that is, not

the eyes of the Father and of angels and saints ever fixed on

Him, but His own sevenfold (perfect) fullness of grace, and of

gifts of the Spirit

(Isa 11:2, 3;

Joh 1:16; 3:34;

Col 1:19; 2:9),

and His watchful providence now for the Jews in building the

temple, and always for His Church, His spiritual temple. Thus the

"stone" is not as other stones senseless, but living and full of

eyes of perfect intelligence

(1Pe 2:4,

"a living stone"), who not only attracts the eyes

(Joh 12:32)

of His people, but emits illumination so as to direct them to Him.

engrave . . . graving--implying Messiah's exceeding

beauty and preciousness; alluding to the polished stones of the temple:

Christ excelled them, as much as God who "prepared His body"

(Heb 10:5;

compare

Joh 2:21)

is superior to all human builders.

remove . . . iniquity of that land in one day--that

is, the iniquity and its consequences, namely the punishment to which

the Jews heretofore had been subjected

(Hag 1:6, 9-11).

The remission of sin is the fountain of every other blessing. The "one

day" of its removal is primarily the day of national atonement

celebrated after the completion of the temple

(Le 23:27)

on the tenth day of the seventh month. Antitypically, the atonement by

Messiah for all men, once for all ("one day") offered, needing

no repetition like the Mosaic sacrifices

(Heb 10:10, 12, 14).

10. under . . . vine . . . fig tree--emblem

of tranquil prosperity

(1Ki 4:25).

Type of spiritual peace with God through Christ

(Ro 5:1);

and of millennial blessedness

(Mic 4:4).