Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. 2 And the Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, O Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is not this a brand plucked from the fire?” 3 Now Joshua was standing before the angel, clothed with filthy garments. 4 And the angel said to those who were standing before him, “Remove the filthy garments from him.” And to him he said, “Behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with pure vestments.” 5 And I said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the Lord was standing by.
6 And the angel of the Lord solemnly assured Joshua, 7 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: If you will walk in my ways and keep my charge, then you shall rule my house and have charge of my courts, and I will give you the right of access among those who are standing here. 8 Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, you and your friends who sit before you, for they are men who are a sign: behold, I will bring my servant the Branch. 9 For behold, on the stone that I have set before Joshua, on a single stone with seven eyes, I will engrave its inscription, declares the Lord of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of this land in a single day. 10 In that day, declares the Lord of hosts, every one of you will invite his neighbor to come under his vine and under his fig tree.” Zechariah 3 ESV
Zechariah 3: 1-5 Joshua the High Priest
1In the second year of the reign of Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the LORD came through Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, stating 2that this is what the LORD of Hosts says: “These people say, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the LORD.’ ”… Haggai 1: 1-2
Then he showed me Joshua the high priest - Joshua's name means "God is deliverance". Joshua was one of very few Levites to return to the land of Judah to rebuild the temple after the Babylonian captivity. There are two major priesthoods in the Bible, of course there are false priests as well, who followed after Baal, or who were not called, not of the priestly line, but part of the apostate worship instituted in the northern kingdom by Jeroboam. There is also the call of Israel as a nation as a kingdom of priests, but I will lump that in with the Levitical priesthood, and there is a second major one and that is the order of Melchizedek.
For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2 He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness. 3 Because of this he is obligated to offer sacrifice for his own sins just as he does for those of the people. 4 And no one takes this honor for himself, but only when called by God, just as Aaron was.
5 So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him,
“You are my Son,
today I have begotten you”;
6 as he says also in another place,
“You are a priest forever,
after the order of Melchizedek.”
7 In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. 8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. 9 And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, 10 being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek. Hebrews 5: 1-10
…5Now if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, you will be My treasured possession out of all the nations—for the whole earth is Mine. 6And unto Me you shall be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you are to speak to the Israelites.” 7So Moses went back and summoned the elders of the people and set before them all these words that the LORD had commanded him.… Exodus 19: 5-7
1“Next, have your brother Aaron brought to you from among the Israelites, along with his sons Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar, to serve Me as priests. 2Make holy garments for your brother Aaron, to give him glory and splendor. 3You are to instruct all the skilled craftsmen, whom I have filled with a spirit of wisdom, to make garments for Aaron’s consecration, so that he may serve Me as priest.… Exodus 28: 1-3
There were a lot of stipulations to the priesthood, even differing between the priest and the high priest, see Leviticus 21 Part 1, Leviticus 21 Part 2 . Joshua is a high priest of the Levitical line, Jesus was a high priest after the order of Melchizedek, being that Abraham, the father of many nations, paid a tithe to Melchizedek, the lesser paying homage to the greater. So we will see here in this picture, Joshua coming before the Angel of the Lord, Who is Christ, the greater High Priest. Keep in mind also, as from Hebrews 5:1 above, a priest is the link between God and man, only the High Priest could go into the Holy of Holies, and so look at this picture again, what is this scene, Joshua is standing before the Angel of the Lord, in other words, he is ministering before God. Look at the link above, and there is still more here. Remember the priest's garments, with the stones that had the names of the tribes of Israel inscribed on them, the high priest is ministering before God on behalf of this people, he is set apart as it says on his golden head band "Holiness unto God". So he goes where they can't go, there is a void due to sin, and because of the greater constant before sin, God's holiness, His utter, infinite intolerance of sin, He is holy and we are not, so He sets apart a priest to represent the people, and He establishes the approach, and if you read the story of Nadab and Abihu you realize this is a most dangerous place, this is a sacred calling. So we have this priest that stands before God on behalf of a nation that is supposed to be God's witness to the other nations, a kingdom of priests.
…7From there they traveled to Gudgodah, and from Gudgodah to Jotbathah, a land with streams of water. 8At that time the LORD set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the covenant of the LORD, to stand before the LORD to serve Him, and to pronounce blessings in His name, as they do to this day. 9That is why Levi has no portion or inheritance among his brothers; the LORD is his inheritance, as the LORD your God promised him.… Deuteronomy 10: 7-9
Now then, here we see in the scene this high priest symbolizing Israel. He is standing before the Angel of the Lord. And who is that? It’s Christ, the second person of the Trinity, called – incidentally, a very wonderful truth here, the Angel of the Lord, in verse 2, is just called Jehovah, which is wonderful to know, that the Angel of the Lord was Christ and was none other than God Himself.
And incidentally, the Angel of the Lord is also involved in the act of forgiving sin in verse 4, which means again that He is deity. So then here we see Joshua the high priest representing Israel, standing before the Angel of the Lord. And the angel of the Jehovah is all through these visions always standing next to Israel because He’s Israel’s Deliverer, and He’s Israel’s Protector, and He is the one who will return as the deliverer out of Zion, in Paul’s words in Romans 11 to save His people. Only then not in the form of the Angel of the Lord but in the form of the Lord Jesus Christ. - J Mac
And Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him - Satan means adversary, so here he is being adverse.
…9And the great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. 10And I heard a loud voice in heaven saying: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of His Christ. For the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down— he who accuses them day and night before our God. 11They have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony. And they did not love their lives so as to shy away from death.… Revelation 12: 9-11
The Lord said to Satan, the Lord rebuke you - Did you catch that, God the Son, the Angel of the Lord, says to the devil, "the Lord,' God the Father, 'rebuke you." God says, "God rebuke you". This is a huge comfort in here as well, and you will see it build, but this is Christ showing us how to deal with our adversary, refer him, the devil, to the Father, as Michael also does what he sees his Lord doing. Be imitators of Christ.
The LORD rebuke you: Jude 1:9 tells us that Michael the archangel used this same phrase in battling against Satan. The example here of the Angel of the LORD and of Michael shows us a model for spiritual warfare – that we always should battle with the LORD’s authority. In His authority we fight from a place of victory, more than fighting for victory. - Enduring Word
One has to wonder about these crazy preachers today who talk to the devil, shout at him, talk smack, run up and down, dancing on the stage, then "binding him", only to go through the same process all over again next Sunday. I saw one preacher take the heel of his shiny shoes and act like he was stomping on Satan, crushing the head of the serpent, but that's not you job, salvation belongs to the Lord. We are told to resist the devil and he will flee, and here we are given the example of referring him to God.
…8Yet in the same way these dreamers defile their bodies, reject authority, and slander glorious beings. 9But even the archangel Michael, when he disputed with the devil over the body of Moses, did not presume to bring a slanderous charge against him, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” 10These men, however, slander what they do not understand, and like irrational animals, they will be destroyed by the things they do instinctively.… Jude 1: 8-10
The Lord, Who has chose Jerusalem, rebuke you - So now we see who Joshua is representing, Jerusalem, and Satan is throwing out accusations, but they won't hold, because God did not choose a sinless people, you aren't bringing Him new information with your accusations. God's choosing is election, before the foundations of the earth, the eternal call, not based upon works, but upon God, Who calls.
And in a sense, the historical element here is that Satan was rebuked in history because they did build a wall. They did build the temple. There was a restoration there, but that can’t begin to see what is going to happen in the future. What does He identify here? He says, “Even the Lord who hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke you.” You see, that’s the key. God is immutable. God is sovereign. God has chosen, and that doesn’t change.
Whenever people ask me why I believe still in the restoration of Israel, I simply say it’s all founded on the character of God. God doesn’t change. And when God chooses the calling and election of God is without – what? – repentance. Doesn’t change. Israel’s not set aside. I’m glad that that side won in this little deal here in chapter 3, because the whole of human history was dependent on the way that little thing turned. - J Mac
…11“On that day many nations will join themselves to the LORD, and they will become My people. I will dwell among you, and you will know that the LORD of Hosts has sent Me to you. 12And the LORD will take possession of Judah as His portion in the Holy Land, and He will once again choose Jerusalem. 13Be silent before the LORD, all people, for He has roused Himself from His holy dwelling.”… Zechariah 2: 11-13
…13Because of the indecency of your uncleanness I tried to cleanse you, but you would not be purified from your filthiness. You will not be pure again until My wrath against you has subsided. 14I, the LORD, have spoken; the time is coming, and I will act. I will not refrain or show pity, nor will I relent. I will judge you according to your ways and deeds,’ declares the Lord GOD.” Ezekiel 24: 13-14
…27As Samuel turned to go, Saul grabbed the hem of his robe, and it tore. 28So Samuel said to him, “The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to your neighbor who is better than you. 29Moreover, the Glory of Israel does not lie or change His mind, for He is not a man, that He should change His mind.”… 1 Samuel 15: 27-29
25I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you will not be conceited: A hardening in part has come to Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. 26And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come from Zion; He will remove godlessness from Jacob. 27And this is My covenant with them when I take away their sins.”… Romans 11: 25-27
Is not this a brand plucked from the fire - God is under no delusions about the state of human affairs. A brand is a piece of would that is already starting to burn, smoldering, it is destined to be completely consumed. This is the picture of Israel and this is the picture of everyone on earth, sin leads to death, to destruction, to the fire. The accuser says, "look, the wages of sin is death, and fairness was in the fire", but God is saying, "I know they are sinners, but I plucked them out, and not against My holiness, for they have a Priest, and that is what Joshua symbolizes." Look at the story of Lot, he was in a city destined for destruction, but God pulled him out. We see this same terminology in Amos, in the doctrine of Justification by faith, and throughout all Holy Scripture, our inability to rescue ourselves.
“So it is with the child of God. What is he at the best? Till he is taken up to heaven, he is nothing but a brand plucked out of the fire. It is his daily moan that he is a sinner; but Christ accepts him as he is: and he shuts the devil’s mouth by telling him, ‘Thou sayest this man is black – of course he is: what did I think he was but that? He is a brand plucked out of the fire. I plucked him out of it. He was burning when he was in it: he is black now he is out of it. He was what I knew he would be; he is not what I mean to make him, but he is what I knew he would be. I have chosen him as a brand plucked out of the fire. What hast thou to say to that?’ Do observe that this plea did not require a single word to be added to it from Joshua.” (Spurgeon)
…10“I sent plagues among you like those of Egypt; I killed your young men with the sword, along with your captured horses. I filled your nostrils with the stench of your camp, yet you did not return to Me,” declares the LORD. 11“Some of you I overthrew as I overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and you were like a firebrand snatched from a blaze, yet you did not return to Me,” declares the LORD. 12“Therefore, that is what I will do to you, O Israel, and since I will do this to you, prepare to meet your God, O Israel!… Amos 4: 10-12
…28For the Lord will carry out His sentence on the earth thoroughly and decisively.” 29 It is just as Isaiah foretold: “Unless the Lord of Hosts had left us descendants, we would have become like Sodom, we would have resembled Gomorrah.” 30What then will we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith;…
…31but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it. 32Why not? Because their pursuit was not by faith, but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone, 33as it is written: “See, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense; and the one who believes in Him will never be put to shame.”… Romans 9: 28-33
Clothed with filthy garments - "You see', your accuser would say, 'he doesn't belong here, he is filthy." Remember, Joshua is the priest, so he is a representative of a people, and his clothes are stained. God is holy and something unholy, like Sodom and Gomorrah, is before Him. Jerusalem is unclean, so what is God going to do about this?
…5You welcome those who gladly do right, who remember Your ways. Surely You were angry, for we sinned. How can we be saved if we remain in our sins? 6Each of us has become like something unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all wither like a leaf, and our iniquities carry us away like the wind. 7No one calls on Your name or strives to take hold of You. For You have hidden Your face from us and delivered us into the hand of our iniquity.… Isaiah 64: 5-7
Behold I have taken your iniquity away from you - The angel of the Lord has those standing before Him remove Joshua's filthy garments. Now this is a clincher, because then the Angel of the Lord takes away his iniquity, and Who has the power to remove sin?
“No, I just did that for you.” That’s sovereignty. That’s marvelous grace. That’s undeserved grace. That’s mercy. Nothing of human works. Only God can say, “I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee.” Well, that’s amazing. “Take away the filthy garments. I just cleaned you, and I got a whole new change of raiment for you.”
You know what God is saying to Israel? He’s saying, “Look, you know how I’m going to be able to make you my holy nation again? You know how I’m going to be able to make you my priest nation again? I’m going to regenerate you, that’s what I’m doing to do. I’m going to clean you up. I don’t know about you, but I can get excited about what’s going to happen in Israel. I wish I could get them to understand what’s going to happen to them when God’s Spirit comes in saving grace. - J Mac
…48Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49But those at the table began to say to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” 50And Jesus told the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”… Luke 7: 48-50
…20When Jesus saw their faith, He said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” 21But the scribes and Pharisees began thinking to themselves, “Who is this man who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 22Knowing what they were thinking, Jesus replied, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts?…
…23Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk?’ 24But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on the earth to forgive sins...” He said to the paralytic, “I tell you, get up, pick up your mat, and go home.” 25And immediately the man stood up before them, took what he had been lying on, and went home glorifying God.… Luke 5: 20-25
And I said, let them put a clean turban on his head - A bold request from Zechariah, but he must have been giddy at the time, "where's the hat, please make it official", what a scene.
Let them put a clean turban on his head: The turban was part of the High Priest’s garments and on the front it had a gold plate inscribed with the phrase HOLINESS TO THE LORD (Exodus 28:36-38). - Enduring Word
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