Zechariah Chapter 3 "Type of Joshua [Jesus], Christ the Branch is Promised" This Bible
Study is written by Roger Christopherson, and it's
transcription/ location is provided by http://www.theseason.org Remember, the book of Zechariah is written to those living in the very last years and days of this earth age. In as much as we are living in that final generation, it is written to each of us. Zechariah 3:1 "And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him." Zechariah is allowed to see Jesus Himself. "Joshua" in the Hebrew tongue means "Jesus". Jesus Christ is our high priest for He stands as our advocate before the Heavenly Father. But why was Satan there in heaven? "To resist Him"; Because Satan is our [His] adversary. Satan is there to point a finger at you before God, when you sin. Then as you repent in the name of Jesus, Christ is there to blot that thing [sin] out of God's sight. In Job 1:7 we see that this is also recorded. Zechariah 3:2 "And the Lord said unto Satan, The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan; even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire? Satan knows the Lord has chosen Jerusalem as His city, and this is why he will set his kingdom up in Jerusalem also. Many will think they are seeing Christ, when Satan [the Antichrist] rules from Jerusalem; However Christ's "elect" know it will be Satan [the Antichrist, and counterfeiter]. Amos 4:11 also talked about the "brands plucked out of the fire", also called "fire brands". Those "fire brands" are God's "elect", and God will pluck them out of Satan's clutches. We are to serve God's Word, if we have understand, and God will tend to the protection of His own. There are many living today what will not bow to Satan." Zechariah 3:3 "Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel" Remember, "Joshua" is Jesus Christ, though it is a disgusting thought that our Lord would wear those "filthy garments"; it should be sobering to each of us. Those "filthy garments" are the sins of all of us that are placed upon Jesus Christ, as we repent of our sins. Zechariah 3:3 makes John 3:16 come alive to us; "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him [God's Son] should not perish, but have everlasting life." This is our only hope of salvation, and eternal life. If this verse now doesn't put life in your spirit, my friend, something is wrong. Zechariah 3:4 "And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment [rich apparel]." Satan is standing now before the Heavenly Father, and accusing each of us for every sin we commit. As Satan accuses each of us, our Lord Jesus Christ is taking all of our sins [those filthy garments] and stacking them upon His own shoulders as we repent of those sins. Many people get very self-righteous when they think they are do-gooders; however, all their works are but filthy rags when presented before God the Father. When a sinner, a murderer, adulteress, homosexual [sodomite], or what ever sinful deeds are named [even self righteousness] and repented before God, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; those sins are removed from that person and placed upon Jesus Christ. That person is then made free and pure before our Heavenly Father on judgment day. Friend, there is not one thing we can boast of on judgment day, because every crown that will be placed upon you, and reward given you, rightly belong to Jesus Christ. That is the greatest Love that there is, and it should be humbling to each of us. However, the rewards that are in all of God's realm will be shared by each of God's children, as Romans 8:17 says; "And if children [through the Spirit of adoption], then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together." Do I hear an "Amen"? Zechariah 3:5 "And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the Lord stood by." The "fair mitre" is the clean pure white "turban" representing salvation. It shows that the job done for the Lord was well done. It is Jesus Christ and only Christ, the Son of the Living God, that could have done that job on the cross, and rescued man from the clutches of sin and death. Zechariah 3:6 "And the angel of the Lord protested unto Joshua, saying," Zechariah 3:7 "Thus saith the Lord of hosts; If thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou wilt keep my charge, then thou shalt also judge my house, and shalt also keep my courts, and I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by." The "protest" should be translated from the text "testified" unto Jesus. So who will get this, and who is standing by? It is the body of Christ, the elect who will be the judges of the other peoples and nations in the Millennium kingdom, and they walk amongst those who stand in the court before Jesus Christ, when He is ruling. It is the angels of God who will be standing and serving in God's court. Zechariah 3:8 "Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for thy are men wondered at [that are a sign]: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH." "Joshua" and His follows, are Jesus Christ, and His elect. The elect are those who have God's Word sealed in their mind and do not yield to the Antichrist. There is no gender in this statement where "men" is used, for it includes both men and woman. The "wonderment" they have is for signs marking the times. The "BRANCH" is the "Messiah", our Lord Jesus Christ is the vine. Jesus said in John 15:5; "I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without me ye can do nothing." In that first verse Jesus identifies the Father as the husbandman, so we see the pruning and the cutting away will be done by God the Father at Judgment day. Why will this be a sign to wonder at? Because they [the elect] will be the seven thousand [given for completeness] who will have the "eyes to see" when the signs, or events take place in the end times. All those who are suppose to see, will see the signs, for they are the men and women who will see and allow God's Holy Spirit to speak through them. [see II Thessalonians 2:8-12, and Revelation 17] These wonders are those Peter spoke of in Acts 2:16, when he was quoting from Joel the prophet in Joel 2:28-31. Zechariah 3:9 "For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day." Jesus Christ is the "stone", and the "seven eyes" are the seven thousand [seven for completeness], which are all those who allowed the Holy Spirit to speak through them in the time they were delivered up, as recorded in Mark 13:11. In Revelation 2:17, in John's letter to the seven churches; it is told that there is a "new stone, and those that overcome will be given a new name, and it shall be written, and no man shall understand." The "stone with the seven pairs of eyes", will be covered in the next chapter. Zechariah 3:10 "In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbor under the mine and under the fig tree." "That day" is the "day of the Lord", when Jesus Christ returns at the second advent and cleanses this earth. "That day" is the first day of the Millennium age, and the start of Christ's Millennium kingdom on earth. Could there be more to God's Word that what you were taught from childhood, and written in your heart? Have you been hungry and searching for the truth in God's word? God's Holy Word can get exciting as we study to straighten out all the confusion.
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