Remarks Upon the Book of Zechariah

THIS chapter consists of a single vision in which Joshua the high priest represents Christ our high priest and intercessor. In verse 1 the prophet saw Joshua standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. Joshua stood thus to intercede for the people, and Satan resisted him by acting as the accuser of those for whom Joshua plead. See Rev. 12:10; Job. 1:6-12; 2:1-5.

In verse 2 the Lord by his angel rebukes Satan for his cruel words. The rebuke is so much like that uttered by Michael on another occasion that we may be quite certain that he is the speaker in this verse. Compare Zech. 3:2; Jude 9. From the response made by the angel to Satan, that God had chosen Jerusalem, we may infer that Satan resisted the intercession of Joshua by rehearsing the sins which had caused the destruction of that city. Joshua no doubt pleaded that the people who then inhabited Jerusalem had repented of those sins and separated themselves from them.

The last words of this verse are peculiarly encouraging. Joshua the high priest and those for whom he pleads, are spoken of as a brand plucked out of the burning. See Amos 4:11; Jude 23. For when Jerusalem was destroyed, only a remnant of the Jews escaped (2 Chron. 36:20; Jer. 52:28-30), and even the family of Seraiah the high priest, the grandfather of Joshua, was at that time in danger of extinction. 2 Kings 25:18-21. It is interesting to notice that Ezra was of the family of Seraiah, and was therefore the uncle or cousin of Joshua. Compare Ezra 7:1-5; 1 Chron. 6:14, 15; Zech. 6:10. The angel intimates that this brand, representing the remnant who had escaped the destruction of Jerusalem, had been plucked from the fire, not to be thrown into it again, but to be preserved.

In verse 3 it is said that Joshua, as he stood before the angel, was clothed with filthy garments. In verse 4 the angel commands that these should be taken from him in order that he may be clothed with clean raiment. In verse 5 this change is made partly at the command of the angel and partly at the request of the prophet.

In verse 4 we have an explanation of these things. The raiment of Joshua was polluted not by any material substance but by iniquity. This however was not his own sin but the sin of the people, for as high priest he bore the sin of all Israel before God in the sanctuary and made intercession for the transgressors. Verse 4 implies that the command of the angel to remove the filthy raiment was in answer to the supplication of Joshua.

We have in this symbolical representation the means of determining the occasion when the high priest stood there before God to intercede for Israel. On the tenth day of the seventh month, according to the law of Moses, the high priest entered alone into the most holy place for the sins of all Israel. Lev. 16; Heb. 9:7. When he had finished his intercession in that place, he changed all his raiment including the mitre which was specially designed to bear the iniquity of the holy things. Lev. 16:20-24; Ex. 28:36-38. This work in the most holy place represents the final work of Christ before the ark in the temple in Heaven when the sins of the people of God will be blotted out (Acts 3:19, 20; Rev. 11; 19); and it is in view of this most solemn work that God is said to be raised up out of his holy habitation. Zech. 2:13; Hab. 2:20.

In verses 6 and 7 the angel promised Joshua that he should judge the house of the Lord and keep his courts, which signified that God would extend special favor to him as the high priest. But this promise is made to him upon condition that he would be obedient to God. This condition if not always expressed is always implied in all the promises of God to man.

In verse 8 we learn the peculiar signification of the blessing promised to Joshua. He and his companions were to serve as signs, for this is the literal translation of the Hebrew word here used. The same word is used where Isaiah and Ezekiel are each said to be signs. Isa. 8:18; 20:3; Eze. 12:6, 11; 24:24, 27. Joshua and his companions were to serve in the priesthood as signs of the Messiah, here called the Branch. Christ is called the Branch in Isa. 4:2; 11:1; Jer. 23:5; 33:15.

In verse 9 Christ is called the stone laid before Joshua. He is called a stone in many passages. Gen. 49:24; Ps. 118:22; Isa. 8:14; 28:16; Matt. 21:42; Mark 12:10; Luke 20:17; Acts 4:11; Eph. 2:20: 1 Pet. 2:4-8. The seven eyes upon this stone represent the seven spirits of God which belong to Christ. Compare Zech. 3:9; 4:10; Rev. 5:6; 3:1. The engraving of that stone took place when the word was made flesh. It is said that the removal of the iniquity from the land shall take place in one day. This work must be wrought by Christ by means of his act of taking upon himself our nature and dying for us and then interceding for us as our high priest. The work of Joshua on the great day of atonement, described in the first part of this chapter, was a sign of the final work of Christ in blotting out the sins of his people at the end of his service as high priest. After the accomplishment of this work the kingdom of God will be established in the new earth and the saints will each sit under his own vine and figtree. Dan. 7:18, 27.