Zech. 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.
Zech. 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?
Joshua was the high priest in Jerusalem at the time Zechariah was prophesying. Zechariah sees Joshua standing before the angel of the Lord and Satan standing at his right hand to attack and accuse him (from the Hebrew). This has ever been Satan’s delight—to accuse those that are part of God’s family.
Revelation 12:10 “And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.”
Again, it seems as though “the angel of the LORD” and “the LORD” are interchangeable terms. The LORD basically declares Satan’s accusations to be false (He accuses the accuser); the prophet emphasizes that it is the God of Israel that is rebuking Satan. Joshua is representative of the believing remnant of Israel that God has delivered through His refining fire of judgment. In reading through this again, I was reminded of the verse stating that “all Israel will be saved.” (Romans 11:26)
Scripture indicates that we have no right to rebuke Satan; only the LORD has that right. Even Michael testified to that truth.
Jude 1:9 “Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.”
Guzik/Spurgeon: “A brand is a burnt, burning, or smoldering piece of wood. Think of a campfire with a blackened, charred chunk of wood smoking in the ashes. It isn’t worth much at all and will be consumed completely if it isn’t plucked from the fire….’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.’”
Courson: “Our security and significance don’t lie in who we are gang, but in Whose we are.”
Zech. 3:3 Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel.
Zech. 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.
Zech. 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.
Zechariah saw that Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel of the LORD. The angel ordered His servants to remove the filthy clothing from Joshua. The filthy garments represent sin. I can’t help but think of this verse in Isaiah.
Isaiah 64:6 “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.”
The angel, which can only be Jesus, then declared that He has taken away Joshua’s sin and is going to give him clean clothing. He then orders His servants to put a mitre (diadem, head-dress) on his head. And the angel of the LORD stands by watching as His words are obeyed.
It stands out to me that Joshua has done nothing for Himself. His deliverance, forgiveness, cleansing and clothing have all been provided by the LORD. Joshua has had to speak nothing in his own defense; the LORD has spoken on his behalf. The comparison to the salvation of every believer is obvious and precious.
Ephesians 2:8–9 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
Titus 3:5–7 “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”
The prophet Isaiah tells us about these garments.
Isaiah 61:10 “I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.”
Ironside: “Joshua represents the entire remnant company; for as priest he went in to God on their behalf. But he is clothed, not in the unsullied robes prescribed by the law, but in filthy garments-setting forth the moral pollution of the whole nation.”
Zech. 3:6 And the angel of the LORD protested unto Joshua, saying,
Zech. 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.
“protested” = repeat…testify (as by reiteration)…admonish, charge…give warning
The LORD now speaks to Joshua in a very serious manner. The statement is conditional…”If you will…”
Walk in My ways – live according to My instructions
Keep My charge – obey my laws
“Then…”
You will judge My house – have authority in the Temple
Keep My courts - be the protector of its surroundings
You will have a place among those who stand in My presence – have direct access to God
Wiersbe: “The Lord gave a charge to Joshua because cleansing and restoration always involves responsibility. But the continuation of their service depended on their faithfulness to the Lord and His Word. Serving the Lord is a privilege that we must never take for granted.”
Zech. 3:8 Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH.
This verse is hard. The LORD is addressing Joshua and “thy fellows that sit before thee.” I think this is a reference to the priests serving under Joshua.
“they are men wondered at” – According to the Hebrew, it seems that this remnant of Jewish priests that God delivered through His judgment are a miraculous sign affirming God’s intention to bring forth His servant—the BRANCH, the final eternal High Priest. Scripture identifies this branch as Jesus, God’s Son.
Isaiah 11:1-2 “And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD….”
Jeremiah 23:5-6 “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.”
Jeremiah 33:14-16 “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will perform that good thing which I have promised unto the house of Israel and to the house of Judah. In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land. In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, The LORD our righteousness.”
Zech. 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.
Zech. 3:10 In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbour under the vine and under the fig tree.
The LORD declares that He has laid before Joshua a stone with seven eyes. Again, putting together scripture I believe this stone represents Jesus.
Isaiah 8:13-14 “Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.”
Acts 4:10-11 “Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.”
1Peter 2:6 “Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.”
Revelation 5:6 “And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.”
2Chronicles 16:9 “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.”
God Almighty will determine how this stone is to be engraved. God is the One ever in control—even and especially regarding the death and victorious resurrection of His Son. It came to my mind this time through that this “Stone” was engraved with the nails from the cross as He shed His blood for my sin.
“I will remove…” – My first thought is regarding the fact that when Messiah comes to establish His throne, ALL Israel will be saved and established under the New Covenant. But I think emphasis is being given to the healing of the land itself in being able to produce abundantly for all the people living there in peace and prosperity. The prophet Micah declares this same truth.
Micah 4:1-4 But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it. And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the LORD of hosts hath spoken it.”
Zech. 4:1 And the angel that talked with me came again, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep,
Zech. 4:2 And said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof:
Zech. 4:3 And two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof.
In this next vision, the same messenger from God that explained the previous visions wakes Zechariah up to receive another vision. He again asks Zechariah to describe what he sees. Having to verbalize what you see probably serves a similar purpose as these verse-by-verse studies do for me. It makes you notice things that you might not focus on otherwise.
Zechariah answers that he saw a gold candlestick with a bowl on the top of it; it had seven lights and seven pipes leading to the seven lights above them. He also saw two olive trees standing by the bowl on top of the candlestick—one on each side of it. The description sounds similar to but not identical with the candlestick that was made for use in the temple as described in Exodus 25.
Oil often represents the Holy Spirit in scripture.
Zech. 4:4 So I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying, What are these, my lord?
Zech. 4:5 Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.
Zechariah then asks God’s messenger a question—“What are these, my lord?” It’s either a question as to what this means or it is specifically in reference to the olive trees…or it could be regarding the modifications on the candlestick. The angel answers with, “Don’t you know?” Zechariah honestly states that he doesn’t.
Zech. 4:6 Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.
Zech. 4:7 Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it.
The angel then proceeds to explain things to Zechariah and declares it to be a message to Zerubbabel, the governor of the people in absence of a king.
The NLT was helpful in understanding verse 7: “Nothing, not even a mighty mountain, will stand in Zerubbabel’s way; it will flatten out before him! Then Zerubbabel will set the final stone of the Temple in place, and the people will shout: ‘May God bless it! May God bless it!’”
Zerubbabel and Joshua were leading the people in the rebuilding of the temple and the reestablishment of God’s people in the land of Israel. God seems to be telling Zerubbabel that this work is not going to be accomplished due to physical force, strength or vitality. It is going to be accomplished through the empowerment of God’s Holy Spirit. Jerusalem is located in an area of hills and valleys, and the temple was located on a mount. This question seems to be a way of acknowledging all the obstacles they faced in the rebuilding of God’s house. God is basically saying that there is no obstacle that you can’t overcome through the empowerment of My Spirit.
Most of the translations consider the headstone to reference the capstone or the final stone that marks the completion of the building, and this makes sense to me. Once that final stone is in place, it will be a time of great rejoicing, a beautiful symbol of God’s faithfulness in providing for its completion.
Zech. 4:8 Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
Zech. 4:9 The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto you.
The LORD goes on to declare that Zerubbabel will have a part in completing the rebuilding of God’s house just as surely as he has had part in laying the foundation for its rebuilding. This will be a sign that affirms Zechariah’s message as coming from YHWH.
Zech. 4:10 For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth.
The first part of this verse reminds me of the saying, “It’s the little things that make you happy.” Zerubbabel, as the leader, would make use of the plummet to assure that the walls of the building were vertical and straight—a small thing, but very important to the success of the project.
“those seven” – This seems to refer back to the seven lights of the candlestick which are now compared to the eyes of the LORD, as was the stone that was laid before Joshua in chapter 3. This seems to be making a comparison to the purpose of the plummet and the purpose of God’s eyes as He observes what is happening among men on earth. He is looking for things to measure up correctly, for there to be justice and righteousness. In the immediate context—for the Jewish people to measure up according to the teaching of God’s word.
Zech. 4:11 Then answered I, and said unto him, What are these two olive trees upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof?
Zech. 4:12 And I answered again, and said unto him, What be these two olive branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves?
Zech. 4:13 And he answered me and said, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.
Zech. 4:14 Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth.
Now Zechariah wants to know about the two olive trees that stood on each side of the candlestick; he then repeats the question and asks about the two golden pipes or spouts that empty the golden oil from the trees. He didn’t mention the two golden pipes originally, so maybe he has just remembered that detail. Neither did he describe the oil as golden, but that is a natural description of olive oil. Again, the angel basically says, “Don’t you know?” And again, Zechariah admits that he doesn’t. The angel then declares that the olive trees or branches “are the two anointed ones that stand by the Lord of the whole earth.”
Well, scripture is consistent in using oil to typify the Holy Spirit. The immediate application would seem to be to Joshua and Zerubbabel, but I am sure that they are types of others to come in reference to “the whole earth.” I can’t help but want to make a connection to the two tribulation witnesses that will be filled with the Spirit after the Spirit has essentially been removed from earth at the rapture of the church. (See journal on Revelation 11.) Just as Joshua and Zerubbabel were standing as God’s spirit-filled representatives to Judah at the time of Zechariah’s ministry, they will be standing as God’s spirit-filled representatives to the whole earth during the first part of that tribulation period. I believe the Holy Spirit will be ministering on earth during the tribulation or 70th week, just as He did during the first 69 weeks {including the time of Zechariah’s ministry) of that time prophesied by Daniel. (See journal on Daniel 9.)
As usual, I never really understood the picture until trying to break it down verse by verse. The bowl on top is the source of fuel for the lights on the candlestick and pictures the provision and empowerment of the Holy Spirit; the trees represent God’s Spirit-filled servants, and the seven lights, as mentioned above (v10), represent the Spirit’s ministry as God’s eyes and presence as determined necessary on planet earth. As the two Spirit-filled servants minister before the LORD, they are abundantly supplied; they have enough to pour out ministry as needed. It is an important truth to note that God’s call always includes God’s enablement. (Note: The Hebrew for stand includes “continue, be employed, establish, serve.”) The empowerment of the Holy Spirit is a supernatural empowerment; His empowerment is a miraculous provision of God to the man and woman of faith.