Zechariah 3:1-10 Chavurah Shalom Sat 2/16/19

Zech. 3:1-10 Then he showed me standing before the angel of the LORD, and standing at his right hand to accuse him. 2 The LORD said to Satan, “The LORD rebuke you, Satan! Indeed, the LORD who has chosen rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?” 3 Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments and standing before the angel. 4 He spoke and said to those who were standing before him, saying, “Remove the filthy garments from him.” Again he said to him, “See, I have taken your iniquity away from you and will clothe you with festal robes.” 5 Then 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, while the angel of the LORD was standing by. 6 And the angel of the LORD admonished Joshua, saying, 7 “Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘If you will walk in My ways and if you will perform My service, then you will also govern My house and also have charge of My courts, and I will grant you free access among these who are standing here. 8 ‘Now listen, Joshua the high priest, you and your friends who are sitting in front of you — indeed they are men who are a symbol, for behold, I am going to bring in My servant the Branch. 9 ‘For behold, the stone that I have set before Joshua; on one stone are seven eyes. Behold, I will engrave an inscription on it,’ declares the LORD of hosts, ‘and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day. 10 ‘In that day,’ declares the LORD of hosts, ‘every one of you will invite his neighbor to sit under his vine and under his fig tree.’” This vision deals with the age old problem of sin. V. 9 states, "I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day." Our question, How is that possible? That is what this vision is all about. ADONAI uses the people present at that time as a Symbol of the One who is to come which will accomplish this prophecy. We had talked briefly of serving as a symbol of the coming King, the one prophesied. In this present vision, Joshua the High Priest serves as a symbol of the Great High Priest who is to come. Dr. Walter Kaiser suggests the following outline for this chapter, as to how this promise to remove the sin of that land in one day would be fulfilled. 1- intervenes for us as our High Priest vv. 1-2

- 1 - 2- Messiah cleanses us as our High Priest vv. 3-4 3- Messiah challenges us as our High Priest vv. 5-7 4- Messiah delivers us as our High Priest. vv. 8-10 1- Messiah intervenes for us as our High Priest vv. 1-2 Our problem since Adam and Eve fell into sin in Gan Eden has been, "How can a morally defiled and sinful people be made fit to appear in the presence of God?" And, "How can we function as priests and ministers for a Holy God?" The only way is through the provisions which our God makes for the forgiveness of sin. And here is a people group, the Jews, the Chosen People, who are a backslidden people, who have yet been promised a revival, a renewal, and a restoration. Our text begins with He caused me to see Joshua the Cohen Gadol, the High Priest, standing before, to the face of, the Angel of the LORD. This is no angel giving Zechariah this vision, this is the work of God alone. And Zechariah sees "Joshua standing before Jesus." I know! We use Yeshua, but alliterations are fun! Joshua was of the appropriate lineage of priests, set aside by ADONAI Himself to minister to Him from all of the tribes of . The High Priest was to serve in the role that was first held by Moses, and would ultimately be held by Yeshua - to mediate between God and man. The High Priest was to represent man unto God, and to represent God unto man. However, we have a vicious opponent to that process in HaSatan. We first note the position of Standing Before. The role and purpose of the priesthood was to stand before God in behalf of the People of Israel, and to minister to God in the various sacrifices and acts of worship of the people. And the priests were also to bless Israel in His Name. The Aaronic Benediction is found in Numbers 6:22-27 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 23 “Speak to Aaron and to his sons, saying, ‘Thus you shall bless the sons of Israel. You shall say to them: 24 The LORD bless you, and keep you; 25 The LORD make His face shine on you, And be gracious to you; 26 The LORD lift up His countenance on you, And give you peace.’ 27 “So they shall invoke My name on the sons of Israel, and I then will bless

- 2 - them.” Our text literally says, The Satan was standing to his right hand to Satan him! The means "adversary, or accuser." The text has the definite ,שָׂטַן ",Hebrew word "satan article before the noun to indicate a very specific The Adversary, who then stands to the right hand of him in order to accuse him. HaSatan is the sworn enemy of God, of His People, and is quite aggressive in his role as adversary and accuser of the brethren. Job 1:6-11 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them. 7 The LORD said to Satan, “From where do you come?” Then Satan answered the LORD and said, “From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.” 8 The LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil.” 9 Then Satan answered the LORD, “Does Job fear God for nothing? 10 “Have You not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 “But put forth Your hand now and touch all that he has; he will surely curse You to Your face.” 12 Then the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power, only do not put forth your hand on him.” So Satan departed from the presence of the LORD. Job 2:1-7 Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the LORD. 2 The LORD said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Then Satan answered the LORD and said, “From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.” 3 The LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man fearing God and turning away from evil. And he still holds fast his integrity, although you incited Me against him to ruin him without cause.” 4 Satan answered the LORD and said, “Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life. 5 “However, put forth Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh; he will curse You to Your face.” 6 So the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your power, only spare his life.” 7 Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.

- 3 - 1Peter 5:8 Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. While the High Priest mediates, intervenes, and intercedes for man with God, HaSatan seeds to divide, to separate between God and man. He does so by accusing God to man, that God is not who He has said that He is, that God has not been honest with us, that He does not mean what He says. And He accuses man before God as in the case with Job. Basically he is saying, you let me have him, and I will have him cursing You to Your face. But as ADONAI Himself has said of Job, Job 1:8 The LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil.” None of Satan's efforts ever caused Job to curse God, not embrace evil. He is quite the man of faith. And this was God's point and purpose in giving us this contest. God showed Himself strong to Job as Job clung to God in faith. And Job persevered through all the trials and temptations which Satan threw at him. We must do likewise! We will note briefly here, that it is not Joshua personally, but as representative of Israel that this vision is granted. He is the High Priest, thus representing Israel. When ADONAI rebukes Satan, it is because He has chosen Jerusalem, which itself often stand for the People of God, being the place of Worship for all who would believe. If we compare v. 4 with v. 9, we find that as God caused Joshua's iniquity to pass away from him, so also God will "remove the iniquity of that Land in one day." Thus Joshua stands as a picture of the Great Mediator to come, but more on that in a bit. In our present situation, we have Satan standing next to Joshua the High Priest in order to accuse him and be an adversary to him. In reality, HaSatan is standing against the Plan and Purposes of God to bring all mankind to Himself through Israel, His Servant, and ultimately to the One Servant, My Servant, who is Yeshua. Thus this accusation was intended to impugn Israel as a priestly nation, and thus prevent its fullest expression in Yeshua. It is not as though Joshua is sinless, nor the people of Israel. However, the accusation is not met with as HaSatan expects. Instead of judgment, there is mercy. Instead of condemnation there is cleansing. It is our Lord and Savior who will plead Israel's cause, Joshua's cause, and our cause as our mediator.

- 4 - Isaiah 50:8-9 He who vindicates Me is near; Who will contend with Me? Let us stand up to each other; Who has a case against Me? Let him draw near to Me. 9 Behold, the Lord GOD helps Me; Who is he who condemns Me? V. 2 The LORD said to the Satan, “The LORD rebuke you, Satan! Indeed, the LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?” So in our text, our LORD indeed is acting in behalf of His Chosen People, and in particular, the place and role of Joshua as High Priest. We must understand that it is not just in particular Joshua, but His Chosen People, and this chosen role that Joshua stands in symbol of, the High Priest. Thus, the Lord Himself will rebuke the devil (cf. Jude 9, where the archangel Michael says to the devil, “The Lord rebuke you.”). Interestingly, Jude used two other phrases from the prophet Zechariah (thereby showing the close affinity between the two and the way the inspired New Testament writers viewed Zechariah’s meaning): “a brand plucked from the fire” (Zech. 3:2) is echoed in Jude 23: “pulling them out of the fire”; and “filthy garments” (Zech. 3:3) is echoed in Jude 23c: “hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.”--Kaiser, Jr., Walter C.. The Preacher's Commentary - Vol. 23: Micah / Nahum / Habakkuk / Zephaniah / Haggai / Zechariah / Malachi . Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. The Fire from which Joshua was pulled has been variously explained as The Exile itself, as the temptations being perpetrated upon him by Satan, and others simply see it as sin itself, the intent and purpose of living apart from God and seeking to please ourselves rather than God. There are some in the Jewish world that identify the firebrand with the Maccabees and the fire with the efforts of Antiochus Epiphanes to destroy those who served the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The ultimate source of this fire is by our Scripture, seen to be HaSatan. The main point here is that our God has not forgotten those who are His, nor has He forgotten His promises simply because Israel's garments, or our's, have become filthy. This is of course an expression of sinfulness, not the idea of needing a bath! The Apostle Paul affirms in Romans 11:1 I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be! This Returning Remnant is like a firebrand

- 5 - rescued from the Fire. They have been rescued from Satan's grip as they have returned to ADONAI by returning to the Land and to the Holy City, and to the building of the 2nd Temple in agreement with God's command. This expression "a firebrand rescued from the fire," is also used by Amos of Israel, Amos 4:11 “I overthrew you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, And you were like a firebrand snatched from a blaze; Yet you have not returned to Me,” declares the LORD. Fire is a means of either judgment or cleansing typically in the Scriptures, and a representation of God Himself. In this case it is obvious that the hope of HaSatan is to cause the role of the High Priest to be lost through judgment of his sins as he stands there at Joshua's right hand as The Adversary, in order to accuse him. Thus as God declares, His Covenant with His Chosen People and His Covenant which established the priesthood both being secure, He provides a way so that Joshua, indeed Israel, are snatched from the fire of judgement against sin. But, as Kliefoth has aptly observed, “the priesthood of Israel was concentrated in the high priest, just as the character of Israel as the holy nation was concentrated in the priesthood. The high priest represented the holiness and priestliness of Israel, and that not merely in certain official acts and functions, but so that as a particular Levite and Aaronite, and as the head for the time being of the house of Aaron, he represented in his own person that character of holiness and priestliness which had been graciously bestowed by God upon the nation of Israel.”--Keil & Delitzsch. God has dealt with Israel concerning their sins, and He has done so quite severely, and yet He has prevented them from being destroyed. Why will ADONAI forgive at this time? Is it because of the righteousness of God's People? Obviously not! Is it because Satan's claims are not true? They are true! Is it because they have already suffered enough in the Exile? It is not based upon our present suffering. The most powerful reason is because our God does not lie, and will not break His Word or His Covenant Promise which He has given only to Israel. Joshua the High Priest is representative both of the role of High Priest, and of his people Israel. The accusations brought by HaSatan are against all of Israel, and therefore brought before their Mediator in the High Priest. The LORD has chosen Israel, and "the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable." The pardon and the promise do not apply to Joshua personally, but to the people

- 6 - whom he represented before God, the whole of Israel. The whole nation was to function in the world as a Holy Nation, and a kingdom of priests, Exodus 19:5-6 ‘Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; 6 and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel.” This is a most significant passage of Scripture which we must completely assimilate into our hearts and minds since it is expressive of the purpose for Israel from its inception as a nation. Indeed, it is expressive of all who believe in our modern times as well. We have become part of Israel, so we have the same role and purpose as Israel, that all of the world might come to know ADONAI through our lives and ministry. We are after all, first expressive of that ministry of the gifts and calling of Israel, for we have come to be saved through that representative of Israel whom we know as our Messiah. 2- Messiah cleanses us as our High Priest vv. 3-4 Zechariah 3:3-4 Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments and standing before the angel. 4 He spoke and said to those who were standing before him, saying, “Remove the filthy garments from him.” Again he said to him, “See, I have taken your iniquity away from you and will clothe you with festal robes.” Joshua the High Priest is depicted as clothed with filthy garments and standing before the Angel. This is a picture of all who come unto God in faith, as we await the cleansing that only our God can provide. While the High Priest had as one of his major roles, providing the process by which we might obtain forgiveness before God at the day of , he also had to first make atonement for his own sins. For we have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Isaiah 64:6 For all of us have become like one who is unclean, And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; And all of us wither like a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. As Joshua stands there in his filthy rags, ADONAI commands that the filthy garments be taken away from him, and that he be clothed with festal robes. First however, ADONAI says of Himself, I will cause to pass by from upon you your iniquities. First, we must be cleansed from the penalty of sins before we can be clothed with the righteousness that comes from God. There was the process each

- 7 - year at Yom Kippur for the High Priest to gain cleansing for his own sins, and for the sins of all the priests, prior to being able to act as Mediator for the rest of Israel for their own cleansing from sins. The Scapegoat was to picture the promise of Psalm 103:12 As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. The picture is that of the complete removal of sins so that they never return to them anymore. This is the picture here of the removal of the filthy garments, the cleansing of sin, and then the provision of new festal robes. These are then the garments of salvation. The phrase here is most often translated "festive robes," or some equivalent. We might tend to think of the white linen which the High Priest had to wear in the Holy of Holies on Yom Kippur, and connect this with the white raiment of the martyrs and of the angels in heaven, implying righteousness and purity. This is followed in v. 5 with the request, presumably of Zechariah, to put a clean turban on his head. This is where it causes us to ponder. The festal robes of the High Priest were of the Royal Blue or Purple Robe, with the Breastplate full of precious stones. And there was to be a Turban on his head at all times. Exods 28:36-38 “You shall also make a plate of pure gold and shall engrave on it, like the engravings of a seal, ‘Holy to the LORD.’ 37 “You shall fasten it on a blue cord, and it shall be on the turban; it shall be at the front of the turban. 38 “It shall be on Aaron’s forehead, and Aaron shall take away the iniquity of the holy things which the sons of Israel consecrate, with regard to all their holy gifts; and it shall always be on his forehead, that they may be accepted before the LORD. This is then followed with the additional clothing for serving at the Altar and in the Holy of Holies. This was for Aharon as High Priest, and his sons as they officiated as priests at the Altar. Exodus 28:39-43 “You shall weave the tunic of checkered work of fine linen, and shall make a turban of fine linen, and you shall make a sash, the work of a weaver. 40 “For Aaron’s sons you shall make tunics; you shall also make sashes for them, and you shall make caps for them, for glory and for beauty. 41 “You shall put them on Aaron your brother and on his sons with him; and you shall anoint them and ordain them and consecrate them, that they may serve Me as priests. 42 “You shall make for them linen breeches to cover their bare flesh; they

- 8 - shall reach from the loins even to the thighs. 43 “They shall be on Aaron and on his sons when they enter the tent of meeting, or when they approach the altar to minister in the holy place, so that they do not incur guilt and die. It shall be a statute forever to him and to his descendants after him. The linen was white while the other garments of the High Priest were very colorful. The linen might better fit our concept of purity from the cleansing of the sins of Joshua, and the acceptance of the role of High Priest, and subsequently the acceptance of the people of Israel. However, the scholars are divided over the meaning of "festal robes." We will speak more of "the sign" in a bit, but this cleansing of Joshua heralds to the coming cleansing of all people through the One Coming in the Role of High Priest for all of the world. There is coming a time, again a bit later, when the sin of the Land of Israel would be removed "in one day." Our Lord has promised to wash away the filth of daughter of . :2-6 In that day the Branch of the LORD will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth will be the pride and the adornment of the survivors of Israel. 3 It will come about that he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy — everyone who is recorded for life in Jerusalem. 4 When the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and purged the bloodshed of Jerusalem from her midst, by the spirit of judgment and the spirit of burning, 5 then the LORD will create over the whole area of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud by day, even smoke, and the brightness of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory will be a canopy. 6 There will be a shelter to give shade from the heat by day, and refuge and protection from the storm and the rain. The coming cleansing that is being presented here, will be accomplished by the One for whom Joshua is a sign, the Ultimate High Priest in Yeshua our Messiah. He is the only one who can fully cleanse His Chosen People. See also Ezekiel 36:16-32. 3- Messiah challenges us as our High Priest vv. 5-7 Zechariah 3:5-7 Then 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, while the angel of the LORD was standing by.

- 9 - 6 And the angel of the LORD admonished Joshua, saying, 7 “Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘If you will walk in My ways and if you will perform My service, then you will also govern My house and also have charge of My courts, and I will grant you free access among these who are standing here. The Turban as explained by the Jews, represents the authority of God over the priesthood. The Turban of the High Priest had a gold plate attached to it that said, "Holy To YHVH." We would assume from the text, that there was one Turban that served either with the Royal Blue Robe, Ephod, and Breastplate; or the Linen Garments which had to be worn on Yom Kippur when the High Priest went into the Holy of Holies. We assume then further, that the turban always held the Golden Plate when the High Priest wore it. The Turban with this Gold Plate were very significant, as recorded above in Exodus 28:36-38. It was required for the functioning of the High Priest to deal with the sins of the people, and to be accepted before ADONAI. This in itself points us to the One who is Holy beyond measure, One who is sinless, One who can function both as the Sacrifice for Sin and the Officiating High Priest to bear this sacrifice before ADONAI in the Holy Place not made with human hands. Dr. Kaiser points us to the coming Marriage Supper of the Lamb with the Festal Robes of the High Priest. The picture is no doubt the cleansing of all who will come to Messiah Yeshua. Baron also in his commentary on Zechariah, in contemplation of the dress of Joshua, indicates our own robing in pure garments, appropriate for the great Wedding Feast coming at the end of time. This is the ultimate expression of the point and purpose of the High Priest, to be the Mediator so that we might be able to come into the Presence of the One Most Holy. We will have to be clothed in the pure and bright garments that our God will provide for us in order to enter and be a part of that Great Supper. Matthew 22:1-14 Revelation 19:6-18 At this point the Angel of the LORD admonishes Joshua with the same words with which David admonished his son Solomon, and which were given to Joshua when he conquered Canaan, ‘If you will walk in My ways and if you will perform My service, then you will also govern My house and also have charge of My courts. There is this If ...Then Statement, which is repeated, If you will walk in My Ways and if you will perform My Service. The idea of "walking" means to be in

- 10 - agreement with. This is where we get the concept of Halakah, from the word "to to guard, to" ,שָׁמַר ,The word for Perform is our familiar Shmar .הָלַך ,walk," halak keep, to protect, to practice." The word for Service here is also a form of Shamar, meaning "to watch over." So the High Priest is to Guard in order to Watch Over the House of God. The House of our God at times refers to the Temple, but at other times it refers more to the Household of God, meaning His Chosen People. It is in this latter since that it is used here. This was said of Moshe in Numbers 12:7 “Not so, with My servant Moses, He is faithful in all My household. This saying is then incorporated into the daily prayers of the Jewish people. Similar language comes later concerning Yeshua. Hebrews 3:1 Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession; 2 He was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was in all His house. This connection to the concept of steward over the household cannot be missed. In our present context, Joshua will be rewarded as Judge over the Household of has the connotation of a court setting. It can ,דִין ,God. The Hebrew word Din mean to plead one's cause, to contend with, and to execute judgment. After Moshe this was to be one of the roles of the priesthood, to minister the Torah to the people. The Torah was delivered to the priests to minister it to the people, and thus we have the concept of a final judgment within Israel to be brought to the High Priest who may then have to bring the issue before God, and may need to use the Urim and the Thumim for a final answer. Secondly, Joshua will be rewarded with guardianship of the Temple and its precincts. This is the best way to understand the word Shamar in this case. The Temple has lain in ruins for 70 years, and needs to be watched over, cared for, and protected. Joshua's third reward, is to be able to walk among these standing ones. This is a very cryptic statement. It would seem to suggest access to the heavens, and to the angels of God. The Jewish Targums make this comment on the promise: “In the resurrection of the dead, I will revive you and give you feet walking among the seraphim.” The meaning, then, promised those who kept God’s charge and lived according to His Word, that they would have the honor of being transplanted to higher service in heaven, after their work on earth was done, to walk among the

- 11 - angels.--Kaiser, Jr., Walter C.. The Preacher's Commentary - Vol. 23: Micah / Nahum / Habakkuk / Zephaniah / Haggai / Zechariah / Malachi . Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. We must however, be reminded that Joshua serves as a sign of One Greater who is coming. Our Lord Yeshua will be the Final Judge over all the world, and over every human being. He will most certainly judge the children of God, the people of God. We should all be aware of the Judgment Seat of Messiah for the believer, 2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. The clearest picture of Yeshua coming to the role of the Final Judge is found in Daniel Dan. 7:13 “I kept looking in the night visions, And behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days And was presented before Him. 14 “And to Him was given dominion, Glory and a kingdom, That all the peoples, nations and men of every language Might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion Which will not pass away; And His kingdom is one Which will not be destroyed. 4- Messiah delivers us as our High Priest. vv. 8-10 ‘Now listen, Joshua the high priest, you and your friends who are sitting in front of you — indeed they are men who are a symbol, for behold, I am going to bring in My servant the Branch. 9 ‘For behold, the stone that I have set before Joshua; on one stone are seven eyes. Behold, I will engrave an inscription on it,’ declares the LORD of hosts, ‘and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day. 10 ‘In that day,’ declares the LORD of hosts, ‘every one of you will invite his neighbor to sit under his vine and under his fig tree.’” Now we come to the actual verse that puts forth Joshua as a sign. This statement is followed by the prophecy of the coming of Yeshua, The Branch. Targum

- 12 - Jonathan identifies this Servant as being the Messiah, based upon :5. In other words, Jewish exegetes did understand from this passage the concept of a greater redemption which was to come in the Messiah. He will rightly be called a Tzemach, a sprout since he will be an outgrowth of the Davidic dynasty. This dynasty is considered as sealed at present, like a plant buried in the ground, but destined to sprout to full glory when his time arrives.-- Trei Asar, Vol. 2, p. 218. There are other passages which use people as signs for a greater revelation from ADONAI: Isaiah 8:18 Behold, I and the children whom the LORD has given me are for signs and wonders in Israel from the LORD of hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion. Isaiah 20:3 And the LORD said, “Even as My servant Isaiah has gone naked and barefoot three years as a sign and token against Egypt and Cush, Ezekiel 12:11 “Say, ‘I am a sign to you. As I have done, so it will be done to them; they will go into exile, into captivity.’ While these men are a quite imperfect sign, they are nonetheless to represent the coming of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. The Branch as the picture of the Messiah coming out of the Davidic lineage is found: :1 Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, And a branch from his roots will bear fruit. :2 For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, And like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty That we should look upon Him, Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him. Jeremiah 23:5 “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the LORD, “When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch; And He will reign as king and act wisely And do justice and righteousness in the land. :15 ‘In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch of David to spring forth; and He shall execute justice and righteousness on the earth.

- 13 - :12 “Then say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, “Behold, a man whose name is Branch, for He will branch out from where He is; and He will build the temple of the LORD. Joshua is here being depicted as cleansed, and established as that Mediator between Israel and God, and between God and man. This was the role of Moshe until his death, and taken up then by the pair of the King and the High Priest after they are established in the Land. While none of the High Priests were granted the same personal access to God which Moshe had enjoyed, this was nonetheless the point of their role, particularly on the Day of Atonement when they went into the Holy of Holies. The greater picture however, is of our Coming Great High Priest. There are two wonderful titles of our Lord Yeshua. We have mentioned The Branch. But also there is My Servant. The Servant Passages of Isaiah run from Isaiah 40-53. There are 20 appearances of this Title "My Servant" found in those chapters, and the majority of them refer to our Messiah Yeshua. In our present text of Zechariah, it is The Branch that is being held in focus. This title represents our Lord in four distinct ways. 1- The Branch as Royal King -The Jeremiah 23:5 which correlates to the Messiah as described in Matthew 2- The Branch as "My Servant" -Zechariah 3:8 which correlates to the Messiah as described in Mark 3- The Branch as Fully Man -Zechariah 6:12 which correlates to the Messiah as described in Luke 4- The Branch as Fully God -Isaiah 4:2 which correlates to the Messiah as described in John -----Kaiser, Jr., Walter C.. The Preacher's Commentary - Vol. 23: Micah / Nahum / Habakkuk / Zephaniah / Haggai / Zechariah / Malachi . Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. In v. 9 Zechariah moves on to a new image, that of a Stone set before Joshua, one stone having 7 eyes. This is engraved upon. This is then followed with the statement, "I will remove the iniquity of that Land on one day." The Talmud says

- 14 - that the Eben Shetiyah, the foundation stone of the 2nd Temple, which was some inches higher than the level of the Holy of Holies, had the sacred graven upon it. These words used in the reference to the Everlasting Foundation of the spiritual temple, the reference to engrave an engraving may have reference to it.--David Baron, p. 117. There are a few things we must note in the Hebrew. First, this is not "a stone," but "The Stone." Thus we have a declaration from ADONAI, "Behold, the Stone which I have set to the face of Joshua, upon the one stone are seven eyes, Behold, I am the One engraving its engraving, Oracle of ADONAI of Hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day." Because of the expression Oracle of ADONAI of Hosts, most then understand the following statement to be the inscription which ADONAI makes upon The Stone. Isaiah 28:16. Therefore thus says the Lord GOD, “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone, A costly cornerstone for the foundation, firmly placed. He who believes in it will not be disturbed. Psa. 118:22 The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief corner stone. 23 This is the LORD’S doing; It is marvelous in our eyes. Daniel 2:44-45 “In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever. 45 “Inasmuch as you saw that a stone was cut out of the mountain without hands and that it crushed the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold, the great God has made known to the king what will take place in the future; so the dream is true and its interpretation is trustworthy.” :6 And I saw between the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth. The number 7 is a number of completeness, and we have reference to the completeness of The Lamb in Revelation, and The Stone in Zechariah 3:9. We find also the 7-fold Spirit of God in Messiah Yeshua.

- 15 - Isaiah 11:1-2 Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, And a branch from his roots will bear fruit. 2 The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him, The spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and strength, The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. We note then that the concept of The Branch is tied to The Stone, which is also then tied to Messiah, and the Spirit of ADONAI. The concept of the Branch points not to the coming of our Great High Priest, but rather to the coming of our Great King of kings and Lord of lords, for this is a symbol of the everlasting King. The figure of My Servant can be construed to mean both the coming High Priest, and the coming King of kings. The Servant in Isaiah 53 is obviously functioning in the role of Priest to remove the sins of the people. However, just as King David was My Servant, so this figure of the coming Servant will also serve as King. Ezekiel had used the expression “my servant David” to refer to the king of the new age in 34:24 and 37:24. Now Zechariah combines the ideas of branch and servant and says, “for behold I am about to bring my servant the Branch,” Zechariah 3:9. Just as Joshua serves as a sign or symbol of the Coming Great High Priest, so also Zerubbabel, being of the correct lineage to re-establish the proper leadership over Israel, also symbolizes the Coming Great King of kings. Perhaps this is more the meaning of Joshua and the ones there with you serving as signs, than simply assuming they are all priests. Zerubbabel is also called My Servant at :23. Isaiah 53:11 As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities. What then is the meaning of the stone? Is it an engraved, precious gem worn on the turban of the high priest? Is it a reference to the top or corner stone of the temple? Could it be a reference to the rock in the wilderness from which flowed living be translated “eyes” or עינים water (Exod 17:6; Num 20:7–11)? Should “fountains”? Is there any relationship between the seven “eyes” of the stone (3:9)

- 16 - and the seven eyes of Yahweh (4:10c)? This engraving is attached to the most powerful promise of God to remove the sin of Israel. Thus the stone is somehow attached to the removal of sin. Jeremiah 31:34 “They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the LORD, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.” Jeremiah 50:20 ‘In those days and at that time,’ declares the LORD, ‘search will be made for the iniquity of Israel, but there will be none; and for the sins of , but they will not be found; for I will pardon those whom I leave as a remnant.’ This relates back to the cleansing of Joshua in v. 4. Now I know we have just kind of run on for awhile, but all of these figures come rolling at us quite quickly in our text. The Stone is Messiah Yeshua, as is My Servant, for He Alone will deal with the sin of Israel in the future, and will cleanse the Land in One Day. That will be the Day of the LORD, when He comes to judge the world, to regather His People, and to set up His Millennial Kingdom which includes the building of the Millennial Temple. So while this was to encourage the building of the 2nd Temple, it relates more to the work of Messiah in His 2nd Coming in order to cleanse the whole earth of sin and take up His Rightful Place as King. Heaven will come down, and Glory will fill Jerusalem, the Millennial Temple, and indeed the Whole World. It is not at all clear how the meaning “eyes” could relate to the role of the stone as a cleansing agent. If the stone represents some precious jewel with seven facets on the turban of the high priest, the reflection of light by seven facets of the stone could conceivably refer to the seven (complete number of perfection) eyes of God which would express God’s care for the completion of the temple. But if the “eyes” of the stone were seven “fountains” through which the water of life could flow as it did when Moses struck the rock in the wilderness (Exod 17:6; Num 20:7), then the rock would be closely related to the Messiah’s role of cleansing the land. The idea of a priest-king may go back to the ancient concept of the priesthood of Melchizedek, king of Salem (cf Gen 14; Ps 110). Later in the Scrolls and in the Testament of the Twelve the people looked forward to two ,

- 17 - one from the family of Aaron who would function as a priest and one from the tribe of Judah who would be a king (cf H. Ringgren, The Faith of Qumran, trans. E. T. Sander [Philadelphia: Fortress, 1963] 167–82).--Word Biblical Commentary, p. 201. Could the figure of the Stone and the concept of 7 fountains well relate to the River of Life which will flow out of the Temple in the Last Days? :8; Ezekiel 47, Revelation 22:1. We need to remember that the apostle Paul interpreted the rock in the wilderness as referring to Messiah which went with Israel to provide their needs, 1 Corinthians 10:4. This action is the key to the whole fourth vision. The “one day” promised here is “that day” of –14, i.e., the “day” of Israel’s national repentance when her people will look on Him whom they have pierced (Zech. 12:10).-- Kaiser, Jr., Walter C.. The Preacher's Commentary - Vol. 23: Micah / Nahum / Habakkuk / Zephaniah / Haggai / Zechariah / Malachi . Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. The preparation of this stone, i.e., the preparation of the kingdom of God established in Israel, by the powers of the Spirit of the Lord, is one feature in which the bringing of the tsemach will show itself. The other consists in the wiping away of the iniquity of this land. Mū sh is used here in a transitive sense, that land) is the land of Canaan or) הָאָרֶ ץ הַהִיא .to cause to depart, to wipe away Judah, which will extend in the Messianic times over the whole earth. The definition of the time, bᵉyō m ʿechâ d, cannot of course mean “on one and the same day,” so as to affirm that the communication of the true nature to Israel, namely, of one well pleasing to God, and the removal of guilt from the land, would take place simultaneously (Hofmann, Koehler); but the expression “in one day” is substantially the same as ἐφάπαξ in Heb. 7:27; 9:12; 10:10, and affirms that the wiping away of sin to be effected by the Messiah (tsemach ) will not resemble that effected by the typical priesthood, which had to be continually repeated, but will be all finished at once. This one day is the day of Golgotha.-- Keil & Delitzsch. This fourth vision concludes with the picture of the peace and tranquility of the Messianic Kingdom. The rabbis extended the meaning of this verse “to indicate that the study of the law should be under the vine and under the fig tree.” 1Kings 4:25 So Judah and Israel lived in safety, every man under his vine and

- 18 - his fig tree, from Dan even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon. Isaiah 36:16 ‘Do not listen to Hezekiah,’ for thus says the king of Assyria, ‘Make your peace with me and come out to me, and eat each of his vine and each of his fig tree and drink each of the waters of his own cistern, Micah 4:4 Each of them will sit under his vine And under his fig tree, With no one to make them afraid, For the mouth of the LORD of hosts has spoken.

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