Bible Commentaries
Zechariah 3

Verses 1-10

Chapter 3

Now the fifth vision, the Lord showed him Joshua. Now Joshua was the high priest who along with Zerrubbel, a priest who was in charge of the rebuilding of the temple. Stood side by side with Zerrubbel.

He showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan was standing at his right hand to resist him ( Zechariah 3:1 ).

Satan is seeking to resist you from whatever work you may desire to do for the Lord, or be called to do for the Lord.

And the Lord said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke you ( Zechariah 3:2 ):

Now, I do feel that in the scriptures we do have a pattern when we are dealing with Satan. That is, of not directly dealing with him. I've heard people say, "I rebuke you, Satan." And every time I hear them say that, I shudder. Because I am certain that he is saying, "Paul I know, Jesus I know, who are you?"

It is interesting in the book of Jude we are told that when Michael, who is one of the chief angels of heaven, when he was disputing with Satan over the body of Moses, Satan was probably wanting to desecrate the body of Moses, and Michael was standing there, and they were disputing over the body, they were fighting over the body of Moses, that Michael did not bring any railing accusations against Satan. He didn't rail on him. But Michael this archangel said, "The Lord rebuke thee." Michael didn't say, "I rebuke you," but he said, "The Lord rebuke you."

Here when he saw Satan standing at the right hand of Joshua the high priest seeking to resist him, and Joshua was standing before the angel of the Lord, that the Lord said unto Satan, "The Lord rebuke you." So I think that if you're going to be rebuking Satan, that is the way you should do it. That rather than saying, "I rebuke you, Satan," or even, "I rebuke you in the name of Jesus," I think that you would be better off to just say, "The Lord rebuke you, Satan, in the name of Jesus." I always like to keep the Lord between me and Satan. I feel so much safer when I do. "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? ( Zechariah 3:2 )

Referring to Satan, he's like a brand, a coal, a live coal that's been plucked out of the fire. Now the Bible uses this phrase in the New Testament as far as our winning some of the lost. That we, in winning the lost, are plucking coals right out of the fire, and there are people that are almost in hell. By our bringing the glorious news of Jesus Christ, and their reception of it, they are like brands plucked out of the fire.

Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments ( Zechariah 3:3 ),

Now here's the high priest clothed with filthy garments as he stood before the angel. Now in the scripture, garments are representative of a person's righteousness. Filthy garments represent a person's self-righteousness. Or that righteousness that you have created for yourself by your own good works. Paul speaks about his endeavors under the law in Philippians, chapter 3. In speaking of all of his adherence to the law, he said, "Those things which were gain to me I counted loss for the righteousness of Jesus Christ, for whom I've suffered the loss of all things, and can't count them as refuse that I may know Him, and be found in Him. Not having my own righteousness, which is of the law, but the righteousness which is of Christ, through faith."

So here was Joshua standing there before the Lord in filthy garments. Jeremiah said, "Our righteousness is as filthy rags in the eyes of the Lord." How crass can we be trying to present ourselves to God in our own righteousness? "Well Lord, here I am. Let me tell You what I've done for You this week. Sit down Lord, let me brag a bit." And I'm trying to present myself to God in my righteousness, and they're as filthy rags in His sight. In the book of Revelation, John sees the saints of God clothed in fine linen, pure and clean. The fine linen, the white linen is the righteousness of the saints. But what is the righteousness of the saints? It is that which God has imputed to you because you have believed in His Son Jesus Christ.

Now if I can be clothed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ, then it's sheer stupidity to try to come before God in my righteousness and in my goodness. That just doesn't make sense. When God is willing to accept me in the righteousness of Jesus Christ, it's absolute folly for me to try to present to God my own righteousness.

So he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, [This is the angel of the Lord] Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused your iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe you with a change of raiment ( Zechariah 3:4 ).

Oh, what a glorious day that was when God did that for me. Standing before the Lord said, "Take off his filthy garments." Then He said, "Behold I'm gonna clothe you with new raiment." The righteousness of Christ in which I'm clothed tonight, through my faith in Jesus Christ. Oh, I'll tell you this was the most glorious experience in my whole Christian walk. It came to me right out of Romans. We're in that book right now on Thursday nights. So if you want to get rid of your old rags, I invite you to come out to Thursday night studies.

And I said, Let them set a fair mitre [or crown] upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and they clothed him with garments. And the angel of the LORD stood by. And the angel of the LORD protested unto Joshua, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; If you will walk in my ways, and if you will keep my charge, then you shall also judge my house, and shall also keep my courts, and I will give thee places to walk among these that are standing by ( Zechariah 3:5-7 ).

So walk in My ways, do My charge, do My work, and you can dwell in My courts and judge there.

Now the sixth vision.

Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, you, and all of your fellows that sit before you: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH ( Zechariah 3:8 ).

Here we have now the prophecy of Jesus Christ. In Jeremiah and in Isaiah, Jesus is referred to as the Branch, the righteous Branch that shall come out of the root of Jesse, Jesus Christ. "I am gonna bring forth My Servant, the Branch."

For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the engraving thereof, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of the land in one day. And in that day saith the LORD of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbor under the vine and under the fig tree ( Zechariah 3:9-10 ).

Looking on into the glorious Kingdom Age when Jesus comes again, the Branch, and establishes His kingdom and the iniquity will be purged in a day, and the Lord will reign. Every man neath his vine and fig tree shall live in peace, and be not afraid. "They will beat their swords into plowshears, and their spears into pruning hooks." "