The Inscription: I WILL REMOVE THE INIQUITY
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Important messages
I repeat: If
you will read the biblical text first, then go on to peruse my comments with
the open Bible handy, you will see exactly to what I am referring. This is the
way that a Bible study works and the idea is to perceive what the Author, the
Holy Spirit, wanted to share with His prophet, Zechariah, so that he would
write His thoughts, first of all, for the benefit of the people of his day.
Then, as He knew perfectly well, these words would be transferred through the
millenniums until they found the people, who would experience personally their
final fulfillment.
An expository
study of the book of Zechariah
Who will bring a
charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who
condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died.” Romans 8:33, 34
Chapter three: The
fourth vision
The judgment of Joshua
Before we begin this study,
we ought to know that Joshua is symbolic. That is clearly revealed later in
verses 8-10 and this vision points to a future time. Joshua was the high priest
in the time of Zechariah, who received the order to rebuild the temple. In a
court scene, he is before the Angel of the Lord. Satan, the accusing attorney,
is at his right hand and is opposing the work that God wants to carry out
(v.1). He always finds plenty of evidence for his case. How we need the paracletos… a Defense Attorney, a
Helper, a Comforter!
The Angel of the Lord is the
Mediator between Joshua and the Father, and in the name of the Father, He
rebukes Satan (v.2). We might think that Jude 9 refers to this case, because of
the similar words, “The Lord rebuke you!”, but Jude mentions the archangel
Michael and the body of Moses, who is accused because of his sin at Meribah. So
this is another case. We note three things that the Lord (the Son) does: 1) He
rebukes Satan, 2) by His grace, He elects an unworthy Joshua, and 3) he reveals
a purpose for Jerusalem. God rebukes the satanic opposition to the
people and places, where God is working. This man is already condemned… God
knows exactly everything, of which Satan accuses him. He knew it before he
chose him, but he rescues and saves him.
He has saved him as “a brand
plucked from the fire”. This was John Wesley’s motto, because as a little boy,
John was left in the family home, when it was in flames and everyone else had
abandoned it. He jumped from the upstairs window into the arms of a neighbor. It
is the story of every servant of God; truthfully, it is the testimony of every
Christian. As Isaac was saved at the last moment from the upraised knife, and
as Israel many times was saved in the nick of time from extinction throughout
history and as late as World War II, again the Lord extends His arm in
salvation. “A battered reed He will not
break off, and a smoldering wick He will not put out, until He leads justice to
victory, and in His name the Gentiles will hope” (Mt.12:20-21, quoting
Is.43:3). We glory in this hope!
Satan is accusing Joshua because of his filthy
garments (v.3). They are filthy and possibly partially burnt, because he has
been in a fire. Israel has been held captive in Babylon and there experienced
another liberation, similar to their salvation from Egypt (Jer.23:7-8). The
question is, how can one, who is so filthy, be used of God? Therefore, he must
appear before the Angel of the Lord. Joshua himself says nothing, but the Angel
of the Lord takes his case in hand. He is the Mediator.
In the vision, Joshua as high priest
represents the whole nation (v.9). First, the angels are ordered to take off
the dirty garments (v.4), and then the Angel of the Lord gives him words of
assurance. He wants him to know that his sin has been removed. He also tells
him of his new festive robes. He teaches him these great truths, so that he can
recognize them, appreciate them and rejoice in them. He receives the perfect robes of righteousness from the heavenly High Priest, Christ, so that he can
present himself before God, worthy of the ministry that he has before him. They
are elegant festive robes, decked with gold and precious gems (Rev.19:8). These
are given to him; they were not his.
He gave him a clean turban along with the
robes (v.5). “You shall set the turban
on his head and put the holy crown on the turban” (Ex.29:6). “You shall also make a plate of pure gold
and shall engrave on it, like the engravings of a seal, ‘Holy to the Lord’ (Ex.28:36). The priestly robes were
complete; it is finished!
The Angel is now standing to
pronounce the verdict (v.6). In spite of the fact that the kingdom of darkness
has presented its best case, by the hand of its greatest prosecuting attorney,
Satan himself, the verdict is in favor of the defendant and he is proclaimed,
‘not guilty’, pardoned and justified. Here is Joshua, elegantly clothed with
new, clean robes, crowned with glory! Who can accuse him? Who can condemn him?
What is happening now is more
than forgiveness and a change of clothing. Salvation is more than forgiveness;
it is a new life. That is what Paul describes as an end of an old life and the
beginning of a new one. “Lay aside the
old self, which is being corrupted… put on the new self, which in the likeness
of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth” (Eph.4:22,24).
Because it is more than a change of clothing, but the beginning of a new life
of service to the Lord, the Angel speaks to Joshua, solemnly declaring the conditions of the Lord of Hosts, for
carrying out His service. 1) He is to walk in His ways, not in the ways of men,
2) He is to perform His service, faithfully fulfilling his priestly service
(Rev.1:6), 3) He is to govern or judge His house with discipline (1 Co.6:2), 4)
He is to have charge of His courts, protecting them from all that might
corrupt. In the final, perfect and eternal service, the priesthood will be
accompanied by angels. The angel, who showed this things to the Apostle John,
told him that he was his co-servant (Rev.22:9).
The significance of the vision
Joshua and his priestly
companions are symbols; literally they are men
of wonder (v.8). It is impossible to observe this fourth vision without
considering the Man, who took our sins and the rags of our unrighteousness. Our
High Priest, the Joshua of the New Testament: “You will call His name Jesus (the identical name of the Old
Testament Joshua), for He shall save His
people from their sins.” We should never lose or let the wonder of the
significance of this scene fade. May we always be in awe of the Lamb of God,
who takes away the sin of the world!
Christians are companions of
the High Priest, a nation of priests, who ought to cause astonishment in
society, no matter where they live. People should be asking, “What different
kind of people are these?” The only answer is that Christ lives in them. They
are ‘signs and wonders’, as it states in Isaiah 8:18: “Behold I and the children whom the Lord has given me are for signs and
wonders in Israel” (it is quoted in Heb.2:13). Thousands upon thousands of
individuals have been pardoned and clothed anew with festive elegance; they
have been made priest and kings for God.
Zechariah was a prophet, indwelt by the Spirit of Christ. He takes us beyond the events of his day to testify of Him who is beyond compare. “Behold… Listen now!" (v.9). Pay attention to this unparalleled news, because the wonder that we have symbolically viewed, fades in the reality that is before us now. “I am going to bring in My servant (Is.42:1; 52:13; 53:11) the Branch (Ze.6:12; Is.11:1; 53:2; Jer.23:5; 33:15). The Branch signifies a new bud or shoot, appearing where the old branch was cut, bringing new hope of a glory that had disappeared, revitalizing an oppressed Israel.
Christ is the Cornerstone for the foundation
of the temple of His own body (Jn.2:21). He is that Unique Stone with seven
eyes (Is.28:16; Ps.118:22; Dan.2:45; Eph 2:20-21; 1 Pt.2:7), who is now placed
before Joshua and before the whole of humanity. The work of rebuilding and
ministering in the new temple points towards Christ. He, literally and
physically, came to this temple. This is entirely a revelation of Him and the
high priest and the companion priests represent a future reality.
The Stone is engraved by
wounds and scars. It is a precious Stone, a living Stone, beautiful in the eyes
of the believer, rejected by the world, deeply carved by the nails of the cross
and the lance of the soldier. What is the inscription? I WILL REMOVE THE
INIQUITY OF THAT LAND IN ONE DAY. The seven eyes show the fullness without
measure of the living Spirit. “He whom
God has sent speaks the words of God; for He gives the Spirit without measure” (Jn.3:34).
He is fully empowered with spiritual gifts, with perfect wisdom and
understanding, unlimited vision and nothing can hide from His eyes (Rev.5:6). “There is no creature hidden from His
sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we
have to do” (Heb.4:13). This is also the powerful work of the Lord of
Hosts.
The Jew does not know the
significance of this prophecy. He knows of the Day of Atonement that is
celebrated repeatedly every year, but he doesn’t know what it means to “remove the iniquity of that land in one
day” (Heb.10:10, 12, 14). In chapter 13 we see this promise for ‘the
inhabitants of Jerusalem’ that will be fulfilled at the end of the Great
Tribulation.
When the sin has been
removed, the nation will enter a new era of blessing (v.10). Sitting ‘under his
vine and under his fig tree’ was a commonly used proverb in Israel to express a
state of peace and prosperity. Israel has never experienced such peace and
prosperity since they were carried away into captivity, and truthfully, never
in their history have they had what will be theirs during the reign of the
Messiah. There will also be unequaled companionship… peace with God and peace
with one another. “Blessed are the
peacemakers”. “Thy Kingdom come!” The Millennium is another great work of
the Lord of Hosts (Micah 4:4).
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