(6-10) The angel of the Lord now proclaims to Joshua a fourfold promise: (1) the confirmation of his official authority, and the elevation of his own spiritual nature; (2) the mission of the Saviour; (3) God’s providential care for the House, which was being rebuilt; (4) the peace and prosperity of the nation. read more
(8) For they—i.e., thou and they. For this change of person, comp. Zephaniah 2:12, which runs literally, “Also ye Cushim slain by my sword (are) they.”Wondered at.—Literally, as in margin, of sign—i.e., men to whom signs are given, and for whom miracles are wrought; or, according to others, persons accustomed to interpret the enigmatical sayings of prophets. LXX., ἄνδρες τερατοσκόποι.For, behold.—Better, simply, Behold. (Comp. ὅτι of New Testament.)I will bring.—Literally, I (am) bringing, a... read more
Purification (An Old Testament Vision) Zechariah 3:1-7 I. Cleansed. Joshua was clothed with filthy garments (v. 3). What an anomaly is here; a priest clothed with filthy garments; a believer indulging in known sin, is this possible? But mark well Joshua's conduct; sin-stained as he was, he stood there still, 'he stood before the angel'. Happy for him that he did so; Satan might attack, conscience might condemn, yet would he stand still before Jehovah Jesus. Not one inch would he remove. Was... read more
THE FOURTH VISION: THE HIGH PRIEST AND THE SATANZechariah 3:1-10The next Visions deal with the moral condition of Israel and their standing before God. The Fourth is a judgment scene. The Angel of Jehovah, who is not to be distinguished from Jehovah Himself, stands for judgment, and there appear before him Joshua the High Priest and the Satan or Adversary who has come to accuse him. Now those who are accused by the Satan-see next chapter of this volume upon the Angels of the Visions-are,... read more
CHAPTER 3 1. The fourth night vision (Zechariah 3:1-5 ) 2. The message of the vision (Zechariah 3:6-10 ) Zechariah 3:1-5 . The fourth vision is like the first and second, closely connected with the foregoing one. It gives the crowning event of Israel’s restoration. The prophet recognizes in the figure, which is seen by him, Joshua the high priest, who is standing before the angel of the Lord, while at his right hand stands Satan to oppose him. Joshua was not clothed with his clean,... read more
3:8 Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they {l} [are] men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the {m} BRANCH.(l) Because they follow my word, they are condemned in the world, and esteemed as monsters. See Geneva "Isaiah 8:18"(m) That is, Christ, who did so humble himself, that he not only became the servant of God, but also the servant of men: and therefore in him they should have comfort, even though in the world they are... read more
The Fourth Vision - Grace to the Representative High Priest Overcoming Satan's Opposition (vv. 1-5) In verse 1 the angel who talked with Zechariah showed him Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. We have seen that the Angel of the Lord is Christ. Joshua, being high priest, is a type of Christ, but seen here as representing Israel. Therefore he is clothed with filthy garments as taking the responsibility for Israel's... read more
THE PROPHET ’S OWN TIME Zechariah, like Haggai, had a twofold mission, to strengthen the hands of Israel for the rebuilding of the temple, and to quicken their hope as the earlier prophets had done, by painting in glowing colors the coming time of triumph over every foe. This mission is set before us in a two-fold division of the book. Chapters 1-8 give us a series of prophetic visions bearing primarily, upon the prophet’s own time, while chapters 9-14 deal chiefly with the events... read more
The "Branch" Promised Zechariah 3:0 The next vision that came before the prophet Zechariah is that of "Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him" ( Zec 3:1 ). We are to understand by the pronoun in this verse God, and to read thus: And God showed me Joshua the high priest. The prophet was attended by an angel; it is important to notice the function of that angel, and to remember that it was limited to the explanation, and... read more
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Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers - Zechariah 3:1-10
A SERIES OF SEVEN VISIONS.Zechariah 1:7 to Zechariah 6:15. Between the commencement of Zechariah’s prophetic labours and the incidents recorded in Zechariah 1:7 to Zechariah 6:15, the Prophet Haggai received the revelation contained in Haggai 2:10-23. On the four-and-twentieth day of the eleventh month, just five months after the re-building of the Temple was resumed, Zechariah sees a succession of seven visions in one night, followed by a symbolic action (Zechariah 6:9-15). read more