1And he showed me Joshua, the high priest, standing before the Angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him.
2And the LORD said to Satan, “The LORD rebuke you, Satan! The LORD, Who has chosen Jerusalem, rebukes you! Is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?”
3Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the Angel.
4And He answered and said to those who stood before Him, “Take the filthy garments from him”. And to him He said, “Behold, I have caused your iniquity to pass from you, and I will clothe you with a change of raiment.”
5And I (possibly Zechariah, who could not remain passive, or the Angel of the LORD – Bible expositors are not sure) said, “Let them set a clean turban upon his head”. So, they set a clean turban upon his head, and clothed him with (clean) garments. And the Angel of the LORD stood by.
6And the Angel of the LORD gave this charge to Joshua:
7”Thus says the LORD of hosts; ‘If you will walk in My ways, and if you will keep My laws, then you shall also govern My house, and shall have charge of My courts, and I will give you standing among these who stand by here.
8Hear now, O the high priest Joshua, you, and your associates who sit before you; for you and they are symbolic of things to come; for I will bring forth My Servant, the BRANCH.
9For, behold, the Stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one Stone shall be seven eyes; behold, I will engrave an inscription on it,” says the LORD Almighty, “and I will remove the sin of this land in a single day.
10“In that day”, says the LORD of hosts, “every man shall invite his neighbor to sit under his vine and fig tree”, declares the LORD Almighty. Four entities appear in this vision: An angel of the LORD; Zechariah; the prophet; Joshua, the high priest; the Angel of the LORD; and Satan (as Joshua’s accuser). In verse 2, the LORD rebukes Satan; and in the latter part of the verse, there is a quote where the LORD asks what may be a puzzling question: “Is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?” Joshua, as high priest, representing Jerusalem and its inhabitants, seems to be on trial, with Satan as his accuser (prosecuting attorney) and the LORD as the judge. The LORD seems to be saying “Is not this small remnant returned from captivity, represented here by Joshua, miraculously rescued (or redeemed) from utter destruction, like a fire brand plucked out of a fire? The passage goes on to say that Joshua was clothed with filthy garments (v.3), representing the sins and defilement of the people he represented as he stood before the LORD; and the LORD commands that they “take the filthy garments from him”; and then elaborates by saying, “I have caused your iniquity to pass from you, and I will clothe you with a change of raiment”, signifying cleansing him (and them) of their sins (v.4). And to him (Joshua) He said, “Behold, I have caused your iniquity to pass from you, and I will clothe you with change of raiment” - a beautiful picture of redemption and restoration into the good graces of the LORD. Easy Reader Bible: Purple Letter Edition © 2023 by Jim Musser. Used by Permission. All rights Reserved. Bible Hub |
    |