Chapter three<*><*><*><*><*><*>
In the third chapter, the vision returns to matters at hand in the Israel of Zecharyah's days.
We find a comprehensive report about those days in the Books Ezra and Nehemia.
The reason that the following things are recorded, is that they have also a meaning for the future.
Verse 1
And me was shown Yehoshua the High Priest, standing before the representation Yahuweh and the adversary (Satan) standing at His right hand, to oppose Him.
Since Yahuweh in His ultimate glorious being, cannot be seen by mortals He has to appear in a representation of Himself.
That this is Yahuweh Himself follows from the context in the following verses.
Remember this is a vision wherein an issue is dealt with and it is not a real Yehoshua standing there. In the book Ezra, which has linguistic similarities with Aramaic papyri from its time, Yehoshua is called the Aramaic equivalent name Yeshua. This is also the case in the book Nehemiah.
This shows us one of those things you can read between the lines of the Tanakh.
Zecharyah a contemporary of Ezra was a priest from the priestly line and studied the Hebrew Scriptures, even during the exile. Ezra was a scribe who studied and worked in exile in Babylon and therefore studied and worked in the Aramaic language.
Zecharyah therefore, used the Hebrew name and Ezra the Aramaic name, which we also commonly use to day.
This might help us in understanding some of the Scriptures when we realise that the Priests and Rabbis in the days of Yeshua the Moshiya spoke and understood the old Biblical Hebrew, while the Jewish people of those times spoke Aramaic, which is closely related to the Hebrew.<*><*><*><*><*><*>
In the vision is shown that Satan thwarts Yahuweh, who is dealing with Yerushalaim. Yehoshua was closely connected to the restoration of Yerushalaim and the Temple and Its service.
The reality is that some people had made a charge that Yehoshua was not fit for the office of High Priest. The vision makes it obvious that Satan, the accuser, guided them.
Verse 2
And said Yahuweh to the adversary: "Rebuke (of) Yahuweh (be) on you the adversary and rebuke Yahuweh, on you the (one) to choose against Yerushalaim!" " Is not this one, brand snatched from fire?"
Remember, I am writing down the word sequence as it is done in the original Hebrew text. This might help you to understand the thought behind it better.
Yahuweh says that the rebuke of Yahuweh is on Satan as the adversary but also on Satan because he has chosen Yerushalaim as the target of his obstruction.
The Hebrew grammar, which is context related, indicates that Satan is the one to Choose against Yerushalaim.
Now I know that most translations put this in another way but this is a direct context related translation that makes more sense.<*><*><*><*><*><*>
Now a lot of people are of the opinion that there are lots of hidden meanings behind Tanakh texts. They therefore come up with all kind of wonderful parallels. However, the Tanakh is straight forward and simple, as long as you take the traditions in account.
In those days, before Central heating, people used to gather firewood to keep them warm. Wood was used for a lot of purposes in those days, but some wood was not suitable for anything but burning. Now when someone put a load of firewood on the fire and he suddenly spotted a piece of wood that was exactly the right thing for a job he had to do, he snatched that piece out of the fire. Even when it was a bit scorched and dirty.
Now we have to keep this in mind for the following verses.
Verse 3
And Yehoshua, he was dressed in clothes filthy and stood in front of the representation.Like the piece of wood was scarred and soothed, also were Yehoshua's clothes filthy.
These filthy clothes represented the acquisitions that were brought in against him. Now some of them might have been correct but some might have been slanderous. Even slanderous and UN just acquisitions stain a person's reputation. Satan's suggestion, via the people that listen to him, was that a man of such reputation was not fit to be a high priest.
Verse 4
And responded and said to the ones standing towards His face, in order to say: "Remove the clothing, the filthy, from him!" and said to him: "See I have caused to pass over from you your iniquity and clothe you with robes of state!"
This is the representation of Yahuweh speaking.
Removing the filthy clothing symbolised the taking away of the iniquity. Iniquity can also be cause by injustice.
Verse 5
And said: "They put on headdress unblemished on hid head!" And they put on the headdress the unblemished on his head and they dressed (him) in garments.
Although it does not say this specifically, the headdress (turban) was probably the special one that was worn by the High Priest with on it the golden plate saying: "Qodes laYahuweh" holy to Yahuweh Exo 28:36. Later on in Chapter 6:9-11, we learn how this crown was made.
Verse 6-7
And testified representation Yahuweh to Yehoshua and said:
"If in My ways walk and if My office shall keep, then also you shall judge My house and also shall officiate (in) my courts. Then I shall give to you free access among the attendants these!"
There are conditions made. Yehoshua has to adhere to the Torah and attend to Yahuweh's business. Then shall he officiate as the Cohen Hagadol, the High Priest.
We know that there were men standing in front of Yahuweh, they were attendants who dressed Yehoshua.
They must have been priest from the tribe of Levi, because they were the only ones allowed to dress the High Priest.
Yehoshua, himself from a priestly line, was given free access among the priest hood as their leader.
Verse 8
"Hear now Yehoshua the High Priest you and your companions the (ones) sitting before you because men token they are. Accordingly behold Me, from Me shall come My servant the Branch"
The men with Yehoshua were the priests and leaders of Israel. Together, they were a token or sign of things to come and well like the prophesy of Jeremiah in Jer. 23:3-6.
The same way that Yahuweh installed Yehoshua and made him and his companions new shepherds over the people, so shall it be in the days as prophesied by Jeremiah.
This is also a pre amble to Zech. 6:11-12. The branch is also mentioned in Isaiah Chapt. 4, which also is a prophesy about the same future happenings. About those same days is the prophesy in Jer. 33:14-26, where the Branch also is mentioned.
Notice that Yahuweh says that the Branch originates from Him. We know, or should know that the Moshiya is Yahuweh Himself in the flesh. We can learn this among others from Zech.14:3-4.
Verse 9
"Accordingly behold the stone which I put to the presence of Yehoshua upon stone single seven outlets. Behold me to engrave inscription!" declares Yahuweh Tzevaot "And I remove iniquity the land the her in day single"
A stone was set up to mark a special event, see Gen. 28:18 Jos. 24:26,27 1Sa. 7:12 but is also used for the Moshiya Ps 118:22 Isa 28:16 Mt 21:42 Ac 4:11 and the special stone from Daniel 2:45.
In this case it is a stone to mark a special event, because Yahuweh puts an inscription on it. What this inscription is we don't know until that stone is revealed in the days that the prophecies are to be fulfilled. In that single day the wickedness of that land, the land of Israel, shall be removed. This might not have been obvious to the people in those days, but to us it is also signifies Yeshua the Moshiya who took the iniquity from us upon himself.<*><*><*><*><*><*>
There is a problem for us with the Tanakh. It uses expressions and references to customs we do not know about.
The seven outlets or springs on the stone might refer to something of common knowledge in those days and not to something very mysterious.
The word usually translated as Eye, can also be translated as, Spring, Fountain or Outlet and these would make more sense then a stone with eyes on it.
Seven also is used for the completeness of Yahuweh.
Verse 10
"In the day the him!" declares Yahuweh Tzevaot, "Will call you man, to your neighbor to come up under Vine and up under fig tree!" To own a vine and a fig tree is a picture of a complete household, something like the dream of modern men to have a bar and a swimmingpool.
Israel is called a Vine in Psalm 80:89 and Hosea 10:1
Yeshua calls Himself a Vine in John 15:1.
There is therefore a symbolic reference to the situation in the Millennium Kingdom. In this kingdom Israel and the Moshiya are the ones from and by which the world will be ruled and therefore also from hence will be the protection and shelter.
This text, also ties in with Mica 4:1-8, compare verse 4. <*><*><*><*><*><*>