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Chapter 3

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Chapter 3: Fourth vision 

The angel shows Zechariah Joshua the high priest, and satan standing at
the right (the position of an accuser in their courts). Joshua stood for all
of Israel. His garments were filthy - their sins. But the angel told the
attendants to remove the filthy clothes and put a new set on him. This stood for God's intention to forgive the sins of Israel. 

But the forgiveness is not without condition. The Lord said through the
angel: "IF you walk in my ways, you will govern my house." 

Then the prophecy turns to the future. The Lord will send His "servant,
the Branch". The Targum easily sees this word Branch, as we do too, as
standing for the Messiah. A stone is set before Joshua. Most likely it stands for the Messiah, who is to be the cornerstone: cf. Eph 2.19-22 and the stone on which some will stumble, while others will rise: cf. Isaiah 28.16, cited in Romans 9. 33; cf. also Luke 2.34. The seven eyes stand for the fullness of the Holy Spirit who was to rest on the Messiah: Isaiah 11.1-3. God said then He would remove the sin the land in one day: the day of the death of the Messiah, who earned all forgiveness - but its giving out was under the same IF as we saw above in verse 6. They would have to be converted, as Romans 11. 25-26 says, and adds in v. 27: "The deliverer shall come from Zion and turn away godlessness from Jacob. And this is my covenant, when I take away their sins." Then God's people would be secure: the ideal of the Messianic age.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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