In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbour under the vine and under the fig tree.
The verse pictures a time of peace, security, fellowship and harmony among neighbors dwelling together under vine and fig tree, following the cleansing and restoration shown by the change of Joshua's garments. It closes a controversy in the heavenly courts where Joshua the high priest stands in his sacred office before the Angel of the Lord with Satan at his right hand to resist him, until Satan is rebuked by the Lord who has chosen Jerusalem as a brand plucked out of the fire. It comes after the Lord promises to remove the iniquity of the land in one day through His servant the BRANCH, the Messiah, revealing what God will do for His suffering people. For the churches it joins that neighborly peace to pardon for sin through Christ's atoning sacrifice and to standing in His righteousness. It points to the restoration of Christ's faithful, obedient people when sin and apostasy have ended, when He takes away soiled garments and clothes them in His righteousness and coronation robes to share the promised life where sorrow, death and pain are gone.
Vision Setting and Imagery
In that day closes a controversy in the heavenly courts in which Joshua the high priest stands in his sacred official office before the Angel of the Lord with Satan standing at his right hand to resist him, rebuked by the Lord who has chosen Jerusalem as a brand plucked out of the fire. It is part of an impressive illustration given to God's people of Satan's opposition and Christ's work as their Mediator who defeats the accuser. The scene shows that angels of the highest rank take an interest in the affairs of men, and that both good and evil angels take an active part in matters connected with earthly kingdoms.
The vision shows the position Satan now occupies toward every church and toward ministers of the gospel, standing before the angel of God to resist them in their official work of ministering the Word and to resist the Lord's working in behalf of His people. In answer to intercession and in pity toward His afflicted people the Lord comes to their relief. The same vision shows Satan accusing backsliding Israel, and in the last days accusing those who have had great light and been placed at the head of the work when they follow wrong principles, make void God's law, and fall into wrong positions. He then resists every effort to save them as the purchase of the blood of the Lamb.
The chapter gives a faint description of the reality of the time when evil shall spring forth, when the end is near and Satan is drilling his army to develop strong parties ready against the great battle of the last great conflict. What it describes shall become a living reality.
Cleansing Promise and Fulfillment
The neighborly calling under the vine and under the fig tree comes in order after the Lord promises to remove the iniquity of the land in one day through His servant the BRANCH. That BRANCH is the Messiah, the coming Branch, and the work in prospect is what God is about to do for His suffering people. In its application to the churches the same order holds, placing the picture of neighbors living together after the promise of removing the land's iniquity.
The image means peace, security, fellowship and harmony with one another, pictured by people living together and gathering with their neighbors beneath the vine and fig tree. This peace and security follow the cleansing and restoration represented by Joshua's change of garments, when the Lord causes iniquity to pass away and clothes him with change of raiment. In its application to the churches this peace is connected with pardon for sin through Christ's atoning sacrifice and with standing in His righteousness. It is presented alongside the promise of forgiveness and cleansing.
In connection with the cleansing of the church the day of neighbors beneath the vine and fig tree points to the restoration of Christ's faithful, obedient people when sin and apostasy have ended. Then He removes soiled garments and clothes them in His righteousness, giving His faithful, obedient children coronation robes. So clothed, they share the promised restored, peaceful life together where sorrow, death and pain are gone.
The promise is Christ's declaration of what He will do for Joshua and for all who like Joshua seek to stand justified before Him. Joshua stands as the representative of God's people, of the church and Jerusalem, and the promise belongs to a coming time when God will make it understood that His people are preferred before transgressors. It requires standing where dependence on God can be seen, and then the Lord will open unseen ways by which He will exalt and honor them. It shows the prosperity God will grant His people when their repentance is complete, with priest and people on test and trial in repentance unto obedience. If all who have known the way of the Lord take warning and decidedly change their wrong principles of action they will be received and their transgressions pardoned, for God tests and tries His people and waits to discern true and thorough repentance according to His measurement, so He may say it is enough and grant them prosperity and keep them from repeating transgression, while Satan resists the Lord Jesus so that the church that dishonored God by yielding to temptation and disobeying His commandments will remain in depression, sorrow, weakness and suffering.
The verse pictures a time of peace, security, fellowship and harmony among neighbors dwelling together under vine and fig tree, following the cleansing and restoration shown by the change of Joshua's garments. It closes a controversy in the heavenly courts where Joshua the high priest stands in his sacred office before the Angel of the Lord with Satan at his right hand to resist him, until Satan is rebuked by the Lord who has chosen Jerusalem as a brand plucked out of the fire. It comes after the Lord promises to remove the iniquity of the land in one day through His servant the BRANCH, the Messiah, revealing what God will do for His suffering people. For the churches it joins that neighborly peace to pardon for sin through Christ's atoning sacrifice and to standing in His righteousness. It points to the restoration of Christ's faithful, obedient people when sin and apostasy have ended, when He takes away soiled garments and clothes them in His righteousness and coronation robes to share the promised life where sorrow, death and pain are gone.
Vision Setting and Imagery
In that day closes a controversy in the heavenly courts in which Joshua the high priest stands in his sacred official office before the Angel of the Lord with Satan standing at his right hand to resist him, rebuked by the Lord who has chosen Jerusalem as a brand plucked out of the fire. It is part of an impressive illustration given to God's people of Satan's opposition and Christ's work as their Mediator who defeats the accuser. The scene shows that angels of the highest rank take an interest in the affairs of men, and that both good and evil angels take an active part in matters connected with earthly kingdoms.
The vision shows the position Satan now occupies toward every church and toward ministers of the gospel, standing before the angel of God to resist them in their official work of ministering the Word and to resist the Lord's working in behalf of His people. In answer to intercession and in pity toward His afflicted people the Lord comes to their relief. The same vision shows Satan accusing backsliding Israel, and in the last days accusing those who have had great light and been placed at the head of the work when they follow wrong principles, make void God's law, and fall into wrong positions. He then resists every effort to save them as the purchase of the blood of the Lamb.
The chapter gives a faint description of the reality of the time when evil shall spring forth, when the end is near and Satan is drilling his army to develop strong parties ready against the great battle of the last great conflict. What it describes shall become a living reality.
Cleansing Promise and Fulfillment
The neighborly calling under the vine and under the fig tree comes in order after the Lord promises to remove the iniquity of the land in one day through His servant the BRANCH. That BRANCH is the Messiah, the coming Branch, and the work in prospect is what God is about to do for His suffering people. In its application to the churches the same order holds, placing the picture of neighbors living together after the promise of removing the land's iniquity.
The image means peace, security, fellowship and harmony with one another, pictured by people living together and gathering with their neighbors beneath the vine and fig tree. This peace and security follow the cleansing and restoration represented by Joshua's change of garments, when the Lord causes iniquity to pass away and clothes him with change of raiment. In its application to the churches this peace is connected with pardon for sin through Christ's atoning sacrifice and with standing in His righteousness. It is presented alongside the promise of forgiveness and cleansing.
In connection with the cleansing of the church the day of neighbors beneath the vine and fig tree points to the restoration of Christ's faithful, obedient people when sin and apostasy have ended. Then He removes soiled garments and clothes them in His righteousness, giving His faithful, obedient children coronation robes. So clothed, they share the promised restored, peaceful life together where sorrow, death and pain are gone.
The promise is Christ's declaration of what He will do for Joshua and for all who like Joshua seek to stand justified before Him. Joshua stands as the representative of God's people, of the church and Jerusalem, and the promise belongs to a coming time when God will make it understood that His people are preferred before transgressors. It requires standing where dependence on God can be seen, and then the Lord will open unseen ways by which He will exalt and honor them. It shows the prosperity God will grant His people when their repentance is complete, with priest and people on test and trial in repentance unto obedience. If all who have known the way of the Lord take warning and decidedly change their wrong principles of action they will be received and their transgressions pardoned, for God tests and tries His people and waits to discern true and thorough repentance according to His measurement, so He may say it is enough and grant them prosperity and keep them from repeating transgression, while Satan resists the Lord Jesus so that the church that dishonored God by yielding to temptation and disobeying His commandments will remain in depression, sorrow, weakness and suffering.