Zechariah 3:7, commentary and pictures

In the heavenly court Joshua the high priest stands before the angel of the Lord with Satan at his right hand to accuse and resist him, until Christ rebukes the accuser and causes his iniquity and filthy garments to pass away and clothes him with clean raiment and a fair mitre. Only after that cleansing comes the conditional promise that if he will walk in God's ways and keep God's charge, then he shall judge God's house and keep His courts and receive places to walk among those that stand by. To walk in His ways is to walk humbly with Him in obedience and daily dependence, and to keep His charge is to keep His commands made known in His word, identified with the Ten Commandments, including seeking and recovering the lost. To judge His house and keep His courts is honor and authority to rule, oversee and care for His temple and its service as kings and priests, and to walk among those that stand by is to walk even now among attending angels and at last to join the glorified company around His throne in the city of God. Joshua in this stands for all of God's repentant people who accept Christ as their sin-pardoning Saviour, whom Christ clothes with His own robe of righteousness and records as pardoned in heaven, calling them to continued faithfulness rather than continued sin in preparation for future reward.

Vision Setting and History

The promise stands within a controversy in the heavenly courts, where Joshua the high priest in his sacred official office stands before the angel of the Lord while Satan stands at his right hand as adversary to resist him and accuse him. The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebukes Satan, causes Joshua's iniquity to pass from him, takes away his filthy garments, and clothes him with change of raiment and a fair mitre upon his head before giving the conditional word. That same accusing position is the one 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, persecuting those whom he caused to sin and accusing them before God day and night. In answer to intercession and in pity toward His afflicted people the Lord comes to their relief.

The symbolic messages surrounding the promise were given when the Jews feared that permission to rebuild Jerusalem might be withdrawn. They were meant to sustain and encourage those carrying forward God's work by revealing His compassion and love. The vision of Joshua and the angel served as a personal testimony to encourage Joshua the high priest and God's people.

The chapter gives an illustration of Satan's work, Christ's work, and the Mediator's power to defeat the accuser of God's people. It belongs to the picture of heavenly realities represented in Zechariah 3 and 4. The vision is a faint description of the reality of the last great conflict, when the end is near and Satan is drilling his army to develop strong parties ready for battle and evil springs forth, and it will become a living reality. The chapter is presented as a warning about events soon to take place, for which every soul needs to prepare. It stands alongside passages about God marking and preserving the faithful, in connection with end-time predictions and those registered in heaven as overcomers.

The passage shows God restraining Satan from destroying a person who has been disloyal to Him, preserving life and the opportunity for forgiveness and acceptance. That person is like a brand plucked from the burning. Yet God's forbearance must not be presumed upon by continuing in sin.

Words and Conditions

The promise is conditional, made only if he walks in God's ways and keeps God's charge, and only then will he judge God's house, keep God's courts, and receive places to walk among those that stand by. Faithful obedience is the condition for continued priestly service and standing before God, given as a solemn charge to Joshua the high priest after his iniquity is removed and he is clothed in clean garments. Joshua represents the church, and the people on trial are called to repentance that leads to obedience, while Satan opposes the church and its ministers in their work. The cleansed and forgiven sinner is called to this walk and charge, and on this condition is entrusted with authority in God's house, care of His courts, and a place among the heavenly beings who stand by, which is encouragement for all.

Walking in God's ways calls for humility, obedience, and dependence on God's wisdom rather than one's own opinions, to be done in union with God and with fellow believers. It is daily, trusting reliance on God, through which divine power supports the work, and walking humbly with Him. Determining from the very beginning of a work to walk humbly with God means doing one's best and developing all the powers of the being harmoniously by exercising the physical muscles equally with the brain powers. God honors such faithful service and abundantly blesses those who show others His justice, mercy, and love, follow Christ's footsteps, and obey the laws of heaven.

Keeping God's charge means keeping His commands, identified with the Ten Commandments. God's messages make clear what that charge requires, so that when a person returns to Christ and is accepted by Him, obedience to God's instruction qualifies that person for the work God has called him to do. In this connection the charge includes seeking and recovering the lost, with faithful labor joined with the joy of heaven when a lost person is found. After the filthy garments are removed and the repentant church is clothed in clean garments and restored to service, this faithfulness brings responsibility for God's house and courts and a place among those who stand before God, resting on the righteousness of Christ who resisted Satan.

Those that stand by are God's angels who do His bidding and stand before Him around His throne. The repentant, obedient servant whom God receives, cleanses from sin, and brings into His presence through His love is promised a place to walk among the holy angels who stand around His throne. Holy angels guard God's remnant people and protect them from evil angels who seek to tempt and destroy them. Walking with them is linked to daily, trusting reliance on God.

Those who stand by are also described as including both the hosts of the enemy seeking to discredit God's people and the hosts of heaven, who watch over, guard, uplift, and strengthen them. These attendants include both evil angels who stir people against God's people and mighty angels who surround and protect the faithful. Believing servants of God who walk in His ways and keep His charge will serve in His house and courts and walk among those who stand by, and will not be overcome by the powers of darkness but will stand before Him in the sight of holy angels sent to minister to those who will inherit salvation. During probation this assures those who obey God, even at the loss of everything else, that they will stand firm in their appointed place under His protection.

Cleansing and Promised Honor

The charge and its promise come only after cleansing, when iniquity is caused to pass away, filthy garments are taken away, and the sinner is clothed with change of raiment, clean garments, coronation robes, and a fair mitre upon the head. Pardon and acceptance therefore lead to obedient service, for restoration to service is conditional on walking in God's ways and keeping His charge, and Christ removes the soiled garments of sin and clothes His faithful, obedient children in righteousness. Christ changes the raiment of repentant believers, gives them His robe of righteousness, and records their pardon in heaven, so they are acknowledged before the heavenly universe.

Joshua represents all of God's people who repent, believe, and accept Christ as their sin-pardoning Saviour. He represents the church, and as high priest he represents the church with its ministers and members, including all who like him seek to stand justified before God. The people thus represented are on trial and are called to repentance that leads to obedience, relying on Christ's merits and atonement, forgiven and regarded by God with pleasure.

To judge God's house and keep His courts is honor and authority over the temple and its services, to rule over, oversee, guard and care for them. Those who meet the condition will serve as kings and priests, judging God's house and keeping His courts. That service and responsibility in God's work are joined to walking in His ways and keeping His charge.

To be given places to walk among those that stand by is to walk among attending angels even in this life, with angels walking on either side, and at last to join the glorified company around God's throne and walk with them in the city of God. The promise is given to all who have put on the robe of Christ's righteousness and in penitence and faith claim Christ's protection as chosen and faithful and true, whom Satan cannot pluck from the Saviour's hand. They are protected from Satan's power, accompanied by God's angels in this world, and will finally stand among the angels that surround the throne of God.

The full honor is still future, pointing to future responsibility and reward for the faithful, with the time for glorification still future. After the filthy garments are removed, those who walk in God's ways and keep His charge, identified with the Ten Commandments, will judge His house, keep His courts, and have places to walk among the angels. They will be fit for His heavenly kingdom and share in the honor granted to those who overcome.

Obedience by Christ's merits brings honor as one chosen by Heaven among the nations. Faith in the coming Saviour brought Joshua and his people pardon and restored them to God's favor, and Christ was their hope, defense, justification, and redemption. By working with heavenly beings in service on earth, people prepare for companionship with them in heaven, for keeping God's charge leads to a place among the angels who stand around His throne. If God's people walk in His ways and keep His charge, walking humbly with Him, the light of heaven will shine upon them and the blessing of the Lord will rest upon them in large measure.

Christ and Satan Conflict

The vision places the high priest before the angel of the Lord with Satan at his right hand to resist him, and in him Satan is accusing backsliding Israel and likewise pointing to the unprincipled course of those who have had great light in the last days. After leading men into wrong positions he stands as adversary to resist every effort made to save the purchase of the blood of the Lamb, persecuting those whom he caused to sin and accusing them before God day and night. In that same conflict he tempts those who have accepted salvation to break God's law and then claims them as his captives, while Christ labors to break his hold and rescue them.

Pardon does not end the assault, for even when past sins have been repented of and Christ has pardoned, Satan revives those sins to destroy confidence in God and hold on heaven. He seeks to place the repentant in a false light before watchers looking for defects and failures, pointing to mistakes and past unworthiness to make them believe they are separated from God and their case is hopeless. Evil angels join in seeking in every way to discourage those striving for victory over sin by holding up before them their past unworthiness, and Satan again tempts them to break God's law that he may claim them as his captives.

Against that accuser Christ stands ready to resist Satan, rebuking him and changing the raiment of repentant believers. After iniquity is caused to pass away and filthy garments are taken away, He clothes them with change of raiment and gives His own robe of righteousness, recording their pardon in heaven so they are acknowledged before the heavenly universe. He is their hope, defense, justification, and redemption, come from heaven in the guise of humanity to live the principles of righteousness and endowed with power to minister to all who accept Him and to succor those convinced of the sinfulness of sin.

That cleansing is given to lead into obedient service, for God receives and pardons those who seek forgiveness through Christ and carries forward His work in them as they continue to trust Him. Restoration to judge His house, keep His courts, and have place among those who stand before Him is conditional on walking in His ways and keeping His charge, so pardon and acceptance call for continued faithfulness rather than continued sin.

Nothing in this world is so dear to God as His church, and with jealous care He guards those who seek Him, for the Lord has not forsaken His people. In answer to intercession and in pity toward His afflicted people He comes to their relief, and this is the position Satan now occupies toward every church and toward ministers in their official work of ministering the Word, standing before the angel of God to resist them and to resist the Lord's working in behalf of His people. Holy angels guard the remnant and protect them from evil angels who seek to tempt and destroy them.

Overcoming in that protection requires desiring to put away sin and relying on the merits of Christ's blood, rather than expecting filthy garments to be removed against the will. Those who seek to be rid of sin will in the day of affliction walk among the angels, who will be as a wall of fire around them, and will one day walk with them in the city of God.

Call to Faithful Service

The condition of walking in God's ways and keeping His charge governs service and access to His house and courts, and the vision applies that condition to ministers, congregations, and church members who must humble themselves before God, seek pardon for sins, and rely on the righteousness and atoning sacrifice of Jesus. Joshua represents those ministers and members, whose cleansing and new garments picture the need for revival, reformation, and sanctification by the Holy Spirit. Those who continue in His service are to return to wholehearted obedience, trusting in Christ's merits and atonement, and their sins are forgiven and they are regarded by God with pleasure.

When workers are guided by the Holy Spirit and serve without selfishness or ambition, God enables them to advance His truth in forward and upward work. Unselfish workers who hunger and thirst for righteousness have the cooperation of heaven's angels in that service. God honors faithful service and abundantly blesses those who put ability and effort into His service, who show others His justice, mercy, and love, who follow Christ's footsteps and obey the laws of heaven.

The promise belongs to the time of probation, in which Joshua and those he represents may serve and remain faithful, with assurance that those who obey, even at the loss of everything else, will stand firm in their appointed place under His protection. The attendants among whom place is given include both evil angels who stir opposition against God's people and mighty angels who surround and protect the faithful. If God's people walk in His ways and keep His charge, the light of heaven will shine upon them and the blessing of the Lord will rest upon them in large measure. That calls for determining from the very beginning of a work, as at the beginning of school work, to walk humbly with God, to do one's best, and to develop all the powers of the being harmoniously by exercising the physical muscles equally with the mental powers. Applied personally, as to Edson White, the joining of service and responsibility to walking in His ways and keeping His charge, with oversight of His house, keeping of His courts, and a place among those who stand in His presence, calls for giving and receiving counsel, joining brethren in Christian fellowship, and laboring to strengthen the work.

The vision portrays Satan standing at the right hand of the angel as adversary to resist every effort to save those bought by the blood of the Lamb, accusing backsliding Israel and likewise pointing to the unprincipled proceedings of those who have had great light in the last days, persecuting those whom he caused to sin and accusing them before God day and night. It warns against the backsliding of those placed at the head of the work who followed wrong principles that made void God's law, including wrongly representing the voice of the General Conference president as the voice of God. Priest and people, who dishonored God by yielding to temptation and disobeying His commandments and suffered depression, sorrow, weakness, and suffering for transgressing His law, must take warning, take a position of repentance unto obedience, decidedly change wrong principles of action, and make thorough work according to God's measurement, meeting His test with true repentance and avoiding a repetition of transgression. Then they are received and favored, their transgressions are pardoned, God says it is enough, and He grants them prosperity through Messiah the coming Branch, despite Satan discerning that work and resisting the Lord Jesus to keep them in suffering. Those who have received God's light but have not lived Christ's lessons nor joined Him in seeking and saving the lost will themselves come to need the help they refused to give, for the Lord will judge them by the way they judged others and will reward them as they rewarded others.