Zechariah 3:8, commentary and pictures

In a heavenly court the high priest in his sacred office stands before the Angel with the adversary at his right hand to resist him, while he and his companions sitting before him are signs and wonders of what is about to be done.
The promised servant the Branch is the coming Messiah, the Deliverer and Saviour in whom hope rests.
The promise comes after his guilt is taken away, his soiled clothing is removed and he is given changed garments and a clean headpiece, joined to the setting of the stone before him and the taking away of the land's guilt in one day to bring peace under vine and fig tree.
He stands for the pardoned people, the church and Jerusalem with its ministers and remnant seeking to stand justified, whom the accuser persecutes and claims because of transgression in order to accuse them day and night and leave them in sorrow and weakness.
Pardon and restoration to favor come through faith in the coming Saviour as hope, defense, justification and redemption, reaching full completion when Christ is revealed as Redeemer and Deliverer and the humbled pilgrims stand secure and honored in the presence of God and the Lamb.

Vision Setting and Signs

The verse belongs to a controversy in the heavenly courts, where 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. In that setting the Lord rebukes Satan, takes away Joshua's filthy garments, causes his iniquity to pass from him, and clothes him with change of raiment and a fair mitre. This is the position Satan now holds 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. 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 he has caused to sin and accusing the brethren before God day and night. The promise to bring forth the servant the BRANCH is spoken in that setting, joined to laying the stone with seven eyes before Joshua, removing the iniquity of the land in one day, and bringing the day when every man shall call his neighbor under the vine and under the fig tree.

The visions to which the verse belongs were given as a series of symbolic visions to encourage God's people during anxiety about rebuilding, revealing God's compassion and love to sustain those advancing the work in His name. 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. The vision of Joshua the high priest and the angel serves as personal encouragement to Joshua and encouragement to God's people.

Joshua the high priest and his fellows sitting before him are identified as signs of what God is about to do and what He will do, and as men wondered at. To them is announced that God will bring forth His servant the BRANCH, the promised Branch who will come. The promise appears after Joshua is cleansed of his iniquity and clothed in clean garments, with his filthy garments removed and clean clothing given, and before the promise that God will remove the land's iniquity in one day. Christ thereby declares what He will do for Joshua and for all who like Joshua seek to stand justified before Him, with Joshua standing as representative of God's pardoned people though Satan revives repented past sins to destroy confidence in God. In that application Joshua represents ministers and the congregations entrusted to their care, who need pardon and cleansing through Christ's atoning sacrifice. The BRANCH is connected with the stone with seven eyes laid before Joshua, through whom God removes the land's iniquity in one day, illustrated by taking away filthy garments and clothing anew rather than covering disobedience and transgression, with holiness and service promised conditional on walking in God's ways and keeping His charge.

The chapter represents what God has prepared for His people, including heavenly realities that become visible through faith and spiritual insight. It gives a faint description of the reality of the time when evil springs forth and Satan drills his army to develop strong parties ready for the great battle of the last great conflict, which shall become a living reality near the end when wisdom is needed and the King's highway must be cleared though men in high places supposing themselves wise block the way. It describes those who misinterpret and misrepresent, whose eyes are blinded and who put an entirely wrong meaning on true words, standing on the accusing side like Satan standing to accuse Joshua and like Judas claiming to be Christ's child while accusing, educated in Satan's school of misstating. It shows that nothing in the world is so dear to God as His church, and that Satan works upon human minds and will continue to betray sacred trust in a spurious way. Together with Zechariah 4, it will be understood when the lost face their final judgment and the consequences of their rebellion become clear.

Branch and Forgiveness

The promised Servant, the BRANCH, is the Messiah, the coming One to be brought forth by God. He is the Deliverer and Saviour in whom the hope of Israel rests, and He remains the hope of the church. Joshua the high priest with his companions sitting before him are signs of what God is about to do in bringing Him forth. In that setting the Branch is bound to the taking away of sin-soiled garments and the giving of righteousness and coronation robes to faithful, obedient people.

The promise is spoken after Joshua's iniquity is caused to pass from him, after his filthy garments are taken away, and after he is clothed with change of raiment and a fair mitre. It is joined to laying before Joshua the stone with seven eyes, to removing the iniquity of the land in one day, and to bringing the day when every man shall call his neighbor under the vine and under the fig tree. The cleansing and new garments illustrate the promised removal of sin and gift of righteousness, not a covering of disobedience and transgression, with holiness and service conditional on walking in God's ways and keeping His charge. To Joshua and to all who like him seek to stand justified, though Satan revives repented past sins to destroy confidence in God, Christ declares what He will do in bringing forth His servant the BRANCH.

Joshua and his people received pardon and restoration to God's favor through faith in the coming Saviour. Christ is their hope, defense, justification, and redemption, as He is the hope of His church. By His merits, as they walk in God's ways and keep His statutes, they are honored among the nations as a people chosen by Heaven.

The promise reaches complete fulfillment when Christ is revealed as Redeemer and Deliverer of His people as the Branch. Joshua and his fellows point to the remnant, men wondered at because the tears and humiliation of their pilgrimage give place to joy and honor in the presence of God and the Lamb. There the faithful, once marked by tears and humiliation, stand secure with the Lamb and are revealed as a people who inspire wonder.

The promise is connected with Christ's work of breaking Satan's hold on humanity and rescuing those who accept salvation. Satan's accusations against them arise from enmity toward Christ and His supremacy.

Church Warning and Hope

Joshua the high priest with his fellows stands as representative of God's pardoned people, of the church and Jerusalem, including ministers and the congregations entrusted to their care and the remnant who seek to stand justified before God. They are those pardoned of repented past sins, though Satan revives those sins to destroy confidence in God, and they need pardon and cleansing through Christ's atoning sacrifice. To them is declared what will be done for Joshua and for all who like him seek justification: the servant the Branch will be brought forth, the stone with seven eyes will be laid before Joshua, the iniquity of the land will be removed in one day, and the day will come when every man shall call his neighbor under the vine and under the fig tree. The coming Branch is the Messiah through whom God is about to work for His people, and the promise reaches complete fulfillment when Christ is revealed as Redeemer and Deliverer, when the remnant whose pilgrimage was marked by tears and humiliation receive joy and honor in the presence of God and the Lamb. The promise is given in a setting where God guards and purifies His church through severe trials, watching over it so it is not consumed.

Satan stands at Joshua's right hand in his sacred official office before the Angel to resist him, and this is the position he now holds toward every church and toward ministers of the gospel in their official work of ministering the Word, to resist the Lord's working in their behalf. After leading men into wrong positions he stands as adversary to resist every effort made to save the purchase of the Lamb's blood, persecuting those he has caused to sin and accusing the brethren before God day and night. His accusations arise from enmity toward Christ and His supremacy, and are connected with Christ's work of breaking Satan's hold on humanity and rescuing those who accept salvation. He sees in prospect the coming work of Messiah the coming One for a people suffering because of transgression of the law, and resists the Lord Jesus so that they will not be favored but will remain in depression and sorrow and weakness and suffering, claiming the church because it dishonored God by yielding to temptation and disobeying His commandments.

The vision portrays backsliding Israel accused by Satan, and applies in like manner to those with great light in the last days who have followed wrong principles and made void God's law, especially those placed at the head of the work. The people are being tested and are called to repentance and obedience, and priest and people put on test and trial stand in repentance unto obedience as a brand plucked out of the fire. The experience shown is being repeated and will continue wherever people claim to be clean but refuse to humble themselves and confess their sins, while the repentant are pardoned and those who refuse to repent reproach and accuse them. God's people brought into view uphold His law and do not trample on the Sabbath, as those who repair the breach and restore the paths to dwell in, and God guards and purifies His church through severe trials so it is not consumed.

In pity for His afflicted people and in answer to intercession the Lord comes to their relief against the resister. He honors those who do justice and judgment, and the honor He gives makes a person resplendent and glorified.