Zechariah 3:1 Commentary and Bible Study

In the next two chapters are two visions that relate, first of all, to the time then, to Joshua, the high priest, and to Zerubbabel, governor of Jerusalem and the regions immediately around, and to the rebuilding of the temple. So far it has not been rebuilt. The site is marked out; the foundations are possibly laid, but so far the building itself is not yet underway, and the people are discouraged. The people do not see how it can be built while there are constant attacks of the surrounding nations, constant incursions into their territory and plundering. They think all is hopeless, and many of them feel they have returned in vain. Here in these visions they are given insight into the success that they going to have. But the visions operate not just at that level, because they also speak of the distant future when Christ will come. This is the way it works: the temple will be rebuilt, but the temple itself is a visual aid, a prophecy in the form of a giant visual aid. All that takes place within it has significance: all the symbolic worship representing the work of the coming Messiah and of Christ, and teaching the principle of atonement – the work of Christ when he comes. So both aspects, their immediate short-term success that God will now give them, and the long-term coming of Messiah, are in these visions. The subject of this first vision is the spiritual warfare of the church. The angel of the Lord is plainly the pre-incarnate Christ, and that becomes very evident through the chapter. ‘And the angel of the Lord protested unto Joshua, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, if thou wilt walk in my ways’, and the angel of the Lord is the second person of the Trinity. In this vision, he makes what you might call – but it is in a vision – a pre-incarnate appearance to Zechariah. ‘He showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.’ This is most important to those people, because they didn't understand about the spiritual warfare. They thought that the enemies round about, of their own initiative and in their own name and by their own choice, were attacking and hindering any possibility of construction. So because of that, because they thought this was an entirely human matter, they believed it was impossible to rebuild. These neighbours could not be obliterated and made to disappear, so all was in vain. And they are going to be shown – this is Zechariah being given a sermon as it were, a message for them – that this is a spiritual warfare. The neighbours are indeed wicked and antagonistic, but it ultimately is not them; ultimately it is Satan who is stirring this, and bringing it about. This is a spiritual battle. God has a purpose, says Zechariah. He is going to restore you and show mercy to you, and the temple is to rebuilt and you are to have a time of spiritual prosperity and advance. But Satan is there to resist every possibility, every step. Satan is standing at the high priest’s right hand to resist him, Satan, meaning the enemy, the adversary. Some imagine Joshua is on trial and Satan is there is an accuser, but no, Joshua is seen representing the people and worshipping. At his right hand, where a supporter or a friend ought to be, is instead Satan, his accuser. His accuser resists him in his approach to God so he is afraid to draw near. Perhaps he is reminding Joshua of his personal sin. Satan resists Joshua’s piety and worship.