Zechariah 3
1 And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.
2 And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?
3 Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel.
4 And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.
5 And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the LORD stood by.
6 And the angel of the LORD protested unto Joshua, saying,
7 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; If thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou wilt keep my charge, then thou shalt also judge my house, and shalt also keep my courts, and I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by.
8 Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH.
9 For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.
10 In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbour under the vine and under the fig tree.
Common Questions About Zechariah 3
What happens to Joshua the high priest in the vision in chapter 3?
Joshua stands before the angel of the LORD dressed in filthy garments while Satan accuses him, but the LORD rebukes Satan, removes Joshua's filthy clothes, and replaces them with clean, festive garments, symbolizing the removal of the people's guilt and their restoration.
What figure called 'the Branch' is introduced in this chapter?
God announces that He will bring His servant called 'the Branch,' a term used elsewhere in the prophets (Isaiah 4:2, Jeremiah 23:5, 33:15) as a Messianic title, connected here to the removal of the land's guilt in a single day.
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Questions to Think About
- Joshua's filthy garments were replaced through God's initiative, not his own effort to clean himself up first. How does this picture of grace shape your understanding of how forgiveness works?
- Satan's role in this vision is as an accuser, immediately rebuked by God. How do you respond to accusing thoughts, whether from others or your own mind, about your standing before God?
Ask the Bible Chat Bot below if you'd like to talk through any of these.
