Tyndale Open Study NotesZechariah 3

These eight visions helped the Judeans overcome their fears and trust in God's promises. The visions happened two months after Haggai's last two messages (Haggai 2:10–19, 20–23). They suggest that Haggai's prophecies were coming true.

The prophet’s vision shows a heavenly court scene. Satan accuses Jeshua the high priest and claims that he is not fit to serve in his priestly role.

• Jeshua was the high priest and the religious leader among those who returned to Judah from exile in Babylon (Ezra 2:2). Jeshua worked with Zerubbabel, the governor of the restored community. They worked together to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem (Ezra 5:2; Haggai 2:1–5).

• Satan (literally The satan) is a member of the heavenly court. His role is to bring charges against human beings for wrongdoing. He speaks against them before God (see Job 1:6).

  This adversarial role could be carried out by either human or divine beings (see Numbers 22:22; 1 Samuel 29:4; 1 Chronicles 21:1).

  By New Testament times, Satan had become a personal name. It referred to the ruler of demons and the chief opponent of God’s work (Mark 3:22; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 6:11; Revelation 20:2).

• Satan's authority in the heavenly court is shown by his position at the angel’s right hand.

• The Lord takes both roles in the vision. He speaks in defense of Jeshua and also gives the final decision. He rejects the accusations, ends the case, and declares Jeshua innocent because God has chosen and cleansed him.

• Like a burning stick snatched from the fire, God saved Jeshua and other Hebrew exiles from near destruction in Babylon.

• Jeshua’s filthy clothes symbolize the guilt and pollution of sin that led to the divine judgment of exile (Zechariah 3:4). Satan's accusations likely suggested that, just as an unclean priest was unfit for temple service, the Hebrews were unfit to be God's chosen people.

Take off his filthy clothes!: This action shows that God removes sin and guilt from Jeshua and from the Hebrew people. Through God’s cleansing, they are restored to their former place before him.

The high priest’s turban had a gold medallion with the words HOLY TO THE LORD (Exodus 28:36–38; see also study note on Zechariah 14:20). Placing a clean turban on Jeshua’s head showed that God restored him to his role as priest and mediator for the people.

Restoration depended on obeying God (see also Deuteronomy 30:19–20).

• The high priest Jeshua and the other priests symbolized greater truths.

• Servant and Branch are both titles for the Messiah, God's chosen one (Isaiah 42:1; 53:2; Jeremiah 23:5; 33:15). As a servant, the Messiah follows God's will by becoming a sin offering so that many can become righteous (Isaiah 53:11; see Acts 3:13; 4:27). The Branch is a metaphor for kingship, showing the Messiah as a descendant of David (Isaiah 11:1; Jeremiah 23:5).

• The stone represents authority. It may refer to the last stone of the temple placed by Zerubbabel (Zechariah 4:7), the cornerstone of the rebuilt Jerusalem (Isaiah 28:16), or the precious stones on the high priests' ephod (Exodus 25:7; 35:9).

• The seven parts (seven eyes) of the stone suggest perfect and complete knowledge and wisdom. They might connect to the seven lamps of the golden lampstand (Zechariah 4:2) or to God’s seven spirits (Revelation 1:4).

• The inscription recalls the names of the tribes engraved on the high priest’s shoulder-pieces (Exodus 39:6).

• The removal of Israel’s sin in one day refers to the day of atonement (Leviticus 16). It points ahead to the death of Jesus on the cross, when the Lamb of God would take away the sin of the world (John 1:29).

On that day: This phrase refers to the day of the Lord (see Zechariah 2:11; Isaiah 2:11; Joel 2:1; Zephaniah 1:14). It is the day when God intervenes in history to judge the wicked, save the righteous, and restore creation (see Zechariah 12:8; 14:3–4).