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Tyndale Open Study Notes
Verse 1
3:1-10 The prophet’s vision depicts a heavenly courtroom with the prosecuting attorney (Satan) accusing the defendant (Jeshua the high priest) of being unfit for his priestly duties.
3:1 Jeshua was the high priest, the religious leader among those who returned to Judah from exile in Babylon (Ezra 2:2). Jeshua partnered with Zerubbabel, the governor of the restored community, in rebuilding the Jerusalem Temple (Ezra 5:2; Hag 2:1-5). • The Accuser, Satan (literally The satan) designates a member of the heavenly court whose role is to accuse human beings of wrongdoing, to act as prosecuting attorney (see Job 1:6). The adversarial role may be performed by either human or divine beings (see Num 22:22; 1 Sam 29:4; 1 Chr 21:1). By New Testament times, Satan was a personal name for the prince of demons (Mark 3:22; 2 Cor 4:4; Eph 6:11; Rev 20:2). • The Accuser’s position of authority in the heavenly court is shown by his standing at the angel’s right hand.
Verse 2
3:2-3 The Lord is both defense attorney and judge; he censures the prosecution’s arguments, dismisses the case, and declares Jeshua innocent because he has been chosen and cleansed by God. • Like a burning stick that has been snatched from the fire, Jeshua and other Hebrew exiles were plucked by God from near destruction in Babylon. • Jeshua’s filthy clothes (3:4) symbolize the guilt and pollution of sin that prompted the divine judgment of exile. The accusations of Satan probably implied that just as a polluted priest was unfit for Temple service, the Hebrews were unfit to be God’s chosen people.
Verse 4
3:4 Take off his filthy clothes: This action dramatizes the removal of sin and guilt from Jeshua and the Hebrew people, restoring them to their former position through God’s cleansing.
Verse 5
3:5 The high priest’s turban bore a gold medallion inscribed with the words “Holy to the Lord” (Exod 28:36-38; see also study note on Zech 14:20). The clean turban was placed on Jeshua’s head as an act of ordination that reinstated him as priest and mediator for the people.
Verse 6
3:6-7 Restoration was contingent upon obedience to God (see also Deut 30:19-20).
Verse 8
3:8 The high priest Jeshua and the other priests were symbols of greater realities. • Servant and Branch are both titles for the Messiah (Isa 42:1; 53:2; Jer 23:5; 33:15). As servant, the Messiah obeys God’s will by becoming a sin offering so that many might be made righteous (Isa 53:11; see Acts 3:13; 4:27). The Branch is a metaphor for kingship that identifies the Messiah as David’s descendant (Isa 11:1; Jer 23:5).
Verse 9
3:9 The single stone signifies authority. It might refer to the final stone of the Temple laid by Zerubbabel (4:7), the “foundation stone” of the restored Jerusalem (Isa 28:16), or the precious stones on the ephod of the high priests (Exod 25:7; 35:9). • The seven facets (literally seven eyes) of the stone imply perfection and completeness of knowledge and wisdom. They might relate to the seven lamps of the golden lampstand (Zech 4:2) or to God’s “sevenfold Spirit” (Rev 1:4). • The inscription is reminiscent of the names of the tribes inscribed on the stones of the high priest’s shoulder-pieces (Exod 39:6). • The removal of Israel’s sin in a single day alludes to the Day of Atonement (Lev 16). It foreshadows Christ’s crucifixion, when the Lamb of God would take away the sin of the world (John 1:29).