The steady advancement made by the builders of the
temple greatly discomfited and alarmed the hosts of evil.
Satan determined to put forth still further effort to weaken
and discourage God's people by holding before them their
imperfections of character. If those who had long suffered
because of transgression could again be induced to disregard
God's commandments, they would be brought once more
under the bondage of sin.
Because Israel had been chosen to preserve the knowledge
of God in the earth, they had ever been the special objects
of Satan's enmity; he was determined to cause their destruction.
While they were obedient, he could do them no
harm; therefore he had bent all his power and cunning to
entice them into sin. Ensnared by his temptations, they
had transgressed the law of God and had been left to become
the prey of their enemies.
Yet though they were carried as captives to Babylon, God
did not forsake them. He sent His prophets to them with
reproofs and warnings, and aroused them to see their guilt.
When they humbled themselves before God and returned
to Him with true repentance, He sent them messages of
encouragement, declaring that He would deliver them from
captivity, restore them to His favor, and once more establish
them in their own land. And now that this work of
restoration had begun, and a remnant of Israel had already
returned to Judea, Satan was determined to frustrate the
carrying out of the divine purpose, and to this end he was
seeking to move upon the heathen nations to destroy them
utterly.
But in this crisis the Lord strengthened His people "with
good words and comfortable words." Zechariah 1:13.
Through an impressive illustration of the work of Satan
and the work of Christ, He showed the power of their
Mediator to vanquish the accuser of His people.
In vision the prophet beholds "Joshua the high priest,"
"clothed with filthy garments" (Zechariah 3:1, 3), standing
before the Angel of the Lord, entreating God's mercy in
behalf of his afflicted people. As he pleads for the fulfillment
of God's promises, Satan stands up boldly to resist him.
He points to the transgressions of Israel as a reason why they
should not be restored to the favor of God. He claims them
as his prey, and demands that they be given into his hands.
The high priest cannot defend himself or his people from
Satan's accusations. He does not claim that Israel is free
from fault. In filthy garments, symbolizing the sins of the
people, which he bears as their representative, he stands
before the Angel, confessing their guilt, yet pointing to their
repentance and humiliation, and relying upon the mercy
of a sin-pardoning Redeemer. In faith he claims the promises
of God.
Then the Angel, who is Christ Himself, the Saviour of
sinners, puts to silence the accuser of His people, declaring,
"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?" Verse 2. Long had Israel remained in the
furnace of affliction. Because of their sins they had been
well-nigh consumed in the flame kindled by Satan and his
agents for their destruction, but God had now set His hand
to bring them forth.
As the intercession of Joshua is accepted, the command
is given, "Take away the filthy garments from him;" and
to Joshua the Angel says, "Behold, I have caused thine
iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change
of raiment." "So they set a fair miter upon his head, and
clothed him with garments." Verses 4, 5. His own sins
and those of his people were pardoned. Israel was clothed
with "change of raiment"--the righteousness of Christ
imputed to them. The miter be placed upon Joshua's head
was such as was worn by the priests,and bore the inscription,
"Holiness to the Lord" (Exodus 28:36), signifying
that notwithstanding his former transgressions, he was now
qualified to minister before God in His sanctuary.
The Angel now declared to Joshua: "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." Zechariah 3:7. If
obedient, he should be honored as the judge, or ruler, over
the temple and all its services; he should walk among
attending angels, even in this life; and at last he should
join the glorified throng around the throne of God.
"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."
Verse 8. In the Branch, the Deliverer to come, lay the hope
of Israel. It was by faith in the coming Saviour that Joshua
and his people had received pardon. Through faith in Christ
they had been restored to God's favor. By virtue of His
merits, if they walked in His ways and kept His statutes,
they would be "men wondered at," honored as the chosen
of Heaven among the nations of the earth.
As Satan accused Joshua and his people, so in all ages
he accuses those who seek the mercy and favor of God. He
is "the accuser of our brethren, . . . which accused them
before our God day and night." Revelation 12:10. Over
every soul that is rescued from the power of evil, and whose
name is registered in the Lamb's book of life, the controversy
is repeated. Never is one received into the family of God
without exciting the determined resistance of the enemy.
But He who was the hope of Israel then, their defense, their
justification and redemption, is the hope of the church today.
Satan's accusations against those who seek the Lord are
not prompted by displeasure at their sins. He exults in their
defective characters; for he knows that only through their
transgression of God's law can he obtain power over them.
His accusations arise solely from his enmity to Christ.
Through the plan of salvation, Jesus is breaking Satan's hold
upon the human family and rescuing souls from his power.
All the hatred and malignity of the archrebel is stirred as
he beholds the evidences of Christ's supremacy; and with
fiendish power and cunning he works to wrest from Him
the children of men who have accepted salvation. He leads
men into skepticism, causing them to lose confidence in God
and to separate from His love; he tempts them to break
the law and then claims them as his captives, contesting
Christ's right to take them from him.
Satan knows that those who ask God for pardon and
grace will obtain it; therefore he presents their sins before
them to discourage them. Against those who are trying to
obey God, he is constantly seeking occasion for complaint.
Even their best and most acceptable service he seeks to
make appear corrupt. By countless devices, the most subtle
and the most cruel, he endeavors to secure their condemnation.
In his own strength, man cannot meet the charges of
the enemy. In sin-stained garments, confessing his guilt, he
stands before God. But Jesus, our Advocate, presents an
effectual plea in behalf of all who by repentance and faith
have committed the keeping of their souls to Him. He
pleads their cause, and by the mighty arguments of Calvary,
vanquishes their accuser. His perfect obedience to
God's law has given Him all power in heaven and in earth,
and He claims from His Father mercy and reconciliation
for guilty man. To the accuser of His people He declares:
"The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan. These are the purchase
of My blood, brands plucked from the burning." And to
those who rely on Him in faith, He gives the assurance,
"Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee,
and I will clothe thee with change of raiment." Zechariah
3:4.
All who have put on the robe of Christ's righteousness
will stand before Him as chosen and faithful and true.
Satan has no power to pluck them out of the hand of the
Saviour. Not one soul who in penitence and faith has
claimed His protection will Christ permit to pass under the
enemy's power. His word is pledged: "Let him take hold
of My strength, that he may make peace with Me; and he
shall make peace with Me." Isaiah 27:5. The promise given
to Joshua is given to all: "If thou wilt keep My charge,. . .
I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by."
Zechariah 3:7. Angels of God will walk on either side of
them, even in this world, and they will stand at last among
the angels that surround the throne of God.
Zechariah's vision of Joshua and the Angel applies with
peculiar force to the experience of God's people in the
closing scenes of the great day of atonement. The remnant
church will then be brought into great trial and distress.
Those who keep the commandments of God and the faith
of Jesus will feel the ire of the dragon and his hosts. Satan
numbers the world as his subjects; he has gained control
even of many professing Christians. But here is a little company
who are resisting his supremacy. If he could blot them
from the earth, his triumph would be complete. As he influenced
the heathen nations to destroy Israel, so in the near
future he will stir up the wicked powers of earth to destroy
the people of God. Men will be required to render obedience
to human edicts in violation of the divine law.
Those who are true to God will be menaced, denounced,
proscribed. They will be "betrayed both by parents, and
brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends," even unto death. Luke
21:16. Their only hope is in the mercy of God; their only
defense will be prayer. As Joshua pleaded before the Angel,
so the remnant church, with brokenness of heart and unfaltering
faith, will plead for pardon and deliverance through
Jesus, their Advocate. They are fully conscious of the sinfulness
of their lives, they see their weakness and unworthiness;
and they are ready to despair.
The tempter stands by to accuse them, as he stood by to
resist Joshua. He points to their filthy garments, their
defective characters. He presents their weakness and folly,
their sins of ingratitude, their unlikeness to Christ, which
has dishonored their Redeemer. He endeavors to affright
them with the thought that their case is hopeless, that the
stain of their defilement will never be washed away. He
hopes so to destroy their faith that they will yield to his
temptations, and turn from their allegiance to God.
Satan has an accurate knowledge of the sins that he has
tempted God's people to commit, and he urges his accusations
against them, declaring, that by their sins they have
forfeited divine protection, and claiming that he has the
right to destroy them. He pronounces them just as deserving
as himself of exclusion from the favor of God. "Are
these," he says, "the people who are to take my place in
heaven, and the place of the angels who united with me?
They profess to obey the law of God; but have they kept
its precepts? Have they not been lovers of self more than
lovers of God? Have they not placed their own interests
above His service? Have they not loved the things of the
world? Look at the sins that have marked their lives. Behold
their selfishness, their malice, their hatred of one another.
Will God banish me and my angels from His presence, and
yet reward those who have been guilty of the same sins?
Thou canst not do this, O Lord, in justice. Justice demands
that sentence be pronounced against them."
But while the followers of Christ have sinned, they have
not given themselves up to be controlled by the satanic
agencies. They have repented of their sins and have sought
the Lord in humility and contrition, and the divine Advocate
pleads in their behalf. He who has been most abused by
their ingratitude, who knows their sin and also their penitence,
declares: "The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan. I gave
My life for these souls. They are graven upon the palms
of My hands. They may have imperfections of character;
they may have failed in their endeavors; but they have
repented, and I have forgiven and accepted them."
The assaults of Satan are strong, his delusions are subtle;
but the Lord's eye is upon His people. Their affliction is
great, the flames of the furnace seem about to consume
them; but Jesus will bring them forth as gold tried in the
fire. Their earthliness will be removed, that through them
the image of Christ may be perfectly revealed.
At times the Lord may seem to have forgotten the perils
of His church and the injury done her by her enemies.
But God has not forgotten. Nothing in this world is so
dear to the heart of God as His church. It is not His will
that worldly policy shall corrupt her record. He does not
leave His people to be overcome by Satan's temptations.
He will punish those who misrepresent Him, but He will
be gracious to all who sincerely repent. To those who call
upon Him for strength for the development of Christian
character, He will give all needed help.
In the time of the end the people of God will sigh and
cry for the abominations done in the land. With tears they
will warn the wicked of their danger in trampling upon the
divine law, and with unutterable sorrow they will humble
themselves before the Lord in penitence. The wicked will
mock their sorrow and ridicule their solemn appeals. But
the anguish and humiliation of God's people is unmistakable
evidence that they are regaining the strength and nobility
of character lost in consequence of sin. It is because they
are drawing nearer to Christ, because their eyes are fixed on
His perfect purity, that they discern so clearly the exceeding
sinfulness of sin. Meekness and lowliness are the conditions
of success and victory. A crown of glory awaits those who
bow at the foot of the cross.
God's faithful, praying ones are, as it were, shut in with
Him. They themselves know not how securely they are
shielded. Urged on by Satan, the rulers of this world are
seeking to destroy them; but could the eyes of God's children
be opened as were the eyes of Elisha's servant at
Dothan, they would see angels of God encamped about
them, holding in check the hosts of darkness.
As the people of God afflict their souls before Him,
pleading for purity of heart, the command is given, "Take away
the filthy garments," and the encouraging words are spoken,
"Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and
I will clothe thee with change of raiment." Zechariah 3:4.
The spotless robe of Christ's righteousness is placed upon
the tried, tempted, faithful children of God. The despised
remnant are clothed in glorious apparel, nevermore to be
defiled by the corruptions of the world. Their names are
retained in the Lamb's book of life, enrolled among the
faithful of all ages. They have resisted the wiles of the
deceiver; they have not been turned from their loyalty by
the dragon's roar. Now they are eternally secure from the
tempter's devices. Their sins are transferred to the originator
of sin. A "fair miter" is set upon their heads.
While Satan has been urging his accusations, holy angels,
unseen, have been passing to and fro, placing upon the faithful
ones the seal of the living God. These are they that
stand upon Mount Zion with the Lamb, having the Father's
name written in their foreheads. They sing the new song
before the throne, that song which no man can learn save
the hundred and forty and four thousand which were
redeemed from the earth. "These are they which follow
the Lamb whithersoever He goeth. These were redeemed
from among men, being the first fruits unto God and to
the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no guile: for
they are without fault before the throne of God." Revelation
14:4, 5.
Now is reached the complete fulfillment of the words of
the Angel: "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." Zechariah 3:8. Christ is revealed as the
Redeemer and Deliverer of His people. Now indeed are the
remnant "men wondered at," as the tears and humiliation
of their pilgrimage give place to joy and honor in the
presence of God and the Lamb. "In that day shall the branch
of the Lord be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the
earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are
escaped of Israel. And it shall come to pass, that he that is
left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be
called holy, even everyone that is written among the living
in Jerusalem." Isaiah 4:2, 3.