Exposition of Zechariah 1-9, Chapter 3
CHAP. III.
ANd he ſhewed me Iehoſhua the High Prieſt, ſtanding before the Angel of the Lord, and Satan ſtood at his right hand, to reſiſt him.
2 And the Lord ſaid unto Satan, The Lord reproove thee, O Satan: even the Lord that hath choſen Ieruſalem, reproove thee. Is not this a Brand taken out of the Fire?
3 Now Iehoſhua was clothed with filthie Garments, and ſtood before the Angel.
4 And hee anſwered and ſpake unto thoſe that ſtood before him, ſaying, Take away the filthie Garments from him. And unto him hee ſaid, Behold, I have cauſed thine iniquitie to depart from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of Rayment.
5 And I ſaid, Let them ſet a faire Diademe upon his head. So they ſet a faire Diademe upon his head, and clothed him with Garments, and the Angel of the Lord ſtood by.
6 And the Angel of the Lord teſtified unto Iehoſhua, ſaying,
7 Thus ſayth the Lord of Hoſtes, If thou wilt walke in my Wayes, and keepe my Watch, thou ſhalt alſo judge mine Houſe, and ſhalt alſo keepe my Courts, and I will give thee place among theſe that ſtand by.
8 Heare now, O Iehoſhua the High Priest, thou and thy fellowes, that ſit before thee: for they are monstrous Perſons: But behold, I will bring foorth the Branch, my Servant.
9 For loe the Stone that I have layd before Iehoſhua: upon one Stone ſhall be ſeven Eyes: behold, I will cut out the graving thereof, ſayth the Lord of Hoſtes, and I will take away the iniquitie of this Land in one Day.
10 In that Day, ſayth the Lord of Hoſtes, ſhall yee call every man his Neighbour under the Vine, and under the Figgetree.
WHat the ſcope of this Viſion is,Viſion 4. is ſomewhat doubtfull. Some thinke it to be propoſed as a comfort to the People, who tooke diſcouragement at the meaneneſſe and baſeneſſe of the Prieſt-hood; whoſe outward Pompe and Dignitie was not like unto that, before the Captivitie. True it is, the Prieſts in this Temple wanted ſome Ornaments they had in the firſt; but yet it may be queſtioned, whether, all things conſidered, their ſtate and ſplendor were not as much in the laſt, as the firſt Temple: But of this we ſhall ſee further in the ſixt Chapter. Meane while, the Circumſtances of this Chapter being layd together, the maine ſcope of the whole ſeemes to be this: That whereas there were many outward Enemies and corporall Diſtreſſes that hindered the Peoples proſperitie, whereof they much complayned, and againſt which, they received comfort by the former Viſions; there are, beſides them, ſpirituall and inviſible Enemies, leſſe ſenſible indeed, but much more powerfull to procure the hurt of the Iewiſh State: Theſe are, the Sinnes of People, and Prieſt; and Satan, the Accuſer, vehemently urging them againſt both, to the hinderance of any Bleſſing they might expect, and furtherance of their Puniſhments. Againſt theſe, God gives the Iewes comfort by this Viſion; namely, That although their ſinnes might be objected againſt themſelves and their Interceſſor, the High Prieſt; yet they had another High Prieſt, who would pleade their Cauſe, pardon their Sinnes, build up the Temple, and give Peace to his Church. This Viſion hath two parts.
1. Touching the Type; Iehoſhua, the Iewiſh High Prieſt: againſt whom principally, Satan bends his Accuſation, as that Perſon who ſtood betweene God and the People, to make interceſsion and attonement for them; though alſo, through his ſide, he ſtrike at the welfare of all the Church. In this part therefore we have to conſider,
1. The partie accuſed; Iehoſhua, the chiefe Prieſt. [And he ſhewed me Iehoſhua the High Prieſt.]
2. The partie to whom he is accuſed; that is, Chriſt, [ſtanding before the Angel of the Lord] What? as a Priſoner, arraigned and brought to the Barre by Satan? That may be: But rather [ſtanding] id eſt, *1 King. 10.5.executing his Office, in offering Sacrifices and Prayers for the People. Such is Satans malice and impudencie, to hurt and hinder us moſt in our beſt imployments, and to accuſe the Saints even to their beſt Friend, Chriſt Ieſus: For hee is here meant, by the Angell of the Lord; not any inferiour Angell, deputed as a Iudge in this Buſineſſe, as ſome needleſſely imagine.
3. The partie accuſing; that is, the Divell, [and Satan] the Enemie, the Adverſarie and Accuſer of the Brethren [ſtood at his right hand] Why? Becauſe the Accuſation was as true, as vehement; and ſo Satan had the upper hand:Pſal. 109.6. So, ſome. But rather metaphorically, Satan was as readie to hinder, as Iehoſhua to ſet forwards the proſperitie of this poore People; preſent at all turnes, to croſſe his endevours, and to take the advantage of him. Now, the right hand being the proper inſtrument of doing any thing well and orderly, that ſide beſt fits him who is minded eyther to hinder or helpe*Pſal. 16.8. & 109.31. forward ones buſineſſe, [to reſiſt him] to fruſtrate his prayers and interceſsion, by interpoſing his moſt bitter Accuſation againſt him and the Iewes. Verſe 1. What this Accuſation was, appeares plainely by the third and fourth Verſes.
4. The Apologie and Defence that is made in behalfe of Iehoſhua; which conſiſts of three parts.
1. A ſevere Rebuke of Satans malicious importunitie. [And the Lord, IEHOVAH] id eſt, Chriſt, the Patron as well as Iudge of his Saints [ſaid unto Satan, The Lord reproove, or rebuke thee, O Satan] foreign *Matth. 8.26.foreign, reſtraine thy malice and furie, and ſtop this thy malicious Accuſation. Hee doth not vouchſafe to argue the cauſe with Satan, but cuts him off ſhort, with a vehement checke and reproofe. For, how-ever the Accuſation might be true, yet by him it was maliciouſly and unſeaſonably urged. Which appeares by two Reaſons Chriſt uſeth, why this Bill of Indictment ſhould be preſently throwne out of the Court of Heaven.
1. From Gods Election of this People, amongſt whom to eſtabliſh his Church; which Satan moſt eagerly ſought to annihilate, and ſo to worke their finall rejection at this preſent. [even the Lord that hath choſen Ieruſalem, reproove thee.] A moſt emphaticall ſpeech, and powerfull, to cut the ſinewes of Satans Accuſation. God had choſen Ieruſalem, notwithſtanding the many ſinnes thereof: And ſhould then their ſinnes now make that void, which could not at firſt hinder Gods Choyſe?
2. From the Puniſhment which Iehoſhua and Ieruſalem had alreadie borne for their Iniquities. Had they ſcaped ſcot-free? Nay: They have beene thorowly puniſhed for their ſinnes, by 70. yeeres miſerie, whence they are but newly eſcaped. [Is not this a Brand pluckt out of the Fire?] halfe burnt and waſted by the heat of Gods wrathfull diſpleaſure; but yet a Piece,Amos 4.11. a Remnant preſerved in merciemercy, from utter conſumption. How cruelly then, and unjuſtly, doeſt thou, O Satan, ſeeke to re-kindle the fire of Gods Anger againſt this People; and to throw them againe into the Flames, who were but now pluckt out of the Burning? Verſe 2.
2. The Abſolution of Iehoſhua, from Satans Accuſation. He did truly lay many ſinnes to his charge; but Chriſt acquits him, by pardoning him. Iehoſhua's guiltineſſe is ſet downe in the third Verſe, [Now Iehoſhua was clothed with filthie Garments] foreign Vnderſtand it, not of courſe and meane Attyre, not ſo glorious as the Garments of the Prieſts before the Captivitie; for homely Apparrell may yet bee handſome: but of uncleane Apparrell, defiled with dirt and other filth; for ſo foreign ſignifies: under which ſimilitude was figured the ſinnes and corruptions of Iehoſhua himſelfe, and the People, which alſo lay upon the High Prieſt. And, as filthie, ſtinking, rotten Ragges make the companie of one man loathſome to another; ſo Satan hoped to render Ioſhua and his Office abhominable before Chriſt. Notwithſtanding yet, that he was ſo ill clad, we may ſee that [He ſtood before the Angel] Chriſt did not abhorre his preſence, nor reject his ſervice: ſo gracious is hee to reſpect his Saints, notwithſtanding their many infirmities; and to accept their obedience, though mingled and ſtayned with much corruption. The Chaldee paraphraſes this place thus, foreign that is; Iehoſhua had ſonnes who tooke unto them Wives, that were not lawfull for the Prieſts to take. And accordingly, in the next Verſe, hee expounds the taking away of the filthie Garments, the putting away of thoſe Wives, foreign &c. But this is not all, though it may very well be one of thoſe filthy Ragges and principall Sinnes objected by Satan, whereof both Prieſts and People were guiltie; as appeares in Ezra, Chap. 9. & 10. And in the 18. Verſe of the 10. Chapter it is plaine enough, that the ſonnes of Iehoſhua had married ſtrange Wives: A fault in the father, to ſuffer them; if not much more a fault, that hee himſelfe had one: which, as Ierome ſayth, is the opinion of the Hebrewes. Thus wee ſee Iehoſhua is not guiltleſſe: wee have therefore his Pardon in the next, Verſe 4. whereof there is double declaration made unto him.
1. In a Type and ſigne of it: As the Sinnes were ſhadowed out by the filthy Garments; ſo the Pardon, by the taking of them away. [And he anſwered and ſpake to them that ſtood before him, Take away the filthie Garments from him.] Chriſt commanded the Angels that waited on him, to ſtrip Iehoſhua of his Ragges.
2. Plainely, and in the Truth. Now the favour ſhewed him, is two-fold:
1. Remiſsion of Sinnes, [Behold] viz. by that viſible ſigne, [I have cauſed thine iniquities] the guilt and puniſhment of ſinne [to paſſe from thee] to be done away.
2. Sanctification, in the beſtowing of all ſufficiencie of Grace, [and I will clothe thee with change of Rayment] foreign mutatorijs. foreign differs not much from foreign This ſignifying more generally any Sute of Apparell, or, as wee ſpeake, Holy-day Apparell, more coſtly than others, worne but ſeldome. Gen. 45.22. Iudg. 14.14. That properly ſignifies cleane and new Rayment, put on when others are put off.Targum foreign puritatibus, juſtitijs, following the ſenſe: in ſtead of the filthie Garments of Sinne, the pure and cleane Robe of Holineſſe ſhould be given unto him. Now in Scripture, the Graces of Sanctification are often compared to a Robe, or Garment. Some here, by change of Rayment, underſtand the Prieſts Garments, which were put on Iehoſhua: but it ſtands not with the Antitheſis in this place, nor with the next Verſe, where his inveſtiture in the Prieſtly Robes, is expreſſed.
3. The eſtabliſhing and re-inſtalling of Iehoſhua in the Office of High Prieſt. Hee is not onelyonly pardoned, and furniſhed with Grace for himſelfe, but hath a further favour beſtowed on him, to bee inveſted in the Robes of his Office; and therewithall endued with ſuch abilities, as might fit him for the execution thereof, to the common good. And ſo, is Satans Accuſation quite fruſtrate, and takes no hold on the Prieſt, or People, to their hurt. Here wee are to note,
1. The Ceremonies of his Inveſtiture: which are performed,
1. At the motion of Zacharie: who wiſhed, that unto the former Garments, the Prieſtly Robes might alſo be added. [And I ſaid] foreign Iunius renders it, Therefore I ſay; as a continuation of the Angels ſpeech: and Piſcator, to the ſame ſenſe, reading foreign here for foreign as on the contrarie, Chap. 4. verſe 2. foreign for foreign But the Prophet, taking occaſion on the laſt words of the Angel, verſe 4. might well interpoſe his heartie wiſh and deſire, for the beſtowing of the Prieſtly Ornaments: And the Angell graciouſly yeeldes unto it. [Let them ſet a faeire Mitre upon his head] The former Tranſlators read, Diademe; but that's an Ornament for a King, the Mitre foreign is for the Prieſt.
2. By the miniſterie of Angels, [and they ſet a faire Mitre upon his head, and clothed him with Garments] viz. the reſt of the High Prieſts Attyre.
3. In the preſence of Chriſt: who is Maſter of theſe Ceremonies, the giver of this Honour to his Servant, the effect of this Leviticall Office. [and the Angel of the Lord ſtood by] to give order for what was to be done, to allow and ratifie the doing of it, to protect and aſsiſt his Servant againſt Satans furie. Verſe 5.
2. The Patent of his Office: which is here declared and delivered to him before Witneſſes, [And the Angell of the Lord testified, or, protested to Iehoſhua, ſaying,] foreign called*as Gen. 43.3. Witneſſe upon his words, the Angels, and the Prophet there preſent, before whom he makes this declaration to the High Prieſt. Verſe 6. The Patent conſiſts of three Heads.
1. The Dutie and Condition to be performed on Iehoſhua's part; which hath two Branches:
1. The Obſervation of the Morall Law, in generall duties of Pietie and Holineſſe. [Thus ſayth the Lord of Hoſtes, If thou-wilt walke in my wayes.]
2. The Obſervation of all Leviticall Conſtitutions and ſpeciall Services of the Prieſthood, [and if thou wilt keepe my Charge] *1. Chron. 9.27. Num. 8.16.foreign all things belonging to the Office of High Prieſt. A Miniſter muſt looke equally to himſelfe and to his Charge.
2. The Dignitie which Iehoſhua ſhould enjoy: that is, the Government of the Temple, and chiefe adminiſtration of all things belonging to Gods Worſhip, [then thou ſhalt alſo] or, even thou alſo ſhalt [judge my Houſe] id eſt, rule in the Temple; the inferior*R. D. Kimebl, & Targ. foreign Prieſts being to doe every thing according to the command of the High Prieſt, who was to looke that every one did his Office. Whether the authoritie of the High Prieſt in Civill matters, Deut. 17. be here intimated, or no, Quaere. [and thou ſhalt alſo keepe my Courts] The ſame that the former, Synecdochicw̄s; the Courts of the Prieſts and People being accounted a part of the Temple. How great a Dignitie the Office of the High Prieſt was, both before and after the Captivitie, eaſily appeares by*1. Sam. 2.27. Heb. 5.4. 2. Chron. 22.11. Scripture, and other Stories.
3. The Reward of Iehoſhua, for the faithfull execution of his Office: and that is, Eternall Life; a place among the Angels in Heaven. [And I will give thee Places to walke] foreign *Targ. foreignItinera, Ambulationis; alluſively, to the Walkes and Galleries that were about the Temple. Not foreign Ambulantes, as many reade it, making the ſenſe thus; I will give thee, from among theſe Angels, ſome to by thy Companions and Guardians, [among theſe that ſtand by] i.e. as the Chald. Paraph. foreign among theſe Seraphins, or glorious*Matth. 22.30. Heb. 12.22. Angels, here preſent.
Thus of the Typicall part of this Viſion: We come to the ſecond part of it.
2. Touching the Antitype. After Iehoſhua, thus impleaded by Satan, is not onelyonly pardoned, but moreover, ſingularly graced with many favours, for his private and the common good; the Angell proceedes to declare unto him, what was the Fountaine of all this MercieMercy, whereunto tended this his Office, by whoſe meanes both Prieſthood, Temple, and People ſhould be reſtored and preſerved. Now, this Perſon is our great High Prieſt, IESVS CHRIST, the Meſsias; of whom, Iehoſhua, and every Leviticall High Prieſt was but a ſhadow: Hee it is, by vertue of whoſe interceſsion the materiall Temple and myſticall Church ſhall be reared up, and defended. In this the Angels Propheticall Enarration touching the Meſsiah, we are to note,
1. The Perſons to whom it is made: They are, Iehoſhua, and the other Prieſts. Who, though they are not ſaid to appeare in this Viſion; yet, ſeeing the matter concerned them alſo, and for that Zacharie was to publiſh this Viſion in the hearing of all the Prieſts and People, the Angell therefore directs his ſpeech to the whole Colledge of Prieſts, though onelyonly the Chiefe now ſtood attyred before him. [Heare now, O Iehoſhua the High Priest, thou and thy fellowes] foreign Amici, as Iunius; Targum foreign Socij tui: that is, as Kimhi, foreign the reſt of the Prieſts; who, though inferior in Office, yet were fellowes in ſervice, and Types of Chriſt too. [that ſit before thee] in Aſſemblies and Meetings, as Aſſeſſors before the Preſident. The reaſon why he ſpeakes unto theſe, is expreſſed in the next words, [for they are men wondered at] A difficult Clauſe. foreign Some conſtrue it thus; Men that ſeeke Signes and Wonders; others, Men that are Signes and Types of future things; others, Monſtrous perſons, id eſt, Men wondered at, as Monſters; for that contemning the Opinion of the World, they beleeved God, and obeyed his Word, in thoſe deſperate Times: as Pſal. 71.7. Eſa. 8.18. Others, Men that have the gift of Propheſie, and fore-telling things to come. The third Opinion ſeems probable: and ſo, this ſhall be for the ſtrengthening of their Faith. Haply it may be thus interpreted: Theſe Prieſts were foreign that is, ſuch as ſhould be, by reaſon of their Place and Calling, skilfull in the knowledge of Figures and Types of things to come, and well to underſtand the meaning of thoſe Ceremonies they were frequently buſied about And then we muſt take foreign for foreign not Portentum, but Signum as it is alſo uſed, 2. Chron. 32.24. for foreign there wee have foreign 2. King. 20.8. & Eſ. 38.7. But uſually this word is taken for prodigious and miraculous Signes; as Deut. 13.1, 2. Ergo quaere.
2. The Deſcription of CHRIST: Who is ſet foorth,
1. By a double Title given unto him: Which are,
1. Of a Branch. [For behold, I will bring foorth my Servant, the Branch.] So called, becauſe out of the dead and withered Stocke of Davids Houſe hee ſprang foorth on a ſudden, like a Branch or Sience out of a drie Tree. Though that Familie was obſcure, and all the glorious Branches out off, even to the*foreign as in Nabuchad. Dreame. Dan. 11.12. Stumpe; yet a Remainder there was, and Sappe enough therein, which in due time ſhould ſprout foorth into this Glorious, the laſt and greateſt Ornament of that Kingly Familie. See Eſ. 11.1. & 4.1. Ier. 23.5. & 33.15. God, in moſt unlikely Times, and by moſt unlikely*Dan. 2.34. Meanes, can bring his purpoſe to paſſe. foreign heere is tranſlated by the Seventie, foreign: and Rib. would have that place, Luk. 1.78. to allude to that Tranſlation. But it ſignifies properly foreign, or foreign, the ſame that foreign Eſ. 11.1. [my Servant] though a Sonne by Nature, yet a Servant by Office of Mediation for our ſakes. Verſe 8.
2. Of a Stone. Which Title is attributed to Chriſt, becauſe he is the Foundation and Corner Stone of his Church,Eſ. 28.16. whereupon the whole Building is reared and coupled. [For behold the Stone that I have layd before Iehoſhua] The Anagoge to Chriſt, is heere taken from the Temple now in building, whoſe Foundation was now layd before Iehoſhua and Zerubbabel, the chiefe*Hag. 1.14. Overſeers of the Worke. The Angell then pointing to ſome principall Stone therein, informes Iehoſhua, that there is a further Myſterie in it: the Ground-worke of the Materiall, ſignifies the Foundation of the Spirituall Temple; not to be layd by the induſtrie of Artificers, but by Gods handie-worke. [I have layd.]
2. By a two-fold Propertie, in reference to the latter Title.
1. Providence and*Eſa. 11.2, 3. Wiſedome in the Gouernment of his Church. Chriſt is a Stone, for ſtrength and firmeneſſe, yet not a dead and ſenſeleſſe (as thoſe of the Temple) but a living Stone, full of Eyes, and endued with the ſharpeſt Sight. [upon one Stone ſhall be ſeven Eyes] Some underſtand it paſſively; All mens Eyes ſhall looke towards Chriſt; or,*Sanct. God ſhall with curious diligence poliſh this Stone, referring it to the next Clauſe: But theſe ſenſes fit not this place: It is more naturall, and cleare, to take Eyes, for Providence; and Seven, for Perfection and Sufficiencie: ſo the meaning ſhall be;25 Rev. 5.6. Chriſt hath all ſufficiencie of Wiſedome and Councell, not onelyonly to lay a Foundation, but alſo to build up his Church, and to rule it in the beſt order.
2. The abſolute Perfection of all Grace in himſelfe, who had the Spirit without meaſure. Though men might judge this Stone too too rude and rough to be put in the Building, and therefore reject it; yet God would make it not onelyonly the Head of the Corner, but ſo poliſh it, that it ſhould be, as the Principall, ſo the moſt Beautifull Stone of the whole Building. [Behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, ſayth the Lord of Hoſtes] An alluſion to the graved and carved Stones of the Temple, whoſe coſtly workemanſhip did in ſome ſort ſhadow out the excellencie of Chriſts Endowments: but yet theſe doe ſo farre exceede the other, as God is a more cunning Workeman than man; [I will grave it] as Pſal. 45.7. Some interprete this Graving, of the Wounds of Chriſt, which are foreign caelatura corporis ejus pulcherrima. But this is not the full meaning of the place, though the next Clauſe doe in part imply it.
3. By two Apoteleſmata, and effects of the Prieſthood of Chriſt.
1. Remiſſion of Sinnes, by the Sacrifice of Himſelfe. [And I will remove the Iniquitie] Guilt and Puniſhment of Sinne [of that Land] foreign Which Land? The Church; typified by the Land of Canaan: to the inhabitants whereof, pardon is now promiſed [in one Day] by one all-ſufficient Sacrifie, once offered, in oppoſition to the Legall Sacrifices, every day repeated. Verſe 9.
2. Peace of Conſcience, through juſtification by Faith. [In that Day, ſayth the Lord of Hoſtes, ſhall yee call every man his Neighbour under the Vine, and under the Figge-tree.] Theſe Trees have broad leaves, and yeeld a coole ſhadow, very pleaſant in thoſe hot Countries: and therefore under them they had their Arbors, wherein they made their banquetings and invitations of their Neighbours, in the times of publique peace, of ſecuritie of the State; as 1. King. 4.24, 25▪ VnderUnder which Figure, is repreſented the true …ituall Peace of the Church, which it enjoyeth with God, through the Reconciliation made by Chriſt. See Hag. 2.9. Micah 4.4. Iſ. 2.4. Hoſ. 2.18. Albeit we need not quite reject the literall meaning; conſidering that Chriſt, the Prince of Peace, when hee came into the World, brought with him, as Peace for the Church with God, ſo quietneſſe for the State, from Warres and Troubles, both to Iudaea and other parts of the World. Further, the words ſeeme to imply another effect in the Godly, viz. Charitie towards others; themſelves being converted and reconciled to God, ſhall ſtudie to convert others. [Ye ſhall call] Sed quaere.