< Zechariah 3 >
1 Then [Yahweh] showed me Joshua, the Supreme Priest, [who was] standing in front of the angel that Yahweh had sent. And Satan was standing at Joshua’s right side, [ready] to accuse him.
And the Lord showed me Jesus the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and the Devil stood on his right hand to resist him.
2 But Yahweh said to Satan, “Satan, I am rebuking you! I [am the one] who has chosen Jerusalem [to be my special city, and I] am rebuking you! This [man, Joshua], [has been brought back from Babylonia]; he is surely [like] [MET, RHQ] a burning stick that has been snatched from a fire.”
And the Lords said to the Devil, The Lord rebuke you, O Devil, even the Lord that has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you: behold! is not this as a brand plucked from the fire?
3 Joshua was wearing filthy clothes while he was standing in front of the angel.
Now Jesus was clothed in filthy raiment, and stood before the angel.
4 The angel said to those [other angels] who were standing in front of him, “Take off his filthy clothes!” [After they did that, ] the angel said to Joshua, “Look! I have taken away [the guilt of] your sins, and I will put beautiful clothes on you.”
And [the Lord] answered and spoke to those who stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy raiment from him: and he said to him, Behold, I have taken away your iniquities: and clothe you him with a long robe,
5 Then I said to them, “Put a clean turban on his head!” So they put a clean turban on his head and put [new] on him, while the angel sent by Yahweh was standing there.
and place a pure mitre upon his head. So they placed a pure mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments: and the angel of the Lord stood [by].
6 Then the angel said [this] to Joshua:
And the angel of the Lord testified to Jesus, saying,
7 “The Commander of the armies of angels says that if you do what I want you to do [IDM], and obey my instructions, you will (be in charge of/have authority over) [what is done in] my temple and its courtyard. And I will allow you to speak at any time to the angels who are standing near to me.
Thus says the Lord Almighty; If you will walk in my ways, and take heed to my charges, then shall you judge my house: and if you will diligently keep my court, then will I give you men to walk in the midst of these that stand [here].
8 Joshua, [you are] the Supreme Priest, and your (associates/fellow priests) are sitting in front of you. They symbolize/represent things that will happen in the future. [Some day] I am going to bring someone who will work for me, someone who will be called the Branch.
Hear now, Jesus the high priest, you, and your neighbors that are sitting before [you]: for they are diviners, for, behold, I bring forth my servant The Branch.
9 Look at the stone that I have put in front of Joshua. There are seven sides on the stone. I will engrave a message on that stone, and in one day I will remove the guilt of [all the people of] this country.
For [as for] the stone which I have set before the face of Jesus, on the one stone are seven eyes: behold, I am digging a trench, says the Lord Almighty, and I will search out all the iniquity of that land in one day.
10 At that time, each of you will invite his friends [to come and sit] under his grapevine and under his fig tree. [That is what] the Commander of the armies of angels declares.”
In that day, says the Lord Almighty, you shall call together every man his neighbor under the vine and under the fig tree.