Salvation and Deliverance for All

“And He showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of Jehovah, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him.” (Zechariah 3:1)

This was a vision Zechariah had. The Joshua he sees in the vision is not the Joshua that brought the children of Israel to the Promised Land. This is Joshua the high priest, son of Johozadak who was in the first group to return to Israel after the captivity.  He presided during the building of the second temple and was in the first group to return to Israel after the captivity along with Zechariah the prophet.

This is not the first time in Scripture we see satan in his role as accuser of the brethren. When we get this picture, we will realize that all those accusing thoughts that are contrary to what God’s Word says about us are from him. He does this in order to plan fear and doubt in our minds about our salvation. He not only accuses us in our minds, but relentlessly accuses us before the Lord. “And I heard a great voice saying in Heaven, Now has come the salvation and power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of His Christ. For the accuser of our brothers is cast down, who accused them before our God day and night.” (Revelation 12:10) When you get a thought that makes you sad or fearful, go directly to the Bible and find that verse that proves it to be a lie. And like Jesus say, “It is written....”

What did Zechariah’s vision say about Joshua the high priest? It’s symbolic. Joshua the high priest stands for Israel. At the time, the people were forgetting about God and were seeped in idolatry. This is symbolized in the vison of Joshua in filthy clothes. “Now Joshua was clothed with filthy clothes, and stood before the Angel.”.(Zechariah 3:3) And satan is accusing Joshua, who is symbolic of Israel, of all the sins of idolatry. And his accusations are true, symbolized by the dirty rags. But God made promises to Israel. Before the Babylonian captivity, Isaiah prophesied about God’s promise. “But now so says Jehovah who created you, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel; Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned; nor shall the flame kindle on you. For I am Jehovah your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I gave Egypt for your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for you. Since you were precious in My sight, you have been honored, and I have loved you; therefore, I will give men for you, and people for your life. Fear not; for I am with you. I will bring your seed from the east and gather you from the west. I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Do not keep back; bring My sons from far and My daughters from the ends of the earth; everyone who is called by My name; for I have created him for My glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.” (Isaiah 43:1-7) God made promises to Israel that He would make them clean.

That is the New Covenant that Jesus died for. It was for Israel and for the whole world. They rejected Jesus their Messiah. But the covenant is still in place. “Whoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwells in him and he in God.” (1John 4:15) There is coming a time for all of Israel to come to their Messiah and be saved. “And so all Israel shall be saved; as it is written, "There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob.” (Romans 11:26) And that is what Zechariah saw in his vision. “And He (God) answered and spoke to those who stood before Him, saying, Take away the filthy clothes from him. And to him He said, Behold, I have caused your iniquity to pass from you, and I will clothe you with ceremonial robes. And I said, Let them set a clean turban on his head. And they set a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments. And the Angel of Jehovah stood by. And the Angel of Jehovah charged Joshua, saying, So says Jehovah of Hosts: If you will walk in My ways, and if you will keep My charge, then you shall also judge My house, and shall also keep My courts, and I will give you places to walk among these who stand by. Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, you and your fellows who sit before you; for they are men of symbol.” (Zechariah 3:4-8) The men of symbol means men of a sign that this will happen. In the vision, the clean and royal robes are symbolic of the cleansing of their sins and righteous standing before God.

You may think, how unjust is that! The Lord just grants Israel a free ride. God is the One Who takes their iniquity away, with His Word and they receive all the promises. But... isn’t that what He did for us. We were sinners and enemies of God. “For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.” (Romans 5:10) And the Lord didn’t wait for us to be good first. He took us at our worse. And with the same promise He made to Israel, the sacrifice of Jesus and His shed blood, He cleansed us. “But God commends His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) And He is doing it still and not only for those of us who think we’re the center of God’s attention, but for the whole world and for Israel. “And through Him having made peace through the blood of His cross, it pleased the Father to reconcile all things to Himself through Him, whether the things on earth or the things in Heaven.” (Colossians 1:20)

In summary, God’s promises are for us, for the whole world and for Israel. God promised Israel redemption and deliverance from their sins. “For behold! I will bring forth My Servant the Branch. For behold the stone that I have set before Joshua: On one stone are seven eyes. Behold, I will engrave its engraving, says Jehovah of Hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.” (Zechariah 3:9) “My Servant the Branch” speaks of Jesus. How marvelous that the Lord will do a miracle and in one day deliver Israel from her sins. It’s going to be something.

Let us pray,

Father God, how wonderful are You Who makes promises that You fulfill faithfully for man who You made in Your image and whom You love. Your love is great and none on earth are better than the other in Your eyes, but You love Israel, the apple of Your eye and whom You chose to take the knowledge of You to the world. Thank You Lord that even if we fail You take up the slack and fulfill Your promises to mankind. You know us Lord and You know our weaknesses. Yet You seek after us for our best. Help me to remember those who need You, those whom You are still seeking and who are lost in this world. Help me to pray for them. Maranatha! In the Name of Jesus I pray, amen.