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Expanded Comments |
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| 1 And he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.
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He shewed me – Evidently a vision; intended to encourage Israel, but especially to be a prophecy. R1490:2
Joshua – Signifying "Savior" in Hebrew; corresponding, in the Greek, to "Jesus." R2522:1
The entire "Church of the firstborn ones" (Heb. 12:23) during the present life. R1490:3
Our Lord Jesus is represented by the head, and his consecrated followers by the body. R1490:3
And Satan – Whose very existence is now denied by many. F609
To resist him – Satan uses superhuman intelligence and superhuman powers to inveigle our fallen flesh through depraved appetites; and frequently uses the worldly as unconscious instruments to oppose righteousness and truth, and those who are of the truth. F612
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| 2 And the LORD said unto Satan, 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? |
Satan – The Head and Body are opposed by the same Adversary. R1490:3
Chosen Jerusalem – The Kingdom of God. A296
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| 3 Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel. |
Now Joshua – Whose head represented Christ Jesus, and whose body represented the Church. R1490:3
Filthy garments – Representing that all the church's righteousness is as filthy rags. R1490:3
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| 4 And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment. |
Change of raiment – Picturing the covering of our sins with the robe of Christ's righteousness. R1490:3
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| 5 And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the LORD stood by. |
His head – Our Lord Jesus. R1490:3
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| 6 And the angel of the LORD protested unto Joshua, saying, |
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| 7 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. |
Walk in my ways – Picturing the Church's high calling to the divine nature. R1490:3
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| 8 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. |
Hear now, O Joshua – These words were addressed to the literal Joshua, the Jewish High Priest. R1490:5
Men wondered at – Literally, "Sign men," types. R1490:5
My servant – My real servant, thus typified. R1490:5
The BRANCH – Or sprout, the man Christ Jesus. R1490:5
Not of the old dying Adamic stock; but a new sprout, having fresh vitality--holy, harmless and separate from sinners. R1490:5
Understood, by his contemporaries, as applying to Zerubbabel, not realizing that he and Joshua were but types of Christ, in whom the offices of King and Priest would be combined. R1491:4
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| 9 For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day. |
The stone – The chief Cornerstone, to represent this coming one. R1490:5
Before Joshua – The typical Joshua. R1490:5
Upon one stone – Upon that one stone. R1490:5
Shall be – Shall rest. R1490:5
Seven eyes – Perfect, or divine wisdom. R1490:5, R2822:4; B305; T47, T115
I will engrave – God is superintending the engraving of his character and law upon the living stones of the Church, the Body of Christ. R1490:6
Remove the Iniquity – The unfruitfulness, as well as the sin. R1490:6
In one day – The Millennial day, "One day with the Lord is as a thousand years." (2 Pet. 3:8) R1490:6
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| 10 In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbour under the vine and under the fig tree. |
In that day – In the Millennial day. R1490:6
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