A stick pulled from the fire.

Zechariah 3

Click for a description of the mark of the beast.
Click for a description of the image of the beast.

“Come now, and let us reason together,” says the Lord,
“Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson, they will be as wool.”
Isaiah 1:19

• The Lord rebukes the accusers of those living for Jesus Christ.
• Jesus Christ removes the spiritual filthiness from us and clothes us in the Holy Spirit.
  • We were clothed in the garments of a filthy spirit.
  • Jesus Christ removes the garments of a filthy spirit from us.
  • Through Jesus Christ we are clothed with garments of a rich Spirit.
  • Jesus Christ clothes our mind with Holiness.
• Those who are born again in the Holiness of Jesus Christ will rule with Him.
• Jesus Christ has come and is coming again to redeem those who receive Him.

 The Lord rebukes the accusers of those living for Jesus Christ.
“Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him. And the Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?” Zachariah 3:1-2

The Joshua in those verses is not the same Joshua that replaced Moses after the death of Moses. What fire was the Joshua of the above verses plucked from? Joshua was plucked from captivity to the Babylonian Empire, served as the high priest, and participated in rebuilding the altar of the Lord and laying the foundation of the Temple. The first Temple and altar were destroyed by the Babylonian king around 585 BC. Zerubbabel completed the temple construction around 515 BC.

Today, every born-again Believer has been pulled out of the destructive fires of this world by our faith in Jesus Christ. Now, those fires serve to sanctify our spirit in the presence of the Holy Spirit.

Joshua and Satan were standing before the Angel of the Lord, but Satan was there to oppose Joshua, to accuse him. Satan opposes and accuses all of us who put our faith in Jesus Christ as we reject the ways of this world, which we have been plucked from. Satan accuses us through his beast that has power over physiology and gives people what to feel and think. Our thoughts and feelings are filled with our shortcomings, past failures, and we are made to feel belittled, accused, and opposed. With that, today’s culture lives for the beast and opposes and accuses the followers of Jesus Christ by what the beast gives them to say and do and how they are made to feel and think about Christians. Apparently, they think because they know all about our terrible past and present shortcomings then somehow God has not forgiven us. Untrue! “And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.” Revelations 12:10

I would even say that it is obvious Satan is the prince of the airways because accusations materialize out of thin air against those living for the Holiness of Jesus Christ. “The Lord rebuke you, Satan!”

The Angel of the Lord rebuked Satan for accusing Joshua, a man plucked from the fire. Likewise, our Lord rebukes Satan for opposing and accusing us who are born-again through Jesus Christ, who have been pulled from the fires of this world sparked by unbelief. We are saved by the grace and mercy of God, not because we deserve His Salvation based on our own goodness, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God…” Ephesians 2:8 We are sinners saved by grace, but if we sin, there is grace, “My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.” 1 John 2:1-2

“For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” Hebrews 8:12

Jesus Christ removes the spiritual filthiness from us and clothes us in the Holy Spirit.
“Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and was standing before the Angel. Then He answered and spoke to those who stood before Him, saying, “Take away the filthy garments from him.” And to him He said, “See, I have removed your iniquity from you, and I will clothe you with rich robes.” And I said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head, and they put the clothes on him. And the Angel of the Lord stood by.” Zachariah 3:3-5

We were clothed in the garments of a filthy spirit. The spirit is the garment that our body wears. Before we started to live in the Spirit of Holiness through Jesus Christ, we were living a life that created a filthy spirit enveloping our body. A filthy spirit is created when we reject the goodness of God, reject the forgiveness of sin through the Lord Jesus, and reject the Holy Spirit from being part of who we are.

When people choose to live by the beast forming their thoughts, feelings, words, and behaviors, they are rejecting the Holiness of the Spirit. That beast gives breath/life to the image of the beast to speak by speaking and living through people everywhere. They are enveloped by the filthy spirit of atheism as they deny God our Creator, discard the need for the Christ, Jesus, who forgives unbelief, and refuse to let the Holy Spirit be part of who they are.

“…let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” 2 Corinthians 7:1

Jesus Christ removes the garments of a filthy spirit from us. God has chosen us for Salvation by setting us apart from serving the flesh and carnality of this world as we live through the Spirit of Holiness. When we believe in Jesus Christ, our sin is put in remission and the Holy Spirit is given to us. That is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He died on the Cross to atone for sin and whoever believes in Him will be cleansed from sin and be given a new spirit. “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit. then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners will be converted to You.” Psalms 51:10-13

Through Jesus Christ we are clothed with garments of a rich Spirit. Holiness is the rich spirit which envelopes those who live for Jesus Christ by the remission of sin. “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” Ezekiel 36:26

“…you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.” 1 Peter 2:9-10

Jesus Christ clothes our head with Holiness. To have a clean turban put on our head means the ugliness of our thoughts are counteracted by the Holiness of the Spirit. The beast with power over physiology is able to form what we think, and thoughts will constantly invade our mind to oppose our life in Christ. Those of this world are conformed to serve the beast and are given thoughts which give them uncanny knowledge and heightened intuition. They are allowing the image of the beast to live and speak through them. The Holy Spirit has this to say, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Romans 12:2

“For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ…” 2 Corinthians 10:4-5

“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12

Those who are born again the Holiness of Jesus Christ will rule with Him.
“Then the Angel of the Lord admonished Joshua, saying, “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘If you will walk in My ways, and if you will keep My command, then you will also judge My house, and likewise have charge of My courts; I will give you places to walk among these who stand here.” Zachariah 3:6-7

The Lord encouraged Joshua the same way He encourages everyone who walks with Him through Jesus Christ, in the presence of the Holy Spirit. He says to us, “If you will walk in My ways, and if you will keep My command, then you will also judge My house, and likewise have charge of My courts…” The courts of the Lord is our body as His temple, the temple of the Holy Spirit. We are to keep charge of His court by walking in the Spirit and not by the flesh, which we are able to do by walking with the Christ, Jesus. One way that we judge His house [our body as His house] is by knowing the tree by its fruit, “You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? ¹⁷ Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.” Matthew 7:16-18 Also in this verse, “Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.” 1 John 4:15

The Lord gives us a place “among those who stand here”, referring to those who were before the Angel of the Lord, in Heaven [except for Satan the accuser]. We will walk among our Lord Jesus Christ, all the angels of Heaven, and God in the eternal New Jerusalem.

“Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of all the kingdoms under heaven will be handed over to the holy people of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will worship and obey him.” Daniel 7:27

“This is a faithful saying: For if we died with Him, we will also live with Him. If we endure, we shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us.” 2 Timothy 2:11-12

Jesus Christ has come and is coming again to redeem those who receive Him.
“‘Hear, O Joshua, the high priest, You and your companions who sit before you, For they are a wondrous sign; For behold, I am bringing forth My Servant the BRANCH. For behold, the stone That I have laid before Joshua: Upon the stone are seven eyes. Behold, I will engrave its inscription,’ Says the Lord of hosts, ‘And I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day. In that day,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘Everyone will invite his neighbor under his vine and under his fig tree.’ ” Zachariah 3:8-10

Joshua and his companions are those who were prominent during the time of rebuilding Jerusalem and the Temple after being freed from their captivity to Babylon. Likewise, as followers of Jesus Christ, we are those in which the temple of God is being rebuilt, our body rebuilt as the temple of the Holy Spirit. That happens after our born-again experience, freedom from captivity to the flesh. We are a wondrous sign in the eyes of God because we receive His Son, Jesus, as the Christ, our Lord, and Savior of the world.

The Lord spoke a prophecy to Joshua, that He would bring forth His Servant, the Branch. That Servant and Branch is the Christ, Jesus, who was sent to this earth 2026 years ago. Jesus is the Branch of God, God being the Vine, in the same way that we are the branches of Christ who is the Vine. Christ is the Servant of God who came to atone for sin on the Cross, as the Lamb of God. The same as we are the servants of Christ who carry our cross daily in sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which is written on our heart through the born-again experience.

There was a stone set before Joshua, which represents Christ Jesus as the Chief Cornerstone on which the house of the Lord is built, our body as the temple of the Holy Spirit. Joshua was a high priest, but Jesus is the High Priest that makes all earthly ministers obsolete. Upon the Stone are seven eyes, which represents our Lord being on all seven continents around the world, and Him being all-knowing. Jesus is all knowing in ways such as in prophecy, “For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” Revelations 19:10 If we want to know where the world is within prophecy we only need to know where Jesus is within the world. Also, “…the very hairs of your head are all numbered.” Matthew 12:7 The Lord Jesus knows every name in His Book of Life, and those who aren’t, “All who dwell on the earth will worship [the beast], whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” Revelations 13:8

“I will engrave its inscription” means that God guaranteed the coming of the Christ, to remove the sin of the land in one day. That one day is when Jesus was crucified on the Cross to atone for sin, a day when sin was removed from everyone who believes in Him. This is the covenant inscribed by the hand of God, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

“Everyone will invite his neighbor under his vine and under his fig tree” refers to sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ to invite others to sit under the Vine, who is the Christ, Jesus, and under His fig tree. We invite others into the fellowship of the eternal New Jerusalem, “And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. “In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.” Revelations 22:1-2

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“….to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets,“
‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’”
“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”
Revelation 2:24-25, 3:1