Chapters 3 and 4

The fifth cycle of discipline began the second time in 70 AD. This is the reason for the Church Age. The Church replaces Israel as the custodians of the Word of God and is responsible for its dissemination. At the time of Zechariah 3, Zechariah anticipates the rebuilding of the temple in four years. In 516 BC it will be completed.

What about the priesthood which functions in the temple? Chapter three answers the question about two factors: the entire priesthood and the tribe of Levi.

Doctrine of the Levitical priesthood

1. There are three essentials of the Levitical priesthood – Numbers 16:5.

a. They had to be chosen by God. It had to be a sovereign decision approving what resulted from physical birth..

b. They had to be spiritually qualified, set apart as holy.

c. They were permitted to “draw near", i.e. to function in the tabernacle and later on in the temple – a spiritual function.

2. Aaron is the first high priest – Exodus 28:1; Numbers 18:7,8.

3. The priesthood was supposed to descend through Aaron’s four sons. Only two survived. Two revolted against Moses – Nadab and Abihu, Numbers 18. The two younger sons were the basis for the priesthood – Eleazor and Ithmar, Numbers 10:6. Eleazor would be high priest, he was the elder son. Eleazor’s eldest son would be the high priest – always the eldest son. All other sons would be priests.

4. However, any progeny of Eleazor or Ithmar who had physical defects would be disqualified – Leviticus 21:17-23.

5. The general functions of the Levitical priesthood:

a. To teach the Mosaic law – Leviticus 10:11. This function was to teach doctrine – the primary function.

b. To offer sacrifices – another way of teaching doctrine.

c. To maintain the tabernacle and later on the temple – Numbers 18:3.

d. They were responsible to conduct all ritual on the holy place – Exodus 30:7,8; Leviticus 24:5-8.

e. To inspect unclean persons – Numbers 13, 14 as well as Numbers 6:22ff, the manner in which they were to inspect the people.

f. To judge controversies – Deuteronomy 17:8; 19:17. God never permitted anyone who didn’t know the law to judge a case. The priests knew the law.

6. When on certain festive occasions, such as the Passover, the strength of the priest was taxed (by offering animal sacrifices), they were to be assisted by the Levites – 2 Chronicles 29:34; 35:14.

7. In David’s day the priesthood had to be reorganised. David established 24 courses to the priesthood. From Eleazor’s descendants 16 courses, from Ithmar’s 8 courses. There were actually 24 orders for the priesthood from then on.

8. Some of the priests received the office of prophet – e.g. Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Zechariah.

9. The entire nation of Israel was originally designated as a kingdom of priests but their sinfulness prevented this from actually occurring – Exodus 19:4-6.

The doctrine of the Levites

1. The tribe of Levi was chosen by God for the care and administration of holy things – Numbers 3:5ff; 8:14-19.

2. The firstborn of the nation Israel who were consecrated to the Lord were replaced by the Levites. In all of the tribes a firstborn tax was brought and this released the firstborn from spiritual activity. Levi took the place. The firstborn of every family was ransomed or redeemed by five shekels – Numbers 18:16.

3. The period of service for the Levites was from 25 to 50. They were trained until they were 25 and retired at age 50. The strain of spiritual things is much greater than in natural things – Numbers 8:24-25.

4. The function of the Levitical priesthood:

a. To preserve the law and transmit it to posterity (Copy it) – Leviticus 10:11; Deuteronomy 17:18; 31:9-13; 33:10; Nehemiah 8:9; Ezekiel 44:23.

b. To assist the priests in the service of the tabernacle and later on the temple – Numbers 18:4, except the Gibeonites and the Nethanim. The Gibeonites cut wood and hauled water – Joshua 9:21. The Nethanim were the gatekeepers at the house of the Lord – Ezekiel 8:20. Outside the Gibeonites and the Nethanim the Levites did everything in connection with the temple.

Apart from the family of Aaron there were three general families: the families of Gershon, Kohath, and Narari. The Gershonites were responsible for all the hangings and coverings of the tabernacle. The Kohathites were responsible for the ark, the tables of shewbread, the lampstand, the two altars and all the sacred vessels and veils. The family of Narari were responsible for the planks, the bars, the sockets, the pins, and the cords of the tabernacle. Their functions continued within the temple.

Under the 5th cycle of discipline the Levitical priesthood does not function. When they get back to the land and the temple is rebuilt then the priesthood must function. Now Satan understood this and therefore he made a special attack on the tribe of Levi, the family of Aaron. Aaron’s son, way down the line, is Joshua the high priest – Zechariah 3.

Verse 1 – “he” refers to the interpreting angel.

“showed me” – showed Zechariah.

“Joshua” – Zechariah’s cousin.

“standing” – at the place of the alter where he ministers until the temple is erected. Satan challenges his right to do so. Joshua has an old sin nature (this is a courtroom scene). Joshua had produced human good and personal sins. Apparently Joshua had logged a good deal of time out of the bottom circle and was therefore in status quo carnality. Satan brings the whole thing into court and accuses him before the Lord. How can Joshua function as the high priest?

Verse 1 – “to resist him” .The verb “resist” is Shatan is the Hebrew. Resist or Satan means to accuse, sometimes to malign – “Satan stands to satan him.” It was Satan’s purpose to accuse Joshua. His argument was that because Joshua was out of fellowship he had no right to function. The priesthood is about to go into operation because the temple is about to be finished. Satan says because of sin the priesthood cannot function and the temple should be abandoned.

Zechariah is going to point out that priests are accepted on the basis of the righteousness of God, on the basis of having passed the point of propitiation, of the holiness by-pass, on the basis of grace.

Verse 2 – The defence ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ.

“And Jehovah said unto Satan” – i.e. Christ said.

“The Lord [the Father] rebuke thee” – the Father has chosen Jerusalem, it is the Father’s decision to terminate the 5th cycle of discipline, it is the Father’s decision to start the function of the priesthood and to use Joshua.

Question: If Joshua had been so bad for so many years how could he function as high priest?

Answer: He has committed X number of sins. All of those sins were poured out at the cross and judged. The human good of Joshua was rejected. Joshua accepted Christ as his saviour and at that moment passed the point of propitiation and entered into phase two under the principle of the holiness by-pass. At the cross the person of Christ satisfied the righteousness of the Father. He bore our sins. Because of this Joshua in phase two is the recipient of God’s love without God’s holiness – i.e. the holiness by-pass. God can love Joshua without being inconsistent with His righteousness and justice. Every sin Joshua would commit was judged at the cross. In phase two he confesses those sins and he is forgiven immediately. Why? The law of double jeopardy. You can’t be judged twice for the same sin – 1 John 1:9, rebound.

Discipline is to put us under enough pressure to rebound. It also gives us confidence that we are in the family. Discipline is a family matter. It makes it possible for us to serve Him again and again.

“rebuke thee” – to throw the case out of court; “brand” – Joshua is a brand. A brand here is a burning piece of wood; “pulled out of the fire” – once the burning stick is pulled out of the fire the fire is put out. Joshua is a believer, he is passed the point of propitiation, he is under no condemnation – Romans 8:1. He is a saved person, i.e. he is a brand plucked out of the burning. From the divine viewpoint he is the recipient of grace, from the standpoint of his modus operandi he is a rebounder. As a rebounder he is forgiven and cleansed because the sins that he mentions at this point have already been judged plus all of the sins he will ever commit in all of his lifetime.

Brand plucked out of the burning has several concepts. Two concepts of grace which are found at the point of the cross: a. The concept of Romans 8:32, he lives under the principle of more grace; b. The concept of 1 John 2:2, “my little children", literally “my little childish child” .He wouldn’t grow up – used here for believers out of fellowship. Jesus Christ is our defender. Why? “He keeps on being the propitiation for our sins” .The holiness by-pass always works; His love remains constant.

Verse 3 – Joshua’s garments are covered with excrement. This is a divine attitude. Satan has a great demon organisation called kosmokratwr, an intelligence system whereby he keeps track on all believers. He builds up a file on them to accuse them.

“he stood before the angel” – the angel is the Lord Jesus Christ, a Christophany. Joshua was on trial; Jesus Christ represented him – 1 John 2:21, He was the advocate. The case was thrown out of court; Joshua was acquitted on the basis of the cross. “stand” represents the principle of rebound.

Verse 4 – “he” refers to the angel of Jehovah, Jesus Christ – “take away the garments.” In other words, he has been cleansed – “unto him,” unto Joshua; “I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee” – this is 1 John 1:9. He is functioning again because of what happened at the cross.

Verses 6-10 – the three messages to Joshua.

Verses 6,7 – the message of Christ.

“protest” means to communicate. The key to verse 7 is that Joshua will function as the high priest. The key word is “walk” ."If” indicates that Joshua must be in the bottom circle to function. He must continue to rebound. Walking has two ideas here: the idea of progress, you move forward; the idea of consistency or faithfulness, also the production of divine good – “ways,” in the plural to indicate that there are many types of techniques, many types of doctrines which are used in order to do this. He must learn to use and apply all facets, categories, techniques which are available to him;

“keep” means to guard, to receive guardianship; “my charge” – my commandments, my specifications for you. Joshua is the high priest, the high priest has specifications or a job profile in the scripture and he must fulfil the job profile. What is the job profile? It includes teaching and communicating doctrine, teaching by ritual, judging, etc. Walking comes first, then the function.

The fulfilment of these specifications requires that: 1. We know doctrine; 2. That we are filled with the Spirit.

“house” – the children of Israel organised under three parts of the Mosaic law; “keep my courts” – courts refers to the temple; “these that stand by” are angels involved in the angelic conflict.

Verses 8-9 – the message of Zechariah.

“thy fellows” – the other priests; “wondered” – they are men of type. The men of the Levites have a spiritual typology, they are a point of doctrine; “my servant” – first advent. Christ was the Servant of the Father, He went to the cross and bore the sins of the world; “branch” – second advent, when Christ returns to the earth. He is the Branch, He will restore Israel, He will terminate the 5th cycle of discipline and once again Israel will function. “Branch” refers to restoration.

Verse 9 – “Behold the stone,” Joshua, keep your eyes on the Lord. Occupation with Christ is involved here; “upon one stone seven eyes” – seven is the perfect number in the scriptures. Eyes refer to the characteristics. This is the essence of Jesus Christ. Each characteristic is perfect. The character of Christ is the sustaining principle with Joshua, just as Christ is the sustaining principle with all believers.

Verse 10 – the message from God the Father; “that day” – a dual fulfilment. First, historical – 516 BC when the temple is completed; second, prophetical – the second advent of Christ. Whenever the Jews come back from the 5th cycle of discipline (it is a point of doctrine) they come back with doctrine. They had their golden age based on doctrine; “vine and fig tree” – a sign of great prosperity under the agricultural economy. It will be true again in the Millennium.

Chapter four

Chapter four is the candlestick and the mountain. Historical background to the chapter: 536 BC, decree from Cyrus the Great permitting the Jews to go back into the land. But Jews going back into the land never terminates the 5th cycle of discipline. It is the reconstruction of the temple which indicates the end of the 5th cycle – 2 Chronicles 36:22-27; Ezra 1:1-5. 535 BC, rebuilding of the temple began. Under the 5th cycle of discipline the nation Israel is never recognised by God.

539 BC, the neo-Chaldean empire was destroyed. This was the night of the handwriting on the wall – Daniel 5.

In 535 BC, there was opposition to the construction of the temple by the Samaritans. The work was stopped for about fourteen years; 521 BC, the new Persian king, Darius Hystaspes. He was apparently a born again believer and apparently encouraged renewal of the work on the temple. Haggai’s ministry was solely concerned with resumption of work on the temple. 516 BC, the temple was completed. The Jews started the 4th cycle of discipline in 721 BC and this took them to 585 BC. During that time they were minus doctrine, as described in Isaiah 5:13; Hosea 4:6. They were going into the 5th cycle of discipline because they were minus doctrine.

The ministry of Zechariah in 520 BC – Now there is a great mountain of opposition which is going to be levelled by Bible doctrine and the ministry of the Spirit. Afterward would be a fantastic period of prosperity.

Three restorations in this chapter: 1. restoration of testimony – verses 1-7; 2. Restoration of the temple – verses 8-10; 3. Restoration of leadership – verses 11-14.

The things which it takes for Israel to fulfil its role.

1. A dynamic impression on the rest of the world, 516-323 BC – verses 1-7.

2. The temple represents the whole principle of teaching doctrine to the Jews in the Old Testament. Everything has to be built on doctrine – verses 8-10.

3. You have to have good leadership – verses 11-14. When a nation goes for doctrine it causes something to happen. If the people of a nation are minus doctrine they get poor leadership. Systems come to the fore, e.g. socialism, it results in mediocrity. With a nation on doctrine there is superior leadership. What pops up in a nation depends on which way the nation is going.

How do you stimulate leadership which is there potentially? With doctrine and grace. Zechariah is going to crank up the leadership by communication of doctrine. But someone has to crank up Zechariah. He must get doctrine from somewhere. Zechariah had a language problem. He understood Hebrew but Hebrew did not have the preciseness of the Koine Greek. He was to some extent a victim of the language. He could not get the information that he needed for his time right then and there. He needed and had a teacher – the angel, 4:1.

In becoming spiritually self-sustaining every believer must have mental development. Bible doctrine can bring out the genius of a ditch digger. Bible doctrine gives the capacity to appreciate God and to appreciate life. We can only enjoy the things that are a point of doctrine. Every detail of life therefore must become a point of doctrine.

We have periods of history which are disaster periods: breakdown of leadership, etc. When there is a breakdown of leadership there will be leaders who will make decisions which are not in the best interests of the national entity.

Zechariah is exhausted. His exhaustion is based on mental fatigue. This is the result of the first three chapters of learning, of categorising, of studying. Not only must he get these things himself but he must communicate these things – “waked”; exhausted – “sleep,” deep sleep which comes from exhaustion. If the body is fatigued the mind does not generally function too well. There is a relationship between body and soul. The body demands rest so that the mind can work.

Verse 2 – the fifth vision (or shot of doctrine).

“candlestick” – lampstand. It has a central stem which represents Christ. Except for the bowl on top the lampstand was exactly like the golden lampstand in the temple. The bowl was an oil reservoir.

Doctrine of the lampstand

– the same as the lampstand in the tabernacle which is described in Exodus 25:31-40; 37:17-24. The tabernacle lampstand was manufactured in a most unusual way. It was beaten out of a lump of gold softened with heat. It was the only light in the holy place of the tabernacle.

1. The central branch represents the Lord Jesus Christ. While the six branches joined to it represents born again believers, seven is the number of completion. Six is the number of man in the Bible. When we are in union with Christ we are complete in phase two, with all of our problems, failures, difficulties; which means that God has provided for completed people to be complete, but it requires point of doctrine. The first thing learned from the lampstand is the principle of relationship. This means of course that we are not dealing with religion. Christianity is not a religion but a relationship with God.

2. The central branch has a light, it represents Christ as the Light of the world – 1 John 1:5; John 8:12. It represents the principle of God revealed to man. Christ is the revealed member of the Godhead, John 1:18. Concept: revelation of salvation is available to all. The gospel is available to all.

3. Each of the six branches has a light representing believers as witnesses. Jesus said to His disciples in Matthew 5:14: “Ye are the lights of the world” .Cf.. Ephesians 5:8.

4. The oil in the central branch represents the Holy Spirit in sustaining Christ during the incarnation.

5. The oil in the other branches represents the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer – amplified by 4:6.

Analogies

a. Oil lubricates, it abolishes friction. When filled with the Spirit there is a relaxed mental attitude, minus mental attitude sins. There is freedom.

b. Oil heals. The ministry of the Holy Spirit heals the heartaches, the sorrows, the pressures. It comes through the knowledge of doctrine.

c. Oil lights. This is the teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit – John 14:26; 16:12-15; 1 Corinthians 2:9-14. The Spirit takes the doctrine, puts it into categories and makes it real.

d. Oil warms. This is the capacity for grace, love, compassion, tenderness. The Holy Spirit can take the worst personality in the world and change it.

e. Oil invigorates. The Holy Spirit invigorates. He provides the basis for divine good.

f. Oil adorns. This refers to the production of the Spirit, the fruit of the Spirit – Galatians 5:22.

g. Oil is used for polishing. The Holy Spirit removes all of the rough edges of the old sin nature.

6. The wick of the lamp. The believer is the wick. The wick must be saturated with oil in order to burn. When the oil has burned down and the light goes out there will be some burned wick. This has to be cropped off. This is why the priests, when they came into the temple, cut off the piece of burnt wick and put it into the gold snuff box. This is divine good that was produced yesterday. It must be forgotten. We cannot feel proud and gloat over what we did yesterday, it must be forgotten and we must move on. Pride is a mental attitude sin, it results in grieving or quenching the Spirit.

The oil cannot be accumulated, they had to put in a fresh supply every day. Every believer has to live each day as a brand new day before the Lord.

There were seven lamps and seven pipes to each lamp. Pipes were the means of getting the oil to the lamps. This means that God has provided a way whereby we can be filled with the Spirit compatible to His grace.

The two olive trees: the concept of leadership. They represented a segment of leadership: Zerubbabel and Joshua.

Verse 4 – “What are these?” indicates that he does not understand what is involved in this particular study. He understands the principle of the lampstand but he does not understand how it applies to this particular time, his own day.

Verse 5 – the confusion of the prophet’s ignorance. He recognised that he did not understand and this put him on the road to learning. For doctrine, everyone has to have a teacher.

Verse 6 – “unto Zerubbabel.” Zerubbabel was the political ruler. Chapter three was to Joshua who was the high priest. There we see Joshua with his garments covered with excrement. In this chapter we see Zerubbabel faced with a whole mountain of opposition. Just as rebound and learning doctrine was the solution for Joshua, so in this chapter it is the principle of the faith-rest technique, the power of God, and the plan of God, that will remove the mountain of opposition. Leadership brings extra pressure is the principle.

“Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts” – this phrase represents the principle of the energy of the flesh, human ability and talents. God’s plan is not accomplished by human ability, etc., – “but by my Spirit” – reference to God the Holy Spirit. It is the filling of the Holy Spirit by which man enters into the plan of God and executes the plan of God.

Verse 7 – the mountain of opposition. The mountain before Zerubbabel is Satan and his agencies; “a plain” – it will be levelled; “the headstone” – the final stone in the construction of the temple. Who is this mountain? See Ezra 1:1 – Cyrus the Great is now emperor; “stirred up the spirit” – Cyrus is a believer, he applies doctrine to the situation. Ezra 3:8-11, they begin to build the temple (the foundation). In 3:12 – “But” – the sour grapes crowd; “it will never be as good as ours was” !In 3:13 the people for drowned out the people against. There were two kinds of people, Jews and Samaritans. Most of the people were with doctrine and they drowned out the opposition. 4:1 – the mountain. The opposition (unbelieving apostates) joined the believers, subtly making out they were with them. Verse 3 – Zerubbabel refuses to have them. In verse 4 the opposition commences. Note verses 23,24.

Zech. 4:7 – Zerubbabel will complete the temple. “Grace, grace” – all is done by God’s grace alone. Mountains in our lives become a plain by one system only, Bible doctrine. The temple was destroyed in AD 70 but the work the believers did in building it will last forever – the production of divine good.

Verses 7-10 – the restoration of the temple.

Zerubbabel started the building and would finish it. The generation of Zerubbabel was one of the greatest generations of believers of all time because they went from total failure to total success all within their own generation. Principle: How you handle your failure determines your spiritual success. Get up and keep moving.

Two principles: a. The “great mountain” represents opposition; b. The “day of small things” represents the concept of grace. It is the grace of God that converts the small thing into something worthwhile and permanent. The removal of the mountain of opposition is strictly a matter of the grace of God. We cannot take credit for these things.

In this part of the book of Zechariah we have a concept: the most effective use of doctrine in a national entity is when leaders finally get doctrine. God raised up prophets to get doctrine to leadership.

Verse 8 – It is Bible doctrine that gets things cranked up. The building of the temple was going to be a point of doctrine and it was going to be the basis for the dissemination of doctrine. This was the reason for Satan’s opposition to its construction. Nothing was going to happen until they got back to the Word of God.

Verse 9 – a promise. A promise is no stronger than the character of the person who makes it. When God makes a promise He always keeps it; “laid the foundation” – the foundation stone. Cf. Ezra 3:8-13, in 535 BC; “finish it” – he is going to put in the gable stone also, in 516 BC; “thou shalt know” – the greatest virtue in the Christian life is knowledge of doctrine. The enjoyment of spiritual things, of the grace of God, the impact of your life, all depend upon knowledge of doctrine; “has sent me” – Jesus Christ, to protect, to care, to supervise, to hold back the plans of Satan. Principle: Any work the Lord begins, the Lord completes.

Verse 10 – “hands of Zerubbabel” – an instrument; “who” – the Jews, Ezra 3:12,13; Haggai 2:3. They only looked at the superficial –"who has despised the day of small things?” – the believer minus doctrine. When the temple is completed some people will rejoice because the temple is a point of doctrine. Some will be miserable because to them it is a building. They judge it from the standpoint of architecture, etc.; “plummet stone” – when he puts that stone in place the building is finished; “these seven” – cf. 3:9. Reference to the essence of the Lord Jesus Christ. Not seven characteristics but seven as a perfect number describing a perfect Person. He has been there with them all the time; “eyes of the Lord” – an idiomatic phrase referring to the Person.

Verses 11-14 – the restoration of the leadership. The leadership must communicate doctrine.

Verse 11 – “lampstand” – the lampstand is the testimony of Israel. Israel becomes a point of doctrine once the temple is constructed.

Verse 12 – “golden oil” – literally, golden liquid. The golden liquid is Bible doctrine; “branches” – one is Zerubbabel and the other is Joshua the high priest. They will operate on Bible doctrine. This is the beginning of the 200 years golden age.

Verse 13 – “No my lord” – to learn, you must be honest. This is where you start learning.

Verse 14 – “anointed” – literally, sons of oil. The two leaders. As leaders they looked at things from the divine viewpoint; “stand by” – to fill in the gap. To be leaders who are representative of the Lord, qualified to represent. They have learned Bible doctrine, they are in fellowship.

Lessons

1. The things that people seek to make them happy are the very things that elude them, e.g. money. If you depend on it for happiness it will never make you happy. If it is a point of doctrine it will bring happiness. If the money is lost there is still happiness.

2. The importance of regeneration for divine service.

3. The importance of the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the life of the individual.

4. The importance of knowing doctrine.

5. The relationship of knowledge of doctrine and the impact of the individual or the collective group of believers.

6. Man’s helplessness and hopelessness is taken by the grace of God and converted into happiness and dynamic impact.

7. The grace of God removes the opposition.