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Expanded Comments |
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| 1 And he sheweth me Joshua the high priest standing before the messenger of Jehovah, and the Adversary standing at his right hand, to be an adversary to him. |
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 Jehovah saith unto the Adversary: 'Jehovah doth push against thee, O Adversary, Yea, push against thee doth Jehovah, Who is fixing on Jerusalem, Is not this a brand delivered from 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 And Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and is standing before the messenger. |
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 answereth and speaketh unto those standing before him, saying: 'Turn aside the filthy garments from off him.' And he saith unto him, 'See, I have caused thine iniquity to pass away from off thee, so as to clothe thee with costly apparel.' |
Change of raiment – Picturing the covering of our sins with the robe of Christ's righteousness. R1490:3
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| 5 He also said, 'Let them set a pure diadem on his head. And they set the pure diadem on his head, and clothe him with garments. And the messenger of Jehovah is standing, |
His head – Our Lord Jesus. R1490:3
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| 6 and the messenger of Jehovah doth protest to Joshua, saying: |
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| 7 'Thus said Jehovah of Hosts: If in My ways thou dost walk, And if My charge thou dost keep, Then also thou dost judge My house, And also thou dost keep My courts, And I have given to thee conductors among these standing by. |
Walk in my ways – Picturing the Church's high calling to the divine nature. R1490:3
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| 8 Hear, I pray thee, Joshua, the high priest, Thou and thy companions sitting before thee, (For men of type [are] they,) For lo, I am bringing in My servant a Shoot. |
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 lo, the stone that I put before Joshua, On one stone [are] seven eyes, Lo, I am graving its graving, An affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts, And I have removed 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 an affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts, Ye do call, each unto his neighbour, Unto the place of the vine, And unto the place of the fig-tree!' |
In that day – In the Millennial day. R1490:6
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