Joshua, the High Priest

3 Then the guiding angel showed me Joshua the high priest [representing disobedient, sinful Israel] standing before the ^[a]Angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at Joshua’s right hand to be his adversary and to accuse him. ² And the Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! Even the Lord, who [now and ever] has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is this not a ^[b]log snatched and rescued from the fire?”^{(A) 3} Now Joshua was clothed with ^[c]filthy (nauseatingly vile) garments and was standing before the Angel [of the Lord]. ⁴ He spoke to those who stood before Him, saying, “Remove the filthy garments from him.” And He said to Joshua, “See, I have caused your wickedness to be taken away from you, and I will clothe and beautify you with rich robes [of forgiveness].” ⁵ And I (Zechariah) said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with [rich] garments. And the Angel of the Lord stood by.

⁶ And the Angel of the Lord [solemnly and earnestly] admonished Joshua, saying, ⁷ “Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘If you will walk in My ways [that is, remain faithful] and perform My service, then you will also govern My house and have charge of My courts, and I will give you free access [to My presence] among these who are standing here.

The Branch

⁸ Now listen, Joshua, the high priest, you and your colleagues who are sitting in front of you—indeed they are men who are a symbol [of what is to come]—for behold, I am going to bring in My servant the ^[d]Branch [in Messianic glory].^{(B) 9} For behold, the ^[e]stone which I have set before Joshua; on that one stone are seven eyes (symbolizing infinite intelligence, omniscience). Behold, I will engrave an inscription on it,’ declares the Lord of hosts, ‘and I will remove the wickedness and guilt of this land in a single day.^{(C) 10} In that day,’ declares the Lord of hosts, ‘every one of you will invite his neighbor to sit under his vine and his fig tree [enjoying peace and prosperity in the kingdom].’”^(D)

The Golden Lampstand and Olive Trees

4 And the angel who was speaking with me came back and awakened me, like a man who is awakened out of his sleep. ² He said to me, “What do you see?” I said, “I see, and behold, a ^[f]lampstand all of gold, with its bowl [for oil] on the top of it and its seven lamps on it with seven spouts belonging to each of the lamps which are on the top of it.^{(E) 3} And there are two olive trees by it, one on the right side of the bowl and the other on its left side [supplying it continuously with oil].”^{(F) 4} So I asked the angel who was speaking with me, “What are these, my lord?” ⁵ Then the angel who was speaking with me answered me, “Do you not know what these are?” And I said, “No, my lord.” ⁶ Then he said to me, “This [continuous supply of oil] is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel [prince of Judah], saying, ‘Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit [of whom the oil is a symbol],’ says the Lord of hosts. ⁷ ‘What are you, O great mountain [of obstacles]? Before Zerubbabel [who will rebuild the temple] you will become a plain (insignificant)! And he will bring out the capstone [of the new temple] with loud shouts of “Grace, grace to it!”’”^(G)

⁸ Also the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ⁹ “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundations of this house, and his hands will finish it. Then you will know (recognize, understand fully) that the Lord of hosts has sent me [as His messenger] to you. ¹⁰ Who [with reason] despises the day of small things (beginnings)? For these ^[g]seven [eyes] shall rejoice when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. They are the eyes of the Lord which roam throughout the earth.”^(H)

¹¹ Then I said to him [who was speaking with me], “What are these two olive trees on the right side of the lampstand and on its left?” ¹² And a second time I said to him, “What are these two olive branches which are beside the two golden pipes by which the golden oil is emptied?” ¹³ And he answered me, “Do you not know what these are?” And I said, “No, my lord.” ¹⁴ Then he said, “These are the two ^[h]sons of fresh oil [Joshua the high priest and Zerubbabel the prince of Judah] who are standing by the Lord of the whole earth [as His anointed ones].”^(I)

The Flying Scroll

5 Again I looked up, and I saw a scroll flying in the air! ² And the angel said to me, “What do you see?” And I answered, “I see a ^[i]flying scroll; its length is twenty cubits (thirty feet) and its width is ten cubits (fifteen feet).” ³ Then he said to me, “This is the curse that is going out over the face of the whole land; for everyone who steals will be cut off according to the writing on one side, and everyone who swears [oaths falsely] shall be cut off according to the writing on the other side.^{(J) 4} I will send the curse out,” declares the Lord of hosts, “and it will enter the house of the thief and the house of the one who swears falsely by My name; and it will spend the night in that house and consume it, both its timber and its stones.”

⁵ Then the angel who was speaking with me came forward and said to me, “Now look up and see what this is going forth.” ⁶ And I said, “What is it?” And he said, “This is the ^[j]ephah (grain basket) going forth. This,” he continued, “is their appearance throughout the land^{(K) 7} (and behold, a [round, flat] lead ^[k]cover was lifted up); and there sat a woman inside the ephah.” ⁸ Then he said, “This is Wickedness (Godlessness)!” And he threw her back down into the middle of the ephah and threw the lead cover on its opening. ⁹ Then I looked up, and there were two women coming out with the wind in their wings; and they had wings like the wings of a stork, and they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heavens. ¹⁰ I said to the angel who was speaking with me, “Where are they taking the ephah?” ¹¹ And he said to me, “To the land of Shinar (Babylon) to build a temple for her; and when it is prepared, ^[l]she shall be set there on her own pedestal.”

The Four Chariots

6 Now again I looked up, and ^[m]four chariots were coming out from between two mountains; and the mountains were mountains of [firm, immovable] bronze (divine judgment). ² The first chariot had red horses (war, bloodshed), the second chariot had black horses (famine, death),^{(L) 3} the third chariot had white horses (victory), and the fourth chariot had strong dappled horses (death through judgment).^{(M) 4} Then I said to the angel who was speaking with me, “What are these, my lord?” ⁵ The angel answered me, “These are the four spirits of the heavens, which go out after presenting themselves before the Lord of all the earth,^{(N) 6} with the chariot with the black horses going toward the north country; then the one with the white horses follows after them [because there are two northern powers to overcome], and the chariot with the dappled horses goes toward the south country.” ⁷ When the strong horses went out, they were eager to patrol the earth. And the Lord said, “Go, patrol the earth.” So they patrolled the earth [watching and protecting it]. ⁸ Then He called out to me and said to me, “See, those who are going to the north country have quieted My Spirit [of wrath] in the north country.”

⁹ The word of the Lord also came to me, saying, ¹⁰ “Take an offering from the exiles, from Heldai, from Tobijah, and from Jedaiah [as representatives]; and you go the same day and enter the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah, where they have arrived from Babylon.

The Symbolic Crowns

¹¹ Take silver and gold [from them], and make an ornate crown and set it on the head of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest. ¹² Then say to Joshua, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, “Behold (look, keep in sight, watch), a Man (Messiah) whose name is Branch, for He shall branch out from His place (Israel, the Davidic line); and He shall build the [ultimate] temple of the Lord.^{(O) 13} Yes, [you are to build a temple of the Lord, but] it is He who shall build the [ultimate] temple of the Lord, and He shall bear the honor and majesty [as the only begotten of the Father] and sit and rule on His throne. And He shall be a ^[n]Priest on His throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between the two offices [Priest and King].”’^{(P) 14} Now the crown shall become a reminder in the temple of the Lord to Helem, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Hen the son of Zephaniah.^{(Q) 15} And those who are far away will come and [help] build the temple of the Lord.” Then you shall know [without any doubt] that the Lord of hosts sent me (Zechariah) to you. And it will come about if you will diligently obey the [voice of the] Lord your God.