The Advocate And The Accuser

In The Word

Read: Zechariah 3-4

 

Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right to accuse him. And the Lordsaid to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! Indeed, the Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a log snatched from the fire?”Now Joshua was clothed in filthy garments and was standing before the angel. And he responded and said to those who were standing before him, saying, “Remove the filthy garments from him.” Again he said to him, “See, I have taken your guilt away from you and will clothe you with festive robes.” Then I said, “Have them put a clean headband on his head.” So they put the clean headband on his head and clothed him with garments, while the angel of the Lord was standing by.

And the angel of the Lord admonished Joshua, saying, “The Lord of armies says this: ‘If you walk in My ways and perform My service, then you will both govern My house and be in charge of My courtyards, and I will grant you free access among these who are standing here.

The Branch

Now listen, Joshua, you high priest, you and your friends who are sitting in front of you—indeed they are men who are a sign: for behold, I am going to bring in My servant the Branch. For behold, the stone that I have put before Joshua; on one stone are seven eyes. Behold, I am going to engrave an inscription on it,’ declares the Lord of armies, ‘and I will remove the guilt of that land in one day. 10 On that day,’ declares the Lordof armies, ‘every one of you will invite his neighbor to sit under his vine and under his fig tree.’”

The Golden Lampstand and the Olive Trees

Then the angel who had been speaking with me returned and woke me, like a person who is awakened from his sleep. And he said to me, “What do you see?” And I said, “I see, and behold, a lampstand all of gold with its bowl 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; also two olive trees by it, one on the right side of the bowl and the other on its left side.”Then I said to the angel who was speaking with me, saying, “What are these, my lord?” So the angel who was speaking with me answered and said to me, “Do you not know what these are?” And I said, “No, my lord.”Then he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel, saying, ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of armies.‘What are you, you great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will becomea plain; and he will bring out the top stone with shouts of “Grace, grace to it!”’”

Also the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house, and his hands will finish it. Then you will know that the Lord of armies has sent me to you.10 For who has shown contempt for the day of small things? But these seven will rejoice when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel—they are the eyes of the Lord roaming throughout the earth.”

11 Then I said to him, “What are these two olive trees on the right of the lampstand and on its left?” 12 And I responded the second time and said to him, “What are the two olive branches which are beside the two golden pipes, which empty the golden oil from themselves?” 13 So he answered me, saying, “Do you not know what these are?” And I said, “No, my lord.”14 Then he said, “These are the two anointed ones, who are standing by the Lord of the whole earth.”

New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation


Walking In The Word

 

The vision continued as Zechariah saw the high priest standing before the Lord with satan at his right hand accusing him. However, the Lord rebuked satan and instructed the angels to remove the man’s filthy garments. The Lord had taken away his sin and clothed him with clean garments. The man was promised free access to the Lord if he walked in the Lord’s ways and in His service. The priest was a symbol of what was going to happen when the Branch comes and defeats sin. Zechariah saw seven lamps as John did in Revelation 1:20 which represented seven churches. He also heard the Lord proclaim, “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit.”

Yahshua is not only our Advocate, but He is also our eternal High Priest and the King of Kings. Satan may stand at man’s right hand and accuse us, but he has no authority before the Lord God Almighty. Yahshua stands at Father’s right hand and always intercedes for those who have willingly surrendered to Him and are covered by His blood. Though our sins are as scarlet, we can be clothed in garments white as wool. We do not stand by our own might or our own power, but we stand on the Chief Cornerstone by the power of His Spirit. Remind the accusing devil of his future, and walk boldly in our Advocate’s might, power, Spirit, and grace today.

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