Immerse: Prophets - Flipbook - Page 419
2:10–4:5
Z echariah
407
The Lord says, “Shout and rejoice, O beautiful Jerusalem, for I am com
ing to live among you. Many nations will join themselves to the Lord on
that day, and they, too, will be my people. I will live among you, and you
will know that the Lord of Heaven’s Armies sent me to you. The land of
Judah will be the Lord’s special possession in the holy land, and he will
once again choose Jerusalem to be his own city. Be silent before the Lord,
all humanity, for he is springing into action from his holy dwelling.”
Then the angel showed me Jeshua the high priest standing before the angel
of the Lord. The Accuser, Satan, was there at the angel’s right hand, mak
ing accusations against Jeshua. And the Lord said to Satan, “I, the Lord,
reject your accusations, Satan. Yes, the Lord, who has chosen Jerusalem,
rebukes you. This man is like a burning stick that has been snatched from
the fire.”
Jeshua’s clothing was filthy as he stood there before the angel. So the
angel said to the others standing there, “Take off his filthy clothes.” And
turning to Jeshua he said, “See, I have taken away your sins, and now I am
giving you these fine new clothes.”
Then I said, “They should also place a clean turban on his head.” So they
put a clean priestly turban on his head and dressed him in new clothes
while the angel of the Lord stood by.
Then the angel of the Lord spoke very solemnly to Jeshua and said,
“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: If you follow my ways
and carefully serve me, then you will be given authority over my Temple
and its courtyards. I will let you walk among these others standing here.
“Listen to me, O Jeshua the high priest, and all you other priests. You
are symbols of things to come. Soon I am going to bring my servant, the
Branch. Now look at the jewel I have set before Jeshua, a single stone with
seven facets. I will engrave an inscription on it, says the Lord of Heaven’s
Armies, and I will remove the sins of this land in a single day.
“And on that day, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, each of you will
invite your neighbor to sit with you peacefully under your own grapevine
and fig tree.”
Then the angel who had been talking with me returned and woke me, as
though I had been asleep. “What do you see now?” he asked.
I answered, “I see a solid gold lampstand with a bowl of oil on top of it.
Around the bowl are seven lamps, each having seven spouts with wicks.
And I see two olive trees, one on each side of the bowl.” Then I asked the
angel, “What are these, my lord? What do they mean?”
“Don’t you know?” the angel asked.
“No, my lord,” I replied.
