回复乡下人进城--撒旦初探

撒旦：又名别西卜，在没变坏以前的名字不详。
长相：圣经没有提过，这只是中古时代一些艺术家幻想出来的。达芬奇这么著名的画家不是也把《最后的晚餐》耶稣的位置画错了，按照犹太人的习俗，老师不应该坐在中间。所以每个人可能都会有自己对撒旦样子的想象，如果非要我想象一下的话，他应该是个金玉其外，败絮其中的灵体.从长相上最初也应该是有着美轮美奂的外形，因为上帝最初所造的一切都完美无暇。（申明记32：4，创世纪1：31）。
本事：可以既上天（约伯记1：6），又下地（约伯记1：7）。
见证人耶稣叙述撒旦变坏的原因：这孩子没在真理中站稳（约翰福音8：44）。
天父也时不常地老找他谈心，还把人类中的典范约伯指给他看，让他学学约伯，无奈他自己特有主意，就是不肯回头。
能力：很强，先通过伊甸园事件，带坏亚当夏娃和人类，又诱惑三分之一的天使跟随他。
现况和未来预测：不太好，在天上的战争失利后（启示录12：8），就将其愤怒发泄到地和海，于是地和海就有祸了，因为撒旦大为愤怒，知道自己的时候不多了，（启示录12：12）所以地上的苦难就特别的多了。在耶稣和他的大战中，将要被摔倒深渊去（启示录20：1-3）一千年，然后还会被释放一段时间，迷惑列国，发动战争，（启示录20：7，8）不过等待他最终的命运将是永远而彻底的灭亡（启示录20：10）。
撒旦的角色和头衔。
1）蛇：创世纪3：13
2）魔鬼：启示录12：9
3）引诱者：马太4：3
4）说谎者，杀人凶手：约翰福音8：44
5）挑拨离间者（诽谤者）：在亚当夏娃面前说上帝的坏话（创世纪3：1-5），在上帝面前说约伯和所有人的坏话。（约伯记1：9，11；2：4-5；启示录12：10）
6）邪灵的首领别西卜：马太福音12：24
7）黑暗世界的王：约翰一书5：19
8）假扮光明的天使：哥林多后书11：14
9）龙：启示录20：2
10）狮子：彼得前书5：8

对付撒旦的攻略
1）你要全心信赖和敬畏耶和华，不可依靠自己的聪明，也不要信赖权贵，远离恶事。（箴言3：5，7；诗篇146：3-5）
2）在你所行的一切事上都要留意他，他必修直你的路。（箴言3：6）
3）用真理束腰，正义做胸甲，和平的好消息做鞋，信心做盾牌，救恩做头盔，圣灵做剑，祈祷。。。。。。（以弗所书6：10-20）就能站稳，抵挡魔鬼的奸计。
4）不要爱源于世界（撒旦）的事，比如肉体的欲望，眼睛的欲望，炫耀财物的行为（约翰一书2：15-17）
5）追求哥林多前书13：4-8所说的爱。
6）顺服上帝，反抗魔鬼，魔鬼就会离开你们逃跑了。（雅各书4：7），不过他还会窥探其他便利的时候再回来引诱。（路加福音4：13）
7）耶和华的名是坚固的高台，义人投奔就得安全。（箴言18：10，诗篇4：8）
8）什么事都不要忧虑（腓立比书4：6，7；彼得前书5：7）

天使的定义和分类：
4397：希伯来语是：מַלְאָךְ 名词，使者：如天使的意思。
有名字的天使在圣经里有三个：米迦勒，加百利，撒旦（别西卜）
有五类天使：1）天使长米迦勒，2）基路伯天使， 3）撒拉弗天使，4）无名的天使，5）反叛的天使如撒旦和其他邪灵。
值得注意的是没有名字的天使，是因为他们奉上帝的名，把荣耀归于上帝，所以没有留下自己的名字，比如创世纪32：29，约书亚记5：14，士师记13：17，18，还有其他天使在执行上帝的任务的时候也没有留下名字，其中民数记22：22，32的记录的天使也应该是其中一个，他手里有出了鞘的剑（民数记22：31），我们没有从圣经里得知撒旦也拿剑，那么就不能理所当然地认为他就是撒旦。这个天使的任务是阻挠巴兰，从这个意义讲他是阻挠者，但是不能因为执行的任务是阻挠，就把他认为是撒旦。“耶和华的天使”在圣经里多次提到，比如创世纪16：7，所以不能单凭任务是阻挠，对抗就认定民数记22：22的天使是撒旦。

根据启示录12：9，于是大龙被摔了下去。大龙就是最初的蛇，叫做魔鬼，又叫撒旦，迷惑了普天下的人。。。。。。鉴于魔鬼=撒旦。新约魔鬼有时也有指诽谤的人(约翰福音6：70)，约翰福音6：70的毁谤者和马太福音4：1的魔鬼来源于同一个希腊字母διαβολου，它们的strong code都是1228：毁谤者的意思。“魔鬼”这个词主要是强调诽谤性而被提出来的，而约翰福音8：44指出撒旦就是父，所以他是一切源头，所以魔鬼=撒旦，而旧约没有怎么提到魔鬼，只提到了山羊魔，比如利未记17：7。所以我和你探讨新约和旧约中都提到的相同的撒旦。
圣经旧约中的撒旦：历代志上21：1约伯记1：6，2：1-7，撒迦利亚3：1-2，以上三处的撒旦的Strong码是7854。
7854：希伯来语是： שָׂטָן名词，从词根7853来：对手，特指撒旦，首要的美好事物的敌人
7853：希伯来语是：שָׂטַן 动词，词根：攻击，控告，敌对，反对
新约中的撒旦一直就是明确指出来的。
马太福音4：10 （耶稣就对他说：“撒旦，走开！因为经上记着说‘要崇拜耶和华你的上帝，单要敬奉他。’”）的希腊文如下：
ΚΑΤΑ ΜΑΤΘΑΙΟΝ 4:10 (1881 Westcott-Hort New Testament)
10τοτε λεγει αυτω ο ιησους υπαγε σατανα γεγραπται γαρ κυριον τον θεον σου προσκυνησεις και αυτω μονω λατρευσεις
撒旦σατανα的strong 码是 4567 ，σαταν的strong码是4566，
4567：Satanas, sat-an-as’和4566一致，原告，比如：撒旦。
4566：Satan, sat-an’源自希伯来语的7854，撒旦。
所以希腊语的撒旦就是来源于希伯来语的撒旦。此外，旧约中明确指出撒旦的地方都有定冠词ha特指撒旦，新约中也用定冠词ho特指撒旦。就是特指他撒旦，不是别的。从希伯来语的发音来看也是发的satan的音。שָׂ 去掉低下ָ 发sin中s的音，底下的 ָ是发元音father中的a的音，所以整个这个字母发sa的音，טָ去掉底下ָ是发的toy中t的音，同理这个字母发ta的音，最后一个字母就是n的结尾表示的方法，当然希伯来语是从右向左看的。所以可以说我们现在读撒旦的这个词都是在延续希伯来语的发音。
魔鬼这个词
马太福音4：1（那时耶稣被圣灵带到旷野去，受魔鬼引诱）的希腊文如下
ΚΑΤΑ ΜΑΤΘΑΙΟΝ 4:1 (1881 Westcott-Hort New Testament)
1τοτε [ο] ιησους ανηχθη εις την ερημον υπο του πνευματος πειρασθηναι υπο του διαβολου

魔鬼διαβολου的strong码是1228，名词，从1225（动词，毁谤）毁谤者，特指撒旦，可和7854对比参考。


你举的巴兰的例子非常好！因为据我考察，让动物开口说话的记载在圣经里大概也只有两处，一处是创世纪3：1-4，撒旦利用蛇开口对女人说话，另一处就是民数记22：28-30耶和华让驴开口说话，天使的能力比人强，从约伯记撒旦给约伯的种种灾难就可以看出来，所以天使有能力让动物说话，自然上帝更有此能力。

历代志上21：1“撒旦起来攻击以色列人，挑动大卫去统计以色列人的数目。”
撒母耳记下24：1“耶和华再次向以色列人发怒，因为有个恶者挑动大卫，陷害以色列人。。。。。。”（新世界译本）
有翻译正确的版本，不过倒是需要认真找一下，因为的确翻译正确的版本不多见。

约伯记在圣经是很有争议的一部书，有很多版本的说法，现代的批评家说是成书于公元前6世纪，也有专家认为约伯记是由摩西撰写的，因为《摩西五经》的写法和约伯记很相近，另外摩西在米甸呆了40年，米甸这个地方离约伯住的乌斯地并不远。有人认为约伯是以色列人，也有人认为他不是以色列人，但是他的血统和亚伯拉罕是亲戚关系，也有人认为约伯也叫约巴（ Jobab），是创世纪 36:33 的约巴, 以扫的后代，以东的王。现在又看到你说的一个版本了。不过约伯记是用希伯来语写成的，不应该是从阿拉伯语翻译过来的。旧约里有一些亚兰语，和希伯来语很近，不知道和你所说的苏美尔人是否有什么关系。不知道你说的是哪个学术界认为约伯记是童话，有的学术界还一直认为约伯记从来就不是童话，而是真实的故事。
约伯的儿子当然是人，耶和华的天使也被称作儿子（创世纪6：2），当然这里的众子是指天使。彼得前书1：12“。。。。这些事已经传给你们了。连天使也喜欢仔细察看这些事呢”。哥林多前书4：9“。。。。。。因为我们在世人面前，就像剧场里的一台戏，让天使和人类观看。”就像当初耶和华劝告该隐要去行善一样（创世纪4：6），耶和华在和天使“开会”的时候，劝告撒旦要向人间的约伯学习，回头行善。但是撒旦把耶和华的劝导却作为了对约伯的指控。他指控约伯不会无缘无故地敬畏上帝，认为约伯对耶和华的爱是出于自私的目的，因为耶和华赐福给约伯，所以约伯才敬畏上帝。（约伯记1：9，2：4），就像你说的，要查出真相，怎么能查出真相？那就是耶和华不再赐福给约伯，否则耶和华任何的介入都可以证明撒旦的指控就是正确的和成立的。当然撒旦和耶和华在天上的这番对话约伯是不知道的，约伯认为“赏赐的是耶和华，收回的也是耶和华”（约伯记1：21），他不大清楚是撒旦给他带来的各种灾难。这点就更难能可贵了，因为在这么多苦难和患难前，“在这一切事上，约伯并没有开口犯罪。”（约伯记2：10）同样今天撒旦也昼夜在我们上帝面前指控我们的弟兄（启示录12：10），或许就包括你和我，那你能不能象约伯一样给撒旦一个好的答案，证明他对我们的指控是错误的，还是证明撒旦的指控是正确的：遇到苦难就咒骂和归罪于上帝。

乡下人进城问的撒迦利亚书3：1-5的问题很好，刚看问题的时候，我不知道答案，但是请教了耶和华见证人，给出的英文答案如下（请阿美帮助翻译一下，谢谢！我还忙着回答你其他的问题呢）。可以帮助你理解第三章从1节-10节。
撒迦利亚书3：2是耶和华的天使对撒旦说，而不是你版本里的耶和华对撒旦说。这里的约书亚不是接替摩西的那个，是要重建耶路撒冷的大祭司，也就是哈该书1：12里的约书亚。历史发生的背景是：公元前607年耶路撒冷被毁，公元前537年以色列人重返耶路撒冷，重建耶路撒冷。撒迦利亚于公元前519年得此异象：虽然有撒旦的百般阻挠，但是上帝决定重建耶路撒冷的事情他是阻挡不了的，一定会发生的。从我们后人考察历史来看，这件事情的确也发生了。

Satan’s Failure in Resisting the High Priest
THROUGHOUT the earth today there are to be found high priests of various religious cults. The mightiest of such priestly chiefs is the Pontifex Maximus, the Supreme Pontiff, located at Vatican City. But what the whole world of mankind needs is just one high priest. Why so? Because there is just the one living and true God, the Creator of heaven and earth, the Sovereign of all the universe. He needs just one high priest to represent him to the people and to deal with Him for the people. This comports with the fact that there is just the one true religion, just the one pure worship of Him “with spirit and truth.”—John 4:24.
2 For more than fifteen centuries, from 1512 B.C.E. to 33 C.E., there was just one high priesthood that this living and true God recognized. That high priesthood was established in the line of Aaron the brother of Moses the prophet, of the tribe of Levi. Aaron was installed in office on the first day of the lunar month of Nisan in the year 1512 B.C.E. During the centuries that followed there was a succession of high priests from among the descendants of Aaron, down till Sunday, Nisan 16, in the year 33 C.E. That was the resurrection day of the Lord Jesus Christ from a sacrificial death. On the fortieth day from then he ascended as a spiritual High Priest to enter into the heavenly Most Holy and there presented the precious value of his perfect human sacrifice to the one living and true God, Jehovah.
3 From that time on till now Jehovah God has been dealing with just one High Priest—not a high priest of the family of Aaron the Levite, but the one never-dying High Priest, Jesus Christ. To him it was said prophetically: “You are a priest forever according to the manner of Melchizedek.”—Hebrews 5:5, 6, 10; 6:19, 20; 7:15-17.
4 However, Jesus Christ, as a sacrificing spiritual high priest, was also prefigured or typified by the Aaronic high priest of the ancient nation of Israel. Just as the high priest of Israel on the annual Day of Atonement entered with sacrificial blood into the Most Holy of the temple at Jerusalem, Jesus similarly entered with the value of his own sacrificial blood into the true Most Holy, heaven itself, of the spiritual temple of Jehovah God. Consequently, Jesus Christ was prefigured by the Israelite high priest Joshua the son of Jehozadak, who returned from exile in Babylon in the year 537 B.C.E. to Jerusalem in order to rebuild the temple of Jehovah there. (Haggai 1:1) From this standpoint it is intriguing for us to consider the fourth vision of the prophet Zechariah, in which this high priest Joshua is the principal figure. As if looking into a courtroom Zechariah writes:
5 “And he proceeded to show me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of Jehovah, and Satan standing at his right hand in order to resist him. Then the angel of Jehovah said to Satan: ‘Jehovah rebuke you, O Satan, yes, Jehovah rebuke you, he who is choosing Jerusalem! Is this one not a log snatched out of the fire?’”—Zechariah 3:1, 2.
6 The Satan who is pictured here was no mere ecclesiastical “devil’s advocate” who was acting as a prosecuting attorney for Jehovah. He was the same Satan that appeared at the meeting of the angelic sons of God in heaven in the seventeenth century before our Common Era and wrongly accused the patriarch Job before the face of Jehovah God. (Job 1:6 to 2:7) But why, in that vision to Zechariah in the year 519 B.C.E. was Satan the Devil trying to resist the high priest Joshua before the angel of Jehovah? Because on the twenty-fourth day of the lunar month of Chislev of the preceding year High Priest Joshua had taken a decisive step for the worship of God. He and Governor Zerubbabel and the faithful remnant of Israel began working at the foundation of the second temple of Jehovah in Jerusalem. (Haggai 2:18, 19) High Priest Joshua was thus working for his reinstallation in the full service of Jehovah at a completed second temple. Such taking up of his duties at a completed temple would put Joshua in a new light.
7 Satan the Devil, who fights the true religion, was out to resist High Priest Joshua on this score, so as to downgrade him and keep him out of his full service to Jehovah in behalf of the nation of Israel. That would keep Joshua in poor appearance because of a major deficiency in his service to God. To that end Satan would try to counteract the prophesying of Haggai and Zechariah and rouse up overwhelming opposition on the part of the enemies of Israel against the rebuilding of the temple. In that way he could charge High Priest Joshua with failure to discharge his full high-priestly duties, and this would result in reproach upon Jehovah.
8 Satan, however, was too late in his malicious attempt. Before he could give force to his resistance and launch his wicked charges against High Priest Joshua, the angel who was acting as a judge for Jehovah said to Satan: “Jehovah rebuke you, he who is choosing Jerusalem!” The Most High God was the One high enough to rebuke Satan, and not some subordinate angel who was merely representing Jehovah. Thus the angel was giving due regard to Jehovah’s position. (Jude 8-10) Furthermore, Jehovah had already begun action to the magnifying of his own holy name. He was already choosing Jerusalem as the city for his temple. Satan could not alter this divine choice nor make it an unrealizable choice. He was the one to be frustrated, rebuked by beholding the temple completely rebuilt in the year 515 B.C.E. This rebuke would be from Jehovah, for he had successfully accomplished this!
9 Why, though, did the angelic judge of Jehovah add the question: “Is this one not a log snatched out of the fire?” Because, after a rescue from the fire not too much was to be expected instantly of a symbolic “log.” “This one” who was pictured by the log snatched out of the fire was the high priest Joshua. But, due to his office, Joshua represented the whole nation of Israel for whom he served as high priest before God. Joshua was not the only one who had come back from exile in Babylon, where Satan the Devil had tried to burn to ashes their identity as Jehovah’s chosen nation. More than 42,000 other Israelites had also come back, along with thousands of servants and singers. So the whole number of the remnant were, all together, like a “log snatched out of the fire.” It was Jehovah’s mercy and faithfulness to his promises that snatched them out of the symbolic Babylonish “fire” and restored their nationhood on the “holy ground.” Since this was so, He was patient toward their long delay in rebuilding His temple, but He stuck to his purpose to have a temple there at Jerusalem for which purpose he chose her. Hence Satan should not be too hasty with his charges.
10 Satan’s resistance to High Priest Joshua was blocked. So what is done with Joshua to clear him of anything about him that Satan might have used as a ground for bringing charges against him? Zechariah describes it for us, saying: “Now as for Joshua, he happened to be clothed in befouled garments and standing before the angel. Then he answered and said to those standing before him: ‘Remove the befouled garments from upon him.’ And he went on to say to him: ‘See, I have caused your error to pass away from upon you, and there is a clothing of you with robes of state.’”—Zechariah 3:3, 4.
HOW A CHANGE OF GARMENTS WAS NECESSARY
11 Here a question arises: Since Joshua the high priest was pictured as clothed with befouled garments, how could he typify or prefigure Jesus Christ as the heavenly High Priest? Does not Hebrews 7:26, 27 say to true Christians today: “Such a high priest as this was suitable for us, loyal, guileless, undefiled, separated from the sinners, and become higher than the heavens. He does not need daily, as those high priests do, to offer up sacrifices, first for his own sins and then for those of the people: (for this he did once for all time when he offered himself up)”? Yes, this is true. Yet it is with the High Priest Jesus Christ as with the ancient High Priest Joshua. The high priest represents the people for whom he serves in this high office, and their condition reflects upon him. He bears the iniquities of his people.
12 That the priesthood bore the error of the people, the prophet Moses indicated, when he said to the two surviving sons of Aaron for a failure on their part: “Why did you not eat the sin offering in the place that is holy, since it is something most holy and he has given it to you that you may answer for the error of the assembly so as to make atonement for them before Jehovah?” (Leviticus 10:16, 17) The sanctuary or temple was holy, and if the people touched it this would be committing an error on their part; and so the sanctified priests had to serve at the sanctuary for the people in order to prevent the committing of such an error. To this effect we read, in Numbers 18:1: “And Jehovah proceeded to say to Aaron: ‘You and your sons and the house of your father with you will answer for error against the sanctuary, and you and your sons with you will answer for error against your priesthood.’” So the priests acted as shields against error by the people.
13 Now as regards the sanctuary or temple in Jerusalem at the time that Haggai and Zechariah had begun to prophesy, its foundation had lain neglected without a superstructure’s being built upon it for sixteen years. This was due to forcible opposition by surrounding enemies. During that period the repatriated Israelites had lapsed into indifference and had turned to materialism. Hence, in a dialogue with the priests, when Haggai asked what would happen when someone ceremonially unclean touched a part of a sacrifice, they answered: “It will become unclean.” At once Haggai came back with this statement: “‘That is how this people is, and that is how this nation is before me,’ is the utterance of Jehovah, ‘and that is how all the work of their hands is, and whatever they present there. It is unclean.’”—Haggai 2:13, 14.
14 Since High Priest Joshua represented the nation of Israel before Jehovah, this unclean condition of the people was also attributed to him. As a consequence, it was as if he were clothed with befouled garments. He was trying to officiate without a temple, and for that reason it did not look right. He could not serve with the full dignity and grandeur as in a temple. In leveling charges against High Priest Joshua, Satan the Devil would be leveling charges against the entire negligent, unclean nation.
15 Similarly with the antitypical High Priest, who was prefigured by High Priest Joshua in that year 519 B.C.E. The High Priest Jesus Christ was reflected upon by the spiritual condition of the remnant of the spiritual Israelites on earth as these entered into the postwar year of 1919 C.E. Because of impediments due to war restrictions, opposition and persecution, the remnant had come short in many respects with regard to the open, courageous worship of Jehovah at his spiritual temple. They had yielded to bondage to Babylon the Great and her political and military paramours. They were in a spiritual state like that of the ancient remnant of Israel that had been repatriated. Like Isaiah, when he had his vision of Jehovah at his holy temple, they could say:
16 “Woe to me! For I am as good as brought to silence, because a man unclean in lips I am, and in among a people unclean in lips I am dwelling; for my eyes have seen the King, Jehovah of armies, himself!”—Isaiah 6:5.
17 If one judged the appearance of their High Priest by the spiritual appearance of the surviving remnant, their High Priest Jesus Christ would appear to be “clothed in befouled garments.” This was an improper appearance to be attributed to him. The spiritually befouled condition was an improper situation in which the remnant was representing their High Priest, and it reflected badly upon the heavenly High Priest Jesus Christ.
18 Such a state of affairs deserved to be remedied—promptly. Jehovah’s judicial angel saw to that: “Remove the befouled garments from upon him.” Then he said to Joshua: “See, I have caused your error to pass away from upon you, and there is a clothing of you with robes of state.”—Zechariah 3:4.
19 How did this occur with High Priest Joshua? By getting the restored nation of Israel whom he represented in holy office out of their unclean state before Jehovah. This would be by getting the restored remnant to work again upon the temple of Jehovah and completing it, letting everything else be put in a secondary place, in the background. The cleansing of the people in this vital regard would result in a cleansed appearance of their high priest. It would be as if he had had a change of garments. He was meant to be clothed with “robes of state.” He was meant to have a temple in which to serve clothed in those “robes of state.” The completing of the temple and the inaugurating of it would call for him to don those “robes of state” and present a glorious appearance to the praise of Jehovah. High Priest Joshua as the national religious representative took the lead with Governor Zerubbabel in getting the temple rebuilding started again, and for this reason he deserved a change of garments for the better. In that way his religious appearance would not reflect reproachfully on God.
20 The same was true of the one whom High Priest Joshua prefigured, namely, the heavenly High Priest Jesus Christ. The remnant of his spirit-begotten, anointed disciples came out of World War I in an “unclean” spiritual condition. They were spiritual Israelites, yes, spiritual underpriests of Jehovah under his High Priest Jesus Christ. Their spiritual garments were befouled by their deportment and deficiencies during World War I. This reflected badly upon their High Priest in the heavens and hence misrepresented him. Since he bears or answers for the iniquity or error of the nation of spiritual Israelites, it was as if he himself were clothed with befouled religious garments.
21 What was needed, then, was for the remnant of spiritual underpriests to repent and return to Jehovah and be forgiven by Him through Christ. This is what actually happened at the beginning of the postwar period. They showed their return or conversion to Jehovah by searching the Holy ures diligently to determine God’s will and work for the postwar period and then applying themselves whole-souled to these things of first importance.
22 Thus the repentant, converted remnant of spiritual underpriests applied themselves whole-souled to Jehovah’s worship at his temple and endeavored to purify that worship from any and all Babylonish pollution. Their efforts at rebuilding the pure, undefiled worship “from the standpoint of our God and Father” corresponded with the renewed work of the repatriated Israelites in rebuilding Jehovah’s temple at Jerusalem. (James 1:27) It was the invisible, heavenly High Priest, Jesus Christ, who was taking the lead in this reviving of the remnant of his underpriests in Jehovah’s worship and service. So, when Jehovah mercifully forgave them and cleansed them, this gave them a clean appearance before Him.
23 Even the false accusers under Satan the Devil began to see the difference in the doctrines, the message and the public activity of the remnant of Christ’s underpriests. This served to cast due credit upon their heavenly Chief Priest, Jesus Christ. He no longer had to bear or answer for such error on the part of his underpriests. The “befouled garments” that were indirectly attributed to him were taken from upon him, and he was given a change of garments. Bring forth “robes of state” for him!
24 Who would not want to see the high priest of the one living and true God adorned with an official headgear? The prophet Zechariah wanted such a thing. Either in his mind he thought of such a thing or he even spoke out impulsively for such a thing! He tells us: “At that I said: ‘Let them put a clean turban upon his head.’ And they proceeded to put the clean turban upon his head and to clothe him with garments; and the angel of Jehovah was standing by. And the angel of Jehovah began to bear witness to Joshua, saying: ‘This is what Jehovah of armies has said, “If it is in my ways that you will walk, and if it is my obligation that you will keep, then also it will be you that will judge my house and also keep my courtyards; and I shall certainly give you free access among these who are standing by.”’”—Zechariah 3:5-7.
25 How glad the high priest Joshua the son of Jehozadak must have been when the prophet Zechariah disclosed to him this part of the prophetic vision! Joshua could then realize that he had now an acceptable appearance before God and was no cause for reproach upon Him. Satan’s malicious effort to find continued cause for shaming the high priest of Jehovah had failed!
26 Joshua surely must have desired to judge Jehovah’s “house” of Israel according to divine law and to keep the courtyards of God’s temple.
27 Hence Joshua would take to heart the admonitory witness from the angel and walk obediently in Jehovah’s way and conscientiously keep his obligation to Jehovah, so as to prove worthy of the privileges mentioned.
28 Besides that, Joshua would be given “free access among these who are standing by.” It was the heavenly angels who were standing by in the vision; and just as they had access to God in heaven, so Joshua as high priest could approach God directly as an intermediary for the house of Israel. He would also be honored with the privilege of entering into the Most Holy of the completed temple of Jerusalem on the annual Day of Atonement.
29 Jesus Christ is, of course, the ideal High Priest for all the world of mankind. The royal priestly turban is placed upon his head as a “high priest according to the manner of Melchizedek forever.” (Hebrews 6:20; Psalm 110:1-4; 21:1-5) He has always walked in God’s way and kept his obligation to God. But after the experiences of his dedicated, baptized disciples on earth during World War I, he sees to it that the remnant of his underpriests learn more clearly God’s way in order to walk in it, and he helps them to discern more fully their holy obligation to Jehovah God, so as to keep it completely. His glorious priestly garments are pictured in the Revelation that he gave to the apostle John, in which the glorified Lord Jesus is seen walking among the seven golden lampstands. (Revelation 1:12 to 2:1) He faithfully judges the house of spiritual Israel according to the law of the new covenant. He guides them in the earthly courtyards of Jehovah’s spiritual temple, assigning to them their spiritual duties there.
30 The earthly high priest, Joshua the son of Jehozadak, began entering the Most Holy of the temple of Jerusalem in the year 515 B.C.E. (Ezra 6:15); but the spiritual High Priest, the Greater Joshua, entered into the antitypical, real Most Holy, heaven itself, in the year 33 C.E. He ascended to heaven and presented the merit of his human sacrifice in the very presence of Jehovah of armies. He now being made “better than the angels” and having “inherited a name more excellent than theirs,” he also can have “free access among these who are standing by,” that is, among the angels of heaven. He, above all others, can approach God directly and intercede in behalf of Jehovah’s worshipers on earth. As Jehovah prophetically said of him: “I will cause him to come near, and he must approach to me.”—Jeremiah 30:21.
THE “SPROUT” AND “THE STONE”
31 In the vision to Zechariah, the judicial angel of Jehovah continued to speak to the high priest in his robes of state: “‘Hear, please, O Joshua the high priest, you and your companions who are sitting before you, for they are men serving as portents; for here I am bringing in my servant Sprout [New Growth, By]. For, look! the stone that I have put before Joshua! Upon the one stone there are seven eyes. Here I am engraving its engraving,’ is the utterance of Jehovah of armies, ‘and I will take away the error of that land in one day.’”—Zechariah 3:8, 9.
32 The message of this part of the vision, the prophet Zechariah had to make known, not only to the high priest Joshua, but also to his “companions” who were sitting before him, that is to say, the underpriests. Why? Because these were “men serving as portents.” In this case they would not portend anything bad, but, in view of the divine announcement that they are about to hear, they would portend something good, especially good. They would have to bear witness to what they were told through the judicial angel of Jehovah, and on that account they would portend the coming of a greater priesthood in the not too distant future, a priesthood of higher rank than theirs at the temple in Jerusalem. It would be a Messianic priesthood, and their high priest would be the Messiah himself. In harmony with that portentous significance that they as underpriests of the second temple of Jerusalem had taken on, their present high priest, Joshua the son of Jehozadak, was a portent of the Messianic High Priest. He was a type of that one!
33 There was need for a better priesthood, particularly a better high priest, one like ancient Melchizedek. (Genesis 14:18-20) In explanation of that fact it was later written, in Hebrews 7:15-22, to Hebrews who had accepted the promised Messiah:
34 “And it is still more abundantly clear that with a similarity to Melchizedek there arises another priest, who has become such, not according to the law of a commandment depending upon the flesh, but according to the power of an indestructible life, for in witness it is said: ‘You are a priest forever according to the manner of Melchizedek.’ Certainly, then, there occurs a setting aside of the preceding commandment on account of its weakness and ineffectiveness. For the Law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in besides of a better hope did, through which we are drawing near to God. Also, to the extent that it was not without a sworn oath, (for there are indeed men that have become priests without a sworn oath, but there is one with an oath sworn by the One who said respecting him: ‘Jehovah has sworn (and he will feel no regret), “You are a priest forever,”’) to that extent also Jesus has become the one given in pledge of a better covenant.”
35 The underpriests who were companions of High Priest Joshua and who sat before him to receive instructions from him had to be “men serving as portents” of something better, forasmuch as Jehovah by his judicial angel went on to say: “For here I am bringing in my servant Sprout!” (Zechariah 3:8) “My servant,” Jehovah’s servant, was not to be a branch of the priesthood of Aaron’s family. As far as priesthood was concerned, he was shooting up out of entirely different soil, from a different root. Jeremiah 23:5, 6 indicates of whom the Messianic High Priest would be the sprout, saying: “‘Look! There are days coming,’ is the utterance of Jehovah, ‘and I will raise up to David a righteous sprout [a new growth of David coming right, By]. And a king will certainly reign and act with discretion and execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel itself will reside in security. And this is his name with which he will be called, Jehovah Is Our Righteousness.’” God brought in this Sprout in the year 33 C.E.
36 What, now, about that “stone” that God would put before High Priest Joshua? In a literal way, it would be the stone with which the temple then under construction would be given its finishing touch and be made complete. The foundation of that second temple had already been laid, and so this “stone” would serve as a headstone. So Jehovah’s putting this stone before Joshua was a sign guaranteeing that the temple would be completed, despite any resistance on Satan’s part. That stone, too, was symbolic of the Messiah, the Anointed One. Picturing the Messiah as a stone, Psalm 118:22, 23 (By) said: “A stone that the builders had rejected has become the head of a corner. This was from Jehovah, it is a wonder to our eyes.” In the year 33 C.E., Jesus, when speaking to the Jews who rejected him as the promised Messiah, applied this ure to himself and said to them:
37 “Did you never read in the ures, ‘The stone that the builders rejected is the one that has become the chief cornerstone. From Jehovah this has come to be, and it is marvelous in our eyes’? This is why I say to you, The kingdom of God will be taken from you and be given to a nation producing its fruits.”—Matthew 21:42, 43. See also 1 Peter 2:4-9.
38 This symbolic “stone” was to be given full divine attention. As confirmation of this the high priest Joshua and his companion priests were to be told, “Upon the one stone there are seven eyes.” (Zechariah 3:9) Not that seven eyes were to be carved upon that stone, to give the idea that those beholding the stone were being looked at in a sevenfold way. With the eyes we fix our attention upon something. Also, as the number seven urally symbolized perfection, the seven eyes upon that one stone mean to say that Jehovah fixes his perfect attention upon that symbolic Stone, his promised Messiah. Others might overlook that symbolic Stone. Or, they might ignore it, reject it, but not so Jehovah. Because of such full attention from Him, it must be something most precious to Him.
39 Consequently, in showing the complete attention that He gives to this symbolic Stone and its outstanding position and appearance, Jehovah goes on to say: “Here I am engraving its engraving.” In glorious fulfillment of this promise, Jehovah the heavenly Engraver gave the symbolic Stone, his beloved Son Jesus Christ, distinguishing marks of beauty such as he conferred upon no one else. Consequently, Hebrews 1:1-3 speaks of the outstanding Son of God as being the one who is the “exact representation [Greek, kharaktér, meaning ‘impress’] of his very being,” that is, of God’s being. As the symbolic engraved headstone, the Messianic High Priest, Jesus Christ, is given the highest and most responsible position of service in Jehovah’s spiritual temple of worship. This betokened something most beneficial for all mankind.
40 With the topstone in place and the temple all completed for the full-scale worship of the one living and true God, what could we expect logically to follow? Blessings, blessings, blessings! Nothing would now be in the way of such blessings, for, as Jehovah went on to say, “I will take away the error of that land in one day.” (Zechariah 3:9) Because of the long interruption that the repatriated Israelites had allowed to take place in the rebuilding of the temple at Jerusalem, the whole land of Judah was lying in “error.” Its inhabitants were looked upon as unclean and the work of their hands in materialistic things was unclean. (Haggai 2:13, 14) But now, come 515 B.C.E., with the triumphant completion of the second temple at Jerusalem the erroneous course of the land of Judah was entirely corrected. So Jehovah was pleased, and he took away the error of inhabitants of the land in the special “one day,” the day when the temple stood complete, with its engraved headstone, and pure worship was inaugurated therein.
41 What a stimulus this should give to us today to put the worship of the true God at his spiritual temple in the first place in our lives! We should not let ourselves be delayed in doing this. We should not let interruptions take place in this effort.
42 The faithful remnant of spiritual underpriests of the Messiah know what blessings have come to them for doing this more and more determinedly during the now more than fifty years since that restoration year of 1919 C.E. They have come to appreciate more and more deeply that, like the underpriest companions of High Priest Joshua, they are “men serving as portents” for this “time of the end” of this worldly system of things. They portend the best of good things for all those who devote themselves to the pure, undefiled worship of the one living and true God.
43 They are not deceived by any false Messiahs or false Messianic organizations of today. They have identified the one whom Jehovah calls “my servant Sprout.” He is the one whom Jehovah of armies installed in the Messianic throne in the heavens at the close of the Gentile Times in 1914 C.E. and who has now begun his Messianic reign, namely, Jesus Christ. They have identified also the one symbolized by the stone that was laid before High Priest Joshua and upon which stone there were “seven eyes.” They admire how Jehovah has engraved this symbolic Stone with a beauty that befits the high position given to that Stone, and they rejoice that this one has been made the symbolic headstone or topstone, the highest and most responsible one in Jehovah’s system of worship. They are happy to be underpriests under that symbolic engraved Stone, Jesus Christ. They see from the Holy ures that as “men serving as portents” they are under divine command to serve as witnesses to this exalted Stone, Jehovah’s one High Priest, Jesus.
SPIRITUAL PROSPERITY LEADING TO ENDLESS LIFE
44 What was to be expected after Jehovah fulfilled his promise given through Zechariah: “I will take away the error of that land in one day”? Nothing else but divine favor, expressed in material and spiritual blessings for the Israelites worshiping at their completed second temple in Jerusalem. Most appropriately, then, that promise was followed up by this divine prophecy: “‘In that day,’ is the utterance of Jehovah of armies, ‘you will call, each one to the other, while under the vine and while under the fig tree.’”—Zechariah 3:10.
45 In this day when all false religions are crumbling and are about to be destroyed in the world’s worst trouble, that prophecy meant spiritual prosperity to sincere God-fearing persons who give themselves wholeheartedly to divine worship at the one true spiritual temple where Jehovah’s one approved High Priest serves. It means the fulfillment of the companion prophecy of Micah 4:1-4 (By):
And in the future days the mountain of Jehovah’s house shall be set at the head of the mountains, lifted above hills, and peoples shall stream to it. And many nations shall go and say “Come and let us go up to Jehovah’s mountain, to the house of the God of Jacob, to have him instruct us in ways of his that we may go in his paths,” because from Sion instruction shall go out and Jehovah’s word from Jerusalem. And he shall give judgment between many peoples and pronounce verdicts for numerous nations to a great distance, and they shall pound their swords into hoes and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not take up sword against nation, and they shall never again learn war. And they shall sit each man under his grape-vine or his fig-tree with no one to alarm them, for the mouth of Jehovah of Armies has promised it.
46 Even so today, when nuclear warfare threatens the world, Jehovah’s Christian witnesses reside on their God-given spiritual estate in spiritual prosperity. They maintain loving peace among themselves, absolutely taking no part in the wars of this world. Satan has failed in resisting their High Priest Jesus Christ!