The God of All Grace

OVERCOMING THE ACCUSER ZECHARIAH 3 and 4

I.            BACKGROUND OF THE BOOK OF ZECHARIAH.

1.    Historical Background.

a.    The setting of the book is after one of the most tragic seasons of Israel’s History the 70 year Babylonian Captivity (606-536 BC).

b.    The Jewish people returned after 70 years of captivity to ruins. They were tasked with rebuilding Jerusalem and the temple.

i.              Jeremiah first prophesied it.

For thus says the Lord: After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you to return to this place. ¹¹ For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:10-11)

ii.            Isaiah Prophesied 200 years before King Cyrus that Israel would be released from captivity and rebuild the temple.

²⁸ Who says of Cyrus, ‘He is My shepherd, And he shall perform all My pleasure, Saying to Jerusalem, “You shall be built,” And to the temple, “Your foundation shall be laid.” (Isaiah 44:28)

iii.           Daniel was stirred reading the prophesies and interceded for the release of the Jewish Captives. (Daniel 9)

iv.           Two Persians Kings were stirred to fulfill God’s will in restoring Israel and financing the rebuilding of the temple.

Cyrus (600-530 BC) released the captives and financed the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem in 536 BC (Ezra 1). Darius helped the remnant with finances in their efforts to rebuild the temple in 520 BC (Ezra 6).

2.    Zechariah the Prophet.

a.    Zechariah was a young man from a family of Priest.

b.    They returned from captivity while he was very young.

c.     Haggai was an old Prophet he had to learn from.

d.    Zechariah was martyred for his message. (Matthew 23:35; Luke 11:51)

II.         SUMMARY OF THE FIRST THREE VISIONS.

1.    Zechariah had 8 major visions in one night.

2.    Visions 1 through 3 focused on God’s promise to have mercy on Israel and restore her to her homeland. Build the temple and fill the place with Glory.

3.    Visions 4 and 5 answer the question of how such a sinful people can receive such a promise.

III.       THE FOURTH VISION: THE CLEANSING OF JOSHUA.

1.    Joshua appeared before the Lord and Satan showed up.

¹Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse; NAS, NIV] him. (Zechariah 3:1)

a.    Joshua was the spiritual leader of Israel (High Priest).

b.    Satan means. (The Accuser)

c.     The Angel is the Pre-Incarnate Christ.

2.    The Lord rebukes Satan Twice.

²And the LORD said to Satan, “The LORD rebuke you, Satan! The LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?” (Zechariah 3:2)

3.    Satan’s Accusation in Heaven was duplicated by people on earth.

¹Then the prophet Haggai and Zechariah…prophesied to the Jews…²So Zerubbabel…and Jeshua…rose up and began to build the house of God…³At the same time Tattenai the governor of the region beyond the River…spoke thus to them: “Who has commanded you to build this temple?”…⁷They sent a letter to him [King Darius]…⁸Let it be known to the king that…the temple of the great God, which is being built with heavy stones, and timber is being laid in the walls…¹⁷Let the king send us his pleasure concerning this matter. (Ezra 5:1-17)

4.    God caused the King to rebuke the earthly accusation.

⁶Now therefore, Tattenai…⁷Let the work of this house of God alone…⁸Let the cost be paid at the king’s expense from taxes on the region beyond the River; this is to be given immediately to these men, so that they are not hindered…¹²I Darius issue a decree; let it be done diligently. (Ezra 6:6-12)

IV.       TWO STATEMENTS OF AMAZING GRACE.

1.    “The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you.”

a.    Jerusalem’s history is very sordid and ungodly.

⁸ And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. (Revelations 11:8)

b.    Is not this a brand plucked from the fire.

This is descriptive of God rescuing that, which should have been consumed. He didn’t let it be consumed because he delights in mercy.

V.          THE APPLICATION OF GOD’S GRACE.

1.    Joshua was given new garments.

³Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and was standing before the Angel. ⁴Then He answered and spoke to those who stood before Him, saying, “Take away the filthy garments from him.” And to him He said, “See, I have removed your iniquity…and I will clothe you with rich robes.” ⁵…I said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head, and they put the clothes on him. And the Angel of the LORD stood by. (Zechariah 3:3-5)

a.    Filthy Garments. Due to warfare, sin and Babylonian compromise possible. He was guilty.

b.    God cleansed him in a moment. He totally reset Joshua.

c.     He clothed Joshua in new robes.

¹⁰For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments. (Isaiah 61:10)

d.    See: The Lord exhorted Joshua to “see” that He had removed his sin and clothed him with rich robes (3:4). We must “see” these truths in our own lives.

e.    Turban  Symbolic of His authority as a Priest and the nations authority as a priestly nation.

⁵And I said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head, and they put the clothes on him…the Angel of the LORD stood by. (Zechariah 3:5)

VI.       EXHORTATION TO WALK IN NEW GRACE.

⁶Then the Angel of the LORD admonished Joshua, saying, ⁷“Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘If you will walk in My ways, and if you will keep My command [perform My service; NAS], then you shall also judge My house, and likewise have charge of My courts; I will give you places to walk among these who stand here.’” (Zechariah 3:6-7)

1.    Admonished to walk in God’s ways, Personal holiness.

2.    Keep the Charge, Be faithful in service and don’t quit.

3.    He would be able to judge God’s house

4.    God would give Him a place to walk among the Angels.

Frustration

I.                   WHAT CAN FRUSTRATION DO TO ME.

1.    Can cause you to be disqualified for promises. (Not Eternal Life)

          Psalm 106:32-33

³² They angered Him also at the waters of strife, So that it went ill with Moses on account of them; ³³ Because they rebelled against His Spirit, So that he spoke rashly with his lips.

Numbers 20:3-20

² Now there was no water for the congregation; so they gathered together against Moses and Aaron. ³ And the people contended with Moses and spoke, saying: “If only we had died when our brethren died before the Lord! ⁴ Why have you brought up the assembly of the Lord into this wilderness, that we and our animals should die here? ⁵ And why have you made us come up out of Egypt, to bring us to this evil place? It is not a place of grain or figs or vines or pomegranates; nor is there any water to drink.” ⁶ So Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the door of the tabernacle of meeting, and they fell on their faces. And the glory of the Lord appeared to them. ⁷ Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ⁸ “Take the rod; you and your brother Aaron gather the congregation together. Speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will yield its water; thus you shall bring water for them out of the rock, and give drink to the congregation and their animals.” ⁹ So Moses took the rod from before the Lord as He commanded him. ¹⁰ And Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock; and he said to them, “Hear now, you rebels! Must we bring water for you out of this rock?” ¹¹ Then Moses lifted his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came out abundantly, and the congregation and their animals drank. ¹² Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe Me, to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.” ¹³ This was the water of Meribah, because the children of Israel contended with the Lord, and He was hallowed among them. ¹⁴ Now Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom. “Thus says your brother Israel: ‘You know all the hardship that has befallen us, ¹⁵ how our fathers went down to Egypt, and we dwelt in Egypt a long time, and the Egyptians afflicted us and our fathers. ¹⁶ When we cried out to the Lord, He heard our voice and sent the Angel and brought us up out of Egypt; now here we are in Kadesh, a city on the edge of your border. ¹⁷ Please let us pass through your country. We will not pass through fields or vineyards, nor will we drink water from wells; we will go along the King’s Highway; we will not turn aside to the right hand or to the left until we have passed through your territory.’ ” ¹⁸ Then Edom said to him, “You shall not pass through my land, lest I come out against you with the sword.” ¹⁹ So the children of Israel said to him, “We will go by the Highway, and if I or my livestock drink any of your water, then I will pay for it; let me only pass through on foot, nothing more.” ²⁰ Then he said, “You shall not pass through.” So Edom came out against them with many men and with a strong hand.

2.    Can deplete your emotional resources.

         1 Samuel 1:1-7

Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim Zophim, of the mountains of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. ² And he had two wives: the name of one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. ³ This man went up from his city yearly to worship and sacrifice to the Lord of hosts in Shiloh. Also the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the Lord, were there. ⁴ And whenever the time came for Elkanah to make an offering, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters. ⁵ But to Hannah he would give a double portion, for he loved Hannah, although the Lord had closed her womb. ⁶ And her rival also provoked her severely, to make her miserable, because the Lord had closed her womb. ⁷ So it was, year by year, when she went up to the house of the Lord, that she provoked her; therefore she wept and did not eat.

3.    Can Affect timing.

          Daniel 7:25

²⁵ And ^jhe shall speak great words against the most High, and ^jshall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws…”

4.    Can Cause You to miss great Blessing.

          Luke 5:4-6

⁴ When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” ⁵ But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled (exhausting toil) all night and caught nothing nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.” ⁶ And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking.

II.            HOW TO KEEP FRUSTRATION AT BAY.

1.    Settle in your heart you are going to be ok regardless.

Romans 8:26-28

²⁶ Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. ²⁷ Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. ²⁸ And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

Philippians 1:6

⁶ Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.

2.    Don’t take upon you what God said He will take.

1 Peter 5:7

⁷ casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

Philippians 4:6-7

⁶ Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; ⁷ and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Psalm 23

¹ The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. ² He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. ³He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. ⁴ Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. ⁵ You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. ⁶ Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.

3.    Live out of your spirit.

Galatians 5:16-18

¹⁶ This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ^mye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. ¹⁷ For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. ¹⁸ But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

4.    Laugh.

Psalm 2:1-4

¹ Why do the nations rage, And the people plot a vain thing? ² The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, ³ “Let us break Their bonds in pieces And cast away Their cords from us.” ⁴He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The Lord shall hold them in derision.

Psalm 17:22

²² A merry heart does good, like medicine, But a broken spirit dries the bones.

The Book Of Revelation Overview

Part I

An Overview of Revelation

I. UNDERSTANDING THE BOOK OF REVELATION.

1. It’s the Revelation of Jesus Christ.

Revelation 1:1

This is a revelation from (of) Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants the events that must soon take place. He sent an angel to present this revelation to his servant John. NLT

This book is a revelation of Jesus. The main theme is about Jesus. What’s on His heart? How He is preparing the earth for God to inhabit it. How He is preparing for His Millennial Kingdom. The main topic of the book is not the events of the end times but the Man Jesus who orchestrates the end times.

2. Jesus gave the Revelation to an Angel who gave it to John.

Revelation 1:2

² who faithfully reported everything he saw. This is his report of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. NLT

3. The Theme of the Book is the Second Coming of Jesus.

Revelation 1:7

⁷ Look! He comes with the clouds of heaven. And everyone will see him— even those who pierced him. And all the nations of the world will mourn for him. Yes! Amen!

When Jesus returns every eye will see Him. This will probably not be by technology. Remote people in the jungles will see Him. He will more than likely tour the globe in such a way that all will see Him.

4. Reading and Understanding Revelation has a profound effect on our lives. It’s the only book we get blessed for just reading it.

  

Revelation 1:3

³ God blesses the one who reads the words of this prophecy to the church, and he blesses all who listen to its message and obey what it says, for the time is near.

If we read Revelation correctly it causes us to love Jesus more and emphatically trust His leadership. We will see His Austere plan for the end times unfold by combining His Sovereignty, Mans free Will and Satan’s agenda into a drama that brings about His purpose. He will allow an environment where both evil and love can grow to full manifestation. In the midst He raises us a victorious church and reaps a great Harvest of souls.

5. The Tribulation in Revelation is Primarily Against the Antichrist.

People wrongly believe the tribulation is mostly against believers. It’s not. There are 403 verses in the book of revelation. Only 12 verses out of the 403 talk about persecution of the church. Most of the book is about the retribution the Antichrist gets and deserves.

6. There are 150 Chapters in the Bible that speak exclusively about the end of this age, as we know it. The end times. We must learn them well.

7. Satan does not want Revelation read or understood so he institutes some lies.

a.    It’s too hard to understand.

Revelation was written for all to understand. Not just intellectual Greek scholars. Most believers throughout history have been poor and illiterate. It’s written so they can understand.

b.    It’s too much symbolism.

Revelation means what it says.  Many stumble because of the dramatic nature of the events that unfold and say that can’t be real For example when it says 1/4^th of the earth was scorched or 1/4^th of the people were killed. Some say I wonder what that means. It means what it says.

8. The Seven Symbols in the Book of Revelation.

a.    Dragon: symbolic of Satan. (Revelation 12:3, 4, 7, 9, 13, 16, 17; 13:2, 4; 16:13; 20:2).

b.    First beast: symbolic of the Antichrist. (Revelation 13; 14:9-11; 17:3-17; 19:19-21; 20:4, 10)

  

Revelations 13:1-4, Revelations 19:19-21

c.     Another beast: symbolic of the False Prophet called “another beast” just once. (Revelation 13:11-14)

d.    Seven heads: seven empires from history that persecuted Israel. (Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome, The Revived Roman Empire Daniel 2:41-42; 7:7; Rev. 12:3; 13:1; 17:3-16)

e.    Ten horns: represent a ten-nation confederation that serves the Antichrist. (Revelation 17:12-13)

f.     Harlot Babylon: A demonically-inspired religious and economic system. (Revelation17-18)

g.    Woman with a male-child (Jesus): the faithful remnant of Israel through history. (Revelation 12).

Everything else is literal.

9. The generation in which Jesus comes back is full of unique circumstances that this book depicts.

a.    Sin is fully ripe.  Matthew 13:24-30

b.    Righteousness is fully ripe.

c.     Those who oppose Jesus get what they deserve.

d.    The Church (Bride) becomes fully mature and empowered.

e.    It’s the most violent time in History.

Revelation 17:12-14

¹² The ten horns of the beast are ten kings who have not yet risen to power. They will be appointed to their kingdoms for one brief moment to reign with the beast. ¹³ They will all agree to give him their power and authority. ¹⁴ Together they will go to war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will defeat them because he is Lord of all lords and King of all kings. And his called and chosen and faithful ones will be with him.”

                  

                        Revelation 19:11

                        ¹¹ Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. NKJV

                        Revelation 19:19

¹⁹ Then I saw the beast and the kings of the world and their armies

gathered together to fight against the one sitting on the horse and his army.

         

10. Four Main Sections of Revelation.

a.    John’s Calling to Share Jesus’ end time plan. Revelation 1

b.    Jesus Letter to the 7 Churches. Revelation 2-3.

c.     Jesus Received Title Deed to the Earth (Coronation). Revelation 4-5.

d.    The Plan to cleanse the earth and take over it’s government. Revelation 6 – 22.

v. 1-2

This is the revelation of or from (same thing) Jesus Christ given to Him. He gave it to an Angel to show his servants the events that must soon (suddenly, quickly) take place.  Jesus sent an Angel to show this revelation to His servant john who faithfully reported everything He saw.

v. 3

Everyone who reads and understands this book will get a blessing

Theme:

The main Theme of the book of Revelation is Jesus’ return. His Second Coming. Revelation1:7

⁷ Look! He comes with the clouds of heaven.

And everyone will see him—

even those who pierced him.

And all the nations of the world

will mourn for him.

Yes! Amen!

How will every eye see Him. Some say by media. Some believe there will be a great procession around the globe before He gets to Jerusalem. Remote villages with no TV will still see Him. Every Eye will see Him. God will make sure this happens.