The Minor Prophets and the End Time Church, Part 18

The Minor Prophets and the End Time Church, Part 18

By: Darryl Henson

B eing me, I have an advantage that perhaps some don’t have. That is, that I get to practice humility a lot — by admitting where I am wrong, and asking forgiveness (and mercy I guess). But I was blissfully unaware until about Tuesday when I talked to Martin Collins on the phone that when I got to talking about Esther and the two myrtle trees (there in Zechariah 1), that I had put “Ruth” in there. I’d gotten my wires crossed and had the stories all mixed up. So, I will apologize to all of you.

It is interesting, though, that anything that you want to talk about in the Bible and put with Haggai and Zechariah — it fits. That’s because these are books about the end time church and the events that are beginning (actually, already occurring) before Christ returns. So the story of Ruth and Boaz fits very well. Here was a young lady — poor, wandering about looking for food (when there was a famine in the land). And she found Boaz.

I think that the story is very clear there. Ruth represents the church. Boaz represents Christ in type. And that story fits very well here — because today we have a church in famine and wandering about with a spiritual famine in the land. We have to turn to Christ with all our hearts and look to Him for sustenance.

But the one that I really intended to discuss more was that of Esther because of the name “myrtle trees” (there in Zechariah 1) meaning “Esther.” That one fits very well, as well. Remember that we talked about the little white flowers that come on the myrtle tree. Later on they turn into blue-black berries that are very poor tasting. “Astringent to the western diet,” is the way the commentary put it.

Hence, we find a church that is pretty much that way today. It started out with a certain “righteousness” and, I think, was donning the clothes of righteousness in early Worldwide.

I say early. I mean in the ‘50s, ‘60s and even into the ‘70s perhaps. But then something happened; and we began to turn into little blue-black berries — more or less. And God was not pleased with the taste, or the look, of the church and began to scatter it.

So, the story of Esther very much fits this. When those who left Babylon (and went back to Jerusalem) did so there were many that stayed behind. In that situation Haman arose as an enemy. He wanted all Jews destroyed. And it was only by the Providence of God were they delivered, through Queen Esther.

That parallel fits, very much, what’s going to happen to the church very shortly here. God is going to take His people out of Babylon and take them to a place of safety. Then, according to what it says in Revelation 12:13-17, Satan is going to send out an army after her and be put back by God. Then he turns on the remnant of her seed — just as Haman turned on all the Jews who were left behind. And Satan will do his very best to kill everyone who is left behind (and not accounted worthy to go).

So that fits this story very, very nicely. Both of them do. And, as I said, most anything you might want to talk about fits right here — because we are nearing the end of the time of restitution of all things. God is going to begin turning things around.

For a brief review, in the last sermon we examined the first two chapters of the book of Zechariah — showing how they fit within the context and coming out of the context, of Haggai. That is, the rebuilding of the latter temple of God. First came a strong warning (in Zechariah 1:1-6) not to be as our fathers were — rejecting the prophets. What the prophets have to tell us (these Minor Prophets as well as the Major ones) is very, very important to the church today. These prophesies were given for the end time church within the flow of the Minor Prophets and culminating in the return of Christ (as we shall see at the end of Zechariah and Malachi). So this is very much a now series of prophecies.

We also examined the seventy years that the end time church will be within the clutches of Babylon before God delivers along with the ultimate gathering of God’s people together for protection. We ended it in verse 13, of chapter 2, where it says:

“Be silent, O all flesh, before the LORD: for he is raised up out of his holy habitation” (Zechariah 2:13).

I want to flash back, just for a moment here and consider a couple of comments from Matthew Henry’s Commentary, which fits very, very nicely here. We are not the only ones that see that these prophecies are talking about the church. Matthew Henry says, “God will choose Jerusalem again.” Now, we read that and went through it there in about the sixteenth verse of chapter 1 of Zechariah.

[Again, reading from Matthew Henry’s Commentary.] “He will choose Jerusalem again, as he had chosen it formerly, to put his name there; he will renew and confirm the choice and continue it a chosen place, till it must resign its honours to the Jerusalem that is from above.”

So he is saying that Jerusalem will be built back. It will be the church. Also, until the heavenly Jerusalem comes, it will still be here.

“Though the election seemed to be set aside for a while, yet it shall obtain.” That’s the way the church has been these last few years (at least, since 1986) — almost set aside. It’s like God was ignoring it — and it’s gone away and scattering and dividing. [Then, Matthew Henry says] “But it shall obtain.” I find this is very encouraging.

“Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion:...” (Zechariah 2:10).

Here’s Matthew Henry’s comment on verse 10: “The daughter of Zion must sing, but all flesh must be silent.” And that’s what he [Zechariah] says in verse 13 also.

“Be silent, O all flesh,...” (Zechariah 2:13).

Because something is about to happen. Here is Matthew Henry’s comment about what Christ is about to do (in verse 13): “He is about to do something unusual, unexpected and very surprising and to plead his people’s cause which had long seemed neglected.” So Zechariah says “Be silent, all flesh.” And then one more sentence from Matthew Henry: “ Silently acquiesce in his holy will and patiently wait the issue, as those who are assured that when God is raised up out of his holy habitation he will not retreat, nor sit down again, till he has accomplished his whole work.”

That’s where we left it last time. Christ said, “I am about to begin a work.” A work, as He puts it in one place (in Isaiah), that will be a surprise. “I will show you some new things,” He says. But He has already shown us a great deal about what He is going to do.

So, when we end chapter two we are at the dividing line here — between that which has come before and the big work that Christ is going to do to finish the job His Father gave Him to do. When we get into chapter three the first thing that Christ does, after He raises up out of His habitation, is to address the leadership of the church. We have already seen, in Haggai, that Zerubbabel and Joshua would combine with the remnant of the people to build the temple back. So that’s what He begins right here.

“And he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him” (Zechariah 3:1).

So the first thing that happens, when Christ begins to address the leadership He will use, is Satan’s resistance. Satan does not want to see this happen and he is not going to be “far away” from what God is going to begin to do in the church. He’s right Johnny-on-the-spot here.

So, Christ is going to appoint a high priest.

“And the LORD said to Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?” (Zechariah 3:2).

So Christ said, “I have chosen Jerusalem, the church. I will build it. I will get this done. You stay out of my way! Get behind me. Don’ t have anything to do — to resist.” Of course, Satan will not listen to Christ at this point and we find that he will resist. He will also try to kill all of us if at all possible — especially those who are left behind because he could not get those who are accounted worthy to escape. Satan is going to be there, front and center, from now on. He will be cast back down to the earth (Revelation 12) in this very context and be very wroth against God’s people.

He says that Joshua is “a brand plucked out of the fire.” Satan is the accuser of the brethren. (Revelation 12:10) So here, he finds things against Joshua — against this one that Christ is selecting. And we do create our own problems don’t we brethren? We give Satan opportunity to accuse.

What kind of people does God choose to help with His leadership?

“For such an high priest was befitting for us, who is holy, blameless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens [speaking of Christ]; Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself. For the law maketh men high priests who have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was after the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore” (Hebrews 7:26-28).

So no matter whom God puts in position here he is going to be a man who has sinned. And if Joshua is a brand plucked out of the fire, there is a good reason for this — because he represents the rest of the people as well. The high priest had to pray for himself and for the people.

Let’s tie this with Amos 4:11. It’s easy to throw rocks at Joshua; and, indeed, he deserved to have rocks thrown at him — otherwise Satan wouldn’t have been there doing it. But notice this in Amos 4. He is speaking of the church here.

“I have overthrown some of you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and ye were as a firebrand plucked out of the burning: yet have ye not returned to me, saith the LORD” (Amos 4:11).

And then He tells Israel to prepare to meet their God because we all have been brands plucked out of the fire. About to be burned up, pulled out smoking; and Christ is making intercession for us before His Father in heaven (so that we do not have to be burned up, but so that we can survive and flourish).

“Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel” (Zechariah 3:3).

Here was a man who had become filthy — in his habits — in his living and his garments, which should be holy and white and pure before God, were filthy.

“And he answered and spoke to those that stood before him, saying, take away the filthy garments from him. And to him he said, Behold, I have caused thy iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment [garment]” (Zechariah 3:4).

God is willing to forgive a very filthy man and place him in the office of high priest. Though “high priest” is not mentioned in the New Testament offices of Ephesians 4, the latter temple, about to be built has a high priest of Levi. The original Joshua and Ezra, each, were a Levite and high priest. So this, apparently, is a restoration of the Leviticus priesthood in the end time. Whether this man will be partially Levite or all Levite, I guess remains to be seen. But God certainly makes the indication that He spiritually considers him that. Otherwise, he couldn’t be the high priest.

Matthew Henry makes another interesting note here. He says that Joshua led the people in the land of Canaan originally. A second Joshua, here in Haggai and Zechariah, helps lead the people back to what was at Canaan, which is now Jerusalem, after the seventy years in Babylon. Now Joshua is a type of Jesus. That’s what the word is. This end time Joshua will help lead the church to a place of safety as well — under the direct supervision of Jesus Christ (of whom he is a type). Chapter two discusses the fleeing. Chapter three begins to reveal the leadership of the church, as it will exist.

“And I said, Let them set a clean mitre upon his head. So they set a clean mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the LORD stood by [watching, observing, what’s going on]” (Zechariah 3:5).

Now I’ll refer you back here to Exodus 28:39 because this is important to us. This mitre (or turban, or crown) was always worn by Aaron to make the people acceptable to God. And on this mitre, or crown, that Aaron wore there was a field of gold. Emblazoned in that was “Holiness to the LORD.” He was to wear that at all times before the people — to remind them that holiness to the Lord is our goal and our purpose and why we draw breath.

Always, the standard was total holiness. Can we see, by that, why God had to do what He did to the church? We were not “holiness to God.” We were floating along sort of doing what we needed to do — but not entirely. So, there has to be a religious revival and a turning.

Notice also that Zechariah deals first with Joshua and then Zerubbabel — although Zerubbabel is listed first, as the primary leader all through the book of Haggai (and in Ezra, for that matter, as well). But here God puts Joshua first — not because he is the primary personality. But there are several reasons. I think that He is dealing with Joshua first (before introducing Zerubbabel, a little later on.

“And the angel of the LORD protested to Joshua, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; If thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou wilt keep my charge, then thou shalt also judge my house, and shalt also keep my courts, and I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by” (Zechariah 3:6-7).

This reminds me of Ezekiel 33 — where it says that if you repent, none of the sins of your past will be mentioned to you. But, if you’ve been good and then fall into sin, then all that good doesn’t do you any good either. In other words, the mercy (and the grace) of God is there for us IF we will but obey — and continue to obey. That is the contingency that He lays upon Joshua here.