In a vision Satan appears accusing the high priest. He is cleansed from his sins. Christ is promised, and great fruit from his passion.

¹ And the Lord revealed to me: Jesus the high priest, standing in the sight of the angel of the Lord. And Satan stood before his right hand, so as to be his adversary.¹²

1. 3:1Many translations change the name of the high priest from the time of Zechariah to ‘Joshua.’ However, keeping the name as it is in Latin, ‘Jesus,’ clarifies a level of meaning of this passage whereby the Jesus of Zechariah’s time foreshadows Jesus the Messiah.(Conte)
2. 3:1Jesus: Alias, Josue, the son of Josedec, the high priest of that time.(Challoner)

² And the Lord said to Satan, “May the Lord rebuke you, Satan! And may the Lord, who chose Jerusalem, rebuke you! Are you not a firebrand plucked from the fire?”¹

1. 3:2The Lord can only say, ‘The Lord rebuke you,’ because it is the Lord Jesus Christ who is saying, ‘The Lord God the Father rebuke you.’(Conte)

³ And Jesus was clothed with filthy garments. And he stood before the face of an angel.¹

1. 3:3With filthy garments: Negligences and sins.(Challoner)

⁴ He answered and spoke to those who stood before him, saying, “Take away the filthy garments from him.” And he said to him, “Behold, I have taken away from you your iniquity, and I have clothed you with a change of clothing.”

⁵ And he said, “Place a clean diadem on his head.” And they placed a clean diadem on his head, and they clothed him with garments. And the angel of the Lord remained standing.¹

1. 3:5The word ‘vestibus’ could also be rendered as ‘vestments,’ revealing an additional ecclesiastical meaning to the verse.(Conte)

⁶ And the angel of the Lord contested with Jesus, saying:

⁷ Thus says the Lord of hosts: If you will walk in my ways and keep my charge, you likewise will judge my house and will keep my courts, and I will give you some of those who now attend here to walk with you.¹

1. 3:7I will give you, etc: Angels to attend and assist you.(Challoner)

⁸ Listen, Jesus the high priest, you and your friends, who dwell before you, who have been portending to men. For behold, I will lead my servant to the East.¹²

1. 3:8Portending men: That is, men, who by words and actions are to foresee wonders that are to come.(Challoner)
2. 3:8My servant the Orient: Christ, who according to his humanity is the servant of God, is called the Orient from his rising like the sun in the east to enlighten the world.(Challoner)

⁹ For behold, the stone that I have bestowed before Jesus. Upon one stone, there are seven eyes. Behold, I will carve its engraving, says the Lord of hosts. And I will take away the iniquity of that land in one day.¹²³

1. 3:9The stone: Another emblem of Christ, the rock, foundation, and corner stone of his church.(Challoner)
2. 3:9Seven eyes: The manifold providence of Christ over his church, or the seven gifts of the spirit of God.(Challoner)
3. 3:9One day: Viz., the day of the passion of Christ, the source of all our good: when this precious stone shall be graved, that is, cut and pierced, with whips, thorns, nails, and spear.(Challoner)

¹⁰ On that day, says the Lord of hosts, every man will call his friend from under the vine and from under the fig tree.