V. 1. 2. And Joshua the high priest was shown to me, standing before the angel of the Lord. And Satan stood on his right hand to oppose him. [And the Lord said unto Satan, The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan: yea, the Lord rebuke thee, that slew Jerusalem.]
After the prophet has comforted and strengthened the people in general, and interpreted the same visions and consolations himself, pointing to Christ's future kingdom, he now begins to comfort the heads and rulers in particular, both spiritual and temporal. First, the spiritual head, in this chapter, together with its interpretation and interpretation of Christ. Then the secular head, in the following chapter. For where the heads are despondent and do not want to attack the work, what shall the people do? It is, they say, up to a good lifter, and a good lifter is worthy of all honor. Therefore, because the people are now admonished and awakened, they may say, "Well, we would like to do it, but who shall lift it up? Whom shall we follow? We must have a head to go with, so he gives them lifters and heads, Joshua the high priest and Zerubbabel the ruler of Judah, and treats them both with kindness, so that he may make them bold and fresh to go.
(2) But he masterfully meets every thought that makes them despondent and unenthusiastic. Namely, the high priest, as a clergyman, because he sees that there is so much hindrance, thinks it is his and the people's sin, therefore God is not yet quite merciful to them. Prince Zerubbabel thinks that his worldly power is far too small to do anything against so many heathens. So they both stand grieved; the high priest by his evil conscience, the prince by stupidity of his inability. Therefore he takes away from both of them their stupid thoughts and shows how the high priest is pious and pleasing in the sight of God, and from where the prince Zerubbabel should have strength and power so that he is safe. Let us deal with the high priest first.
3. "Joshua the high priest was shown to me," he says, "that is, I saw in one vision Joshua the high priest, what was wrong with him, so that I might preach it to him and to the people, how he should not take such a fault into account, but be bold and joyful, knowing that he had a gracious God. But this was his fault, that two thoughts oppressed him and made his conscience evil. The first was that Satan stood at his right hand and challenged him. This is nothing else, because the devil stood firm, and made his sin great, and his conscience stupid and despondent. For this is the devil's way, to magnify sin and make God's judgment terrible, as Revelation 12:10 says, that the old dragon accuses the saints before God day and night. Just as the Holy Spirit is a comforter and advocate [Joh. 16, 7.], who excuses sin before God, makes it small and futile.
The other thoughts follow from the fact that he thinks his priesthood and work is unpleasant before God. He shows that his clothes, that is, the priestly clothes, were unclean or not glorious. For the prophet did not see Joshua as a common man, but as a high priest in priestly garments, which were to be beautiful and glorious, as God commanded Moses, Ex. 28:4, to make Aaron ornaments and glorious garments for the priesthood. Therefore, even among the papists, the vestments or church clothes are called regalia, that is, ornaments. So Joshua had priestly garments on, but they were unclean; not of filth or sullied, but that they were not beautiful nor adorned as befitted, but were old or worn, or of common cloth, like other daily garments. All this is called unclean and unholy, because it is not according to God's word, who commanded that they should be beautiful garments.
5 Because therefore his garments are not righteous, it is signified by this that his conscience is before
Even though he considered himself a priest of God, born of priestly stock (which he could not deny), he was not happy and beautiful, that is, he did not consider himself righteous, beautiful, nor worthy enough to do pleasant service before God. Therefore he must be seen in shabby, evil clothes, like a poor village priest in a shabby and shabby chasuble, so that the sum and opinion is this: the high priest Joshua had such thoughts, and his conscience gave him such words: Well, I am born a high priest, according to God's order; but, dear God, we have sinned, that God has let the priesthood be destroyed by the Babylonians, so that there is little hope, and truly a wretched priesthood, which has almost shriveled up and the moths have eaten it; if it is to come forth again and become glorious, it will still be bad. It will take a lot of sunshine, it is a shabby thing, and vain rags.
(6) For so naturally does the conscience, when it is evil and bitten with sins, that it cannot adorn itself at all, that is, it cannot be cheerful, nor have good cheer toward God, but always fears that its works count for nothing; or even hangs in doubt, that it cannot cheerfully say: I know that my work pleases God etc. That such an interpretation is right, I have David as a witness, who himself points to the beautiful clothes of a righteously happy conscience, since he says Ps. 132, 9: "Let your priests put on righteousness, and your consecrated put on gladness"; and Solomon Eccles. 9, 7. 8: "Let your clothes always be white, for your works please God"; and Christ Matth. 6, 17: "When you fast, anoint your head" etc., that thus adornment indicates a cheerful good conscience before God, which is sure its works please God. Again, rags and shod clothes mean an evil, despondent conscience.
7 Against such two pieces of comfort, the angel of the Lord is also seen with two pieces. The first is that he scolds Satan with words, saying, "The Lord
1) Thus the Jenaer and Walch; Wittenberger and Erlanger: it.
rebuke you, you Satan" etc. As if to say: O Joshua, I see that you are stupid, and have a bad conscience, as a poor sinner; but behold, I come with a comforting sermon, for I have seen an angel scolding Satan for God's sake, and speaking your best. Therefore be of good cheer, and know that it is not your sins that make you so foolish, but the devil thus challenges you, and makes your conscience so evil, and wants to hinder this building. Be of good cheer therefore, fear not; God is gracious to thee, and begin to build, that the people may follow thee.
(8) And here let us learn what is meant by Satan standing at his right hand. Satan, in Hebrew, means an adversary, as he himself indicates and says, "Satan stood at his right hand to resist him. For this is the devil's way, that he resists God and all his own; as also John 1 Ep. 4, 3. calls the Antichrist, that is, the Counter-Christ; and Paul 2 Thess. 2, 4. calls him the Resistant One, thus rendering the Hebrew word Satan in Greek Antikimenon [άνταείμευον], for it is commonly called Satan.
means all the repulsive ones; but here it certainly means the devil himself.
9. he standeth, saith he, neither lieth down nor sitteth. For the devil is in earnest, and verily treadeth upon his feet, and is stiffnecked, and feeleth not, and is not fallen to destroy and to hurt, as also Peter saith 1 Ep. 5:8: "Your adversary (that is, your Satan) prowleth about like a fierce lion." This is also felt in the conscience, because he begins to press and to make sin great, how utterly despondent and stupid a man becomes, especially before God; like him, how stiffly and firmly he holds those whom he has caught in error and heresy, how they will not yield, nor let him tell them.
(10) But he especially loves to stand on the right hand, that is, in the best and spiritual things; that is, he resists most of all that right faith and a good conscience should not arise, but that vain unbelief or doubt and despondency should remain, just as the 109th Psalm, v. 6, says of the Jews, Satan stands on their right hand; for there is no angel to rebuke Satan. Therefore it is not possible that they should cease from unbelief; Satan
He stands too stiffly and too firmly, just as in all herds and heretics. But here, in Joshua, he would also like to stand on the right side and resist the faith, but there is a stronger one, who tells him to triumph and give room to the faith. Blessed is he who is worthy of such a thing.
The other part is that he does it with a deed or sign, and it is called stripping Joshua of his rags and putting on glorious garments. As if Zechariah were to say, "Dear Joshua, you think the priesthood does not apply and you are stupid; but I have seen that you are well off with God and that your priesthood is pleasant.
(12) These are excellent, great words and visions. How great a man must Joshua have been in the sight of God, to have such glorious words and visions ordered by God for his sake. Should it not give him joy and courage when he hears how God acts on his behalf and lets his angel see him and fight with the devil over him, proclaiming to him forgiveness of sins and that he has a gracious God?
(13) Yes, what good would it have done him if he had not believed? And how could he have done greater sin than to dishonor and doubt God? If one looks at Zechariah alone, who preaches such things, it seems as if he is pretending to the high priest. But what a necessary hypocrisy it would have been, because good Joshua is so low and despondent before his eyes. It would be much more hypocrisy, because the pope is called an earthly god, and a mixed person of God and man.
14 Here Joshua is miserable and nothing; therefore God, who looks upon the vile and miserable, also makes him so glorious, according to the saying of Mary [Luc. 1:52]: "He pushes down the mighty from their seats, and exalts the lowly." So now Joshua is strengthened, both with words and signs, as the Scriptures use. The word is when Satan is scolded. The sign is that he is stripped of his rags and clothed in glorious garments. Let us now see the text
(15) Again, he shows how there is more than One Person in the Godhead. For Zechariah speaks first of all how Joshua was before the angel.
of the Lord, and immediately afterwards he says that the Lord scolded Satan, as if he meant that the Lord himself was like the angel. For he says nothing of the Lord, that he was there, but an angel, and yet he says that the Lord speaks; just as Abraham worships the Lord in the person of an angel in Genesis 18:2, 3, and speaks with him. For take heed to the words as they follow one another; thus he says, Joshua stood before the angel of the Lord, and the Lord said to Satan, The Lord rebuke thee etc. If the angel was not the Lord himself, the text would have been better: Joshua stood before the angel of the Lord, and the angel said unto Satan, The Lord rebuke thee etc.
(16) Also in this way one Lord speaks of another, as one God speaks of another (for Lord is here, in both places, also the one right name of the right natural God), as if I thus said: And God said to Satan: God rebuke thee etc. Here it would be understood that one God speaks of the other God, like Ps. 45, 8: "Therefore, God, your God has anointed you." From which Psalm the Epistle to the Hebrews Cap. 1, 8. 9. proves that Christ is God; and this speech is the same: God speaks to Satan, God reproaches you. There is also the whole speech. For Joshua stands before the angel with Satan, as before God, that all this happens and is considered as before God's face, in conscience, as [§ 3] is said. And the angel also gives to the others who stand before him, that is, the angels, as one God, that they should clothe Joshua. That Christ, however, is indicated here, that he is God, and an angel into the world in the future.
17 This rebuke of the Lord is also spoken in the Scriptural way, which testifies that God does and creates all things by His word, as the 33rd Psalm, v. 9, says: "He speaks, and it is done. So, when God speaks, it is so much, he does and creates something. When he blesses (that is, when he speaks well and favorably), he does good, helps and makes great, as in the Old Testament the goods and temporal possessions of God are called blessings [Deut. 28, 2. ff.]. Again, when he curses, he corrupts and destroys, Deut. 28, 16. ff., therefore curse means: destruction of goods, as Malachia says
Cap. 2, 2: "I will curse your blessings", that is, I will make your goods less, which you have through my blessings. So we must also get used to this divine speech, that God's rebuke is as much as to ward off and deter the devil, so that he must leave his intentions in the hands of God, as the 9. 1) Psalm, v. 6, says: "When you rebuke the nations, the wicked perished. St. Paul Rom. 16, 20. speaks of the same rebuke of God in other words: "God will soon tread Satan under your feet"; the trampling is as much as the rebuke, although St. Paul also uses the word "trample" in other passages of Scripture that give the same.
018 And he added, Yea, the Lord reproach thee, which hath chosen Jerusalem, to comfort Joshua and the people the more, because they heard that the devil was reproached for the very thing that was against them, even for Jerusalem, which they should build, and that they should henceforth be unhindered of the devil, and of all that was against them. For God has chosen Jerusalem to dwell there, and will build it, and will no longer allow the devil to hinder it. Such manifold great comforts indicate that without a doubt the people and their leaders were almost very stupid, frightened and misguided, and suffered great hindrances and temptations. For where God comforts strongly, there must indeed be strong persecution. He does not give his word and comfort so lightly or without need; he holds himself and his word dear, as is also just and right. Therefore there has been great misery and distress here, as follows:
V. 2-5. Is not this one a burn saved from the fire? [And Joshua had unclean garments on etc.]
(19) This much is said: Is it not enough that God has destroyed the whole Jewish people, as if a whole city were burned out? And thou Satan wilt leave nothing, not even a fire or a flame? Not so, but you shall depart, and
1) In the original and in the German editions: "the 10th Psalm". Only the Latin translation has correctly: 9. ?8ulmii8.
Let this Joshua remain a remaining piece, so that the whole Jewish kingdom may be established again.
020 And there we see how wretched things were about the Jews in those days, and how all things were of no account that any thing should be made of their building. For he compares the high priest to a remaining fire, which is honestly kept and torn out. If a house or a city burns, what is such a fire 2) compared to a house or a city? Who can hope that a house will be built from a fire? It is not possible nor humanly conceivable. The Jews, and Joshua in particular, felt the same way, thinking, "What shall we do? Shall we build? For we are as a fire to the former city of Jerusalem, to a goodly house that is burned; and we are as nothing to them that were before in that city, which are all destroyed and perished with the city: but we are left as coals and buntings. See now if it has not been necessary to comfort abundantly and to pretend well in such distress.
21. but the Scripture has its way of speaking of God in this way, that He makes everything out of that which is nothing or little [Rom. 4, 17.], and if He disturbs, that He nevertheless leaves something and keeps seed, so that He starts it up again. Thus he caused the world to be destroyed by the flood of sin, together with men and animals [Gen. 7:21, 22], and made it again by eight men and a pair of animals of every kind, which were the seed, Cap. 8:16 ff, item, thus he speaks Isa. 1, 9.: "If God did not keep us seed, we would be like Sodom and Gomorrah"; and again Cap. 10, 22.: "When the children of Israel shall be as much as the sand of the sea, then shall the remnant be saved"; item, Jer. 10, 23. [Kagl. 3, 22.]: "It is God's grace that we have not perished"; item, Is. 49, 5. He says: Christ shall convert the fagots or the yeasts of Israel; and Is. 65, 8. He says that He will make Israel again out of one kernel of wine.
2) That is, an extinguishing fire that only smokes a little. Isa. 7, 4.
22 Therefore he that can make out of the branches wine, and out of the kernel vineyards, and out of the corn fields full of seed, and whatsoever more he hath in the scriptures, can build again out of the residue of the fire a whole city. He proved it before, and from one Adam he made all men on earth, from one Jacob the whole Israelite nation, and daily from one cherry or nut kernel so many trees that from year to year one kernel would give enough cherry trees and cherries for all the world, if one wanted to produce them. So also in all other things, he makes abundance out of scarcity, wealth out of poverty, honor out of shame, 1) life out of death, everything out of nothing.
23 Therefore this is said for the comfort of Joshua, that he should hear how he is a fire plucked out of the fire, and kept for this purpose, that a great and glorious city should be built of him, not by his own power, but by him that is able to make of one grain a year an hundred; the next year, out of the hundreds ten thousand; the third year, an hundred times ten thousand; and so on, filling the world; and so making it daily. Therefore this word is not to Satan alone, but rather to Joshua, that he should not look upon himself as a leftover, poor burnt of fire, but as he was kept by God to be a seed, nucleus and root to raise up the whole city more glorious than it was before. And though the devil be sorry, yet shall he not hinder it. Therefore, my dear Joshua, do not look at yourself as a small piece of short stocking and a wretched blight before your eyes. It is God who wills and is able to make beams, pillars, rafters, houses, cities, forests and all things out of the fire; and you are ordained by God to build the glorious Jerusalem through you and out of you, no matter how small you may be.
(24) From this example we learn, first of all, how difficult it is to make a good, confident conscience, and how sour it is to do what God commands, and to whom He commands it.
1) In the original: "aus Ehren Schande", which is obviously either a typographical or a printing error. Only the Latin Wittenberg edition and Walch have improved this error.
Work calls. 2) Truly in Joshua there is no pride, nor ambition, nor thirst, but only fear, trembling, and humility. But the reckless spirits and enthusiasts go along: if only a thought occurs to them to teach or do something, it must be the Holy Spirit. Your Joshua can hardly instill the Spirit with single drops; and these drink it into themselves with whole buckets. But God's work always begins so sickly and weakly, but increases confidently; again, the spirits, as swiftly as they run and hurry, so soon they also sink again, and subside.
25 Secondly, the doctrine of grace against works is confirmed here. For here Joshua is taken off and put on before he is given the office and commandment of what he is to do. The person must first be pure and beautiful through faith, after which his works are pleasing, as is also shown in Habet and Cain [Genesis 4:5]. Follows:
V. 6, 7: And the angel of the Lord testified unto Joshua, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, If thou wilt walk in my ways, and keep my charge, then thou shalt also judge my house, and keep my courts: and I will give thee to walk among these that stand here.
(26) According to the way of the law, he commands Joshua what he should do, and does not place the promise freely on God's goodness, but on Joshua's obedience. For this is the difference between the Old and New Testament, that the promises of the Old Testament do not extend further than as far as the people would be pious and obedient. Therefore all such promises go in this way: If thou wilt do this, it shall be done; if thou wilt be obedient, I will do thee good. All with attached obligation, difference and condition. But the promises of the New Testament come quite freely out of pure goodness, and without the addition of any obligation they read thus: These things will I do (saith the Lord); these things shall be done (saith the Lord). Sometimes he adds: Not for your sake,
2) The last sentence has been given by the Latin translator thus: 6t quarn NiMeuItor nü Uivinum opns voenti n666cknniu8 ^and How hard it becomes for us to go to God's work when we are called to it).
but for my name's sake I will do it. St. Paul wrote enough about this to the Romans and Galatians.
27 Thus, because Joshua is still to lead the old priesthood, he relies on his obedience, which he promises him. In this way, he again prevents Joshua from becoming too proud through the previous visions, consolations and promises, as if God had to do it and was captivated by such promises, but must remain humble and walk in the fear of God.
For we are such poor people on earth: when God punishes us and lets us go badly, we become too despondent and fainthearted that he has enough to comfort and lift us up. Again, when He comforts us and makes us feel good, we become too proud and sure that He has enough to afflict and frighten us. Our flesh is far too weak and frail to bear God's work, both evil and good. Evil and good. As he does with us, so he gains. We cannot bear evil, we cannot bear good. So now, after such great comforts, he must again humble Joshua and keep him in check, so that he will not overreach himself with such a glorious promise. Saul and many kings deceived Israel that they had God's promise, and became proud that they perished, and of course brought the Jews all at once into the Babylonian prison, because they relied on God, and still did not want to be pious, but wanted to live safely and without fear; again, many deceived the miserable prison that they remained outside, and did not come back from Babylon. Oh who could realize how we poor people are before God!
29. the word "testify" is in Scripture as much as to proclaim God's word, Ps. 122:4: "When the tribes go up to testify to Israel"; that is, God's people come up to the temple, when God's word is proclaimed to Israel; and Ps. 81:9: "Hear, my people, I will testify to you"; therefore God's word is called testimony, because God speaks through men, who are His witnesses to the people, Acts 1:8. 1:8: "Ye are my witnesses." And what is witnessed is not seen, but only heard, and must be believed.
God's word, spoken through angels or men, that demands faith.
(30) Now the saying, "Will you walk in my ways?" is almost common to us, that God's ways are called God's commandments and works; and to walk in them is to practice God's commandments and works, and to be obedient in them. About this he gave Joshua a special command: he was to wait on his guard, as Moses also said in the second and third books [Cap. 8, 35].The guard is what we call waiting on the church and God's service. For there one does not have to do with men, but waits and cares for the Lord, and pays attention to him alone, what he says and wants. Such respect and waiting is called the guard of the Lord, or waiting for the Lord, which was especially due to Joshua as high priest.
31 Therefore, the first promise of such a duty is that Joshua shall judge God's house in peace and keep His courts, that is, he shall not be confirmed by men but by God Himself in his office, so that he may know how God has commanded him and be sure that he pleases God in such an office, because he accepts it not by his own choice nor by presumption but by God's command. For this purpose, he will give him peace and space, so that he may lead such an office, that is, the city shall again come into being and be protected by God. For if this were not the case, how could he take care of his office inside? This means to judge God's house, that is, to be judge and governor over the state where God's word and God's service is within, that is, in the priesthood of Levi, and in the spiritual state. And is indeed a high, glorious command, who is commanded to govern God's word, God's service, and the souls, and is set to be the pope in Judaism. He also includes the courts with the house of God, so that not only in the temple, but also in the courts, God's word and God's service go.
32 The other promise is that he will give him obedient subjects; for where there is authority without obedience, there is disorder and nothing of value. And Joshua is also in need. For the Jewish people were a haughty, stiff-necked people, so that
Joshua might be anxious, saying, Thou commandest me the spiritual government in these miserable times: how if it were so with me, that the rest believed not, and would every man boast that it was commanded him? Moses and Aaron could not receive it: Korah and the best of the tribe of Levi rose up against them [Num. 16:1 ff], how much more shall it be so with me, who am much less than Moses and Aaron?
033 Then the promise goes, saying, Fear not: I also, which command thee the ministry, will give thee subjects, which shall follow thee, and shall not rise up against thee, nor rebel against thee. For I will have my angels with thee, which shall see that they keep thee in rule, and them in obedience. This is what he says here: "And I will give you those who will walk (that is, who will be obedient) between or among these who are standing here" (that is, among the angels), who will stand there to wait for you and keep the people to you against all the devils and their rebellious angels. You can be sure of this.
34) From this saying we have that the grace and gift of God is vain where there are devout, obedient subjects, and that God provides and maintains this in the world through His angels, against the rebellion and disobedience that is in all men's hearts and is stirred up by the devil, that there is no doubt where there is disobedience and rebellion, that the devil has loosed the bridle 1) and the angels refrain from guarding, so that God may punish those who deserve it. Just as in German lands the next uprising was undoubtedly also a punishment on us who despised his gospel and did not want to obey his word. Although by such punishment we have only become the more angry, as the wicked are wont to do, as Isaiah says Cap. 9, 13: "The people turn not to him that smiteth them."
35 Again, it is also grace and goodness where he establishes and gives authority, especially when they are Joshua, that is, pious and useful; as also here the text teaches, and also Solomon in his Proverbs says Cap. 20, 12.: "An ear that hears, and an eye that sees, the
1) Erlanger: Fence.
the Lord makes them both. The seeing eye is the pious authority, the hearing ear is the pious subjects. Neither is in man's power, God must give it both.
V. 8. Listen, Joshua, you high priest, you and your friends who dwell before you, for they are vain wonders. Behold, I will send for my servant Zemah.
This text speaks of Christ's future; for the prophet links the Levitical priesthood to the future priesthood of Christ, to which it is also directed, and to which it should have an end, as we have just heard. And the prophet himself teaches what Joshua's priesthood means, so that no one should seek any other allegory or interpretation here. For so far he has said enough about the priesthood of Joshua, how it was his turn with God, what he should do, what God wanted to do to him again, that nothing more was necessary to teach. Therefore he now proclaimed what would follow after all this, and how long Joshua's priesthood and ministry would continue, saying: "Listen, Joshua, with your friends, I will proclaim to you even more and something greater.
37. but he takes the friends of Joshua, who are also to hear this, so that he may understand that the promise of the future kingdom of Christ is only for the benefit of the pious and faithful, who are like Joshua and of one spirit with him. For many of the Jewish people have despised this promise and its fulfillment, and still despise it to this day, and remain with Joshua and his friends alone.
(38) And he calls them "vain wonders. For all those who receive Christ are strange things and wonders in the sight of the world. For it is such an annoying, foolish and wretched thing about Christ's kingdom on earth that all who believe in him are considered vain fools and wretched people, as Paul also says [1 Cor. 4, 9.]: "We are a spectacle to God, angels and men." In the same way also Isaiah Cap. 8, 18. 14. speaks: "Behold, these are my children, whom God giveth me for a sign and for a wonder, and for a fall and for an offense unto both houses of Israel. "etc. "Christ is an offense to the Jews and a foolishness to the Gentiles,
1 Cor. 1, 23. So also, whoever preaches and confesses Christ must also be an offense and a fall to the highly intelligent, prudent and holy.
(39) Now here the angel thinks that this promise of Christ is so vexatious that his friends who want to hear it with him must be considered fools and strange, strange people by the other Jews and the whole world. Therefore it is necessary that they be admonished to listen, as if he were to say, "Listen, listen, dear Joshua, along with your friends, it is necessary to listen and to pay attention to the word and to stick to it. If you do not keep the word, you cannot stand before the trouble that Christ's kingdom brings.
40 From all this Joshua must learn that he should build the temporal temple and keep its office, but not cling to it as if there were nothing left, but know that it will last for a short time and another will come. And it is a wonder that such a thing is commanded to be built with such earnestness; and yet it shall be nothing to the servant that is to come. Joshua knows that he is the high priest, and he must believe that this Zemah will be greater and more glorious than he and his descendants. Therefore he understands that another high priest will come and abolish his Levitical priesthood.
41 He says, "My servant Zemah," just as if he had no other servant, or as if the others were not his servants. But Christ in particular, above all others, is called God's servant, as Isaiah used to call him before other prophets, as Isa. 52, 13: "Behold, my servant will drive wisely," and Cap. 42, 1: "Behold, this is my servant", which the evangelists interpret puor meus, as Matth. 12,-18. and Apost. 4, 27: "They are come together against thy child JEsum, whom thou hast anointed" etc. For this servant should do the right work, since all other servants have prophesied about it, as he himself often praises in the Gospel of John [Cap. 4, 34. 5, 36.] the work which the Father commanded him to do, namely to redeem the world through his suffering etc. Therefore, he is the right and only servant of God, the exemplar above all other servants.
42. but he calls him Zemah [XXX], which means in German a plant, like a branch, rice or rue grows; as also Isaiah Cap. 4:2: "In that day shall the plant of the Lord be glorious"; and Jer. 33:15: "In that day will I cause to grow of David a plant of righteousness" etc. And therefore it is called a plant, that Christ is preached without ceasing through the gospel, and grows and increases in the world; for his kingdom is growing and increasing until the last day, and is always bringing new and more Christians out of the world.
(43) But there is a strange growth, which in the sight of the world seems like withering and destruction, because there is the cross of Christ with all kinds of persecution; yet there is also a vain growth. In the midst of death there is life, in poverty riches, in disgrace honor, and so on, under all adversity vain glory. Therefore Isaiah Cap. 53, 2. says: "He arises before Him as a rice, and as a root out of dry earth before Him"; that is, before God and in the spirit there is vain growth, and yet it comes out of dry earth, where there is neither moisture nor sap, that is, out of vain misery, distress and sorrow before the world. So also here Christ is not called bad Zemah or growth, but a growth of the Lord. For he is the Lord's servant in such growth; not a plant in the sight of the world, because it is fat and wet land, that is, good, honor and pleasure.
V. 9 For behold, on the one stone that I lay before the face of Joshua are seven eyes.
44 Here the prophet himself gives the allegory or interpretation of the physical temple, and speaks of a spiritual building of a living temple, in which a much different stone is to be laid as a foundation than in that one. It shall be a few stones, but in the physical temple many stones are laid. This stone is, since Isaiah Cap. 28, 16. and Peter 1 Ep. 2, 6. of say, "Behold, I lay in Zion a cornerstone, a precious, tried stone etc., he that trusteth in him shall not be put to shame." The stone is Christ, as He interprets Himself Matth. 21, 42: "The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone." And God lays the same stone Himself, not Joshua.
nor Zerubbabel; for God builds this temple Himself, as He says here, "The stone I lay before the face of Joshua." For God already began to build the spiritual temple, because He had the physical temple built for the sake of the spiritual one. And over this is such a spiritual building before the face of Joshua, that is, before the eye of the priesthood of Joshua. Christ's temple and kingdom began while Joshua's tribe and priesthood were still standing. This indicates that Christ was to come before Joshua and his tribe and priesthood perished. That therefore with Joshua's descendants this stone was laid before their eyes; although they neither saw nor understood it, even rejected it 1).
45 There shall be seven eyes on this stone. A strange building, there stones are built on stones; here eyes are built on the one stone. Who can guess how this can happen and exist? Why not just as many seven ears, or seven mouths? The kingdom of Christ is based on faith and the knowledge of Christ, as Isaiah, Peter and Paul teach. For he that knoweth Christ is enlightened, and hath spiritual eyes. Now not all who hear about him recognize him, but only those who believe. Therefore not ears, but all things must be built upon this stone. So then the seven eyes are all true Christians who are enlightened by the Holy Spirit, especially those who teach, instruct and guide others.
46 It is well known that the seventh number in the Scriptures is considered as a common number, or as all kinds, so that the seven eyes are all Christians. Besides this, it is said that in Judaism there should be no eye, but blindness; indeed, blindness should be everywhere that is not in Christ. For on this stone are all eyes, and nowhere else. And eyes are called eyes, because a Christian knows and sees and recognizes all things, as Paul says in 1 Cor. 2, 10: "The spirit also searches the depths of the Godhead"; and v. 15: "A spiritual man judges all things." For he knows what God, Christ, Spirit, life, righteousness, sin, death, hell, teu-.
1) "him" is missing in the Erlanger.
The world, the flesh, the future and the present; the eye and the knowledge are with him.
Behold, I will hew him out, saith the Lord of hosts.
This stone is not polished by the stonecutters, but also by God Himself. I, I, He says, will dress, polish and carve the stone for Me, so that [it] will be a beautiful, fine, well-crafted stone. Some interpret this polishing to mean that Christ was prepared in his mother's womb by the Holy Spirit with various beautiful gifts. I leave them to it, but I consider that he is speaking of the passion of Christ, by which Christ was prepared and made ready to be the cornerstone of all who believe in him and are to be built on him. For thus he says Luc. 24, 26: "Did not Christ have to suffer these things and thus enter into his glory?" and the epistle to the Hebrews [Cap. 2, 10] says: "He was made perfect through suffering to be a duke of our salvation, and through suffering was crowned with honor and praise etc. But the Jews and Pilate were our God's chisels, stone axes and tapping irons, which he used to polish this stone, to lay such a foundation for the new temple. For the seven eyes and all Christians came by his suffering and from his blood, and also built themselves on his suffering. The following text also proves all this:
And will take away the sin of the same land for One Day.
(48) For this purpose this stone is to be polished, so that sins may be taken away. Now sin is not taken away by anything except the suffering of Christ, as we well know. For this is also the power and fruit of His suffering, namely the forgiveness of sins, as Isaiah Cap. 53, 14, and Peter and Paul teach in many places [Rom. 4, 25]. Therefore, such suffering must be his suffering, and not his birth or conception. But because he promises to take away the sin of the land, he indicates that through the old priesthood no sins can be forgiven; indeed, that everything that is not Christ's suffering may not be forgiven.
sin, and all good works are unfit and sinful before God. It must be done by the polished cornerstone, and nothing else.
49. How strong and powerful this forgiveness is, he gives to understand that he speaks, he wants to do it in one day; that is so much said: He wants to make such a great reconciliation and forgiveness in one day, which should be enough for all sin, from the beginning of the world to eternity, and should not have to make new forgiveness for new sins daily and yearly, as happened in the old priesthood, where forgiveness of sins was sought daily and yearly with sacrifices and worship; but the one polishing on the day of Christ's suffering should work a complete, sufficient forgiveness. The epistle to the Hebrews also teaches how Christ perfected the saints with one sacrifice [Heb. 10:14].
50 But that he speaks of "the same land" means that he wants to take away the sin of the Jewish land. For the promise of Christ was made to the Jews; so they also had the law and the priesthood, in which atonement was made for sins. As if to say, "It is a great trouble to this land and people to take away sin daily and yearly, but they will not do it. Therefore I will take one day before me, and put away sin altogether, that such a being and labor may no longer be necessary. And so with this word the old testament and priesthood is reproved and abolished, as being incapable of taking away sin, and shall stand alone until the day when sin shall be taken away.
51 Now behold, whether Joshua's friends be not vain marvels, that they should suffer such vexation. First, that there is another temple, and the fleshly temple is not enough; second, that the other temple should be so strange that it should have a single stone, and vain eyes built upon it; third, that their priesthood is unfit, and that there is vile sin in what they do, as if no sin were ever forgiven in and under their priesthood, but all these things should come to pass when this new temple is built, and their priesthood and temple are taken away. Vain vexation, vain vexation is this.
V. 10. At that time (says the Lord of hosts) one shall invite another under the vine and under the fig tree.
52) That is, when sin is gone, and God is reconciled through Christ, then true and eternal peace will come; as Paul teaches Rom. 5, 1. For where there is sin, there cannot be peace in the heart before God, as Isaiah says [Cap. 48, 22. 57, 21.]: "The wicked has no peace," and Isa. 59, 8.: 1) "They do not know the way of peace. For this is spoken proverbially, one shall invite another under the vine, to show peace in the land; for where it is so in the land, that men dwell safely, and invite one another to guest, and are merry, and drink, and eat, there is good peace. Therefore also the scripture says of the great peace under king Solomon, that every man dwelt under his fig tree and under his vine [1 Kings 4:25]. But when there is war, one must go out and lie down in the field; no one is safe nor sure of his own.
(53) So now he will say: Until now, when sin has remained, everyone has sought peace, but sin has not wanted it. It has been more desired peace than peace that has existed. But now that sin is gone, there shall be complete peace. Let every man sit under his own vine, and let every man invite his neighbor to his table.
(54) Not that Christ gives peace in the flesh (as the world does), that His own should be gathered together under vines and fig trees, but that the prophet needs to praise such a speech for spiritual peace, which the Jews needed for peace in the flesh; as if one said of the cleansing of the law of Moses, "The cleansing will come when Christ comes; item, one will eat the right paschal lamb once when Christ comes, and the like. For such forgiveness of sins as is here spoken of, and the peace that follows, cannot be understood from the Old Testament, as has been heard, because it deals daily and yearly with the forgiveness of sins. But here it is to be done in one day.
1) In the original: "Ps. 14". In the Vulgate, these words are found in the 14th Psalm as part of the third verse. Cf. St. Louis edition, vol. IV, 904 ff, especially s 100.