Zechariah 3:7 Free Access

While reading Zechariah 3, I was really struck with verse 7:

Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘If you will walk in My ways, and if you will perform My service, then you will also govern My house and also have charge of My courts, and I will grant you free access among these who are standing here.'” [emphasis added]

This chapter follows Zechariah’s encounter with the angel of the Lord, Who takes him around Jerusalem to “measure” it. In this chapter, the Lord instructs Zechariah to bring Joshua, the High Priest, before the angel of the Lord. After rebuking Satan, Joshua’s filthy garments are changed to fine linen. The Lord then instructs Joshua with the verse I’ve quoted. Immediately following, the Lord tells Joshua and the other priests that He’s going to bring in His servant, the Branch [Jesus].

I was struck by several thoughts:

• In the Old Testament, only the priests could approach the Inner Court and only the High Priest could enter the Holy of Holies and this was only after being cleansed and only on one day of the year. The priests petitioned the Lord through the offered sacrifices.
• In verse 3:1 the Lord Himself, as the angel of the Lord, rebukes Satan. He stood in the gap for Joshua, the High Priest.
• Once Joshua was redeemed, refreshed, renewed, and redressed in fine linen, he received his orders. Note the “ifs” and “then” — it’s all about obedience.
• What really caught my eye was the phrase, “free access”. As an intercessor, I am keen to know how to have access to the court of Heaven.

As I had a full plate ahead of me for the next few days, I just let that scripture “simmer” a bit.

3 Days Later…

I was watching a program on television and the speaker’s key scripture was Revelation 19:11-16. It is John’s prophetic vision of the final coming of Christ. But, the speaker said there was a precursor to that arrival. The precursor was Revelation 19:7,8

7 Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.” 8 It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.

I was stunned as I sat there listening. This scripture is tied to Zechariah 3:4 where the filthy garments are removed! “See, I have taken your iniquity away from you and will clothe you with festal robes.” Further, BOTH of these verses are tied to Isaiah 22 and the overthrow of Shebna, the unrighteous steward, to Eliakim, the Lord’s servant:

“Then it will come about in that day, That I will summon My servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, And I will clothe him with your tunic And tie your sash securely about him. I will entrust him with your authority, And he will become a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. 22 “Then I will set the key of the house of David on his shoulder, When he opens no one will shut, When he shuts no one will open. 23 “I will drive him like a peg in a firm place, And he will become a throne of glory to his father’s house.

AND even this verse is tied to Isaiah 45 where the Lord calls Cyrus, the Gentile ruler:

Thus says the Lord to Cyrus His anointed, Whom I have taken by the right hand, To subdue nations before him And to loose the loins of kings; To open doors before him so that gates will not be shut: 2 “I will go before you and make the rough places smooth; I will shatter the doors of bronze and cut through their iron bars. 3 “I will give you the treasures of darkness And hidden wealth of secret places, So that you may know that it is I, The Lord, the God of Israel, who calls you by your name. 4 “For the sake of Jacob My servant, And Israel My chosen one, I have also called you by your name; I have given you a title of honor Though you have not known Me. 5 “I am the Lord, and there is no other; Besides Me there is no God.

AND two more verse associations are found in Revelation 3:4-6 and 7-9

[Message to Sardis] 4 But you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; and they will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. 5 He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels [the court of Heaven]. 6 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

[Message to Philadelphia] 7 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says this: 8 ‘I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name. 9 Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make them know that I have loved you.

Two more scripture associations:

Isaiah 54:1-3 [Prophetic word to the Gentiles]
“Shout for joy, O barren one, you who have borne no child; Break forth into joyful shouting and cry aloud, you who have not travailed; For the sons of the desolate one will be more numerous Than the sons of the married woman,” says the Lord. 2 “Enlarge the place of your tent; Stretch out the curtains of your dwellings, spare not; Lengthen your cords And strengthen your pegs. 3 “For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left. And your descendants will possess nations And will resettle the desolate cities.”

Judges 4:21 [Jael kills Sisera, the commander of Canan’s army, with a tent peg]
21 But Jael, Heber’s wife, took a tent peg and seized a hammer in her hand, and went secretly to him and drove the peg into his temple, and it went through into the ground; for he was sound asleep and exhausted. So he died.

More Thoughts

1. Free access is dependent upon cleanliness and righteousness (fine linen).
2. Enlargement of our authority is also based on our willingness to be stretched.
3. Opening up ourselves to Holy Spirit’s work is tough, but necessary to be able to acquire free access.
4. The scriptures in Revelation and Isaiah refer to the Gentile church of Jesus Christ.
5. We all have tent pegs available. I believe they are our prayers and petitions.
6. In several of these verses filthiness was attributed to actions within their control as well as the work of the enemy.
7. More than anything it’s Jesus’ righteousness and what He did for us on the cross.