Fruitful, Fascinating morning

When I first began studying the scriptures I failed to see the relevance of the Old Testament. I believed it contained old stuff like the law of Moses that lost relevance when the Savior was born. This morning exemplifies why this is not the case. I have been working my way through the Prophets that follow Ezekiel and find myself currently reading Zechariah, specifically chapter 3.

Chapter 3 has tremendous relevance to those endowed in the Temple. Zechariah is shown Joshua the high priest (little h, little p because Joshua was an Aaronic high priest, not Melchizedek.) On one hand an angel stands next to Joshua to support and instruct him. Angels minister by authority of the Aaronic Priesthood, additional evidence Joshua's Priesthood was Aaronic. On Joshua's right hand stands Satan as an accuser. The angel is an advocate.

Satan is rebuked in the name of the Lord and dismissed. Once Satan is removed we see Isaiah's language applied to Joshua wherein Zechariah says, "is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?" This language points to Isaiah's personal cleansing and prophetic calling in Isaiah 6:5-8:

"Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his tongs from off the altar: And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away and thy sin purged."

Joshua, like Isaiah, is keenly aware of his unworthiness before the Lord as evidenced by his filthy garments. The angel is instructed to remove Joshua's filthy garments and replace them them. "Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment." (vs.4) After Joshua is cleansed a "mitre" or crown is placed upon his head and he is clothed in royal garments. This is a crowning ceremony similar to the initiatory and endowment.

After sanctifying Joshua and crowning and clothing him in special garments the angel gives Joshua a Prophetic commission:

"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." (the elect who are sanctified.)

Joshua is promised that he and the others who have been sanctified will witness the Lord bringing forth "my servant the BRANCH." (vs.8) The word BRANCH is capitalized because scholars believe Christ is the "BRANCH" and this prophecy is Messianic. I disagree and will explain why. In John 15:1 Jesus taught his disciples

"I am the true vine..., Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit." (John 15:1)

Christ is the "true vine" and His servants are "branches" who are pruned and purged until they bring forth fruit. (righteousness) The BRANCH I believe refers to a righteous branch promised to Joseph who was sold into Egypt. Said Joseph:

"..., I have obtained a promise from the Lord, that out of the fruit of my loins, the Lord God will raise up a righteous branch out of my loins...,And it shall come to pass that they shall be scattered again; and a branch shall be broken off, and shall be carried into a far country; nevertheless they shall be remembered in the covenants of the Lord, when the Messiah cometh; for he shall be made manifest unto them in the latter days, in the Spirit of power; and shall bring them out of darkness into light; out of hidden darkness, and out of captivity..., And the Lord sware unto Joseph that he would preserve his seed forever...," (JST Genesis 50:24-25,34)

When the Lord brings the BRANCH to light, Joshua, the high priest is given a stone. I believe this is a reference to D&C 130:10-11 that says:

"Then the white stone mentioned in Revelation 2:17, will become a Urim and Thummim to each individual who receives one, whereby things pertaining to a higher order of kingdoms will be made known. And a white stone is given to each of those who come into the celestial kingdom, whereon is a new name written which no man knoweth save he that receiveth it. The new name is the keyword." (D&C 130:10-11)

The stone has seven eyes, meaning perfection (the number seven is a symbol for perfection) and eyes (Light,knowledge, understanding.) The stone given to the recipient puts him into possession of perfect knowledge or the knowledge of God. (D&C 84:19-26)

After Joshua receives the stone and is given access to perfect knowledge Zechariah records: "behold, I will engrave the graving thereof...," I believe this relates to Paul's words in 2 Corinthians 3:2-3:

"Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men. Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in the tables of stone, but in the fleshy tables of the heart."

I believe this to be another variation of the prophecy from Jeremiah quoted by Moroni to Joseph Smith:

Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more." (Jeremiah 31:31-34)

Consistent with Jeremiah's prophecy, Zechariah concludes verse 9 with, "I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day."

"In that day" is a key phrase from Isaiah that indicates the Prophet is speaking of the last days. Every man and his neighbor will be under the vine (Christ, John 15:1) or the fig tree (Aaronic Covenant, Judges 9:7-13, Genesis 3:7.)

Reference to the "vine" and "fig tree" require some explanation. Judges 9:7-13 is a parable that relates to selecting a king over Israel. Three types of trees are approached about serving as a king over the people, first the Olive tree, then a fig tree and then a vine. The Olive tree generally relates symbolically to the house of Israel (see Jacob 5) The fig tree has it roots in the garden of Eden where Adam & Eve, upon discovering their nakedness made aprons out of fig leaves to "cover" their nakedness. (Genesis 3:7) The fig leaf aprons were a temporary solution that was soon replaced by the shedding of blood so their covering would be more lasting. In this context the fig tree applies to the Aaronic covenant which is both temporal in nature and temporary. As previously mentioned, the "vine" symbolically refers to Christ (John 15:1) When Zechariah 3:10 talks of "every man his neighbour under the vine and under the fig tree, the vine refers to Christ/Melchizedek Covenant and the fig tree refers to the Branch/Aaronic Covenant. The later is preparatory for the former.

This should convince most everyone the Old Testament still has much to offer those interested in searching its words for truth.