End times prophecy in Zechariah 3

Q: In Zechariah 3:9-10, after it prophesied the Branch, being Jesus, coming for the first time. Starting in verse 9 it talks about the jewel with 7 facets, that the Lord will engrave an inscription on it, and that he’ll remove the sins of the land in a single day. Is that verse prophesying the second coming of Jesus where there will be a new Jerusalem with jewels as it talks about in Revelation. When Jesus comes back to Judge the world, that’s where he will remove the sins of this land in a single day, because he will get rid of all the people who are not his children. Is that what that verse means? As we know Jesus already came the first time, and there is not peace on the earth. So is verse 10 meaning when Jesus comes back the second time, then there will be total peace with each other, our neighbor. I think this since God’s promise to us is that we will have our own place of security when Jesus returns. When I’m reading though study materials, it only emphasizes on the prophecy of Jesus’ first coming, but I think verse 8 is talking about his first coming, and verse 9 and 10 are talking about his second coming. Could you confirm this for me, and help me better understand the truth from these verses?

Yes, Zechariah 3:9-10 talks about Jesus' second coming.

Jesus is the Branch. When He comes again, He will remove the sins of Israel in one day. In earlier verses of the same chapter in Zechariah, we see that God rebuked Satan who was accusing Joshua (Zechariah 3:2). Joshua and his friends represent the priesthood and people of Israel. Joshua was wearing filthy garments, which symbolize a person's works or deeds. Because no one's deeds are perfect before God, so Joshua's clothes were filthy. 

But through Jesus, God takes away the filthy garments and puts on clean ones, because Jesus takes away the sins of those who trust in Him. Also through Jesus, God will set a stone with seven eyes.

In Revelation, we learn that the Holy Spirit is actually seven Spirits in unity, because it says:

"John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace, from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth." (Revelation 1:4-5)

So the seven eyes on the stone in Zechariah may represent the seven Spirits before God's throne in Revelation.

The stone in Zechariah represents Jesus, the chief corner stone which the builders rejected (Psalm 118:22, Matthew 21:42). And the seven eyes represent the seven Spirits of God (see also Revelation 3:1, Revelation 4:5, Revelation 5:6).

So through Jesus's blood, God takes away sins for those who believe. And through the Holy Spirit, God enables us to live godly lives.

When God removes sins of the land in one day, God will cause all Israel to believe in Jesus in one day in the future when Jesus comes again.

In the New Testament, the apostle Paul tells us:

"For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery—so that you will not be wise in your own estimation -- that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written,

'The Deliverer will come from Zion,
He will remove ungodliness from Jacob.'
'This is My covenant with them,
When I take away their sins.'" (Romans 11:25-27)

While the majority of Jewish people today and in the past have not believed in Jesus, when Jesus comes again, they will believe.

God says: "I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn." (Zechariah 12:10)

So when Israel turns to Jesus, then God "will remove the iniquity of that land in one day" (Zechariah 3:9) and each inhabitant in Israel will "invite his neighbor to sit under his vine and under his fig tree" (Zechariah 3:10).

Although the prophecies in Zechariah are mostly Israel-centric, God's promises to the church and all believers have similar blessings.

For example, all believers in God will enjoy peace and joy and glory: 

"Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away." (Revelation 21:3-4)

"Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him; they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever." (Revelation 22:1-5)

When Jesus comes again to reign on earth, peace will be over the entire earth and there will be no more pain or death or any bad thing.