1 Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. 2 And the LORD said to Satan, “The LORD rebuke you, O Satan! The LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is not this a brand plucked from the fire?” 3 Now Joshua was standing before the angel, clothed with filthy garments. 4 And the angel said to those who were standing before him, “Remove the filthy garments from him.” And to him he said, “Behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with pure vestments.” 5 And I said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the LORD was standing by.
6 And the angel of the LORD solemnly assured Joshua, 7 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: If you will walk in my ways and keep my charge, then you shall rule my house and have charge of my courts, and I will give you the right of access among those who are standing here. 8 Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, you and your friends who sit before you, for they are men who are a sign: behold, I will bring my servant the Branch. 9 For behold, on the stone that I have set before Joshua, on a single stone with seven eyes, I will engrave its inscription, declares the Lord of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of this land in a single day. 10 In that day, declares the LORD of hosts, every one of you will invite his neighbor to come under his vine and under his fig tree.” – Zechariah 3:1-10 ESV
In this fourth vision, Zechariah is shown what appears to be a trial in the throne room of heaven. He sees Joshua (Jeshua) the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD as Satan levels accusations against him. This fits the description of Satan found the Book of Revelation.
This great dragon—the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world—was thrown down to the earth with all his angels.
Then I heard a loud voice shouting across the heavens,
“It has come at last—
salvation and power
and the Kingdom of our God,
and the authority of his Christ.
For the accuser of our brothers and sisters
has been thrown down to earth—
the one who accuses them
before our God day and night.” – Revelation 12:9110 NLT
Zechariah does not divulge the nature of Satan’s accusations against Joshua, but he reveals that the high priest is wearing filthy garments. His priestly robes are in a state of impurity, a sign of his sinfulness. But as Zechariah looks on, he hears the voice of Yahweh (the LORD) speaking on Joshua’s defense.
“I, the Lord, reject your accusations, Satan. Yes, the Lord, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebukes you. This man is like a burning stick that has been snatched from the fire.” – Zechariah 3:2 NLT
Joshua, whose name means “Yahweh saves,” is in a disheveled state, but Yahweh orders his garments to be removed and replaced with new ones. Despite Satan’s declarations of Joshua’s guilt and demands for punishment, God offers the high priest undeserved mercy and grace.
“See, I have taken away your sins, and now I am giving you these fine new clothes.” – Zechariah 3:4 NLT
This imagery of new clothes for old is found throughout the Scriptures.
I am overwhelmed with joy in the LORD my God! For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness. – Isaiah 61:10 NLT
So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armor of right living.…Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires. – Romans 13:12, 14 NLT
…for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. – Colossians 3:9-10 NLT
Joshua’s condition symbolizes that of the nation of Judah. As the high priest, he is their God-appointed representative. The priestly cast was to set the standard of behavior for the rest of the nation. But over the centuries, they had failed at their primary responsibility.
“When the people bring their sin offerings, the priests get fed.
So the priests are glad when the people sin!
‘And what the priests do, the people also do.’
So now I will punish both priests and people
for their wicked deeds.” – Hosea 4:8-9 NLT
Their far-from-holy behavior left the entire nation in an unacceptable state before the LORD. Joshua’s condition mirrored that of the people.
We are constant sinners;
how can people like us be saved?
We are all infected and impure with sin.
When we display our righteous deeds,
they are nothing but filthy rags. – Isaiah 64:5-6 NLT
Yet, Yahweh saves. He graciously declares Joshua free from sin and, by extension, the people were also the beneficiaries of God’s abundant grace. God orders Joshua to be dressed in new, pristine priestly robes. His righteousness or right standing before the LORD is restored. The new garments Joshua receives are meant to symbolize his set-apart status as God’s servant. The Book of Exodus describes the one-of-a-kind nature of the priestly robes.
“Make sacred garments for Aaron that are glorious and beautiful. Instruct all the skilled craftsmen whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom. Have them make garments for Aaron that will distinguish him as a priest set apart for my service. These are the garments they are to make: a chestpiece, an ephod, a robe, a patterned tunic, a turban, and a sash. They are to make these sacred garments for your brother, Aaron, and his sons to wear when they serve me as priests. So give them fine linen cloth, gold thread, and blue, purple, and scarlet thread.” – Exodus 28:2-5 NLT
Robed in righteousness provided by Yahweh, Joshua is given a solemn charge from his gracious benefactor.
“If you follow my ways and carefully serve me, then you will be given authority over my Temple and its courtyards. I will let you walk among these others standing here.” – Zechariah 3:7 NLT
God is demanding that Joshua change his behavior. As the high priest, he had an obligation to live in a way that glorified God. He had been set apart for a higher calling and was expected to conduct himself in a selfless and God-honoring way. In this vision, Joshua serves as a stand-in for all the Levitical priests who ever served. As a priest, he held to a higher standard.
“The purpose of my covenant with the Levites was to bring life and peace, and that is what I gave them. This required reverence from them, and they greatly revered me and stood in awe of my name. They passed on to the people the truth of the instructions they received from me. They did not lie or cheat; they walked with me, living good and righteous lives, and they turned many from lives of sin.” – Malachi 2:5-6 NLT
God made His expectations clear.
“The words of a priest’s lips should preserve knowledge of God, and people should go to him for instruction, for the priest is the messenger of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.” – Malachi 2:7 NLT
But somewhere along the way, the priests had lost their way.
“But you priests have left God’s paths. Your instructions have caused many to stumble into sin. You have corrupted the covenant I made with the Levites,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “So I have made you despised and humiliated in the eyes of all the people. For you have not obeyed me but have shown favoritism in the way you carry out my instructions.” – Malachi 2:8-9 NLT
Now, God was purifying His priests and calling them back to a life of obedience and faithful service. In the vision, the LORD tells Joshua that his restoration points to another renewal that will take place in the distant future.
“You are symbols of things to come. Soon I am going to bring my servant, the Branch. Now look at the jewel I have set before Jeshua, a single stone with seven facets. I will engrave an inscription on it, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, and I will remove the sins of this land in a single day.” – Zechariah 3:8-9 NLT
These two verses point to a future time when God will send another servant to bring about another cleansing that will be even greater in scope and significance. The use of the term “branch” points to the coming Messiah, the Son of God and the Savior of the world.
Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot—
yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root.
And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—
the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and might,
the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
He will delight in obeying the Lord. – Isaiah 11:1-3 NLT
“For the time is coming,”
says the Lord,
“when I will raise up a righteous descendant
from King David’s line.
He will be a King who rules with wisdom.
He will do what is just and right throughout the land.
And this will be his name:
‘The Lord Is Our Righteousness.’
In that day Judah will be saved,
and Israel will live in safety.” – IJeremiah 23:5-6 NLT
In this vision, Joshua the high priest also symbolizes Jesus, the Great High Priest.
So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. – Hebrews 4:14-15 NLT
But Jesus is also “the Branch” and “the stone” that will restore righteousness to the world. The Psalms speak of a stone that was rejected by men but became a vital building block in God's redemptive plan.
The stone that the builders rejected
has now become the cornerstone.
This is the Lord’s doing,
and it is wonderful to see. – Psalm 118:22-23 NLT
Jesus quoted this verse when addressing the unrighteous religious leaders of His day.
Then Jesus asked them, “Didn’t you ever read this in the Scriptures?
‘The stone that the builders rejected
has now become the cornerstone.
This is the Lord’s doing,
and it is wonderful to see.’
“I tell you, the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation that will produce the proper fruit. Anyone who stumbles over that stone will be broken to pieces, and it will crush anyone it falls on.” – Matthew 21:42-44 NLT
Jesus came to be the broken branch that brought life to sinful mankind. The branch likely represents Christ’s first advent, when He offered up His life as payment for the sins of humanity. The stone symbolizes His triumphant return when He appears as the King of kings and the LORD of lords (Revelation 19:6). All the symbolism associated with the stone in Zechariah’s vision is unclear and unexplained. The number seven represents perfection, so the seven eyes mostly likely symbolize Jesus’s perfect wisdom and knowledge. As the Son of God, He is infinitely wise and all-knowing. Unlike Joshua and his high priestly predecessors, Jesus will be the sinless, omniscient, omnipotent high priest who serves in perfect righteousness. And when He comes, He will restore righteousness to the earth, making all things new.
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”
And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.” And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children.” – Revelation 21:1-7 NLT
English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
