Greetings, fellow Eschatologists! Welcome to the first post in our study of Zechariah’s fourth vision, which is about Joshua, the high priest. In our last post, we studied Zechariah’s third vision, which was about the man with the measuring line. The vision of the man with the measuring line is a prophetic word that projects forward a couple millennia into the future when the events of Revelation will have come to pass. In that vision, the Lord said he has chosen Jerusalem, which means He will fulfill His plan for the Israelites and Jerusalem. So now let’s look at Joshua’s vision of the high priest, the fourth vision. Let’s begin…
Zechariah, Prophet to the Returned Exiles
First in a Two-Part Series
by Karen Thompson
Zechariah’s Fourth Vision: Joshua the High Priest
The next two visions in chapters three and four focus on the two leaders in the restoration of the temple: Joshua the high priest and Zerubbabel the governor. There is no doubt these two men were the leaders of the restoration because both Zechariah and Haggai acknowledged them as such. The book of Haggai has only two chapters, and both chapters start out as prophetic words to Jerusalem’s leaders: “Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest…” (Hag. 1:1).
In chapters three and four of Zechariah, we see both Joshua and Zerubbabel being ministered to regarding their callings as the high priest and governor of Jerusalem. We, again, see the reoccurring theme of Zion and Jerusalem. Joshua, the high priest, was the authority over the city’s spiritual matters. Zerubbabel, the governor, was authority over the city’s civil matters. Both Joshua and Zerubbabel exhorted and encouraged the returned exiles to rebuild the temple. Their shared task before them was daunting, and it was a task that needed God’s supernatural help. As part of that supernatural help, both leaders received encouragement from God through a prophetic word from Zechariah.
When you study the exhortations for Joshua and Zerubbabel in chapters three and four, you’ll discover an interesting aspect: both exhortations had unique qualities, and they both had twin-like qualities. Both exhortations address the unique duties of the positions they held as priest and governor, and then both exhortations contained twin elements. Following are seven twin elements:
- Both men were anointed to stand in their offices.
- Both men experienced opposition in the performance of their duties.
- Both forces opposing the men in their duties were rebuked.
- Both men received an encouraging word from the Lord.
- Both exhortations contain an element of “seven eyes.”
- Both exhortations have an element of a stone.
- Both exhortations refer to the building of an edifice connected to their stones.
- Both exhortations prophesy and point to the two-fold calling of Jesus as king and priest.
Zec. 3:1 And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. 2 And the Lord said unto Satan, The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan; even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire? 3 Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel. 4 And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment. 5 And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the Lord stood by. 6 And the angel of the Lord protested unto Joshua, saying, 7 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. 8 Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH. 9 For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day. 10 In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbour under the vine and under the fig tree.
Satan Resists Joshua
So let’s begin our study of Zechariah’s word to Joshua, the high priest. In Zechariah 3:1, Zechariah tells us he had a vision of Joshua being anointed as high priest. He saw Joshua standing before the Angel of the Lord. Bible scholars agree that the being referred to as the “angel of the Lord” is another reference to the preincarnate Christ. Joshua is standing face to face with the preincarnate Christ and standing beside him at his right side is Satan. Satan is standing beside Joshua to “resist him.” Satan is the opposition that Joshua faces in the performance of his task as high priest. As discussed earlier, the returned exiles were experiencing resistance and opposition from their neighboring nations. This opposition made it difficult for Joshua and Zerubbabel to perform their duties as leaders and in rebuilding the temple. Satan is the one stirring up their neighbors against them.
Satan has always been the opposition to God’s plan in the earth. The first time we read about him is in the third chapter of Genesis; he is in the form of a serpent and in the act of deceiving Adam and Eve. As a result, a curse fell upon the earth, and Satan became the “god of this world” (2 Cor. 4:4). The last time we read about Satan in the Bible is in the third chapter from the end of Revelation, and he is referred to as “that old serpent” and he is receiving punishment for deceiving the nations. From Genesis to Revelation, Satan has been on the earth with the goal of deceiving mankind, to turn them against God.
Satan, the Opposition, Is Rebuked
Next in verse two, we see the Lord rebuking Satan: “The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan; even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?” The Lord rebukes, or scolds and reprimands Satan. He is scolding Satan, telling him that He has “chosen Jerusalem.” The Lord had not forsaken Jerusalem. He had not forsaken His people. He was telling Satan they are still His chosen people.
In fact, this is the third time we read in Zechariah’s visions that the Lord says He has chosen Jerusalem. Both in Zechariah 1:17 and 2:12, we read how the Lord has “chosen Jerusalem.” Repetition is a way of conveying a surety, a guarantee of sorts. God’s covenant promise to Jerusalem is eternal. He will never break it.
When the Lord rebuked Satan, He stated that He had chosen Jerusalem, and then he asked Satan a question: “Is not this a brand plucked out of a fire?” The question is a way of saying “Isn’t it obvious that I have chosen Jerusalem? Is not this a brand plucked out of a fire?” What does this statement mean? First of all, what is a “brand”? A brand, or firebrand, is a piece of burning wood.17 This piece of wood was “plucked” out of the fire. In other words, the burning wood was rescued out of the fire before it was completely consumed.
This is a metaphor used to describe the spiritual condition of Israel. As a nation, they had been nearly destroyed, but the Lord saved a remnant of them. He “plucked” a remnant of them out of the fire. He didn’t allow them to be completely consumed. That is what the Lord meant when He said to Satan, “Is not this a brand plucked out of a fire? I saved them from being completely destroyed. Jerusalem is still My chosen.”
This isn’t the first time we see this phraseology in the Bible. In Amos 4:11 it says, “I have overthrown some of you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and ye were as a firebrand plucked out of the burning….” In this verse, the Lord is saying He allowed some of them to be overthrown because of their disobedience. Yet even at that time, He didn’t overthrow all of them; He saved a remnant.
Joshua Receives New Garments
In verses 3–5, we see Joshua standing before the Angel of the Lord and he is wearing filthy garments. The Angel of the Lord spoke to those that were standing with Joshua saying, “Take away the filthy garments from him” (v. 4). Then the Angel of the Lord spoke to Joshua saying, “Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment” (v. 4). In this scenario, Joshua is representing not only himself but also the entire nation of Israel. The filthy garments were symbolic of the sin of the Jewish people. So when the Lord says, “I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee,” He’s saying that He’s forgiven the Jewish people of their sins. Their slate had been wiped clean, so to speak. Joshua was given a clean change of clothing. This is symbolic of purity, a state of sinlessness. The Lord had forgiven them and was giving them a new start.
Along with a clean change of clothing, he was also given a “fair mitre” for his head. The word “fair” is the Hebrew word tahowr and it means “clean, pure.”18 A “mitre” is a turban. Along with the clean change of clothing, Joshua was given a clean turban. As all this was being done, the Angel of the Lord stood by.
Joshua Is Exhorted by the Lord
After Joshua was clothed with clean clothing, we read in verses 6–7 where the Lord “protested unto” Joshua. The word protested is the Hebrew word `uwd and it means “to protest, affirm solemnly, warn, exhort or enjoin solemnly, admonish, charge.” The Lord admonished, or exhorted, Joshua saying, “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 Lord is making a promise to exalt, or promote, Joshua. But notice the Lord’s exhortation to Joshua begins with the word “if.” The word “if” indicates that this promise is conditional. A conditional promise means that the promise will be fulfilled as long as certain conditions are met. Obedience is required. This is nothing new. Obedience has always been the condition to all of God’s promises.
Here are the two conditions Joshua had to meet: “If thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou wilt keep my charge.” The word walk is a biblical expression that often means manner of life, as in “walk before the Lord” or “stumble in their walk” or “walk worthy of the vocation…” So the phrase “walk in my ways” refers to Joshua living his life in obedience to the ways of God. The Lord was requiring Joshua to live a godly life. And then the word “charge” in the phrase “keep my charge” would be a command or order. So the phrase “keep my charge” refers to being obedient to do what God had commanded him to do.
So if Joshua lived a godly life and was obedient to do whatever God commanded him to do, then the Lord would grant him three things: 1) thou shalt also judge my house, and 2) shalt also keep my courts, and 3) I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by.
Let’s look at those three things a little closer to make sure we’re understanding the full scope of what they are.
First, the word “house” in the phrase “judge my house” is referring to the “house of Israel.” This is a biblical term that refers to the descendants of Jacob, whom God renamed Israel. So this phrase, “thou shalt also judge my house” refers to having spiritual authority over God’s people, the Israelites, as high priest. And then second, the phrase “shall also keep my courts” is a reference to having responsibility over the temple, making sure its condition remained pure and undefiled.
Then thirdly, let’s look at the last phrase: “I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by…” The first part of that phrase, “I will give thee places to walk” has been translated by the Wycliff Bible to mean “I will give you the right to come and go.” The Modern English Version says, “I will give to you access.”
Now let’s look at the last half of that phrase: “among these that stand by…” Joshua would be given access “among these that stand by.” To understand this phrase, you must identify the word “these.” Who are “these”? One source said the Lord was giving Joshua special access into the spiritual realm with the ability to move among angels in the heavenly courts. But that interpretation is simply a case of over-spiritualization.
The answer as to the identity of the word “these” is found in the next verse: “Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee…” (v. 8). Several Bible interpretations say the word “these” is referring to priests. The “fellows” that were sitting before him were the priests to which Joshua would be in charge. So the Lord was telling Joshua that he would have access and the right to come and go among the priests that were standing by.
Simply put, the Lord is telling Joshua that if he lived a godly life and was obedient to do what He told him to do, He would promote him to the position of high priest. The duty of the high priest was to judge the house of Israel, meaning he would admonish and instruct the Israelites. The high priest would have oversight of the temple, making sure it was kept pure for the rituals performed in it. And lastly, the high priest would have oversight of the temple priests, his “fellows.”
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