Zechariah’s Fourth Vision: Messiah The Qualifier Series

Today we return to our study of Zechariah. Zechariah, along with a faithful remnant, have returned from Babylonian captivity to Jerusalem. They are rebuilding the temple along with Ezra and restoring worship of the Lord in their homeland. For 70 years the nation has been living in Babylon as captives. Now God is bringing them back to the promise land.

We understand Zechariah better if we comprehend some of the brokenness these people experienced as slaves in a foreign land. They knew why it happened. It happened because of Israel’s unfaithfulness to God. God had brought that nation into the land of promise with great and mighty miracles through Moses and Joshua. God had covenanted with them and revealed his will to them. But they violated the covenant and gave themselves over to idolatry. The question in their minds might be stated something like this: After all our unfaithfulness, can we get this right? Will God accept us after all we’ve done? Will he restore the priesthood and favor us with his presence? Is there hope that the promises he originally gave to us can still be fulfilled?

The first six chapters of Zechariah records 8 visions that God gave Zechariah concerning these matters. In those visions God reassures Israel of his faithfulness, in spite of their unfaithfulness. What God originally said he would do for them he will do. Their sin had plunged them into severe chastening and correction from the Lord. It carried heavy consequences. But it did not annul God’s ability to bring his purposes to pass. So, in these 8 visions Zechariah and by extension those with him were given comforting words of God’s enduring love and his determination to ultimately bless them.

Today we find ourselves in Zechariah 3. In this chapter Zechariah shares his fourth vision. We dealt with the first five verses in our previous message, and we will consider verses 6-10 today. In Zechariah 3:1-5 Zechariah sees Joshua the high priest clothed in filthy garments. Satan is standing at his right hand opposing him. The Angel of the Lord who is the preincarnate Christ rebukes the devil and provides Joshua clean garments. Let’s read those verses. These verses describe what Joshua saw (his vision), and verses 6-10 is the oracle of God that follows. The scene and the oracle are intimately related; they must be understood together.

Zechariah 3:1-5: “Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him [NIV says “to accuse him]. 2 And the Lord said to Satan, ‘The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?’ [God has rescued him for his purposes. As the high priest, Joshua is representative here of the nation. Israel has been in the destructive fire of Babylonian captivity. God has plucked Zechariah and those with from the destructive situation].

3 Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and was standing before the Angel.

4 Then He answered and spoke to those who stood before Him [Who are those who stood before Him? They are the heavenly angels who do his bidding], saying, ‘Take away the filthy garments

from him.’ And to him [Joshua] He [the Angel of the Lord] said, ‘See, I have removed your iniquity from you, and I will clothe you with rich robes.’

5 And I said, ‘Let them put a clean turban on his head.’ So they put a clean turban on his head, and they put the clothes on him. And the Angel of the Lord stood by [stood by overseeing this whole process].”i

This scene depicts a problem that Zechariah as a priest and prophet understood well: the sinfulness of Israel. How can the high priest (the representative of the nation) stand before a holy God and minister when he and all those he represents are defiled by their sinfulness? That sinfulness is depicted by Joshua’s filthy garment.

The answer to that problem is not found in what Joshua can do, but in what God can do. The Angel of the Lord commands the angels there to “Take away the filthy garments from him.” We know that represents the removal of sin by what the Angel of the Lord then says to Joshua, “‘See, I have removed your iniquity from you.” This is a beautiful revelation of justification by grace right here in the Old Testament. On one side of the transaction, the iniquity is taken away—the sin is forgiven. On the other side of the transaction, Joshua is given clean, priestly garments that qualify him for service to God.

Our justification works the same way. Ephesians 2:8-9: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” Through the cross of Christ, we have forgiveness of sin so that Jesus says to us what he says to Joshua in our text: Zechariah 3:4, “See, I have removed your iniquity from you.” But that’s only half of the justification process, for he does not leave us stripped and naked. The rest of the process is, “and I will clothe you with rich robes.” By grace we are clothed with the righteousness of Christ.ii