Joshua's Filthy Garments

Brethren, who is Joshua, and what are his filthy garments?  Over the years, we’ve all heard various explanations as to who Joshua is, and what sins constitute his filthy garments.  Back when Garner Ted Armstrong was prominently in the news, there were some who taught that he was the Joshua of Zechariah 3:3, “Joshua was clothed with filthy garments.”  Others feel that the high priest, Joshua, of Zechariah’s day, was the sole object of the reference.  What is the truth, and what are we to gather from this prophecy?

Zechariah, one of the twelve Minor Prophets, is a book that is difficult to understand.  Much of the content is obscure and incomprehensible, causing problems of interpretation.  Zechariah, himself, was both a priest and a prophet.  He urged the people on, as did the Prophet, Haggai, to rebuild the Temple as a prelude to the establishment of God’s Kingdom on earth.

The book of Zechariah is rich in Messianic Prophecies of our Savior Jesus Christ:  In Zech 3:8, the Branch, [bud, sprout or shoot], is the Messiah, Jesus Christ.  "In that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel."  (Isaiah 4:2)  In Zech 3:9, the Stone is also the Messiah, Jesus Christ.  "He is the Rock, His work is perfect: for all His ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is He."  (Deuteronomy 32:4)  And, as Joshua was high priest, Jesus is our Messianic High Priest "Christ being come an High Priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands."  (Hebrews 9:11).

Joshua is a name that is closely associated with that of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  Joshua means “The Eternal is Salvation."  In fact, the King James Translators sometime mistranslate the Greek ‘Iesous’ as “Jesus,” rather than correctly as, “Joshua.”  (See Acts 7:45. Hebrews 4:8)  It is an error that is easily made, because "Joshua" and "Jesus" are exactly the same word in Greek.  Those who hastily attempt to solve the question of the prophetic meaning of Zechariah 3:3 make the same mistake.  The high priest was to be ceremonially clean and pure as the representative of the Lord, Jesus Christ (Leviticus  21:10-15).  “You shall make holy garments for Aaron [high priest] thy brother for glory and for beauty.”  (Exodus 28:2)

Zechariah received eight visions of the night from God.  The fourth of Zechariah's visions has to do with Joshua, who was the high priest at that time.  This Joshua is also mentioned by Haggai – an older contemporary prophet of Zechariah's.  In the Scripture, it is clear that Joshua has come short in God’s eyes by letting down with regard to the enthusiastic worship of God, and the energetic reconstruction of the Temple.  But, let’s not forget that the messages of the prophets carry deep spiritual meaning for the children of God for all time.

“In the second year of Darius the king, [~520 B.C.] in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, came the word of the Lord by Haggai the prophet unto Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, saying, thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, This people say, The time is not come, the time that the Lord’s house should be built.”   (Haggai 1:1-2 )   They were wrong.  It was the time to rebuild the Temple!  Joshua was at fault for abandoning construction on the Temple when God had made it possible for the Temple to be rebuilt.Zechariah saw in vision the high priest – named, “Joshua” – being condemned to die by Satan because He was dressed in sinful filthy garments in the presence of God.  The angel or messenger of the Lord is Jesus Christ, the God of the Old Testament.  Satan is the accuser, the original instigator of sin among both, angels and man.

"And he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist [Hebrew ‘Saw tan’ – accuse, oppose as adversary] him."  (Zechariah 3:1)

Joshua standing before the messenger of the Lord is the type or pattern of Jesus standing before God the Father.  (In Malachi 3:1, Jesus is called the messenger of the Covenant.)  The Lord, Jesus Christ tells Satan that God the Father rebukes him.

"And the Lord said unto Satan, The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan; even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem [national identification of Israel] rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?"  (Zechariah 3:2)  The phrase, “Is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?,” means that God has determined to save Israel from destruction (Amos 4:11).  This applies to spiritual Israel as well (Galatians 6:16).]

"Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel." (Zechariah 3:3)  Joshua the high priest is still responsible and must answer to God for his actions.  “We are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.”   (Isaiah 64:6)

Please notice that, though Joshua and Israel were guilty, God removes the filthy garment – only God can remove iniquity – only God can forgive sin.  God the Father said to Jesus Christ , “Sit thou on my right hand.”  "David himself said in the book of Psalms, The Lord [Father] said unto my Lord [Jesus], Sit thou on my right hand, Till I make thine enemies thy footstool."  (Luke 20:42-43)  "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."  (Zechariah 3:4)

Jesus Christ is represented by Joshua, and those filthy garments that He has on are our sins, which He bore in His own body before the Father.  When His sacrifice was accepted by the Father, Jesus was clothed in proper garments of righteousness.  Zechariah says, let them set a fair miter upon his head, which means right authority and Godly leadership (vs5).

It was Jesus Christ who removed Joshua’s iniquity in Zechariah’s day, but this is recorded because it is symbolic of a much greater fulfillment.  When Jesus took upon Himself the sins of the entire world at His crucifixion, God the Father caused the iniquity and sin of the world to pass from Him and He clothed Him with the raiment of righteousness.

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Sermon:  "Joshua's Filthy Garments"

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