- I was given another vision. This time Joshua the high priest was standing in front of the LORD's angel. And there was Satan, standing at Joshua's right side, ready to accuse him.
- But the LORD said, "Satan, you are wrong. Jerusalem is my chosen city, and this man was rescued like a stick from a flaming fire."
- Joshua's clothes were filthy.
- So the angel told some of the people to remove Joshua's filthy clothes. Then he said to Joshua, "This means you are forgiven. Now I will dress you in priestly clothes."
- I spoke up and said, "Also put a clean priestly turban on his head." Then they dressed him in priestly clothes and put the turban on him, while the LORD's angel stood there watching.
- After this, the angel encouraged Joshua by telling him that the LORD All-Powerful had promised:
- If you truly obey me, I will put you in charge of my temple, including the courtyard around it, and you will be allowed to speak at any time with the angels standing beside me.
- Listen carefully, High Priest Joshua and all of you other priests. You are a sign of things to come, because I am going to bring back my servant, the Chosen King.
- Joshua, I have placed in front of you a stone with seven sides. I will engrave something on that stone, and in a single day I will forgive this guilty country.
- Then each of you will live at peace and entertain your friends in your own vineyard and under your own fig trees.
The scene of this fourth vision was in the temple with Joshua, the high priest, standing before an Angel of the Lord and Satan standing at his right side. Joshua was representing all Israel in this scene and Satan was doing what he does - accusing. He was bringing up all Israel's sins. But the Lord was also doing what He does, which was being merciful and forgiving. The Lord rebuked Satan, showing that He was not going to listen to his accusations against Israel. Instead, the Lord instructed that Joshua's filthy clothes, representing his sin and the sin of Israel, be taken off, thus removing the guilt. Then the Lord instructed them to place splendid robes on him, representing his cleanness and that of Israel after their sin guilt was removed. Then a turban was placed on his head which may have represented Joshua's reinstatement as priest.
As the vision continued into verses 6-10, Joshua, the high priest, was given instructions by the Lord. He was to walk in "My ways," being personally upright, and he was to keep "My instructions," and fulfill his priestly duties as prescribed. If he were faithful in doing those two things he could expect to "rule My house," that is, continue to serve in the temple, "take care of My courts," which was to keep idolatry and other religious defilement from the temple, and the Lord would also "grant access among these who are standing here," which was possibly giving him access to God comparable to that of the angels who was among those "standing here."
Following His instructions to Joshua, the Lord foretold of the coming Messiah, saying that, "I am about to bring My servant, the Branch." And when this happens, the Lord says, "I will take away the guilt of this land in a single day." The Messiah is the Sin-Remover. When will He remove Israel's guilt in a single day? As with much of prophecy, the timelines run together. Some believe this event will occur when Christ returns which is the only time period with which we have any certainty of the conditions of peace and prosperity described in verse 10, "On that day, each of you will invite his neighbor to sit under his vine and fig tree."
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