In A Commentary on Zechariah, T.V. Moore offers his contextual analysis by stating, "The scene is laid in the temple. Joshua the high priest is seen standing
40Reyburn, A Handbook on the Book of Job, 58.
4I Dhorme, A Commentary on the Book of Job, 17.
42Clines, Job 1-20, 47.
43Reybum, A Handbook on the Book of Job, 59.
44Hartley, The Book of Job, 81.
before the Divine angel performing the functions of his office. He is not, as some suppose, arraigned for trial, with Satan as his accuser, but is standing in his official character to represent the people and the priesthood. He represents the people in his character as priest, and the priesthood in his character as high priest. The representative character must be carefully noted, as it contains the essence of the vision. "4 5
Joshua, the Jewish priest, needed three things for his priestly office: pardon, purification and investment with holy robes, which the angel redeemer graciously afforded him.46 In God Remembers: A Study of Zechariah, Charles Feinberg states, "In the first three visions ofhis prophecy Zechariah dwells on the themes of the deliverance of Israel from captivity and oppression, the consequent enlargement and expansion, and the subsequent prosperity and material blessing of the land. Now the prophet occupies himselfunder the direction ofthe sovereign Spirit of God with the matter of internal cleansing and purification oflsrael from sin. The fourth vision of the book reveals how Israel will be purged, cleansed, and reinstated into her priestly office and functions."47 Continuing his thoughts on this challenging passage, Moore shares,
The high priest stands as the representative of the theocratic people, and the priestly order as then existing. But he is clothed in filthy garments, the common symbol of sin. Both people and priesthood feel that they are sinful and unworthy, and hence fear to hope for a blessing from a holy God on their labors. It is not Jerusalem that chooses Jehovah, but Jehovah that chooses Jerusalem.48
45T. V. Moore, A Commentary on Zechariah (London: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1958), 63-64.
46Herbert Lockyer, All the Angels in the Bible: A Complete Exploration of the Nature and Minist1y of Angels, ed. Herbert Lockyer, Jr. (Peabody, MA:
Hendrickson, 1995), 86.
47Charles L. Feinberg, God Remembers: A Study of Zechariah (Portland, OR: Multnomah, 1965), 42.
48Moore, A Commentary on Zechariah, 64.
The reality remains that commentators differ as to whether the scene is a judicial or a priestly one. The questions at issue is: Does Joshua stand before the Angel of Jehovah as a defendant in a lawsuit, or is he performing the proper functions of his high priestly office? The best solution seems to be that the priestly scene is in the sanctuary before the Angel of Jehovah who is attended by His many angels, when Satan appears to lodge accusations against Joshua that the favor and grace of God might be hindered from flowing out toward His people.49 Ralph Smith offers further contextual insight by writing,
The form is that of a vision report (3:1-7) plus an accompanying oracle (3:8- 1 0). The structure of this vision report is very different from the other seven in that there is no interpreting angel, and no questions from the prophet. The prophet seems to interrupt the proceedings in v. 5. Zechariah sees Joshua the high priest standing clothed in filthy garments before the angel ofYahweh and the Satan is standing at his right side accusing him. Yahweh rebukes the Satan. The angel commands that Joshua's filthy garments be removed and clean, white garments be put on him because his iniquity has been taken away. 50
Before Satan could speak, God demanded his silence with a rebuke. The time for accusing was past; the time for absolving had arrived. 51 Smith adds,
The cleansing, reinstatement, and recommissioning of Joshua is represented by a change in clothing. The filthy robes were removed and a fine white festival garment was put on him. After Joshua's clothes were changed, apparently Zechariah noticed that the high priest had nothing on his head. Then the prophet (or the angel) said, "Let them put a clean turban on his head." The word "turban"
comes from the root "to wind around." It is used here as the mark of the new dignity conferred on the high priest rather than the regular word for the priest's mitre. With his head covered the priest was properly clothed to approach Yahweh. 52
49Feinberg, God Remembers, 43.
50Ralph L. Smith, Micah-Malachi, Word Biblical Commentary, vol. 32 (Waco: Word, 1984), 198.
51 PaulL. Redditt, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, The New Century Bible Commentary (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1995), 63.
52smith, Micah-Malachi, 200.
The ritual act of replacing Joshua's filthy clothes symbolizes removal of the
"guilt" of the high priest. "See I have taken your guilt away from you" (3:4). According to the NRSV, Joshua will be reclothed with "festal apparel." The Hebrew word for
"festal apparel" is used only here and in Isaiah 3:22. In the latter passage it occurs in a list ofluxury goods. Reclothing him with festal apparel symbolizes his ritual purity. 53
We can be thankful that as believers in Christ, both our sin and guilt have been taken away forever through our Savior's sacrifice on Calvary.
Satan and Spiritual Warfare in the Gospels and the Epistles of Paul
As we begin looking at the reality of Satan and spiritual warfare in some of the Gospel passages as well as the Epistles of Paul, I offer numerous insights from commentators and other biblical scholars as we examine the activity of our enemy during the time of Jesus. What a great truth we can discover when we see the power our Lord Jesus had over Satan and the forces of evil. As we will address later in this
chapter, the Apostle Paul proclaims to us that we can stand victorious against this evil one and his kingdom as long as we stand strong in the power of the Lord.