Joshua the High Priest
Post-exilic High Priest who stood silent in Heaven's courtroom clothed in filthy garments while Satan accused him — until the LORD rebuked the Accuser, stripped away his iniquity, and clothed him in pure festal robes and a clean turban.
Returning from Babylonian captivity alongside Governor Zerubbabel to rebuild the altar and Second Temple in Jerusalem (Ezra 3:2; Haggai 1:1), Joshua son of Jehozadak served as Israel's High Priest. In Zechariah 3, the prophet beholds Joshua standing in the heavenly courtroom before the Angel of the LORD while Satan stands at his right hand to accuse him (Zechariah 3:1).
Joshua is clothed in filthy garments (Hebrew: tso'im — excrement-stained rags representing the nation's sin) and cannot utter a single word in his own defense. Before Satan can win the verdict, the LORD intervenes — 'The LORD rebuke you, O Satan!... Is not this a brand plucked from the fire?' — and commands the attendants, 'Remove the filthy garments from him.' Saying to Joshua, 'Behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with pure vestments,' heaven places a clean turban on his head and festal robes over his heart — the exact Old Testament portrait of the Breastplate of Christ's imputed righteousness (Zechariah 3:2–5; Ephesians 6:14).
The Breastplate of Righteousness — The Filthy Garments
Joshua's filthy robes replaced by pure festal vestments.
