In this, Zechariah’s fourth
vision, the high priest Joshua is reclothed out of his filthy dress, literally “garments
of excrement,” with the implication that he can no longer be accused by Satan.
Being restored again to the image of holiness requires that Joshua and those
serving under him act accordingly; so the angel informs that if he walks in the
way of the Lord then he can rightly serve in God’s holy temple. For Joshua’s
service to the acceptable he must walk in God’s ways. As was the case in
Ezekiel 44, the priesthood’s reinstatement has nothing to do with their own
worthy and everything to do with the grace and holiness of the God they serve.
Following this, the angel informs
Joshua of God’s intention that they are to be a symbol of the messiah’s rule.
Drawing upon the images used for in Isaiah, the angel makes it clear that the
priesthood was to prefigure the messianic rule to the nation.
The people of Israel were to be a “Holy
nation,” a people whose devotion would cause them to stand out from the other nations.
The Levites were to model to the tribes of Israel, what such holiness looked
like. More than this though, the priesthood were also chosen to lead the people
into sanctification, through the offering of sacrifices. As observed, in order
to enable this holy nation to fulfill its missional role, the Levites had to
see and experience their service as a sacrifice. (Nicholas Haydock, The
Theology of the Levitical Priesthood: Assisting God’s People in Their Mission
to the Nations [Eugene, Oreg.: Wipf and Stock, 2015], 45)
