Zechariah 3:8 “Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH. (9) For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.”

Zechariah chapter 3 is beautiful full of vivid imagery.  The chapter opens with a vision.  Joshua, the high priest of Israel , is standing before the angel of the LORD.  This Joshua was the high priest who returned from the Babylonian captivity and had no connection with the Joshua at the time of Moses.  The two Joshua’s are about 800 years apart.

The vision begins with the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD in a very unusual manner.  In verse three, He is standing dressed in filthy garments.  The high priest had a very special dress code which was carefully outlined by Moses.  The high priest had to be dressed in a certain way to minister before the LORD.  The garments worn by him were called “holy garments.”  The holy garments were to be made for glory and beauty!  The garments were made by special people who God filled with the spirit of wisdom.  The high priest had to wear these garments to stand before the LORD.  Thus, the garments worn by the high priest were beautiful and holy and were essential in his ministry before the holy God of Israel.

The high priest dressed in filthy garments is shocking and needs special attention.  This means he is barred from ministering to the LORD.  This is the only time in the Bible that the high priest is described like this.  The verses from Exodus showing the high priest’s special dress code follow:

Exodus 28:1 “And take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office...(2) And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and for beauty. (3) And thou shalt speak unto all that are wise hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron's garments to consecrate him, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office.

(4) And these are the garments which they shall make; a breastplate, and an ephod, and a robe, and a broidered coat, a mitre, and a girdle: and they shall make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, and his sons, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office.”

The head covering of the high priest also requires special interest.  The covering was called a mitre or turban.  It was part of the holy garments, the dress code, he needed to minister before the holy God of Israel.  There was a pure gold band around the mitre.  This band made it so special because on this band was written the words: “HOLINESS TO THE LORD.”  The high priest wearing his holy garments reflected God’s holiness.  When the people observed the high priest, they were to think of God’s holiness.  The mitre was the key to drawing everyone’s attention to the holiness of God.

The high priest was always required to wear the mitre.  He must wear this to be accepted before the LORD.  The mitre was the most crucial of all the garments because it brought clearly to the attention of everyone the holiness of God.  So any mention of the mitre needs careful attention as it focuses upon God’s holiness.  The verses about the mitre follow:

Exodus 28:36 “And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, like the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD. (37) And thou shalt put it on a blue lace, that it may be upon the mitre; upon the forefront of the mitre it shall be.

(38) And it shall be upon Aaron's forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts; and it shall be always upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before the LORD.”

In Zechariah 3:3,4, the angel of the LORD associates the high priest’s filthy garments with iniquity.  This means the high priest has no right to stand before the holy God of Israel.  He should have been blocked from standing before the LORD because he no longer reflects God’s holiness.  The filthy garments, including the mitre, would forfeit his ability to stand before God.  What a dichotomy this creates.  The high priest wearing filthy garments of iniquity while at the same time wearing a mitre with a gold band stating, Holiness to the LORD!

Joshua’s garments are then changed, and a fair or clean mitre is put on his head.  A clean mitre means that the high priest was now able to function and stand before the LORD.  He was reflecting God’s holiness.

The Angel of the LORD said that he had caused the iniquity to pass from Joshua and to then clothe him with clean garments.  The high priest’s sins were now cleansed.  God does not tell at this point what happened to cause the iniquity to pass.  The reason the filthy garments of iniquity could be changed to clean ones was also not mentioned at this time.  The Angel of the LORD simply stated that He had caused the iniquity to pass and to clothe Joshua with clean garments.  These verses follow:

Zechariah 3:3 “Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel.

(4) 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. (5) And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the LORD stood by.”

The high priest represented the nation before the holy God of Israel.  In this chapter, he is seen in filthy garments because of both his sin and the sin of the nation.  This is a vivid picture of how a person in sin looks like before the holy God of Israel.  It also shows that in an instant how a person filthy because of iniquity can be made pure and clean before the LORD.  The high priest was made clean by no action of his own.  It was all God’s doing that allowed the high priest’s sin to pass and be dressed in clean garments.

The Bible gives special attention to the garments of the high priest on the Day of Atonement.  On this day, he represents all of Israel before God.  He offers the sacrifices and the atoning shed blood in the holy place for himself, his family, and the entire nation.  He does this while wearing garments which the Bible calls, “Holy garments.”  After this ritual is completed, he then changes his garments to clean ones and offers burnt offerings for himself and the people.

The Bible, for a second time, carefully describes the garments of the high priest on the Day of Atonement.  The importance of the high priest’s garments are shown in the following verses:

Leviticus 16:4 “He shall put on the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh, and shall be girded with a linen girdle, and with the linen mitre shall he be attired: these are holy garments; therefore shall he wash his flesh in water, and so put them on.

(23) And Aaron shall come into the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall put off the linen garments, which he put on when he went into the holy place, and shall leave them there: (24) And he shall wash his flesh with water in the holy place, and put on his garments, and come forth, and offer his burnt offering, and the burnt offering of the people, and make an atonement for himself, and for the people.”

On the Day of Atonement, when the high priest was dressed properly and able to minister before the LORD, the people were made clean of all their sin.  The priest must wear holy garments for the people to be clean of their sin before the God of Israel.  The garments must be clean as filthy garments would cause the people to remain unclean before the holy God of Israel.

God showed His way to be clean of sin before Him.  The dress of the high priest was critical, and the shed blood was needed to atone for the sin. It took the combination of the high priest in proper garments plus the sacrifices and sprinkling of the shed blood to cleanse the people of their all the iniquity, transgression and sin.  The Scriptures to show this follow:

Leviticus 16:30 “For on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the LORD.

(32) And the priest, whom he shall anoint, and whom he shall consecrate to minister in the priest's office in his father's stead, shall make the atonement, and shall put on the linen clothes, even the holy garments: (33) And he shall make an atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make an atonement for the tabernacle of the congregation, and for the altar, and he shall make an atonement for the priests, and for all the people of the congregation.”

According to Leviticus 16, for the iniquity to pass, there had to be a vicarious death and sprinkled blood in the holy of holies in the temple.  But, here lies the dilemma for the high priest.  How can he offer the holy sacrifices needed to make him clean if he is wearing the filthy garments of iniquity?  He must be wearing holy garments to offer the sacrifices on the Day of Atonement to make himself and the people clean before the holy God of Israel.  He needs to be clean, but he cannot be made clean by himself because of his filthy garments of iniquity!

Notice it is the Angel of the LORD that causes the iniquity to pass from the high priest.  Joshua had no part in being made clean as he just stood and both did and said nothing.  This was all of God.  If Joshua the high priest of Israel stands before the LORD in filthy garments of iniquity, what about the rest of us?  How will our garments look standing before the God of Israel?

Behold My Servant the Branch

Zechariah 3:8 “Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH.

(9) For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.”

In verse eight, God tells the prophet He is going to, “Bring forth my servant the Branch.”  We are not told at this point who the Branch is, but just that the Branch is God’s servant.  In the very next verse, the Branch is associated with a stone.  This is not a normal stone, but it has supernatural element to it.  The stone has seven eyes which means that it is all seeing, and it is representing something of the Branch.  The Branch is going to be supernatural and not a mere man.  Only God is all seeing.

God uses a stone to represent the Branch for several reasons.  A stone is solid and does not change.  It is strong and you can use it as a foundation to erect a building.  It is enduring and will last over time.  The pyramids built of stone by the Egyptians thousands of years ago are still standing today.  A heavy stone can be used to crush objects.  All of these descriptions can be applied to the Branch.

In verse nine, God is going to engrave this stone.  This engraving is going to answer the question of why Joshua could be made holy before the LORD.  This explains what caused the iniquity to pass from Joshua, and allowed him to be dressed in clean garments.  The answer to being made clean is found by the engraving of the stone.  This engraving will cleanse the people’s sin in one day!

God is now showing how Joshua was changed from filthy garments of iniquity to clean ones, and why a clean mitre could be placed on his head.  The ability for Joshua and the people to be cleansed from iniquity had to do with the Branch being engraved.  The Hebrew word for engrave (Strong’s 6605) has the connotation of being carved and ripped wide open.

Zechariah 3:9 “For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.”

It is critical to identify the Branch.  Although verse eight does not indicate who the Branch is, other Scriptures reveal the identity.  The Branch is a title for King Messiah.  The word used here for Branch in Hebrew is tzemach (Strong’s 6780.)  Three of the prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah and Zechariah, use the term the Branch to represent King Messiah.  King Messiah is the Branch of David.  He is David’s Son who will rule over all the nations in an eternal kingdom.

Jeremiah refers to the Branch as the King who will reign and will be called, “THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.”  He also called King Messiah the Branch of Righteousness.  He will execute judgment and justice over the earth and will rule from Jerusalem .  When He is ruling, there will be universal peace.  Jeremiah used the word Branch to clearly describe King Messiah, the Son of David.  This leaves no doubt that God’s Servant the Branch is King Messiah.  The verses from Jeremiah chapters 23 and 33 follow:

Jeremiah 23:5 “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. (6) In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.”

Jeremiah 33:15 “In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land. (16) In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, The LORD our righteousness.”

Zechariah uses the term the Branch a second time in chapter six.  Like Jeremiah, he uses the Branch to illustrate King Messiah.  In this illustration, Zechariah puts the crown of a king on Joshua the high priest and addresses him as the Branch.  By doing this to Joshua, Zechariah is showing the Branch will be both King Messiah and the High Priest of Israel.  He then states the Branch will build the temple of the LORD.  This is King Messiah’s temple, and it will be built when He sets the kingdom up on earth.  He will bear the glory as king and sit and rule upon His throne in the temple as both a king and priest.

It is so clear from Zechariah 6:11-13 that the Branch is a reference to the Messiah.  What beautiful Scriptures these are to show the glory of the Branch, Israel ’s King Messiah!  The prophet Zechariah gives such clear illustrations of the Branch and His ministry.  These verses follow:

Zechariah 6:12 “And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD: (13) Even he shall build the temple of the LORD; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.”

The combination of both Jeremiah and Zechariah’s use of the word Branch make it very clear this is King Messiah.  It is the engraving/carving of King Messiah which will end iniquity in one day and allows the high priest to take off the filthy garments of iniquity and put on clean ones.  It is the carving of King Messiah for iniquity which allows the Angel of the Lord to place a clean mitre on the head of Joshua.  Joshua could do nothing of his own to be made clean.  It was all the engraving of the Stone which allowed him to be made clean.  God’s Servant the Branch is King Messiah, the Son of David.

The prophet Isaiah ties in beautifully with Zechariah and the engraving of God’s Servant the Branch for the removal of iniquity.  Isaiah identifies the Branch as God’s righteous Servant.  He gives a vivid picture of what was the actual engraving of King Messiah and how it made Joshua clean from sin.  The Branch would take the punishment for sin that mankind deserved.  The engraving of the Stone was the bruises, stripes and punishment He took for sin. 

God’s righteous Servant took all the punishment for iniquity even to the point of death.  His soul was made an offering for sin as He bears our iniquities.  The Angel of the LORD could have the high priest’s iniquity pass because of the engraving of the Stone.  Joshua could wear the high priest’s mitre because he was made holy by the death of the Branch, God’s righteous Servant.  This entire chapter 53 was about the engraving of the Stone.  It is a picture of King Messiah’s first coming to pay the penalty for sin and enable us to be clean before the holy God of Israel.

Both Isaiah and Zechariah present a beautiful picture of how the Stone would be engraved to pay the penalty for sin.  The Scriptures from Isaiah 53 to show the extent of the engraving follow:

Isaiah 53:4 “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. (5) But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. (6) All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

(8)...for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. (10) Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.

(11) He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.

(12) Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”

Zechariah uses the Hebrew word for engraved one more time.  He uses it to show that when the Branch comes to set up His kingdom there will be a fountain opened for sin and uncleanness.  The fountain opened to be cleansed from sin is caused by the engraving of the Branch.  The word opened in this verse is the same as engraved.  The engraving of the Branch will provide all that is needed to be clean from sin and uncleanness.  The verse follows:

Zechariah 13:1 “In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness.”

The New Testament gives more details about the engraving of the Branch for iniquity.  The Lord Jesus, the King Messiah, was scourged, beaten and whipped by the Romans.  The Romans used a whip with several lengths to it.  At the end of each length were sharp objects like a piece of bone or metal.  During the whipping, the sharp object would tear and rip the flesh.  He had a crown of thorns driven into His skull.  He was beaten with rods and then taken to be crucified.  During the crucifixion, huge nails where driven into the Lord Jesus’ hands and feet.  These nails were as large as railroad spikes.  At the very end of the ordeal, a spear was driven into His side which caused both blood and water to flow from His body.  The Scriptures to show the extent of the engraving of King Messiah follow:

John 19:1 “Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him. (2) And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe, (3) And said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote him with their hands.

(17) And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha: (18) Where they crucified him, and two others with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst.

(34) But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.”

The openings in the body of King Messiah were enormous.  The nails holes in the hands and feet of the Lord Jesus were large enough that a finger could be placed in it.  Apparently, the spear that was driven into His side must have been turned and twisted.  This action made a huge cavity because a hand could be placed in the wound.  The engraving of the Branch was both deep and wide.  A tremendous personal sacrifice was made by the Lord Jesus so the high priest of Israel could be dressed in clean garments.  The Scriptures to show the enormous wounds in the Lord’s body follow:

John 20:25 “The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.

(27) Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.”

The Coming of the Stone Cut Without Hands

Daniel 2:34 “Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. (35) Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.”

The Bible clearly uses the example of an engraved stone to show how King Messiah was going to cleanse Israel ’s high priest from sin.  This was all accomplished at the first coming of the Lord Jesus.  At His glorious second coming to set up His kingdom, the Bible also uses the imagery of a stone.  The first use of the stone was having it engraved for sin.  For His second coming, the stone is an awesome crushing weight that destroys all the rebellious kingdoms of the word.  The stone then becomes a huge mountain filling the entire earth.

The prophet Daniel interprets a dream of the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar.  This dream involved four world kingdoms which would arise and have power over Israel .  These kingdoms were Babylon , Persia , Greece and Rome .  The dream ends with a stone smashing a world-wide kingdom and then filling the entire earth.  This last kingdom which is depicted as a, “Stone cut out without hands,” is the kingdom of the Lord Jesus.

In both references to the Stone and the coming of King Messiah, there is a supernatural element.  The engraved Stone had seven eyes showing the all seeing of the Branch.  This time the Stone is made without hands.  This means what is happening is all of God, and man has nothing to do with this event.  The coming of the Stone to set up the kingdom will be supernatural.

At His second coming, He will smash this world kingdom and set up His over the earth.  The Hebrew word for stone in Daniel 2 is the same word used by Zechariah.  Daniel sees King Messiah’s second coming like a huge stone that crushes a world kingdom in rebellion against Him.  The Lord Jesus then sets up His eternal kingdom which shall never be destroyed.  Daniel’s interpretation of the dream follows:

Daniel 2:36 “This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king.

(44) And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.

(45) Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.”

Daniel adds more in chapter seven about the supernatural coming of the Branch to set up His kingdom.  He refers to the Stone in this prophecy as the Son of Man.  When correlating the Scriptures, the Branch of David, the Stone, and the Son of Man are all the same person, King Messiah.  The “Stone cut without hands” is in chapter seven the Son of Man coming with the “Clouds of heaven” to establish His kingdom on earth.  The “Clouds of Heaven” is a term used to describe the host of believers in heaven and returning with the Lord Jesus.  The host of believers is the church.

The Branch comes directly from heaven to establish His kingdom on earth.  Everything about Israel ’s King Messiah is supernatural.  The following are the Scriptures from Daniel 7 which show the awesome coming of the “Stone cut without hands” to establish His kingdom on earth:

Daniel 7:13 “I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.

(14) And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.”

King Messiah’s reign is not by popular election.  It is not by mandate from the United Nations or any other political organization.  His rule is by God’s decree.  He will set the kingdom up directly under His authority and not the will of man.  The coming of His kingdom is like a huge stone which crushes the nations in rebellion against the authority of God.

The Stone was engraved to pay the price for iniquity.  This same Stone comes and crushes the nations in rebellion against God.  They are not different stones but one stone with two different aspects.

How To Be Dressed in Clean Garments

Before God

In Zechariah’s vision, it was the engraving of the Stone which allowed for the iniquity to pass from the high priest and the filthy garments to be replaced with clean ones.  Special garments have to be worn to be in God’s presence.  The type of clothes a person wears is very telling.  You can quickly determine a lot of information by the way a person dresses.  You can tell if a person is in the military if he is wearing a uniform.  Many religious groups can be identified by the garments worn.  A person’s ethic background can often be determined by the dress.

The same can be said for those that will be in heaven and in the presence of the Lord Jesus.  The Bible describes a wedding feast in heaven.  This wedding is when the believers are brought into the presence of the Lord Jesus and a tremendous ceremony takes place.  This event is called the marriage supper of the Lamb.  Those that are present have to be wearing certain garments.  These garments are very similar to those worn by the high priest on the Day of Atonement.  This was when he went into the presence of God to atone for the sins of the people.

The high priest wore clean linen garments when he came before the presence of the Holy God of Israel.  At the marriage supper, the believers will also wear clean linen garments.  These garments will be pure white linen and will reflect God’s righteousness.  The people must wear clean white garments in the presence of God.  These garments reflect that the person’s righteous before God.  The Scriptures about the garments at the marriage supper follow:

Revelation 19:7 “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. (8) And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

(14) And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.”

The Bible clearly tells how one can be dressed with clean garments and stand before God.  It is the result of believing the Stone was engraved for sin.  Zechariah shows how the engraving of the Stone caused the iniquity of the high priest to pass and allowed him to be clothed in clean garments.  The New Testament shows that the engraving means to have your garments washed from the filth of sin in the shed blood of the Lord.

Those that are dressed in white robes of righteous at the marriage supper have trusted in God’s Stone which was engraved for their sin.  The Branch’s righteousness is now reflected in the clean white garments worn at the marriage supper.  The people have been washed in the shed blood of the Lord Jesus and now are righteous before the holy God of Israel.

Revelation 7:14 “And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”

I hope that your robes are clean, white, and pure. Will you stand before God in filthy garments of iniquity or will you stand in robes that have been washed by the blood of God’s Lamb?  He was the Stone which was engraved and caused the iniquity to pass.

By John McTernan
Defend and Proclaim the Faith

Blog: John McTernan’s Insights at www.johnmcternan.name