Who was the intended audience for Zechariah 3?

Answer 1

A:The Book of Zechariah reports visions in which a Joshua was persuaded to walk in the ways of the Lord and keep his charge. At Zechariah 3:1-8, the prophet had a vision of Joshua the high priest standing in filthy clothes next to Satan and before an angel:

And he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing on his right hand to resist him. And the Lord said unto Satan, the Lord rebuke thee, O Satan: even the Lord that has chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: Is not this a brand plucked out of the fire? Now Joshua was clothed in filthy garments, and stood before the angel. And he answered and spoke to those who 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 in change of raiment.' 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. And the angel protested unto Joshua, saying, 'Thus said the Lord of hosts: "If thou will walk in my ways and will keep my charge, then thou shall also judge my house and shall also keep my courts, and I will give thee places to walk among those that stand by. Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the Branch."'

Although Joshua can be translated as Jesus, this Joshua does not seem to be the Jesus of the Christian religion. Zechariah 3:1 says that Joshua was the high priest at the time when the Temple was to be rebuilt - after the return from the Babylonian Exile.

As the Book of Zechariah is a Jewish book, Satan is a loyal servant of God. It is his role to tempt the faithful, to prove their righteousness. God the Father had the role of a judge, sparing Joshua and offering him inducements and honour if he walked in the ways of the Lord and kept his charge. The court scene was an allegory, and Zechariah had some purpose in creating this scene and potentially defaming the high priest. He must have intended to make a very clear message to those who followed Joshua, both by showing that God had power over Joshua, but that he offerred Joshua forgiveness if he would walk in the ways of the Lord, just as he would offer others the same forgiveness if they walk in the ways of the Lord Joshua's role could have been as leader of a rebellious religious cult that Zechariah hoped to put down.

If Zechariah's Joshua was the high priest at the time when the Temple was to be rebuilt, then there is probably a political background to the story. It would have been telling Joshua himself that some action or stance ('iniquity') of his was not acceptable and, by means of allegory, telling him to change his ways.

Or perhaps Zechariah's Joshua could have symbolised the sun god, who had been worshipped in pre-Exilic times. We can not know whether there was still a remnant group of followers, and the iniquity was that he allowed his followers to worship him. If so, the passage was meant for those followers, who probably could not be identified individually if their worship was now underground. The allegory would have been that 'Joshua' was not now a god, but would be respected like a high priest if he would follow in the ways of the Lord.