“Now as for Joshua, he happened to be clothed in befouled garments and standing before the angel.

Zechariah 3:3, 4.

HOW A CHANGE OF GARMENTS WAS NECESSARY

11. How could it be that Joshua in befouled garments pictured the heavenly High Priest Jesus Christ?

¹¹ Here a question arises: Since Joshua the high priest was pictured as clothed with befouled garments, how could he typify or prefigure Jesus Christ as the heavenly High Priest? Does not Hebrews 7:26, 27 say to true Christians today: “Such a high priest as this was suitable for us, loyal, guileless, undefiled, separated from the sinners, and become higher than the heavens. He does not need daily, as those high priests do, to offer up sacrifices, first for his own sins and then for those of the people: (for this he did once for all time when he offered himself up)”? Yes, this is true. Yet it is with the High Priest Jesus Christ as with the ancient High Priest Joshua. The high priest represents the people for whom he serves in this high office, and their condition reflects upon him. He bears the iniquities of his people.

12. What had long ago been said to Aaron’s two surviving sons and to Aaron himself to indicate that the priests bore the people’s error?

¹² That the priesthood bore the error of the people, the prophet Moses indicated, when he said to the two surviving sons of Aaron for a failure on their part: “Why did you not eat the sin offering in the place that is holy, since it is something most holy and he has given it to you that you may answer for the error of the assembly so as to make atonement for them before Jehovah?” (Leviticus 10:16, 17) The sanctuary or temple was holy, and if the people touched it this would be committing an error on their part; and so the sanctified priests had to serve at the sanctuary for the people in order to prevent the committing of such an error. To this effect we read, in Numbers 18:1: “And Jehovah proceeded to say to Aaron: ‘You and your sons and the house of your father with you will answer for error against the sanctuary, and you and your sons with you will answer for error against your priesthood.’” So the priests acted as shields against error by the people.

13. How had Haggai pointed out the uncleanness of the nation of Israel, in his dialogue with the priests, and why was it unclean?

¹³ Now as regards the sanctuary or temple in Jerusalem at the time that Haggai and Zechariah had begun to prophesy, its foundation had lain neglected without a superstructure’s being built upon it for sixteen years. This was due to forcible opposition by surrounding enemies. During that period the repatriated Israelites had lapsed into indifference and had turned to materialism. Hence, in a dialogue with the priests, when Haggai asked what would happen when someone ceremonially unclean touched a part of a sacrifice, they answered: “It will become unclean.” At once Haggai came back with this statement: “‘That is how this people is, and that is how this nation is before me,’ is the utterance of Jehovah, ‘and that is how all the work of their hands is, and whatever they present there. It is unclean.’”​—Haggai 2:13, 14.

14. So why did Joshua appear as if clothed with befouled garments?

¹⁴ Since High Priest Joshua represented the nation of Israel before Jehovah, this unclean condition of the people was also attributed to him. As a consequence, it was as if he were clothed with befouled garments. He was trying to officiate without a temple, and for that reason it did not look right. He could not serve with the full dignity and grandeur as in a temple. In leveling charges against High Priest Joshua, Satan the Devil would be leveling charges against the entire negligent, unclean nation.

15, 16. (a) Did the spiritual condition of the surviving remnant of spiritual Israelites in 1919 C.E. reflect favorably or unfavorably on the appearance of High Priest Jesus Christ in heaven, and why? (b) What did the remnant’s outcry like that of Isaiah at the temple indicate?

¹⁵ Similarly with the antitypical High Priest, who was prefigured by High Priest Joshua in that year 519 B.C.E. The High Priest Jesus Christ was reflected upon by the spiritual condition of the remnant of the spiritual Israelites on earth as these entered into the postwar year of 1919 C.E. Because of impediments due to war restrictions, opposition and persecution, the remnant had come short in many respects with regard to the open, courageous worship of Jehovah at his spiritual temple. They had yielded to bondage to Babylon the Great and her political and military paramours. They were in a spiritual state like that of the ancient remnant of Israel that had been repatriated. Like Isaiah, when he had his vision of Jehovah at his holy temple, they could say:

¹⁶ “Woe to me! For I am as good as brought to silence, because a man unclean in lips I am, and in among a people unclean in lips I am dwelling; for my eyes have seen the King, Jehovah of armies, himself!”​—Isaiah 6:5.

17. Judged by the remnant’s appearance, how did their High Priest appear, and so was this the proper condition for the remnant to be in then?

¹⁷ If one judged the appearance of their High Priest by the spiritual appearance of the surviving remnant, their High Priest Jesus Christ would appear to be “clothed in befouled garments.” This was an improper appearance to be attributed to him. The spiritually befouled condition was an improper situation in which the remnant was representing their High Priest, and it reflected badly upon the heavenly High Priest Jesus Christ.

The remnant of his spirit-begotten, anointed disciples came out of World War I in an “unclean” spiritual condition. They were spiritual Israelites, yes, spiritual underpriests of Jehovah under his High Priest Jesus Christ. Their spiritual garments were befouled by their deportment and deficiencies during World War I. This reflected badly upon their High Priest in the heavens and hence misrepresented him. Since he bears or answers for the iniquity or error of the nation of spiritual Israelites, it was as if he himself were clothed with befouled religious garments.