18. In the vision, what was done to remedy the situation?

¹⁸ Such a state of affairs deserved to be remedied​—promptly. Jehovah’s judicial angel saw to that: “Remove the befouled garments from upon him.” Then he said to Joshua: “See, I have caused your error to pass away from upon you, and there is a clothing of you with robes of state.”​—Zechariah 3:4.

19. What did Joshua the high priest have to do himself in order to experience a change of garments before God?

¹⁹ How did this occur with High Priest Joshua? By getting the restored nation of Israel whom he represented in holy office out of their unclean state before Jehovah. This would be by getting the restored remnant to work again upon the temple of Jehovah and completing it, letting everything else be put in a secondary place, in the background. The cleansing of the people in this vital regard would result in a cleansed appearance of their high priest. It would be as if he had had a change of garments. He was meant to be clothed with “robes of state.” He was meant to have a temple in which to serve clothed in those “robes of state.” The completing of the temple and the inaugurating of it would call for him to don those “robes of state” and present a glorious appearance to the praise of Jehovah. High Priest Joshua as the national religious representative took the lead with Governor Zerubbabel in getting the temple rebuilding started again, and for this reason he deserved a change of garments for the better. In that way his religious appearance would not reflect reproachfully on God.

20. How was the heavenly High Priest Jesus Christ given a bad appearance because of the remnant’s appearance after World War I?

²⁰ The same was true of the one whom High Priest Joshua prefigured, namely, the heavenly High Priest Jesus Christ.

21. Therefore, what did the surviving remnant need to do as the postwar period opened up?

²¹ What was needed, then, was for the remnant of spiritual underpriests to repent and return to Jehovah and be forgiven by Him through Christ. This is what actually happened at the beginning of the postwar period. They showed their return or conversion to Jehovah by searching the Holy Scriptures diligently to determine God’s will and work for the postwar period and then applying themselves whole-souled to these things of first importance.

22. To what then did the forgiven remnant apply themselves, and who was taking the lead in promoting these efforts?

²² Thus the repentant, converted remnant of spiritual underpriests applied themselves whole-souled to Jehovah’s worship at his temple and endeavored to purify that worship from any and all Babylonish pollution. Their efforts at rebuilding the pure, undefiled worship “from the standpoint of our God and Father” corresponded with the renewed work of the repatriated Israelites in rebuilding Jehovah’s temple at Jerusalem. (James 1:27) It was the invisible, heavenly High Priest, Jesus Christ, who was taking the lead in this reviving of the remnant of his underpriests in Jehovah’s worship and service. So, when Jehovah mercifully forgave them and cleansed them, this gave them a clean appearance before Him.

23. How was the heavenly High Priest thus relieved of his figurative “befouled garments”?

²³ Even the false accusers under Satan the Devil began to see the difference in the doctrines, the message and the public activity of the remnant of Christ’s underpriests. This served to cast due credit upon their heavenly Chief Priest, Jesus Christ. He no longer had to bear or answer for such error on the part of his underpriests. The “befouled garments” that were indirectly attributed to him were taken from upon him, and he was given a change of garments. Bring forth “robes of state” for him!