Who Is Jeshua the High Priest—and How Does He Point Us to Christ?

Published On: October 31, 2025

Picture a courtroom scene: a priest stands before the throne of God, clothed in filthy, excrement-stained garments. At his right hand, Satan hurls accusations. The priest has no defence, no excuse, no righteousness of his own. Then suddenly, the Judge speaks—not condemnation, but a command: “Remove the filthy garments from him.” What follows is one of Scripture’s most stunning portraits of the gospel, hidden in plain sight in Zechariah 3.

This is the vision of Jeshua (also called Joshua or Yehoshua), the high priest who returned from Babylonian exile around 520 BC. Working alongside Governor Zerubbabel, Jeshua led the spiritual restoration of post-exilic Israel, rebuilding the altar and temple. But Zechariah’s prophetic vision reveals something far greater than historical record—it unveils Jeshua as a living foreshadow of Jesus Christ, the ultimate High Priest.

THE NAME THAT SAVES

The connection begins with the name itself. “Jeshua” in Hebrew is Yehoshua, meaning “Yahweh saves”—identical to “Jesus” in Greek. This is no coincidence. From the moment we encounter this priest, we’re meant to see beyond him to the One whose very name embodies salvation. The high priest’s identity points to the coming Saviour.

THE FILTHY GARMENTS AND THE GREAT EXCHANGE

Zechariah sees Jeshua “clothed with filthy garments” (Zechariah 3:3). The Hebrew word suggests garments soiled with excrement—representing not minor impurity, but profound defilement. These garments symbolise Israel’s corporate guilt and, more broadly, the inadequacy of all human righteousness before a holy God.

But then comes the divine command: “Remove the filthy garments from him.” The Angel of the LORD declares, “Behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with pure vestments” (Zechariah 3:4). Here unfolds the Great Exchange—the very heart of Reformed theology and the gospel message.

This exchange points directly to Christ. Paul writes, “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Isaiah prophesies, “He has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness” (Isaiah 61:10). What Jeshua experienced as a sign, we experience as reality in Christ—our sin removed, His righteousness imputed, a complete and perfect exchange.

THE ACCUSER REBUKED

Satan stands at Jeshua’s right hand “to accuse him” (Zechariah 3:1). But the Angel of the LORD—whom Reformed scholars consistently identify as a Christophany, a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ—rebukes the adversary: “The LORD rebuke you, O Satan!” (Zechariah 3:2).

This courtroom drama echoes throughout the New Testament. Paul asks triumphantly, “Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us” (Romans 8:33-34). Our advocate silences every accusation. Christ, our eternal High Priest, “always lives to make intercession” for us (Hebrews 7:25).

THE PRIEST-KING: OFFICES UNITED IN ONE

Zechariah calls Jeshua “a sign of things to come,” pointing to “my servant the Branch” (Zechariah 3:8). Later, the prophet makes explicit what the vision implies: “It is he who shall build the temple of the LORD and shall bear royal honour, and shall sit and rule on his throne. And there shall be a priest on his throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between them both” (Zechariah 6:13).

This was revolutionary. Under the Old Covenant, the offices of priest and king were strictly separated. When King Uzziah attempted to function as a priest, God struck him with leprosy (2 Chronivles 26:16-21). Yet here, Zechariah prophesies a coming figure who will unite both offices—sitting on a throne as king while serving as priest.

This can only point to Christ. He alone holds the priesthood of Melchizedek (Psalms 110:4; Hebrews 5-7), that ancient priest-king who foreshadowed the one who’d perfectly unite what the Law kept separate. Reformed theology celebrates Christ’s threefold office—Prophet, Priest, and King—all converging in the one Mediator between God and man.

ATONEMENT IN A SINGLE DAY

Perhaps most striking is God’s promise: “I will remove the iniquity of this land in a single day” (Zechariah 3:9). This cannot refer merely to the temple’s completion or any event in Jeshua’s lifetime. No single day in the post-exilic period accomplished universal atonement.

This prophetic promise finds fulfillment only at Calvary. On one day—Good Friday—Christ accomplished what centuries of sacrifices could never achieve: complete, final, once-for-all atonement. “He entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption” (Hebrews 9:12). “It is finished,” Christ declared (John 19:30)—the single day of atonement had come.

HOW JESHUA DIFFERS FROM CHRIST

Yet as powerfully as Jeshua foreshadows Christ, he also reveals the infinite distance between type and reality. Jeshua himself needed cleansing; Christ was “holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners” (Hebrews 7:26). Jeshua represented Israel; Christ substituted for sinners worldwide. Jeshua’s priesthood was temporary and ultimately ineffective; Christ’s is eternal and fully sufficient. Jeshua received grace; Christ is grace incarnate.

The type always points beyond itself, reminding us that shadows, however glorious, pale before the substance they announce.

THE GOSPEL MESSAGE FOR US TODAY

We stand accused, like Jeshua. Satan’s accusations are true—we are guilty. But God’s grace in Christ silences every charge (Romans 8:33-34). The courtroom scene is not our terrifying future; it’s our glorious past, already resolved in Christ’s favour.
We’re clothed with Christ’s righteousness. The exchange of garments is the heart of the Gospel: our sin for His righteousness. This is our assurance—our standing before God does not rest on our performance, but on Christ’s finished work. We stand before the Judge not in our filthy rags, but robed in the perfect righteousness of our Mediator.
We’re called to walk in purity. “If you will walk in My ways and keep My charge…” (Zechariah 3:7). Grace leads to obedience, not complacency. Those clothed in righteousness must now live as “a royal priesthood” unto God (1 Peter 2:9). Our security in Christ’s work motivates, rather than undermines, holy living.
We have the promise of future peace. “In that day, each of you will invite your neighbour to sit under your vine and fig tree” (v.10)—a beautiful picture of gospel peace and restored fellowship in Christ’s Kingdom. The peace we taste now in Christ will one day blossom into perfect shalom when He returns.

SEEING CHRIST THROUGHOUT SCRIPTURE

Zechariah 3 isn’t merely ancient history or obscure prophecy. It’s living gospel drama, revealing salvation’s eternal pattern: guilty sinner, divine exchange, defeated accuser, eternal Priest-King. God embedded the gospel so deeply into Israel’s history that even a sixth-century priest becomes a walking prophecy.

This is why Jesus told His disciples that Moses and all the Prophets spoke concerning Him (Luke 24:27). From Genesis to Revelation, Scripture testifies to one central figure. Every type, shadow, and symbol ultimately points to Christ—our High Priest who entered the courtroom in our place, silenced our accuser, and clothed us in His own righteousness.

As believers in Jesus, we stand confidently today in robes we did not earn. We’re secure in advocacy we did not purchase, cleansed by blood we did not shed. The accuser is silenced. The exchange is complete. And our great High Priest lives ever to intercede.

JESHUA THE HIGH PRIEST—AND CHRIST: RELATED FAQs

Did Jeshua himself understand he was a type of Christ? Most Reformed scholars believe Jeshua likely didn’t fully grasp the messianic implications of Zechariah’s vision, though he knew he was meant to be a “sign” (Zechariah 3:8). Like many Old Testament saints, he may have had glimpses of something greater without seeing the full picture. As Michael Horton notes, Old Testament believers were saved by the same Christ we trust, even though they saw Him “from a distance” through types and shadows.

Why does the Angel of the LORD appear in Zechariah 3, and is this really Jesus? Reformed theology has long identified the Angel of the LORD in the Old Testament as a Christophany—a pre-incarnate appearance of the second person of the Trinity. In Zechariah 3:1-2, this Angel both speaks for God and is called “the LORD” Himself, suggesting deity. This view is held by scholars like John Calvin, who saw these appearances as the eternal Son making Himself known before the Incarnation, pointing forward to the coming Messiah.
What is the significance of the “turban” placed on Jeshua’s head? The clean turban (or mitre) placed on Jeshua’s head in verse 5 was the distinctive crown of the high priest, bearing the inscription “Holy to the LORD” (Exodus 28:36-38). This ceremonial headpiece symbolised consecration and the priest’s role in bearing Israel’s iniquity. For Christ, this points to His perfect holiness and His unique qualification to bear our sins—He alone could wear the crown of holiness while carrying the weight of our guilt.

How do modern Reformed apologists use Zechariah 3 in evangelism? Apologists like Tim Keller and RC Sproul have used Zechariah 3 to illustrate the gospel’s core message of imputed righteousness. The visual drama of filthy-to-beautiful garments makes the doctrine of justification tangible, even memorable. The passage also provides a powerful answer to the accusation that Christianity teaches “cheap grace”—the scene shows that while grace is free to us, it cost God everything to accomplish the exchange.

Are there other Old Testament figures who foreshadow Christ like Jeshua does? Yes, Scripture is rich with Christological types. Moses prefigures Christ as prophet and deliverer; David as king and shepherd; Melchizedek as priest-king; Isaac as the beloved son offered in sacrifice; and Joseph as the rejected-then-exalted saviour. Reformed hermeneutics teaches us these types aren’t arbitrary—God deliberately wove them into salvation history to prepare hearts for the Messiah and to show us Christ is the fulfillment of all God’s promises.
What does Zechariah 3:9 mean by “the stone with seven eyes”? This cryptic reference has generated much discussion among commentators. Many Reformed scholars see it as messianic symbolism: the stone represents Christ as the foundation stone (Isaiah 28:16; 1 Peter 2:6), while the seven eyes suggest omniscience and the fullness of the Spirit (Revelation 5:6). The engraving on the stone may picture the wounds of Christ’s sacrifice. Alternatively, some see it referring to the temple’s foundation stone, but even then, it points typologically to Christ as the true temple.

How does the promise “I will remove the iniquity of this land in a single day” relate to the Day of Atonement? While the annual Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) provided temporary covering for Israel’s sins, Zechariah’s prophecy points to a final, unrepeatable day of atonement. Reformed theologian Geerhardus Vos emphasised all Old Testament sacrifices and feast days were “prophetic pantomimes” of Christ’s work. What Israel re-enacted annually in shadow, Christ accomplished eternally in substance—making Good Friday the ultimate Day of Atonement that ended the need for all others.

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