Take Away the Filthy Garments From Him • Deshen Daily

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. (Zechariah 3:4, KJV)

Shortly after the Jews returned from Babylon to rebuild the Temple, God gave Zechariah a prophetic vision of Joshua, the high priest. Zechariah saw Joshua clothed with fifty garments with Satan standing at his right hand (vv. 1,3). This vision is a beautiful picture of our salvation in Christ.

The Lord commanded, through an angel, to take away Joshua’s filthy garments from him. In the same verse, He goes further to tell us what those filthy garments represent, “Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee”. Joshua’s filthy garments represented his iniquities. Therefore, a sinner before God is clothed with filthy garments of sin.

After the garments of sin were removed, the Lord commanded to clothe Joshua with new clothes. Additionally, the Lord charged them to put a clean turban on his head. This reminds us of the beautiful garments of the High Priests in Exodus 28. What would these pristine, beautiful garments represent if the filthy garments signify sin? Well, Isaiah has an answer. He says: “For he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, He hath covered me with the robe of righteousness.” (Isaiah 61:10, KJV).

At the new birth, the Holy Spirit changes our clothes: removes the filthy garments of sin and clothes us with the beautiful garments of Christ’s righteousness. We are gorgeously dressed—beautiful robes, divinely designed, graciously given.