Zechariah 3:3

"Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and was standing before the angel. And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take the filthy garments from off him. And unto him the said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with rich apparel."

"Filthy garments ..." Some have advanced the notion that the filthy garments here indicate penitence and mourning on the part of Joshua; but the mention of "iniquity" in Zechariah 3:4 confirms the view that they stand for the scandalous sins of Israel, the whole nation, the sins of their kings, judges, priests and the people generally. They are represented, moreover, as being still filthy, even after their being plucked out of the fire, indicating that not even God's punishments had made them righteous in God's sight.

It is safe to conclude that the prophet in this vision intended to represent Judah as still, in spite of penalties endured, guilty before God, and so evidently guilty ... that a successful defense is impossible.[10]

"Take the filthy garments from off him ..." That not merely Joshua the individual is meant here becomes plain in the light of Zechariah 3:9, where taking off the filthy garments becomes, "Remove the iniquity of the land; therefore, Joshua represents the land."[11]

"I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee ..." This does not refer to something then and there accomplished. The prophetic tense in which the past perfect stands for the future is definitely used here, as definitely proved by Zechariah 3:9. God indeed would, in time, remove the guilt of all men "in Christ"; an event that would occur in "one day" (Zechariah 3:9), and would include the removal of the guilt of all who are to be saved eternally. The great error of the old Israel was in their false assumption that God would cleanse them, regardless of their deeds, solely upon the premise of their being literal descendants of Abraham. The strong Messianic impact of this vision will be made immediately apparent in the reference to the BRANCH and the STONE.

It is our conviction that they are in error who affirm from the past tense in this verse (which is actually the prophetic tense) that God decided to cleanse Israel then and there "independently of any sacrifice or offering whatever."[12] Such a view is contrary to all that the Bible teaches. Before any sins of any man could really be blotted out, the blood of Christ would need to be poured out in Calvary's great atonement. Men who would like nothing more than to remove the very principle of sacrifice from holy religion are quick to seize any opportunity to attempt it. Zechariah 3:9 shows conclusively that the actual forgiveness of Israel was an event to take place after the appearance of the BRANCH and the LIVING STONE.