Zechariah 3:6

"And the angel of Jehovah protested unto Joshua, saying, thus saith Jehovah of hosts: If thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou wilt keep my charge, then thou also shalt judge my house, and shalt also keep my courts, and I will give thee a place of access among these that stand by."

The use of the word "access" here is most significant. The only access to God on the part of mankind that was ever opened up was through the blood of Jesus Christ. Concerning both the ancient Israel and the new Israel, Paul declared that, "Through Christ we both have our access in one Spirit unto the Father" (Ephesians 2:18). Furthermore, this was not any kind of temporary or emergency arrangement. The apostle stated plainly that such access through Christ was "according to the eternal purpose" of God (Ephesians 3:11,12). Thus, this whole passage has in view the ultimate access that would be available to the old Israel and to all the Gentiles as well, "In Christ Jesus our Lord." This word, like everything else in the chapter points squarely to the New Covenant and the kingdom of God in Christ. Moreover, this is not to deny that there were tangential implications of the vision that pertained particularly to the secular Israel just returned from Babylon. As God knew they would do, the Israelites fully understood those implications.

It meant that the priesthood was cleansed and made acceptable for service? It meant that judicial authority in all matters concerned with the Temple, which in former days had been executed by the monarch, is now transferred to Joshua and those who succeeded him.[15]

It also meant that God would bless the restored people sufficiently to the achivement of his holy purpose of bringing in the Messiah through them. This promise was treasured by the Jews; and, in all of the disasters that threatened, it was customary for the High Priest to comfort the people by saying, "The Messiah has not yet come, so we are safe." They even made such appeals to the people prior to the final destruction by the Romans in 70 A.D., having overlooked the truth that indeed, their Messiah had already come, and they recognized him not.

"If thou wilt walk in my ways ..." Not only was the promised forgiveness as indicated by the clean garments dependent upon the ultimate appearance of the Christ to "give his life a ransom for all"; but it was also contingent upon Israel's walking in the ways of the Lord, one of the invariable, universal, and perpetual preconditions of redemption for all men.