The Firebrand Priest in the Filthy Clothes — Ian Paisley

Joshua the High Priest in Zechariah's Vision

Pick up the authorized version of the Word of God in front of you in the pew and turn with me to the Old Testament, to the book of the prophet Zechariah, Zechariah's prophecy at chapter 3. You will find the book of Zechariah right at the end of the Old Testament.

We have, of course, first of all Haggai, Zechariah, and then after Zechariah, the other two renaming books as Zechariah and then Malachi. And you can find that in your Bible, turn to it. The third chapter of Zechariah, I'm reading the whole chapter, and he showed me Joshua, the high priest, standing before the angel of the Lord and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.

And the Lord said unto Satan, The Lord rebuketh thee, O Satan. Even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuketh thee. He is not plucked out of the fire. Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments and stood before the angel.

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 a change of remnant.

And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head and clothed them with garments, and the angel of the Lord stood by. And the angel of the Lord protested unto Joshua, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, If thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou wilt keep my charge, then thou shalt also judge my house, and shalt also keep my courts, and I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by.

Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, Thou and thy fellows that sit before thee. For there men wonder that. For behold, I will bring forth my servant the branch. For behold, the stone that I have laid before Joshua, upon one stone shall be seven eyes.

Behold, I will engrave the grieving thereof, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day. In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbor under the vine and under the fig tree.

The Plainness and Holiness of God's Word

Ending our last note, verse ten, God will stamp his own holy word as it is wrapped, and give with it the infallible blessing of himself. Open your Bible at the third chapter of the book of Zechariah. In this portion of Scripture, we have the graphic, uncompromising word of the living God, All which must be condemned is condemned by God with no uncertain sum.

All that can be condoned, and all that is commanded, is done in the same forthright manner. There is a crystal clear plainness about the language of God in his word. Give me great plainness this night in this pulpit, as I declare the plainness of the holy word of the thrice holy God.

As a preacher of the gospel, mince my words, staggering forthrightness, the divine author, God the Holy Spirit, reveals to us the fire-brand priest. Sinfulness and its repulsiveness are plain to be witnessed.

Joshua's Filthy Garments Reveal Human Sin

This should have been a holy priest. He was a high priest of Israel, but instead he was a heinous priest. This priest should have been clothed in the garments of beauty and glory, but instead he was robed in filthy obnoxious.

What should have been attractive to behold, is repugnant to behold. What should have been scented with the incense of the temple of God, of its putridness. Only God Almighty could reveal such a picture.

The natural eye could not perceive behind the outward, but God can reveal the depths and the quick of the sinful soul. Nothing can hide God's eye from the sinful hearts of men and women. Note carefully the opening of this divine revelation and its exposure.

The Angel of the Lord and Christ's Eternal Priesthood

The acute figure is Joshua, the high priest, the great successor of Aaron, the head of Israel's priestly economy. He stands before the angel of the Lord. The word angel of the Lord is often used in the Old Testament.

It stands for our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ. He is the Lord of His own house. He is the Master of all assemblies. He is the sole King. And He is the only Head of His Church. This great high priest has no predecessor.

He is without father. He is without mother. He is without descent. He has no beginning of days. Nor end of life. Hebrews chapter 7 verse 3. He has no successor either. For He's made a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

Hebrews 7 verse 17. In this portion of Scripture, the originator of evil is exposed. He is uncovered as the resistor. I want to point out seven things to you tonight in this portion of Scripture. First of all, we have the person identified.

Secondly, we have the office. Thirdly, we have the place signified. Fourthly, we have the state of Joshua. Dirty, unclean, filthy garments. Nullify them away. We have Joshua's appearance beautified. And a change of report.

And we have his future ratified. Let me look with you first at this person identified. This person is called Joshua. What does Joshua mean? For Jesus, in the New Testament Greek, it means Jehovah, the salvation.

Joshua as a Picture of the Sinner Saved by Grace

The picture painted here depicts the sinner. But the sinner experiencing salvation. And only the holy Jehovah can be the savior of sinners. Joshua's appearance tells its own story in the loudest possible way.

The fallen priest is revealed in all his filthiness, and in all his repugnance, and in all his sins, and in all his guilt. Sin is under the penetrating light of the God who is light himself. He is called Joshua.

Jehovah, the salvation. That is the picture of the man. To the utmost farthing paid would err thy people. We might well be sons of Korah. They take the apostles themselves. Never claimed. Peter, the chief of the apostles, would have known if he was a priest.

He also, as living stone, said in verse from the apostles, continue to make their dark as clemenium, and a place of every generation. The redeemed earth represents us all. I am except. The father draws in their souls receive.

Through grace are made for glory meat. Burning in the judgment and destruction fire of God. But God put in his hand. I trust God will put his hand on you, dear sister. I trust that God will put his hand this night on you.

Love you as a brand from the burning. It don't touch his record of the year. It overshadows him. Poor long from the highest office of the Jewish religion. To the deepest pulp of hell. The flames of the fire of his sin have already been kindled.

He's a brand burning in the fires of his own choice. And here is the devil. That old serpent himself. He resists the sin. He uses all the weaponry. He has at his disposal to cause Joshua to perish. One of the titles given to the devil in the New Testament.

That means prince of lies. It literally means acting in all his satanic blindness. Seeks to bring about Joshua's eternal destruction. But another warrior appears on the scene. He enters the list in the year of Joshua.

Christ Rebukes Satan and Plucks the Sinner from the Fire

He is the angel of the Lord. He is the messenger of the covenant. He is God's son. He strikes into Satan's heart with his almighty word. The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan. This was also the action of Christ when he was upon this earth.

And he rebuked Satan as he indwelt Peter the apostle. Matthew 16, 23. But he turned and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan. Thou art an offense unto me. For thy favor is not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.

The challenge which the Lord made to Satan, Satan never answered. For there is no one able to answer but positively. What God said. This is a brand plucked out of the fire. Remember this was an everlasting deliverance for Joshua.

Christ deals in the celestial commodity of eternal salvation. Christ imparts everlasting life. But an almighty dismissal of Satan is here recorded. Satan says, Christ, I have saved this man. I have quenched the fire in which he burned with my own most precious blood.

Chosen him from all eternity to be saved. And I have saved him forever. I have worn the dress of Satan's servitude. I have donned the devil's and the felon's uniform. I have been a mere plaything in the prison house of Satan.

Cleansing, Imputed Righteousness, and the Robe of Salvation

But thank God, the polluting sin, the filthy dress, the obscene clothing, the gaudy decorations have all been washed away. What a wonderful thing it is to be a child of God. Nullify these guilty and filthy clouts of hell.

Remove the dirty clothes of fleshly pollution. Cleanse away all the stains and marks of sin. Make the soul whiter than snow in the blood of the everlasting covenant. Give this sinner new clothes. Don't forget to put the fair miter on his head.

Put on him a spotless and seamless robe of my righteousness. Put the ring of eternal wedlock on his finger and the everlasting shoes of the preparation of the gospel of eternal peace on his feet. This my son was dead.

He is alive again. One of the sturdy leaders of the Secession Church of Scotland who wrote, Fair as the moon, my robes appear, While graces are my dress, Clear as the sun, While found to wear my Savior's righteousness.

My moonlight graces, changing much, Are soiled with many a spot. My sunlight glory is not such, My Savior changes not. Though hellish smoke my jury stain, And sin deform me quite, The blood of Jesus makes me clean, And his obedience makes me white.

Then let the law and rigor stand, And for perfection call. My Lord discharge the whole demand, That every high self-righteous thought Be utterly cast down. Free grace alone the work hath wrought, And grace shall wear the cross.

O may I practically show My interest in that grace. Be all I am and have I do, Devoted. May his appearance beautify, Let them set a fair miter. Sin is not only removed from the sinner, But righteousness is imputed And imparted to the sinner.

When Christ cries, it is finished. My old dirty garments. When Christ cried, it is finished. My new garments. But his pilgrim to the cross said, He was given a new suit. And that suit has never stained.

And never can be stained. And when I get to heaven, I'll say to every angel, You haven't a straw I could tell you Of what it's like to be washed In the Saviour's blood. I wish I could explain to you The peace and the joy and the happiness Of a soul that can say eternally Sinner in the righteousness of the Son.

He sees me in Christ, The spotless Lamb of God. You can search the books of heaven And you'll not find one book That says Ian Paisley Is a sinner now by coming to Christ. I am wrapped this night In the robes of this church.

I am chained myself to God's command To submit to them. All the claims of God's unchangeable law Have been fully answered For Joseph Irons, a great preacher, Who said, And sunk in deepness to Calvary, Look, and comfort draw Is the name by which he's known.

The name his saints confess. He is on him. Humble grace and glory are revealed In Christ. My faith could no more should doubt The Bible. There are some passages of Scripture In which that word, And they are printed in capital letters In our authorized As the gospel presents Craving your sinner.

The Call to Come to Christ

As you sit in the seat To pray that great prayer, I preach the God Continued to cultivate. Just say then, O my Lord, My soul, For that great, And the precious blood, Me and heaven, You have been washed.

Where our heads are bowed And our eyes are closed, I would urge sinners tonight To come to Christ. This has been a solemn meeting. God has been speaking to your soul. You never really felt as you feel now.

You need to come. I'll be in this room Immediately after this. Let's kneel together Get this matter settled. Escape for your life. Tarry not on the plain. Haste to the mountain. Lest you be condemned.

Prayer for Conversion and Trust in God

But thank God there's room. O God our Father, Write thy word upon the hearts Of men and women. And grant that there'll be A great coming to Christ. And a great trusting In thyself this night. For Jesus' sake, And the people of God's sake.

Amen.