Who was Joshua the high priest in the Bible?

Joshua, also called Jeshua, was the son of Jehozadak and served as the high priest who returned from the Babylonian exile. He led the Jewish people alongside Zerubbabel in rebuilding the altar and the foundation of the Second Temple in Jerusalem (Ezra 3:2, Haggai 1:1).

Why is Joshua the high priest important in the Old Testament?

He is a pivotal figure representing the restoration of proper worship after the exile. His work, highlighted in the books of Ezra, Haggai, and Zechariah, symbolized God's forgiveness and the renewal of His covenant with His people (Zechariah 3:1-10).

What key events involved Joshua the high priest?

Key events include leading the first group of exiles back to Jerusalem, overseeing the rebuilding of the altar for sacrifices, and laying the foundation of the new temple. He is also central in a prophetic vision where God cleanses him, symbolically removing the nation's sin (Zechariah 3:1-5).

Joshua

Old TestamentExile & ReturnMaleHigh priestPriest

Joshua (or Jeshua), the son of Jehozadak, was the high priest who led the rebuilding of the temple after the Babylonian exile.

Joshua

Biography

Joshua son of Jehozadak, also known as Jeshua, was the high priest who returned from Babylonian exile alongside Zerubbabel the governor to lead the restoration of Judah and the rebuilding of the Jerusalem temple (Ezra 2:2; Haggai 1:1; Zechariah 3). He descended from Seraiah, the last high priest before the destruction of Jerusalem, making his priestly lineage unbroken despite the exile. Joshua led the restoration of the altar and the resumption of regular sacrificial worship before the temple foundations were even laid (Ezra 3:2). The prophet Zechariah received visions concerning Joshua in which he stood before the angel of the Lord, was accused by Satan, and was then clothed in clean garments, a symbolic enactment of priestly cleansing and divine vindication. He collaborated closely with Zerubbabel and the prophets Haggai and Zechariah throughout the restoration period.

Significance

Joshua son of Jehozadak occupies a pivotal place in redemptive history as the high priest who reconstituted Israel's sacrificial worship after the catastrophe of exile. Zechariah's visions concerning him (Zechariah 3, 6) invest his ministry with profound typological significance: he is crowned and called by the symbolic name Branch, a messianic title, pointing forward to the one who would unite the offices of priest and king in Himself. Joshua's priesthood prefigures Christ's high priestly ministry, and his cleansing from filthy garments before the angel of the Lord foreshadows the imputed righteousness by which sinners are clothed in Christ (Zechariah 3:4; Isaiah 61:10).

Verse Appearances (21)

References

Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References (TIPNR). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
Wikidata contributors (n.d.) Wikidata. Available at: https://www.wikidata.org. [CC0]
Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]

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Joshua

Biography

Significance

Verse Appearances (21)

Ezra

Nehemiah

Haggai

Zech

References