INTRODUCTION TO THE DRESS CODE OF GOD SERIES
COME AS A CHILD – LESSON 166 (Part Two)
Today we will look into the facts surrounding a garment worn by the priest of Israel called the ephod.
There are some very interesting facts surrounding the priestly garments made during the days of Moses. One of these garments was called an ephod. The things God described to Moses set the pattern for the things that the priests of God would use and do. These were used throughout the whole priesthood of the Hebrew people. Many of these ancient traditions spilled over to the priesthood of Christianity today.
Welcome to this week’s lesson for our ongoing, on-line bible study called COME AS A CHILD. Today’s scripture reference can be found in Exodus, Chapter 28.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PRIESTLY GARMENTS
Practically everything done in today’s religion of Christianity and of the Jewish culture started with the priesthood in the wilderness tabernacle.
HISTORY IS RICH WITH THE STORIES
Even when the Temple was destroyed by the Babylonians, King Ahasuerus (of Persia) had possession of priestly garments among his treasures. There are legendary stories of this King which speak of him putting those garments on instead of his royal kingly garments. It is even noted that King Ahasuerus put on the priestly garments when he threw the great banquet in the story of Esther. I speak of that great historical moment which brought us to celebrate the history of Purim.
We also know many stories about David, Saul, Samuel and other people wearing the priestly garments. These stories all included the object of our discussion today; the ephod.
In the case of King Ahasuerus, the never yet worn garments would have been preserved from way back in time. Every priestly order of Israel had skilled craftsmen to make their garments. These craftsmen created the holy garments only as they were needed. Each generation used the same stipulations which God had given directly to Moses.
MAKING THE GARMENTS
Creating all the new garments as needed was quite a skill. During the days of Moses, this skill was like a small industry. This practice carried over to the days of the Temple.
As the priesthood grew, the need for more sacred garments grew. There were many priest who served in some capacity. Each of the priest were personally fitted for their own original garments.
The priestly garments were never washed. As they were stained, they were discarded in an unknown place (hidden away.) New garments were made to replace the stained garments. This kept many skilled craftsmen and weavers busy for years.
THE IMPORTANCE OF PRIESTLY IDENTIFICATION
From the very beginning, the garments were extremely important in identifying a true priest. It was this holy uniform that validated the priestly position.
If a priest did not use the proper garments, any sacrifice he offered up would be considered invalid. It seems that the garments themselves served as proof that the wearer was standing in the high service of the Divine God of the Universe.
TODAY’S PRIESTHOOD
In today’s congregations we no longer have need of animal sacrifices. There is an even holier uniform for a priest of today to be considered valid. Now each priest of God must be clothed in the blood of Christ.
Today’s priest must be properly called and ordained by God in order to be serving the community. Without the spiritually holy garment of the covering of Christ, he is not worthy or qualified to be a priest.
Can you see how the original garments worn by the original priests in the wilderness tabernacle are symbolic of the covering of Christ? These priestly garments pointed to the future of God’s Church. Their symbolism taught of a true priesthood which would be properly clothed.
TWO TYPES OF GARMENTS
Back in the days of Moses, and even during the days of the Temple, the High Priest had two sets of garments. One set was for wearing all year long. The other set was for wearing only on The Day of Atonement.
(NOTE: If you wish to know more about The Day of Atonement, these articles might be helpful: https://theinseasonlifestyle.com/sacred-appointed-times-and-seasons/ https://theinseasonlifestyle.com/seasons-why-place-so-much-emphasis-on-seasons/.)
The set of garments the High Priest wore all year consisted of eight pieces. Those were an ephod, a breastplate, a robe, a tunic, a turban, a belt, a crown and pants.
Now, the other set of garments (worn only as he officiated on The Day of Atonement,) consisted of only four pieces. Those pieces were a tunic, pants, a belt and a turban.
All of these special garments were made of white linen. The linen was woven from white flax. Every garment had six-ply thread made from six strands of fabric. The second set of garments contained two tunics. One tunic was worn in the morning. The other tunic was worn in the evening.
REMOVAL OF THE WHITE GARMENTS
Once the High Priest wore the white garments set aside only for The Day of Atonement, he took them off after the service was done. The garments were then hidden in the place where he removed them. He would never wear them again.
Who can read of these things without thinking of an actions of Jesus? Can’t you just see Him folding up the white linen grave-clothes inside the tomb after His Resurrection? It was finished. There would be no need of any more sacrifice for sin. That was just before he went walking outside of the tomb to proclaim everlasting life to all of us. He would never taste the sting of human death again. Our Messiah had overcome death.
In the many years before Jesus walked this earth, this is what the High Priest was representing. It was a symbolic way of declaring prophecy. The prophetic meanings here are very significant. They are quite astounding to consider. The ancient priests were not aware of the coming Resurrection of Christ, yet their clothes declared symbolism of everlasting life.
PLACING SIGNIFICANCE IN THE ORDINARY
The ordinary priest (not the High Priest) wore the same garments during the rest of the year as the High Priest wore on The Day of Atonement.
These four white linen garments which were worn year-round by the ordinary priests but only by the High Priest on The Day of Atonement speak symbolically of Jesus. They speak of how He gave up His high position of divinity when He came down to earth to live and die as an “ordinary” man.
Each “ordinary” man of today is qualified by God to become the priest of his own home. The ancient garments for atonement speak symbolically of every-day, ordinary service. That is what God seeks from all of us today.
WHITE LINEN IS VERY SIGNIFICANT
Another amazing point to ponder is the quality of linen used in making the white garments for The Day of Atonement. You would have to understand the amazing qualities of linen to fully appreciate these white linen garments.
I recently did a fascinating study about the qualities of linen made from flax. Later, I wrote of my discoveries in a separate article. To summarize though; the Torah mentions ONLY linen and wool as useable fabrics. There are specific instructions not to mix the two together.
Linen and wool have distinct scientific frequencies. If you mix them together these frequencies cancel each other out.
Ezekiel 44:17-18 speaks of the above:
“And it shall be, whenever they enter the gates of the inner court, that they shall put on linen garments; no wool shall come upon them while they minister within the gates of the inner court or within the Temple. They shall have linen turbans on their heads and linen trousers on their bodies; they shall not clothe themselves with anything that causes sweat.”
WHY LINEN?
The discussions of the priesthood’s use of linen make me remember Edna Hibel’s famous paintings of King David and Samuel. She did a beautiful series of paintings of David. In these painting he is wearing the white linen turban.
This specific vision of King David is something that was never relayed to me in my early Sunday School classes as a child. There were always pictures of the young David as a boy wearing the garments of the shepherd. However, in those paintings of my childhood, David never wore the garments of the priest or the king. Hence, I missed a lot of the learning of the life of David until adulthood.
These paintings showing David as a King wearing the priestly garments were very eye-opening for me. I have grown very fond of this particular series of paintings by this particular artist. As far as I know, she still paints in her own gallery in a little town called Jupiter, Florida.
WHITE LINEN IS STRONG AND DURABLE
The clothes that David wore, the priestly garments of white linen, were made of vegetable fibers three times stronger than cotton. This linen made from flax is lint free. When linen it is washed it gets softer. Linen has a high moisture retention. It resists dirt and stains. The material is strong and durable. It is so durable that when Tutankhamen’s tomb was opened, the ancient linen curtains (made of this type of linen) were found fully intact.
The various colors of the flax flower are blue, violet, scarlet and white. These same colors just happen to be the colors God specified for use in the wilderness tabernacle.
THE HEALTH QUALITIES OF LINEN
Linen has great and wonderful health and healing qualities. Have you ever slept on linen sheets? Try it and see. You will fall asleep easier and faster. Also, you will sleep deeper. You will wake up in a good mood every morning. As you sleep, the qualities in linen actually help to repair the body by harmonizing with your body’s cells. The elements in the flax used to make the linen protects from chemical exposure, noise and dust.
LINEN GARMENTS HAVE A PROTECTIVE QUALITY ABOUT THEM
Linen clothing made from flax reduces solar gamma radiation by almost half. Thereby such clothing protects people.
A Nobel prize winner named Dr. Otto Heinrich Warburg identified something in humans called signature frequency numbers. Most humans average from 70 to 90 frequencies when they are healthy. When they get chronic diseases these frequencies go down to 50. If the frequencies drop to 15 or below the person affected is usually dealing with life-threatening illnesses.
THE TWO BIBLICAL FABRICS
Wool worn by itself has a frequency measurement of 5,000. In contrast, linen worn by itself also has a frequency measurement of 5,000. For people wanting to maintain proper health in their body frequencies; it is recommended that thy wear either wool or linen.
It seems that God created the perfect fibers for making fabrics. He created one suitable for summer (linen.) Also, He created one suitable for winter (wool.) Never wear them together. This is because they each cancel out the benefits of the other when combined.
I could continue this discussion on the amazing qualities of linen forever; but today we only want to talk about the ephod. Still; I wanted to point out how important the linen fabric which makes up the fabric of the ephod can be. This significant fabric is the cloth covers the body of the priest wearing the ephod.
There were actually two types of ephod; one for the ordinary priest (made of white linen,) and one for the High Priest (made of carefully woven, colored linen threads.)
EACH GARMENT STANDS FOR ATONEMENT
Last week we spoke of the priestly garment called the breast-piece. We discussed all of its importance. If you missed that lesson, you may review it here: https://theinseasonlifestyle.com/clothes-of-the-ancient-priest/.
Each of the priestly garments stand for atonement of some type of sin. The breast-piece that represented righteousness stood for the atonement of any errors in judgment.
THE EPHOD SYMBOLIZES THE ATONEMENT FOR IDOLATRY
The ephod was used by the priests to obtain God’s word for the people of Israel. This ephod represents “a covering.” It stands for the atonement of idolatry. This significance of the ephod has been pointed out by many wise men. They often speak of how the elaborate gold and glamorous appearance of the Temple (which evolved from the wilderness tabernacle) were only coverings.
You could only see the outside of the building on first glimpse. It was given glorious coverings of great honor and elaborate beauty on the outside. However; it is very important to remember that the surface of something is only its covering. It is the essence of God beneath the surface that makes anything holy. This essence of holiness would not be from the materialistic glamour given by men to be seen on the outside.
The word ephod in Hebrew means “a covering.” All of the holy men were brought this special covering. The garments were sanctified. They would be used specifically for the purpose of serving God.
In a similar fashion today, we note that many Jewish rabbis wrap themselves up in a sanctified covering called a Tallis. The practice is much the same as the use of the ephod. Both are used as an outside covering designed to protect what dwells on the inside.
THE PROTECTIVE ELEMENT OF THE EPHOD IS SACRED
It is believed that this sacred “covering” will protect those who have been guilty of the sin of idolatry. This was very important. Idolatry was everywhere in the land. We will see more evidence of this fact in our continued studies of Israel in the wilderness.
Without the proper covering for the sins of idolatry; there might not have been a priest left in the bunch. The ephod protected the priests by covering the unholy things they subconsciously harbored in their hearts. It sheltered their humanity as it existed among the sacred.
THE EPHOD IS SYMBOLIC OF GOD’S GRACE
Therefore, this sheltering quality of the ephod speaks to us of the saving grace of God. This unique quality gives new meaning to a famously quoted scripture. I speak of the psalm which says “you shelter me beneath your wings.”
God is always providing protection and shelter for the people He loves. His grace shelters us from ourselves and our proud humanity.
MOST IMPORTANT GARMENT
We learn that the ephod is considered the most important garment a priest could wear. This becomes clear when you consider how much God hates idolatry.
In appearance, the ephod is very similar to an apron. It is worn on top of the other garments. The ephod is fastened by a long belt in the front. This fastening is opposite the heart. There are shoulder straps attached to this garment. The shoulder straps have gold settings for two sardonyx stones. There is one for each shoulder area.
The ephod itself is extended over the back. It falls just below the elbows. The garment reaches all the way down to the heals.
THE SARDONYX STONES
The names of the twelve tribes of Israel were engraved upon the sardonyx stones. These stone sat upon each shoulder of the High Priest. There was one stone on the left and one stone on the right.
Six names were on one stone. Another six names were etched on another stone. The names in the stones were written in accordance with the dates of the birth order of the twelve sons of Israel.
These stones came to be called “remembrance stones.” Each time Aaron would carry them into the Holy of Holies on his shoulders, God would remember his promise to the descendants of Abraham. God would remember Israel and His promise to them. That promise to Abraham was to have mercy upon the sons of Israel.
Two square gold settings were designed under these sardonyx stones. These were places for fastening the breastplate to the ephod by golden chains and hooks. On the breastplate, fastened over the ephod, were twelve stones that were engraved with each name of each tribe of Israel.
The scripture that defines these stones follows:
“And you shall set it with four rows of mounted stones, the first row a ruby, an emerald, and a topaz. The second row a carbuncle, a sapphire, and a quartz crystal. The third row a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst. The fourth row a chrysolite, an onyx and an opal. These stones shall be placed in gold settings. The stones shall contain the names of the twelve children of Israel, one for each of the twelve stones. Each one’s name shall be engraved as on a signet ring, to represent the twelve tribes.” (Exodus 28:17-21)
MEANINGS BEYOND OUR COMPLETE UNDERSTANDING
The original Hebrew names of these twelve stones are very obscure and impossible to translate properly. Their identification varies. It varies even with the highest and most knowledgeable of human experts. What we do know that the colors represented correspond with the banners of the twelve tribes of Israel.
Here is a list of the colors used for each tribe’s banner. The stones listed are possibilities for the stones that might have been used. A “possible” known stone is suggested for each color:
The Tribe of Ruben – red – ruby
The tribe of Shimon – green – jade
The tribe of Levi – agate – red/white/black-striped
The tribe of Judah – carbuncle- bluish-green
The tribe of Issachar – Lapis Lazuli – Blue
The tribe of Zebulun – Quartz Crystal – Clear
The tribe of Dan – Turquoise – Blue
The tribe of Naftali – Amethyst – Purple
The tribe of Gad – Agate – Grey
The tribe of Asher – Aquamarine – Blue-Green
The tribe of Joseph – Onyx – Black
The tribe of Benjamin – Opal – A stone that possesses all colors
THE NAMES ON THE STONES
There is a theory that the names were engraved naturally, by inking the names on the stones and the cutting was done by a rare form of worm called a “shamir.” This worm existed from the time of creation. The species survived until the destruction of the Temple.
Moses used this worm which could cut stone simply by its glance. This kept any part of the stone from fracturing and breaking. The whole stone remained in tact, even after the carving of the name became obvious. No man touched the stones. The worm made the names carve out like a fig which ripens and splits open in summer. It splits open, yet no part of it is missing.
As I read of this I became amazed by many things.
First, I was amazed with how God created this worm. Most worms are considered the lowest of creatures. Yet this worm was used for such an important task. I ponder the amazing skill of this worm. It could carve letters simply by looking at something. This worm could carve a shape without even touching the original object it was carving. It could do these things without harming anything around the area being carved.
Only God could have thought of such an idea as this.
Second, I was amazed at the meaning behind the symbolism of the names on each stone of the ephod. These twelve stones represent a perpetual remembrance of each tribe before God.
A FORM OF COMMUNICATION WITH GOD
This breastplate and ephod were said to have an oracle-like aspect. An oracle is a divine message invoked as an answer to priestly prayers.
To invoke the prayer the High Priest did certain things. The mystical Divine Name of God was written on a piece of parchment. It was inserted into a flap of the garment. This was called The Urim VTummim. That name and those words do not refer to the object that was inserted. It refers to the name that it had written upon it. The presence of the Divine Name of God brought a message of divine guidance through the shinning of certain letters on the stones.
THE POWERFUL NAME OF GOD
There seems to be a lesson here for us. It is a strong message about using the name of God. God’s true identity is actually so high and so sacred that it is beyond the reach of any human knowledge. There are certain words for His Name He has allowed to us in our humble and limited humanity to use.
These names that we utter (taken from the holy scriptures) are the same words that God used in the Creation of the Universe.
THE GREAT POWER OF THE NAME OF GOD
God’s names have great power. The use of the Name of God in the Urim VTummim is powerful. It brings answers that were unattainable before they were invoked.
The name placed behind the ephod is the name of God handed down directly to Moses straight from God at Mt. Sinai. The name is not of any human origin. It came directly from God to Moses.
Hence, this fact makes the place where the name is held totally different from any other part of the priestly garments. Therefore, this place is much more powerful than any other part of the sacred garments.
To put this in more understandable language; can you imagine walking around wearing a garment which held a message that the finger of God had written and had delivered to earth? It would be placed right above your heart.
AARON WAS THE FIRST
Moses took this original Urim VTummim, written by the finger of God, and placed it inside the breastplate of judgment. He did this after Aaron donned the ephod.
This gives the sense that once the name is placed inside the breastplate (right over the heart) that person is branded and/or “marked” for God’s service. The mark of God would be directly over their heart stating that they belonged to God and to no one else.
I suppose if the devil saw the Name of God written over the heart of the priest of God, he would flee from bothering that priest. Wouldn’t you agree?
THE DIVINE COMMUNICATION
In the use of these divine tools for communicating with God, a high-ranking official would come with the very important questions of the nation. For example, the official might ask if the nation should engage in war. 1 Samuel contains many examples of David doing this. He consulted the ephod several times while he was hiding in the wilderness.
Next, the questioning official would stand behind the High Priest. The High Priest would be facing the Ark of The Testimony. The questioner (never a common person but always an important and recognized official) asks his question in a quiet prayer to God. Next, The High Priest meditates upon The Holy Name of God as this question is posed in prayer.
The High Priest, gazing at the breastplate, receives a divine answer through a prophetic vision of the letters of the stones of the breastplate. In the meantime, when this vision is clear, the High Priest informs the answer to the person presenting the question.
God has spoken.
The matter has now been decided.
SIMILAR MODE OF COMMUNICATION TODAY
This was the way the priesthood of the wilderness tabernacle reached very important decisions. They made such decisions for the nation as they traveled through the wilderness and on into the promised land.
The source of their answers was an instrument handed directly to Moses from God. It had been written down by the finger of God. So too were the ten commandments. The ten commandments, coupled with prayer, have become the way of discernment used by today’s modern priests. Those serving in God’s congregations today have the scriptures spelled out for them.
These commandments, when used, followed, and obeyed properly, hold all of the power of the ancient Urim VTummim. Any nation proclaiming and obeying them would be giving honor and glory to the very Name of God. For any individual seeking answers, it would also be as if God had carved His holy name over his heart.
Now, with Christ’s holy covering over us, we can allow God to take his finger and carve His name over our hearts. All it takes is believing on Christ and being obedient to The Word of God.
As a nation of holy priest dedicated to the service of God; let the modern church rise up and give God the glory and honor which He deserves. He will guide us through the wilderness of our culture wars and moral decay. God will lead us on with discernment. He will take us on to a place that He has prepared for us.
Hold on to what you have been given. Do not be afraid.