Garments of the high priest. Exodus 28:1-39 God’s speech to Moses, up until this chapter, speaks of God coming out from His place of absolute holiness to the children of Israel. From this point on, the focus shifts to how God provides a way for the people to approach Him. The Tabernacle was incomplete without a priesthood to bring life to it. God was going to dwell among the people, but there needed to be representatives of the people who could draw near to God.
The word "priest" means "one who draws near." The first mention of a priest is Melchizedek, "the priest of the most-high God." Abel, Noah, Job, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob acted as priests when they brought offerings to God. Amram and Jochabed, the parents of Miriam, Aaron, and Moses, were from the tribe of Levi. They cared for God's people even when they were slaves in Egypt. It was from this family that the priesthood was chosen even before the rebellion, in which the tribe of Levi stood against the others. Aaron was the first High Priest of Israel.
Moses and his family were kept separate from Aaron and his family. Moses served as the leader and mediator of the law. One of the goals in the book of Hebrews was to remind Jewish believers that the resurrected Lord Jesus is the true King, Mediator, Apostle, Captain, and Shepherd. He is greater than Moses. Another purpose of the book is to demonstrate how much superior Christ's true priesthood is compared to the figure of the priesthood.
Aaron’s priesthood symbolizes our Lord Jesus Christ as our Great High Priest. Our Lord Jesus Christ is holy in His Person, His Priesthood, and His intercession for us. We are "accepted" by Him. When Aaron entered the Holiest of All, it represented Christ for us, who carried the blood to be sprinkled before the mercy seat for himself. Then, the second time he entered the Holiest, the blood was sprinkled on the mercy seat for those he represented. In contrast to the type, the anti-type is described in Hebrews. Our Lord offered Himself “once for all” [Heb.7:27]; He entered the “Most Holy Place once for all by His own blood” [Heb.9:12]; He appeared “once for all” to put away sin [Heb.9:26]; and we have been made holy by the sacrifice He made “once for all” [Heb.10:10]. Our Lord’s priesthood is greater than Aaron’s.
Josephus states in his book that there were 83 high priests in total, and all of them died. Christ, our High Priest in the heavenly Tabernacle, "ever lives to make intercession for us." Aaron's garments symbolize the priestly work of our Lord Jesus Christ. First, Aaron wore a linen (white) garment that reached to his feet with sleeves covering his arms, placed next to his person. He wore this on the "day of atonement" when he represented Israel before God. In this way, Aaron symbolized the purity, spotlessness, and holiness of the Lord Jesus.
Over this white linen garment was worn a sleeveless robe of blue material, made without seams, with openings for the arms and head to pass through when it was placed on the priest's body. The purity of the Person of Christ, in type, is seen in the first white garment, covered by blue except for the arms. The holiness of Christ is first for God, but it is also evident to those witnessing the priest performing his acts of service. The Bible's first mention of “robe” is significant because it tells us of our Lord Jesus Christ coming out of heaven to earth as the Prince of Peace. The material is not mentioned, only the color—blue.
This blue garment had bells and pomegranates alternately attached to the hem at the bottom. The divine nature of Christ's priesthood helps us appreciate the value of the One who came from God for us. After the cross and death of our Lord Jesus Christ, a priesthood was no longer necessary, nor were there any further sacrifices that held significance. They were ended, just as "the religion of the Jews" was. Our Lord continues His priestly work in the true tabernacle in heaven, "for if He were on earth, He should not be a priest." The type is complete. These two garments were held close to the priest’s body by a girdle of blue, purple, and scarlet around the waist. The "testimony" of the bells and the "fruit" represented in the pomegranates filled with seeds and red juice would remind us of Him who, in dying, bore forth "much fruit."
Over the blue garment was the "ephod," an apron-like short garment similar to a vest made of blue, purple, scarlet, and fine linen with gold threads woven through. The threads were made of flat gold hammered thin and skillfully cut into strands that would shimmer in the sunlight outside the Tabernacle or the lamplight inside the Holy Place. This ephod was joined at the shoulders with straps that held the front and back parts together. It also had a girdle (belt: a different word is used) so the two parts would stay in place, keeping it snug against the high priest’s body.
On the shoulder pieces, two onyx stones were fastened in a lace-like net made of gold, engraved with the names of the tribes of Israel—six on one side and six on the other. Each gemstone was valued equally despite their different appearances. The shoulders of the priest symbolized that he carried these in his strength. The name could only be read from above, indicating that God was watching the walk of His people daily in His righteousness, and the priest was also demonstrating God's righteousness toward them.
Our walk is before God, not just before people. We are reminded of our ongoing need for God and His blessing, which come through the One who represents us and sustains us by His holy power. God observes us from His high and holy place and sees us “in Christ.” We are “accepted in the Beloved.”
On the front of the ephod was a beast plate made from the same material as the ephod and girdle, engraved with twelve different kinds of stones, each bearing the name of one of the tribes of Israel. Each stone was securely placed in a specific order—four rows of three stones each, with a name inscribed on each. The order of the engraving on the shoulder stones followed the sequence of the tribes, starting with Reuben and ending with Benjamin. The twelve stones, each representing a tribe on the breastplate, were arranged according to their position when they camped around the Tabernacle and during their march through the wilderness.
Going from left to right as in the Hebrew text, the first row includes: Carbuncle – Zebulun; Topaz – Issachar; Sardis – Judah. The second row features: Diamond – Gad; Sapphire – Simeon; Emerald – Reuben. The third row contains: Amethyst – Benjamin; Agate – Manasseh; Ligure – Ephraim. The fourth row has: Jasper – Naphtali; Onyx – Asher; Beryl – Dan. Each of these holds particular significance when we consider their father Jacob's description of them shortly before he died.
Each stone has its own characteristic, just as each believer possesses a unique Christlike trait. The church is made up of individual members of His body; each one is essential for the body to function together. Love, patience, courage, faith, hope, humility, gentleness, and endurance all have specific roles and are found in different individuals. We are “one in Christ, one body in the Lord.”
The breastplate was worn in a place of demonstrated affection where there is safety and comfort. Love and power are expressed there. The gold braided chains holding the two parts together remind us that the strength, affection, and character of our Great High Priest hold us. He is holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners. Guidance comes from Him to us as the “lights” and perfections” of His unlimited wisdom directs us so we can follow in His footsteps all the way to the presence of God.
The shoulder stones teach us that God carries His people and provides them with the strength they need each day in our walk before Him. The twelve separate stones on the breastplate symbolize God's love for His people—His divine love for each of us, from the least to the greatest. His love and care for us can still be seen and experienced today. Two additional items, the Urim (lights) and the Thummim (perfections), were placed in a special part of the breastplate. These were used to give a “yes” or “no” answer to specific questions. When decisions needed to be made, these were used first to make wise judgments and then to ensure those decisions were followed through. Some things are only visible to God, but their evidence can be seen by others who observe.
One more part of the priestly garments was the head covering called the "miter." It was a linen turban that symbolized the Lord's moral perfection, which believers are to emulate. Holiness is not only in actions and character but also in thoughts that reveal who we truly are. "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he." A gold plate was attached to the front of the high priest's miter, engraved with the words “Holiness to the Lord," and it was to be placed "always upon his forehead."
When we worship, our worship must align with the "mind of Christ." All twelve parts of Aaron's garments were made for “glory and beauty.” The ephod serves as a reminder of the divine character of the Lord, while the blue robe signifies His heavenly nature. The purple, scarlet, and white linen represent His royal glories, kingly dignity, and the purity of His character. The gold in the fabric, which makes it both sturdy and flexible, reminds us that the words and deeds of our Lord—everything about Him—are directed toward us in our needs.
His humanity and His deity make Him our perfect representative to God on our behalf and God’s gracious representative to us. Those garments signified the need for "holiness to the Lord," as engraved on that gold plate. Whether entering before God to advocate for us or coming out to bless us, our Lord Jesus' high priestly work continues ceaselessly.