The priesthood in the Old Testament were separated from other people and belonged to God. They were to teach others God’s word, take care of the temple, judge matters between people, offer sacrifices to God for themselves and others to restore people to God and love God above all else. Nothing has changed for us as New Testament priests. These were symbolic foreshadowing of what we in the Spirit should be.

1 Peter 2:9 “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:”

In the Old Testament, we are given insight into the spiritual aspect of the priestly garments that were to be worn by the High Priest and the other Priests. There is only one High Priest serving at a time. His garments were distinct from the other Priests. This was to foreshadow Jesus as our one and only High Priest who made the ultimate sacrifice, his life on the cross to redeem us from our sinful lives. He also intercedes for us.

Every detail of the garments was an aspect of Jesus and what he would do for us. It also defines how we are to behave as New Testament Priests. We will start with the symbolic colors and what they denote:

Gold-Deity and Glory of Jesus

Blue-the Heavenly One

Purple-the Royal One

Scarlet-the Suffering Servant (Atoning Blood)

Fine Linen-the Righteousness of Saints (In the ancient days garments were washed over and over again and beaten to produce a fine linen). Being purged of our own righteousness. Made holy.

The Holy garments of the High Priest which he wore consists of:

1. The Ephod

“And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue, and of purple, of scarlet, and fine twined linen, with cunning work. It shall have the two shoulder pieces thereof joined at the two edges thereof; and so it shall be joined together”. ^{Exod. 28:6-7}

All the colors reflect all that Jesus is to us. He is the Holy Lord (gold) sent from heaven (blue). King of Kings and Lord of Lords(purple) and became the suffering servant (scarlet) to atone for our sins that we might obtain righteousness (linen) through His precious blood. Fine twined linen with cunning work stating that we are the work of His hands by the power of the Holy Ghost.

The joining of the two pieces of the ephod at the shoulder standing for Jesus joining us together unto God. He alone is the only one that could and does shoulder that responsibility.

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” Isa. 9:6

Shoulders also signify strength, Christ our strong and faithful High Priest will never let us down.

Like the Ephod that was worn over the priest’s breast, we need to keep all that Jesus has done for us in our hearts. Never forget what he has done for you personally. This is storing up your treasures in heaven.

We as New Testament Priest may be used by God to help others see that Jesus is the only way to God. By the word of our own testimonies, preaching the gospel and teachings, we can lead someone to Christ and he can restore them to a right relationship with God and they too can walk like Abraham walked, by faith, and be pleasing to God.

2. The Curious Girdle of the Ephod (or sash, or belt)

“And the curious girdle of the ephod, which is upon it, shall be of the same, according to the work thereof; even of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen. And thou shalt take two onyx stones, and grave on them the names of the children of Israel: Six of their names on one stone, and the other six names of the rest on the other stone, according to their birth. With the work of an engraver in stone, like the engravings of a signet, shalt thou engrave the two stones with the names of the children of Israel: thou shalt make them to be set in ouches of gold”. Exod. 28:8-11

This girdle was used to bind the Ephod around the Priest Body. I think of how Jesus by his death on the cross draws us close to him and makes us part of his body.”For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many”.  1 Cor 12:12-14

We also need to remember Ephesians 6:14  “having your loins girt about with truth” Your loins are symbolic of the place from which things issue or flow out of us. Therefore we should seek to have only the truth flow out of us, not deceit or guile or what you think or figure things should be. Whether reading your bible, deciding what to do about something, your relationships with others etc…always pray for the truth of what is going on and then what to do, if anything. The things that we impart to others ought to be what God has done and his truths.

Next, we have the two onyx stones with the names of the 12 tribes, 6 on one stone and 6 on the other stone that is set upon the shoulders of the ephod which the high priest shall bear. Jesus bears us upon his shoulders just as those stones were set upon the shoulders of the ephod. He intercedes for us. It denotes servitude. He came to do the Father’s will and to serve others.

As Priests, we should be in service to him and serving others. Jesus is our example John 13:12-17 “So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them”.

We ought to be washing one another’s feet (our brothers and sisters in Christ). Symbolic of helping each other to stay unspotted from the filth of this world. We’re not to lord over people but as servants restoring one another from anything that is contrary to the word of God. I think of how Paul had to confront Peter about not eating with the gentiles after God had shown Peter that he was not to call things unclean that God calls clean. Acts 10:9-15  Peter’s vision. Gal 2:11-14 Paul confronts Peter.

3. Breastplate of Judgement.

“And thou shalt make the breastplate of judgment with cunning work; after the work of the ephod thou shalt make it; of gold, of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine twined linen, shalt thou make it. Foursquare it shall be being doubled; a span shall be the length thereof, and a span shall be the breadth thereof”. Exod. 28:15-30 

The breastplate of judgment is two fold. One is that Jesus bore the judgement for us by his death on the cross to bring us back into a relationship with God. The other is that we must allow God’s judgements to fall on us in order that we be made pure.

There is also another type of judgement that we must bear as new testament priest and that is when we see God’s judgement falling on others. We need to be very careful about what we do. We should never interfere with what God is doing. These are extremely holy things that he does and we need to treat them as such.

Exodus 28:17-29 goes into all the stones which we covered in a previous article. The stones and their meaning have been thoroughly explained (We are to be God’s Jewels) so I won’t go into all the symbolism. The types of stones represent the purification process we must go through to be purged of self and made holy unto God.

In the above scripture, there are gold chains mentioned that link things and also settings of gold. These speak of our need to go through the purifying fire of God’s righteous and merciful judgements to be made into vessels of gold. We shall face fiery trials in order that we might be made pure. Jesus will be linked together with us and guiding us through these trials. Once these fruits have been worked into your life you will then be able to minister these things to others.

Exodus 28:30 “And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be upon Aaron’s heart, when he goeth in before the Lord: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the Lord continually.”

The Urim and Thummim were part of the breastplate of judgment. They were special stones that were used in the Old Testament times to let people know what to do. Another foreshadowing of what Christ has accomplished for us. Col 2:2-3 “that their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge”. God will tell us what to do in every situation that we find ourselves in. We need to wait on him.

4. Robe of the Ephod.

“And thou shalt make the robe of the ephod all of blue. And there shall be an hole in the top of it, in the midst thereof: it shall have a binding of woven work round about the hole of it, as it were the hole of an habergeon, that it be not rent. And beneath upon the hem of it thou shalt make pomegranates of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, round about the hem thereof; and bells of gold between them round about: a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the hem of the robe round about. And it shall be upon Aaron to minister: and his sound shall be heard when he goeth in unto the holy place before the Lord, and when he cometh out, that he die not”. Exod. 28:31-35

This robe is symbolic of that as priests we shall be clothed in Jesus’ righteousness (blue-the heavenly one), fruitful (pomegranates) and that God will hear us when we call upon him (bells). When we seek his will on everything he will comfort and instruct us. We are in service to him and it shall bear fruit in our lives here on earth.

The hole for the garment that we put on is for our head to be put through. It shall have a binding or woven work…. that it be not rent. “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord”. Rom. 8: 35-39

God in his great mercy was kind enough to let us know that through all these things that come upon us (his priest) nothing shall separate us from his love for us. When we go through these things first it proves he does love us and second that it won’t prevent us from receiving his love during these times. He is such a loving Father to us. He cares very deeply for us all the time. He never forgets us and we are never alone.

5. A Mitre (Headdress or turban)

“And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, like the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD. And thou shalt put it on a blue lace, that it may be upon the mitre; upon the forefront of the mitre it shall be. And it shall be upon Aaron’s forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts; and it shall be always upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before the Lord”. Exod. 28:36-38

Only after we have been purged can we be called “Holiness to the Lord”, set apart to be used by God. We will then have the testimonies of Jesus and what he has done for us and in turn can minister these things to others. When God uses us we should remember that we are acting on behalf of him. We should never forget we are handling holy things: sacrifices, the Word of God and judgements. They bear great consequences in our lives and the lives of others. If we do this honorably then we will be rewarded for this, if it’s done dishonestly we shall bear that also.

Ordinary Garments of Priest and High Priest

6. Coat of fine linen.

“And thou shalt embroider the coat of fine linen, and thou shalt make the mitre of fine linen, and thou shalt make the girdle of needlework. And for Aaron’s sons thou shalt make coats, and thou shalt make for them girdles, and bonnets shalt thou make for them, for glory and for beauty. And thou shalt put them upon Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him; and shalt anoint them, and consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister unto me in the priest’s office. And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover their nakedness; from the loins even unto the thighs they shall reach: and they shall be upon Aaron, and upon his sons, when they come in unto the tabernacle of the congregation, or when they come near unto the altar to minister in the holy place; that they bear not iniquity, and die: it shall be a statute for ever unto him and his seed after him”. Exod. 28:39-43

In their everyday priestly duties the priests were to wear coats of fine linen which is pure white with embroidered needlework. Symbolically they are made pure and holy by Jesus and are able to serve God. Jesus has covered their sins, purged them and they are the work of his hands.

The priests have girdles and bonnets to make them beautiful. They walk in the truth, do the works of God and that is what makes them beautiful. As New Testament priests we glorify God when we do what he desires of us. We also prove that Satan is a liar which also glorifies God.

The priests have breeches of pure white linen to cover their nakedness which says they are not committing fornication by mingling things – meaning no idols, none of their own works, not putting anyone or anything else before God. They allow God to call all the shots, all the time. Otherwise, there is a high price to pay when serving on behalf of God.

The priests have a white mitre (headpiece) signifying they have given over their minds to God so they can receive from him his judgments and his thoughts on all things. They are humble and acknowledge him in all their ways.

1 Peter 2:9 “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:”

You are a priest with duties and responsibilities to be holy and offer yourself as a living sacrifice unto God that he may use you as He wishes. What a privilege to serve the living God. I hope you serve him with honor valor.