Intercessors stand between heaven and earth, even as the Great Intercessor Jesus Christ did — and does. And in that place of spiritual warfare, we don the spiritual armor of God that Paul describes in Ephesians 6:10–20.
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Perhaps fewer intercessors will be familiar with the garments of the high priest, as described in Exodus 28. The Lord led my faith family, Westchester Chapel Church of the Nazarene, to study these garments several years ago.
To dwell with His people, the Lord taught the Israelites how to worship Him. The priests — especially the high priest — mediated between the Lord and the Israelites. They were intercessors. Exodus 28 details the high priest’s garb, made by skilled craftsmen “for glory and beauty” (see Exodus 28:2, 40). The high priest needed to wear these garments to minister before the Lord in the tabernacle.
Since every Scripture verse is useful for teaching, we know that the Lord is teaching us something relevant for our lives through these verses. I learned that the priestly garments comprise a powerful prayer akin to that of the spiritual armor; I now pray those garments onto myself daily, same as the armor. In my mind’s eye, I pray them on in the order in which I would physically put them on.
The Breeches and Sash
All priests wore linen breeches — a sort of undergarment — when coming to the altar. The breeches fit closely, from waist to mid-thigh. A linen sash cinched the breeches at the waist.
The linen was cool so that the priest would not sweat, even in the hot desert. Sweating, Genesis 3:17–19 reminds us, is the mark of toil. The work of the priest was supposed to be pleasant and wondrous, as in the beginning — before sin marred the earth.
In biblical times, not everyone wore undergarments, as they do today. These particular undergarments — made of the finest Egyptian linen, appropriate for entering the presence of a king — were intended to cover the priests’ nakedness, “lest they bear guilt and die.” The root of the word for undergarments means covering.
To the ancient Hebrews, public nakedness was equated with shame. And this shame was not a feeling of embarrassment, as we think of it today, but rather a status of disgrace. Such disgrace stemmed from the failure of a person, or of some object in which the person trusted.
Because of the sin of Adam and Eve, humankind now needs covering from the disgrace of sin; the fur the Lord provided in Genesis as a covering required bloodshed to secure.
The sash ensured that the priests were not exposed when walking up the ramp to the tabernacle’s courtyard altar, or later, up the steps of the temple.
The breeches — the garment that protects from shame — and the sash of dignity remind us that we need the covering of the Lord Jesus Christ’s blood to approach the Lord. By praying these breeches and sash on, we receive these garments of grace and dignity to cover the shame and disgrace of sin. Our prayers are powered by a right relationship between us and the Lord.
The Tunic
All priests wore the tunic. (Some translations, including the ESV, render this as “coat.”) Men and women in the ancient world wore tunics too, which generally covered them from neck to feet. The priests’ tunics were woven in a block-like pattern with fine, almost silky, linen, which would have set them apart from other Israelites, whose tunics were usually made from coarser materials.
In biblical days, the heavier the garment, the greater the glory. On the annual Day of Atonement, when only the high priest entered the tabernacle’s inner chambers, he lay aside the weightiest portion of his garb, wearing only the linen undergarments, tunic, sash, and turban (discussed below). In doing this, the priest prefigured Christ, who lay aside His glory and splendor to come to earth and atone for our sin.
The tunic — a garment of humility — reminds us anew of the Lord’s humility. When we pray it on, we ask the Lord to cover us with humility so that our prayers reflect this attribute of the Savior, thus countering the demonic spirit of pride that would otherwise compromise our prayer.
The Robe
Only the high priest wore the robe of the ephod. He pulled the garment over his head. Pomegranates, fashioned from blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, hung from its hem. Pomegranates were a symbol of fruitfulness in ancient Israel.
In between each pomegranate, craftsmen hung a small bell made of gold. In those days, no one would enter a king’s court without being announced. The bells served to announce the high priest’s entry into the Lord’s inner chamber.
This garment represents the beauty, fruitfulness, and sound of praise. Constructed of a single piece of fabric, the robe pictures the continual nature of praise.
The beauty of the robe reflects His beauty, fruitfulness, and splendor. When we pray this lovely robe on, we commit ourselves to praising the Lord as we enter into intercession.
The Ephod
The ephod, also worn only by the high priest, was his garment of service. Made with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn and fine linen, the ephod had shoulder pieces upon which onyx stones rested. Craftsmen inscribed the names of the tribes of Israel — six on each — on the stones in birth order. The stones, set in gold filigree, faced up “as stones of remembrance” to the Lord.
Wearing this garment, the high priest carried the Israelites before the Lord. This again foreshadows Jesus, upon whose shoulders government rests, and who lives ever to make intercession for us.
When we pray on the ephod, we assume the responsibility of representing people to the Lord. We also accept the right and responsibility to govern on earth in accordance with the Lord’s Genesis command.
The Breastpiece and Urim and Thummin
The breastpiece of the high priest picked up the colors of the ephod, with the added splendor of multi-colored stones set into the front. These stones represented the tribes of Israel and were set in gold filigree in birth order in four rows of three stones. Gold rings and chains attached the breastplate to the ephod, holding both garments firmly in place.
Though some translations call this the breastplate of judgment, the sense in the Hebrew is more of justice. The high priest wore this before the Lord over his heart, bearing the people’s needs before the Lord and also before men. The Hebrew torah tradition asserted the stones and gold harkened to the garden of Eden when man was innocent of sin.
Into the back pocket created by folding the fabric of the breastplate, the high priest placed the Urim and Thummin — instruments of choice. No one really knows what these looked like, but biblical references indicate they were used to seek the Lord’s will or decision upon some matter of prayer. Urim means light. Thummin means perfection or wholeness. Like the breastplate, these rested upon the high priest’s heart.
The breastpiece and the Urim and Thummin represented the high priest’s core mission: to intercede for the people, seeking that the Lord’s kingdom and will would come into their lives. That this mission rests upon the heart is a picture of how love empowers all kingdom mission, especially prayer. Again, we see Jesus in this image.
When we pray on the breastplate, we enter into our mission, seeking the Lord’s kingdom and will for those we represent. We ask the Lord to engrave on the stones of our breastpiece the names of those for whom He wants us to intercede. We ask Him to activate the Urim and Thummin — correct choices and godly decisions — in the people’s lives.
The Turban and Gold Plate
The Hebrew root for turban means to wrap or bind around. The linen turban was a long kerchief that wrapped around the high priest’s head into a majestic form. In biblical culture, head pieces connoted authority.
The high priest tied a gold plate over his turban and forehead. Engraved on the plate were the words, Holy to the Lord. This served to consecrate the worship, the high priest, and the people to the Lord.
Again the turban and gold plate anticipate Christ’s authority and holiness. They also anticipate the priesthood of believers, to whom Jesus delegated all authority, and whom He also calls unto holiness.
When we pray on the turban, we assume the full authority of the Lord Jesus Christ in our intercession. When we wrap our heads with the gold plate, we call upon the Lord’s power and grace so that we will be sanctified unto Him.
Like the armor, the priestly garments are powerful reminders of the rights, responsibilities, privilege, and power that the Lord grants His intercessors. Over the years, I have found the garments to be far more than a word picture; they are a means of accessing authority and power.
What do you think about “praying on” these priestly garments? Share below!
New York City–based Joyce Swingle is an intercessor and a contributing writer for IFA. With her husband, Rich, also a contributing writer for IFA, Joyce shares the gospel of Jesus Christ around the world through theater, speaking, writing, and film. Prior to going into full-time ministry, Joyce worked for about 20 major magazines and now works in pastoral ministry and Christian counseling. This article is used with her permission. Photo Credit: Canva.