“Here is how Aharon is to enter the Holy Place: with a young bull as a sin offering and a ram as a burnt offering. He is to put on the holy linen tunic, have the linen shorts next to his bare flesh, have the linen sash wrapped around him, and be wearing the linen turban — they are the holy garments. He is to bathe his body in water and put them on.”-Leviticus 16:3-4
In preparation for YOM KIPPUR (the Day of Atonement), before entering the Holy Place, we are told that Aaron has to offer up a HATTA-AT (Purification Offering) and an OLAH (Burnt Offering).
From this point, a radical departure from the normal way of doing things takes place.
Aaron has to change from his normally flamboyant High Priest garments consisting of a blue robe, the jeweled chest plate, and the costly and exquisitely woven fabrics into very plain and simple white linen clothing.
There is some interesting spiritual meaning attached to Aaron’s High Priest garments that I want to explore.
First, when the High Priest went about his normal duties in front of the people, the expensive and glorious clothing he wore served as a clear line of demarcation between him and the common folks.
The High Priest’s clothing communicated the fact that Aaron was the holiest man in Israel and that it was he who was the CHOSEN MEDIATOR between God and man.
On the other hand, when Aaron changed into the plain white garments woven out of fine linen, this now symbolized the lowly status that even God’s chosen mediator, the holiest man on earth, held in comparison to the HOLINESS of the one and only living God.
This is an interesting contrast.
The usual garments Aaron wore for his normal duties signified how much holier he was than the common Israelite, but the humble white linen garments he wore for Yom Kippur signified how less HOLY he was when compared to HASHEM.
And before changing into his white garments, we are told that he had to cleanse himself in water and it is a given that he bathed himself in MAYIM CHAYIM (living water) to remove his impurity.
We should not be surprised that the Lord had Aaron put on humble plain white garments for the service he was to render for Yom Kippur.
In other books in the TANACH (the OT) like Daniel and Ezekiel, we are told that the angels who will stand before the Lord will be wearing spotless and pure white garments.
And the book of Revelations makes it clear that the righteous saints will be wearing fine white when they stand before the Lord.
The Bible makes it pretty clear that the color white symbolizes PURITY, CLEANNESS, and undefiled HOLINESS.
CONNECTING THIS TEACHING TO THE NEW TESTAMENT
“He who overcomes will
thus be clothed in white garments;
and I will not erase his name from the book of life,
and I will confess his name
before My Father and before His angels.”
-Revelations 3:5
“And the armies which are in heaven,
clothed in fine linen,
white and clean,
were following Him on white horses.”
-Revelations 19:4
“And He was transfigured before them;
and His face shone like the sun,
and His garments became as white as light.”
-Mathew 17:2
I am very much enjoying theze teachings…thank you for doing them!! I noticed a tiny discrepency and wondered about it. Lev 16:4 says ‘He is to bathe his body in water and put them on.’. ….refering to bathing and the white linen clothing. In your commentary you said after changing into his white garments he is to bathe in living water. Wash first or dress first? Again, thank you!
Hi Jae, Thanks for the positive thumbs up on my teachings! And you’re right! Of course Aaron bathes BEFORE putting on the garments. It would be kind of funny if it was the opposite. I just fixed the post. Thanks for your correction. Shalom!
Liv. Chp. 16 – 4, These are holy garments. Therefore he shall wash his body in water, and put them on. Symbolic of living water. SHALOM!!
Washing and dressing are every day musts,this is to me,like.how we should keep a clean heart,and wear our new white robes of righteousness given to us when we repent washing our selves in the word.it is a reminder of humility,simple,pure
Amen!
Hi!
I think this post is closely related to this one: L13-10: Why does the Lord forbid mixing linen with wool?.
I’m gonna share my views on it with you.
Garments are very important, and since everything in the ritual surrounding the tabernacle has its real spiritual significance, the clothes high priests wore during Yom Kippur have as well.
I noticed you cited Rev 19:14 (It says 4). I very much like the verse 8, which clear things up:
Rev 19:8
And to her (the wife, the church) was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
Eph 5:26
That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
Eph 5:27
That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
This church is like a white gament, without wrinkle. It’s constituted by holy people.
And an important part of these garments are the breeches:
Lev 16:4
He shall put on the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh…
Exo 28:42
And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover their nakedness; from the loins even unto the thighs they shall reach:
This nakedness represents a spiritual state which is not good:
Rev 3:18
I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
Rev 16:15
Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
Having said that, I believe the prohibition to mix linen with wool is symbolical, because in its context there are other symbolical commandments.
Just like teaching mixture of doctrines or plowing with different animals (Paul compares himself and all those who teach -synonym of working the land- to oxes) won’t work at all, wearing linen and wool does not work either, you cannot be spotless if sweating:
Deu 22:9
Thou shalt not sow thy vineyard with divers seeds: lest the fruit of thy seed which thou hast sown, and the fruit of thy vineyard, be defiled.
10
Thou shalt not plow with an ox and an ass together.
11
Thou shalt not wear a garment of divers sorts, as of woollen and linen together.
Honestly, I don’t know what wearing wool or sweating means, but it cannot be good, since Eze 44:17-18 says the priests are not to wear it because it causes sweat. On the contrary, they should wear linen.
Awesome Ana!!! Thanks for sharing!
thank you for the explanation of white linen. repenting and purifying your heart.