Saturday, July 19, 2014

TEKHELET: Part 2 - High Priest's Garment Series

Exodus 28:31
31 “You shall make the robe of the ephod all of blue. 32 There shall be an opening for his head in the middle of it; it shall have a woven binding all around its opening, like the opening in a coat of mail, so that it does not tear."


I used to wonder why the Jewish people were so attached to the color blue.  It certainly seems to have special significance to them.  Well, of course God told them to use it in certain places but here's why; here's what was on a His mind.

The "Tekhelet," pronounced "te-KAY-let," was the blue tunic worn by the high priest.  The word literally means "blue."  The root word from which it is derived is "kaláh: complete."   When Jesus cried out "IT IS FINISHED!! from the cross He only said one word in Aramaic: "KŪLÁH:  FINISHED!!!  It is the verb form of the word, "complete." 

The Tekhelet is a picture of THE FINISHED WORK!

The High Priest typified our Lord Jesus.  Though only a shadow representation, like a snapshot, the garments he wore reveal some wonderful things about His glory, His beauty and show us how we look to God.
(For more on this topic, follow this link:  

There is great benefit in studying both him and his garments.  In fact, everything in the entire tabernacle is a picture of Him.  JESUS IS EVERYWHERE!

The Holy Spirit makes it very clear that the garments of the high priest must not tear.  Remember what Caiaphas did at Jesus' so-called "trial?" He tore his sanctified garments!  Why did he do that and completely ignore God’s ordinance?  Heard many conjecture that he was really upset but that explanation doesn't track.  If God wouldn't allow Aaron to tear his robes in mourning over the death of his own son, He's certainly not gonna condone Caiaphas' so-called, "reason."  

If you would like to know the real reason he tore his robes, please follow this link:  




The blue Tekeleth was worn over the high priest's white linen under garment, called a "kettoneth."  It is the same type of garment that the saints are described as wearing in the book of the Revelation.  For more on the topic of "kettoneth," follow this link:  http://emmausrevelations.blogspot.com/2014/07/the-coat-of-many-colors.html

Jesus'  "KETTONETH" was made out of the finest linen and was completely was seamless.  Linen back in Bible times, particularly fine linen, was so incredibly expensive only royalty or the very wealthy could afford it!  This is the very same garment for which the soldiers gambled at the foot of the cross.


Tekhelet, "blue," is also a picture of Divinity.  I guess you could say it's the "color of God."  That's why God made the sky blue:  To reflect the glory of His Beloved SON! 

See what I mean?  IT'S ALL ABOUT THE SON!
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Here is something else you might find of interest.     

Jesus, before He came to earth , was "all blue," so to speak.  In other words, "all God." Blue is the color of Divinity.  Man, on the other hand, is "red-blooded."  You could say he is "all red."  The name "Adam" is, in fact, derived from the Hebrew word for blood:  "dam;" literally, "red blooded man."
When Jesus, the "all blue," was born of Mary, an "all red," He became something He never was before:  Both God and man.  The perfect man!

Remember your fingerpainting from kindergarten days?  What do you get when you mix red and blue?
Yep:  PURPLE!  PURPLE is the color of royalty!  Jesus is now both 100% God (blue) and 100% man (red) = PURPLE
We, as humans, start out all red.  When we accept Christ as our Savior, "the all blue," we also become PURLPE!  The only difference is Jesus started out all blue and us, all red. 

This is why throughout the tabernacle you find those three colors; red, blue and purple, in that order, EVERYWHERE.
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So now you know why the color blue has such great significance in Jewish tradition.  Blue speaks of the FINISHED WORK: 

TEKHELET!


   

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