And thou shalt make the cloak of the ephod all of blue.
The instructions for the high priest's dress now reach the long robe worn underneath the ephod, his outer garment. Why is this robe one colour only, and why blue?
The simplest reading of the colour starts with what anyone sees by looking up. One writer ties it straight to the Man from heaven:
It was called the robe of the ephod, and the colour marks out the Lord as the heavenly one (1 Cor. 15:47), for blue, to us on earth, is the colour of the heavens. This garment was a long flowing robe or cloak, reaching down below the coat, with a hem at the bottom.
Here blue takes over the whole garment. That does not cancel what the other colours meant:
It was the colour here most characteristic of Christ. If faith could say of Him even while He was here, "the Son of Man who is in heaven" (John 3:13, as older translations read), how much more certain it is now that He has passed through the heavens and entered once for all into the holy places, having obtained an eternal redemption! So blue dominates these types, even if other glories appear. But the purple and the scarlet did not fade, because the blue prevailed. He is the King and King of kings, though He acts in other relationships as yet.
The robe's colour points to where its true wearer serves. That raises a question about His years on earth:
This robe covered the body of the high priest from his neck to his feet. The ephod had to be worn on the outside of the robe. The robe itself was all blue, so it speaks of Christ as the heavenly Priest. While He was on earth He was truly a priest in moral character. But He could hold no official place as Priest, because He was not of the line of Aaron (Heb. 8:4). But He is a Priest "exalted above the heavens" (Heb. 7:26), saluted of God in resurrection power, the heavenly Intercessor in God's presence. He is therefore the One who lifts us above the level of earthly circumstances, so that we may enjoy the pure air of His heavenly glory.
The blue robe belongs to a Priest already in heaven. One writer names what had to come before that, and what stands first of all in these garments:
Whatever perfections and glories of Christ we see pictured in the high priest's dress, let us not forget that gold, the emblem of divine righteousness, has the first place… But He was not a priest on earth. He must first suffer. The fine gold must pass through the fire. As our Substitute, He must bear the judgment due to us once, and then pass into heaven, our great High Priest.
The robe was not stitched together from panels. One writer connects the way it was woven to the robe Jesus wore at the cross:
The robe of the ephod was one piece of woven work. Its many threads brought into unity were an emblem of oneness. So was Christ's robe, the one the soldiers cast lots for (John 19:23-24). It was "all of blue"; it proclaimed the heavenly character of the wearer.
If the Priest is heavenly, so is the calling of the people He serves. That has a sharp edge for any system that puts an earthly priest between God and His people:
This emphasises the fact that ours is a heavenly Priest… We are the brothers of Christ, His sanctified company, and we share in the heavenly calling. Heavenly people need a heavenly priest. Suppose Aaron were on earth today, and came among us in full robes offering us his gracious services. Our reply could only be that a priest of his order is of no use at all to us… The weakest Christian stands on higher ground than Israel ever knew. A priestly class in Christianity, whatever form it takes, is a base cheat of the enemy. It is designed to degrade the children of God, and to hide from their souls the wonder of God's grace towards them.
- Colour — Blue is the colour of the sky above us, and it marks the wearer out as the heavenly one.
- Whole — The robe was one woven piece, unbroken, like the robe the soldiers cast lots for at the cross.
- Cost — The fine gold had to pass through the fire first. He must suffer and bear the judgment, then pass into heaven as our great High Priest.
- Office — On earth He could hold no priestly post, since He was not of Aaron's line. He serves where the blue points: above the heavens.
- Reach — A heavenly Priest lifts His people above their circumstances. So no earthly priestly class has anything left to offer them.
And its opening for the head shall be in the midst thereof; there shall be a binding of woven work at its opening round about; as the opening of a coat of mail, it shall be in it -- it shall not rend.
The high priest's robe was woven in one piece, with a single opening for the head, bound round like the neck of a coat of mail so that it would never tear. Why did God guard one collar so carefully?
The robe was one piece, not parts sewn together. One writer takes its weave, its colour and its bound opening together:
The robe of the ephod was made of one piece of woven work. Its many threads brought into unity were an emblem of oneness. So was Christ's robe, for which the soldiers cast lots (John 19:23-24). It was "all of blue"; it proclaimed the heavenly character of the wearer. The opening in it for the head was bound round with a strong binding, in the style of a coat of mail. The reason given is "so that it may not tear." So it pictured a strength that would hold up under use.
The whole robe was blue. One writer ties that colour to where our great High Priest is now:
The robe of the ephod was all of blue, typical of the heavenly character of our great High Priest. "For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf" (Hebrews 9:24). How happy we are to be represented in this way.
One writer links that same colour to the rule against tearing:
The robe of the ephod was all of blue, showing the heavenly character of the Priest. The colour may also point to the place where He serves — or rather, His character suited the place. Hebrews speaks of Him not only as holy, innocent, unstained and separated from sinners, but also as exalted above the heavens (Hebrews 7:26). Care was to be taken that it not be torn, for what is heavenly in character must be indivisible in its perfection.
The law also forbade the high priest to tear his own clothes. One high priest broke that rule in front of Christ:
The opening for the head was to have a collar of woven work, like that of a coat of armour. This gave it special strength, so there would be no damage or tearing. Compare Leviticus 21:10, which forbids the high priest ever to tear his clothes. These garments were holy. They speak of the perfection of unity in the person of the Lord Jesus, which must not be violated. In total disobedience to this, Caiaphas, the high priest, tore his clothes in the very presence of the Lord Jesus. He dreadfully violated the truth he ought to have firmly defended — that Christ is indeed the Son of God (Matthew 26:63-66).
Another writer looks at the same moment in the trial:
They condemned Him on the ground of the witness He bore to Himself. Even in doing this they broke the law themselves. It was written: "The priest who is chief among his brothers … shall not … tear his clothes" (Leviticus 21:10). The high priest ignored this. He was so agitated in the presence of his Victim, so carried away with anger and hatred.
The rule about tearing points forward to a priesthood that can never fail:
A priest was never to tear his garments. Caiaphas did this when questioning the Lord Jesus (Matthew 26:65), a trespass for which the law demanded the death penalty. For above all, the high priest is a picture of the Lord Jesus. Will His garments of priestly dignity ever be torn? Absolutely not! That would show some failure or fault in His priestly work. Thank God this is impossible. He remains faithful and true forever!
One writer sets Christ's seamless coat against the first clothing people made for themselves:
Everything about our Lord, both in His Person and His work, was of one piece, woven throughout without seam. With man in his fallen condition it is otherwise. The fitting symbol for man and his work is the fig leaf apron Adam and his wife made after their sin. They sewed fig leaves together. Anyone who knows the shape of a fig leaf will realise how many seams there must have been. It was elaborate patchwork. Theirs was the patchwork apron; His was the seamless coat.
- Woven. The robe was a single piece of woven work, its many threads brought into one — an emblem of oneness.
- Blue. Its colour declared the heavenly character of the wearer. Our High Priest has entered heaven itself and now appears before God for us.
- Bound. A binding like armour guarded the one opening. What is heavenly in character must stay indivisible in its perfection.
- Broken. Caiaphas tore his robes in front of Christ and so denied, by his own act, the truth he was meant to guard.
- Unbroken. A torn garment would mean failure in the priest's work. Christ's can never be torn, and He remains faithful forever.
And on the skirts thereof thou shalt make pomegranates of blue, and purple, and scarlet, round about the skirts thereof; and bells of gold between them round about
Around the hem of the high priest's blue robe hung woven pomegranates, with small gold bells between them. Nothing here is mere decoration. God fixed every colour, shape and sound. Commentators read the pattern as a picture of Christ's priesthood, and of what should mark those who serve God now.
Before the pomegranates come into view, the garment itself sets the tone. Its single colour, and the care taken over its weaving, carry meaning.
The robe of the ephod was all blue. Blue points to what is heavenly. It pictures the heavenly character of the Priest. It may also picture the place where He carries out His work — or rather, that His character was suited to that place. Hebrews speaks of Him not only as holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners, but also as made higher than the heavens (Heb. 7:26). Care was to be taken that it not be torn (v. 32), for what is heavenly in character must be undivided in its perfection.
The pomegranate is chosen for a reason. Cut one open and you find it packed with seed.
The pomegranates speak of fruitfulness. They are full of seeds, and those seeds promise abundant fruit. So the fruitfulness of the Lord Jesus's ministry as High Priest is far beyond anything we can count. We see that fruitfulness in His character and in His works (John 10:25).
You see fruit; you hear a bell. Darby ties the two together as the twofold action of the Spirit.
On the hem of the blue robe there was a golden bell and a pomegranate, one after the other. It is testimony and fruit. The purpose was that his sound might be heard when he goes into the holy place before the Lord, and when he comes out, so that he does not die. There was fruit-bearing and testimony, like the early and the latter rain, I should think. These are the two characters of the Holy Spirit's action: testimony and fruit-bearing, the sounding bell and the pomegranate.
The verse names three colours for the fruit and gold for the bells. Each material carries its own meaning.
The colours on the pomegranates spoke of the personal and official glories of the Lord Jesus Christ. The bells of gold spoke of Divine righteousness.
Dennett takes the colours in order. He ties blue to heaven, and the other two to what Christ will inherit.
The fruits of the Spirit are heavenly in character, and so blue is the first colour. But they are also purple and scarlet, because they will be linked with the kingdom-glories of Christ when the Priest comes out — with the glories He will inherit both as Son of Man and as Son of David.
The sound marked two moments: the priest going in, and the priest coming out. Commentators see both in Christ — one already, one still ahead.
The bells and pomegranates on the priests' garments both carry meaning. The bells were heard when he went in and when he came out; they stand for the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The pomegranates stand for fruit. These gifts came when Christ went into the glory, on the day of Pentecost. They will come again when He comes out, when there will be a fresh outpouring of the Spirit.
Bell and fruit alternate, one for one. The numbers match, and that is where the lesson bites.
Our fruit should bear the character of Christ and be worthy of Him. It should also match our testimony, just as the pomegranates were the same in number as the golden bells. One often finds Christians with more bells than pomegranates, more words than fruit!
One writer turns the hem into a measure for his own daily life.
The pomegranate was the fruit of the land (see Deut. 8:8). The measure of my testimony as a Christian (the sound) is equal to the fruit I am feeding on. It is equal to my communion. Never more, never less. Only as I feed on Christ will Christ be heard and the sound come from me. Only in this way can I fulfil my priestly service.
- Robe. The robe is all blue, and it must not be torn. It pictures the heavenly character of the Priest, undivided in its perfection.
- Fruit. The pomegranate is packed with seed. It pictures fruit from Christ's priestly work beyond anything we can count, and its colours point to His glories.
- Sound. The golden bells stand for testimony. Bell and fruit are the two ways the Holy Spirit works.
- Timing. The bells sounded going in and coming out. The testimony came when Christ entered glory at Pentecost, and it will come again when He comes out.
- Balance. Bell and fruit alternate in equal number; where words outrun fruit, the pattern God set is broken.
a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, in the skirts of the cloak round about.
The hem of the high priest's blue robe carried a bell, then a fruit, then a bell, then a fruit, all the way round. Why that pattern, and why gold? Commentators read it as a picture of what goes with Christ's priestly service, and with ours.
The two ornaments carry settled meanings across the commentary. The bells give sound; the pomegranate, packed with seed, gives fruit.
The Hebrew word for bell comes from a word meaning "to strike." The bells were on Aaron's robes, "a bell and a pomegranate." Testimony and fruit were to mark all his goings, as they should go with the Christian's walk, through his attachment to Christ.
The colour of the robe says where our High Priest is now.
The blue robe of the ephod expresses the entirely heavenly character of our High Priest. He has gone into heaven; He is beyond the range of mortal sight. But by the power of the Holy Spirit there is divine testimony that He is alive in the presence of God. And not only testimony, but fruit as well. "A golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate." Such is the beautiful order. Jesus always lives to make intercession for us. True testimony to that great truth always goes hand in hand with fruitfulness in His service.
The order in the verse matters, and so does the metal.
The pomegranate flower is bell-shaped and golden-crimson. Its fruit is full of seeds, an emblem of great productiveness. The bell and the fruit alternated, and that was the divine order. First, melodious sound; next, fruitfulness. The sound of the high priest's steps was always to be heard as he approached the Lord. The music of the robe announced his way, and his steps were full of fruit. The bells being golden implies a sound that is divinely glorious. The steps of Israel's high priest in the sanctuary pointed forward to our High Priest's footsteps in heaven itself.
Aaron's bells rang as he went in and as he came out. Applied to Christ, that marks two moments — one past, one still ahead.
The bells and pomegranates speak of testimony and fruit. The high priest's sound had to be heard when he went in. We know what happened when Jesus went in to God. The Holy Spirit came forth, and set the golden bells of Gospel testimony ringing in this dark world. We hear their joyful sound in Acts 2. The fruit quickly appeared, three thousand souls being blessed on the first day. God be praised, the bells are still ringing, and the fruit is still being gathered. The sweet story of the Gospel has reached our ears, and we are some of the fruit produced for God. The bells also sounded when Aaron came out from the divine presence. In the same way a fresh sound will ring out when the Lord Jesus comes again. A new testimony will start on the earth, and plenty of fruit — a new crop — will be gathered through it. Israel, not the Church, will be God's witness in that day.
Another writer traces where the testimony and the fruit come from.
The fruits and testimony of the Spirit — the bells and the pomegranates — attach to this character of Christ, pictured here in the high priest. It is from Christ in His heavenly character that they flow; they are attached to the hem of His garment here below.
Because bell and fruit alternate, the two come in equal numbers. One writer turns that count into a test.
Our fruit should bear the character of Christ and be worthy of Him. It should also match our testimony, just as the pomegranates matched the golden bells in number. One often finds Christians with more bells than pomegranates — more words than fruit!
How much a believer feeds on Christ sets the limit of what he can say for Him.
The pomegranate was the fruit of the land. The measure of my testimony as a Christian — the sound — is equal to the fruit I am feeding on. It is equal to my communion. Never more, never less. Only as I feed on Christ will Christ be heard and the sound come from me.
The same writer names the two ways the pair gets pulled apart in practice.
Suppose I give out something in the assembly that is not God's present word for His people. Even if it is true, I am separating the golden bell and the pomegranate. My present testimony is not based on the measure of communion I enjoyed in the past. That too would be separating the golden bell and the pomegranate. No — it is the fruit of the land enjoyed now, and to this alone the golden bell belongs.
- Pair — The bell is testimony, the pomegranate is fruit; the hem never carries one without the other.
- Order — Sound comes first, then fruitfulness; the gold says the sound is a divinely glorious one.
- Source — Both hang from the robe of a heavenly High Priest, and flow from Him.
- Ring — When Christ went in, the gospel bells began to sound, and three thousand were the first fruit; they will ring again when He comes out.
- Ratio — The bells and the fruit were equal in number. More words than fruit tears the pair apart.
And it shall be on Aaron for service; that his sound may be heard when he goeth into the sanctuary before Jehovah, and when he cometh out, that he may not die.
Golden bells hung around the hem of Aaron's blue robe, and their sound kept him alive as he went in and came out. Commentators read this as a picture of Christ's priesthood, and ask what sound came from Him — and what sound comes from us.
The robe that carried the bells was all blue. Writers link that colour to the Priest Aaron pictured.
The robe of the ephod was all of blue. Blue is a sign of what is heavenly. It pictures the heavenly character of the Priest, and it may also picture the place where He carries out His work — or rather, that His character suited the place. Hebrews speaks of Him in this way, not only as holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, but also as exalted above the heavens (Heb. 7:26).
A golden bell alternated with an embroidered pomegranate all round the hem, in matching numbers.
In the Word the pomegranate seems to be the image of fruit borne for God. The hem of the high priest's garment was trimmed with bells and pomegranates alternately (Ex. 28:31-35). The bells represent the testimony, the pomegranates the fruit. The pomegranates were "of blue, purple, and scarlet" — heavenly fruit, fruit matching the dignity of the Lord and His royal dignity as Messiah. Our fruit should bear the character of Christ and be worthy of Him. It should also match our testimony, just as the pomegranates were the same in number as the golden bells. One often finds Christians with more bells than pomegranates, more words than fruit!
The verse names two moments: going in, and coming out. Writers tie the first to the ascension of Jesus. (Older translations read "his sound," not "its sound.")
"His sound shall be heard when he goes in." We know what happened when Jesus went in to God. The Holy Spirit came forth, and set the golden bells of gospel testimony ringing in this dark world. We hear their joyful sound in Acts 2. The fruit quickly appeared, three thousand souls being blessed on the first day. God be praised, the bells are still ringing, and the fruit is still being gathered. The sweet story of the gospel has reached our ears, and we are some of the fruit produced for God.
The second sound is still future, and writers tie it to a different people.
The bells give their sound when the high priest goes in and when he comes out. When Christ went into the presence of God, what a mighty effect the Spirit produced! The church comes under that now. When Christ returns the Spirit will be poured out once more on all flesh. Israel will then be brought into the blessed position of bearing fruit in testimony for God.
The warning hangs on the sound. One writer traces the reason back to the Priest Aaron pictured.
The sound of the bells was to be heard when he went in and when he came out, so that "he does not die." The pomegranates especially speak of fruitfulness, since they are full of seeds that promise plenty of fruit. So the fruitfulness of the Lord Jesus in His High Priestly work is more than we can measure... On the other hand, His sound is wonderfully sweet music, for His words are the words of His Father (John 12:48-50). His words therefore are absolutely essential to His High Priesthood. Any high priest lacking in this would die if he went into the sanctuary, for he would not be rightly representing the Lord Jesus.
Believers have a priestly service too, and the pairing on the hem becomes a measure for us.
The measure of my testimony as a Christian (the sound) is equal to the fruit which I am feeding on; it is equal to my communion. Never more, never less. Only as I feed on Christ will Christ be heard, and the sound come from me; only in this way can I fulfil my priestly service.
One writer draws a lesson from the order of the two on the hem:
In verse 33 of our chapter the pomegranates come first in order, then the bells are mentioned. In the next verse the bell comes first, and then the pomegranate. Why this difference? In life the fruitfulness must come first, before there can be true testimony. Those who testify but do not practise what they teach are like a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
- Robe — Aaron wears it to minister, and its blue marks out a Priest whose character and place are heavenly.
- Pair — each golden bell sits beside a pomegranate: testimony next to fruit, in equal number. Many Christians have more words than fruit.
- Going in — when Christ entered God's presence the bells sounded. The Spirit came, the gospel rang out, and the fruit came at once — three thousand souls on the first day.
- Coming out — a second sound will ring when He returns, and Israel will become the fruit-bearing witness for God.
- Life — the priest's life hung on that sound. Our own testimony can only be as large as the fruit we feed on.