Garments are a recurring theme in the Bible. Only when it is meaningful are clothes described. So what do they symbolize? Let’s find out!
We are introduced to garments in the Bible in the book of Genesis.
“Then the eyes of both of them [Adam and Eve] were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.”
Genesis 3:7 NIV
Adam and Eve were completely naked in the garden of Eden, and needed no garments. God did not require them to cover their nakedness. They were still pure.
But as soon as they sinned, Adam and Eve realized that they needed clothing. Instead of asking God for clothes, they tried to make their own garments from fig leaves. This was the first attempt at self-righteousness. They were trying to cover their own sin.
But as we know, only God can cover our sins. And that’s just what God did next:
“The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.”
Genesis 3:21 NIV
From here on forward, humankind would not be pure enough to walk around naked. We would all need garments to cover our shame.
We continue to see garments as important symbols in the Bible.
After the flood, Noah’s son Ham saw Noah naked.
“Noah, a man of the soil, proceeded to plant a vineyard. When he drank some of its wine, he became drunk and lay uncovered inside his tent. Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father naked and told his two brothers outside.”
Genesis 9:20-22 NIV
Noah was seen without any garments, and as a result, Noah cursed Ham’s son, Canaan. That’s a pretty huge consequence for seeing your father naked! We infer that Ham was disrespectful about Noah’s nakedness, maybe even joked about it to his brothers.
The next time we see garments, it is a special robe made by Jacob (Israel) for his son Joseph:
“Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made an ornate robe for him. When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.”
Genesis 37:3-4 NIV
Now we see a garment being used to convey favoritism, and love. Joseph was singled out by his father with this special robe, and it caused all of Joseph’s brothers to be jealous. It was a status symbol. Because of this special garment, Joseph’s brothers would conspire to kill him. That’s a lot of power in one garment.
“A man will seize one of his brothers in his father’s house, and say, “You have a cloak, you be our leader; take charge of this heap of ruins!” But in that day he will cry out, “I have no remedy. I have no food or clothing in my house; do not make me the leader of the people.””
Isaiah 3:6-7 NIV
Here, we see clothing as something that bestows authority on a person.
Isaiah is saying that times will be so terrible that there will be no leadership, and total anarchy. And that merely possessing a cloak will be qualifier enough for the role of leader; that’s how low the bar will be. Yikes!
“The Lord looked and was displeased that there was no justice. He put on righteousness as his breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on his head; he put on the garments of vengeance and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak. According to what they have done, so will he repay wrath to his enemies and retribution to his foes; he will repay the islands their due.”
Isaiah 59:15, 17-18 NIV
Here we get a picture of God gearing up to go to bat for His people.
Powerful. Garments of vengeance, wow! I would love to see what those look like, wouldn’t you? Here we see that different garments have different purposes. This garment is the one God wears when he has some vengeance to unleash. Duck and cover!
“I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.”
Isaiah 61:10 NIV
Now we see that there are garments in store for us, God’s people. We will be given garments of salvation and a robe of righteousness, which we will wear to the wedding feast with Jesus Christ.
The prophet Elijah did incredible things with his garments in the book of 2 Kings.
“Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up and struck the water with it. The water divided to the right and to the left, and the two of them crossed over on dry ground.”
2 Kings 2:8 NIV
In this verse, Elijah performs the same miracle Moses performed at the Red Sea, but he did it just so he could cross the river with his mentee, Elisha. We see a cloak having the power to part the waters. What happened next? Elijah was taken up into heaven on a chariot, leaving Elisha behind to take his place. And notice: Elijah left his cloak behind for Elisha:
“Elisha then picked up Elijah’s cloak that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. He took the cloak that had fallen from Elijah and struck the water with it. “Where now is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” he asked. When he struck the water, it divided to the right and to the left, and he crossed over.”
2 Kings 2:13-14 NIV
The cloak retained the power of Elijah! Even though Elijah himself was no longer on earth, the power he wielded stayed behind in his cloak. Now that’s a powerful garment! Indeed, Elisha went on to perform many signs and wonders with that cloak.
Garments are also linked to a person’s identity. Check this out:
“The king asked them, “What kind of man was it who came to meet you and told you this?” They replied, “He had a garment of hair and had a leather belt around his waist.”
“The king said, “That was Elijah the Tishbite.”
2 Kings 1:7-8 NIV
So Elijah wore clothes made of hair, with a leather belt tied around his waist. Now check out this passage from Matthew:
“John’s [John the Baptist] clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.”
Matthew 3:4 NIV
This signals to the alert reader who John the Baptist was: he was the second coming of Elijah!
Jesus points this out later in this book:
“As John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swayed by the wind? If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings’ palaces. Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.”
Matthew 11:7-9 NIV
In this passage, garments symbolize status. A king is represented by “fine” [fancy] clothes, whereas a prophet wears what John the Baptist wears. At least, Elijah the prophet did — and that is what Jesus was trying to hint. John the Baptist was Elijah, returned to the earth. (This mirrors the second coming of Jesus!)
Garments are an important symbol in the New Testament too.
“But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well.”
Matthew 5:39-40 NIV
Here Jesus is talking about how we should respond to those who wrong us. If someone takes your shirt, give them your cloak as well. In this instance, garments signify wealth and power. From this, we are meant to understand that when people attack us, we should not attack them back. It is better to surrender and give them what they want. Jesus calls us to love even our enemies, which is a hugely difficult goal, and anathema to what society tells us to do.
“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?”
Matthew 6:28-30 NIV
In this passage, we learn to trust in God for everything we need.
Jesus is teaching his followers that just as God clothes the grass of the field, God can be trusted to give you what you need. In this passage, clothes symbolize earthly needs.
“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.”
Matthew 7:15 NIV
Here, clothes are used by enemies of God to disguise themselves so they can attack God’s people. We are warned about people who “clothe” themselves like people of God, but inside they are evil. How do false prophets disguise themselves like people of God? With their literal clothes, but also their words, their mannerisms, their platforms, and their [public] actions. But when they think nobody is looking, their true nature and their true motives are on full display.
“Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak.
“She said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.”
“Jesus turned and saw her.
“Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.”
“And the woman was healed at that moment.”
Matthew 9:20-22 NIV
This passage teaches us something about clothing: it can take on the power of the Holy Spirit! This woman somehow knew that if she just touched Jesus’s cloak, the power transferred from Jesus to the cloak and the cloak to her would heal her ailment. There are many stories of articles of clothing being able to transmit the power of the Holy Spirit.
How cool would it be to have so much power in the Holy Spirit, that it rubs off on your clothes? Wow.
“When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”
John 11:43-44 NIV
Take off the grave clothes! Take off the clothing of death and put on the clothing of life.
How incredibly meaningful this is! Jesus invites all who believe in him to take off the clothing of death and put on the robe of salvation. Amen!
“After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light.”
Matthew 17:1-2 NIV
During the transfiguration, Jesus’s garments were pure incandescent white. He glowed with holiness. This is a preview of how Jesus will look in heaven: bright white, like a light source. Glowing white garments seem to symbolize holiness, perfection, sinlessness.
“A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.”
Matthew 21:8 NIV
Here we see followers of Jesus showing admiration by laying their garments down in the mud under his feet. The message here is that the feet of Jesus are too holy to be allowed to touch bare dirt. They used their garments to show devotion and worship.
Jesus tells a parable about a wedding feast in Matthew 22. Watch out for the warning in the following passage:
“But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. He asked, ‘How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?’ The man was speechless. “Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ “For many are invited, but few are chosen.”
Matthew 22:11-14 NIV
Jesus is warning us that there will only be one acceptable “garment” [or status] at the wedding feast with Jesus: a pure white, sinless “garment” that has been washed by the blood of the Lamb. (Have you repented lately? It’s never too late!)
“The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat.
“Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.”
Matthew 23:2, 5-7 NIV
This passage points out the pride and vanity of the religious leaders of Jesus’s time. They dressed in fancy robes with extra long tassels so that everyone will know how important and holy they will be. Their garments conveyed status, importance, holiness. But we know that these people are just pretending to be holy, when in reality they are hypocrites. This is clearly an example we *should not* follow.
Jesus drives this point home just a few verses later:
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.”
Matthew 23:27-28 NIV
Garments are an outward show of how a person wants to be perceived. Humans tend to judge each other by our clothing and our outward appearance. But God sees past our exterior. He sees the truth underneath our clothes, underneath our skin. Fancy clothes do not impress God. A righteous and faithful heart impresses God.
Take this lesson to heart!
Make sure when you dress yourself, you are not dressing to show others how important you are. Make sure you are not trying to *exalt* yourself before God. Be humble in everything, even your clothes.
“Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe and went up to him again and again, saying, “Hail, king of the Jews!” And they slapped him in the face.”
John 19:1-3 NIV
Here we see soldiers mocking Jesus by putting a purple robe on him. A purple robe signifies an earthly king. The soldiers were sneering at our King when he was brought low by the Jewish leaders, making fun of the idea that humble Jesus could be King of the Jews. How wrong they were!
As Jesus was dying on the cross, he said:
“Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”
“And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.”
Luke 23:34 NIV
We know that Jesus died naked on the cross; his garments and his dignity stripped away. Satan wanted Jesus not only dead, but disgraced. Jesus’s coat was seen as so valuable that the soldiers who crucified him cast lots to determine who got it. I wonder if they performed miracles with the power in that holy garment.
Finally, garments have special significance in Revelation.
“Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.
“Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.”
Revelation 22:12-14 NIV
Jesus is speaking here, and telling us that at the end, all that matters is this: did you wash your robe? Did you repent of your sins and wash yourself clean in the blood of the Lamb? If you do, you inherit the tree of life and the golden city.
Anybody else feel like it’s laundry day today? Amen?
What did we learn?
Garments carry a lot of significance in the Bible. The garments we wear say something about who we are. Some garments confer authority (or lack thereof), some garments show status, others convey holiness. Some garments reveal identity, such as John the Baptist. When you use clothing to try and elevate yourself above others, that is pride.
Garments also have a symbolic role in the Bible. We wear our salvation status like a garment.
When we sin, our garment gets dirtied, and when we repent, it is washed clean. Those with clean garments are invited to the wedding feast with Jesus, nobody will be admitted with “dirty” garments.
Only the blood of Jesus himself is powerful enough to wash our garments. No matter what we try, we do not have the power to wash our own garments. Adam and Eve tried to cover their sin by making themselves garments, which amounted to self righteousness; a vain attempt to cover their sin. When Jesus returns to reign over the earth, the saved believers will be dressed in pure white robes, showing their status as pure. Only thusly can we enter the wedding feast with Jesus.
One final question: is your garment clean?
Stay humble all!