The Torn Garments

In The Bible, we see the Jewish tradition of the tearing of one’s clothes, which signifies mourning, grief, sorrow, etc. This is something that can be seen throughout scripture. The first time this act of tearing clothing is mentioned, we see Reuben tearing his clothing after he went back to rescue his brother Jacob.

"When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes," - Genesis 37:29

The next example of this was when Jacob tore his clothing, after his children lied to him and told him that Joseph was dead.

"Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth around his waist, and mourned for his son many days." - Genesis 37:34

There are many examples of this custom in scripture, here are a just a couple more:

"Then Job stood up, tore his robe, and shaved his head. He fell to the ground and worshiped," - Job 1:20

"Then David took hold of his own clothes and tore them, and all the men who were with him did the same." - 2 Samuel 1:11

There is an interesting example in The Book of Jeremiah, where we see this tearing of one's garments as an act of repentance, almost as something that was expected in that culture. We are told the following regarding Jeremiah's scroll being read to King Jehoiakim:

"Then the king sent Jehudi to get the scroll, and he took it from the chamber of Elishama the secretary. And Jehudi read it to the king and all the officials who stood beside the king.

It was the ninth month, and the king was sitting in the winter house, and there was a fire burning in the fire pot before him.

As Jehudi read three or four columns, the king would cut them off with a knife and throw them into the fire in the fire pot, until the entire scroll was consumed in the fire that was in the fire pot.

Yet neither the king nor any of his servants who heard all these words was afraid, nor did they tear their garments.

Even when Elnathan and Delaiah and Gemariah urged the king not to burn the scroll, he would not listen to them." - Jeremiah 36:24-25

Now, here's where this post starts getting really good. I've read through the following sections I don't know how many times and have never put this together before. As difficult as it is to read through the old Levitical Laws, they are all important so that we see the bigger picture of it all. There is not one insignificant word or name in the entire Bible, if we don't study every single book, then we will miss some important piece of His Divine Puzzle.

When The Sanhedrin brought Yeshua in for questioning, something very significant happened that I have overlooked so many times in the past. Let's examine this carefully and pay close attention to the significance of tearing of the priestly garments.

"And the high priest stood up and said, “Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?”

But Jesus remained silent. And the high priest said to him, “I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.”

Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has uttered blasphemy. What further witnesses do we need? You have now heard his blasphemy."

Matthew 26:62-65

"And the high priest tore his garments and said, “What further witnesses do we need?" - Mark 14:63

According to The Torah, it is forbidden for The High Priest to tear his clothing, as his garments symbolized the perfection of G*d. Not only that, there are specific instructions in The Torah about these priestly garments given so they do not get torn and in Leviticus, we see that it forbidden to tear these garments.

"You shall make the robe of the ephod all of blue.

It shall have an opening for the head in the middle of it, with a woven binding around the opening, like the opening in a garment, so that it may not tear." - Exodus 28:31-32

"And Moses said to Aaron and to Eleazar and Ithamar his sons, “Do not let the hair of your heads hang loose, and do not tear your clothes, lest you die, and wrath come upon all the congregation; but let your brothers, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning that the LORD has kindled." - Leviticus 10:6

"The priest who is chief among his brothers, on whose head the anointing oil is poured and who has been consecrated to wear the garments, shall not let the hair of his head hang loose nor tear his clothes." - Leviticus 21:10

The symbolism of this tearing (or rending) was profound. This was the beginning of the end of the entire earthly sacrificial system and priesthood. A new and better one was soon to be inaugurated, with Yeshua as the new High Priest ministering in the sanctuary in heaven. When Caiaphas tore his priestly garments, he broke strict Levitical Law that forbid him to do so. At that point, his role in priesthood became null and void. We are told that the soldiers were casting lots (essentially rolling dice, or gambling) for Yeshua's clothing. When John wrote his Gospel, he made sure to record the detail that Yeshua's clothing was intact and had not been tore.

"When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they divided His garments into four parts, one for each soldier, with the tunic remaining. It was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom.

So they said to one another, "Let us not tear it. Instead, let us cast lots to see who will get it." This was to fulfill the Scripture: "They divided My garments among them, and cast lots for My clothing." So that is what the soldiers did." - John 19:23-24

From all of this we now can see how Caiaphas ironically took himself out of office as role of The High Priest. Then John tells us that Yeshua's clothing was not torn. Therefor, according to Levitical Law, Yeshua became the High Priest. The High Priest is the only one was able to do a sacrifice and Yeshua done just that for us. Not only did He offer up the perfect blood sacrifice, He was that perfect blood sacrifice who was offered up.

This detail was evidently understood well by the Jewish people of the day, as it is written in The Letter to The Hebrews:

"Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven,

a minister in the holy places, in the true tent that the Lord set up, not man." - Hebrews 8:1-2

Not only did Caiaphas' tearing of his priestly garments give way for a new High Priest, this same thing happened in the temple with the curtains. We also see that immediately after the crucifixion:

"And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom." - Mark 15:38

Needless to say, this tearing of of temple curtain was the final act that symbolized the law of the old covenant was canceled and superseded by Grace.

Yeshua was The Ultimate Sacrifice, The Passover Lamb, who gave us a New Covenant. Our Creator no longer accepts any blood sacrifice for our sin, Yeshua ended all of that; only those who believe in Him as LORD are covered by His Blood and their sins are washed away.

"The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" - John 1:29

"and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” - John 1:36

"Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah,

not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the LORD.

“But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel after those days,” says the LORD. “I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.

And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more." - Jeremiah 31:31-34

"For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me;

in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure.

Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’”

When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law),

then he added, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He does away with the first in order to establish the second.

And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." - Hebrews 10:4-10

I sincerely have the purest love and utmost respect for Jewish People, no doubt about it. I'm extremely thankful that they have preserved the Old Testament, the Hebrew Language and their culture for so many generations. Unfortunately, I see this preservation of their ancient customs as something that hinders them as well, as they seem to do much of them mechanically; they carry out these traditions but many times they fail to do them spiritually as well.

"And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil." - Joel 2:13

חסד ושלום עליכם והרבה אהבה וברכות

May Grace and Peace Be Upon You and Much Love and Blessings!