Garments of a Warrior Priest-The Breastplate of Righteousness

Normally when you think of the breastplate of righteousness(Ephesians 6:14), your mind would probably envision a warrior breastplate, with strong impregnable iron, or chain mail.  While, indeed as a warrior, this kind of breastplate would be more suitable in battle, and often what we think of as a spiritual representation of the breastplate, to guard our heart from the enemy.

However, I would like to bring up the other breastplate of righteousness that is worn, also called the breastplate of judgement:

Exodus 28:15You are also to make a breastpiece of judgment with the same workmanship as the ephod. Construct it with gold, with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely spun linen.

This breastplate was worn by the High Priest, fashioned with the 12 stones representing the 12 tribes of Israel.

Exodus 28:29And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy place, for a memorial before the LORD continually. 30And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be upon Aaron’s heart, when he goeth in before the LORD: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the LORD(YHWH) continually.

Underneath the breastplate, were the layers of the ephod, blue robe, linen tunic, and linen undergarments. The linen garments were the first garments to be placed on the body, “to cover thy nakedness”(Ex 28:42-43), and he had to wash himself with clean water prior to doing so. (Lev 16:4)

Likewise, we as a royal priesthood, through Messiah, become clothed with garments of linen representing His imputed righteousness. We are washed and cleansed by the Spirit and the precious blood of Yeshua, and placed upon our nakedness is the fine white linen garments, the righteousness of Messiah. Garments that both reflect a royal priest and a warrior.

♦Revelation 19:14The armies of heaven, dressed in fine linen, white and pure, follow Him on white horses.

♦Psalms 132: 9May Your priests be clothed with righteousness, and Your saints shout for joy.

♦Galatians 3:27For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 

A royal priesthood, enlisted warriors for the Kingdom of God, through our High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek(Hebrews 7:1).

♦2 Timothy 2:3Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus(Yeshua) Christ. 4No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.(KJV)

♦1 Peter 2:9But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a set-apart nation, a people for a possession, that you should proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvellous light,(ISR 98)

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Now, before I go a little more in depth on the breastplate, I want to give a brief overview or back story on the Levitical Priesthood and the Levites. When all the Israelites had gone out of Egypt, and came to Mt.Sinai, they were originally to be a holy nation, a set-apart people, and a kingdom of priests.  This should sound familiar per the last verse posted above 1 Peter 2:9:

Exodus 19:6And unto Me you shall be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you are to speak to the Israelites.”

However, due to the golden calf incident, the Levites gained the priesthood because of their zeal in defending God’s honor, and slayed 3,000 men.

An interesting tidbit on the 3,000 slain is that when the Spirit was poured out on Pentecost(Acts 2:41) 3,000 were gained. It was highly significant, as the priesthood  was no longer according to Aaron, or the Levites, but had changed to Melchizedek.

So, from Mt.Sinai, the Levites not only took over the priesthood, but also did not have inheritance to the land, as the LORD(YHWH) Himself was their inheritance(Josh 13:14,33; 18:7). This is highly significant due to the fact that the our inheritance is now based through the purchased price of our Kinsman Redeemer, Yeshua/Jesus.

(Some other blog posts you may want to read up on: “Kinsman Redeemer“, “Purchased, Redeemed, Sealed“)

This also made the Levites, as a whole, becoming a replacement for every first-born. As we can see in (Ex 13:11-15)Yahweh originally consecrated the firstborn sons, however because He then appointed the Levites to the priesthood, Yah took the Levites from among the Israelites, in place of every firstborn.

Numbers 3:5Then the LORD said to Moses, 6“BRING THE TRIBE OF LEVI AND PRESENT THEM TO AARON the priest to assist him. 7They are to perform duties for him and for the whole congregation before the Tent of Meeting, attending to the service of the tabernacle. 8They shall take care of all the furnishings of the Tent of Meeting and fulfill obligations for the Israelites by attending to the service of the tabernacle.

9Assign the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they have been given exclusively to him from among the Israelites. 10So you shall appoint Aaron and his sons to carry out the duties of the priesthood; but any layman who approaches the tabernacle must be put to death.”

11Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 12“BEHOLD, I HAVE TAKEN THE LEVITES FROM AMONG THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL IN PLACE OF EVERY FIRSTBORN ISRAELITE FROM THE WOMB. The Levites belong to Me, 13because all the firstborn are Mine. On the day I struck down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated to Myself all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast. They are Mine; I am the LORD.”(BSB)

This changed when Messiah, the rightful heir, and the “first-born”, came in the order of Melchizedek, through the tribe of Judah. Yeshua is the rightful heir and Kinsman to Redeem the position of the “first-born”:

Hebrews 7:11Now if perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood (upon which basis the people received the Law), why was there still need for another priest to appear—one in the order of Melchizedek and not in the order of Aaron? 12For when the priesthood is changed, the Law must be changed as well.

13He of whom these things are said belonged to a different tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar. 14For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, a tribe as to which Moses said nothing about priests.

15And this point is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears, 16one who has become a priest not by a law of succession, but by the power of an indestructible life.(BSB)

Thus when we are grafted into Messiah we become not only Israel, but the assembly of the “first born”…a royal priesthood, a holy nation:

Hebrews 12:22Instead, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the HEAVENLY JERUSALEM. You have come to myriads of angels 23in joyful assembly, TO THE CONGREGATION OF THE FIRSTBORN, ENROLLED IN HEAVEN. You have come to God the judge of all men, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24to Jesus the MEDIATOR OF A NEW COVENANT, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.(BSB)

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Now, to continue on with the breastplate. The breastplate was worn by the High priest, and consisted of the 12 stones, representing each of the 12 tribes of Israel:

Exodus 28:17And thou shalt set in it settings of stones, even four rows of stones: the first row shall be a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle: this shall be the first row. 18And the second row shall be an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond. 19And the third row a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst. 20And the fourth row a beryl, and an onyx, and a jasper: they shall be set in gold in their inclosings. 21And the stones shall be with the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, like the engravings of a signet; every one with his name shall they be according to the twelve tribes.

The breastplate also consisted of the Urim and Thummim:

Exodus 28:30And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be upon Aaron’s heart, when he goeth in before the LORD: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the LORD(YHWH) continually.

The words Urim and Thummim mean respectively “Lights “and” Perfections,” and was used by the High Priest to consult a matter from the people to the LORD(YHWH). From my studies, I do believe that the 12 stones would become illuminated through the Urim and Thummim, to convey the response from Yah. So, when the High Priest was wearing the breastplate, the stones would all illuminate into “perfect light”.

♦Leviticus 8:8Then he put the breastpiece on him and placed the Urim and Thummim in the breastpiece.

♦Numbers 27:21He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who will seek counsel for him before the LORD by the judgment of the Urim. At his command he and all the Israelites with him, the entire congregation, will go out and come in.”

♦Nehemiah 7:65The governor ordered them not to eat the most holy things until there was a priest to consult the Urim and Thummim.

Together the breastplate of the High Priest was to provide rightruling and judgement between Yah and His people. When we put on righteousness as a breastplate, it should not only be ruling in our hearts but also working through us.

Revelation 5:10AND HAST MADE US UNTO OUR GOD KINGS AND PRIESTS; AND WE SHALL REIGN ON THE EARTH.

When worn correctly the breastplate works as a double edged sword, piercing our hearts, and going outward to pierce the hearts of others.  As the reality of the Urim and Thummim today, working through the breastplate, is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of Messiah is not only Perfection, but the True Light.

It is through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that we have access to the heavenly tabernacle, and the kingdom; and as such, is a link, a bridge or ladder, between heaven and earth. It is the treasure placed within earthen vessels and is the glory of Yah within our temple.

2 Cor 4:7Now we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this surpassingly great power is from God and not from us.

1 Cor 6:19Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;

Also, in regards to the bridge or ladder, when Yeshua had stated in John 1:51 “you shall see heaven opened and angels ascending and descending on the Son of Man”, He was not only referring back to the account with Jacob (who is also called Israel), but also that He is that Ladder; for His Body rests here on earth, as well as in Heaven:

Genesis 28:12And Jacob dreamed about a ladder that rested on the earth with its top reaching up to heaven, and God’s angels were going up and down the ladder.

When Yeshua/Jesus was crucified and paid our debt, He made a way, and the heavens opened up, tearing through the veil.  As a seed falls to the ground and dies, producing fruit, so our Messiah died, giving us the deposit of enteral life through His Spirit.  It is through this deposit we have access into the Holy of Holies to approach the ark of the covenant through His blood:

Hebrews 10: 19Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20by the new and living way opened for us through the curtain of His body,(BSB)

So, may we, as a royal priesthood, wearing the breastplate of righteousness, filled with the Holy Spirit that is “Light and Perfection”, enter boldly into the Holy Place, consulting our Father in all His ways.  Let us practice righteous judgement, first with our own hearts,  and be proven to be a faithful and obedient priest before Him!  To whom we have our salvation and inheritance!