Adorned for the Bridegroom
“Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. (Revelation 19:7-9)
When we get to heaven we are going to be the bride adorned for her husband, but the life we live here on earth is how we prepare our garments and adornments to meet our bridegroom, Jesus Christ. So that makes it important to think about what clothing we are putting on our bodies. Is our choice in clothing pleasing to God? The Israelites dressed according to laws given to them by God.
The wardrobe of a person in Bible times was relatively simple. It consisted of a loincloth worn beneath a tunic with some sort of headgear. Footwear and a coat were optional. The slight variations to this were color, material and style. This type of clothing was best for a relatively hot climate.
Now the tunic was the most essential garment. It was made of two pieces of material with the seam running in a horizontal position. This seam was usually at the waist level. In many ways the tunic resembled a sack. A “v” was cut for the head with slits cut for the armholes. The material could be wool, linen or cotton according to the wealth of the wearer. Sackcloth or goat’s hair were very uncomfortable and caused skin irritations. This type of material was wornonly during a period of sorry or repentance. Men’s tunics were usually short, knee length and colored. The tunic was held to the waist with a girdle (sash) made of leather or course cloth. Sometimes the girdle was slit to make a pocket for money or personal possessions. (Mark 6:8) The girdle was also handy for the insertion of weapons or tools. Women’s tunics were ankle length and usually colored blue, with embroidered edges on the neck. In many cases this embroidery identified the village or area in which she was from.
When men needed freedom for running or for work they inserted the hem of the garment into the girdle. This gave them greater freedom for movement. It is called in the Bible as “girding up the loins.” (2 Kings 9:1) This phrase became a metaphor for being prepared. Peter urged clear thinking in Christians in I Peter 1:13, “Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober.”
Throughout the Bible modesty and purity is demanded by both men and women. “The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman’s garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God.” (Deuteronomy 22:5) If a man were to wear the woman’s long flowing garment, he would not be prepared for work in the fields or for battle. And if a woman wore the men’s short tunic, when it was girded up she would be immodest. I want my life here to fully prepared for the Wedding Supper of the Lamb. I want my choices in life to be based on a heart’s desire to please my bridegroom.
For My King and His Kingdom
