Beginning of the End - Ellen G. White

In the days of Abraham, the priesthood was the birthright of the
oldest son. Now, instead of the first-born, the Lord accepted the
tribe of Levi for the work of the sanctuary. However, only Aaron
and his sons were permitted to serve as actual priests before the
Lord; the rest of the tribe were entrusted with responsibilities for the
tabernacle and its furniture.
Special clothing was worn by the priests. The robe of the
common priest was of white linen, woven in one piece, held at the
waist by a white linen belt embroidered in blue, purple, and red. On
his head was a linen turban or miter. This completed his outer attire.
The priests were to leave their shoes in the court before entering the
sanctuary, and were also to wash both their hands and feet before
ministering in the tabernacle. This made the lesson clear that those
who would approach the presence of God must put away all
defilement.
The garments of the high priest were made of costly material
and revealed beautiful workmanship. In addition to the linen
clothing of the common priest, he wore a robe of blue, also woven
in one piece. The skirt was decorated all around with golden bells,
and pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet. The ephod, a shorter
garment, was held by a belt of the same colors. The ephod was
sleeveless, and on its shoulder pieces were two onyx stones
containing the names of the twelve tribes of Israel.
Over the ephod was the square-shaped breastplate, suspended
from the shoulders by a cord of blue. The border was formed from a
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