God - the first and last Tailor

For interesting facts about fig leaves in art 
see Edmondons blog

Fig leaves
Things went wrong in the Garden of Eden as the Bible tells us.

The happily naked Adam and Eve living in the most wonderful garden realized after tasting the fruit of Knowledge that they actually have no clothes. This mattered to them and for the first time they felt ashamed.

In order to fix the uncomfortable problem they took some fig leaves - yes, there were figs in Paradise and we still have them! - to make some sort of a belt to cover their genitals. Not very practical, I assume, as fig leaves are rather stiff and large. "Fig leaves" is an expression in English indicating something that does not really do the job... symbolically speaking.

"And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves things to gird about" Gen 3:7


Divinely made leather clothes

The man and woman had already disobeyed Him but God showed love and mercy and helped them out of the awkward situation - He slaughtered some of the animals He had created, skinned them and made Adam and Eve leather clothes.

"Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them." Gen 3:21

[IMHO this Bible verse justifies in principle the use of animal skins for clothing and also the use of furs where they are needed. The campaign by animal activists against fur industry is right in one thing, however, the serious mistreatment of animals who will provide the beautiful skin for human clothing.]


Raiments white as the light
God of Israel takes care of His own.

We will all die naked and the funeral clothing will rather soon get rotten like our earthly body.

The Bible says that this is not the final situation but those belonging to the Lamb of God will get new clothes made by the Divine tailor, very bright. They will never get rotten.

Something like this:

Church of the Transfiguration, Ontario, Canada

"And after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, and brought them up onto a high mountain apart. And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone as the sun, and His raiment was white as the light."
Matthew 17:1-2