Tassels on the edges of garments were God’s sign of remembrance and dedication.
In the literal sense, they belonged to the clothing of the Israelites, and symbolically they reminded them of obedience, holiness, and life in covenant with the Lord.
In the Old Testament, God gave Israel a very specific command regarding tassels on the edges of garments. This was not a minor ethnographic detail or a mere folk tradition. The Lord used an ordinary element of everyday clothing as a constant reminder of His will. Through this sign, a person was to remember to whom he belonged and not follow the desires of the heart and the eyes. Therefore, the question of tassels concerns not only the history of clothing, but also the biblical theme of faithfulness to God.
“Again the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to the children of Israel: Tell them to make tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and to put a blue thread in the tassels of the corners. And you shall have the tassel, that you may look upon it and remember all the commandments of the Lord and do them, and that you may not follow the harlotry to which your own heart and your own eyes are inclined, and that you may remember and do all My commandments, and be holy for your God.’” Num 15:37–40
“You shall make tassels on the four corners of the clothing with which you cover yourself.” Deut 22:12
The literal meaning of the tassels
In the literal sense, the tassels were part of an Israelite’s clothing, established by God’s command. They were worn “on the corners” or edges of the garment, and they were to include a blue thread. This shows that God sometimes connected spiritual formation not only with worship, but also with everyday life. A person got dressed every day—and every day saw before him a reminder of God’s Law.
The practical function of the tassels is directly named in the text: “that you may remember all the commandments of the Lord.” Thus, this was a visible means against spiritual forgetfulness. Sin often begins not with open rebellion, but with the slow forgetting of God’s will. The tassels were meant to stop that process and return the mind to obedience.
In addition, they marked belonging to God’s people. Israel was set apart for a special mission, so even outward elements of life were to testify to the covenant with the Lord. However, it is important to see that the tassels themselves did not make a person holy automatically. They only pointed to the need for heartfelt faithfulness.
The symbolism of remembrance, obedience, and holiness
The symbolic meaning of the tassels is revealed in the command itself. They were to remind the people of God’s commandments, restrain self-will, and lead to holiness. In other words, the outward sign served an inward purpose. God did not encourage formalism, but used the visible to teach the invisible.
Especially important are the words that the people should “not follow after their own heart and their own eyes.” The Bible often shows that the human heart, without God’s guidance, is inclined to self-deception. What pleases the eyes is not always right before God. Therefore, the tassels symbolized the submission of personal desires to God’s Word.
The blue cord likely reinforced this thought by directing the mind to what is heavenly and holy. It reminded the believer that life should not be confined to earthly things. Everything ordinary—clothing, work, family life—was to be connected with the remembrance of the Lord.
In this sense, the tassels are similar to other biblical signs of remembrance. God often gave His people visible reminders, but He never placed the sign above its meaning. The sign was useful only when it led to faith and obedience.
Tassels in the Time of Jesus
In New Testament times, the Jews continued to keep this custom. The Gospels mention the “edge of His garment” that a sick woman touched. This shows that Christ lived among His people in a real historical context.
“For she said to herself, ‘If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well.’” Matt. 9:21
“And they begged Him that they might only touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched it were made perfectly well.” Matt. 14:36
At the same time, Jesus exposed the wrong attitude toward religious symbols when people used them for outward display of piety.
“But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments.” Matt. 23:5
Christ did not condemn God’s command itself; He condemned pride and hypocrisy. This is a very important lesson. A religious symbol is good only when it leads to humility and obedience. But when it becomes a means of self-exaltation, it loses its purpose.
Should Christians Today Wear Tassels?
From an Adventist perspective, the literal command about tassels was given to Israel as part of its national-religious order. The New Testament does not repeat this requirement as binding on all Christians. The center of Christian life now is not an outward sign, but the law of God written in the heart through the work of the Holy Spirit.
“But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” Jer 31:33
However, the spiritual principle remains valid: God’s people are to remember His will continually, renounce the power of sinful desires, and live holy lives. Ellen White did not call Christians to restore Old Testament clothing as a norm, but she repeatedly emphasized that true religion is manifested in obedience in everyday life, not only in rites or words.
Conclusion and practical application
The tassels on the edges of garments had a literal meaning as God’s command for Israel and a symbolic meaning as a reminder of the commandments, holiness, and covenant faithfulness. They taught that a person belongs to God not only in the temple, but also in ordinary daily life. In Christ, the main emphasis shifts from the outward sign to the inward submission of the heart, but the principle itself does not change: God’s people are called to remember the Lord and live by His Word.
Practically, this means that every Christian should have spiritual reminders in life: daily Bible reading, prayer, honoring the Sabbath, faithfulness in small things, and the conscious choice not to go “after the heart and the eyes” when they lead against God’s will. It is not an outward detail of clothing that saves a person, but a living faith that is revealed in love and obedience.
