Hello, Mike

I just watched a shameful performance by Babylonian minister Gregory Dickow. He spent the entire sermon talking about the woman with the issue of blood and how she utilized her faith by touching the hem of Christ’s garment, and then he went through the (carnal) old testament synopsis on what the hem of a garment means, and that that garment was actually Jesus’ prayer shawl. To make this short, at the end of his show, of course, the money-making scheme came to surface, and he offered people to buy a “replica” of Jesus’ prayer shawl as the obligatory “point of contact” to enact miracles in our lives.

My question is: what is the TRUE spiritual significance of this story about the hem of Jesus’ garment?

Thank you, Mike… and by the way, your Revelation series has been a HUGE blessing to me. I have been going back and forth about whether Christ was made sin, or just a sin offering and NOT born in sin as we were, and it caused me great anguish as to which was correct. I am convinced that Christ indeed was made sin, and it took God opening my eyes. I think this makes me associate more with my Saviour, knowing that He indeed was flesh and blood JUST as I am.

Thank you again, D____

Hi D____,

Thank you for your question, and let me say that I am encouraged to know that you are coming to see that Christ’s flesh was ‘the same as the children of Abraham’.

Heb 2:14  Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
Heb 2:15  And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
Heb 2:16  For verily he took not on [ him the nature of] angels; but he took on [ him] the seed of Abraham.
Heb 2:17  Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto [his] brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things [pertaining] to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.
Heb 2:18  For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.

If Christ’s flesh was not really “the same… as the children,” then He is not capable of “comforting (succouring) them that are tempted.”

All who deny this part of the revelation of Jesus Christ are singled out as “that spirit of antichrist.”

1Jn 4:2  Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
1Jn 4:3  And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that [spirit] of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

It so happens that the vast majority of Christians deny that Christ struggled against His flesh. In doing so they are denying that He was actually in every way tempted as we are.

Heb 4:15  For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

That is the spirit of antichrist, and it has been around and gaining strength since before the apostles died.

Now to your question, You ask:

My question is, what is the TRUE spiritual significance of this story about the hem of Jesus’ garment?

The answer to your question lies in understanding the spiritual significance of the word ‘garment.’ The hem of Christ’s garment is just part of His garment and happens to be the most outer part of any garment and the most accessible. However, knowing that the hem is the outer edge of a garment does us no good at all if we do not understand the spiritual meaning of Christ’s garment.

The short answer is that our garments represent Christ in us, because we are told that “the white linen garments are the righteousness of the saints”, and we are told that our righteousness is always of God and of Christ in us and not of ourselves:

Col 1:27  To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

2Co 4:7  But we have this treasure [Christ in us] in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

Rev 19:8  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.

Our righteousness of “not of us” but is “Christ in us.” Our righteousness, “Christ in us”, is our garment that covers our nakedness:

Rev 3:17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
Rev 3:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and [that] the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

The angel of the church of the Laodeceans thinks he has much more than “touched the hem of His garment,” this angel thinks that he is covered with Christ’s garments, and in need of nothing when, in reality, he is naked, and very much in need.

This lady who wants only to touch the hem of Christ’s garment, is very much aware of her diseased condition, and acknowledges her need. While Christ is intent on clothing us with His garments as His bride, we come to Him with the attitude of the prodigal son, asking only to be a servant in the house of our loving Father, because we are now shamefully aware of our naked and humiliated and diseased condition and position.

Luk 15:13  And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.
Luk 15:14  And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.
Luk 15:15  And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.
Luk 15:16  And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.
Luk 15:17  And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!
Luk 15:18  I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,
Luk 15:19  And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.

These two stories are saying the same thing. God will bring His elect to see their flesh for the disease that it is.

Rom 7:18  For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

Once this is acknowledged and all vestiges of ‘self’ have been burned and humiliated out of us and we acknowledge our own worthlessness, only at that point are we qualified to begin to be of any use to Him who uses the weak and despised things to confound the wise and the mighty.

1Co 1:25  Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
1Co 1:26  For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
1Co 1:27  But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
1Co 1:28  And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:
1Co 1:29  That no flesh should glory in his presence.

Why is God operating in this way? “That no flesh should glory in His presence.” Not even the flesh of Christ. It is right there in the same chapter that informs us that Christ was “made sin.”

2Co 5:16  Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.
2Co 5:21  For he hath made him [to be] sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

I think you know that the brackets indicate that the words ‘to be’ are not in the Greek.

That is the significance of wanting only to touch the hem of His garment. It was Christ’s spiritual garment that covered Christ’s flesh, and it is His garment that covers our sinful flesh. When we come to Him seeking only to touch the hem of His garment, then, and only with that attitude, will we be given a new robe and a ring and a party in celebration of finding that one lost sheep that has come to see his need for repentance.

Touching only His hem is a spiritually humble attitude, which is displayed by the humble publican, the humble prodigal, the woman at the well who was discovered with many husbands and a live-in, the woman caught in the very act of adultery and the man who was born blind and was healed and was then cast out of the synagogue. It is after we are cast out and humiliated that Christ finds us and we find Him, and we touch the hem of His garment and are made to know and worship Him.

Joh 9:35  Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God?
Joh 9:36  He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him?
Joh 9:37  And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee.
Joh 9:38  And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him.
Joh 9:39  And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.
Joh 9:40  And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also?
Joh 9:41  Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.

Everything of the spirit is counterintuitive to the natural man. “If I can but touch the hem of His garment” is an attitude of humility which recognizes the greatness and righteousness of Christ and feels unworthy to take up His precious time with such a worthless person, who really would like to be more like this great man. This is the spirit that is of value to God:

Psa 34:18  The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.

Isa 66:2  For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.

I will close with one more example of an attitude of ‘If I can but touch the hem of His garment, if I can only be just a little bit like my Lord.’

Mat 8:5  And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him,
Mat 8:6  And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented.
Mat 8:7  And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him.
Mat 8:8  The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.
Mat 8:9  For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.
Mat 8:10  When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.

God’s carnal ‘Israel’ has long ago forsaken Him and does not “tremble at His Word.” But Christ “marvels” at an attitude which says, ‘This is the man I want to be like, but I am not worthy to even be in the same house with this man.’

So the answer to your question is that “touching the hem of Christ’s garment” is a spirit which accepts the inadequacies of our own flesh, but which wants to be able to ‘do all things through this great man, our Lord Jesus Christ.’

Your brother in Christ,

Mike