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symbol of authority upon her head. The woman alone is given the privilege and honor of
proclaiming the government of God and to give an outward testimony of her willingness to
rest under that government. She does this by wearing a covering over her hair.

I Corinthians 11:4-10
Every man who has something on his head while praying or prophesying, disgraces
his head. But every woman who has her head uncovered while praying or
prophesying, disgraces her head; for she is one and the same with her whose head
is shaved. For if a woman does not cover her head, let her also have her hair cut off;
but if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, let her
cover her head. For a man ought not to have his head covered, since he is the image
and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man. For man does not originate
from woman, but woman from man; for indeed man was not created for the
woman's sake, but woman for the man's sake. Therefore the woman ought to have
a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels.

I have labored in other writings to go more into depth in this matter of headcovering,
and indeed there is much more that can be said. However, I wish to not stray too far from
the subject at hand, which is Sabbath rest. We saw in the previous chapter that Satan
uncovered his head. He was not content to remain in the place in creation that Yahweh had
established for him. Although he was perfect in beauty, full of wisdom and the sum of
perfection, he was not satisfied. It was not enough that he was the anointed cherub that
covered. He desired more. He did not want to submit to Yahweh’s order for him.
What is to be observed in this passage of scripture in I Corinthians is that it is the
precept and practice of the churches of God to refuse to continue any longer with Satan in
his rebellion. It is the precept and practice of the church to declare that they recognize
Yahweh’s governmental order, and they freely accept and embrace it. As an outward
testimony to this, the women of the church are to wear a covering over their heads. In doing
so they are testifying that they find Yahweh’s governmental order acceptable. They do not
wish to overthrow it as did Satan.
Paul states that women wear the covering “because of the angels.” The church is
always being observed by both the holy and the fallen angels. As an outward and visible
symbol the woman covers her head and in effect is stating that she has chosen to accept the
place Yahweh has determined for her in His Kingdom. She seeks to neither rise above it, nor
to fall below it. She refuses to take the path of Satan and to overthrow the government of
God and to begin to walk in her own initiative.
By having a symbol of authority on her head, the holy women are giving a rebuke to
the fallen angels, and they are giving a positive affirmation to those angels who did not
follow Satan in uncovering his head. If women could understand how they are constantly
being observed by the angels, and what a powerful witness headcovering gives, they would
not so casually dismiss these words of Paul as something that was merely a custom of the
time, or something that was simply a practice of the Corinthian church.
As one reads this passage, one can see that this was not a Corinthian matter. It was the
practice of all of the churches of God. Furthermore, as one understands what headcovering
symbolizes they will realize that it touches on the great struggle of all of creation. It relates
to the issue of Sabbath rest and whether the saints of God will enter into God’s rest, or
whether they will continue to uncover their heads and perform their own works.