Matthew Movement is created by a pair of brothers from Orlando Florida. We ran into the owners of the designer t-shirt line at Flavor Fest in Tampa Florida this past October. The designs grabbed my attention and kept me from walking on to an artist interview we were about to film. The designs were all different but you could sense there was a theme. Once I heard the concept behind each design and that the theme was the 10 commandments I was hooked. The designs took on so much more meaning and it became clear that these were awesome conversation pieces and ministry tools. Matthew Movement coins themselves as moral pioneers in the fashion industry, making statements and setting standards through high quality products. Matthew Movement’s clothing is used to express their unique worldview. They approach social taboos with a fresh and bold perspective, desiring to spark a positive change in our culture.
Check out all 10 commandement designs for men and women after the jump.
Commandment #1
The Bible says that any form of idolatry is not accepted or condoned by God. The red bar over Amitabha’s mouth represents the irrelevance of his spoken word compared to the Holy and Perfect word of our Father God (Yahweh). We specifically made Amitabha fall apart at certain points. His head shows his dysfunction in comparison to God, his ears represent the inability to hear the prayers of his followers and his arms display his immobility being a statue and nothing more.
Commandment #2
A graven image is an idol that man has placed in the forefront of their lives. At times these images are made to represent a tangible version of God. This design was based around the renowned catholic icon, “The Virgin Mary”. Although she was a woman chosen by God to deliver his Son (Jesus), man has managed to distort her image by “hailing” her at every church service. People have distorted scripture to give Mary a status she never had. The red tape around her mouth is a direct representation of her incapability to answer people who call her name. Purchase this shirt in the Rapzilla store.
Commandment #3
God is Holy and the misuse of His name is detestable to Him. In Proverbs 6:2 the Bible states, “You are snared with the words of your mouth; you are taken with the words of your mouth”. This verse was translated into the design as an abundance of rope binding the mouth of the skull. Much like all sin, “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). When we speak the name of God in a derogatory manner, our words become vile and disgusting to the ears of God. That is why the skull has an excess of bile being released from its mouth.
Commandment #4
In the last supper, Jesus gave his disciples a cup of wine and said “Each of you drink from it, for this is my blood” (Matthew 26:27-28). In this design, the cup represents the church that confines the gospel to a Sunday service. The wine that bursts through with great force is the blood of Christ. We as Christians need to realize that God’s love cannot be confined to one day at church or an emotional experience. However, on the Sabbath we devote time to remind ourselves that our God is Holy. He deserves worship and His love through the Gospel is to be taken to all the nations.
Commandment #5
At the center of this design you will notice an elaborately embellished hourglass holding sand that is symbolic of our biological time on earth. Within the hourglass are the souls of children reaching out for more time. They are reaching out to their parents and ultimately to God. God forewarned his children to honor their father and mother or their days will be shortened (Ephesians 6:2). The silhouettes of the parents above the design depict the authority God has placed in them over their children.
Commandment #6
We wanted to bring it back to the beginning to the first death that ever occurred. Adam and Eve took a bite out of the fruit God warned them against, causing sin and death to enter the world for the first time. The apple represents the forbidden fruit that God commanded Adam and Eve not to eat or they would surely die. The brain represents Adam and Eve symbolically cutting off their own head and the head of humanity for knowledge. Purchase this shirt in the Rapzilla store
Commandment #7
In this design, adultery is depicted in the form of a seductress. She appears to have everything we want but actually has nothing we need. The act of adultery and lust are distortions of the sexuality and passion God designed for us to enjoy, within the context of marriage (one man-one woman). In order to pursue the life God intended for us, we need to see past the coating of lust that seems to grow over the eyes of many throughout their lifetime. Purchase this shirt in the Rapzilla store
Commandment #8
The Bible says in Ephesians 4:28 , “let the thief no longer steal but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his hands…”. When we steal, more than one person is affected. The circles illustrate the repercussions of stealing. It radiates through the person stealing and their victims who are represented by the crying female in the middle of the design.
Commandment #9
To false witness, is to speak lies in the face of those one associates with much like speaking the Holy name of God in a derogatory manner. False witnessing is speaking in a way that has gruesome intentions no matter how we try to sugarcoat it. The objective of this design is to help the not so spiritual realize the spiritual significance behind this unlawful action. The worms that surround the speech bubble express how raw and sickening speaking falsely can be.
Commandment #10
When we covet, we become hypnotized with jealousy by the item we are coveting. The free gift of God is eternal life found only through Jesus Christ and all we need is Him. Coveting is an uncontrollable desire for something someone else has such as a car, a house and even a wife (Exodus 20:17). Although we say we have control over our emotions; when we covet we become deaf, dumb and blind to the needs of others until our own desires are met. Much like any sin, the wages of sin is death. It does not lead to an inheritance in the Kingdom of God.
Commandments 2, 6, and 7 are available on the Rapzilla store at http://merchline.com/rapzilla! Let us know if you would like us to carry any other commandments.
