Audio Download

Gemstones: The High Priest’s Breastplate – Part 1

Bearing the Names of God’s People Before the Lord

[Study Aired December 16, 2025]

Introduction

Among the sacred garments prescribed for Aaron, Israel’s first High Priest, none carried more profound significance than the breastplate of judgment. God commanded Moses: “And thou shalt make the breastplate of judgment with cunning work; after the work of the ephod thou shalt make it; of gold, of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine twined linen, shalt thou make it” (Exodus 28:15). This ornate garment, adorned with twelve precious stones representing Israel’s twelve tribes, rested continuously over Aaron’s heart as he ministered in God’s presence. Every detail of its construction—from the materials employed to the arrangement of stones—served as heavenly instruction revealing Christ’s eternal ministry as our great High Priest who bears His people perpetually before the Father.

The breastplate represents the first of three major contexts where precious stones appear in Scripture. The second context appears in Ezekiel’s prophecy concerning the anointed cherub in Eden, covered with nine precious stones (Ezekiel 28:13)—a topic receiving detailed treatment in a separate article within this series. The third context presents the twelve foundation stones of New Jerusalem, which will be examined thoroughly in its own dedicated article (Revelation 21:19-20). These three appearances—priestly representation, original covering, and eternal foundation—trace God’s redemptive purpose from creation through the present age into eternity, revealing how God transforms His people from natural representation to spiritual reality.

Our present focus examines the breastplate itself: its construction, materials, the arrangement and significance of its twelve stones, and how this sacred garment prefigures Christ’s superior priesthood and His intimate relationship with those He represents. Understanding the breastplate requires recognizing that everything pertaining to Aaron’s ministry served as shadow and type pointing toward Christ’s fulfillment. As the writer of Hebrews declares, the earthly priests “serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount” (Hebrews 8:5). The pattern shown to Moses on the mountain was Christ Himself, and every detail of the tabernacle and its furnishings speaks of Him.

The Pattern and Construction

God’s instructions for the breastplate emphasized both beauty and precision. The Hebrew word translated “breastplate” (choshen, H2833) derives from a root meaning “to contain” or “to hold,” suggesting its function of containing and holding the names of God’s people. Its designation as the “breastplate of judgment” (choshen mishpat) connects it directly to God’s righteous determinations, for the High Priest wore it when seeking divine guidance through the Urim and Thummim.

The breastplate’s dimensions carried spiritual significance. God specified: “Foursquare it shall be being doubled; a span shall be the length thereof, and a span shall be the breadth thereof” (Exodus 28:16). The foursquare shape appears repeatedly in Scripture when depicting completeness and divine order. Throughout Scripture, the number four signifies wholeness and universality: the whole earth with its four corners (Revelation 7:1), God’s elect during their four hundred years as strangers in Egypt (Genesis 15:13), the world nourished by Eden’s river dividing into four heads (Genesis 2:10). The breastplate’s foursquare design thus symbolized God’s complete representation of His people—nothing lacking, nothing excluded, all tribes equally valued and included.

The doubling of the breastplate created a pouch wherein the Urim and Thummim resided, instruments through which God revealed His will. A span—approximately nine inches, the distance from thumb to little finger when the hand is fully extended—determined both length and breadth. This measurement, derived from the human hand, emphasizes the personal nature of God’s relationship with His people. Just as a span represents what one hand can encompass, so God holds His people within His hand where none can pluck them away. Jesus declared, “My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand” (John 10:29).

Materials of Significance

The Series Introduction to this study of precious stones established how materials and colors carry consistent spiritual meaning throughout Scripture. The breastplate’s construction employed five specific materials, each contributing to the complete spiritual portrait: gold, blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen. These same materials appeared throughout the tabernacle, creating unity of design that pointed toward one ultimate reality—Christ and His redemptive work.

Gold: Divine Nature and Purity

Gold, representing God’s nature, provided the framework within which the precious stones were set. The Hebrew word for gold (zahab, H2091) appears over 390 times in Scripture, consistently symbolizing divine purity, incorruptibility, and supreme value. Gold does not tarnish, rust, or decay—properties that speak of God’s unchanging nature. The breastplate’s gold settings declare that God’s people rest secure within His divine character. As Peter writes, we are “kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:5). The gold framework assures us that human frailty cannot compromise our standing, for we are held by God’s power, not our own.

Blue: Heavenly Authority and Obedience

Blue (tekeleth, H8504) consistently represents heaven, authority, and the commandments of God throughout Scripture. When Moses and the elders “saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness” (Exodus 24:10), the blue sapphire declared God’s sovereign rule. God commanded Israel to wear ribbons of blue on their garment hems “that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the LORD, and do them” (Numbers 15:39). The breastplate’s blue threads signified submission to God’s authority—the proper posture of those represented before Him.

Purple: Royal Priesthood United

Purple (argaman, H713), created by blending blue and scarlet dyes, represents the union of heaven and earth, divinity and humanity, kingship and priesthood. This costly color, extracted from sea mollusks through laborious process, symbolized royalty throughout the ancient world. When soldiers mocked Jesus, they “clothed him with purple, and platted a crown of thorns, and put it about his head” (Mark 15:17), unknowingly declaring His true identity as King. The breastplate’s purple threads proclaimed that those represented thereon share in Christ’s royal priesthood. Peter writes to believers, “Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people” (1 Peter 2:9).

Scarlet: The Blood of Redemption and Judgment

Scarlet (tola’ath shani, H8438 and H8144) literally means “worm of scarlet”—the crimson dye extracted from a particular worm species. This creature attaches itself to a tree when laying eggs, secreting a red substance that stains the tree and then dies, leaving its offspring to continue. This natural process prophetically depicted Christ’s death on the tree of the cross, where His blood was shed for our redemption.

Scarlet in Scripture carries dual significance. First, it represents sin’s stain: “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool” (Isaiah 1:18). Second, it symbolizes the blood that cleanses from that sin. The scarlet cord Rahab hung from her window ensured her household’s salvation (Joshua 2:18), foreshadowing Christ’s blood that delivers all who trust in Him. The breastplate’s scarlet threads declared both the reality of sin requiring atonement and the provision of blood that accomplishes redemption.

Fine Twined Linen: Righteousness and Purity

Fine twined linen (shesh mashzar, H8336 and H7806) represented righteousness, purity, and the works of the saints. The Hebrew word shesh indicates linen of exceptional quality—white, pure, finely woven. John writes that the bride of Christ “was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints” (Revelation 19:8). The linen foundation of the breastplate testified that those represented before God are clothed in righteousness—not their own, which Isaiah declares as “filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6), but the righteousness of Christ imputed to believers.

The combination of these five materials created a garment of surpassing beauty, each element contributing essential truth. Gold declared God’s unchanging power sustaining His people. Blue proclaimed submission to heaven’s authority. Purple united kingship and priesthood in one office. Scarlet testified of blood shed for redemption. Fine linen represented the righteousness required to stand before God. Together, they portrayed the complete work necessary to bring sinful humanity into God’s eternal presence—a work accomplished solely through Christ.

The Twelve Stones: Complete Representation

Upon the breastplate’s foundation, God commanded the setting of twelve precious stones arranged in four rows of three. Each stone bore the engraved name of one of Israel’s tribes: “And the stones shall be with the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, like the engravings of a signet; every one with his name shall they be according to the twelve tribes” (Exodus 28:21). The number twelve throughout Scripture represents spiritual foundation and the government of God—twelve tribes, twelve apostles, twelve foundations of the New Jerusalem, twelve gates, twelve thousand from each tribe sealed in Revelation.

Christ Himself established this governmental significance when He promised His disciples: “Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Matthew 19:28). The twelve stones on Aaron’s breastplate thus symbolized God’s complete government over His people, with every tribe represented, none forgotten, all equally precious in His sight.

The Four Rows: Structured Completeness

The arrangement of stones in four rows of three created a pattern of structured completeness. As we have established, four represents universality and wholeness throughout Scripture. Three consistently symbolizes process, judgment, and the resurrection—Christ rising on the third day, Jonah in the fish’s belly three days and nights, the temple rebuilt in three days. The multiplication of three (process) by four (completeness) yielded twelve (governmental foundation and perfection), demonstrating that God’s government operates through process to accomplish complete transformation.

God specified the exact stones for each position: “The first row shall be a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle: this shall be the first row. And the second row shall be an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond. And the third row a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst. And the fourth row a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper: they shall be set in gold in their inclosings” (Exodus 28:17-20).

The First Row: Foundation of Identity

Scripture commands that each of the twelve stones bear the name of one of the twelve tribes, engraved “like the engravings of a signet” (Exodus 28:21). However, Scripture does not explicitly state which tribal name corresponds to which stone. Additionally, while Scripture lists the stones in a specific sequence, it does not indicate whether they were arranged left-to-right or right-to-left upon the breastplate—a significant question given that Hebrew is written right-to-left. Traditional Jewish interpretation typically associates the stones with the tribes according to birth order, but we acknowledge these are interpretive traditions rather than explicit scriptural declarations. What remains spiritually certain—and what Scripture emphasizes—is that all twelve names were perpetually borne upon Aaron’s heart before the LORD, transcending any uncertainty about their specific physical arrangement.

The first row contained the sardius (odem, H124), topaz (pitdah, H6357), and carbuncle (bareqeth, H1304). These stones, though each receiving individual detailed examination in separate articles within this series, together represented the foundational tribes through whom God began His redemptive work.

The sardius, a red stone, traditionally represented Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn son. The name Reuben (Re’uwben, H7205) means “behold, a son,” from Leah’s declaration: “Surely the LORD hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me” (Genesis 29:32). Though Reuben held the natural birthright as firstborn, he forfeited it through sin (Genesis 49:3-4), foreshadowing how natural descent from Abraham provides no automatic spiritual inheritance. True birthright belongs to Christ, the eternal Firstborn.

The topaz, a golden-yellow stone, represented Simeon, whose name (Shim’own, H8095) means “heard,” from Leah’s testimony: “Because the LORD hath heard that I was hated, he hath therefore given me this son also” (Genesis 29:33). God’s hearing—His attentiveness to the afflicted—runs throughout redemption’s story. The topaz’s golden color speaks of divine wisdom and understanding applied to human need.

The carbuncle, a fiery red stone, represented Levi, whose name (Leviy, H3878) means “joined” or “attached,” from Leah’s hope: “Now this time will my husband be joined unto me, because I have born him three sons” (Genesis 29:34). Appropriately, the Levites became the tribe joined to priestly service, set apart for God’s work, demonstrating that true joining comes not through natural birth but through divine calling.

The Second Row: Covenant Development

The second row presented the emerald (nophek, H5306), sapphire (cappiyr, H5601), and diamond (yahalom, H3095). These stones represented Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun—tribes whose names speak of covenant relationship, divine reward, and dwelling with God.

The emerald, green as growing life, represented Judah, whose name (Yehuwdah, H3063) means “praise,” from Leah’s declaration: “Now will I praise the LORD” (Genesis 29:35). From Judah’s line came David, and from David’s line came Christ—the Lion of the tribe of Judah who alone proved worthy to open the scroll (Revelation 5:5). The emerald’s life-giving green testifies that true praise springs from resurrection life.

The sapphire, blue as heaven itself, represented Issachar, whose name (Yissaskar, H3485) means “reward” or “recompense,” from Leah’s testimony: “God hath given me my hire” (Genesis 30:18). The sapphire speaks of heavenly reward bestowed by sovereign grace, not earned through human merit. Jacob’s blessing described Issachar as “a strong ass couching down between two burdens” (Genesis 49:14), willing to bear weight—a type of Christ who bore humanity’s burden.

The diamond, hardest of all natural substances, represented Zebulun, whose name (Zebuwluwn, H2074) means “dwelling” or “habitation,” from Leah’s hope: “Now will my husband dwell with me, because I have born him six sons” (Genesis 30:20). The diamond’s impenetrable hardness speaks of permanent dwelling—God making His habitation with His people, a reality ultimately fulfilled when John declares, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them” (Revelation 21:3).

The Third Row: Strength and Overcoming

The third row displayed the ligure (leshem, H3958), agate (shebuw, H7618), and amethyst (achlamah, H306), representing Dan, Gad, and Asher—tribes whose names speak of judgment, fortune, and blessing.

The ligure represented Dan, whose name (Dan, H1835) means “judge,” from Rachel’s testimony: “God hath judged me, and hath also heard my voice, and hath given me a son” (Genesis 30:6). Jacob’s prophecy described Dan as a serpent biting the horse’s heels (Genesis 49:17), yet also declared “I have waited for thy salvation, O LORD” (Genesis 49:18). Judgment precedes salvation, demonstrating God’s pattern of bringing His people through refining fire.

The agate, a banded stone showing layers of color, represented Gad, whose name (Gad, H1410) means “troop” or “fortune,” from Leah’s exclamation: “A troop cometh” (Genesis 30:11). The agate’s layers testify to the many members of Christ’s body, each adding strength, all united in one structure. Jacob blessed Gad: “A troop shall overcome him: but he shall overcome at the last” (Genesis 49:19), prophesying Christ who overcomes through seeming defeat.

The amethyst, purple as royalty, represented Asher, whose name (Asher, H836) means “happy” or “blessed,” from Leah’s declaration: “Happy am I, for the daughters will call me blessed” (Genesis 30:13). Jacob’s blessing promised: “Out of Asher his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield royal dainties” (Genesis 49:20). The purple stone speaks of royal provision—God’s people blessed with heavenly bread and spiritual riches.

The Fourth Row: Completed Transformation

The fourth and final row contained the beryl (tarshiysh, H8658), onyx (shoham, H7718), and jasper (yashepheh, H3471), representing Naphtali, Joseph, and Benjamin—the final three tribes bringing the complete number to twelve.

The beryl, sea-green and translucent, represented Naphtali, whose name (Naphtaliy, H5321) means “wrestling” or “my struggle,” from Rachel’s testimony: “With great wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and I have prevailed” (Genesis 30:8). Jacob blessed Naphtali: “Naphtali is a hind let loose: he giveth goodly words” (Genesis 49:21). The progression from wrestling to freedom speaks of transformation through struggle, emerging with beauty and grace.

The onyx represented Joseph, whose name (Yowceph, H3130) means “he will add” or “increaser,” from Rachel’s prayer: “The LORD shall add to me another son” (Genesis 30:24). Joseph received the most extensive blessing from Jacob, described as “a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall” (Genesis 49:22). Joseph’s life—rejected by brothers, suffering unjustly, exalted to rule, preserving life through famine—provides one of Scripture’s clearest types of Christ.

The jasper, clear as crystal, represented Benjamin, whose name (Binyamiyn, H1144) means “son of the right hand.” Rachel, dying in childbirth, named him Ben-oni (“son of my sorrow”), but Jacob renamed him Benjamin, transforming sorrow into honor. Jacob’s blessing declared: “Benjamin shall ravin as a wolf: in the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil” (Genesis 49:27). Most significantly, the jasper appears as the first foundation stone of New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:19), demonstrating that the last becomes first in God’s eternal kingdom.

These twelve stones, arranged in perfect order upon the breastplate, declared that God knows each of His people by name, values them as precious, and maintains them perpetually in His presence. The diversity of stones—different colors, compositions, and characteristics—reveals that God’s people retain their individual identities while being united in one body. No stone could be substituted for another; each held its appointed place in representing its particular tribe.

We have examined the breastplate’s pattern and construction, explored the spiritual significance of its five materials, and traced the meaning of each of the twelve precious stones representing Israel’s tribes. Yet our study remains incomplete without understanding how the breastplate attached to the ephod—connections that speak powerfully of believers’ eternal security—and the mysterious Urim and Thummim that resided within its doubled pouch. In Part Two, we will explore these remaining elements of the breastplate, discover how Christ fulfills every aspect of Aaron’s ministry as our great High Priest, and consider what these truths mean for us who are carried perpetually upon His heart before the Father’s throne.