Gemstones — The Stones That Transfer, Part 3

Beryl and Jasper — Transformation and Transparency

[Study Aired March 17, 2026]

Introduction: The Arc Completed

Scripture moves with sovereign precision. What begins in the shadows of Aaron’s priestly garments continues through the covering of Eden’s anointed guardian and arrives at last in the foundations of the city that needs no sun — each context a deeper unfolding of the same eternal purpose. In the first two parts of this study, we traced four of the six gemstones that appear across all three of these divinely appointed settings: the sardius and topaz bearing the testimony of blood and wisdom, the sapphire and emerald declaring the throne of authority and the power of resurrection life. Now the final pair demands our attention. Beryl and jasper complete the testimony.

Their positions across the three contexts are themselves part of the message. On Aaron’s breastplate, the beryl is the tenth stone and the jasper is the twelfth — the last, closing the fourth row. In Ezekiel’s account of the anointed cherub, beryl stands fourth and jasper sixth among the nine covering stones. In New Jerusalem, the arrangement is inverted with striking precision: jasper becomes the first foundation of the eternal city, and beryl occupies the eighth. The jasper that closed the breastplate now opens the city of God. The beryl that stood fourth in Eden’s covering now rests at the position Scripture consistently marks as new creation. These are not coincidental placements. Every position is a declaration.

The governing principle that unlocks both stones is the same one that governs all of Scripture’s progressive revelation: “Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual” (1Co 15:46). Beryl and jasper do not contradict the pattern — they crown it. The beryl, with its sea-green translucence, stood on Aaron’s breastplate and upon the cherub’s covering, but it reaches its ultimate declaration as the eighth foundation of the holy city, the position of new creation and resurrection life. The jasper, last of the twelve breastplate stones, closes the list on Aaron’s chest — yet in Revelation it stands as the very first foundation of New Jerusalem, and more strikingly still, it is the stone Scripture uses to describe the appearance of God Himself seated upon His throne. That reversal — the last becoming first, the creaturely shadow becoming the substance of divine glory — is precisely the reversal that creation was designed to undergo.

These stones are not ornamental. They are not arbitrary selections from a mineral catalogue. They are, as all six transferring stones are, witnesses to a single coherent testimony: that God created humanity carnal by sovereign purpose, subjected creation to vanity “in hope” (Rom 8:20), and purposed from eternity that what was external and shadowed in the first order would be made internal, luminous, and transparent in Christ. Beryl’s transformation and jasper’s crystalline clarity are the fitting capstones of that testimony. Let us examine what the text reveals.

The Beryl

The Beryl in Three Contexts

The beryl appears first in the fourth row of Aaron’s priestly breastplate, occupying the tenth position among the twelve stones: “And the fourth row a beryl, and an onyx, and a jasper” (Exo 28:20). In Ezekiel’s account of the anointed cherub’s covering, the beryl stands fourth among the nine adorning stones: “The sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold” (Eze 28:13). In New Jerusalem, beryl occupies the eighth foundation: “the eighth, beryl” (Rev 21:20). The Hebrew term is tarshiysh (H8658), associated with a shimmering, sea-colored quality. The Greek of Revelation is berullos (G969), rendered consistently as “beryl.”

What makes the beryl’s profile particularly rich is that tarshiysh appears not only in stone-lists but in visionary contexts of the highest order. When Ezekiel sees the four living creatures and their wheels, he describes those wheels precisely: “The appearance of the wheels and their work was like unto the colour of a beryl” (Eze 1:16). The same qualification recurs in the expanded throne-chariot vision: “the appearance of the wheels was as the colour of a beryl stone” (Eze 10:9). And when Daniel beholds the heavenly man beside the great river, the identification is unmistakable: “His body also was like the beryl” (Dan 10:6). Across two separate visions in Ezekiel and one in Daniel, the beryl colors the appearance of God’s mobile glory and of His heavenly messenger — consistently marking what belongs to the realm of God’s presence and movement. As we examine the tribal witness and the throne-chariot imagery more closely, the full weight of what this color declares will become clear.

The Beryl’s Tribal Witness: Naphtali

Exodus 28:21 establishes that the twelve stones bear “the names of the children of Israel,” yet assigns no individual stone to any individual tribe by name. The series has followed the traditional correspondence that places the tribes in the order of Jacob’s sons across the four rows — a framework that, while not explicitly confirmed by the text, is the most scripturally consistent available and has governed the tribal readings throughout this study. By that ordering, the beryl in the fourth row corresponds to Naphtali. What the text does confirm without ambiguity is the theological portrait Scripture builds around that name — and it is that portrait, not the positional arithmetic, that carries the argument.

Rachel’s cry at Naphtali’s birth opens the testimony: “With great wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and I have prevailed: and she called his name Naphtali” (Gen 30:8). The name derives from pathal (H6617), meaning ‘to twist’ or ‘to wrestle.’ Naphtali enters the world as the child of striving — the natural realm’s characteristic posture of self-effort and conflict. Yet Jacob’s final blessing transforms this portrait entirely: “Naphtali is a hind let loose: he giveth goodly words” (Gen 49:21). The wrestler becomes the swift hind. Striving gives way to freedom, and conflict yields to the eloquence of one released.

From Wrestling to Freedom

The movement from Naphtali’s birth name to Jacob’s final blessing is not a biographical peculiarity — it is Scripture’s picture of the first order giving way to the last. Romans 8 traces the same arc in doctrinal form. The carnal mind, Paul declares, “is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be” (Rom 8:7) — and this hostility is not an anomaly to be explained away but the present operation of the natural condition that God Himself ordained: “the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope” (Rom 8:20). The enmity of the carnal mind is the designed posture of the first order, appointed by the One who subjected creation to vanity precisely so that its liberation would be His work and not its own. That liberation is the destination: “the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God” (Rom 8:21). The hind let loose — Naphtali’s final portrait — is precisely this: from the striving of the natural first order into the liberty of the consummated life.

The beryl’s appearance in Ezekiel’s throne-chariot vision deepens this testimony. The wheels that move wherever the Spirit directs — wheels that never resist, never strive against the Spirit’s impulse, perfectly responsive throughout — are the color of beryl. Where the carnal mind wrestles against God’s purposes, the Spirit-governed existence moves in effortless correspondence with God’s will: “They went every one straight forward: whither the spirit was to go, they went; and they turned not when they went” (Eze 1:12). The beryl-hued wheels illustrate what Naphtali’s transformed portrait declares: the striving of the natural condition resolved into freedom and perfect responsiveness to God’s Spirit.

The Eighth Foundation: New Creation Declared

The beryl’s position as the eighth foundation of New Jerusalem completes its testimony. Scripture establishes eight as the number of new beginning and new creation not by inference but by explicit appointment. Circumcision was ordained for the eighth day (Gen 17:12) — not the seventh, the day of completion within the first creation order, but the eighth, the day beyond completion, the inauguration of something altogether new. Paul draws the line directly from that appointment to resurrection in Christ: “In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God” (Col 2:11-12). The eighth-day ordinance and the resurrection it prefigured belong to the same declaration: what was appointed in the natural order pointed toward the new creation accomplished in Christ. Paul states the substance plainly: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2Co 5:17). The eighth position and the new creature declaration are markers of the same consummated reality — the first order fully passed, the new creation fully established.

On Aaron’s breastplate, the beryl bore Naphtali’s name — representing the natural, wrestling condition carried before God in the first order. As the eighth foundation of New Jerusalem, the beryl no longer represents that striving; it declares the completion of transformation, the entry into the new creation that has no return. The wrestling is finished. The hind is loosed. “Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual” (1Co 15:46). The beryl is the stone of that passage — carried through all three contexts to bear witness that God’s purpose in subjecting creation to vanity was always this: the glorious liberty of the children of God.

The Jasper

The Jasper in Three Contexts

The jasper completes the breastplate. Following the same birth order correspondence the series has applied throughout — a framework the text does not explicitly confirm but which remains the most scripturally consistent available — the twelfth stone closes the fourth row bearing Benjamin’s name: “And the fourth row a beryl, and an onyx, and a jasper: they shall be set in gold in their inclosings” (Exo 28:20). In Ezekiel’s account of the anointed cherub’s covering, the jasper stands sixth among the nine adorning stones: “The sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold” (Eze 28:13). And in Revelation, the jasper achieves a prominence unlike any other transferring stone. It is the first foundation of New Jerusalem (Rev 21:19), the material of the city’s entire wall (Rev 21:18), the stone to which the city’s glory is likened (Rev 21:11), and — most remarkably — the stone whose appearance Scripture uses to describe God Himself upon His throne: “And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone” (Rev 4:3). The Hebrew is yashpheh (H3471), and the Greek of Revelation is iaspis (G2393). In Revelation 21:11, the jasper bears a qualifier absent from all other occurrences: it is “clear as crystal” — a distinctive designation whose full weight the text itself will supply as we examine what this stone declares in its consummated form.

The Last Becomes First: Benjamin’s Reversal

Benjamin’s place in redemptive history is marked by reversal from the very moment of his birth. His mother Rachel, dying in childbirth, named him Ben-oni — son of my sorrow. However, Jacob overruled the name of death: “But his father called him Benjamin” (Gen 35:18) — son of the right hand. The child born of the greatest suffering in Israel’s family was renamed by his father to declare glory and position. This is not merely biographical; it is the pattern of the One who bore the world’s sorrow — “a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief” (Isa 53:3) — and whom the Father exalted to the right hand: “Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person…sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Heb 1:3). Benjamin, the last-born, son of sorrow renamed son of the right hand, declares in name and birth the pattern that jasper enacts across the biblical contexts.

The reversal of the jasper’s position from last to first is no accident of arrangement. On Aaron’s breastplate, jasper is the twelfth stone — the final one, closing the list. In Revelation 21:19, it is the first foundation of the eternal city. Scripture states the governing principle explicitly and twice within the same discourse: “But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first” (Mat 19:30; cf. Mat 20:16). What appears last in the external, temporal ordering of Aaron’s breastplate appears first in the consummated ordering of the city of God. God consistently inverts the order of the natural to establish the order of the glorified — because the natural came first by design, not as the ultimate arrangement, but as the shadow pointing toward the very different order of the age to come.

Clear as Crystal: Transparency Before the Throne

The qualifying phrase attached to the jasper in Revelation 21:11 carries the full weight of what this stone’s transfer through three contexts was building toward. The holy Jerusalem’s light was “like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.” The Greek is krustallizon (G2929), the present active participle meaning to be clear as crystal, to be fully transparent. This descriptor is not ornamental. The natural man exists in a condition of opacity before the things of God: “The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1Co 2:14). The consummated order reverses this condition entirely: “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known” (1Co 13:12). Scripture gives this transparency concrete expression throughout New Jerusalem. The jasper wall is “clear as crystal” (Rev 21:18) — the very boundary of the eternal city pervious to divine light. The city “had no need of the sun, neither of the moon…for the glory of God did lighten it” (Rev 21:23) — God’s glory permeates every dimension without obstruction, which the transparent jasper wall structurally embodies. The consummation of all this imagery is personal: “They shall see his face” (Rev 22:4) — the unveiled, unobstructed encounter with God that the opacity of the natural first order made impossible.

That this same stone describes the appearance of God in Revelation 4:3 is the apex of the jasper’s testimony. God appears “like a jasper and a sardine stone” upon His throne. In Revelation 21:23, the glory of that same God illuminates the jasper city without obstruction. The jasper appearance of God in chapter 4, and the jasper clarity of the city He inhabits in chapter 21 are one continuous declaration: divine glory expressed in the stone that began as a tribal name engraved on a breastplate. The stone of divine self-disclosure and the stone of the consummated city are the same stone — because the city is the dwelling of God with His people, and nothing remains between them.

On Aaron’s breastplate, the jasper externally represented Benjamin before God — one name engraved on one stone, a finite sign carried into the earthly holy place. That external representation has become the very substance of the eternal city. The city does not need a breastplate to bring names before God; the city is jasper — wall, foundation, light — and God’s own appearance corresponds to it. The shadow of external representation gives way to the substance of internal union: “For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us” (Heb 9:24). Aaron carried the jasper into an earthly copy; Christ has entered the heavenly reality — and the jasper that describes that reality describes Him as well.

Conclusion: The Six-Stone Testimony Complete

As this series has traced across five prior installments, six stones traverse all three contexts — breastplate, cherub, foundation — and each bears witness to a single testimony. Sardius speaks of blood. Topaz declares wisdom. Sapphire establishes authority. Emerald proclaims resurrection life. Beryl announces transformation — the natural wrestling of Naphtali’s birth resolved into the swift liberty of the hind let loose, completed at the eighth foundation as new creation declared. And the jasper finishes the arc: the last becomes first, the son of sorrow renamed son of the right hand, the natural opacity of the creaturely condition becomes crystal-clear in the eternal — the wall and first foundation of the holy city and the very appearance of God Himself.

Christ is the fulfillment of every stone’s testimony. He is the blood-ground of sardius, the wisdom of topaz, the enthroned authority of sapphire, the resurrection life of emerald, the Spirit-driven freedom of beryl, and — most profoundly — the One whose appearance is described as jasper: crystal-clear, hiding nothing, the full self-disclosure of God in the face of Jesus Christ (2Co 4:6). The natural shadow declared it; the consummated substance has accomplished it.

“And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass” (Rev 21:18).

Gemstones: The Stones That Transfer, Part 1

Sardius and Topaz

[Study Aired February 10, 2026]

Introduction: Stones of Complete Witness

Throughout Scripture, God employs natural elements to reveal spiritual realities, establishing patterns that testify across time to His redemptive purpose. Among these sacred instructors, six precious stones appear in all three primary biblical contexts—the High Priest’s breastplate (Exodus 28), the anointed cherub’s covering (Ezekiel 28), and New Jerusalem’s foundations (Revelation 21). These stones—sardius, topaz, sapphire, emerald, beryl, and jasper—bear unique significance precisely because they transfer through every stage of God’s revealed plan, testifying to eternal truths that remain constant from the old covenant through the present age and into eternity.

This three-part study examines these six transferring stones, revealing how each declares specific aspects of Christ’s nature and believers’ transformation. The stones that appear in all three contexts demonstrate continuity in God’s character and purpose, showing that certain spiritual realities—established from the beginning—endure into the age to come. Unlike stones that appear only on the breastplate or covering, these six stones reveal truths so fundamental to redemption that they must be present at every stage of God’s work.

Understanding these stones requires recognizing Scripture’s foundational principle: 

“Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual” (1 Corinthians 15:46).

The pattern moves from natural representation on the breastplate, through judgment revealed in Ezekiel’s covering, to spiritual fulfillment in New Jerusalem’s foundations. What Aaron bore externally upon his chest, God establishes eternally as the bedrock of His dwelling place.

Part 1 examines the first two of these six stones: the sardius and the topaz. The sardius, deep red as blood, speaks powerfully of sacrifice, redemption, and the birthright transferred from the first Adam to the Last Adam. The topaz, golden as divine light, declares God’s wisdom, illumination, and the truth that guides believers from darkness into His marvelous light.

The Sardius: Blood, Birthright, and Redemption

The Sardius in Three Contexts

The sardius appears first on the High Priest’s breastplate as the opening stone of the first row:

“And thou shalt set in it settings of stones, even four rows of stones: the first row shall be a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle” (Exodus 28:17).

The Hebrew word odem (H124) derives from adam, meaning “red” or “ruddy,” directly connecting this stone to Adam, the first man formed from red earth. This stone bore the name of Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn son whose name means “behold, a son.” Leah declared at his birth: “Surely the LORD hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me” (Genesis 29:32).

Yet Reuben, despite his natural birthright as firstborn, forfeited his privileged position through sin. Jacob pronounced judgment: “Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power: Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel; because thou wentest up to thy father’s bed; then defiledst thou it” (Genesis 49:3-4). The birthright, representing preeminence and double portion, passed from Reuben to Joseph’s sons through God’s sovereign purpose, demonstrating that natural descent provides no guarantee of spiritual inheritance.

In Ezekiel’s vision, the sardius appears among the nine stones covering the anointed cherub:

“Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond” (Ezekiel 28:13).

The sardius stands first among these nine stones, maintaining its position of prominence even as the total number reduces from twelve to nine. This placement reveals that what the sardius represents—blood, sacrifice, and the forfeited birthright—remains central to understanding humanity’s natural state and God’s purpose in subjecting creation to vanity.

Finally, the sardius appears as the sixth foundation stone of New Jerusalem:

“The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius” (Revelation 21:20).

John also describes God’s appearance using sardius: “And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone” (Revelation 4:3). The sardius in God’s appearance and the city’s foundation demonstrates that the blood of redemption, which the stone symbolizes, remains eternally essential to God’s dwelling with His people.

The Red Stone: Blood’s Dual Testimony

The sardius’s deep red color connects it unmistakably to blood, which carries dual significance throughout Scripture. Blood testifies both to sin’s guilt and to redemption’s provision—the problem and its solution, judgment and grace, death and life.

The negative aspect appears when God confronts Cain after Abel’s murder: “What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground” (Genesis 4:10). Blood testifies against the sinner, crying out for justice. This principle extends throughout the law: “And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission” (Hebrews 9:22). Blood demands payment for sin.

Yet blood also provides the very payment it demands. On the Day of Atonement, the high priest sprinkled blood upon the mercy seat: “And he shall take of the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy seat eastward; and before the mercy seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times” (Leviticus 16:14). This blood covered Israel’s sin, pointing forward to Christ’s superior sacrifice.

Peter declares: “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:18-19). Christ’s blood accomplishes what animal blood could only foreshadow—eternal redemption.

The writer of Hebrews contrasts Abel’s blood with Christ’s: “And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel” (Hebrews 12:24). Abel’s blood cried for vengeance; Christ’s blood speaks peace, reconciliation, and access to God’s presence. The sardius, red as blood, testifies to both aspects—the problem requiring solution and the solution itself.

The Birthright Forfeited and Restored

The sardius’s connection to Reuben establishes a critical pattern: natural birthright forfeited through sin, spiritual birthright granted through grace. Reuben possessed the firstborn’s legal position but lost its benefits. The Chronicles record: “Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel, (for he was the firstborn; but, forasmuch as he defiled his father’s bed, his birthright was given unto the sons of Joseph the son of Israel: and the genealogy is not to be reckoned after the birthright)” (1 Chronicles 5:1).

This forfeiture typifies Adam’s loss. Created first, given dominion, placed in paradise—Adam held every advantage yet surrendered all through disobedience. Paul traces the consequences: “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Romans 5:12). Adam’s birthright as humanity’s head became a curse, transmitting death rather than life to his descendants.

Yet God’s purpose includes restoration through the Last Adam. Paul declares: “The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit” (1 Corinthians 15:45). Christ, as the Last Adam, receives the true birthright—preeminence over all creation. Paul writes: “Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature” (Colossians 1:15). Christ’s position as firstborn establishes His authority and our inheritance through union with Him.

Believers receive this restored birthright not through natural descent but through spiritual rebirth. John testifies: “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:12-13). The birthright lost in Adam returns in Christ.

The sardius thus proclaims the complete gospel message: natural birthright forfeited through the first Adam’s sin, spiritual birthright secured through the Last Adam’s obedience. What Reuben lost through instability, Christ established through steadfastness. What the red earth of Adam’s creation testified concerning mortality, the red blood of Christ’s sacrifice transforms into immortality.

From Breastplate to Foundation: The Sardius’s Transfer

The sardius’s appearance in all three contexts demonstrates that blood redemption remains forever essential to God’s relationship with humanity. On the breastplate, the sardius represented Reuben and the natural firstborn—emphasizing what was lost. Among Ezekiel’s covering stones, positioned first among nine, it testifies to humanity’s created state subject to judgment. In New Jerusalem’s sixth foundation, it declares redemption accomplished and eternally secure.

The movement from first position on the breastplate to sixth position in the foundations reveals progression in God’s revelation. What began as representation of forfeited birthright becomes declaration of secured inheritance. The natural gives way to the spiritual, yet the blood that proclaims both guilt and redemption endures.

John’s vision of God upon the throne, appearing “like a jasper and a sardine stone,” confirms this eternal significance. God Himself bears the appearance of both justice (jasper’s transparency) and mercy (sardius’s blood). The rainbow encircling the throne “in sight like unto an emerald” (Revelation 4:3) adds mercy to this display, but the sardius remains—testifying that redemption through blood eternally characterizes God’s throne.

Believers’ eternal security rests upon this foundation. Paul writes: “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” (Ephesians 1:7). John declares: “Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father” (Revelation 1:5-6). The sardius, appearing in all three contexts, testifies that this blood-bought redemption forms an unshakeable foundation for God’s eternal dwelling with His people.

The Topaz: Divine Wisdom and Illumination

The Topaz in Three Contexts

The topaz occupies the second position in the breastplate’s first row, immediately following the sardius:

“The first row shall be a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle” (Exodus 28:17).

The Hebrew pitdah (H6357) describes a yellowish or golden stone valued for its brilliance. This stone bore the name of Simeon, Jacob’s second son, whose name means “heard.” Leah testified: “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 human need—establishes a foundation for understanding the topaz’s significance.

In Ezekiel’s description of the anointed cherub, the topaz maintains its position as second among the covering stones:

“Every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond” (Ezekiel 28:13).

Its consistent second position emphasizes divine order. Just as God’s hearing (Simeon) follows acknowledgment of need (Reuben’s lost birthright), so illumination through wisdom (topaz) follows recognition of sin requiring blood redemption (sardius).

The topaz appears ninth among New Jerusalem’s twelve foundations:

“The ninth, a topaz” (Revelation 21:20).

Its movement from second to ninth position suggests completion. Nine, throughout Scripture, represents completeness of judgment and the fullness of testimony leading to transformation. The topaz in the ninth foundation declares that divine wisdom, having judged and tested God’s people, establishes them eternally upon truth’s unshakeable base.

The Golden Stone: Wisdom’s Radiance

The topaz’s golden-yellow color associates it with light, wisdom, and divine understanding. Scripture consistently connects gold with sacred truth and incorruptible reality. Job declares: “But where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding? Man knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living. The depth saith, It is not in me: and the sea saith, It is not with me. It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof… No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls: for the price of wisdom is above rubies” (Job 28:12-15, 18).

Yet Job immediately adds: “It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire. The gold and the crystal cannot equal it: and the exchange of it shall not be for jewels of fine gold” (Job 28:16-17). Wisdom surpasses even gold’s value, yet shares gold’s incorruptible nature and brilliance. The topaz, bearing gold’s color, serves as heaven’s vocabulary declaring wisdom’s worth.

Solomon describes wisdom’s worth in similar terms: “Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her” (Proverbs 3:13-15). The topaz’s golden radiance illustrates this precious wisdom that enlightens understanding.

Paul connects divine wisdom directly to Christ: “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30). Christ embodies the wisdom the topaz symbolizes. In Him “are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3). The golden stone points to the Golden One who illuminates truth.

Divine Illumination: From Darkness to Light

The topaz’s brilliance speaks of divine light penetrating spiritual darkness. Scripture consistently portrays God’s word and wisdom as light guiding believers from error into truth. David declares: “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105). Solomon adds: “For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light” (Proverbs 6:23).

This illumination operates both objectively and subjectively. Objectively, God’s word provides revelation—truth disclosed that humanity could not discover independently. Peter writes: “We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts” (2 Peter 1:19). God’s revealed word functions as light in darkness until Christ Himself arises in believers’ hearts.

Subjectively, God opens understanding to comprehend revealed truth. Paul describes this work: “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6). God both provides external revelation and grants internal illumination to perceive it.

Jesus declares Himself the source of both aspects: “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12). Christ is both the content of revelation and the one who opens eyes to see. The topaz’s golden radiance symbolizes this dual function—wisdom revealed and wisdom received.

The progression from darkness to light marks every believer’s experience. Paul writes: “For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light” (Ephesians 5:8). Peter declares: “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light” (1 Peter 2:9). The topaz’s brilliance testifies to this transformation—from spiritual blindness to enlightened understanding, from error’s confusion to truth’s clarity.

Wisdom Applied: Understanding God’s Ways

The topaz represents not merely intellectual knowledge but practical wisdom—divine truth applied to life. James distinguishes between earthly and heavenly wisdom: “This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy” (James 3:15-17).

True wisdom produces transformation. It does not remain abstract theory but becomes lived reality. Solomon writes: “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her” (Proverbs 4:7-8). Wisdom applied elevates character, directs choices, and shapes destiny.

Paul prays for believers to receive this practical wisdom: “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints” (Ephesians 1:17-18). Divine wisdom reveals God’s purpose, clarifies calling, and displays inheritance’s glory.

The topaz, positioned second on the breastplate after the blood-red sardius, teaches that wisdom follows redemption. Understanding God’s ways requires first experiencing His grace. Those who know themselves redeemed by blood gain capacity to receive wisdom’s instruction. As Paul declares: “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14). Spiritual wisdom requires spiritual birth.

From Breastplate to Foundation: The Topaz’s Transfer

The topaz’s appearance in all three contexts demonstrates that divine wisdom and illumination remain essential at every stage of God’s work. On the breastplate, it represented Simeon and God’s hearing—His attentiveness to human need and His response through wisdom’s instruction. Among Ezekiel’s covering stones, maintaining second position, it testifies that even in humanity’s natural state, divine wisdom orders creation according to God’s purpose. In New Jerusalem’s ninth foundation, it declares wisdom’s complete work—judgment finished, understanding perfected, God’s ways fully revealed to His transformed people.

The movement from second to ninth position reveals wisdom’s progressive operation. What began as God hearing human cries culminates in complete understanding of His purpose. The natural capacity for wisdom, present in creation but corrupted by sin, becomes spiritual reality in the new creation. What was dimly perceived through law’s instruction shines with full brilliance in Christ’s revelation.

Paul describes this progression: “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known” (1 Corinthians 13:12). Present partial understanding gives way to complete knowledge. The topaz in the ninth foundation testifies to this completed revelation—wisdom’s full manifestation when believers see Christ as He is.

John promises: “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2). Seeing Christ produces transformation into His likeness. The golden topaz, radiating divine wisdom’s brilliance, points toward this ultimate illumination when all shadows flee and believers comprehend fully what redemption accomplished.

Conclusion: Blood and Light United

The sardius and topaz together establish foundational truths essential to redemption. The sardius, red as blood, declares humanity’s need for atonement and God’s provision through sacrifice. What Reuben forfeited through instability, Christ secures through steadfast obedience. What Adam lost through disobedience, the Last Adam restores through righteousness. The blood that testifies against sin becomes the blood that purchases pardon.

The topaz, golden as divine light, reveals God’s wisdom guiding believers from darkness to understanding. What Simeon’s name declared—God hears human cries—wisdom fulfills through illumination and instruction. God not only redeems through blood but enlightens through truth, transforming those purchased by sacrifice into those governed by understanding.

These two stones appear together in all three contexts, demonstrating that blood redemption and divine wisdom operate inseparably throughout God’s work. Redemption without illumination leaves believers forgiven but ignorant of God’s ways. Wisdom without redemption offers knowledge to those lacking life. Together, they provide complete salvation—pardon for past guilt and guidance for present living, justification through Christ’s blood and sanctification through truth’s light.

Paul unites both aspects when he writes: “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence” (Ephesians 1:7-8). Redemption through blood flows from wisdom’s riches. Grace provides pardon; wisdom directs transformation.

These first two stones establish the pattern the remaining four stones will develop. In Part 2, we will examine the sapphire and emerald—stones that reveal God’s throne authority and resurrection power. In Part 3, the beryl and jasper will complete the testimony, declaring transformation’s progressive work and ultimate transparency in God’s presence.

Yet already, through sardius and topaz alone, we perceive redemption’s essential elements. Blood purchases access; wisdom guides understanding. Christ provides both—the sacrifice that reconciles and the truth that transforms. The stones that appeared first on Aaron’s breastplate now stand eternally in New Jerusalem’s foundations, testifying that these realities—established from the beginning—endure into the age to come and provide the unshakeable base upon which God dwells with His redeemed people forever.

Gemstones: The High Priests Breastplate, Part 2

[Study Aired December 23, 2025]

Introduction

In Part One, we examined the High Priest’s breastplate—its foursquare construction symbolizing God’s complete representation of His people, its five materials (gold, blue, purple, scarlet, and fine linen) proclaiming truths about God’s nature and redemptive work, and the twelve precious stones arranged in four rows of three, each bearing an engraved tribal name. We traced how the stones represented Israel’s twelve tribes, from Reuben’s forfeited birthright to Benjamin’s transformation from sorrow to honor, discovering that each name carried prophetic significance pointing toward Christ and spiritual realities. Having established what the breastplate contained, we now turn to examine how it was secured to the ephod, the guidance provided through the Urim and Thummim, and ultimately how Christ fulfills this entire typology as our eternal High Priest who bears His people continuously in God’s presence.

The Breastplate’s Attachment: Secure Connection

God prescribed specific means by which the breastplate attached to the ephod, ensuring it would not become displaced during Aaron’s ministry. The attachment method reveals spiritual truth about believers’ security in Christ.

Two gold chains connected the breastplate’s upper corners to the ephod’s shoulder pieces: “And thou shalt make upon the breastplate chains at the ends of wreathen work of pure gold. And thou shalt make upon the breastplate two rings of gold, and shalt put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate. And thou shalt put the two wreathen chains of gold in the two rings which are on the ends of the breastplate” (Exodus 28:22-24). These chains fastened the breastplate to the shoulder stones, upon which were engraved the names of all twelve tribes—six on each stone. The shoulders represent strength and burden-bearing. Isaiah prophesied of Christ: “And the government shall be upon his shoulder” (Isaiah 9:6). The connection between breastplate and shoulders testified that God’s strength upholds His people.

The breastplate’s lower corners attached differently: “And they shall bind the breastplate by the rings thereof unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it may be above the curious girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate be not loosed from the ephod” (Exodus 28:28). The blue lace—representing heaven’s authority—ensured the breastplate remained fixed in position. God commanded that it “be not loosed from the ephod.” This permanent attachment speaks powerfully of believers’ eternal security. Just as the breastplate could not be separated from the ephod without deliberate disobedience to God’s command, so believers cannot be separated from Christ. Paul declares, “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).

The Urim and Thummim: Divine Revelation

Within the doubled breastplate resided the Urim and Thummim, mysterious instruments through which God communicated His will to Israel. God commanded Moses: “And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be upon Aaron’s heart, when he goeth in before the LORD: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the LORD continually” (Exodus 28:30).

The Hebrew words Urim (‘Uwriym, H224) and Thummim (Tummiym, H8550) mean “lights” and “perfections” respectively, suggesting they functioned to illuminate God’s perfect will. Their precise nature remains uncertain—Scripture provides no description of their appearance, composition, or exact method of use. This deliberate silence carries significance: God focused attention not on the instruments themselves but on the principle they illustrated—that divine guidance flows through priestly mediation. “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;” 1 Timothy 2:5

Scripture records several instances where leaders sought God’s direction through the Urim and Thummim. When Joshua needed to allocate land among the tribes, God commanded: “And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall ask counsel for him after the judgment of Urim before the LORD” (Numbers 27:21). This established the pattern: major decisions required priestly mediation through the sacred lots.

When Saul sought guidance but received no answer, the text records: “And when Saul enquired of the LORD, the LORD answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets” (1 Samuel 28:6). This silence testified that God had departed from Saul due to his rebellion. The Urim’s failure to respond demonstrated that the instruments themselves possessed no power—they merely served as channels for God’s sovereign communication.

After the Babylonian exile, when questions arose about priestly genealogy, Nehemiah commanded that certain individuals “should not eat of the most holy things, till there stood up a priest with Urim and with Thummim” (Ezra 2:63; Nehemiah 7:65). This requirement recognized that only through priestly mediation could matters of sacred importance be properly resolved. Yet significantly, no record exists of the Urim and Thummim being used after the exile. The instruments that once communicated God’s will had ceased to function, preparing Israel to recognize that a superior revelation was coming.

The Urim and Thummim typified external guidance—answers obtained through physical objects manipulated by an earthly priest. But this external system pointed toward internal reality. Under the New Covenant, believers receive direct guidance through the holy Spirit dwelling within them. Jesus promised: “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come” (John 16:13). John writes: “But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him” (1 John 2:27).

The progression from external Urim and Thummim to internal Spirit guidance follows Scripture’s consistent pattern: the natural first, then the spiritual. Israel depended on physical stones in a priest’s breastplate to know God’s will. Believers possess the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16) and are taught directly by the Spirit who searches all things, even the deep things of God. What the Urim and Thummim symbolized externally—divine light illuminating perfect truth—the holy Spirit accomplishes internally. Paul writes: “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6). The lights and perfections once contained in the breastplate now dwell in believers’ hearts through Christ.

Moreover, Christ Himself is the ultimate Urim and Thummim—the Light of the world (John 8:12) and the embodiment of perfection. He declared: “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). Believers need no external instruments to discern God’s will when they possess Christ within them, “in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3). The physical Urim and Thummim, like all shadows, have given way to the substance.

Christ’s High Priestly Ministry: The Breastplate Fulfilled

Every detail of Aaron’s breastplate pointed toward Christ’s superior priesthood. The writer of Hebrews establishes this connection extensively, demonstrating that the earthly sanctuary served as “the example and shadow of heavenly things” (Hebrews 8:5). Aaron’s temporary, earthly ministry prefigured Christ’s eternal, heavenly ministry.

Aaron bore Israel’s names upon his heart when he entered God’s presence. Christ bears His people perpetually before the Father—not through engraved stones but through His own sacrifice and continuing intercession. The writer of Hebrews declares: “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25). Christ’s intercession surpasses Aaron’s representation as substance exceeds shadow. Aaron entered the Holy of Holies once yearly, bearing names on stones; Christ entered heaven itself, bearing His people in His very being, and He remains there continually.

The precious stones on Aaron’s breastplate were valuable but created—formed in earth’s crust through natural processes. The value Christ places upon His people infinitely surpasses the worth of any earthly gem, for He purchased them “with his own blood” (Acts 20:28). Peter writes: “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:18-19). No earthly treasure compares to the price Christ paid.

Aaron’s priesthood was imperfect and temporary. He himself required atonement for sin before offering sacrifices for the people (Leviticus 16:6). His ministry ended at death, requiring succession through his descendants. But concerning Christ, the writer of Hebrews declares: “But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood” (Hebrews 7:24). The Greek word translated “unchangeable” (aparabatos, G531) means “permanent,” “inviolable,” “not passing to another.” Christ’s priesthood requires no succession because He lives eternally.

Furthermore, Christ’s priesthood operates on a superior basis. Aaron’s ministry functioned under the Mosaic covenant, which “made nothing perfect” (Hebrews 7:19). Christ’s priesthood establishes the New Covenant, ratified by His blood, which accomplishes what the old covenant could only foreshadow. Hebrews explains: “But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises” (Hebrews 8:6).

The earthly high priest offered animal sacrifices repeatedly, never able to perfect those who approached God through such offerings. Christ offered Himself once, achieving eternal redemption: “Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us” (Hebrews 9:12). The repetition of Aaron’s sacrifices testified to their inadequacy; the singularity of Christ’s sacrifice declares its sufficiency.

Finally, Aaron ministered in an earthly sanctuary made with hands—a copy of the true tabernacle. Christ ministers in heaven itself, “For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us” (Hebrews 9:24). The contrast is absolute: earthly versus heavenly, temporary versus eternal, shadow versus substance, insufficient versus perfect.

When we understand that Christ fulfills every aspect of Aaron’s ministry, the breastplate’s significance becomes clear. Just as those twelve stones rested perpetually over Aaron’s heart, so believers rest perpetually in Christ’s love. Just as Aaron bore those names into God’s presence, so Christ bears His people before the Father’s throne. Just as the gold settings secured each stone in its appointed place, so God’s power keeps believers secure. Just as the blue lace prevented the breastplate from being loosed from the ephod, so nothing can separate believers from Christ’s love. The breastplate proclaimed truths now fulfilled in Christ’s eternal priesthood.

Application for Believers: Carried Upon His Heart

The breastplate’s significance extends beyond historical interest or typological study; it provides profound assurance and instruction for all who trust in Christ. Understanding what Aaron’s breastplate represented helps us grasp the security, value, and purpose they possess in Christ.

Security in Christ’s Intercession

The permanent attachment of the breastplate to the ephod speaks powerfully to our eternal security in Christ. God commanded that the breastplate “be not loosed from the ephod” (Exodus 28:28). This prohibition against separation illustrates the impossibility of believers being severed from Christ once united to Him by faith.

Jesus Himself declared this security in unmistakable terms: “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 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 10:27-29). The double security—held in both Christ’s hand and the Father’s hand—surpasses even the breastplate’s attachment, for godly power maintains our standing, not our effort or obedience.

Paul expands this assurance throughout Romans 8, building toward his triumphant declaration: “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39). The comprehensive list—covering time, space, powers, and all creation—leaves no possibility unconsidered. Nothing can sever the connection between Christ and His people.

This security rests not on our faithfulness but on Christ’s finished work and continuing intercession. Hebrews emphasizes: “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25). The phrase “to the uttermost” means “completely,” “perfectly,” “for all time.” Christ’s salvation is not partial or conditional but absolute and eternal. Just as Aaron bore Israel’s names perpetually upon his heart, so Christ bears us continuously in His presence, guaranteeing our eternal acceptance before God.

Individual Value Within Corporate Unity

The twelve distinct stones, each bearing one tribe’s name, demonstrate that God knows and values His people individually while uniting them corporately. Each stone possessed unique color, composition, and characteristics, yet all together formed one complete breastplate. This pattern reveals God’s design for the body of Christ—unity in diversity, many members yet one body.

Paul develops this principle extensively in 1 Corinthians 12, using the human body as analogy: “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ” (1 Corinthians 12:12). Just as the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of thee” (1 Corinthians 12:21), so no believer can dismiss another’s importance. Each stone on the breastplate was essential; removing even one would have violated God’s command and rendered the breastplate incomplete.

Paul continues: “But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him” (1 Corinthians 12:18). God determines each believer’s position, function, and gifting according to His sovereign purpose. The sardius could not function as a jasper, nor the emerald as an onyx. Each stone served its appointed purpose in its designated location. Similarly, God gifts believers differently—“For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another” (Romans 12:4-5).

The breastplate’s arrangement also teaches balance and order. Four rows of three stones each created symmetry and structure—not random placement but careful design. God’s body operates according to His wise arrangement, not human preference or carnal ambition. Paul warns against those who create divisions: “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment” (1 Corinthians 1:10). The stones’ unified witness upon the breastplate models the unity Christ desires among His people.

Moreover, just as precious stones form through pressure, heat, and time in earth’s depths, so God shapes us through trials, testing, and the refining process of sanctification. Peter writes: “Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:6-7). The testing we endure serves God’s purpose of conforming us to Christ’s image, transforming us from rough stones into polished gems fit for His eternal dwelling place.

Conclusion: Engraved Upon His Heart

The High Priest’s breastplate stands as one of Scripture’s most beautiful and instructive types, revealing through material elements the spiritual realities of Christ’s priesthood and our relationship to Him. Every detail—from the materials employed to the stones’ arrangement, from the method of attachment to the placement over Aaron’s heart—proclaimed truths now fulfilled in Christ Jesus our great High Priest.

The twelve tribes represented by twelve precious stones foreshadowed the complete number of God’s elect, known individually yet united corporately, each valued as a priceless gem, all secured by divine power rather than human merit. Aaron bore those names into God’s presence through the veil; Christ has entered heaven itself, bearing His people perpetually before the Father’s throne through His own blood and continuing intercession.

The gold, blue, purple, scarlet, and fine linen spoke of God’s nature, heaven’s authority, royal priesthood, redemptive blood, and imputed righteousness—all finding their substance in Christ. The Urim and Thummim, providing external guidance through physical objects, pointed toward the Holy Spirit’s internal illumination of truth. The permanent attachment preventing the breastplate from being loosed from the ephod illustrated the eternal security believers possess in Christ, held by God’s power, never to be separated from His love.

As we continue through this series examining individual precious stones, we will discover how each gem reveals particular aspects of Christ’s nature and specific stages of our transformation. The sardius will speak of blood and the birthright transferred from Reuben to Christ. The sapphire will declare heavenly authority and God’s throne. The diamond will testify of hardness—both the hardness of unregenerate hearts and the enduring hardness of truth that cannot be compromised. Each stone contributes its unique voice to the comprehensive testimony about Christ and His people.

The fundamental truth proclaimed by all twelve stones together is this: believers are precious to God, known by name, carried upon Christ’s heart, secure in His finished work, and destined for His eternal glory. The God who commanded precise construction of the breastplate, specifying every material and each stone’s placement, exercises that same meticulous care over His people. Not one is forgotten, not one is lost, not one fails to reach the purpose for which God chose them before the foundation of the world.

The prophet Malachi, looking forward to God’s final work, declares: “And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him” (Malachi 3:17). The Hebrew word translated “jewels” (segullah, H5459) means “treasured possession” or “peculiar treasure”—the very thing the breastplate’s precious stones represented. We who trust in Christ are God’s treasured possession, His peculiar people, His precious gems formed through pressure and time, extracted from earth’s bondage, refined through fire, and being fitted for permanent placement in His eternal dwelling.

Just as the breastplate rested continually over Aaron’s heart when he ministered in God’s presence, so believers rest perpetually upon Christ’s heart as He ministers in heaven’s true sanctuary. This position is not temporary but eternal, not conditional but absolute, not dependent on human faithfulness but secured by divine faithfulness. “For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance” (Romans 11:29). What God has purposed, He accomplishes; whom He has chosen, He keeps; what He has begun, He completes.

The breastplate of judgment has given way to the breastplate of righteousness (Ephesians 6:14), for judgment has fallen upon Christ as our example. The precious stones once set in gold upon an earthly priest’s breast now represent living stones being built into God’s spiritual house, each believer a gem reflecting Christ’s glory, all together forming the dwelling place where God’s presence abides forever. From the temporary representation in the wilderness tabernacle to the eternal reality in heaven’s glory, God’s purpose stands: His people, precious as gems, carried upon His heart, secure in His love, destined for His eternal kingdom.

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.

Introduction: The Hidden Language of Stones

[Study Aired December 9, 2025]

Throughout Scripture, God employs the natural realm to reveal spiritual realities, a principle the apostle Paul affirms when he writes, “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead” (Romans 1:20). Among creation’s most striking teachers stand the precious stones—gems that capture light, endure through ages, and display beauty that transcends mere earthly value. These minerals, formed in earth’s depths through immense pressure and time, serve as sacred instructors pointing us toward eternal truths about Christ, His people, and the progression from our natural Adamic state to our spiritual transformation in the Last Adam.

The Scriptures present precious stones in three primary contexts, each revealing distinct yet interconnected spiritual truths. First, we encounter them adorning the High Priest’s breastplate, where twelve stones represented Israel’s twelve tribes before God (Exodus 28:15-21). Second, these gems appear covering the anointed cherub in the garden of Eden, as described in Ezekiel’s prophetic declaration concerning the king of Tyrus (Ezekiel 28:13). Finally, they form the foundations of the New Jerusalem, the eternal city descending from heaven where God dwells with His people forever (Revelation 21:18-21). These three appearances—priestly representation, original covering, and eternal foundation—trace God’s redemptive purpose from creation through the present age into the age to come.

Understanding this series requires recognizing a foundational principle that governs all of Scripture’s symbolism: humanity was created subject to vanity, not having fallen from an original state of perfection. As Paul writes, “For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope” (Romans 8:20). God’s purpose from the beginning was to bring forth creation first in the natural realm—weak, earthly, subject to vanity—so that He might then raise it to the spiritual. The first man Adam was made a living soul; the Last Adam became a life-giving spirit (1 Corinthians 15:45). Paul establishes this pattern explicitly: “Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual” (1 Corinthians 15:46). This progression from natural to spiritual, from Adamic to Christic, from earthly to heavenly, governs how we must interpret every symbol in Scripture, including precious stones. The gems we examine were first formed in earth’s crust, extracted from mines, shaped by human hands, and placed in earthly settings—yet their true purpose lies in revealing spiritual realities that belong to “Jerusalem which is above” and “is free, which is the mother of us all” (Galatians 4:26).

Christ the Stone: The Foundation and Fulfillment

Before examining individual gems, we must establish the ultimate truth that all precious stones proclaim: Christ Jesus Himself is the precious, chosen stone upon which everything rests. The prophet Isaiah, looking forward to God’s work, declared, “Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste” (Isaiah 28:16). This prophecy finds its fulfillment in Christ, as Peter clearly identifies: “Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded” (1 Peter 2:6).

The Hebrew word translated “precious” in Isaiah (yiqrah, from yaqar, H3368) carries meanings of “rare,” “valuable,” “honored,” and “costly.” This same root describes the precious stones of the breastplate, the gems in Eden, and the foundations of New Jerusalem, creating an unmistakable connection: all precious stones point toward the One who is supremely precious. When Scripture describes material gems, it consistently uses this language of costliness and rarity to direct our understanding toward Christ, who is of infinite worth and without equal. Solomon, speaking of wisdom, declares, “She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her” (Proverbs 3:15), using this same vocabulary of preciousness to indicate surpassing value.

Yet this precious stone encounters rejection before exaltation. The Psalmist prophesied, “The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner” (Psalm 118:22), and Peter, addressing the religious leaders, boldly proclaimed, “This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner” (Acts 4:11). The natural, carnal mind—represented by builders who examine only outward appearance—rejects the stone that God has chosen. Peter explains this dual aspect: “Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence” (1 Peter 2:7-8). The same stone that provides foundation for some becomes a stumbling block for others, depending not on the stone’s nature but on the beholder’s spiritual state.

The imagery extends beyond foundation to include Christ’s function as the rock that provides living water. When Israel wandered in the wilderness, God commanded Moses to strike the rock at Horeb, and water flowed forth (Exodus 17:6). Paul reveals this rock’s identity: “And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ” (1 Corinthians 10:4). The striking prefigured Christ’s crucifixion, from which flows the water of life to all who believe. Understanding Christ as the stone—cornerstone and stumbling block, foundation and rock of living water—prepares us to rightly interpret every precious stone mentioned in Scripture.

Living Stones: The Transformation of Believers

Having established Christ as the precious, chosen stone, we must now understand how believers relate to this stone imagery through a profound transformation. Peter writes, “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5). The Greek word translated “lively” (zao, G2198) means “living” or “alive,” distinguishing believers from dead, lifeless rocks. We are not inanimate minerals but living stones, animated by the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead.

This transformation involves both removal and renewal. Scripture consistently presents the unregenerate heart as stony—hard, unresponsive, spiritually dead. God promises through Ezekiel, “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh” (Ezekiel 36:26). The Hebrew word for “stony” (eben, H68) emphasizes complete hardness and unresponsiveness. This stony heart represents the carnal mind, which “is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be” (Romans 8:7). Stephen accused the religious leaders: “Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost” (Acts 7:51).

Yet paradoxically, as our hearts of stone are removed and replaced with hearts of flesh, we simultaneously become living stones. This is not contradiction but progression. The stony heart must be removed, crushed, broken by the law’s demands that reveal our inability. As we are brought to spiritual life in Christ, we become living stones—no longer dead minerals but animated by His life, no longer hardened in rebellion but made alive in obedience, no longer individual fragments but built together as one spiritual house. Paul writes, “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren” (Romans 8:29).

The imagery of stones being built together emphasizes both unity and diversity. Paul explains: “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord” (Ephesians 2:19-21). Each stone is unique—different colors, compositions, and characteristics—yet all are fitted together according to God’s design. Just as the High Priest’s breastplate contained twelve distinct stones, each representing a different tribe yet all united on the priest’s chest, so believers maintain their individual identities while being built into one corporate dwelling place for God.

This building process requires shaping and refining. Natural stones extracted from mines arrive rough, unpolished, and unsuitable for their intended purpose. Peter writes, “Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:6-7). The testing of our faith, like the refining of gems, serves God’s purpose of preparing us for our eternal position. Paul expands this principle: “Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire” (1 Corinthians 3:12-13). Here precious stones represent doctrine and works that endure testing, contrasting with perishable materials that burn away.

The Three Primary Contexts: Tracing God’s Redemptive Plan

The High Priest’s Breastplate: Representative Stones

The first comprehensive presentation of precious stones appears in God’s instructions for the High Priest’s garments. God commanded Moses: “And thou shalt make the breastplate of judgment with cunning work” (Exodus 28:15). Upon this breastplate, four rows of three stones each were to be set: “And thou shalt set in it settings of stones, even four rows of stones: 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” (Exodus 28:17-20).

These twelve stones correspond to Israel’s twelve 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). Each stone bore the engraved name of one tribe, and the entire breastplate rested over Aaron’s heart when he ministered before the Lord: “And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy place, for a memorial before the LORD continually” (Exodus 28:29). Aaron, as High Priest, typified Christ, our great High Priest who ever lives to make intercession for us (Hebrews 7:25). Just as Aaron bore Israel’s names engraved on precious stones upon his heart, Christ bears His people constantly before the Father. The fact that each tribe had its own distinct stone emphasizes that God knows each of His children individually, values them as precious, and maintains them eternally in His presence.

The Covering of the Anointed Cherub: Original Adornment

The second major appearance of precious stones occurs in Ezekiel’s prophecy concerning the king of Tyrus. God declares: “Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created” (Ezekiel 28:13). This passage reveals that precious stones originally served as covering for one who held exalted position, described as “the anointed cherub that covereth” (Ezekiel 28:14).

This context teaches several vital truths about God’s sovereign purpose in creation. First, God created all things according to His own will and purpose, including those who would serve as vessels of wrath. As Paul writes, “Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?” (Romans 9:21). The adversary was created for the purpose he serves, as Isaiah records God saying, “I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things” (Isaiah 45:7). Second, the natural must precede the spiritual in all realms of God’s creation. As created beings under the universal principle established in 1 Corinthians 15:46, angels too remain in the natural/carnal state. This truth is confirmed by Paul’s declaration that “the saints shall judge angels” (1 Corinthians 6:3), for only the carnal requires judgment. Third, precious stones that adorned the natural covering must ultimately adorn the spiritual reality in the New Jerusalem.

Ezekiel describes the judgment: “By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire” (Ezekiel 28:16). The expulsion from the “stones of fire” signifies removal from the privileged position originally held, revealing God’s eternal principle: what adorned the first (the natural, carnal covering) will ultimately adorn the Last (Christ and His bride, the New Jerusalem).

New Jerusalem’s Foundations: Eternal Security

The third and final major presentation of precious stones appears in Revelation’s description of the New Jerusalem: “And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass. And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones” (Revelation 21:18-19). John then lists twelve foundation stones: “The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst” (Revelation 21:19-20).

These twelve foundations correspond to the twelve apostles of the Lamb, as John explicitly states: “And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb” (Revelation 21:14). Just as the twelve breastplate stones bore the names of Israel’s twelve tribes, these foundation stones bear the apostles’ names. What was once carried upon the priest’s heart is now established as the permanent foundation of God’s dwelling place. The New Jerusalem represents the ultimate fulfillment of God’s purpose—the bride of Christ, the dwelling place of God with His people, the culmination of all redemptive history.

The progression from breastplate to Eden’s covering to New Jerusalem’s foundations reveals God’s redemptive timeline. The breastplate stones represented God’s Old Covenant people, carried into His presence through priestly mediation. The Eden covering stones adorned one who fell through pride, demonstrating that the natural (even in the angelic realm) cannot endure but must be superseded by the spiritual. The New Jerusalem foundations establish God’s eternal dwelling place, built upon apostolic testimony concerning Christ, incorporating living stones who have been transformed from their natural Adamic state into their spiritual Christic nature. This progression moves from representation through corruption to permanence, from the first Adam to the Last Adam, from the earthly to the heavenly.

The Formation of Precious Stones: A Natural Type

Understanding how natural precious stones form provides powerful spiritual insight into how God forms precious character in believers. Gemstones develop through three primary processes, each with spiritual significance.

First, igneous formation occurs when molten rock cools and crystallizes under extreme heat. This parallels the refining fire of trial that believers experience, as Peter writes: “That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory” (1 Peter 1:7). Second, metamorphic formation happens when existing rocks undergo transformation through immense pressure and heat over long periods. This mirrors the spiritual transformation Paul describes: “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Corinthians 3:18). The Greek word for “changed” (metamorphoo, G3339) indicates complete transformation of nature. Third, sedimentary formation occurs when minerals dissolved in water crystallize gradually. This reflects spiritual growth through steady exposure to God’s word and His Spirit, as James instructs: “But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing” (James 1:4).

All three formation processes share common elements: time, pressure, heat, and hidden development. Gems do not form on earth’s surface where all can observe but deep underground, concealed from sight. Similarly, our spiritual formation occurs internally, hidden from public view. Paul writes, “For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3). The transformation happens within, in the secret place of the heart, where only God observes. When the gem finally emerges—when the believer’s character is tested and proven—the beauty that appears reflects the hidden work accomplished in darkness and pressure.

The extraction and preparation of gems also teaches spiritual lessons. Raw stones must be removed from their original matrix through violent breaking of surrounding rock, paralleling our separation from the world. After extraction, gems require cutting and polishing to reveal their beauty—a process that removes rough edges and brings forth hidden brilliance. This refining corresponds to sanctification, where God removes our unpleasant characteristics and develops the beauty of Christ’s character within us.

Colors, Composition and Characteristics: Reading the Symbolism

Each precious stone possesses unique color, chemical composition, and physical characteristics that serve as sacred vocabulary revealing specific spiritual truths. Throughout this series, we will examine how Scripture employs these natural properties as teaching tools, always comparing spiritual with spiritual and allowing Scripture to interpret Scripture.

Color carries consistent symbolic meaning across Scripture. Red, found in stones like ruby (sardius), represents blood—both the blood of sin and the blood of redemption. God declares, “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow” (Isaiah 1:18), while Paul writes of “redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” (Ephesians 1:7). Blue, seen in sapphire, consistently symbolizes heaven and authority, as 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). Green, appearing in emerald, represents life, growth, and mercy. Purple, seen in amethyst, signifies royalty and kingship, as when the soldiers mocked him “clothed him with purple, and platted a crown of thorns” (Mark 15:17), unwittingly declaring His true royal nature.

Composition reveals further truth. The hardness of gems instructs us—diamond, the hardest natural substance, speaks of truth that cannot be scratched or marred by any opposing force. Transparency versus opacity offers another layer of meaning. Clear stones like diamond allow light to pass through completely, symbolizing those who are becoming transparent before God, hiding nothing, reflecting His light purely. Translucent stones permit some light while maintaining color, picturing believers who reflect God’s light yet retain their individual characteristics and callings.

Conclusion: The Journey Ahead

We have laid the foundation for understanding precious stones in Scripture, establishing several critical principles that will guide us through the remainder of this series. Christ is the precious, chosen stone, the cornerstone, the foundation, the rock—and every other stone mentioned in Scripture ultimately points toward Him. Believers are living stones, transformed from their natural state with hardened hearts to spiritual stones fit for building God’s eternal house. The three primary biblical contexts—the High Priest’s breastplate, the covering in Eden, and New Jerusalem’s foundations—trace God’s redemptive purpose from past through present into eternity. The natural properties of gems serve as heavenly vocabulary revealing spiritual truths, all following the foundational pattern of progression from natural to spiritual, from Adamic to Christic, from earthly to heavenly.

As we proceed to examine individual gems in subsequent articles, we will discover how each stone reveals particular aspects of Christ’s nature, specific stages of our transformation, and unique facets of God’s eternal purpose. The sardius (ruby) will speak of blood, redemption, and the rights of the firstborn. The sapphire will declare heavenly truth and the throne of God. The diamond will testify of hardness—both the hardness of unbelieving hearts and the hardness of sacred truth that no opposition can mar. Each stone contributes its unique voice to the chorus of testimony about Christ and His people.

The prophet Malachi provides a fitting close to this foundational article, declaring what God says about His own: “And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels” (Malachi 3:17). The Hebrew word translated “jewels” (segullah, H5459) means “treasured possession” or “peculiar treasure.” God values His people as precious gems, unique treasures that He has chosen, formed through pressure and heat, extracted from the earth, refined and polished, and will ultimately set in His eternal city’s foundations. We who were once hardened in sin, dead in trespasses, alienated from God, have been made living stones by His grace, fitted together with fellow believers, being built into a holy temple where God Himself dwells. The journey from earth’s darkness where gems form to heaven’s glory where they shine eternally reflects our spiritual journey from death to life, from darkness to light, from bondage to freedom.

[Study Aired February 27, 2023]

Exo 39:1  And of the blue, and purple, and scarlet, they made cloths of service, to do service in the holy place, and made the holy garments for Aaron; as the LORD commanded Moses. 
Exo 39:2  And he made the ephod of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen. 
Exo 39:3  And they did beat the gold into thin plates, and cut it into wires, to work it in the blue, and in the purple, and in the scarlet, and in the fine linen, with cunning work. 
Exo 39:4  They made shoulderpieces for it, to couple it together: by the two edges was it coupled together. 
Exo 39:5  And the curious girdle of his ephod, that was upon it, was of the same, according to the work thereof; of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen; as the LORD commanded Moses. 
Exo 39:6  And they wrought onyx stones inclosed in ouches of gold, graven, as signets are graven, with the names of the children of Israel. 
Exo 39:7  And he put them on the shoulders of the ephod, that they should be stones for a memorial to the children of Israel; as the LORD commanded Moses. 
Exo 39:8  And he made the breastplate of cunning work, like the work of the ephod; of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen. 
Exo 39:9  It was foursquare; they made the breastplate double: a span was the length thereof, and a span the breadth thereof, being doubled. 
Exo 39:10  And they set in it four rows of stones: the first row was a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle: this was the first row. 
Exo 39:11  And the second row, an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond.
Exo 39:12  And the third row, a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst.
Exo 39:13  And the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper: they were inclosed in ouches of gold in their inclosings.
Exo 39:14  And the stones were according to the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, like the engravings of a signet, every one with his name, according to the twelve tribes. 
Exo 39:15  And they made upon the breastplate chains at the ends, of wreathen work of pure gold. 
Exo 39:16  And they made two ouches of gold, and two gold rings; and put the two rings in the two ends of the breastplate. 
Exo 39:17  And they put the two wreathen chains of gold in the two rings on the ends of the breastplate.
Exo 39:18  And the two ends of the two wreathen chains they fastened in the two ouches, and put them on the shoulderpieces of the ephod, before it. 
Exo 39:19  And they made two rings of gold, and put them on the two ends of the breastplate, upon the border of it, which was on the side of the ephod inward. 
Exo 39:20  And they made two other golden rings, and put them on the two sides of the ephod underneath, toward the forepart of it, over against the other coupling thereof, above the curious girdle of the ephod. 
Exo 39:21  And they did bind the breastplate by his rings unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it might be above the curious girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate might not be loosed from the ephod; as the LORD commanded Moses.
Exo 39:22  And he made the robe of the ephod of woven work, all of blue.
Exo 39:23  And there was an hole in the midst of the robe, as the hole of an habergeon, with a band round about the hole, that it should not rend. 
Exo 39:24  And they made upon the hems of the robe pomegranates of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and twined linen.
Exo 39:25  And they made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates upon the hem of the robe, round about between the pomegranates; 
Exo 39:26  A bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, round about the hem of the robe to minister in; as the LORD commanded Moses.
Exo 39:27  And they made coats of fine linen of woven work for Aaron, and for his sons, 
Exo 39:28  And a mitre of fine linen, and goodly bonnets of fine linen, and linen breeches of fine twined linen, 
Exo 39:29  And a girdle of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, of needlework; as the LORD commanded Moses.
Exo 39:30  And they made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and wrote upon it a writing, like to the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD. 
Exo 39:31  And they tied unto it a lace of blue, to fasten it on high upon the mitre; as the LORD commanded Moses. 
Exo 39:32  Thus was all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation finished: and the children of Israel did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so did they. 
Exo 39:33  And they brought the tabernacle unto Moses, the tent, and all his furniture, his taches, his boards, his bars, and his pillars, and his sockets, 
Exo 39:34  And the covering of rams’ skins dyed red, and the covering of badgers’ skins, and the vail of the covering, 
Exo 39:35  The ark of the testimony, and the staves thereof, and the mercy seat, 
Exo 39:36  The table, and all the vessels thereof, and the shewbread, 
Exo 39:37  The pure candlestick, with the lamps thereof, even with the lamps to be set in order, and all the vessels thereof, and the oil for light, 
Exo 39:38  And the golden altar, and the anointing oil, and the sweet incense, and the hanging for the tabernacle door, 
Exo 39:39  The brasen altar, and his grate of brass, his staves, and all his vessels, the laver and his foot,
Exo 39:40  The hangings of the court, his pillars, and his sockets, and the hanging for the court gate, his cords, and his pins, and all the vessels of the service of the tabernacle, for the tent of the congregation,
Exo 39:41  The cloths of service to do service in the holy place, and the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and his sons’ garments, to minister in the priest’s office. 
Exo 39:42  According to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so the children of Israel made all the work. 
Exo 39:43  And Moses did look upon all the work, and, behold, they had done it as the LORD had commanded, even so had they done it: and Moses blessed them.

This chapter captures the making of priestly garments. In the Bible, garments have both positive and negative connotations. On a positive note, priestly garments represent the righteousness of Christ. 

Isa 61:10  I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels. 

Rev 3:4  Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.
Rev 3:5  He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

The negative aspect of garments reflects the sinful deeds of the flesh during our walk in Babylon and the world.  That is why, in the scriptures, we are admonished to change our garments when we come to Christ as shown in the following:

Mar 10:50  And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus.

Zec 3:3  Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel. 
Zec 3:4  And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.
Zec 3:5  And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the LORD stood by.

Gen 35:2  Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments:

What we need to know is that without these priestly garments, which reflect our righteousness in Christ, we cannot enter into the presence of the Lord. In the parable of the prodigal son, when he came to himself and asked for forgiveness from his father, he received a new garment or robe.

Luk 15:22  But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:

Exo 39:1  And of the blue, and purple, and scarlet, they made cloths of service, to do service in the holy place, and made the holy garments for Aaron; as the LORD commanded Moses. 

The color red or scarlet symbolizes the first Adam being of the earth, while the color blue symbolizes the last Adam – Jesus Christ coming to be in our heavens. The colors purple and scarlet remind us of our sojourn in Babylon where our adamic nature became obvious while living under the law as shown in the following verses:

Rev 18:15  The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, 
Rev 18:16  And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!

What this means is that to change our old garments of flesh to put on Christ our righteousness, we must first recognize our spiritual poverty (purple and scarlet linen) while in Babylon before we are turned into blue linen, that is, Christ coming to us. All humanity must pass through the same process to put on the righteousness of Christ.

Ecc 9:2  All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.

Exo 39:2  And he made the ephod of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.
Exo 39:3  And they did beat the gold into thin plates, and cut it into wires, to work it in the blue, and in the purple, and in the scarlet, and in the fine linen, with cunning work.

The ephod was a garment of great importance and was a type of apron. It was an object to be revered in ancient Israelite culture. The ephod of the high priest was very special because it had a chest of twelve jewels on its front, which represent the twelve tribes of Israel. The ephod is worn as a ceremonial dress by the High Priest. We know that the High Priest is our Lord Jesus Christ. From the scriptures, our Lord Jesus Christ’s garment that He wore represents Him. That is why when the woman with the flow of blood touched Jesus’ garment, Jesus said that someone has touched Him. 

Luk 8:43  And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any, 
Luk 8:44  Came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched. 
Luk 8:45  And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? 

This means the spiritual significance of putting on the ephod garment is to put on Christ.

Rom 13:14  But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

The question is, “What does it mean to put on Christ?” The verse above shows us that to put on Christ means not to focus on gratifying the desires of the sinful nature. 

The ephod must be of fine linen and colored gold, blue, purple and scarlet. The color gold signifies the need to be refined just like gold refined in the fire. This is the judgment of our old man which brings us to learn righteousness. That is what will qualify us to put on Christ, the ephod. 

Job 23:10  But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

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 fact that the ephod must have blue, purple and scarlet is to make us aware that putting on the righteousness of Christ is a process. We start our walk being earthy or scarlet or of the flesh. Then we proceed to the color purple which is a mixture of blue and red. As shown earlier, the color blue represents Christ coming to us in our earthly or fleshy state to produce the color purple. This represents our life in Babylon where our righteousness is of the letter of the word or the law of Moses. Finally, if we are called and chosen, then Christ will come to us with His judgment to conform us to the righteousness of Christ, represented by blue.

Exo 39:4  They made shoulderpieces for it, to couple it together: by the two edges was it coupled together. 
Exo 39:5  And the curious girdle of his ephod, that was upon it, was of the same, according to the work thereof; of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen; as the LORD commanded Moses. 

In order for the ephod to become complete, two shoulder pieces must be joined to its two edges.  As indicated earlier, the ephod represents Christ our Lord. The two shoulder pieces are the elect and the rest of humanity who are to be joined to Christ at different times to complete the work of Christ. 

1Co 15:22  For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 
1Co 15:23  But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 
1Co 15:24  Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power.

The girdle of the ephod must also be gold, blue, purple and scarlet. It represents the truth of the word of the Lord. What this means is that to be given to know the mysteries of Christ, we must come to understand our spiritual poverty in Babylon (signified by the colors scarlet and purple) before Christ comes to us (represented by blue) to refine us (symbolized by the color gold) to learn righteousness.

Mal 3:1  Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts. 
Mal 3:2  But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. 
Mal 3:3  He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the LORD.

Exo 39:6  And they wrought onyx stones inclosed in ouches of gold, graven, as signets are graven, with the names of the children of Israel.
Exo 39:7  And he put them on the shoulders of the ephod, that they should be stones for a memorial to the children of Israel; as the LORD commanded Moses.

Two onyx stones are to be mounted in gold and fastened on the ephod’s shoulder pieces. These stones are to be engraved with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel with six names on one and six on the other. These stones represent the elect as we are fastened to the Lord’s shoulders. This means that when He comes to us, He carries us on His shoulders. Being carried on the shoulder means that it is the Lord who does the work – we are only resting on His shoulders as He does the walking (leads us).

Luk 15:4  What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? 
Luk 15:5  And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.

Exo 39:8  And he made the breastplate of cunning work, like the work of the ephod; of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.
Exo 39:9  It was foursquare; they made the breastplate double: a span was the length thereof, and a span the breadth thereof, being doubled.

The breastplate was one of the sacred priestly garments to be worn by the High Priest. As a breastplate, its primary spiritual significance is that it stands for the righteousness of Christ. 

Eph 6:14  Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

In Exodus 28:15, however, it is called the breastplate of judgment in connection with the attachment of the Urim and Thummim. The judgment here relates to knowing the mind of Christ concerning issues brought before the Lord. We can therefore see that it is only when we put on the righteousness of Christ we can know the mind of Christ. That is to say that it is when we offer our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to the Lord, that we are able to know the will of God in our lives.

Rom 12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 
Rom 12:2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

The breastplate was to be made of fine twined linen of gold, blue, purple and scarlet. As indicated earlier, this refers to the process we must go through to put on the righteousness of Christ. What this means is that we must come to understand our spiritual poverty in Babylon (signified by the colors scarlet and purple) before Christ comes to us (represented by blue) to refine us (symbolized by the color gold) to learn righteousness.

The fact that the breastplate must be four squared in shape is to let us know that all humanity must obtain the standard of the righteousness of Christ, though each in his own order. This is also another way of saying that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. No man can come to God without Christ. 

Joh 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Exo 39:10  And they set in it four rows of stones: the first row was a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle: this was the first row. 
Exo 39:11  And the second row, an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond. 
Exo 39:12  And the third row, a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst.
Exo 39:13  And the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper: they were inclosed in ouches of gold in their inclosings.
Exo 39:14  And the stones were according to the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, like the engravings of a signet, every one with his name, according to the twelve tribes.

The precious stones represent the elect. The fact that the stones are of different types is to suggest that we all play different roles in the body of Christ. 

Rom 12:3  For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. 
Rom 12:4  For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: 
Rom 12:5  So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. 
Rom 12:6  Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;
Rom 12:7  Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; 
Rom 12:8  Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness. 

Aaron was the first High Priest. Aaron represents Christ, who is our High Priest and bears the names of all the elect of every generation in His heart. This is another way of saying that as our High Priest, Jesus is able to sympathize with our weaknesses as He intercedes on our behalf. 

Heb 4:14  Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. 
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. 
Heb 4:16  Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Rom 8:34  Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.

Exo 39:15  And they made upon the breastplate chains at the ends, of wreathen work of pure gold. 
Exo 39:16  And they made two ouches of gold, and two gold rings; and put the two rings in the two ends of the breastplate. 
Exo 39:17  And they put the two wreathen chains of gold in the two rings on the ends of the breastplate.
Exo 39:18  And the two ends of the two wreathen chains they fastened in the two ouches, and put them on the shoulderpieces of the ephod, before it. 
Exo 39:19  And they made two rings of gold, and put them on the two ends of the breastplate, upon the border of it, which was on the side of the ephod inward. 
Exo 39:20  And they made two other golden rings, and put them on the two sides of the ephod underneath, toward the forepart of it, over against the other coupling thereof, above the curious girdle of the ephod. 
Exo 39:21  And they did bind the breastplate by his rings unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it might be above the curious girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate might not be loosed from the ephod; as the LORD commanded Moses.

The priests wore a long robe covering their whole body, then on top of this robe, there was a tunic, a kind of coat (breastplate) to the knees. On top of the tunic there was the ephod. These verses are to show us how the ephod is fastened to the breastplate (coat) through chains and rings made of pure gold. The importance of the chains and the rings is to ensure that the breastplate does not swing out from the ephod. As we have indicated, the whole of the priestly garments represents Christ. Since we are the body of Christ, we also represent the priestly garments. Just as the breastplate and the ephod must be fitly joined together, so is the body of Christ which must be fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplies.

Eph 4:16  From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

Fitly joined together implies that there are no divisions in Christ. Any sign of division means that we have failed. We are all of the same mind pursuing one goal in Christ, which is to please God, and this is achieved through what everyone offers in the house of God. 

1Co 1:12  Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.
1Co 1:13  Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul? 

1Co 3:3  For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? 
1Co 3:4  For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? 

1Co 1:10  Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

Exo 39:22  And he made the robe of the ephod of woven work, all of blue.
Exo 39:23  And there was an hole in the midst of the robe, as the hole of an habergeon, with a band round about the hole, that it should not rend. 
Exo 39:24  And they made upon the hems of the robe pomegranates of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and twined linen.
Exo 39:25  And they made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates upon the hem of the robe, round about between the pomegranates; 
Exo 39:26  A bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, round about the hem of the robe to minister in; as the LORD commanded Moses.

As we have indicated, the color blue represents the Lord Jesus in our heavens. The robe of the ephod represents righteousness. These verses therefore imply that our righteousness is of Christ and not by ourselves. 

Php 3:8  Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
Php 3:9  And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

The robe of the ephod must have an opening for the head in the middle of it. This opening should have a woven binding around it so that it does not tear. This woven binding is decorated with pomegranates of blue, purple and scarlet yarns around the hem with bells of gold in-between them.

Spiritually, the opening for the head regarding the robe of the ephod is another way of saying that in order to put on the righteousness of Christ, we should make a way for the Lord. To make a way for the Lord is to repent from our sins. In other words, we must be aware of spiritual poverty if we are to repent from our sins. This is the message that John the Baptist preached throughout his ministry.

Luk 3:2  Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.
Luk 3:3  And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins;
Luk 3:4  As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

As stated in verse 23, the opening for the head and the binding of woven work are what prevent the robe of the ephod from tearing. As indicated, the woven work is the embroidery work of pomegranates of blue, purple and scarlet, inter-spaced with golden bells. Pomegranates symbolize the bearing of the fruit of the spirit when we start to possess our bodies or land.

Deu 8:7  For the LORD thy God bringeth thee into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills;
Deu 8:8  A land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of oil olive, and honey;

The embroidery work of pomegranates of blue, purple and scarlet is to remind us that we start our walk in the Lord bearing fruits of the flesh (purple and scarlet) before we bear the fruit of the spirit or Christ.

The golden bells, which are part of the embroidery work, are inter-spaced between the pomegranates. As we indicated in the previous study, the robe is one of the sacred articles of clothing for the High Priest. It was worn under the ephod. The significance of the robe was the bells attached to it. Their sounding as a result of Aaron’s movement, is to alert those outside the Holy place that Aaron is alive and well. The symbol of the golden bells on the embroidery work is therefore to remind us of the holiness of the Lord. It is when we walk in holiness that we are alive in Christ. The bells therefore represent holiness. 

Zec 14:20  In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD; and the pots in the LORD’S house shall be like the bowls before the altar.

Exo 39:27  And they made coats of fine linen of woven work for Aaron, and for his sons,

Aaron and his sons represent the elect of every generation. All the Lord’s elect are priests before the Lord and are therefore required to serve or minister in the presence of the Lord.

1Pe 2:9  But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

Though many priests served in the Tabernacle, there was only one acting High Priest at any given time. The first High Priest was Aaron, the brother of Moses. At his death, the office of High Priest was then transferred to his oldest son, down through the generations. As we are aware, we are the firstborn sons and therefore are entitled to wear these priestly garments as transferred to us by the Lord Jesus Christ who is our High Priest.

Heb 12:23  To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,

Exo 39:28  And a mitre of fine linen, and goodly bonnets of fine linen, and linen breeches of fine twined linen, 
Exo 39:29  And a girdle of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, of needlework; as the LORD commanded Moses.
Exo 39:30  And they made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and wrote upon it a writing, like to the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD. 
Exo 39:31  And they tied unto it a lace of blue, to fasten it on high upon the mitre; as the LORD commanded Moses. 

Now we come to the mitre which is the turban that covers the head of Aaron, the high priest. The mitre or the turban represents the helmet of salvation. Remember that all parts of the priestly garments are to be made of fine linen as linen which does not cause sweat. This means that putting on the righteousness of Christ is not the work of man. Everything is of Christ.

Eph 6:17  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 

Eze 44:17  And it shall come to pass, that when they enter in at the gates of the inner court, they shall be clothed with linen garments; and no wool shall come upon them, whiles they minister in the gates of the inner court, and within.
Eze 44:18  They shall have linen bonnets upon their heads, and shall have linen breeches upon their loins; they shall not gird themselves with any thing that causeth sweat.

In verse 30, the mitre bears the inscription “Holiness to the Lord” and was to be put on the forehead of Aaron, the high priest. This is to remind us that we were marked by the Lord to walk in holiness before the world began.

Eph 1:4  According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 
Eph 1:5  Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
Eph 1:6  To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

The fact that the inscription was made of gold is to show us the need to be refined just like gold refined in the fire to attain holiness. This is the judgment of our old man which brings us to learn righteousness. 

Job 23:10  But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

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.

In verse 31, the inscription was to be put on a blue lace. The color blue signifies the Lord Jesus in our heavens. It is when the Lord comes to our heavens that we can attain holiness and be designated as “Holiness to the Lord”.

Exo 39:32  Thus was all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation finished: and the children of Israel did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so did they. 
Exo 39:33  And they brought the tabernacle unto Moses, the tent, and all his furniture, his taches, his boards, his bars, and his pillars, and his sockets, 
Exo 39:34  And the covering of rams’ skins dyed red, and the covering of badgers’ skins, and the vail of the covering, 
Exo 39:35  The ark of the testimony, and the staves thereof, and the mercy seat, 
Exo 39:36  The table, and all the vessels thereof, and the shewbread, 
Exo 39:37  The pure candlestick, with the lamps thereof, even with the lamps to be set in order, and all the vessels thereof, and the oil for light, 
Exo 39:38  And the golden altar, and the anointing oil, and the sweet incense, and the hanging for the tabernacle door, 
Exo 39:39  The brasen altar, and his grate of brass, his staves, and all his vessels, the laver and his foot,
Exo 39:40  The hangings of the court, his pillars, and his sockets, and the hanging for the court gate, his cords, and his pins, and all the vessels of the service of the tabernacle, for the tent of the congregation,
Exo 39:41  The cloths of service to do service in the holy place, and the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and his sons’ garments, to minister in the priest’s office.

These verses are to demonstrate the work carried out in building a tabernacle for the Lord to dwell. This is New Jerusalem where the Lord dwells with His people. Our temple will be completed in the fullness of time when we see our Lord Jesus Christ face to face.

1Co 13:10  But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. 
1Co 13:11  When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 
1Co 13:12  For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

Exo 39:42  According to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so the children of Israel made all the work.
Exo 39:43  And Moses did look upon all the work, and, behold, they had done it as the LORD had commanded, even so had they done it: and Moses blessed them. 

These verses remind us that we should build according to the pattern, which is Christ. 

Exo 25:40  And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount.

Moses here signifies the elect. As Moses was faithful in executing all that the Lord required, we are required to be faithful in building the temple of the Lord.

Heb 3:4  For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God. 
Heb 3:5  And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after;

May the Lord grant us the grace to be faithful to building according to the pattern of Christ. Amen!!

Exodus 28:22-43  Instructions About Priests’ Garments, Part 2

[Study Aired November 28, 2022]

Exo 28:22  And thou shalt make upon the breastplate chains at the ends of wreathen work of pure gold. 
Exo 28:23  And thou shalt make upon the breastplate two rings of gold, and shalt put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate. 
Exo 28:24  And thou shalt put the two wreathen chains of gold in the two rings which are on the ends of the breastplate. 
Exo 28:25  And the other two ends of the two wreathen chains thou shalt fasten in the two ouches, and put them on the shoulderpieces of the ephod before it. 
Exo 28:26  And thou shalt make two rings of gold, and thou shalt put them upon the two ends of the breastplate in the border thereof, which is in the side of the ephod inward. 
Exo 28:27  And two other rings of gold thou shalt make, and shalt put them on the two sides of the ephod underneath, toward the forepart thereof, over against the other coupling thereof, above the curious girdle of the ephod. 
Exo 28:28  And they shall bind the breastplate by the rings thereof unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it may be above the curious girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate be not loosed from the ephod. 
Exo 28:29  And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy place, for a memorial before the LORD continually. 
Exo 28:30  And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be upon Aaron’s heart, when he goeth in before the LORD: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the LORD continually. 
Exo 28:31  And thou shalt make the robe of the ephod all of blue. 
Exo 28:32  And there shall be an hole in the top of it, in the midst thereof: it shall have a binding of woven work round about the hole of it, as it were the hole of an habergeon, that it be not rent. 
Exo 28:33  And beneath upon the hem of it thou shalt make pomegranates of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, round about the hem thereof; and bells of gold between them round about: 
Exo 28:34  A golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the hem of the robe round about. 
Exo 28:35  And it shall be upon Aaron to minister: and his sound shall be heard when he goeth in unto the holy place before the LORD, and when he cometh out, that he die not. 
Exo 28:36  And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, like the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD. 
Exo 28:37  And thou shalt put it on a blue lace, that it may be upon the mitre; upon the forefront of the mitre it shall be. 
Exo 28:38  And it shall be upon Aaron’s forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts; and it shall be always upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before the LORD. 
Exo 28:39  And thou shalt embroider the coat of fine linen, and thou shalt make the mitre of fine linen, and thou shalt make the girdle of needlework. 
Exo 28:40  And for Aaron’s sons thou shalt make coats, and thou shalt make for them girdles, and bonnets shalt thou make for them, for glory and for beauty.
Exo 28:41  And thou shalt put them upon Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him; and shalt anoint them, and consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister unto me in the priest’s office.
Exo 28:42  And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover their nakedness; from the loins even unto the thighs they shall reach:
Exo 28:43  And they shall be upon Aaron, and upon his sons, when they come in unto the tabernacle of the congregation, or when they come near unto the altar to minister in the holy place; that they bear not iniquity, and die: it shall be a statute for ever unto him and his seed after him.

The second part of Exodus chapter 28 continues with instructions about the making of priestly garments. As indicated in the study of the first part of this chapter, garments have both positive and negative connotations. On a positive note, priestly garments represent the righteousness of Christ.

Isa 61:10  I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels. 

Rev 3:4  Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.
Rev 3:5  He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

The negative aspect of garments reflects the sinful deeds of the flesh during our walk in Babylon and the world.  That is why in the scriptures, we are admonished to change our garments when we come to Christ as shown in the following scripture:

Mar 10:50  And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus.

Zec 3:3  Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel.
Zec 3:4  And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment. 
Zec 3:5  And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the LORD stood by. 

Gen 35:2  Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments: 

These priestly garments reflect our righteousness in Christ and without them, we cannot enter into the presence of the Lord. In the parable of the prodigal son, when he came to himself and asked for forgiveness from his father, he received a new garment or robe.

Luk 15:22  But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:

What is significant about the priestly garments is that they were all to be made of linen.

Lev 16:3  Thus shall Aaron come into the holy place: with a young bullock for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering. 
Lev 16:4  He shall put on the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh, and shall be girded with a linen girdle, and with the linen mitre shall he be attired: these are holy garments; therefore shall he wash his flesh in water, and so put them on.

As we can see, the garments of the priests were made of linen. This is because it is a very unique fabric which keeps the wearer cool in hot weather, and warm when it is cold. Linen, therefore, does not cause sweat. Sweat represents exertion of effort or energy.

Gen 3:19  In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

Eze 44:15  But the priests the Levites, the sons of Zadok, that kept the charge of my sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from me, they shall come near to me to minister unto me, and they shall stand before me to offer unto me the fat and the blood, saith the Lord GOD: 
Eze 44:16  They shall enter into my sanctuary, and they shall come near to my table, to minister unto me, and they shall keep my charge. 
Eze 44:17  And it shall come to pass, that when they enter in at the gates of the inner court, they shall be clothed with linen garments; and no wool shall come upon them, whiles they minister in the gates of the inner court, and within. 
Eze 44:18  They shall have linen bonnets upon their heads, and shall have linen breeches upon their loins; they shall not gird themselves with any thing that causeth sweat.

The spiritual significance of wearing linen is to let us know that our salvation, including the changing of our garments into priestly outfits, is all the result of the work of God. Man plays no part in the things of God.

Rom 9:16  So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.

In today’s study, we will continue to learn more about other aspects of the priestly garments – the breastpiece, the mitre or the turban and the linen undergarment.

Exo 28:22  And thou shalt make upon the breastplate chains at the ends of wreathen work of pure gold.
Exo 28:23  And thou shalt make upon the breastplate two rings of gold, and shalt put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate. 
Exo 28:24  And thou shalt put the two wreathen chains of gold in the two rings which are on the ends of the breastplate. 
Exo 28:25  And the other two ends of the two wreathen chains thou shalt fasten in the two ouches, and put them on the shoulderpieces of the ephod before it. 
Exo 28:26  And thou shalt make two rings of gold, and thou shalt put them upon the two ends of the breastplate in the border thereof, which is in the side of the ephod inward.
Exo 28:27  And two other rings of gold thou shalt make, and shalt put them on the two sides of the ephod underneath, toward the forepart thereof, over against the other coupling thereof, above the curious girdle of the ephod. 
Exo 28:28  And they shall bind the breastplate by the rings thereof unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it may be above the curious girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate be not loosed from the ephod.

The priests wore a long robe covering their whole body, then on top of this robe, there was a tunic, a kind of coat (breastplate) to the knees. On top of the tunic there was the ephod. These verses are to show us how the ephod is fastened to the breastplate (coat) through chains and rings made of pure gold. The importance of the chains and the rings is to ensure that the breastplate does not swing out from the ephod. As we have indicated, the whole of the priestly garments represents Christ. Since we are the body of Christ, we also represent the priestly garments. Just as the breastplate and the ephod must be fitly joined together, so is the body of Christ which must be fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplies.

Eph 4:16  From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. 

Fitly joined together implies that there are no divisions in Christ. Any sign of division means that we have failed. We are all of the same mind pursuing one goal in Christ which is to please God, and this is achieved through what everyone offers in the house of God.

1Co 1:12  Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. 
1Co 1:13  Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul? 

1Co 3:3  For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? 
1Co 3:4  For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? 

1Co 1:10  Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

Exo 28:29  And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy place, for a memorial before the LORD continually. 

Aaron was the first High Priest. Aaron represents Christ who is our High Priest and bears the names of all the elect of every generation in His heart. Verse 29 is therefore another way of saying that as our High Priest, Jesus is able to sympathize with our weaknesses as He intercedes on our behalf.

Heb 4:14  Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. 
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.
Heb 4:16  Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. 

Rom 8:34  Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.

Exo 28:30  And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be upon Aaron’s heart, when he goeth in before the LORD: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the LORD continually. 

The Urim and the Thummim are parts of the breastplate worn by the High Priest attached to the ephod. They were priestly devices for knowing the mind of God concerning a matter that was brought to Him. Scripture is unclear how these two elements are used by the Priests to know the will of God in a matter. Urim means “light” and Thummim symbolizes perfection. This means that being perfect in the sight of God means walking in His light or will.

Gen 17:1  When Abram was ninety-nine years old the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless,

During the time of Nehemiah, certain tribes who came from Babylon could not find their names in the register as Priests. They were therefore requested not to eat holy things until there stood up a Priest with Urim and Thummim. This is significant in the sense that it shows us that we, His elect, representing the Priest with Urim and Thummim, are the only ones who can discern the mind of Christ and also know whether one is a priest (an elect) or not.

Neh 7:63  And of the priests: the children of Habaiah, the children of Koz, the children of Barzillai, which took one of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite to wife, and was called after their name.
Neh 7:64  These sought their register among those that were reckoned by genealogy, but it was not found: therefore were they, as polluted, put from the priesthood. 
Neh 7:65  And the Tirshatha said unto them, that they should not eat of the most holy things, till there stood up a priest with Urim and Thummim.

Exo 28:31  And thou shalt make the robe of the ephod all of blue. 

As we have indicated, the color blue represents the Lord Jesus in our heavens. The robe of the ephod represents righteousness. Verse 31 therefore implies that our righteousness is of Christ and not by ourselves.

Php 3:8  Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, 
Php 3:9  And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

Exo 28:32  And there shall be an hole in the top of it, in the midst thereof: it shall have a binding of woven work round about the hole of it, as it were the hole of an habergeon, that it be not rent.
Exo 28:33  And beneath upon the hem of it thou shalt make pomegranates of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, round about the hem thereof; and bells of gold between them round about: 
Exo 28:34  A golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the hem of the robe round about.

The robe of the ephod must have an opening for the head in the middle of it. This opening should have a woven binding around it so that it does not tear. This woven binding is decorated with pomegranates of blue, purple and scarlet yarns around the hem with bells of gold between them.

Spiritually, the opening for the head regarding the robe of the ephod is another way of saying that in order to put on the righteousness of Christ, we should make a way for the Lord. To make a way for the Lord is to repent from our sins. In other words, we must be aware of spiritual poverty if we are to repent from our sins. This is the message that John the Baptist preached throughout his ministry.

Luk 3:2  Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. 
Luk 3:3  And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins; 
Luk 3:4  As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

As stated in verse 32, the opening for the head and the binding of woven work are what prevent the robe of the ephod from tearing. As indicated, the woven work is the embroidery work of pomegranates of blue, purple and scarlet, inter-spaced with golden bells. Pomegranates symbolize the bearing of the fruit of the spirit when we start to possess our bodies or land.

Deu 8:7  For the LORD thy God bringeth thee into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills;
Deu 8:8  A land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of oil olive, and honey;

The embroidery work of pomegranates of blue, purple and scarlet is to remind us that we start our walk in the Lord bearing fruits of the flesh (purple and scarlet) before we bear the fruit of the spirit or Christ.

Gal 5:19  Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
Gal 5:20  Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 
Gal 5:21  Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
Gal 5:22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 
Gal 5:23  Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Gal 5:24  And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

As indicated in the previous study, putting on the ephod garment is to put on Christ.

Rom 13:14  But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

The question is, “what does it mean to put on Christ?” The verse above shows us that to put on Christ means not to focus on gratifying the desires of the sinful nature.

The golden bells which are part of the embroidery work are inter-spaced between the pomegranates. As we indicated in the previous study, the robe is one of the sacred articles of clothing for the High Priest. It was worn under the ephod. The significance of the robe was the bells attached to it. Their sounding as a result of Aaron’s movement, is to alert those outside the Holy place that Aaron is alive and well. The symbol of the golden bells on the embroidery work is therefore to remind us of the holiness of the Lord. It is when we walk in holiness that we are alive in Christ. The bells therefore represent holiness.

Zec 14:20  In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD; and the pots in the LORD’S house shall be like the bowls before the altar.

Exo 28:35  And it shall be upon Aaron to minister: and his sound shall be heard when he goeth in unto the holy place before the LORD, and when he cometh out, that he die not.
Exo 28:36  And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, like the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD. 
Exo 28:37  And thou shalt put it on a blue lace, that it may be upon the mitre; upon the forefront of the mitre it shall be. 
Exo 28:38  And it shall be upon Aaron’s forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts; and it shall be always upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before the LORD. 

Now we come to the mitre, which is the turban that covers the head of Aaron, the high priest. As we indicated in the previous study, putting on these priestly garments is not different from putting on the whole armor of God, which is to help us stand against the wiles of the devil. The mitre or the turban represents the helmet of salvation.

Eph 6:11  Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

Eph 6:17  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

In verse 36, the mitre bears the inscription “Holiness to the Lord” and was to be put on the forehead of Aaron, the high priest. This is to remind us that we were marked by the Lord to walk in holiness before the world began.

Eph 1:4  According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
Eph 1:5  Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 
Eph 1:6  To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

The fact that the inscription was made of gold is to show us the need to be refined just like gold refined in the fire to attain holiness. This is the judgment of our old man which brings us to learn righteousness.

Job 23:10  But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

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.

In verse 37, the inscription was to be put on a blue lace. The color blue signifies the Lord Jesus in our heavens. It is when the Lord comes to our heavens that we can attain holiness and be designated as “Holiness to the Lord”.

Exo 28:39  And thou shalt embroider the coat of fine linen, and thou shalt make the mitre of fine linen, and thou shalt make the girdle of needlework.
Exo 28:40  And for Aaron’s sons thou shalt make coats, and thou shalt make for them girdles, and bonnets shalt thou make for them, for glory and for beauty. 
Exo 28:41  And thou shalt put them upon Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him; and shalt anoint them, and consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister unto me in the priest’s office.

Aaron and his sons represent the elect of every generation. All the Lord’s elect are priests before the Lord and are therefore required to serve or minister in the presence of the Lord.

1Pe 2:9  But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

Though many priests served in the Tabernacle, there was only one acting High Priest at any given time. The first High Priest was Aaron, the brother of Moses. At his death, the office of High Priest was then transferred to his oldest son, down through the generations. As we are aware, we are the firstborn sons and therefore are entitled to wear these priestly garments as transferred to us by the Lord Jesus Christ who is our High Priest.

Heb 12:23  To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,

Here in verse 40, we are given two reasons why the elect must be clothed with the holy garments. It is for glory and for beauty that we are required to put on the holy garments. The holy garments refer to the righteousness of Christ. The glory here refers to the glory of the Lord which represents the Lord Jesus Christ. What this means is that it is when we walk in righteousness (Put on the holy garments) that we can know Christ (see His glory). The other reason for putting on the holy garments is for beauty. This beauty spiritually means to worship the Lord in holiness.

1Ch 16:29  Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.

Psa 96:9  O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.

Verse 40 suggests that it is when we walk in righteousness we can worship the Lord in holiness.

Exo 28:42  And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover their nakedness; from the loins even unto the thighs they shall reach: 
Exo 28:43  And they shall be upon Aaron, and upon his sons, when they come in unto the tabernacle of the congregation, or when they come near unto the altar to minister in the holy place; that they bear not iniquity, and die: it shall be a statute for ever unto him and his seed after him.

We are commanded to make linen undergarments as a covering for the body, reaching from the waist to the thigh. Here in verse 42, we are given additional reasons why we need to put on these priestly garments. That is, to cover our nakedness. As we put on the righteousness of Christ, our nakedness is covered. This also implies that we do not uncover the nakedness of our brothers and sisters. The nakedness here spiritually signifies our wrongdoing or sins. It is through love (obedience to the Lord) that we are able to cover the multitude of sins of our brothers and sisters.

1Pe 4:8  And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity (love) shall cover the multitude of sins.

May the Lord be merciful to us and grant us the grace to put on Christ, and as we do, we do not make provision for the flesh. Amen!!

1Ki 20:1-21  “Whose fan is in his hand…”

[Study Aired June 2, 2022]

The title of this study is taken from Matthew 3:12 where we learn with this statement of John the Baptist what God will do through Christ via the unquenchable fire which represents God’s word that will actively and completely judge God’s people (Rev 15:8). The two things that will happen for those who are being judged in this age  (1Pe 4:17, 1Pe 4:12, 1Jn 4:17) are described in these terms; wheat will be gathered into the garner and the chaff will be burnt up with unquenchable fire.

Mat 3:12  Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. 

Rev 15:8  And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled. 

It is “his floor“, our heavenly Father’s and Christ’s floor (Joh 16:14-15), where all this activity is taking place; where Christ and His body will stand upon it, and where Peter, who represents the church, will be built upon the cornerstone Jesus Christ (Mat 16:18). Christ is set upon that floor by God (1Co 12:18, 1Pe 2:5-6) as the first of the kind of first fruits and sure foundation (1Co 3:11) who endured great suffering (Isa 53:4, Isa 53:10) so that He, as our forerunner, could help His body endure the winnowing process we must all endure to be fitly framed into the temple of God (Heb 4:15, Eph 2:21-22).

Joh 16:14  He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. 
Joh 16:15  All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you. 

Eph 2:21  In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: 
Eph 2:22  In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. 

1Co 12:18  But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. 

1Pe 2:5  Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. 
1Pe 2:6  Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion [1Co 12:18] a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. 

The scriptures we will look at in 1 Kings 20:1-43 were written for our admonition “upon whom the ends of the world are come” (1Co 10:11). The battles of which we will read between Syria and Israel, between Benhadad and Ahab, are very instructive in showing us how we will overcome our principle enemy within through Christ who is working in us both to will and to do God’s good pleasure (Php 2:12-13). His pleasure is to give us the kingdom of God in earnest within us today (Luk 12:32, Luk 17:21, Eph 1:14) as He thoroughly purges us day by day as we die daily (1Co 15:31).  He is giving us what is needed to patiently possess our souls as doers of the word until the glorious day when we will inherit the kingdom in its fullness in the first resurrection, if we are granted to endure until the end through this process of judgment (Eph 6:12, Mat 6:34, Luk 21:19, Rev 11:15, Mat 24:13).

Php 2:13  For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. 

Luk 12:32  Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

This battle between Syria and Israel, and all the lessons that Ahab the king of Israel had to learn, are all type and shadow events written for the elect’s sake (2Co 4:15) to teach us how to deal with sin in our members (Rom 7:23) as we learn to forsake ungodliness and worldly lusts (Tit 2:12).  As a result of the destruction of our man of sin, typified by Benhadad along with a long list of other evil kings who also attacked Israel at their appointed time (Amo 3:6), Israel, being a type of the Israel of God, is the apple of God’s eye even as we are Satan’s primary target whom he wants to kill and destroy spiritually (Zec 2:8, Psa 17:8,Joh 10:10).

Gal 6:16  And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God. 

Zec 2:8  For thus saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye. 

Psa 17:8  Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings, 

Joh 10:10  The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly [“under the shadow of thy wings“].

1Ki 20:1   And Benhadad the king of Syria gathered all his host together: and there were thirty and two kings with him, and horses, and chariots: and he went up and besieged Samaria, and warred against it. 
1Ki 20:2  And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel into the city, and said unto him, Thus saith Benhadad, 
1Ki 20:3  Thy silver and thy gold is mine; thy wives also and thy children, even the goodliest, are mine. 
1Ki 20:4  And the king of Israel answered and said, My lord, O king, according to thy saying, I am thine, and all that I have.

Benhadad and all his host that have been gathered to battle against Israel represent the powers and principalities God’s people wrestle against all the time (Eph 6:12). Benhadad is God’s sword in His hand (Psa 17:13-14) who has “thirty and two kings with him, and horses, and chariots: and he went up and besieged Samaria, and warred against it.” The 32 kings have all the right combination of numbers to witness [2] to us this process of judgment [3] upon Ahab who is learning for the elect’s sake one of many ways God’s grace is administered to us in this life – “by thy sword” [3+2=5].

Psa 17:13  Arise, O Jehovah, Confront him, cast him down: Deliver my soul from the wicked by thy sword;

None of “thy silver and thy gold”, “thy wives also and thy children, the goodliest”, were Benhadad’s, and yet by merely sending a seducing spirit via the messengers that Benhadad sent, Ahab very nearly gave up so much wealth to this evil king’s desire (Mat 4:9) saying, “My lord, O king, according to thy saying, I am thine, and all that I have.” The spiritual lesson for God’s elect is to know what is yours and to hold fast to it, as you cleave to God and resist the devil (2Pe 1:4, Rev 3:11, Jas 4:7).

2Pe 1:4  Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: [represented by “Thy silver and thy gold is mine; thy wives also and thy children, even the goodliest“] that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 

Rev 3:11  Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. 

Jas 4:7  Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 

1Ki 20:5  And the messengers came again, and said, Thus speaketh Benhadad, saying, Although I have sent unto thee, saying, Thou shalt deliver me thy silver, and thy gold, and thy wives, and thy children; 
1Ki 20:6  Yet I will send my servants unto thee to morrow about this time, and they shall search thine house, and the houses of thy servants; and it shall be, that whatsoever is pleasant in thine eyes, they shall put it in their hand, and take it away. 

It took this second coming of the messengers sent from Benhadad to finally start to wake Ahab up to the treacherous and selfish spirit he was dealing with. It wasn’t good enough for Benhadad to know that Ahab was willing to give him all the things that he was asking of him, Benhadad needed to also send servants to investigate the merchandise of Ahab and take the best of the best, and take even “whatsoever is pleasant in thine [Ahab’s] eyes… and take it away”. This behavior of Ahab is one step worse than king Hezekiah who also had no comprehension of the proper decorum for a king of Israel, which is to not show all the treasures of the temple that represent God’s truth, the altar where we eat at which they are not worthy to eat [in this case king Benhadad and his entourage] (Heb 13:10, 1Jn 4:6). On the other hand, Ahab is even worse than Hezekiah willing to give away his typical birthright [“Thy silver and thy gold is mine; thy wives also and thy children, even the goodliest“] in regard to this gentile king (Jud 1:11-12, Isa 39:2, 2Ki 20:13). Alas, God showed mercy to Ahab and made him reconsider enough that he would seek out safety that would soon be found in the multitude of counselors that were available to him (Pro 11:14, Pro 24:6).

Heb 13:10  We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle. 

1Jn 4:6  We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error. 

Jud 1:11  Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core. 
Jud 1:12  These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; 

Isa 39:2  And Hezekiah was glad of them, and shewed them the house of his precious things, the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious ointment, and all the house of his armour, and all that was found in his treasures: there was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah shewed them not. 

1Ki 20:7  Then the king of Israel called all the elders of the land, and said, Mark, I pray you, and see how this man seeketh mischief: for he sent unto me for my wives, and for my children, and for my silver, and for my gold; and I denied him not. 
1Ki 20:8  And all the elders and all the people said unto him, Hearken not unto him, nor consent.

Finally, Ahab starts to demonstrate some spiritual backbone in type and shadow by going to the elders to mark this proud man (2Th 3:14) who was simply on the take, wanting what was not his from an unsuspecting Ahab, who at this point was symbolically becoming friends with the world (1Jn 2:15-17). He reminds the elders all the things he was willing to give to Benhadad (perhaps to keep peace with Syria; we’re not told), but we are told what his elders thought of all such actions, “And all the elders and all the people said unto him, Hearken not unto him, nor consent.”

1Jn 2:15  Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

2Th 3:14  And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed.

1Ki 20:9  Wherefore he said unto the messengers of Benhadad, Tell my lord the king, All that thou didst send for to thy servant at the first I will do: but this thing I may not do. And the messengers departed, and brought him word again. 
1Ki 20:10  And Benhadad sent unto him, and said, The gods do so unto me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people that follow me. 
1Ki 20:11  And the king of Israel answered and said, Tell him, Let not him that girdeth on his harness boast himself as he that putteth it off.

Now that Benhadad realizes he’s not going to get his way, seeing Ahab has had a spiritual wake-up call via the counsel of the elders, the real spirit of Benhadad starts to manifest with these murderous words that ironically sound a lot like the earlier words of Ahab’s wife Jezebel to Elijah “The gods do so unto me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people that follow me“. Let’s compare those words to hers: “Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time” (1Ki 19:2). Ahab’s wicked and controlling wife represents Babylon that wants to call the shots and bring fear into our hearts through false accusations, threats and false doctrines (Rev 12:10, Rev 2:10, Luk 12:5). Benhadad represents Babylon who wants to rob us of all our spiritual riches, as stated earlier, to take our crown.

Rev 12:10  And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. 

Rev 2:10  Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.

Luk 12:5  But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.

Verse 11 confirms that Ahab has awakened to Benhadad’s evil intent by telling him in so many words that he is a lame duck who has no armor on, regardless of his proud words of defiance against the king and nation of Israel. Ahab is starting to sound more like King David in this instance and realizes that this defiant spirit of Benhadad must be challenged (1Sa 17:4-8, 1Sa 17:26). The lesson for God’s elect is that He will always wake us up and prepare us for battle at the appointed time despite ourselves, because the battle is the Lord’s, and the preparation and answer of our tongues are also from him (Mat 25:6-10, 2Ch 20:15, Pro 16:1).

1Sa 17:4  And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. 
1Sa 17:5  And he had a helmet of brass upon his head, and he was clad with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass.
1Sa 17:6  And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a javelin of brass between his shoulders. 
1Sa 17:7  And the staff of his spear was like a weaver’s beam; and his spear’s head weighed six hundred shekels of iron: and his shield-bearer went before him. 
1Sa 17:8  And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me. 

1Sa 17:26  And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?

1Ki 20:12  And it came to pass, when Benhadad heard this message, as he was drinking, he and the kings in the pavilions, that he said unto his servants, Set yourselves in array. And they set themselves in array against the city.

Pride comes before a fall, and these are the words of the pride-filled and spiritually drunken voice of the king of Syria. He and the kings in the pavilions are about to bring a great slaughter on their own people as a result of their haughty spiritually drunken spirits (Pro 16:18, Pro 14:34-35).

Pro 16:18  Pride goeth before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall. 

Pro 14:34  Righteousness exalteth a nation; But sin is a reproach to any people. 

1Ki 20:13  And, behold, there came a prophet unto Ahab king of Israel, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Hast thou seen all this great multitude? behold, I will deliver it into thine hand this day; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD. 
1Ki 20:14  And Ahab said, By whom? And he said, Thus saith the LORD, Even by the young men of the princes of the province. Then he said, Who shall order the battle? And he answered, Thou. 
1Ki 20:15  Then he numbered the young men of the princes of the provinces, and they were two hundred and thirty two: and after them he numbered all the people, even all the children of Israel, being seven thousand.

This prophet was prophesying for Ahab, but in fact it was a prophecy written for our sakes (1Pe 1:12, 1Co 10:11) to remind us of “this great multitude” of Revelation 7:9  and how Ahab, who represents the elect, will “by the young men of the princes of the province” order the battle (Rev 11:15). That order will be maintained by Ahab who shall order the battle, just as it will be ordered by God’s elect during the thousand-year reign under Christ’s direction. Likewise, there was order in the seven churches of Asia which all eventually forsook Paul (2Ti 1:15) as will all the world represented by Gog and Magog at the end of the thousand-year reign (Rev 20:8). The world needs to clearly see the order God has ordained in the church during the thousand-year reign, which is maintained by a rod of iron, and that in time will be rebelled against, as per the counsel of God’s will (Rev 20:6, Eph 1:11). Verse 15 confirms that these prophetic events of Ahab’s rulership point to a future event reminding us that all the leaders of this world and all their decrees and laws are to be superseded by the rulership of Christ and His bride. Because we have dominion over all the rulers who rule the kingdoms of this world, represented by the numbers 232 [2+3+2=7], by extension we also will have absolute authority over all people of the earth, represented by the statement, “all the children of Israel, being seven thousand.“

1Ki 20:16  And they went out at noon. But Benhadad was drinking himself drunk in the pavilions, he and the kings, the thirty and two kings that helped him.

This above verse we’re reading describes the status of the world just before the return of Christ (Deu 28:29, Luk 17:26-29). They (the young men of the princes of the provinces) “went out at noon” sober and vigilant being about their Father’s business so to speak (Heb 11:7, Luk 2:49) as opposed to “he and the kings” who were not in a state of readiness but of drunkenness (Joh 6:44, Heb 11:7, 1Pe 4:7,  1Pe 5:8-9).

Deu 28:29  And thou shalt grope at noonday, as the blind gropeth in darkness, and thou shalt not prosper in thy ways: and thou shalt be only oppressed and spoiled evermore, and no man shall save thee. 

Luk 17:26  And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. 
Luk 17:27  They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. 
Luk 17:28  Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; 
Luk 17:29  But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. 

Heb 11:7  By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith. 

Luk 2:49  And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business? 

Joh 6:44  No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. 

1Pe 4:7  But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. 

1Pe 5:8  Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 
1Pe 5:9  Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren^G81 [Jacob have I loved and Esau have I hated who were taken from the same womb (Rom 9:13)] that are in the world^G2889.

G81 adelphotēs ad-el-fot’- ce  From G80; brotherhood (properly the feeling of brotherliness), that is, (the (Christian) fraternity: – brethren, brotherhood.  Total KJV occurrences: 2

G80adelphosad-el-fos’  From G1 (as a connective particle) and δελφύς delphus (the womb); a brother (literally or figuratively) near or remote (much like [H1]): – brother. Total KJV occurrences: 346

1Ki 20:17  And the young men of the princes of the provinces went out first; and Benhadad sent out, and they told him, saying, There are men come out of Samaria. 
1Ki 20:18  And he said, Whether they be come out for peace, take them alive; or whether they be come out for war, take them alive. 
1Ki 20:19  So these young men of the princes of the provinces came out of the city, and the army which followed them. 
1Ki 20:20  And they slew every one his man: and the Syrians fled; and Israel pursued them: and Benhadad the king of Syria escaped on an horse with the horsemen. 
1Ki 20:21  And the king of Israel went out, and smote the horses and chariots, and slew the Syrians with a great slaughter.

The enemies of God always underestimate the power and resilience which is in the weak of the world, who are more than conquerors through Christ (1Co 1:26-29, Col 1:27, Eph 1:21, Eph 6:12, Rom 8:37) as confirmed with this ultra-confident statement of Benhadad in his flesh toward the young men of the princes of the provinces who went out first, “Whether they be come out for peace, take them alive; or whether they be come out for war, take them alive.“

This again was another example of a spirit of pride, high-mindedness and conceit (1Co 10:12, Rom 11:20-25) that God warns us about repeatedly in His word and that will always precede destruction, the end result being shown: “And they slew every one his man: and the Syrians fled; and Israel pursued them: and Benhadad the king of Syria escaped on an horse with the horsemen. And the king of Israel went out, and smote the horses and chariots, and slew the Syrians with a great slaughter” (1Ki 20:20-21).

During the thousand-year reign, the elect have no intention of being influenced by the perverted cultures of mankind who will still want to “take them alive” whether we come in peace or come to make war. In truth, we are coming in the name of the Lord to enforce peace for an appointed time and then to make war against the entirety of humanity by administering the judgments of God during the great white throne judgment that will destroy the last spiritual enemy, which the naturally rebellious carnal mind of man is (Rev 20:11, Luk 13:35, 1Co 15:26, Jer 17:9).

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. 

1Co 10:12  Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. 

Rom 11:20  Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: 
Rom 11:21  For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. 
Rom 11:22  Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. 
Rom 11:23  And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again. 
Rom 11:24  For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree? 
Rom 11:25  For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.

This victory that was given to Ahab and the nation of Israel is a representation of the victory God can give His children over sin if the Son of man sets us free (Joh 8:36). It is a process, as we all know, and so, although Ahab has won this battle, he is already being warned to keep fighting a good fight of faith in type and shadow at the hand of the prophet sent to him by God: “And the prophet came to the king of Israel, and said unto him, Go, strengthen thyself, and mark, and see what thou doest: for at the return of the year the king of Syria will come up against thee.”

It takes a lifetime of overcoming, in other words, and much tribulation (Act 14:22, Mat 24:13, Rev 3:21), to receive the full benefit of this verse, “Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” Having done all through Christ, we will be able to “strengthen thyself, and mark, and see what thou doest: for at the return of the year the king of Syria will come up against thee” and you will by the grace of God be able to stand (Eph 6:11-18).

Act 14:22  Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. 

Mat 24:13  But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. 

Rev 3:21  To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

Eph 6:11  Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 
Eph 6:12  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Eph 6:13  Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. [God’s elect are being winnowed now so that we can stand against the wiles of the devil.]
Eph 6:14  Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 
Eph 6:15  And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 
Eph 6:16  Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 
Eph 6:17  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 

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Awesome Hands – Part 101

“Garments of Consecration”

July 8, 2016

Ministering to God and His will is a calling we have all been given.

In Exodus 28 we are going to see the establishment of God’s tabernacle concerning the priests and their offices and how the Lord commanded the “children of Israel” to approach ministering to Him via His tabernacle.

There are many gifts within the body of Christ and it is important that we be able to recognize and emphasis each of them for their importance to the collective body.

In our verses today, we are going to see the start of the priesthood being setup for the benefit of the tabernacle and for ministry towards the Lord.

Our verses for today are found in Exodus 28:1-29.

Exo 28:1  And take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office, even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron's sons.
Exo 28:2  And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and for beauty.

The first thing to notice is that Aaron and his sons are taken from the children of Israel so that they can minister to the Lord. Of course, their ministering to the tabernacle is a direct way for them to minister to the people of God.

The next thing told to Moses is that he, Moses, will make holy garments for Aaron for glory and beauty. When considering that Moses was made a god to Pharaoh and Aaron was his prophet, then considering this type and shadow as applying here, we can see it is a type of Jesus Christ making holy garments for His prophets so that they, too, can be used to show the glory and beauty of the work of the Lord.

Exo 7:1  And the LORD said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet.
Exo 7:2  Thou shalt speak all that I command thee: and Aaron thy brother shall speak unto Pharaoh, that he send the children of Israel out of his land.
Exo 7:3  And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt.

This point is important to remember as we go through this study because the Lord uses His prophets to speak AGAINST whatever the “Pharaoh’s heart” says concerning the commandments that the Lord brings to his attention. We must all continually weigh the heart of the old man in us against the Word of God.

Continuing, we read:

Exo 28:3  And thou shalt speak unto all that are wise hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron's garments to consecrate him, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office.

Another important aspect to point out is that in verse 2 the Lord tells Moses that Moses will be the one to make holy garments for Aaron, but now we learn how it is Moses will ORCHESTRATE the making of these items which will allow Aaron and his sons to minister to Him in the tabernacle.

Moses will do the making by “speaking to the wise hearted who have the spirit of wisdom” so that they can make these garments of consecration.

Right about now you may be asking yourself why I am pointing out the things we just read, and the answer to that is that it is incumbent for us to realize that it is the children of Israel filled with wisdom (wisdom being Jesus Christ when we consider the sum of the Word), who have prophets pulled out from among them AND who are also used to create these items necessary for the ministering of the tabernacle.

This will make a lot of sense moving forward in this study, but for now we are going to be told what items are to be created.

Exo 28:4  And these are the garments which they shall make; a breastplate, and an ephod, and a robe, and a broidered coat, a mitre, and a girdle: and they shall make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, and his sons, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office.
Exo 28:5  And they shall take gold, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen.

Notice that the items to be made are made out of the same materials from which the tabernacle is made because “the dream is one.” Everything we read about in the old testament tabernacle is going to see connected to us today in very striking ways as the Lord reveals it to us.

Starting in this study today we are going to give general descriptions to the various garments worn by the priests. Then we are going to get a little more specific with each item.

We won’t get to them all today, but we will cover a few of them.

We see mentioned 6 different items: A breastplate, an ephod, a robe, a broidered coat, a mitre and a girdle.

Breastplate

H2833
chôshen
Total KJV Occurrences: 25
breastplate, 25
Exo_25:7, Exo_28:4, Exo_28:15, Exo_28:22-24 (4), Exo_28:26, Exo_28:28-30 (4), Exo_29:5, Exo_35:9, Exo_35:27, Exo_39:8-9 (2), Exo_39:15-17 (3), Exo_39:19, Exo_39:21 (2), Lev_8:8 (2)

H2833

chôshen
kho'-shen
From an unused root probably meaning to contain or sparkle; perhaps a pocket (as holding the Urim and Thummim), or rich (as containing gems), used only of the gorget of the highpriest: - breastplate.
Total KJV occurrences: 25

H2833
chôshen
BDB Definition:
1) breastplate, breastpiece
1a) sacred pouch of the high priest designed to hold the Urim and Thummim
Part of Speech: noun masculine
A Related Word by BDB/Strong’s Number: from an unused root probably meaning to contain or sparkle
Same Word by TWOT Number: 772a

The main function of the breastplate is that the one speaking on behalf of God, Aaron, was speaking from a place of judgment because judgment is always on the heart of Aaron.

Exo 28:15  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.

Exo 28:29  And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy place, for a memorial before the LORD continually.
Exo 28:30  And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be upon Aaron's heart, when he goeth in before the LORD: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the LORD continually.

Urim and Thummim were used to know the judgment of the Lord via working through the hands of the one holding the Urim and Thummim. There are many scholarly endeavors to try to figure out the meaning of these two items and how exactly they were used, but the most accepted explanation is that they were used for yes and no questions or guilt versus innocence.

This would make biblical sense as well given that Christ tells us be mindful to let communication be yay or nay.

Mat 5:37  But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.

Why would it be important that the high priest always have the judgment of the Lord on his heart? Simply put, the Lord has made His priests overseers of the flock of Israel, and we know who are the true Jews to our Lord.

Rom 2:28  For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
Rom 2:29  But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

The overseers of the Lord will always be looking out for the flock while guarding against wolves in sheep’s clothing and also ministering to the tabernacle. In fact, they are one in the same thing.

Ephod

The second item we are going to see mentioned is the ephod.

Exo 28:6  And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue, and of purple, of scarlet, and fine twined linen, with cunning work.
Exo 28:7  It shall have the two shoulderpieces thereof joined at the two edges thereof; and so it shall be joined together.

We now have the shoulder piece being mentioned which has several interesting characteristics.

H646
'êphôd
Total KJV Occurrences: 49
ephod, 49
Exo_25:7, Exo_28:4, Exo_28:6, Exo_28:12, Exo_28:15, Exo_28:25-28 (7), Exo_28:31, Exo_29:5 (3), Exo_35:9, Exo_35:27, Exo_39:2, Exo_39:7-8 (2), Exo_39:18-22 (8), Lev_8:7 (2), Jdg_8:27, Jdg_17:5, Jdg_18:14, Jdg_18:17-18 (2), Jdg_18:20, 1Sa_2:18, 1Sa_2:28, 1Sa_14:3, 1Sa_21:9, 1Sa_22:18, 1Sa_23:6, 1Sa_23:9, 1Sa_30:7 (2), 2Sa_6:14, 1Ch_15:27, Hos_3:4

H646

'êphôd    'êphôd
ay-fode', ay-fode'
Second form is a rare form; probably of foreign derivation; a girdle; specifically the ephod or high priest’s shoulder piece; also generally an image: - ephod.
Total KJV occurrences: 49

H646
'êphôd
BDB Definition:
1) ephod
1a) priestly garment, shoulder-cape or mantle, outer garment
1a1) worn by an ordinary priest and made of white stuff
1a2) worn by the high priest - more costly, woven of gold, blue, purple, scarlet, and linen threads provided with shoulder-pieces and a breast piece of like material, ornamented with gems and gold
Part of Speech: noun masculine
A Related Word by BDB/Strong’s Number: probably of foreign derivation
Same Word by TWOT Number: 142.1a

Here is what the ephod looked like.

Exo 28:8  And the curious girdle of the ephod, which is upon it, shall be of the same, according to the work thereof; even of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.
Exo 28:9  And thou shalt take two onyx stones, and grave on them the names of the children of Israel:
Exo 28:10  Six of their names on one stone, and the other six names of the rest on the other stone, according to their birth.
Exo 28:11  With the work of an engraver in stone, like the engravings of a signet, shalt thou engrave the two stones with the names of the children of Israel: thou shalt make them to be set in ouches of gold.
Exo 28:12  And thou shalt put the two stones upon the shoulders of the ephod for stones of memorial unto the children of Israel: and Aaron shall bear their names before the LORD upon his two shoulders for a memorial.

Here is what the breastplate looked like. This is in the ESV translation.

Exo 28:15  "You shall make a breastpiece of judgment, in skilled work. In the style of the ephod you shall make it--of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen shall you make it.
Exo 28:16  It shall be square and doubled, a span its length and a span its breadth.
Exo 28:17  You shall set in it four rows of stones. A row of sardius, topaz, and carbuncle shall be the first row;
Exo 28:18  and the second row an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond;
Exo 28:19  and the third row a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst;
Exo 28:20  and the fourth row a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. They shall be set in gold filigree.
Exo 28:21  There shall be twelve stones with their names according to the names of the sons of Israel. They shall be like signets, each engraved with its name, for the twelve tribes.
Exo 28:22  You shall make for the breastpiece twisted chains like cords, of pure gold.
Exo 28:23  And you shall make for the breastpiece two rings of gold, and put the two rings on the two edges of the breastpiece.
Exo 28:24  And you shall put the two cords of gold in the two rings at the edges of the breastpiece.
Exo 28:25  The two ends of the two cords you shall attach to the two settings of filigree, and so attach it in front to the shoulder pieces of the ephod.
Exo 28:26  You shall make two rings of gold, and put them at the two ends of the breastpiece, on its inside edge next to the ephod.
Exo 28:27  And you shall make two rings of gold, and attach them in front to the lower part of the two shoulder pieces of the ephod, at its seam above the skillfully woven band of the ephod.
Exo 28:28  And they shall bind the breastpiece by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, so that it may lie on the skillfully woven band of the ephod, so that the breastpiece shall not come loose from the ephod.
Exo 28:29  So Aaron shall bear the names of the sons of Israel in the breastpiece of judgment on his heart, when he goes into the Holy Place, to bring them to regular remembrance before the LORD.

Essentially you have 4 rows of stones with each row having 3 stones. Each stone represents one of the tribes of Israel. The breastplate hangs from the ephod, the shoulder piece, which also has two onyx stones. Each onyx stone has six of the tribes engraved on it with one being on one shoulder and the other stone on the opposite shoulder.

Literally, the high priest bares the weight of Israel on his shoulders as he also kept them close to his heart.

Exo 28:12  And thou shalt put the two stones upon the shoulders of the ephod for stones of memorial unto the children of Israel: and Aaron shall bear their names before the LORD upon his two shoulders for a memorial.

Exo 28:29  And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy place, for a memorial before the LORD continually.

High priest

Heb 3:1  (ESV) Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession,

Heb 3:1  (KJV) Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession,

Heb 4:12  For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Heb 4:13  Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
Heb 4:14  Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.
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.
Heb 4:16  Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Mentioning all of these items that the children of Israel, filled with wisdom, made for the high priest, helps us understanding our connection to the high priest.

Understanding this connection always entails knowing how the high priest is chosen.

Heb 5:1  For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins:
Heb 5:2  Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity.
Heb 5:3  And by reason hereof he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins.
Heb 5:4  And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron.
Heb 5:5  So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee.

Why do I mention these things? I think it will be more easily understood if I use examples from scripture to explain.

Joh 14:1  Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
Joh 14:2  In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
Joh 14:3  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

When we take Jesus at His words here, the natural and literal interpretation of what we just read will be utter foolishness.

How can a “house” have “many mansions”? Houses have rooms, but how can they CONTAIN whole mansions?

Well, looking at it in a literal way will not allow us to see the meaning behind Jesus’ words. Likewise, understanding our connection to Jesus the Christ with Jesus being the Head and the church being the body is a similar example.

Specifically, the body is made up of “many members in particular” as the KJV puts it. Those members are given gifts, not of themselves but given by God.

1Co 12:13  For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
1Co 12:14  For the body is not one member, but many.
1Co 12:15  If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
1Co 12:16  And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?

1Co 12:27  Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
1Co 12:28  And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
1Co 12:29  Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?
1Co 12:30  Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?
1Co 12:31  But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.

1Co 13:8  Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
1Co 13:9  For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
1Co 13:10  But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

The entire tabernacle is representative of Jesus Christ. Therefore, the tabernacle of God is representative of the Head and the body. The body cannot be separated from the Head without both dying and being of no use.

In particular to this study, the reason God chose out Aaron and his sons was so that they could minister to the tabernacle. In our day and age as Christians this is represented in various gifts and appointments that God has ordained to happen.

Like with Moses, God uses those with wisdom to ordain His ministers.

Exo 28:3  And thou shalt speak unto all that are wise hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron's garments to consecrate^H6942 him, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office.

Exo 28:40  And for Aaron's sons thou shalt make coats, and thou shalt make for them girdles, and bonnets shalt thou make for them, for glory and for beauty.
Exo 28:41  And thou shalt put them upon Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him; and shalt anoint them, and consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office.

Exo 28:41  And thou shalt put them upon^{H3847 (H853) (H853)} Aaron^H175 thy brother,^H251 and his sons^H1121 with^H854 him; and shalt anoint^H4886 them, and consecrate^{H4390 (H853) H3027} them, and sanctify^H6942 them, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office.^H3547

What does it mean to be anointed, consecrated and sanctified in the priest’s office?

Anoint

H4886

mâshach
maw-shakh'
A primitive root; to rub with oil, that is, to anoint; by implication to consecrate; also to paint: - anoint, paint.
Total KJV occurrences: 71

Consecrate

H4390 with H3027
mâlê'  /  mâlâ'
BDB Definition:
1) to fill, be full
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to be full
1a1a) fulness, abundance (participle)
1a1b) to be full, be accomplished, be ended
1a2) to consecrate, fill the hand
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be filled, be armed, be satisfied
1b2) to be accomplished, be ended
1c) (Piel)
1c1) to fill
1c2) to satisfy
1c3) to fulfil, accomplish, complete
1c4) to confirm
1d) (Pual) to be filled
1e) (Hithpael) to mass themselves against
Part of Speech: verb
A Related Word by BDB/Strong’s Number: a primitive root
Same Word by TWOT Number: 1195

From dictionary.com:

verb (used with object), consecrated, consecrating.
1. to make or declare sacred; set apart or dedicate to the service of adeity to consecrate a new church building.
2. to make (something) an object of honor or veneration; hallow:
a custom consecrated by time.
3. to devote or dedicate to some purpose:
a life consecrated to science.
4.to admit or ordain to a sacred office, especially to the episcopate (bishop).
5. to change (bread and wine) into the Eucharist.
adjective
6. consecrated; sacred.

Sanctify

H6942

qâdash
kaw-dash'
A primitive root; to be (causatively make, pronounce or observe as) clean (ceremonially or morally): - appoint, bid, consecrate, dedicate, defile, hallow, (be, keep) holy (-er, place), keep, prepare, proclaim, purify, sanctify (-ied one, self), X wholly.
Total KJV occurrences: 171

There are a few things I’ll mention about consecration because it is very informative and important to understand.

We see the English word consecration used a few times in Exodus 28, but one time it actually is the same Hebrew word meaning sanctify (verse 3). The other time it is used in conjunction with “yad”, H3027, meaning hand.

The very first appointments to any office with God in His tabernacle was done with the laying on of hands of Moses to Aaron and his sons.

For us as Christians, this has a spiritual meaning, but the Hebrew example and definition you read above is the combination of two words that equal the concept of consecration.

Exo 28:41  And thou shalt put them upon^{H3847 (H853) (H853)} Aaron^H175 thy brother,^H251 and his sons^H1121 with^H854 him; and shalt anoint^H4886 them, and consecrate^{H4390 (H853) H3027} them, and sanctify^H6942 them, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office.^H3547

Exo 28:41  And thou shalt put them upon Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him; and shalt anoint them, and consecrate^{H4390 (H853) H3027} them, and sanctify them, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office.

Here are a few other examples found in Exodus 29, Leviticus 16 and Ezekiel 43. There are others, but these will suffice as examples.

Exo 29:33  And they shall eat^H398 those things wherewith^H834 the atonement was made,^H3722 to consecrate^{H4390 (H853) H3027} and to sanctify^H6942 them: but a stranger^H2114 shall not^H3808 eat^H398 thereof, because^H3588 they^H1992 are holy.^H6944

Lev 16:32  And the priest,^H3548 whom^H834 he shall anoint,^H4886 and whom^H834 he shall consecrate^{H4390 (H853) H3027} to minister in the priest's office^H3547 in his father's stead,^{H8478 H1} shall make the atonement,^H3722 and shall put on^{H3847 (H853)} the linen^H906 clothes,^H899 even the holy^H6944 garments:^H899

Eze 43:26  Seven^H7651 days^H3117 shall they purge^{H3722 (H853)} the altar^H4196 and purify^H2891 it; and they shall consecrate^{H4390 H3027} themselves.

The example of this having a spiritual meaning for us as Christians is found in 1 Timothy.

1Ti 5:17  Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.
1Ti 5:18  For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward.
1Ti 5:19  Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses.
1Ti 5:20  Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear.
1Ti 5:21  I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality.
1Ti 5:22  Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men's sins: keep thyself pure.

The Hebrew concept of consecration is to “fill the hands” with the one on whom you are placing yours hands. In other words, in order to ordain anyone to an office of the Lord, one must give their full confidence to the one being appointed and also recognize that by doing so they, too, will have their “hands full” and be able to lay hands on others.

Conclusion

With the conclusion of this study I will explain how and why this all comes together and why it is important and also how to build upon it as we do the next few studies.

The tabernacle in the old testament is the physical example of the spiritual tabernacle of Jesus the Christ in the new testament.

The priests have been ordained by God and clothed with items that the children of Israel were used to create to give God all the glory. The priests and people are used together for the plan of God and you cannot separate one from the other.

Just like physical Israelites must visit the tabernacle and be ministered to by the priests for things such as the sacrifices for their sins, so, too, must the spiritual Jews come together to represent all the many-membered functions and gifts of the body of Christ.

If a member of the body of Christ isolates himself from the rest of the body, then he will be swallowed up by the sea of humanity and the doctrines they possess.

The very image of the items given to the priests to wear and what they represent tells us that God takes His judgments seriously, and those that have been ordained to keep judgment close to their heart at all times, are the ones God tells us we MUST be willing to visit especially concerning doctrine.

Likewise, we should never forget that out of the very first priests that God ordained to be His priests, two of them (Nadab and Abihu) offered strange fire to the Lord and were killed. They offered STRANGE DOCTRINE, in other words, if we want to see the spiritual equivalent of their actions because our words are as fire.

Jer 23:29  Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?

Jer 5:14  Wherefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.

Just because two of those ordained priests of God were killed for false doctrine/strange fire, that does not mean that the rest of the priests have false doctrine.

We all as the body of Christ must keep our eyes on Jesus Christ, and we must remain true to His doctrine, and I hope that will be shown as we continue to examine the various offices of the tabernacle and how they were filled.

Just like Peter who was called out by Christ to walk on the sea/water, we, too, will sink if we do not keep our eyes on Jesus Christ. However, Jesus Christ is a head and body, and we MUST be as watchmen and keep our eyes ever watching over the city of the tabernacle, else we will sink into the doctrines of the sea of humanity.

In our next study, we are going to continue to look at the other items mentioned as being created and placed on the priests.

The robe, broidered coat, mitre and girdle all have very important meanings for our lives as Christians and will all coalesce around how we use them to be in the world but not of the world …. just as the tabernacle of the Jews was in type and shadow in the old testament.