“Thou shalt take two onyx stones, and grave on them the names of the children of Israel … 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 … Thou shalt make the breastplate of judgment with cunning work … of gold, of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine twined linen, shalt thou make it. Foursquare it shall be being doubled; a span shall be the length thereof, and a span shall be the breadth thereof. And thou shalt set in it settings of stones, even four rows of stones: … sardius, topaz, carbuncle … emerald, sapphire, diamond … ligure, agate, amethyst … beryl, onyx, jasper … set in gold in their inclosings” (Exodus 28:9, 12, 15-20).

These “jewels” represent the saints of God, now in the course of preparation for their future positions on the shoulder pieces, and in the breastplate of the world’s High Priest (Malachi 3:17). Perhaps, therefore, God intended us to learn certain lessons by way of those ancient stones. Unfortunately, we are not able to identify precisely all the stones that were used in Aaron’s breastplate.

“Great difficulty is met in any attempt to translate the Greek and Hebrew names mentioned in the Bible into names that would be used for the same minerals in a particular country at the present day. It is only within the last century, through the development of the sciences of chemistry and crystallography, that it has become possible to define mineral species with any considerable approach to precision. In ancient times minerals were regarded as belonging to a single kind, and indicated by a single name, that are now distributed into different kinds and mentioned under different names” (The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia).

Not knowing, then, the precise modern names of many (perhaps any) of these stones and being thus in almost complete ignorance concerning their individual and peculiar crystallography, it seems to us a bit presumptuous to build on such meager facts, any system of interpretation involving these features.

What we are reasonably sure about is that they were uncommon, i.e., rare stones; though the Hebrew text does not in itself imply that they were “precious” in the precise and accurate sense of that word. But they were stones whose color and beauty were due to small amounts of mineral salts present when the crystals were being formed as molten rock was allowed to cool and solidify.

“With the exception of diamond, which is crystallized carbon, the gems are composed of alumina or silica or a combination of them in varying proportions with or without other molecules” (Encyclopedia Britannica, 1942, Volume 10, page 95a).

Thus, for example, the agate, amethyst, beryl, chalcedony, chrysolite, emerald, garnet, jasper, onyx, opal, sard and topaz contain silica as a basic ingredient. The ruby, sardius, sapphire (lapis lazuli), and topaz contain alumina as a basic ingredient.

The three most common elements in the earth’s crust — constituting more than 82% thereof — are oxygen (a gas), silicon (a non-metal) and aluminum (a metal). It is these three in the form of silica and alumina compounds that, as already suggested, are the basic ingredients of most of our beautiful gems. Yet, despite the predominance of these elements in the earth’s crust, gems are comparatively rare!

Traditional representation of Aaron’s breastplate. The Bible does not record the order of the names to be inscribed on the stones, so that identification of a tribe with a certain stone is guesswork.

Perhaps this is due to the extraordinary conditions and circumstances under which gems are formed. Among these are:

(1) The intense heat, such as prevails within the bowels of the earth, and which keeps rocks in a molten state.
(2) Pressure so great that it forces this liquid rock through fissures and crevices of the earth’s surface.
(3) The slow cooling processes which enable crystals to be formed.

The color of these stones is sometimes augmented by the accidental presence at the time of formation of such other elements as chromium, iron, lithium, magnesium, manganese, titanium, etc.

We are suggesting, since gems are made of the commonest elements of the earth’s crust, that the Lord’s “jewels” (Malachi 3:17), generally speaking, are also “made” of the commonest elements of human society — the poor. Surely, no one will deny the fact that there are many, many more poor people in this world than there are rich. But “richness” is not necessarily a matter of what is commonly called “wealth,” for it can be also of wisdom, education, ambition, and even of nobility. “Blessed are the poor in spirit” (Matthew 5:3). And though the rich are not excluded (Matthew 19:26), there will be comparatively few of them to enter the spiritual phase of the Kingdom (Mark 10:23).

On the other hand, as we have already seen, despite the preponderance of the elements necessary to form gems in the earth’s crust, there are comparatively few gems actually formed, and these few are the result of excessive heat, high pressure, and a slow cooling process. This, dear friends, finds a most beautiful counterpart in the fact that though there are many, many poor, only an infinitesimally small number of them ever become “gems” and these only as the result of:

(1) Fiery trials.
(2) Untoward pressure of circumstances.
(3) Being rightly exercised in and by these.

Thus they are being crystallized into “gems” — characters worthy of being enshrined (enclasped) in the “golden ouches” (Exodus 39:13) of the divine nature.

The color of the natural gems, as we have seen, was sometimes inherent in the original silica or alumina compound, but was sometimes augmented by the accidental presence of other chemical elements at the time when the gems were being formed. Just so it is with the “gems” which will adorn the antitypical “breastplate.” There is a natural beauty of character in all of God’s saints — the result of the ordinary trials of life; but there is sometimes an added luster, enhancing this beauty, coming by graciously bearing with the accidental (providential) presence in these trials of such other elements as misunderstandings, reproaches, etc.

— Anton Frey, Notes on the Tabernacle, pages 303-305

 

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