The Breastplate of the High Priest
First Row:
- Reuben – Sardius, a beautiful gem of blood red color
- Simeon – Topaz, a pale green stone with mixture of yellow
- Levi – Carbuncle, a gem of deep red color with a mixture of scarlet (in Revelation 21:19, it would be the chalcedony)
Second Row:
- Judah – Emerald, a bright green color without any other mixture
- Dan – Sapphire, a gem of clear blue color and next in hardness to the diamond
- Napthali – Diamond, a clear, sparkling gem of great value (in Revelation 21:20, it is the chrysolite)
Third Row:
- Gad – Ligure, the same as the jacinth stone of dull red or cinnamon color with a mixture of yellow (in Revelation 21:20, it is considered jacinth)
- Asher – Agate, a white, reddish, yellowish, and greenish stone of the flint family and the cheapest of all precious stones (in Revelation 21:20, it is considered chrysoprasus)
- Isaachar – Amethyst, a gem with deep red and strong blue colors which give it a purple hue
Fourth Row:
- Zebulan – Beryl, a stone of bluish green color. Some thin the chrysolite is meant here. If so, it would be a gem of yellowish green color
- Joseph – Onyx, a stone of various colors – one consisting of layers of different colors
- Benjamin – Jasper, a gem of bright green color, sometimes clouded with white and spotted red and yellow. Mineralogists list 15 varieties of jasper – green, red, yellow, brown, violet, black, bluish gray, milky white, and various combinations of colors (Exodus 28:17-20). (Dake’s Annotated Reference Bible)
Also, there were two other stones that were contained in the pocket of the High Priest, which were the Urim and Thummim. Exodus 28:30 says, “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 word “Urim,” means “light, flame”, and Thummim means, “perfections or complete truth.” When the children of Israel needed a divine answer to know what God’s perfect plan and will was, the Urim and Thummim would come into play, and they were referred to in the time of Moses and Joshua as “casting lots.” After the high priest petitioned God, he would draw out of his pocket one of these two stones, and one stone gave the answer in the affirmative for a “yes,” and the other in the negative for a “no.” The decision was always considered God’s Word. (Dake’s Annotated Reference Bible, p. 118) This could represent Joseph’s sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. Manasseh’s name means, “to forget,” while Ephraim’s name means, “to be fruitful,” which signifies a positive and a negative! Jacob would claim these two as his own, reflecting a special light from them!
In Ezekiel 28:11-19, before Satan, whose name means “the arch enemy of that which is good,” was ever cast down, he was one of three archangels mentioned in scripture, along with Michael and Gabriel. His name was Lucifer, which means, “the angel of light.” He had sealed up the pattern of a heavenly temple, and he was full of wisdom and beauty. He was like the praise and worship leader of heaven, with the workmanship of the tabrets and pipes prepared in him since he was created. He was created to play music and sing praises to the King of Kings. He was covered in the anointing and power of God. Of course, his pride and open rebellion through slandering the name of God to other angels to where 1/3 followed him caused his fall. His attitude was “I brought the presence in. I made heaven what it is.” This is the way some praise and worship leader’s attitudes are in the body of Christ. Do not let Satan’s pride get a hold of you because if it does, you will fall too! Before Satan was cast out, he walked up and down the stones of fire. But just like the high priest, he also had a covering on his chest. His covering was very identical to that of the high priest with the same jewels. However, Lucifer is missing the third row, which would be jewels, “ligure, agate and amethyst.” Here are whom these stones represent:
(1) Ligure represents the tribe of Gad, whose name means, “attack, overcome”.
This means that at the end Satan would not overcome, he would not prosper, and he will not have a reward! He is destined for destruction, and because I am on the LORD’s side, I have victory over the enemy, and the world cannot do me any harm! It is time for us to raise the banner and let the devil know with our ensign of praise that he is defeated, and I am more than an overcomer through Him who loves me!