Jasper medallion from the 8th century B.C. bearing the inscription “Amos the scribe” reveals two men beside an altar with their hands raised in prayer.
The jasper gemstone is not just the last stone on the breastplate, but its also the first stone of the wall of New Jerusalem. A foundation stone meaning Treasure in Hebrew, Arabic, and Greek. Coming in a multitude of colors, ancient Egyptians valued its meaning, as they believed the stone could provide a safe passageway to the afterlife. In Jewish history, jasper was equally valued and many jasper artifacts have been found and preserved. Easily carvable, jasper was perfect for ornate jewelry, cups, bowls, and household adornments as well as temple artifacts.
The last son of Jacob was Benjamin, whose name means ‘son of my right hand’ which refers to strength that results from pain and it’s transformation power. The tribe of Benjamin produced mighty warriors. These warriors were the green berets and navy seals of their day. They were the heroes, a select force that could do more with less. According to Chronicles, they were courageous, valiant archers who understood mathematics and geometry, able to calculate distances and win battles. Jacob’s blessing of Benjamin in Genesis states:
“Benjamin is a ravenous wolf: in the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil.” Gen. 49:27
At first glance, one might perceive this as a negative, however, when you put it into historical perspective, without these valiant warriors, the safety of a nation would be lost. Benjamin was a national treasure.
For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. Deuteronomy 7:6
Because you are precious in my eyes and honored, and I love you, I give men in return for you, peoples in exchange for your life. Isaiah 43:4
See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 1 John 3:1
How does all this relate to a Treasure Worth Dying For? Treasure is only given through an intimate relationship as we do not give our valued treasures to strangers. Our treasure will only come from us being intimately tied to the giver, which in this case is God. He gives us, His highly valued treasure, His own Son, Jesus. But there is more. This gemstone is connected to the month of Adar which is considered the happiest and most joyful month of the year. It's a month of celebration of all that God has done for His people. But there is still more! This gemstone is also connected to the constellation Pieces which is pictured in the heavens as two fish connected at the tails with some sort of a tie. In my book, Dressing for the Battle, Armed to Win, I discuss in detail the symbolism. It's the joining together of God's chosen people, Israel, to the Church. But there is more! In the prophecied wall of New Jerusalem, the jasper gemstone, (remember, Jasper, means treasure) is the foundation stone. God is joining His two highly-valued treasures; treasures that He deemed worthy to die for, the Chosen and the Redeemed in the party of a lifetime! The New Jerusalem.
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