What does Jasper mean in the Bible? What color is jasper in the Bible?
Introduction
Jasper is a precious gemstone that comes in various colors, patterns, and textures.
It can be found in a range of colors, including red, brown, yellow, green, and even multi-colored varieties.
Some popular types of jasper include red jasper, picture jasper, brecciated jasper, and ocean jasper.
Jasper has been used as a gemstone and decorative material for thousands of years.
It has been valued for its beauty and perceived metaphysical properties.
This precious stone is mentioned at various times in the Bible.
It has much spiritual significance; it is often associated with beauty, strength, and glory and is featured in the New and Old Testaments.
If you want to deepen your understanding of jasper and see it from a spiritual perspective, you are in the right place.
This article will discuss the meanings of jasper according to the Bible.
Jasper in the Bible
The twelfth gem on the high priest’s breastplate
“And the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. They shall be set in gold settings.” (Exodus 28:20)
Jasper is one of the gemstones God directed should be used to adorn the breastplate of Israel’s high priests.
This is a great honor because there are various gemstones with significant value during Bible days, but God singled out jasper as one of the precious stones to beautify the worship garments priests use.
Therefore, jasper serves as a symbol of worship and service to God.
The Bible calls us a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and God’s possession, called to praise God (1 Peter 2:9).
Being adorned in jasper can put us in that priestly condition where our worship can be accepted before God.
Jasper can create a channel through which we connect with the divine. It creates an atmosphere of worship and prayers.
The foundation of the New Jerusalem
“The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all kinds of precious stones: the first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald.” (Revelation 21:19)
The New Jerusalem is a new city of God that will descend from heaven.
It is a great city beautified with different precious stones and lit by God’s glory.
It is God’s holy city where God, His angels, and righteous people will dwell at the end of time.
One fascinating thing about New Jerusalem is that the first foundation is made of jasper.
The first foundation is always the strongest and the core of a building.
Therefore, jasper is a crucial element of heaven.
Its value is recognized on earth and has great value in heaven.
It serves as a symbol of strength and support, a pillar and an anchor that holds the New Jerusalem steady.
Jasper also symbolizes defense.
Revelation 21:18 says, “The construction of its wall was of jasper.”
Not only was the foundation made of jasper, the walls of the New Jerusalem, too, were made with this same gemstone.
It means it’s a material that perfectly blends beauty, durability, and strength.
It’s an emblem of God’s glory
“And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald.” (Revelation 4:3)
This scripture compares the One who sits upon the throne, Jesus Christ, with a jasper.
This gemstone is so precious that it’s considered good enough to explain the glory of the Son of the living God.
This particular scripture or comparison makes jasper a class of its own among all precious stones mentioned in the Bible or considered valuable today.
For example, Revelation 21:21 says the streets of heaven are made of gold.
Although this makes gold appear great, it still doesn’t stop the fact that it will be trampled upon, making it less valuable than a jasper in the biblical context.
On the other hand, Jasper is so beautiful that it captures the majesty and awesomeness of God.
The light of the New Jerusalem
“Having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.” (Revelation 21:11)
The Bible says God’s glory is so bright that it lights up the heavens and earth.
The light His glory emits is so great it cannot be beheld by the eyes of human beings. However, the Bible compared the light of God’s glory with jasper.
By extension, the purity and brightness of jasper illuminate the New Jerusalem.
This light can be metaphorical, referring to enlightenment and spiritual understanding.
It presents jasper as an emblem of divine wisdom, which cannot be found in everyone but in a selected few, like King Solomon.
Also, jasper is referred to as the most precious stone.
The Bible doesn’t use words anyhow.
If it says, jasper is the most precious stone, so it is.
Jasper stands out from every other precious stone, symbolizing God’s divine light and purity.
The blood of Jesus
Jasper symbolizes the blood atonement through Jesus’ sacrifice.
The red jasper is often used as a symbol of the atoning blood of Jesus Christ that was shed on the cross of Calvary.
Jesus lost lots of blood during His torture and crucifixion. However, this blood didn’t go to waste; it became the spiritual cleanser erasing our past, present and future sins, wiping our hearts and making them as white as snow, and erasing our names from the Book of Death so they can be written in the Book of Life.
The Bible says it doesn’t matter the gravity of your sin; Jesus’ blood is more powerful than it.
Isaiah 1:18 says, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”
Therefore, when next you see the gemstone, remember the ultimate sacrifice Jesus paid for you so that you can be saved from death and redeemed by God.
Royalty
It symbolizes prosperity and prestige.
It’s not a common precious stone that anyone can afford.
Instead, it is specially preserved for kings and queens and those in royalty.
Heaven is an example.
It is the greatest palace that will ever be.
Still, jasper is a major component used for building and adorning it.
Even in earthly palaces, jasper is always a part of the treasury and jewelry collection of those in power and great wealth.
What color is jasper in the Bible?
The exact color of jasper in the Bible has been a topic of debate among scholars. Some translations suggest it as clear as crystal, while others propose it to be green or red. This ambiguity adds layers of interpretation, allowing for a broad spectrum of color symbolism within the biblical context.
What does Jasper mean in the Bible?
Symbol of strength
Jasper symbolizes strength in the Bible. According to Revelation 21:19, the first foundation of the New Jerusalem is made of jasper. The New Jerusalem is depicted in the Bible as a new and holy city that will descend from heaven to earth.
This New Jerusalem is incredibly gigantic, measuring 2225 km or 1,400 miles in length, width, and height (Revelation 21:16-17).
Jasper, being its first foundation, not only depicts how precious and glamorous the New Jerusalem will be but also depicts the strength and durability of the precious stone.
Modern skyscrapers are supported with steel or reinforced concrete frameworks at the base because of their significant weight.
For example, the tallest skyscraper in the world today is the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
The weight of the Burj Khalifa is approximately 500,000 metric tons and 828 meters (2,722 feet) tall, while the New Jerusalem’s height, length, and weight are about 8 million feet. But the most interesting fact here is that jasper forms the most important component of the foundation of this Holy City.
Jasper is strong and enduring.
It represents the pillar on which everything stands.
It is a symbol of trust and stability.
It also symbolizes the burden lifter, carrying the weight of everybody, yet not seen.
Jasper is the engine room that keeps everyone in motion yet hidden in the background.
God is our Rock and Strength.
He bares us in His hands and protects us with His mighty right hand. However, no one sees Him. But we can feel His impact and love around us. That is what Jasper represents to believers.
Eternity
Jasper represents eternity.
Those who rapture and escape the Antichrist will reign with God forever in the New Jerusalem.
And you know what? Jasper will remain throughout this time because it forms the foundation of the new abode of the saints.
According to Matthew 24:35, “Heaven and earth will pass away.”
This is true because everything we see on earth today will be wiped out, and the New Jerusalem will descend in its full glory with everything its citizens will need. However, based on Revelation 21:19, jasper will be one of the few precious stones that will remain relevant at the end of time.
Not only will it remain, but it will play a crucial role in creating stability in the new abode of the saints.
Just as every child of God will not see death and destruction forever again, so will Jasper endure for eternity.
Therefore, Jasper represents eternity. It represents the endless life believers will have after death.
Timeless value
Many valuable and indispensable things on earth today will become valueless and dispensable in heaven.
For example Revelation 7:16 says, “They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat.”
This verse suggests that food may lose its relevance in heaven, and the sun and the moon will no longer be needed because God will be the source of light in heaven (Revelation 22:5).
Food and light are essentials here on earth, but not jasper. However, Jasper will enter into its full glory on the last day.
It will become even more important than what we consider essentials today. Its value will increase more than it is and remain so forever.
Therefore, jasper represents heavenly treasures believers should focus on instead of worldly things that will pass away someday.
Matthew 6:19-20 says, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.”
Defense
Revelation 21:18 says, “The construction of its wall was of jasper.” A wall symbolizes defense.
The higher and stronger the wall, the more fortified the city will be, and the more the people will feel safe.
We’ve earlier discussed how great the height of the New Jerusalem will be. However, we did not mention that it will be made of jasper.
Jasper is one of the hardest gemstones next to diamonds, rubies, or sapphires.
It is highly durable and can withstand intense pressure and heat to a certain degree. It is also a beautiful gemstone.
The combination of durability and beauty makes it a perfect fit for the wall of the New Jerusalem. Therefore, jasper represents defense and fortification. It portrays a sense of safety and security.
Symbol of purity
According to Revelation 21:11, jasper is clear as crystal.
When something is said to be crystal, it is transparent and clean.
So, comparing a place or person to jasper means they are pure or, according to biblical interpretation, holy.
1 John 1:5 says, “God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.” God’s light here symbolizes His purity and holiness, while darkness represents sin and impurity.
Revelation 22:4-5 further states that God’s light is enough, so there is no need for the sun or moon in heaven.
Jasper’s purity or clarity makes it translucent.
It is a conduit of God’s light, radiating His light and projecting it to the heavens. Therefore, jasper is highly relevant in heaven because it allows God’s light to penetrate it. God wants people to shine forth His light and not obstruct it.
That is why He commands us in Matthew 5:16, saying, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
Just as Jasper allows God’s light to shine through it because of its pure state, we must maintain holiness so that God’s light will shine through us.
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David Akeju is a Christian writer who believes in the transformational power of God’s Word. His articles and books have been published on global platforms, and thousands of lives have been touched. He works with pastors and ministers, churches and ministries, and brands.