Jacinth is one of the few stones mentioned in both the breastplate of Aaron in Exodus chapter 28 and in the foundations of the New Jerusalem in Revelation chapter 21. The Jacinth mentioned in both cases is not the modern (reddish-orange) jacinth, but a blue stone. In Revelation 9: 17 the color of the breastplates of jacinth worn by the horsemen is likened to ‘sapphire’(NRSV). Jacinth is from the Greek word "hyacinth", which is a flower that is native to the Mediterranean region. It is also a name given to a variety of zircon, a precious stone of that flower's color (under oxidizing heat treatment, zircon can range in color from reddish-blue or deep-purple to yellow).
Of the twelve stones in the breastplate of Aaron, Jacinth was the first stone in the third row and represented the tribe of Ephraim. Jacinth will decorate the 11th foundation of the New Jerusalem and represent the apostle Simon (the Zealot).
The tribe of Ephraim was powerful among the other tribes. Shiloh was located in land belonging to the tribe of Ephraim and for a time was home to the Ark of the Covenant. When the ark was removed from Shiloh to Zion the power of Ephraim was humbled. From the settlement of Canaan until the time of David and Solomon, Ephraim had held the place of honor among the tribes. When Jerusalem became the capital of the kingdom, and the center of power and worship for the whole nation of Israel, Ephraim declined in influence.
Let's take a look at Jacinth's placement in the breastplate of Aaron, first in the third row.
In scripture, one, ('ehad' in Hebrew) represents unity and is the quintessential number of monotheism, the worship of one God. This concept of 'one' as a unity of one God is expressed in the opening lines of the first profession of faith found in Deuteronomy 6:4 which reads: "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one."(NIV)
'One' as a number symbolizes Unity. The number 1 is indivisible and not made up of any other number representing the unity of the One true God in which there is no division. One as an ordinal number denotes primacy, sovereignty, divine completeness or perfection. Christians recognized the number "one" in Scripture as symbolic of the First Person of the Most Holy Trinity, God the Father.
In scripture the number 3 represents that which is solid, real, substantial, and something in its completeness. This number usually indicates something of importance or significance in God's plan of salvation by identifying an important event in Salvation History. This number operates as a "sign-post" in Scripture study for the reader to "pay attention" to the significance of the next event.
Perhaps Jacinth's placement in the breastplate suggests more of what was to come than what was at the time.
Simon the Zealot, (probably given this moniker in order to distinguish him from Simon Peter) may be the most obscure of all the twelve apostles, and that's saying something, given how little some of them have to do in the gospels. Simon the Zealot appears in all the lists of twelve apostles in the synoptic gospels and in Acts (1:13), but that's it. No dialogue or acts are attributed to him anywhere in the gospels, in Acts, or in any of the epistles of the New Testament. The gospels also don't say anything about his background before becoming an apostle or the circumstances under which Jesus called him. But there must be a reason he was called "the zealot". Perhaps he held fast to the scripture that "The Lord our God, The Lord is One", and had difficulty reasoning that Jesus WAS God, and Jesus WAS man. Perhaps he was more like Thomas, doubtful. It's difficult to imagine anyone more 'zealous' than Simon Peter concerning a love for Jesus, but perhaps Simon the Zealot was given to even more enthusiasm than Peter.
I'm afraid we may not know anything conclusive until we are with Jesus in eternity.
NEXT POST: Emerald and Life
No comments:
Post a Comment