Ezekiel: God who travels Chapter 23

Every Precious Stone

"Every precious stone was your covering."

I counted—there were exactly nine gemstones mentioned:

“The sardius, topaz, and diamond,
Beryl, onyx, and jasper,
Sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold.”

What significance do these stones hold? Why would God choose to cover His most honored servants with such precious gems? Why adorn those who directly attend to His glory with these magnificent stones?

These questions invite us to look deeper.

During the days of the early Patriarchs, God instructed Aaron, the first high priest, to wear an Ephod—a priestly garment adorned with twelve precious stones. Moses received these divine instructions to craft a gold breastplate embedded with these stones. From the tribe of Levi, God ordained Aaron’s descendants as the priestly line—the holiest among the Israelites.

By God’s design, the priests did not own territorial inheritance nor work for themselves. Instead, they were to receive a portion from the other eleven tribes—the tithe or the first fruits dedicated to the Lord (Numbers 18:20).

Aaron’s ephod displayed four rows of gemstones—three stones per row—symbolizing the twelve tribes of Israel.

In Ezekiel 28, however, the covering describes nine precious stones, arranged as three in each row. The Bible does not mention any special powers attached to these stones, nor their deeper symbolism. Could these nine stones represent nine angelic realms or heavenly hosts? The Scriptures remain silent on this point. What is clear is that the stones were a form of covering or adornment, symbols of honor rather than magical talismans.

Many legends and speculations have arisen, claiming these stones summon angels or grant supernatural powers—but these ideas are human inventions, not biblical truths.

Satan, once adorned with every precious stone as a covering, lost all this honor through his arrogance and greed. His fall caused humanity’s own expulsion from God’s garden. The brilliance of those stones no longer belongs to him. 😑

AC

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