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Jacinth uses and purposes.
References to jacinth are found in both the Old and New Testaments, first as one of the precious
stones in the high priest's breastpiece, and second as one of those in the magnificent foundations of the New Jerusalem -
the earlier usage being a foreshadow of the latter. The greatest natural concentrations of Jacinth have been found in Russia,
Canada, Pakistan and Norway. As
with so many things introduced in earlier Bible History, the precious stones in the breastpiece of the High Priest (see
Levites and Aaron) were symbolic of what was, and is, to come. "And
you shall make a breastpiece of judgment, in skilled work; like the work of the ephod you shall make it; of gold, blue
and purple and scarlet stuff, and fine twined linen shall you make it. It shall be square and double, a span its length
and a span its breadth. And you shall set in it four rows of stones. A row of sardius, topaz, and carbuncle shall be the first
row; and the second row an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond; and the third row a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; and
the fourth row a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper; they shall be set in gold filigree. There shall be twelve stones with their
names according to the names of the sons of Israel; they shall be like signets, each engraved
with its name, for the twelve tribes." (Exodus 28:15-21)
Jacinth will be one of the precious stones in the foundations of the New Jerusalem, on earth
(note also in Revelation 21:21, included below, that the famous "Pearly Gates" will also be on earth): "And in the Spirit he carried me away to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy
city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like
a jasper, clear as crystal. It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve
angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed; on the east three gates, on
the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. And the wall of the city had twelve foundations,
and on them the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb."
"And
he who talked to me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls. The city lies foursquare, its
length the same as its breadth; and he measured the city with his rod, twelve thousand stadia; its length and breadth and
height are equal. He also measured its wall, a hundred and forty-four cubits by a man's measure, that is, an angel's. The
wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, clear as glass. The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned
with every jewel; the first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth
carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth
amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was
pure gold, transparent as glass." (Revelation 21:10-21.
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