I am a Christian. I believe in the God of the Bible, in God the Father, in His Son Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Spirit. I believe in Genesis 1:1 - "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (NIV)" I am a biochemist and a pharmacist by education. As such I have a desire to understand nature. I am writing this blog as my way to express the facts of true science as I understand them, from the perspective of one who believes that all things were created by God, for God and for His purposes.

Feel free to comment, to offer your perspective, or to give suggestions for subjects.
Please take a minute to "Like" us on Facebook.

Friday, August 24, 2012

Amethyst - The Royal Stone

So then Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him. And the soldiers twisted a crown of thorns, and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe. Then they said, "Hail, King of the Jews!" John 19:1-3a (NKJV)

Many Catholic churches cover their spiritual images with purple cloth during Lent, especially the large crucifix overhanging the altar, to impact the faithful, creating a spiritual hunger to see the face of their savior, Jesus Christ, once again. This covering shifts the focus from simple worship and adoration to a deeper form of meditation, remembering Christ's redemptive acts through His sacrifice on the cross.


Amethyst - The Final Foundational Stone
The Color of a Royal Priesthood


The color purple has long symbolized Royalty. The dictionary defines purple as “any color having components of both red and blue” and as a “symbol of royalty or high office.” Purple's elite status stems from the rarity and cost of the dye originally used to produce it. The earliest archaeological evidence for the origins of purple dyes points to the ancient land of Canaan.

The twelfth and final foundational stone is the Amethyst, a deep purple or violet stone, the only gem of this color. Amethyst is a purple variety of quartz (SiO2) and owes its violet color to irradiation of trivalent iron impurities (Fe3+) and the presence of large trace elements. It is the most precious member of the quartz family. The hardness of the mineral is the same as quartz (Mohs 7) and thus it is suitable for use in jewelry.

The Amethyst is also found in the Breastplate of the High Priest, the third stone in the third row. It represents Issachar by birth order and Benjamin by the order of the camp. For the Apostles, it has been linked to Andrew and also to Matthew because of its fiery aspect.

In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word is "achlamah" meaning the precious stone now known as Amethyst. It is thought to have derived from the root "chalam," meaning to dream, and thus the Amethyst is sometimes referred to as the "dream-stone." The Greek word "amethystos," used in the New Testament, means "not drunken" and thus the Amethyst was thought to ward off drunkenness. Leonardo Da Vinci wrote that Amethyst was able to dissipate evil thoughts and quicken the intelligence.

Amethyst signifies the heart of the lowly that die with Christ. It represents those who pray for their enemies and their persecuters. It is worn by Roman Catholic Bishops as a symbol of trust, piety, humility, sincerity and spiritual wisdom. Moses described it as a symbol of the Spirit of God in the official robes of the High Priest of the Jews.

As the last foundation of the New Jerusalem, it is only proper that this stone symbolize the royal nature of the King that will rule and reign forever!

1 Peter 2:9 (NIV) - But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.

16 comments:

  1. Another interesting aspect of the purple being made of red and blue - I attended a traveling ministry representing the Tablernacle of the old testament, and the docent told our tour group that it was because the Red symbolized Christ's blood and the Blue symbolized the Law, so the two combined colors make up Purple the color of the Royal King... so that sort of stayed with me all this time since that exhibit came through (and don't get me started with all the times as a kid when I was begging my mom to select purple cloth for the various outfits she or my grandma made for me!!).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That was beautiful, MsDrPepper.

      Delete
    2. I agree, that was/is beautiful. And here we are, staring the last day events in the face, and I am reminded of a famous story quote.
      "After this, there is no turning back. You take the blue pill—the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill—you stay in Wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes. Remember: all I'm offering is the truth." From "The Matrix"
      Now, I believe the purple "pill" is the wise choice!

      Delete
  2. God bless you for this article in Jesus Name Amen 🙏

    ReplyDelete
  3. AMEN I've bought me a Amethyst beaded mens bracelet Amen Because it represents GOD AMEN!

    ReplyDelete
  4. These are wonderful comments.I have always known the color purple meant " royalty". This may sound strange but we are getting a beautiful AKC registered Maltese 1 lb. 12 oz puppy April 25th in Boston. We are in Texas. I have been searching all kinds of names but wanted one with Biblical meaning. I was about to go with another then the HS remind me of Amethyst that crossed my mind last week. It perfect and my husband agrees. Plus it will be an open door of opportunity to share Jesus with people when they see this little girl! Thanks so much for the article! B. Speer in Tx.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I looked at your blog because I felt the Holy Spirit showed me a picture of an amethyst mine when I was praying for a young, creative person I know who works in the theatre and has been sidelined by Corona Virus. The part about amethyst being referred to as the dream stone seemed very significant and I used that as part of my encouragement to her. Thank you for posting this...

    ReplyDelete
  6. On Sept 5th 2013 my father died. My sister called me at 6:30 a.m I was having a dream at that time. I was awakened by the call. The dream was very strange. My father layed himself down in a casket and a lamp without a shade came towards me. I was frighted then a hand came around me and layed a necklace with diamonds and ametheyst in my hand. I awakend at the very moment my sister called to say my father passed. I always wondered why this happened to me. Any comment will help me.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Well I am not a prophetic minister nor dream interpreter but it seems this may have been showing you that your father was in heaven with Jesus (a light without a shade - the light of the world. Matt 5:15). The diamonds and amethyst could be the the signs of His glory and royalty.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I am about to start a clothing brand and God has been speaking to me concerning purple for days now. This is a confirmation by the spirit of God. Thank you very much. God bless you and expand your minstry

    ReplyDelete
  9. I just had a vision where Jesus placed me on a white speckled horse. He gave me a chunky gold neckless with a purple stone and a gold crown. I didn’t know it in the vision until I looked it Up and found your blog. The stone let off something powerful and my body felt a shock here in my room even tho it was a vision with me in heaven. When it let off something powerful, it looked like it broke the sound barrier. He told me he was clothing me as his warrior. I wore a blue and white robe thing

    ReplyDelete