What does emerald symbolize in the Bible (Biblical symbolism and meaning)?

As a Christian with 15 years of experience in ministry, I have mastered the art of using relatable things to pass the message of God to my congregation.

Last Sunday, I was in charge of teaching and decided to use an emerald as my primary tangible tool. I was impressed by the impact this teaching had on the church, so I decided to share what I gathered with you.

So, let us look at “What does emerald symbolize in the bible?”

Revelations 4:1-3 records the vision of John regarding the throne in heaven. In his vision, John reveals that the person sitting on the throne had a rainbow that encircled his throne, and it shone like an emerald. The emerald in this scripture has been suggested to symbolize God’s promise of eternal life. God instructed the Israelites to make a breast piece for Aaron that consisted of an emerald so that he could wear it over his heart whenever he went before him to aid him in making decisions concerning the Israelites.

So, join me until the end as I delve more into this topic. I will explain in depth the spiritual meaning of emerald, the Hebrew meaning of it, and what the Bible says about this precious stone.

I will also discuss what the color emerald means in the Bible, among other topics.

Where is emerald mentioned in the Bible?

Emerald is first mentioned in the book of Exodus. In this scripture, God instructs skilled men of Israel to make a breastplate as one of the priestly garments.

This breastplate is to be made using twelve stones, one of them being the emerald. The emerald stone was to be placed on the second row alongside the turquoise and lapis lazuli stones.

Ezekiel 27:16 also records prophet Ezekiel lamenting over King Tyre: “Syria was thy merchant by reason of the multitude of the wares of thy making; they traded in thy fairs with emeralds, purple, and embroidered work, and fine linen, and coral, and agate.”

The prophet informs Tyre of how Aram did business with them because of their many products. Among the products Aram used in exchange for goods from Tyre were fine linen and emeralds.

Ezekiel 28:13 also records the description of Satan before his fall: “You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: carnelian, chrysolite and emerald, topaz, onyx and jasper, lapis lazuli, turquoise and beryl. Your settings and mountings were made of gold; on the day you were created they were prepared.”

The scripture suggests that before his fall, Satan had been adorned by the most precious stones in the Garden of Eden, including emerald stones.

The Bible also mentions emeralds in Revelations 21:9-21, when the author describes how the new Jerusalem, the bride of the lamb, was built.

The author suggests that the foundations of the city walls of Jerusalem were decorated with every kind of precious stone, which included the emerald.

The last mention of emerald in the Bible is in Revelations 4:3 when John describes the rainbow he spotted around heaven’s throne shining like an emerald. “And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne.”

What is the spiritual meaning of emerald?

Biblical symbolism and meaning of emerald
Spiritual meaning of emerald. Image source: Pixabay

Emerald may spiritually be used to mean wealth.

Emerald is one of the most beautiful and precious stones found on earth. It has a distinctive color, green, which is usually associated with nature.

With this, emeralds could indicate wealth or prosperity in the spiritual world.

Peace

Emerald may also be used to mean peace spiritually. The calmness of nature is, in most cases, linked to peace, and therefore, spiritualists used this stone to suggest that it may represent peace.

It can also mean happiness or bring good luck to whoever is putting it on.

Protection

Emerald is often associated with protection in the spiritual world, as it is considered among the most unique and powerful stones.

It is believed that one can use an emerald to protect themselves from negative energy by using it as an accessory or carrying it.

Healing

Emeralds are also believed to represent healing. Most spiritualists believe that emeralds crystals carry a high positive energy that can bring healing to the person holding them, as they are often used to balance the emotional, physical, and spiritual being of someone.

What is the Hebrew meaning of emerald?

Emerald in Hebrew is described as a shining stone or gem. The Hebrew name for emerald is ‘נֹפֶךְ’ and is pronounced as noh-PEK or noh-FEK.

Emerald in the Hebrew bible has been used as a precious stone to make a breastplate for priests. Emerald has also been used in the Hebrew Bible to represent the tribe of Levi.

The tribe of Levi was among the twelve tribes of Israelites that were to be presented before God by Aaron, as suggested in Exodus 28:1-43.

What are emeralds in the Old Testament?

Emeralds in the Old Testament have been are regarded as gemstones that have high value and were used to make quality garments for kings and priests.

In the Old Testament, Emeralds have also been used as a product of trade, as suggested in the book of Ezekiel. They have also been described as the precious stones found in the Garden of Eden, among the stones used to cover Satan while he was still an angel.

To sum up, emeralds have been mostly used in the Old Testament to refer to a type of high-quality stone.

What does the Bible say about emeralds?

The Bible reveals in Ezekiel 28:13 that emeralds were among the precious stones used to cover Lucifer while he stayed in the Garden of Eden before his fall from heaven.

The Bible suggests that Satan was the most beautiful angel created by God and was therefore adorned in expensive stones, among them emerald.

The Bible also suggests in Revelations 21:19-21 that emerald stones were used to build the new Jerusalem. The Bible speculates how the new Jerusalem had been built as one of a kind, in that different precious stones were used for its wall foundations.

How do emeralds appear in the Bible?

Emeralds appear in the Bible as a representation of the tribe of Levi. In the book of Exodus, Moses is instructed to gather the Israelites, skilled in stone making, to make various garments that priests had to wear.

Among the garments needed is the breastplate, which is to be made with twelve stones, each representing a tribe in Israel. The Bible suggests that emeralds stones were used in the second raw of the breastplate.

Emeralds also appear in the Bible in Revelations 4:3 as a metaphor to represent the eternal life that God promised us. “And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald.”

The Book of Revelations reveals John’s vision, in which he saw a rainbow covering God’s throne. The Bible records that the rainbow shone like an emerald, suggesting eternal life.

What does the color emerald mean in the Bible?

The color of emerald is suggested to be a combination of blue and green color. With this, we can use the two colors and see how they are represented in the Bible.

Since emerald has a blue color on it, it could be used to indicate richness or wealth. Ezekiel 27:7 records the prophet Ezekiel’s lament towards the city of Trye: “Fine embroidered linen from Egypt was what you spread for your sail; Blue and purple from the coasts of Elishah was what covered you.”

Prophet Ezekiel suggests that before the fall of this great city, Trye used blue and purple fine embroidered from Egypt to spread on their sail, which served as its banner.

3 symbolic meanings of emerald in the Bible

Biblical symbolism and meaning of emerald
Symbolic meanings of emerald in the Bible. Image source: Pixabay

Emerald as a symbol of dignity and honor

Emerald has been used in the Bible to symbolize dignity and honor. This is suggested in Exodus 28:2 when God commands Moses to choose Aaron and his four sons, Eleazar, Ithamar, Abihu, and Nadab, to serve him as priests: “Make sacred garments for your brother Aaron to give him dignity and honor.”

He then orders Moses to make sacred garments for Aaron to give him honor and dignity. Most of these garments were made using emeralds as a stone.

Emerald as a symbol of eternal life

Emerald has also been used in the Bible metaphorically to symbolize eternal life. After God sent floods on earth in the book of Genesis 8, he promises Noah never to destroy the earth again with floods and uses the rainbow to represent his promise.

In Revelations, John sees a vision in which he spots a rainbow around the throne of heaven, which he likens its shining to that of an emerald. The emerald in this scripture is suggested to symbolize God’s promise of eternal life.

Emerald is a symbol of something valuable.

Emerald has also been used in the Bible to symbolize something of high value. Emerald comes off in Ezekiel 28:13 as a precious stone used to cover Satan in the Garden of Eden.

It is also used as a special stone to build the new Jerusalem. Emerald is also used as something valuable as other cities used it to trade with Tyre for other goods.

Spiritual meaning of emerald in the Bible

Emerald has been used in the Bible to mean growth spiritually. Since emerald is associated with green, it has been used to suggest renewal and growth in one’s spiritual life, just as green plants do.

Emeralds are described in the Bible as precious gemstones which may be used to mean understanding and wisdom spiritually. Wisdom is a valued quality in the Bible, just like the emerald.

Emerald has also been used in the Bible to mean the beauty of the word of God spiritually. Emerald stones are known to have a shiny effect pleasing to the eye, just like it is suggested in Revelations 4:3, “And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald.”

On the other hand, the word of God is known to bring light to our lives.

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