20150615 Monday, June 15 2015
Song Of Solomon 05: The Colors Of Beryl

by Wayne Blank
See also 1 Year Holy Bible Reading Plan

"The appearance of the wheels and their work was like unto the colour of a beryl"

Beryl is a mineral that takes its name from its chemical composition beryllium aluminium cyclosilicate. While nearly clear in its purest form, "impurities" (some would prefer to call them enhancements) make it available in a number of varieties with a wide range of beautiful colors, including white, green, yellow, blue and red (see the photograph below).

"Beryl" is specified in a number of the Holy Scriptures, from ancient times to the yet-future.

One of the precious stones in the High Priest's "breastplate of judgment" was beryl (see Why Did Jesus Christ Choose Aaron? and Leviticus: The Prophecies Of Christianity).

"28:15 And thou shalt make the breastplate of judgment with cunning work; after the work of the ephod thou shalt make it; of gold, of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine twined linen, shalt thou make it. 28:16 Foursquare it shall be being doubled; a span shall be the length thereof, and a span shall be the breadth thereof. 28:17 And thou shalt set in it settings of stones, even four rows of stones: the first row shall be a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle: this shall be the first row. 28:18 And the second row shall be an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond. 28:19 And the third row a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst. 28:20 And the fourth row a beryl, and an onyx, and a jasper: they shall be set in gold in their inclosings. 28:21 And the stones shall be with the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, like the engravings of a signet; every one with his name shall they be according to the twelve tribes." (Exodus 28:15-21 KJV)

The cherubim seen by Ezekiel in Babylon (see Ezekiel: The Work Of The Watchman) had "wheels" (see The Whirling Wheels) that were "like unto the colour of a beryl" (i.e. the color of the variety of beryl that was commonly-known to the Israelites).

"1:14 And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning. 1:15 Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold one wheel upon the earth by the living creatures, with his four faces. 1:16 The appearance of the wheels and their work was like unto the colour of a beryl: and they four had one likeness: and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel." (Ezekiel 1:14-16 KJV)

Beryl was one of the precious stones worn by the then-righteous angel before he became the first liberal, the first rebel and the first self-inflicted loser (and the spirit of all liberals, rebels and self-inflicted losers ever since; see also It's Getting Much Easier To Be A Winner) known thereafter as "Satan" (see What Is Satan's Real Name? and Which Way Is Right And Left?; also Iniquity In History And Prophecy)

"28:13 Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. 28:14 Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. 28:15 Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee." (Ezekiel 28:13-15 KJV)

The angel Gabriel, who retained his own righteousness and wisdom, kept his genuine beauty, including the appearance of beryl, that Satan threw away, as seen by the prophet Daniel (Daniel 8:16, 9:21) i.e. "His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning" (see The Prophet Daniel: The Hiddekel Vision).

"10:4 And in the four and twentieth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, which is Hiddekel; 10:5 Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz: 10:6 His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude.

Beryl will be one of the foundation stones of the New Jerusalem (see The Church: Mission Accomplished). Notice also that the only Biblical mention of the famous "pearly gates" is when they are on Earth.

"21:19 And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; 21:20 The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst. 21:21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass." (Revelation 21:19-21 KJV)

Beryl is mentioned in the Song of Solomon, by the lady (see Why Is Song of Solomon In The Holy Bible?), in describing then-righteous Solomon: "His hands are as gold rings set with the beryl."

"5:1 I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse: I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk: eat, O friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved.

5:2 I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night. 5:3 I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them? 5:4 My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him. 5:5 I rose up to open to my beloved; and my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers with sweet smelling myrrh, upon the handles of the lock. 5:6 I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone: my soul failed when he spake: I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer. 5:7 The watchmen that went about the city found me, they smote me, they wounded me; the keepers of the walls took away my veil from me. 5:8 I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my beloved, that ye tell him, that I am sick of love.

5:9 What is thy beloved more than another beloved, O thou fairest among women? what is thy beloved more than another beloved, that thou dost so charge us?

5:10 My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand. 5:11 His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are bushy, and black as a raven. 5:12 His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of waters, washed with milk, and fitly set. 5:13 His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers: his lips like lilies, dropping sweet smelling myrrh. 5:14 His hands are as gold rings set with the beryl: his belly is as bright ivory overlaid with sapphires. 5:15 His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold: his countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars. 5:16 His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem." Song Of Solomon 5:1-16 KJV)

Fact Finder: Although Satan has become hideously evil in behavior, has he remained beautiful in appearance?
See How Does Satan Impersonate Jesus Christ?