Article September 22, 2014 Issue

The jasper stone

Michael Slater

Jasper can be found in many different colors: red, yellow, brown, or green, to name a few. In modern times it describes an opaque quartz, but in ancient times it described a translucent green stone. Jasper is mentioned several times in the book of Revelation, and its characterization there points us to a helpful spiritual lesson.

The book of Revelation mentions the jasper stone in the context of John’s vision of a “new heaven and a new earth”: “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.... having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal” (21:1, 2, 11).

John saw the light coming from the “holy city, new Jerusalem,” as a “jasper stone, clear as crystal.” We might say that the jasper stone represents great spiritual clarity, as the light from the holy city shines clearly.