A Time of Creation and Growth
Genesis 1:9-12 And God said, “Let the waters under the sky be gathered into
Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth vegetation: seed-bearing plants and fruit trees, each bearing fruit with seed according to its kind.” And it was so. The earth produced vegetation: seed-bearing plants according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.
Genesis 2:7, 22
Then The LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being. ... And from the rib that The LORD God had taken from the man, He made a woman and brought her to him. (Genesis 1:26-28)
A Time of Repentance
Gird yourselves and lament, you priests; Wail, you who minister before the altar; Come, lie all night in sackcloth, You who minister to my God; For the grain offering and the drink offering are withheld from the house of your God.
Daniel 9:3-5
Then I set my face toward The Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. And I prayed to The LORD my God and confessed, “O, Lord, The great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant of loving devotion to those who love Him and keep His commandments, we have sinned and done wrong. We have acted wickedly and rebelled. We have turned away from Your commandments and ordinances."
Jonah 3:5-6
And the Ninevites believed God. They proclaimed a fast and dressed in sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least. When word reached the king of Nineveh, he got up from his throne, took off his royal robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.
The Gem
SARDONYX is the fifth foundation of the city walls:
Revelation 21:20
...the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst.
As you can see, it is reddish-brown in color and so qualifies to be placed in this study. Though there are a number of distinct shades of sardonyx, or onyx, I like this one.
Onyx was also on the breastplate of the priest bearing the names of the twelve tribes.
Exodus 28:9, 10
Take two onyx stones and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel: six of their names on one stone and the remaining six on the other, in the order of their birth. Engrave the names of the sons of Israel on the two stones the way a gem cutter engraves a seal. Then mount the stones in gold filigree settings.
From The Topical Lexicon:
1. Permanence and Strength: Like a mason choosing the hardest stones for foundational tiers, the heavenly Architect selects gems that will never decay (Revelation 21:14). Sardonyx’s toughness illustrates the inviolable security of the saints’ eternal dwelling.
2. Purity and Sacrifice: The deep sard layer evokes the blood of the Lamb, while the white onyx layer evokes righteousness (Revelation 7:14). Together they preach redemption: washed robes made white by atoning blood.
3. Witness and Authentication: Because sardonyx signet rings authenticated decrees, the stone signifies that God’s promises are sealed and irrevocable (2 Corinthians 1:20).
