Satan's Breast Plate

We often wonder if there is any significance in the mind-boggling details often found in the Old Testament.

For example, when describing Satan, Ezekiel wrote "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." (Eze 28:13a).

Why did Ezekiel bother describing the nine stones set in gold? Because of our unfamiliarity with Jewish temple practices, we fail to see the relationship with the High Priest's garments. In Exodus 28, Moses describes the High Priest's breast plate.

Exo 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. Exo 28:18  And the second row shall be an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond. Exo 28:19  And the third row a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst. Exo 28:20  And the fourth row a beryl, and an onyx, and a jasper: they shall be set in gold in their inclosings.

Had we known Exodus 28, it will be immediately clear that the stones are identical. However, Satan has 9 stones on his breast plate, while the high priest has 12 - one representing each tribe of Israel. Therefore, Satan actually has 3 "missing" stones -- all from the third row: ligure, agate and amethyst. To find the "birth stone" of each tribe, we simply order the tribes according to their birth order, starting from Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah ... all the way to Zebulun, Joseph and Benjamin. Through doing so, we find that the 3 missing stones correspond to the tribes of Gad, Asher and Issachar.

Only then, can we ask the "right" question -- why are these three stones / tribes missing from Satan's breast plate?

To answer this, we have to look at Genesis 49, where Jacob prophesizes about his sons. Gad is an overcomer who  shall "overcome at the last" (v19) and have the final victory. Asher is a royal servant, whose "bread shall be fat" and serve "royal dainties" to the King (v20). Issachar is a burden carrier - a strong ass who lifts burdens. 

Satan is an imitator. Like Judah, he is a lion, but a roaring lion that "walketh about, seeking whom he may devour" (1Pe 5:8). Like Dan, he is a serpent - "the old serpent, he that is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world" (Rev 12:9). Like Simeon and Levi, "instruments of cruelty" are in his habitations (Gen 49:5). Like Napthali, he uses goodly words, but to deceive. Like Benjamin, he is a wolf, who scatters the sheep.

When God created Satan, he knew what Satan would be. However, there are three things Satan would never be. (1) Satan will never be a burden carrier. Only Jesus carries all our burdens. (2) Satan will never be a royal servant. It is not in him to serve. But Jesus is the Servant King. (3) Satan will never overcome. He will never have the final victory. Jesus will.

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How amazing it is, that "mere" stones should contain so great a mystery. How deep, how vast, how unsearchable is His wisdom.