1917_The_Finished_Mystery_Text

AND the second, sapphire.— Faithfulness. Thesapphire of the ancients is the modern lapizlazuli, or azure stone, a mineral substance valuedfor decorative purposes in consequence of thefine blue color which it usually presents. It hasthe appearance of being spotted with gold dust."The stones of it are the place of sapphires: andit hath dust of gold." (Job 28:11.) The brilliantspots in the deep blue matrix invite comparisonwith the stars in the firmament. The crystalsform into units having twelve equal sides. Theblue is the color of faithfulness; the gold showsthe faithfulness towards God; the starlikeappearance shows the faithfulness towards all theHeavenly beings— angels, archangels, and theGreat Company; the crystalline formation showsthe faithfulness towards the symbolical andactual twelve tribes of Israel, which, in the lastanalysis, include all who shall become heirs ofsalvation. Those who gain the prize of the HighCalling can be trusted.— 1 Cor. 4:2; Luke 16:10-12.AND the third, a chalcedony.— Obedience;Submission. A green quartz, found in the coppermines of Chalcedon. It crystallizes in the twelvesidedand twenty-four-sided forms of cubiccrystalline formation. In the twelve-sidedcrystals each side is a surface of five equal sidesand angles. The Church's obedience is perfecttowards God as indicated in the faces of thecrystals, five being a symbol of Divinity. It isoperative towards the brethren as in the twelvefacedcrystals, and towards both phases of theKingdom, as in the twenty-four-sided crystals.The fourth, an emerald.— Deathlessness. Oneof the most beautiful of gems, of a bright greencolor, without any mixture, crystallizing in long,hexagonal (six-sided) crystals. The stone losescolor when strongly heated. From thoseoriginally imperfect (as shown in the six-sidedcrystals) God is creating a rice of deathless ones.Nevertheless, though begotten to the Divinenature, should