JASPER 

Obtaining the stones for the New City was my first endeavor when initiating supplies needed for the painting.  I focused on the “bible” names and nothing more.  When I began soliciting for and collecting stones from all over the world, I took their literal “bible” meaning.  Jasper is an excellent example of the confusion and controversy I began to face.  Regardless of the many times as I had read it: “as clear as crystal”, I had missed it. 

Jasper is noted to be mainly reds and browns most commonly.  There are banded and spotted in nearly all colors.  I imagined the stone used was red, perhaps banded with browns, blacks and yellow/whites as it was the most commonly seen stone with research.  There were blues (ocean jasper) which were magnificent but rare.  I wondered if the blue was the correct stone to use in order to illuminate the heavenly blue colors of God’s New City.

It was not until several years later I realized my error!  I had been collecting the wrong color all along.  I had read Revelation so many times and missed what I now understand jasper to be.  I began to research the stones from ancient times, scientifically, geologically, metaphysically and any way to develop a true understanding of exactly what each stone signifies.  I had learned a lot but still could not find the answer. 

As I have previously stated: “I am not religious but I am learning”, and in that growth I tried to walk a mile in another “man’s” shoes to find out exactly what was on God’s mind when he mastered the architecture of his New City.  I imagine the plan was to mark HIS New City with HIS glory which SHINES like the sun.  What a better stone to use to crown HIS glory!  A stone that captures the sun itself and carries a prism of color within it.

Referring to God and The New City from various biblical text:

• Rev. 4:3 And he that sat was to the sight like the jasper and sardine stone
• Rev. 4:6 …and before the throne there was something like a sea of glass, like crystal…
• Rev. 21:11 Having the glory of God, and the light thereof was like to a precious stone, as to the jasper stone, even as crystal… (SECOND TRANSLATION: …having the glory of God.  … brilliance was like a very costly stone of crystal-clear jasper.)
• Rev. 21:23 And the city hath no need of the sun, nor of the moon to shine in it.  For the glory of God hath enlightened it, and the Lamb is the lamp thereof.

 FACTS REGARDING JASPER:

• Quartz is divided into two types:
• Macrocrystalline-Crystals are visible with the unaided eye.
• Cryptocrystalline-A microscope is required to see the individual crystals.
• Jasper is quartz of the cryptocrystalline type that can be of two distinct types; micro granular and fibrous.
• Chert is the general term applied to the granular cryptocrystalline varieties of quartz, of which flint and Jasper are examples.
• Quartz makes up 12% of the earth’s crust. (ODDLY ABUNDANT-REMEMBER THAT WHEN READING ABOUT THE STONES IN VARIOUS BLOGS.  A MYSTERY OF REVELATION WILL BE REVEALED IN THE BLOG SHORTLY BEFORE THE PAINTING IS UNVEILED 12/2010 WHICH WILL CHANGE HISTORY~!)
• As the most abundant mineral on earth, quartz and jasper are found all over the world.
• Jasper is often multicolored, banded or spotted and is commonly found in reds and browns.
• Has long been used as tools for hardness; spears and axes.
• Helps cure liver, intestinal ailments, stomach, gynecological, and cleanse the body of toxins.
• The stone was once believed to cure insanity with God’s help, and heal demon possessed.
• Egyptians placed amulets on the deceased as jasper was believed to create a safe passage in death.
• Protective, calming, offers stability, and balances the emotional and intellectual.
• Known as “the great rain bearer” in the fourth century.
• Origin of the name Jasper is Greek: iaspis.
• Brings happiness, aids in sleep, protective properties.

Resources online:

http://www.mineralminers.com/html/phqminfo.htm

http://www.cst.cmich.edu/users/dietr1rv/jasper.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jasper

Major sources of Jasper include:

Venezuela, Germany, North Africa, Brazil, Canada, United States, Madagascar, Russia, Ural Mountains, India, Sicily, France, Egypt, Uruguay, Australia, Kazakhstan 

As the stones are found nearly all over the world, sometimes we do not see the world, the people and only value the worth of the stones.  Learning about different people and cultures not only creates a “worldly person”, it also creates a deeper understanding of life, promotes unity, and makes the world an overall better place to live. 

Venezuela

http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/nytmaps.pl?venezuela

The Culture of Venezuela is product of a very rich and diverse set of cultural traditions. A sort of melting pot culture has been created by wide influences, from the original American Indians to the Spanish and Africans who arrived after the Spanish conquest. Then 19th century and 20th century immigration brought many Italians, Portuguese, Arabs, Germans, and others from the bordering countries of South America. About 85% of Venezuelans live in urban areas in the northern part of the country. Although almost half of the land area is south of the Orinoco River, only 5% of the population live in that area. About 95% of the population call themselves Roman Catholic. The rest belong to other churches, mainly the Protestant church.  Read more at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_Venezuela

http://hiderefer.com/?http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news/1784

Germany

http://hiderefer.com/?http://www.geographyiq.com/countries/gm/Germany_map_flag_geography.htm

http://www.iloveoc.net/the-best-of-all-beer-drinking-festival-is-on-octobefest/

It is the world’s largest beer festival, is held annually in Munich, Germany, has spread across Europe and the Rest of the World and is now celebrated globally. The Oktoberfest tradition started in 1810 to celebrate the October 12th marriage of Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig to the Saxon-Hildburghausen Princess Therese. All of the residents of Munich were invited to celebrate the marriage in the surrounding fields. The celebrations lasted five days and ended with a horse race.

Federal Republic of Germany (German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland, is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands. The territory of Germany covers 357,021 square kilometers (137,847 sq mi) and is influenced by a temperate seasonal climate. With 81.8 million inhabitants in January 2010, it has the largest population among member states of the European Union, and it is also home to the third-largest number of international migrants worldwide.  More information:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germany

North Africa

http://printable-maps.blogspot.com/2008/09/physical-map-of-north-africa.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Africa

North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Northern Africa includes the following seven countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Sudan, Tunisia, and Western Sahara.

The Spanish plazas de soberanía (exclaves) are on the southern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, surrounded by Morocco on land….The distinction between Northern Africa and the rest of Africa is historically significant because of the effective barrier created by the Sahara. Throughout history this barrier has culturally separated the North from the rest of Africa and, as the seafaring civilizations of the Phoenecians, Greeks, Romans and others facilitated communication and migration across the Mediterranean, the cultures of North Africa became much more closely tied to Southwestern Asia and Europe than Sub-Saharan Africa.

The inhabitants of North Africa are generally divided in a manner roughly corresponding to the principal geographic regions of North Africa: the Maghreb, the Nile Valley, and the Sahara. Northwest Africa on the whole is believed to have been inhabited by Berbers since before the beginning of recorded history, while the eastern part of North Africa has been home to the Egyptians. Ancient Egyptians record extensive contact in their Western desert with peoples that appear to have been Berber or proto-Berber.

 
This IS the future and worth more than the weight of gold-priceless!