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March 2026
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URIM and THUMMIM

Exodus 28:1: ¶ And take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office, [even] Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s sons.
Exodus 28:2 And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and for beauty.
Exodus 28:3 And thou shalt speak unto all [that are] wise hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron’s garments to consecrate him, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office.
Exodus 28:4 And these [are] the garments which they shall make; a breastplate, and an ephod, and a robe, and a broidered coat, a mitre, and a girdle: and they shall make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, and his sons, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office.
Exodus 28:15 ¶ And thou shalt make the breastplate of judgment with cunning work; after the work of the ephod thou shalt make it; [of] gold, [of] blue, and [of] purple, and [of] scarlet, and [of] fine twined linen, shalt thou make it.
Exodus 28:16 Foursquare it shall be [being] doubled; a span [shall be] the length thereof, and a span [shall be] the breadth thereof.
Exodus 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.
Exodus 28:18 And the second row [shall be] an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond.
Exodus 28:19 And the third row a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst.
Exodus 28:20 And the fourth row a beryl, and an onyx, and a jasper: they shall be set in gold in their enclosings.
Exodus 28:21 And the stones shall be with the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, [like] the engravings of a signet; every one with his name shall they be according to the twelve tribes.
Exodus 28:29 And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the HOLY [PLACE], for a memorial before the LORD continually.
Only the high priest wore this breastplate. In Hebrew, it’s called the Choshen Mishpat, the breastplate of judgment. On the outside of this piece of fabric were 12 gemstones arranged in four rows. And each stone had the name of one of Israel’s 12 tribes engraved on it. The breastplate was attached to another garment called the ephod, which was an ornate vest-like garment. And the whole setup was worn over the high priest’s regular priestly robes. Thus when the high priest stood before God, he was literally bearing the names of all of Israel on his chest.
To communicate with the ancient Israelites God employed a personal communication device, the URIM and THUMMIM. They were two large stones of great brilliancy and were located at the right and left of the breastplate.
The high priest used these to ask God “Yes” or “No” questions. When the answers weren’t just a “Yes” or “No”, God would give detailed information, such as military strategies, through the use of these objects; probably by His Spirit working through the high priest.
The Bible just mentions the URIM and THUMMIM as though everyone knows all about them. There’s no instruction manual; they just appear in Exodus 28:30 with God telling Moses to put them in the high priest’s breastplate. As to how they worked, and their composition, the God’s Word is silent. The following is all the recorded information and explanation that we have:
7 Bible quotes:
Exodus 28:30 ¶ And thou shalt PUT in the breastplate of judgment the URIM and the THUMMIM; and they shall be upon Aaron’s heart, when he goeth in before the LORD: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the LORD continually. [First URIM and THUMMIM reference cites to PUT (not to make) them in the breastplate of judgment. When someone needed divine guidance on a major decision, they would approach the high priest and ask him to consult the URIM and THUMMIM]
Leviticus 8:8 And he put the breastplate upon him: also he put in the breastplate the URIM and the THUMMIM.
Numbers 27:21 And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall ask [counsel] for him after the judgment of URIM before the LORD: at his word shall they go out, and at his word they shall come in, [both] he, and all the children of Israel with him, even all the congregation.
Deuteronomy 33:8 ¶ And of Levi he said, [Let] thy THUMMIM and thy URIM [be] with thy holy one, whom thou didst prove at Massah, [and with] whom thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah;
1 Samuel 28:6 And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD answered him not, neither by DREAMS, nor by URIM, nor by PROPHETS. [These were God’s own appointed mediums of communication {1890 PP 683.1}]
Ezra 2:63 And the Tirshatha said unto them, that they should not eat of the MOST HOLY THINGS, till there stood up a priest with URIM and with THUMMIM. [As Nehemiah 7:65 – last mention of URIM and THUMMIM – not in use by the time that the exiles returned from Babylon; cessation almost certainly occurring at the start of the 70 years of captivity.]
Nehemiah 7:65 And the Tirshatha said unto them, that they should not eat of the MOST HOLY THINGS, till there stood [up] a priest with URIM and THUMMIM. [As Ezra 2:63 – last mention of URIM and THUMMIM – not in use by the time that the exiles returned from Babylon; cessation almost certainly occurring at the start of the 70 years of captivity.]
Spirit of Prophecy:
By the laying on of Moses’ hands, and a most impressive charge, Joshua was solemnly set apart as the leader of Israel. He was also admitted to a present share in the government as an evidence to the people that no jealousy stirred the heart of Moses at the thought that another was to take his place and lead Israel to the promised land. Moses instructed the people to respect Joshua, and inspired them with confidence in him as the man divinely appointed as his successor. The word of the Lord came through Moses to the congregation, “He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall ask counsel for him after the judgment of URIM, before the Lord. At his word shall they go out, and at his word shall they come in, both he and all the children of Israel with him, even all the congregation.” {ST, January 13, 1881 par. 7}
The position of Joshua differed in some respects from that of Moses. Not only was the latter a prophet and a ruler in Israel, but he officiated in the capacity of high priest, and asked counsel directly of God himself. But after Moses, neither Joshua nor any other of the rulers of Israel was permitted to come to the Lord except through the high priest. {ST, January 13, 1881 par. 8}
At the right and left of the breastplate were two large stones of great brilliancy. These were known as the URIM and THUMMIM. By them the will of God was made known through the high priest. When questions were brought for decision before the Lord, a halo of light encircling the precious stone at the right was a token of the divine consent or approval, while a cloud shadowing the stone at the left was an evidence of denial or disapprobation. {1890 PP 351.2}
Through the laying on of hands by Moses, accompanied by a most impressive charge, Joshua was solemnly set apart as the leader of Israel. He was also admitted to a present share in the government. The words of the Lord concerning Joshua came through Moses to the congregation, “He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall ask counsel for him, after the judgment of URIM before the Lord. At his word shall they go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he, and all the children of Israel with him, even all the congregation.” Verses 21-23. {1890 PP 463.1}
On the morrow Saul must engage the Philistines in battle. The shadows of impending doom gathered dark about him; he longed for help and guidance. But it was in vain that he sought counsel from God. “The Lord answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by URIM, nor by prophets.” The Lord never turned away a soul that came to Him in sincerity and humility. Why did he turn Saul away unanswered? The king had by his own act forfeited the benefits of all the methods of inquiring of God. He had rejected the counsel of Samuel the prophet; he had exiled David, the chosen of God; he had slain the priests of the Lord. Could he expect to be answered by God when he had cut off the channels of communication that Heaven had ordained? He had sinned away the Spirit of grace, and could he be answered by dreams and revelations from the Lord? Saul did not turn to God with humility and repentance. It was not pardon for sin and reconciliation with God, that he sought, but deliverance from his foes. By his own stubbornness and rebellion he had cut himself off from God. There could be no return but by the way of penitence and contrition; but the proud monarch, in his anguish and despair, determined to seek help from another source. {1890 PP 675.3}
The Scripture account of Saul’s visit to the woman of Endor has been a source of perplexity to many students of the Bible. There are some who take the position that Samuel was actually present at the interview with Saul, but the Bible itself furnishes sufficient ground for a contrary conclusion. If, as claimed by some, Samuel was in heaven, he must have been summoned thence, either by the power of God or by that of Satan. None can believe for a moment that Satan had power to call the holy prophet of God from heaven to honor the incantations of an abandoned woman. Nor can we conclude that God summoned him to the witch’s cave; for the Lord had already refused to communicate with Saul, by dreams, by URIM, or by prophets. 1 Samuel 28:6. These were God’s own appointed mediums of communication, and He did not pass them by to deliver the message through the agent of Satan. {1890 PP 683.1}
The time frame for the URIM and THUMMIM was therefore from 1446 BC – Exodus 25-30 relating to the Preparations for the Tabernacle – in 1446 BC until Solomon’s Temple was destroyed in 586 BC – a total of 860 years. [86=Nations Worship God] The Saul/Philistine/woman of Endor event occurred in 1010 BC.
During this time, God communicated His requirements through the high priest of that day.
Proverbs 16:33 The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof [is] of the LORD.
Consider 1 Samuel 14 which occurred about 1041 BC:
In 1 Samuel 14, a miraculous victory over the Philistines is initiated by the faith of Saul’s son, Jonathan, but hindered by the impulsive and foolish leadership of King Saul.
1. Jonathan’s Daring Attack (Verses 1–23)
A Secret Mission: Jonathan and his armour-bearer secretly left Saul’s camp to attack a Philistine garrison.
The Sign: Jonathan relied on a sign from God: if the Philistines challenged them to “come up,” he would take it as a signal of victory.
Initial Victory: After climbing steep cliffs (Bozez and Seneh), the pair killed about 20 men in a small area.
Divine Intervention: God sent a supernatural panic and an earthquake throughout the Philistine camp, causing the enemies to turn their swords on each other.
2. Saul’s Foolish Oath (Verses 24–46)
The Rash Vow: Saul placed his army under a strict oath not to eat any food until evening, seeking personal vengeance on his enemies.
Jonathan’s Error: Unaware of the oath, Jonathan ate a little honey in the forest and was refreshed. When told of the curse, he pointed out that the oath had actually weakened the army’s pursuit.
A Sinful Consequence: By evening, the famished soldiers were so desperate that they slaughtered captured livestock and ate the meat with the blood, violating God’s law.
The Death Sentence: When God did not answer Saul’s inquiry for further pursuit, Saul cast LOTS to find the culprit. The LOT fell to Jonathan, and Saul swore he must die.
The People’s Rescue: The Israelite soldiers rebelled against Saul’s order, ransoming Jonathan because God had worked through him to save the nation.
3. Summary of Saul’s Reign (Verses 47–52)
Military Successes: Despite his personal failures, Saul secured his throne by defeating various enemies, including Moab, Ammon, Edom, and the Amalekites.
Family and Strength: The chapter concludes by listing Saul’s family (including his sons Jonathan, Ishvi, and Malchi-shua) and noting that he drafted every “valiant man” he saw into his service to fight the perpetual war against the Philistines.
The following verses are our focus:
1 Samuel 14:41 Therefore Saul said unto the LORD God of Israel, Give a perfect [LOT]. And Saul and Jonathan were taken: but the people escaped.
1 Samuel 14:42 And Saul said, Cast [LOTS] between me and Jonathan my son. And Jonathan was taken.
In the KJV Bible and most English translations, you won’t see the words URIM and THUMMIM mentioned in this passage. There is no Hebrew word – the translated text just says that [lots] were cast. The Septuagint, which is the ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible that was done a couple centuries before Christ, the Septuagint actually preserves more detail here and it specifically mentions URIM and THUMMIM.
In 1 Samuel 14:41-42 (Brenton’s Septuagint translation), Saul seeks divine guidance to identify who broke his oath, resulting in Jonathan being chosen by lot. The text reads: “And Saul said, O Lord God of Israel, why hast thou not answered thy servant to-day? If the iniquity be in me or in Jonathan my son, O Lord God of Israel, give URIM: and if it be in thy people Israel, give THUMMIM. And Jonathan and Saul were taken, and the people escaped. And Saul said, Cast the lot between me and Jonathan my son. And Jonathan was taken”. 
14:41 (LXX): Saul prays for a clear, divine indication (URIM or THUMMIM) to identify the transgressor, as God had not answered him. The lots reveal that the fault lies with either him or his son, not the people.
14:42 (LXX): Saul narrows the search to himself and his son, leading to the selection of Jonathan. 
Note: The Septuagint (Greek) text of 1 Samuel 14:41 is significantly longer than the Masoretic (Hebrew) text, providing a fuller account of the prayer for URIM and THUMMIM. 
In the Old Testament, the above is the only Septuagint rendering of the words URIM or THUMMIM where the KJV Bible text is translated as LOT/LOTS.
Reconsider Numbers 27:21 [1407 BC]. It says that Eleazar the priest will inquire by the judgment of the URIM on Joshua’s behalf. But notice the priest isn’t doing the inquiring. The priest is actually the mediator. In the Talmud it says explicitly that no priest was inquired of who does not speak by the means of the Holy Spirit. The URIM and THUMMIM didn’t work without the Holy Spirit resting on the priest. Perhaps the URIM and THUMMIM were the mechanism but the content came through prophetic inspiration. The stones indicated a “Yes” or “No” or “Silence” but when more complex information was needed the priest was filled with the Holy Spirit and would prophesy. that would explain both the simple binary uses and the complex answers – the URIM and THUMMIM authenticated that God was speaking. So the Spirit-filled priest ultimately delivered the message. At some point the URIM and THUMMIM stopped working and we have two very different claims about when the URIM and THUMMIM ceased to work.
The Talmud says that they were among the five things missing from the second temple. Meaning that after the Babylonian exile when the Jews returned and rebuilt the temple they no longer had the URIM and THUMMIM and that would put the cut off at around 586 BC when the first temple was actually destroyed. Josephus on the other hand says that URIM and THUMMIM stopped working specifically that they stopped shining about 200 years before his time and he was writing about 90 AD so that would put it around 110 BC during the reign of John Herkinus. John Hyrcanus/Yo?anan Cohen Gadol was a 2nd-century BC Hasmonean leader, High Priest, and ethnarch who ruled Judea from 134–104 BC. So which is it? Did they disappear in 586 BC or 110 BC? The last clear biblical reference to their use was during King David’s reign which was around 1000 BC. After that, we have prophets becoming more prominent like Elijah and Elisha, Isaiah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and they’re getting direct Words from God without needing the URIM and THUMMIM. By the time we get to Ezra and Nehemiah, there’s the passage where they encounter people claiming to be priests, but without proper documentation. And the solution is to wait until a priest arrives with the URIM and THUMMIM, implying that they didn’t currently have them. So, the Talmud is probably right in that they weren’t physically present in the second temple, but maybe they were present for a time, but they stopped functioning. They had the objects, but the divine communication with them had ceased. That would ultimately reconcile Josephus and the Talmud, where the objects disappeared around 586 BC, and the last time they actually worked might have been later during the early second temple period until they finally fell silent for good. But as to why they stop working – well that tells us something about how God was changing the way He communicated with His people.
The URIM and THUMMIM are placed on the breastplate worn by the high priest. They give the bearer the authority to discern God’s will and pronounce judgment. And they’re associated the 12 tribes representing all of Israel, God’s people who are meant to bring order to the world.
By contrast in Mesopotamian mythology, the tablet of destinies was the sacred object that gave its possessor the authority to decree fate. It was worn on the chest of the god who had power over cosmic order. In the Enuma Elish, which was the creation epic of this [c. 1200 BC], the goddess Tiamat gives the tablet to her champion Kingu to empower him for battle. But Marduk defeats Kingu, takes the tablet, and places it on his own chest. That’s what legitimises Marduk’s authority as the king of the gods in their culture.
The parallels don’t seem to be accidental. Israel is operating in the same cultural context as Mesopotamia. But, and this is the crucial thing, they’ve inverted the meaning. Because in Mesopotamia, the tablet of destinies is about power. Whoever has it controls the fate. It’s fought over. It’s stolen. It’s used for domination and conquest. But in Israel, these two stones are about submission. The high priest doesn’t control anything. He’s asking God for guidance. And God is the One who ultimately controls the outcome. the priest is just the mediator. It’s the same cultural symbol but a completely different theology. That’s really important to recognise because it’s easy for us to look at the practices like the URIM and THUMMIM and denounce it – but this was actually a theological statement against the kind of manipulation or the manipulative divinity or divination practised by their neighbours.
So Israel was not using magic to control the gods. They were giving God a means to speak to them, which is really fascinating. But the mystery of the URIM and THUMMIM isn’t just about what were these objects. It’s about something bigger. How does God communicate with His people? And that’s what’s fascinating – that these stones represent a specific time phase in that communication. Because think about the progression from the Garden of Eden.
In the garden of Eden and before the Fall of man, God Himself walks and talks with Adam and Eve directly.
Then sin enters the world and that direct communication is broken.
After the Fall, God still speaks to Noah, to Abraham, and to Moses, but it’s more sporadic and more mediated.
After the Fall of man, God, usually sends Jesus to speak and declare His messages.
Then you get the URIM and THUMMIM, and it’s institutional. It’s structured. There’s a process. You need the high priest – a mediator. You need the sacred garments, the proper setting. It’s no longer God having direct human communication. There’s seems to be a little bit of a system.
But even that doesn’t last because look what happens. By the time of the prophets, God is now speaking directly to individuals again. Not through the high priest casting “lots”, but through prophetic words.
Then Jesus comes and John 1:18 says:
John 1:18 No man hath seen God at any time; THE ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, which is in the BOSOM OF THE FATHER, HE HATH declared [HIM]. [The word BEGOTTEN means derived from something which is already in existence. So Jesus came from the bosom of His Father. Father existed first, then formed His only begotten Son – just like in mankind. This disproves the co-existent, co-eternal trinity doctrine where Jesus and the Holy Spirit are said to have always existed as gods.] [BOSOM – singular context – no plural God.] [“The Eternal Father, the unchangeable one, GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, tore from his bosom HIM WHO WAS MADE IN THE EXPRESS IMAGE OF HIS PERSON, and sent him down to earth to reveal how greatly he loved mankind. {RH July 9, 1895, par. 13}] [GOD IS THE FATHER OF CHRIST; CHRIST IS THE SON OF GOD. To Christ has been given an exalted position. He has been made equal with the Father. All the counsels of God are opened to His Son. {1904 8T 268.3} Also {1991CCh 76.5}]
During the time that Jesus lived on earth [3 BC-31 AD= 33 years (as no year 0)], Jesus – the Son of God – spoke directly to all, including His disciples and followers.
Then from Pentecost, the Spirit of Jesus, which originally came from God His Father, has been given to every Christian believer.
Matthew 28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have COMMANDED you: and, lo, I am with you alway, [even] unto the end of the world. Amen.
The Holy Spirit isn’t just on the high priest. He’s in all believers. Every Christian has access to God’s guidance, not through casting lots, but through the indwelling Spirit and the written Word. And Hebrews actually makes this explicit. It talks about Jesus as our great high priest and says:
Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the THRONE of GRACE, that we may OBTAIN MERCY, and find GRACE to help IN TIME OF NEED.
No more lots, no more mediated inquiry. We have direct access through Jesus.
The progression is that we have direct communion, then mediated communication, then a institutional system, and then the prophetic words through the prophets, then the incarnation, and then the Holy Spirit of God [Jesus] dwelling within each believer.
At each stage, God is meeting His people where they currently are and in a way that they can understand while He moves them towards something greater. At every point God reveals His faithfulness in the guidance of His people. That’s one of the messages of Scripture, progressive revelation. Our loving and caring God is constantly guiding and giving His people what they need for the moment that they’re in, while moving them forward to the fullness of what He’s always intended, union with Him through Christ.
So the URIM and THUMMIM were a gift for Ancient Israel for their time; they were temporary and ceased because God was moving His people on. Prophets like Isaiah and Jeremiah weren’t consulting lots to to see what God had to say. They were hearing directly from God/Jesus and through the written Word. The Spirit of God was working in “new” understandable ways.