~ 9 Stones in the Bible ~
Stone
(Christ our foundation) ~ “Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers
and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the
household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and
prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the
chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows
into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a
dwelling place of God in the Spirit” (Ephesians 2:19-22).
Stones
(living) ~ “Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and
precious, you also, as living stones,
are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual
sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:4-5).
Stones (precious) ~ “For
we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God's building. According to the grace of God which was given
to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds
on it. But let each one take heed how he
builds on it. For no other foundation
can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with
gold, silver, precious stones, wood,
hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it,
because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of
what sort it is. If anyone’s work which
he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer
loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire” (1 Corinthians
3:9-15).
Stone
(Christ our basis) ~ “Jesus
said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Simon Peter answered and said, ‘You
are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Blessed are
you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you,
but My Father who is in heaven’ And I
also say to you that you are Peter, and on
this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not
prevail against it” (Matthew 16:15-18).
Some interesting facts relating to this passage:
- Simon contains the meaning of one who
hears and obeys. Interesting to
consider how Simon denied his Lord three times after this point in time. However,
his subsequent life was one of obedience. God can turn one of the weakest into one
of His strongest!
- It is interesting to note that Peter
means rock or stone. Peter became a
rock solid leader of the early Church!
- Bar-Jonah simply means son of Jonah or son
of a dove. Peter was certainly dove
such as in his denials but later was transformed becoming more like a
hawk!
- The most significant item in this
verse is the basis that Christ will build His Church upon the rock of
“Christ, the Son of the living God” (the foundation cornerstone noted previously).
As we have seen stones are used in a positive way.
However, stones are also used in a negative way.
Stones
(to stone others) ~ Jesus
said, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children
together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not
willing!” (Matthew 23:37, also Luke 13:34). “Again he sent them another servant, and at
him they threw stones, wounded him in
the head, and sent him away shamefully treated” (Mark 12:4).
Stones
(to stone Jesus) ~ “Then
they took up stones to throw at Him;
but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of
them, and so passed by” (John 8:59). “Then
the Jews took up stones again to stone
Him. Jesus answered them, ‘Many good
works I have shown you from My Father. For
which of those works do you stone Me?’” (John 10:31-32).
Stones
(for sealing burial tombs) ~ “Jesus said to her, ‘Did I not say to you
that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?’ Then they
took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, ‘Father,
I thank You that You have heard Me’” (John 11:40-41).
Stones are a part of our life on earth.
Stones will also be a part of our life on the new
earth.
Stones
(in heaven) ~ “Now the wall of the city had twelve
foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the
Lamb. And he who talked with me had a
gold reed to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. The city is laid out as a square; its length
is as great as its breadth. And he
measured the city with the reed: twelve thousand furlongs. Its length, breadth, and height are
equal. Then he measured its wall: one
hundred and forty-four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of
an angel. The construction of its wall
was of jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass. The foundations of the wall of the city were
adorned with all kinds of precious stones:
the first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the
fourth emerald, the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite,
the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth,
and the twelfth amethyst. The twelve
gates were twelve pearls: each individual gate was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold,
like transparent glass” (Revelation 21:14-21).
Stone
(Christ our Light) ~ “And he carried me away in the Spirit to a
great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem,
descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. Her light
was like a most precious stone,
like a jasper stone, clear as crystal” (Revelation 21:10-11).
Comment ~ This
is a special post for me. It was
inspired by a pencil notation in my deceased brother’s study Bible which listed
four kinds of stones.
~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.
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