The Watchtower Society and John and Morton Edgar - A2Z.org

302 ELEVENTH SOUVENIR REPORTlibrary, has what is called "the corner-stone," or "the foundationstone," at the laying of which there is much ceremony and pomp,the highest in the land, sometimes, taking the principal part inthe function. But when we examine this stone we do not findany distinguishing feature about it which would necessarily markits pre-eminence above the numerous other corner-stones. Thestone may, indeed, have an inscription carved upon it; but wereit not for the importance thus attached to it because of theconditions in which it was laid, there would be nothing to drawparticular attention to it more than to any of the other cornerstones.How different is the case of the pyramid form of building,Here we see a stone which has pre-eminence above every otherstone, and which is distinctively apparent as the corner-stone, thehead of the corner. Without this stone, the edifice would notbe complete. Indeed, such a building could not properly be calleda pyramid, until the "head corner-stone" is placed in position;for the geometrical definition of a pyramid requires that it shouldhave a regular rectilinear base, and plane triangular sides meetingin a point exactly above the center of the base. No matter,therefor, how well constructed and beautifully jointed the otherstones might be with one another, the building cannot be completeand called a pyramid without the addition of the head corner-stone which contains this point. Thus we see how apt theScriptural syfnbol is, when, in Eph. 2:20, it likens our LordJesus to a chief corner-stone," for without him the wholespiritual temple of our God would be incomplete, unfinished.See how beautifully the Apostle Peter refers to Jesus as beingthe head corner-stone in God's great spiritual pyramid, in Acts4:lO-12. Before, however, considering these verses, it might bewell to briefly summarize the events which brought forth theapostle's remarks. In the third chapter (of Acts) it relates howPeter and John were one day entering the temple, and a manlying at the gate asked them for alms. This man had been lamefrom his birth; and the apostles saw an opportunity to shadowforth the glory and power of the great Millennia1 kingdom ofChrist. Instead, therefor, of giving him alms, they healed him.Read verse six. "Then Peter said, 'Silver and gold have I none,but such as I have give I thee. In the name of Jesus Christ ofNazareth rise up and walk,' " and catching him by the right handhe lifted him up, and the man was immediately made whole.This was a wonderful miracle. It was by such manifestationsof power, and by gifts and si,w that the Lord established theGospel message and began the selection of his church. All thepeople were amazed, and rejoiced that the man had receivedstrength to walk. The Scribes and Pharisees, however, wereangry, not that the man had been made whole, but because hehad been made whole in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth,whom they had only recently rejected and crucified. Peter andJohn boldly continued to teach in this name; and as we read inthe second verse of the fourth chapter (of act^), still more grievedthe rulers by preaching the resurrection of the dead in the name ofJesus. So much did this annoy the rulers, that they laid handson the apostles and put them inio prison. Next daz the apostleswere examined, as we read from the fifth veree: And it cameto pass on the morrow, that their rulers, and elders, and scribes,and Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander,and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest,weregathered together at Jerusalem." They evidently consideredthis matter a most important one. "And when they had setthem in the midst, they asked, By what poKer, or by what name,have ye done this? Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, saidunto them, "Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, if wethis day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man,by what means he is made whole, be it known unto you all, andto dl the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ ofNazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead,even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.'' Theapostle did not seek to mince matters, but toid them straightthat it was by the power and name of the rejected Jesus that theman had been healed. Then he added, asif by sudden inspiration,"This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders,which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvationin any other: for there is none other name under heaven givenamong men whereby we must be saved."Peter had here pictured before his mind a symbolical pyramid,with Jeaus as the head corner-atone. Using as his authority theinspired prophecy of the Psalmist (115:22), he saw that God hadprefigured his Son Christ Jesus by the top corner-stone or" apyramid. The apostle knew that God had centered a!l hope ofsalvation in his well-beloved Son, and he reasoned, therefor, thatall who would ultimately attain salvation must of necessity comeunder that great spiritual headstone-there could be salvationunder no other name, for a pyramid has only one headstone, and"this is the stone," JesuslSee how beautifully the same apost,le, in one of his epistles(First Pet. 3:1-S), brings the similitude of the headstone of apyramid to our Lord Jesus. Read from the first verse, andremember that all the epistles of the New Testament were writtento the church and not to the world: "Wherefor, laying asideall malice, and all guile, and hypocrises, and envies, and all evilspeakings, as new-bcrn babes, desire the sincere mi.lk of the word,that ye may grow thereby: if so be, ye have tasted that the Lordis gracious. To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowedindeed by men, but chosen of God, and precious, ye also, aslively (living) stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holypriesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God byJeaus Christ. Wherefore a!so it is contained in the Scripture6(i. e., the Old Testament), 'Behold I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone,elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not beconfounded! Unto you therefore which believe he is precious:but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the buildersdisallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, and a stoneof stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumbleat. the word, being disobedient."To those who recognize that Jeaus is elected by God to be thechief corner-stone in his great spiritual pyramid of salvation, heis indeed precious, for they know that salvation cannot be attainedexcept they are built up in line with him. They, therefore, willnot be confounded; but those who reject the word d the Lord,being disobedient, shall be confounded; for they will ultimatelyfind themselves outside the pale of salvation, because they havenot come in under the shelter of the heavenly top-stone-theyhave had no faith in Jesus as the only name under heaven, givenamong men, whereby they must be saved.They are like the ancient workmen which the inspired prophetDavid must have had in mind, when he wrote the words: "Thestonewhich the builders refused, is become the headstone of thecorner." (Psa. 118:22). History tells us that Egypt was at onetime imaded by a nation from the East, called Hyksos, or ShepherdKings, who subdued the Egyptians and caused them taclose their idolatrous temples, and compelled them to erect theGreat Pyramid. (There are records of another and much laterinvasion of a nation similarly named Shepherd Kings, but theywere not the same people as the earlier invaders, and had nothingto do with the Pyramid.) These Egyptians, being forced intctthe work, and having no personal interest in it, would be quitein the dark as to what they were engaged in erecting; for theGreat Pyramid was the first of its kind to be built. During thebuilding operations which must necessarily have taken a very longtime (it is supposed, on the strength of the Greek historianHerodotus, that the erecting operations took thirty years; but theperiod might quise well have been much longer, so large and wenconstructed is the building), the ignorant workmen would findone stone lying there which would be a constant cause ofannoyance to them, namely, the head corner-stone.Disregarding the instructions of their architect who wouldinform them that this pecdiarly shaped stone would one day berequired to complete the structure, these ignorant men wouldtry to find some place where it could be fitted; but as it is impossibleto place this stone anywhere except at, the very head, theywould reject it as of,po use. It would become to them as thepsalmist indicated, a stone of stumbling,'' and a "rock ofoffence."But had they known it, this peculiar stone was a little modelof the Pjramid, for it contained the an~les to ~hich all the otherstones required to be shaped. Then, one day, when the buildingwas almost finished, they found that the very stone which theyformerly rejected as of no use, was no* the only stone which couldpossiblycomplete the work. Thua we see that the stone which thebuilders rejected or refused or disallowed, the same became thehead corner-stone. This is the Lord's doing, it is marvelous inour eyes! The similarity between the rejection of the literalstone of the Great Pyramid, and the rejection of Jesus by theJewish nation, is obvious. The inspired prophets and apostlesand Jesus himself, inform us that the one typified the other.Being convinced that the pyramid foim of building is undoubtedlyreferred to in the Scriptures, we naturally turn toEgypt where only ve shall find the true pyramidal structure.The so-called pyramids of Mexico, Babylonia, Assyria, etc., donot conform to the geometrical definition of a pyramid forgenerally they are built in steps or terraces and have a templeontop in which were offered human sacrifices to the sun god.There are altogether thirty-eight pyramids in Egypt, most ofwhich (but not all) might quite well symbolize God's plan in theway in which we have considered it. If we desire, however, tofind symbolical representation of the details of that plan, we.shall require to go to one particular pyramid, namely, the Great.Pyramid of Gizeh.