Our Foundation

“The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner” (Psalm 118:22 RVIC).

— Brett Blackwell

Old Testament prophecies provide a basis for our faith and belief in Jesus Christ. No one knew this better than Jesus, as Luke 24:27 (NASB) explains for us: “Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He [Jesus] explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.” One such prophecy of Jesus Christ is that of the cornerstone, or “head of the corner,” as translated in the KJV and RVIC.

Christians find it faith-strengthening that both Jesus and his apostles have illuminated the beautiful meaning of the Old Testament cornerstone prophecies. They have provided a better insight into the plans of God, and specifically how to understand The Christ, Head and Body.

The cornerstone prophecy is found in both Isaiah 28 and Psalm 118. The principles of the cornerstone prophecy are also enhanced by related prophecies in Isaiah, chapters 7-9, and Zechariah 4. The Apostle Peter summarizes these Old Testament prophecies in the picture of a temple made of living stones, a beautiful description of the Church’s role in God’s plan.

The Apostle Paul also makes many direct and indirect references to these prophecies.

Isaiah 28 — A Foundation Stone

“Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, ‘Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste” (Isaiah 28:16).

The Hebrew word for “corner” (Strong’s H6438, pinnah) means “angle” and is used elsewhere in scripture to define the right angle of a corner (such as the four corners of the tabernacle’s brazen altar, Exodus 27:2). In the traditional building process, especially in building with “stone,” there is usually a foundation stone that is laid first and sets the angles and positions for the rest of the building. This is the “cornerstone.”

This prophecy in Isaiah correlates the cornerstone with Zion. Zechariah 8:3 says, “Thus saith the LORD; I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth and the mountain of the LORD of hosts the holy mountain.” Jerusalem, the symbolic seat of God’s dwelling with natural Israel and the seat of the future kingdom government, is built upon Mount Zion. Zion is also the symbolic dwelling place of God in Old Testament scripture (Jeremiah 8:19) and commonly represents spiritual Israel.

While this cornerstone passage in Isaiah 28 is highly prophetic to both natural Israel and spiritual Israel, further examination is required to understand the cornerstone’s prophetic meaning. The New Testament proves to be of great assistance. Isaiah 28:16 is partly quoted The Apostle Peter in Romans 9. Isaiah 28:16 is fully quoted in 1 Peter 2:6. The apostle’s interpretation of Isaiah’s words, “shall not make haste,” appears to be “shall not be ashamed,” or will not be put to shame for belief in that stone. The cornerstone, tried and tested, would provide a sure foundation for faith in which believers can be fully confident and not ashamed.

Psalm 118 — The Rejected Stone

“The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner. This is Jehovah’s doing; It is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day which Jehovah hath made; We will rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:22-24 ASV).

During the last week of his earthly ministry, Jesus quoted from this prophecy (Matthew 21, Mark 12, and Luke 20). After riding into Jerusalem and cleansing the temple, Jesus healed the blind and the lame. The religious rulers became impatient and found him in the temple preaching the Gospel. They questioned his authority to preach and heal. Jesus responded with one of his last parables, the Parable of the Tenants (or Wicked Husbandmen) (Matthew 21:33-40).

In the parable the landowner’s servants, and then his son, were killed by the wicked tenants. Jesus asked the religious rulers what the landowner should do to those tenants. They answered that the landowner should destroy those wicked men and let out the vineyard to other tenants who would provide him with “fruits in their seasons.” At this point in his ministry, Jesus found it expedient to partially interpret the parable by quoting Psalm 118:22, He said, “Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes? Therefore, say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof” (Matthew 21:42-43).

As the preacher of the Kingdom of God, Jesus was “the stone.” He was rejected by “the builders,” who were the religious rulers of that day, the very same men who were questioning his authority to heal and to preach the kingdom. It is clear from the accounts that the religious rulers knew that Jesus was speaking of them (Matthew 21:45).

These builders were the caretakers of the Kingdom of God, pictured by the vineyard. The vineyard would then be given to new caretakers, “a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.” The builders, the religious rulers of Israel, did not accept Jesus, the Son of God, pictured in the parable by the landowner’s son. Although not explicitly stated in this scripture, the servants were likely the prophets (Luke 11:47-48), and the landowner was Jehovah God.

Thanksgiving Associated with Holy Things

“Oh give thanks unto Jehovah; for he is good; For his lovingkindness endureth for ever” (Psalm 118:1).

The first verse of Psalm 118 is a common opening to psalms of thanksgiving (Psalms 106, 107, and 136). The psalm concludes with the very same words (verse 29). This phrase is also found in David’s prayer of thanksgiving when he brought the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem and placed it in a tent (1 Chronicles 16:34). King Solomon honored Jehovah with similar words at the placement of the ark inside the newly built temple, and then later at the temple’s dedication (2 Chronicles 5 and 7).

When rebuilding the temple after the Babylonian captivity, Israel sang these same words at the placement of the first stone (Ezra 3:10, 11). It becomes clear that expressing deep gratitude is properly associated with God’s holy temple and a recognition of the many blessings that flow from it. Such gratitude should flow whenever the chief cornerstone of our faith is considered.

Several other verses in Psalm 118 make subtle references to the Messiah. Verses 15 and 16 correlate the right hand of the LORD to valor and exaltation. Throughout scripture, Jehovah’s right hand is a symbol of preference and of His majestic power; it is a place of safety and salvation for those who seek Him (Exodus 15:6, Psalm 17:7, 20:6). The words of David in Psalm 110:1 prophetically describe Jesus as the right hand of Jehovah after he was exalted to heaven. Peter applied David’s words to the Lord in his Pentecost sermon (Acts 2:33-36).

Isaiah 7-9 — A Rock of Offence

“And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel” (Isaiah 8:14).

The setting of this passage was during the ongoing Assyrian persecution of Israel and Judah. The Assyrian invasion was a direct result of their failure to heed the Word of the LORD as preached by the prophets. In the Matthew and Luke accounts of the Parable of the Tenants, Jesus also correlated the chief cornerstone with the stone of stumbling and rock of offence described by Isaiah. He said that “whoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken” (Matthew 21:44). Israel failed to recognize Jesus for who he was and consequently Israel was broken as a nation.

A clue to understanding the prophecy given in Isaiah 8:14 can be found in a sign provided by God to Ahaz, the king of Judah, in the previous chapter. Isaiah 7:14 says, “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” While there was partial fulfillment of this scripture recorded in earlier verses of chapter 8, the continuation of this prophecy and the beautiful picture of the Messiah in Isaiah 9:6, 7 causes us to reflect on the words of Isaiah 8:14 with a similar view: that indeed the stone of stumbling and rock of offence applies in a truly prophetic sense to Jesus Christ.

Jesus was a rock of offence to the religious rulers of his day. They did not recognize him as the Son of God nor as the long-promised Messiah. They rejected him and ensured his death on the cross. He was a stumbling block to both houses of Israel. The natural house of Israel stumbled at the name of Jesus and missed their opportunity to receive the chief blessings of the Abrahamic promise (Romans 9:22, 23). In the other prophetic house of Israel, the spiritual house (1 Peter 2:5), many nominal Christians have also stumbled on Jesus, misunderstanding the basic, yet essential doctrine of the ransom (1 Peter 1:18-21).

Reflecting back on Psalm 118:22 and our Lord’s own reference to it in Matthew 21:42, we see that the stone is called the “head of the corner.” The Hebrew word for “head” (Strong’s H7218, rosh) is accurately translated in the King James version and conveys the idea of being the most important stone. Other translations correctly use the word “chief.” The phrase “head of the corner” is thus appropriately represented as the “chief cornerstone” in other translations like NKJV and NASB. In other words, the first stone of the building, the chief cornerstone, is the one that the builders rejected.

1 Peter 2 — A Living Stone

“Unto whom coming, a living stone, rejected indeed of men, but with God elect, precious, ye also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Because it is contained in scripture, Behold, I lay in Zion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: And he that believeth on him shall not be put to shame” (1 Peter 2:4-6- ASV).

The Apostle Peter confirms that the Old Testament prophecies related to the cornerstone directly relate to Jesus. His words explain why a stone is an appropriate picture of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Church.

The apostle describes Jesus as a living stone, but “rejected by men.” Not only was the stone rejected by the builders, but it was also rejected by the nation of Israel. Isaiah makes the same point. “He is despised and rejected of men … he was despised, and we esteemed him not” (Isaiah 53:3). But in the same verse Peter describes the heavenly perspective of the living stone as “chosen of God and precious.” This is again echoed by Isaiah’s description that Jesus is “a tried stone, a precious corner” (Isaiah 28:16 KJV).

Peter then completes the picture of what the “builders” were supposed to be building. He describes our Lord Jesus as the cornerstone to members of the Church. He says, “you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5). The builders, the religious rulers of Israel, who knew not the time of their visitation (Luke 19:44), should have recognized the Son of God and built their faith upon him.

The Apostle Paul adds to the imagery of a building. “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone” (Ephesians 2:19, 20). The picture being drawn is of the spiritual temple — “the household of God” — and Jesus is the cornerstone, the pattern, with a foundation of faith built upon the prophets and apostles.

Peter puts the entire picture together in verses 6-8, quoting directly from the Old Testament pictures of Christ that we have considered in Isaiah 28, Psalm 118, and Isaiah 8. “For this is contained in Scripture: ‘BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A CHOICE STONE, A PRECIOUS CORNER stone, AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED’ (Quoting from Isaiah 28:16). This precious value, then, is for you who believe. But for those who disbelieve, ‘THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED, THIS BECAME THE VERY CORNER stone’ (Quoting from Psalm 118:22) and, ‘A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE’; for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed” (Quoting from Isaiah 8:14) (1 Peter 2:6-8, NASB).

Peter shows how key Old Testament promises made to Israel were intended for this spiritual house of living stones (1 Peter 2:5). Israel had the first opportunity to recognize all the lessons taught in the law and prophets that pointed to the true Messiah. Quoting partly from Exodus 19:5 and Deuteronomy 7:6, the apostle says, “But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9). How blessed we are to be included in these promises — to participate in and be included as stones in the temple of God.

In the temple built by Solomon (as the LORD’s house), the stones came together without a sound. Each stone was cut and finished at the quarry (1 Kings 6:7). Likewise, when the spiritual temple is complete, each stone will have been honed, shaped, and polished while each member was in the flesh. They will then come together perfectly built up as individual stones in the spiritual temple. Throughout his life and into His death, Jesus provided the pattern of consecration and sacrifice that each stone will emulate.

Zechariah 4 — The Chief Cornerstone

The fourth chapter of Zechariah records the prophet’s vision of a golden lampstand. However, several aspects of this prophecy relate to our subject. The first is found in verse 7, where an angel informed Zerubbabel that he will “bring forth the top stone with shouts of Grace, grace!” A “top stone” is the finishing last stone of a building, marking its completion. The consequent shouts of “grace, grace” indicate a double blessing and point to Jehovah, the author of the plan of salvation, as the true source for the completion of the building (the “house”). This is noted by the Apostle Paul, “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men” (Titus 2:11 NASB).

The top stone of a pyramid, also known as a capstone, is the last stone placed on the building. It is the reference, or proportionate model, for the entire building — the exact pattern after which the pyramid is designed. A cornerstone, on the other hand, is typically the first stone laid for a building’s foundation. So, the capstone provides the exact location and angles for the foundation cornerstones and the rest of the pyramid. The top stone is, in effect, the chief cornerstone of the pyramid — the first stone made and the last one placed, its crowning achievement and glory.

The other notable aspect of the prophecy is found in Zechariah 4:9. “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto you.” Note that the first stone of the temple was to be laid by Zerubbabel, and he would finish it. We know from Ezra and Nehemiah that Zerubbabel was a governor of Judah who returned from the Babylonian captivity. He and his fellow leaders laid the first stone in rebuilding the temple at Jerusalem. This prophecy confirms that Jehovah directed the rebuilding of the temple. “This is the LORD’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes” (Psalm 118:23).

In reading the prophecy as a whole, it becomes clear that Zerubbabel is a type of Jesus Christ, and the house he built pictures the spiritual temple of God. When we combine this imagery with the confirming scriptures from Peter and Paul, the foundation of this temple is the apostles, who built upon the sure foundation of Christ. The individual living stones picture the saints, who are cut and polished in the quarry of Gospel Age experiences, and quietly and perfectly fit together without tools. They grow into a holy temple of the Lord, taking their place beneath the pattern of their chief cornerstone. (1 Corinthians 3:11, 16, 2 Corinthians 6:16, Ephesians 2:19-22).

The leaders of Israel, the builders, were more concerned with maintaining their positions of influence than with preparing their hearts (Luke 11:43). They did not recognize the express image of the heavenly Father in Jesus Christ of Nazareth. They refused to acknowledge the one who would become the chief cornerstone of the spiritual temple, the Son of God, and failed to see that the salvation promised by God is not found in any other name under heaven (Acts 4:10-12).

But for those who are blessed to see this pattern through the Old Testament prophecies, and because of the words of our Lord and the instruction of the apostles, we hear, “Grace, grace!” — grace for us, and grace for the world.

Perhaps we will hear the song of Psalm 118 at the coming dedication of the spiritual temple, “Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; for His lovingkindness is everlasting!” Hallelujah!