Living Stones
Since the creation of Adam and Eve, God has been building a house to put his glory in. The completion of this house will be at the return of Jesus Christ, who is the chief cornerstone in the building. The foundation has been laid and the building has been going on for centuries, and the house is nearly complete. It is made up of living stones that are not made by the hands of men, but by the hands of God.
The apostle Peter wrote about this building in his first epistle. “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.” I Peter 2:5. Paul wrote about this building in his letter to the Ephesians. “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 cornerstone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.” Ephesians 2:19-22. This scripture shows that the building of God was started in Old Testament times, because the prophets were from that time period. Nevertheless, Jesus Christ is the first stone to be laid, and the prophets of the Old Testament spoke of Him and of His Kingdom. He was with Adam, walking with him in the garden, with Abraham, discussing the judgment to come on Sodom and Gomorrah, and appeared to or spoke with many prophets in the Old Testament. He said, “Before Abraham was, I am” John 8:58. He was in the beginning, before the world was made.
We have a name for the holy building of God, which is made of human beings, all of whom have life in them by the Holy Spirit. We call this building “the church”. However, in Old Testament times the living stones were called “the remnant”, being the called out ones, separated for service by God. The Lord referred to them when He spoke to Elijah. “Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.” I Kings 19:18. The martyr Stephen referred to the remnant in the time of Moses as “the church in the wilderness”. “This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear. This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sinai, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:” Acts 7:37, 38. It was prophesied that this “church”, or “remnant”, would help to deliver Israel in the time of trouble. “And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call.” Joel 2:32. It appears from this scripture that we the church will help prepare the bride (Israel) for the wedding ceremony. This will be the greatest revival the world has ever seen and millions of Israelites will be converted. I believe this will happen close to the time of the great resurrection. “For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?” Romans 11:15. The day is coming when our people will begin seeking the Lord and they will be transformed from the walking dead into the sons (and daughters) of God. We, the church of Christ, the holy priesthood, will point them to the Shepherd. We have a special calling from God, not only as a royal priesthood, but as citizens of a holy nation (Israel).
Of course, the church of Christ is more than just the called out ones from Israel. There are called out ones from every nation, and they will help prepare the world for the rule of Jesus Christ. His Kingdom will be over all of the earth (Revelation 11:15), but Israel will be his bride, for He loves Israel more than any other nation.
