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The Stone Kingdom

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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D.C. · Jun 2, 1904

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 81, No. 22.

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The Stone Kingdom

By E. W. Farnsworth

E. W. FARNSWORTH
THE prophet said, “And the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.” Dan. 2:35.
The figure of a mountain representing a government was not entirely new in Daniel’s time. Isaiah, two hundred years before, used the same figure: “It shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains.” Isa. 2:2. That is to say that in the last days the professed church of Christ would be united with the governments of the earth.
Again the same prophet said, speaking of Babylon: “Lift up a banner upon the high mountain. . . . The noise of a multitude in the mountains, like as of a great people; a tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together.” Isa. 13:2, 4.
Jeremiah used the same illustration of Babylon when he said: “Behold, I am against thee, O destroying mountain, saith the Lord, which destroyest all the earth: and I will stretch out mine hand upon thee, and roll thee down from the rocks, and will make thee a burnt mountain.” Jer. 51:25.
We see in these scriptures that a nation is sometimes represented under the figure of a great, towering mountain.
In like manner we understand the “stone” cut out without hands becomes a great mountain, or a great kingdom, and fills the whole earth. Other scriptures add clearness to this thought.
“And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.” Dan. 7:27.
“And the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: and he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.” Luke 1:32, 33.
Again we read: “The field is the world. . . . The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity.” Matt. 13:38, 41. “For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.” Rom. 4:13. “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.” Matt. 5:5. “And the Lord shall be king over all the earth.” Zech. 14:9. “And his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth.” Zech. 9:10.
These scriptures make it very clear that the stone that dashes all other kingdoms to atoms is the kingdom of God, with Christ as its eternal King.
That Christ should be represented as a stone, and his kingdom as a stone kingdom, was not new in Daniel’s time, and later writers used the same figure. Notice how the term is used in the following scriptures:—
“He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.” “Then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation.” “Of the Rock that begat thee thou art unmindful, and hast forgotten God that formed thee.” “How should one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, except their Rock had sold them, and the Lord had shut them up? for their rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves being judges.” Deut. 32:4, 15, 18, 30, 31.
Will the reader note carefully all these scriptures? In them a great truth is taught, and a great error also is corrected by them.
“There is none holy as the Lord: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God.” 1 Sam. 2:2. “The Lord is my rock.” “For who is God, save the Lord? and who is a rock, save our God?” “The Lord liveth; and blessed be my Rock; and exalted be the God of the Rock of my salvation.” 2 Sam. 22:2, 32, 47. “The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me.” 2 Sam. 23:3. “Unto thee will I cry, O Lord my rock.” Ps. 28:1. “Lead me to the Rock that is higher than I.” Ps. 61:2. “He only is my rock and my salvation.” Ps. 62:2, 7. “And they remembered that God was their rock.” Ps. 78:35; see also Ps. 89:26; 92:15; 94:22; 95:1.
Isaiah speaks as follows: “Trust ye in the Lord forever: for in the Lord Jehovah is the Rock of ages.” Isa. 26:4, margin. “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.” Isa. 28:16.
What an array of evidence there is in these scriptures that Christ is the rock, or foundation, upon which the whole kingdom rests, now and for all eternity!
When we come to the New Testament, the same facts are enlarged upon and made clearer still. The prominence and stability of this foundation are referred to by Christ when he said, “Whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock.” Matt. 7:24. It will stand. Again, when disputing with his adversaries, 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?” Matt. 21:42.
The reader will have no difficulty in seeing that Christ applied the statement to himself. He is the rock. He is the chief corner-stone. This is what he meant when he said to Peter, “Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church.” Matt. 16:18.
Peter had just uttered the sublime truth, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Christ responded, “Thou art Peter,” a rolling rock, a little rock, a pebble stone; but upon this great Rock, this “Rock of ages,” I will build my church. Peter so understood it; for when speaking of Jesus of Nazareth, he said: “This is the stone which was set at naught of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Acts 4:11, 12.
There can be no misunderstanding Peter’s application of Christ’s words. He speaks once more on this point just before his death: “If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious.” “Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, and a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient.” 1 Peter 2:3, 4, 7, 8.
Paul, in Rom. 9:33, repeats the same words of Christ, and applies them to the Saviour. In Eph. 2:20 he states that we “are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone.”
When referring to himself, Christ said: “And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.” Matt. 21:44. Daniel said the stone “smote the image upon the feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces; then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold [representing all nations], broken to pieces, and became like the chaff of the summer thrashing-floors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them.” Dan. 2:34, 35.
“He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” Matt. 3:12. “The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; and shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” Matt. 13:41, 42.
With the territory all cleansed by the destruction of the wicked and of every sinful thing, the stone, the kingdom, becomes a great mountain, and fills the whole earth. “Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” Matt. 25:34.