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THE ROCK -MASS.
826.
"FLESH AND BLOOD DID NOT REVEAL (IT) TO YOU, BUT MY
FATHER WHO IS IN THE HEAVENS DID". (Matt 16:17).
THE MEANING OF THE ROCK-MASS.
The rock-mass referred to in Matthew 16:18 is the knowledge God gives His people in their hearts, minds and spirits that Jesus Christ is His Son, and His representative. (John 17:8)
(2 Cor 4:6,7). This knowledge is likened to a spiritual rock-mass on which Jesus said: "I will build my congregation". (Matt 16:18). When Jesus said: "Flesh and blood did not reveal
(it) to you", he himself was then flesh and blood, so it was not Jesus who revealed it. He had emptied himself of all power and came to be fashioned as a man of flesh and blood. (Phil 2:6-8). The "(it)" referred to is the knowledge God gives by means of Holy Spirit. Its firmness and stability is figuratively referred to as a rock-mass upon which Jesus builds his spiritual house or congregation of 144,000 spiritual "Israelites", members of his spiritual house, the
"temple" class of God. The secondary foundation members were given into Jesus' hands by God. (John 3:35).
THE PARALLEL TEACHING JESUS GAVE.
"You are the Christ, the Son of the living
God" (acknowledgement by Peter, revealed to him by God). "You are Peter, and on
this rock-mass I will build my congregation" (on this knowledge ‑‑or rockmass‑‑
that Christ is God's Son and Saviour of mankind). As Jehovah God is the One
who reveals this to men, He is the ROCK-MASS. (Please read: Matt
16:15-18).
"AND THAT ROCK-MASS MEANT THE CHRIST". (1 Cor 10:4).
The spiritual drink, from which
our forefathers drank, was the teachings of a coming one, Christ Jesus. His life
on earth "followed" theirs in order of time. It certainly did not mean
that the Christ literally followed our forefathers wherever they went. The
rock-mass to them was the knowledge of The Christ as a coming Saviour of
them and the rest of mankind that would gain God's approval. (1 Cor 10:4).
"A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCKMASS OF OFFENCE" (1 Peter 2:8)
Jehovah is the spiritual Rock-mass giving support and refuge. (Psalms 18:2. Isaiah 30:29). Jesus is referred to as a stone, and as he is God's Son and representative and also our mediator, whoever rejects this one rejects God. It is in this sense only that Jesus
may be referred to as a rock-mass, in a representative sense only.
CHIEF CORNER STONE.
True spiritual builders use Jesus Christ, his examples and teachings, as
their cornerstone for each boundary line, at each corner of this spiritual
building. Christ's spirit teachings are his given limits or boundaries.
Whenever people take refuge in lies and falsehood they stumble backwards,
because God through His servants keeps putting up His measuring lines: "command
upon command" and "measuring line upon measuring line", exposing the lies of
those outside its spiritual boundaries. The "levelling instrument" is the even
growth in righteousness of the "building". So those who stumble backwards,
stumble over Christ. (Isaiah 28:10-17).
23/10/77.
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