Becoming a stone cut out without hands....
The book of Daniel chapter 2 verse 34 speaks about a stone that
was cut out without hands a stone that struck the image on its feet of iron and
clay, and broke it into pieces. In Daniel chapter 2 verse 35 it goes on to say:" Then the iron, the
clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed together, and became
like chaff from the summer threshing floors; the wind carried them away so that
no trace of them was found. And the stone that struck the image became a great
mountain and filled the whole earth.
What we see here in the book of Daniel is a prophecy
regarding the great image that represents four kingdoms upon the earth.
Kingdoms that even today are still prevailing upon the earth. Furthermore it
speaks about a stone that is cut out without hands that struck the great image
or kingdoms upon the earth. So this prophecy deals with two aspects, first the
kingdoms of this world and second the stone that relates to Christ as the Stone
that is gathering his people from every nation and tongue into a corporate
dwelling place not made with hands but by the Spirit of Christ that is being
poured out upon all those who believe and receive Him.
On the one hand, today
many people, nations, tribes, including ourselves pay much attention to the
first aspect of this prophecy and sometime we get bombarded with the latest
news about the great image that relates to the kingdoms of this world including all
the world events that have taken place over the past centuries. On the other hand we sometime forget or know little
about the second phase or aspect that is related to Christ as the Stone that is
cut out without hands. Have you ever
considered that the second aspect is actually more important than the first
aspect since Christ and his followers will turn the age and bring in a new
kingdom, the millennial kingdom to restore all the nations?
There are many
references in the New Testament regarding the Stone. In the beginning we can
see that Christ was rejected at the beginning of his human living on earth. But
actually, when Christ came to the earth He became the cornerstone who joined
both the Jews and the Gentiles into one spiritual house that will eventually
become a corporate stone, cut out without hands to become a great mountain that
fills the whole earth.
1Pe 2:4 tells us to come to Him, a living stone, rejected by
men, but yet precious and chosen by God. Besides in verse five, we also, as
living stones, are being built up into a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to
offer up spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Furthermore 1Peter 2:6, 7 says, "Behold,
I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he who believes on Him
will by no means be put to shame. Therefore, to you who believe, He is
precious; but to those who are disobedient, the stone which the builders
rejected has become the chief cornerstone,"
John the Baptist said in John: 3:30 "He must increase,
but I must decrease. Here we see a
principle of the stone that is increasing, not relying upon ourselves to become
someone or somebody but by simply allowing Christ to make Himself at home into our
hearts. Christ does increase day by day
into all those who believe and are joined to him spiritually. He who is joined
to the Lord is one Spirit. Zechariah
2:11 also said that many nations shall be joined to the LORD in that day, and
they shall become His people. And that he will dwell in their midst and then
they will know that the God has sent Him to us.
Paul in Philippians 1:7, Hebrews 3:14 and 2 Peter 1:4 shows
us that we should become partakers of the Grace of Christ and partakers of the
Holy Spirit once we have tasted the
heavenly gift that is freely bestowed upon all who believe into Him and receive
Him. We become partakers of the divine nature having escaped the corruption
that is in the world.
The way to become His increase is by simply coming to him, by
enjoying Him and becoming partakers of him as Grace and the Holy Spirit. It is
in this way that He imparts His divine life and nature. The way this has been carried
out is by the ministry from Paul and the teachings of the apostles. Paul
planted and Apollo’s watered and God gave the increase or caused the growth. (
1Corinthians 3:60). Today many born again believers, Christians are being perfected and like Paul and Apollos continue to plant and water all those who believe so
that the prophecy in the Book of Daniel may continue to be fulfilled. The stone
that the builders, religious ones, rejected is becoming a corporate stone that
joins all the true Christians or believers into one Stone that will become a
great mountain and fulfill God’s heart desire in the near future. We should come
to Him the living Stone and become partakers of him so that we can become the
living stones, corporately expression that is joined to him.
