Prophecies of a Triumphant Messiah: God's Cornerstone of Salvation
- Julie Hannah
- Nov 9, 2021
- 2 min read
God’s work of redemption and salvation was associated with a critical messianic “cornerstone,” which would be rejected by God’s people:
“So this is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation’” (Isa 28:16).
“From him [Judah] shall come forth the cornerstone” (Zech 10:4).
“He shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offense to both the houses of Israel” (Isa 8:14).
Isaiah spoke these prophetic words about the Lord Almighty, but it is significant that the Babylonian Talmud applied them to the expected Messiah: “The son of David [the Messiah] cannot appear until the two ruling houses in Israel shall have come to an end . . . for it is written, ‘And he [the Messiah] shall be for a Sanctuary, for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offense to both houses of Israel’” (Sanhedrin 38a).[1]
The messianic Psalm 118 includes these verses: “This is the gate of the Lord through which the righteous may enter. I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation. The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone . . . Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” (Ps 118:20–26).
Rabbi Solomon ben Isaac taught that this “stone which the builders rejected” was a reference to the promised Messiah.[2]
Jesus was directly linked to these ancient prophesies about the cornerstone:
Jesus claimed to be the “gate” of salvation: “I am the gate/door for the sheep . . . whoever enters through me will be saved” (John 10:9; see Ps 118:20).
When Peter was called to testify before the Sanhedrin, he said: “Jesus is ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ Salvation is found in no one else” (Acts 4:11–12).
Jesus was called “the living Stone — rejected by humans but chosen by God” (1 Pet 2:4).
The writer of this letter (First Peter) then quoted the Old Testament passages about the messianic cornerstone and rock of stumbling, which are fulfilled in Jesus.
When Jesus taught a parable about the murder of the vineyard owner’s son (who symbolized himself), he quoted from Psalm 118: “Haven’t you read this passage of Scripture: ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone?’” (Mark 12:10).
Jesus taught that to obey his teaching was to lay a foundation on rock (Luke 6:48; Matt 7:24), and Paul described Jesus as the chief cornerstone of God’s household (Eph 2:20).
The New Testament therefore identifies Jesus as the messianic cornerstone of God’s redemptive plan for humanity. It seems significant that in Hebrew, ab means father, ben means son, and eben means stone. Is this a hint that Father and Son together form God’s foundation stone of salvation?
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