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Life of Peter, Peter means stone not rock, the rock of our salvation

Q38: 45. The Foreshadowing of the Cross

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(1) The example of Peter with Jesus

Jesus now put a second question, relating to the disciples themselves: "But whom say ye that I am?"Peter answered, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God."

Never canhumanity, of itself, attain to a knowledge of the divine. "It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do?deeper than hell; what canst thou know?" Job 11:8. Only the spirit of adoption can reveal to us the deepthings of God, which "eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man.""God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep thingsof God." 1 Cor. 2:9, 10. "The secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him;" and the fact that Peterdiscerned the glory of Christ was an evidence that he had been "taught of God." Ps. 25:14; John 6:45.

Do not be discouraged O reader, that your life is hopping between Jesus as your master and self as your master. Look at the SOP statement on Peter... Peter was being trained daily by Jesus, Peter spoke boldly of Jesus, yet Peter did not know his own will that hopped sometimes to his own Baal-master powers of self.

Obviously Jesus lives in us in a relationship and there are some sin-offerings not unto death. This verse suggests like a marriage does, that occasional wrong doings does not end relationship. It is the constant trampling of yourself with your own Baal-master powers that abuses relationship that causes divorce from Christ, otherwise if you keep walking daily in His training, you will remain married to Jesus.

Such is the example of Peter here, as a life example of growing in Jesus for us.

For more see the Saved cigarette smoker

(2) The example of Peter as a stone

Jesus continued: "I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church;and the gates of hell shall not prevail

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against it." The word Peter signifies a stone,--a rolling stone. Peter was not the rock upon which thechurch was founded.

Mt 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock (Greek petra) I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.(KJV)

  • Joh 1:42 And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas (Kepas), which is by interpretation, A stone (petros).

    How does the SOP know Peter's Name (petros) means stone and not rock?

    Also note, the Greek word "petra" is not the rock, Peter is a figure for, but Peter's name is a figure for a stone.

    The Hebrew love word puns, and we see this here, but let me arrange this into some humour for the reader:-

  • Mt 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Petros, and upon the Petra I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.(Author's rendition)

    Both words have different meanings...Petra is Hebrew Tsuwr, the figure for the Father, a flint foundation rock.Petros is a large stone, not sure of the Hebrew equivalent.

    Notice the verses that use "petra" in the NT.

    Mt 27:51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks (petra) rent;

    Ron Wyatt tells us where and how Jesus was crucified, was placed above the ark of the mercy seat, where Jesus' blood dripped unto it. The rock (petra) above the mercy seat where the cross of Jesus was was about four metres thick, and cracked during an earthquake.

    Mt 27:60 And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock (petra): and he rolled a great stone(lithos) to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.

    Here Jesus' tomb was hewn out of a huge rock, the other Greek term for a "stone" or "lithos" tells us that the "petra" "rock" was a much larger rock.

    Lu 6:48 He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock(petra):

    Here Luke says the man dug deep a foundation until he sat his house upon the rock (petra), obviously a large foundation place for his house.

    So these verses alone tell us that "petra" is not some small stone, but a large foundation rock...but where does this fit with Hebrew in the former rain of Jesus?

    Ro 9:33 As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone (lithos) and rock (petra) of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

    We find a cross reference to the former rains of Jesus' words and look into the Hebrew, not the Greek.

    Isa 8:14 And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone(eben) of stumbling and for a rock (tsuwr) of offence to both the houses of Israel,

    So far we have:-

  • "stone" "Hebrew eben" "Greek lithos"
  • "rock" "Hebrew tsuwr" "Greek petra"

    The Hebrew word "tsuwr" is a reference to the Father in heaven, the foundation rock upon which anything is secure.So we have to look carefully as to what is referenced in regards to Peter.

    Centuries before the Saviour's advent Moses had pointed to the Rock of Israel's salvation. The psalmisthad sung of "the Rock of my strength." Isaiah had written, "Thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay inZion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation." Deut. 32:4; Ps.62:7; Isa. 28:16. Peter himself, writing by inspiration, applies this prophecy to Jesus. He says, "If yehave tasted that the Lord is gracious: unto whom coming, a living stone, rejected indeed of men, butwith God elect, precious, ye also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house." 1 Peter 2:3-5, R. V.

    Let's quote the verses the SOP quotes:-

    De 32:4 He is the Rock(tsuwr),

  • Ps 62:7 In God(elohiym) is my salvation (yesha) "noun or completed action of Yasha, Jesus saving us" and my glory: the rock (tsuwr) of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.
  • Isa 28:16 Therefore thus saith the Lord(adonay) GOD (YHWH) "Lord Jesus", Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone (eben), a tried stone (eben), a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.
  • 1Pe 2:4 � To whom coming, as unto a living stone(lithos), disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,
  • 5 Ye also, as lively stones (lithos),

    Notice the foundation stone (eben) is the living stone (lithos) upon which humans become "blocks" into which the church is made from.

    The tried and tested cornerstone, a figure of Jesus, is also referenced as "eben" a stone.

    The foundation rock is a symbol of the Father.

    What is missing is mention of another rock in Hebrew, the "cela" rock, which is a figure for Jesus.

    Studying the Holy Writings is complicated isn't it? And yet if we leave looking for all the verses on a topic we can be deceived by a few verses...

    Mt 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter (Greek petros), and upon this rock (Greek petra) I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.(KJV)

    When a reader reads this verse, it suggests that Peter is the petra rock upon which Jesus builds His church. But that makes Peters into a simile or figure for our heavenly Father.There are some religions that claim to be similes of the Heavenly Fa ther on earth...this is a terrible mistake from reading wrongly the Holy Writings...

    Hab 1:11 Then shall his mind change, and he shall pass over, and offend, imputing this his power unto his god (ellowaah) "father god"

    Jesus in control, allows an antichrist power to sweep across the earth just before His Second Coming, and this "antichrist religion" imputs power to an earthly father god.

    But the words Jesus says is not like this to Peter...Peter's name is itself a figure for a large stone, and upon the Father foundation rock Peter is placed, above and near Jesus, the tried and tested corner stone.

    This image discovered by Ron Wyatt is the actual rock that Moses struck where water gushed out for Israel, near Sinai. It shows the foundation Father rock, and the Jesus cela rock on top of that, and smaller eben stones at the base of the Jesus rock. This is the image we need, to see how Petros, a large stone is used to build the church of Jesus.

    The Spirit of Prophecy quotes many Holy Writing verses, but this is one of the best:

    Isa 17:10 Because thou hast forgotten the God "elohiym" of thy salvation "Yeshua" Jesus, and hast not been mindful of the rock "tsuwr" of thy strength,

    The family members of the Godhead flow via our heavenly Father and through His Son called Yeshua in the Hebrew or called Jesus in the Greek, thine salvation of Elohiym is available to all who come personally to Jesus, our Saviour.

    Here is a very special passage that explains the "Rock of Salvation":-

    De 32:11 As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings:

    First we begin with poetry figures of the Holy Spirit, and her coverings over mankind, as a protector expressing femaleness love.

    12 So the LORD alone did lead him, and there was no strange god(el) "Strong authority" with him.

    Jesus-YHWH alone comes out from the family Godhead, to bring salvation to Israel, expressing His maleness-love.

    13 He made him ride on the high places of the earth, that he might eat the increase of the fields; and he made him to suck honey out of the rock (cela) "figure of Jesus rock" , and oil out of the flinty rock (tsuwr) "figure of Father rock";

    Notice here Israel is fed with two rocks, the cela rock of Jesus and the tsuwr rock of the Father.

    14 Butter of kine, and milk of sheep, with fat of lambs, and rams of the breed of Bashan, and goats, with the fat of kidneys of wheat; and thou didst drink the pure blood of the grape.

    Notice the symbolism of Jesus as salvation Yeshua, this time as the blood of grapes, showing us that the NT love feast is not brand new from OT symbols of Jesus, but rather renewed, as this OT verse shows.

    15 � But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked: thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness; then he forsook God (ellowaah) "Our hea venly Father" which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock (tsuwr) "Father Rock" of his salvation (yeshua) "functional descriptor for Yeshua in Hebrew or Jesus in Greek".

    Notice when we wax fat in GOD (the family heavenly power that flows) we forsake both the Father and His Son.

    16 They provoked him to jealousy with strange gods, with abominations provoked they him to anger.

    Throughout this amazing passage we find both rocks mentioned, all of the Godhead mentioned, but only "him" referenced because Yeshua Jesus our Saviour came out from the Godhead to walk with Israel, and be the messenger of His Father.

    (3) The Rock of our Salvation

    For six thousand years, faith has builded upon Christ. For six thousand years the floods and tempests ofsatanic wrath have beaten upon the Rock of our salvation; but it stands unmoved.

    Ps 95:1 � O come, let us sing unto the LORD "Jesus YHWH"/Father YHWH: let us make a joyful noise to the rock "tsuwr" of our salvation "Yeshua" Jesus..

    Notice the "rock of salvation" is a relationship concept, a family concept, in which Jesus come personally to share that salvational love with mankind.

    The Rock of faith is the livingpresence of Christ in the church. Upon this the weakest may depend, and those who think themselvesthe strongest will prove to be the weakest, unless they make Christ their efficiency. "Cursed be the manthat trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm." The Lord "is the Rock, His work is perfect." "Blessedare all they that put their trust in Him." Jer. 17:5; Deut. 32:4; Ps. 2:12.

    Notice when we quote all the verses, how complex relational love is within the Godhead, where love is generated.

    Jer 17:5 � Thus saith the LORD "Father YHWH"; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD "Jesus YHWH".

  • 6 For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited.
  • 7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD Jesus YHWH, and whose hope the LORD Father YHWH is.
  • 8 For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.
  • 9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
  • 10 I the LORD "Jesus YHWH search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.

    And this verse:-

    De 32:1 � Give ear, O ye heavens, and I "Moses" a simile of Jesus" will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.

  • 2 My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass:
  • 3 Because I will publish the name of the LORD"Father YHWH: ascrib e ye greatness unto our God "Elohiym".
  • 4 He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God "Strong Authority" of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.
  • 5 They have corrupted themselves, their spot is not the spot of his children: they are a perverse and crooked generation.
  • 6 Do ye thus requite the LORD Father YHWH, O foolish people and unwise? is not he thy father that hath bought thee? hath he not made thee, and established thee?

    And this verse:-

    Ps 2:12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.

    Notice how complex the relationship community effort of Elohiym is for our salvation.

    The next chapter of Desire of Ages..we look at He Was Transfigured

    Desire of Ages theme

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