The Engraved Cornerstone of Israel to Be Found in the Last Days: The Stone with Seven Eyes

By Cooper McGuire

The book reveals the physical engraved Cornerstone that was placed in the corner of the Temples of Israel, in Solomons and Zerubbabels Temples. It was refused to be placed in Herods temple modification.

Years of preaching has not revealed it.

In the story, it is shown how it may have come into existence. The central character is a boy who grows up in Israel during the time of construction of King Davids house and the building of Solomons Temple. He learns of the trade of a stone mason, of the God of Israel and embraces the faith of Israel.

He is led to engrave seven eyes on what is to be the Cornerstone.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Sep 19, 2014
• ISBN: 9781496933645

Cooper McGuire

God gives to those who love Him and seek His company. I am a man of many past sins, who sought forgiveness and received it. We are responsible for our choices and are not to be judged against our parents. Nevertheless, we are a product of our parents in what they do —sometimes good and sometimes bad. Their actions have influence upon their children. I learned from my dad that you could understand what you seek. He had an eighth-grade education but never stopped trying to learn. My mother was graded high in school, and my dad used her for his dictionary. When he was in his senior years, many men would consult and seek his advice. His advice came from what he had read and learned from the scriptures. We tend to emulate those we admire. I admired him. God has given me some insights because I desired, sought, and asked for them. It is contrary to any sense to think a man of a low degree could understand something a scholar would not know. God gives to the base ones to confound the wise. In that, He is magnified through this confoundedness. “Seek and ye shall find,” desire, and it shall be given to you. Sometimes I read again some things I have written and do not remember writing them and am surprised at the understanding of them. I am no scholar, just a man who earns his living as a mason. I hope you enjoy my effort in writing and are impressed to seek more understanding of God’s message to you, the Bible.

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© 2014 Cooper McGuire. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 09/16/2014

ISBN: 978-1-4969-3363-8 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4969-3364-5 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014914281

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and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the Holy Bible, King James Version (Authorized Version). First published in 1611. Quoted from the KJV Classic Reference Bible, Copyright © 1983 by The Zondervan Corporation.

King James Version, The New Scofield Reference Bible, Oxford University Press New York, 1967 Edition.

CONTENTS

Foreword

1. History About: The Cornerstone And Temples

2. Home Of The Master Mason

3. Barpetra’s Father

4. Childhood In Israel

5. The Apprenticeship

6. Hiram’s Choice

7. The Last Fishing Trip

8. Return To Israel

9. The Temple Site

10. Beginning With The Building

11. The Vision

12. Death Of A Father

13. Meets Shiel

14. Chosen Master Mason

15. Costs

16. Meeting With Solomon

17. The Dream

18. The Wedding

19. The Dinner For Huram

20. The Tour

21. The Dedication

Appendix

FOREWORD

About three thousand years ago there was a little boy in the city of Tyre on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the year 983BC. He was brought up in a family of stone masons. His life’s experiences occur during the times of David and Solomon, the kings of Israel and the building of the Temple of Israel. The boy, named Barpetra, eventually becomes the master mason of the stone work on Solomon’s Temple, and is the one who engraves the cornerstone with the seven eyes.

His life while living in Jerusalem is changed. He converts to Judaism. He marries Adoniram’s daughter. Adoniram is the number two man just under Solomon.

The boy and his life are my own creation. Since my family is a family of farmers and masons, it is not hard for me to imagine how life would be using the tools used in that time period. We plowed with mules and I have set much stone.

When I found in the Scriptures the Cornerstone had been engraved and placed in Solomon’s Temple, I wanted to know all about it. This led me into a study of the history of the Temples and what happened to the Cornerstone.

The Temples came and went but the Cornerstone is still there somewhere. It was placed in the first two Temples and King Herod, the Great and his high priest refused to put it in their remodeling of the Temple.

The Cornerstone will be found again. I believe it could be found during the Great Tribulations. Possibly in the middle of the seven year period.

The finding of the Cornerstone would bring the Christians and Israelites together. Whether it will be put in the Temple that will be built in the last days before the Tribulation, I do not think so. Satan will go into a temple and claim to be God… I cannot see the Cornerstone in it then.

When we look at an old building and see the facade, we wonder, What were their lives like? or How did they do that?

We are able to put ourselves back in time when we read the books of people we trust to be conscientious to keep the facts straight. Then we can truly see as the people of that day saw and feel as they felt.

The story follows historical records to be correct when relating to the people of Israel with their proper names and their involvement in the work of building the Temple.

Much care has been taken to keep the historical facts correct. If there are any discrepancies, the author would appreciate sharing them with him.

The Bible is and has been a best seller as long as there have been books. It lets you peek into the lives of some poor and powerful people. It keeps the facts straight. Most of my information comes from the Bible.

Reading the Bible is like saving money. At first you only invest a little and it gives you a little interest. But if you keep at it by investing more time, you see your interest grow. After a substantial period of time, you see your interest keeps increasing and soon your investment is not as valuable as your interest.

CHAPTER ONE

HISTORY ABOUT:

THE CORNERSTONE AND TEMPLES

What is a cornerstone? It is the prominent stone on the front of the building. It is usually engraved with the name of the building giving honor to the owner, architect and sometimes the use of the building. It is not a keystone, which is used to cross over openings. It is not a capstone as found on top of the pyramids.

Was there really a cornerstone in the Temple? Yes.

How do we know that? It is written in Zechariah 3:9, 4:7, and Psalms 118:22

What was on it? Seven eyes were engraved on it. What do the seven eyes represent? The seven spirits of God. Zechariah 4:10 and Revelation 5:6. It is not specifically given in the Bible what the seven spirits of God are, but there are indications that one can consider in the list of the seven fruits of the spirit given in Galatians 5:22.

In Matthew 21:42 the Bible speaks of Christ, our Lord, sitting in front of the chief priests and scribes before his crucifixion. He said, The stone that the builders rejected has become head of the corner. He was speaking of himself by quoting Psalm 118:22, knowing they would think he was referring to the cornerstone that Herod, the Great, and his appointed high priest had rejected years earlier.

The cornerstone was brought before Herod the Great and his appointed high priest to see if they wanted it placed in the Temple that Herod the Great was remodeling. They had rejected it. The rejection of the cornerstone had culminated in the murder of Aristobolus, the last high priest in the blood line of Aaron by Herod, his own brother-in-law. It is believed that Aristobolus was resisting the removal and elimination of the cornerstone from the front of the Temple, which was Herod’s desire. Herod wanted to reduce the memory of others in history before him and increase his own glory. Later, Herod appointed a new high priest that would agree with him.

Herod, the Great, was appointed by Caesar of Rome to be king of Judea. He was the first Herod, an Idumaean, which is a mixed blood descendant of Esau and of the Canaanites. Herod’s family was probably of some noteworthiness for as a child he was sent to live in Caesar’s house so they might know him and he them to have his loyalties be to them when he was sent back to rule over Judea. Rome always tried to plan ahead and had other children in Rome for the same reason.

Herod the Great was the king of Judea who tried to kill Jesus when he was born by commanding all male children under the age of three be slaughtered.

Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great, was king when Jesus was brought before him to be judged to die by crucifiction.

Caiaphas was to be appointed by Ananas, to be a high priest when he left office. Ananas had been appointed by the Roman Governor, Valerius Gratis. The priests that were of the blood of Aaron had given the Herods no support and so the Herods used Rome to appoint their own priests.

When Herod heard of the cornerstone by Jesus, it brought to him and Caiaphas minds that they were illegitimate and made them hate him. They cared not for God’s glory but for their own as could be the reason Herod the Great rejected the Cornerstone.

Herod, the Great started building programs all over the city, hoping to make himself acceptable to the Jews.

The largest and best building project was the Temple area. It took seven years to complete the enlargement to greater dimensions than Zerrubabel had rebuilt.

Herod used new stones. It took several more years to complete the total Temple area, only to be completed three years before Jesus started his ministry.

Herod, the Great, had promised the Jews there would be no interruptions in the daily worship by the work on the Temple. This is why I believe the Temple proper of Zerrubabel was left and Herod built around it. I believe Jesus taught inside Zerrubabel’s Temple.

The second Temple was reconstructed by Zerrubabel out of the old stones left by the destruction of Solomon’s Temple by Nebuchadnezzar. He replaced the Cornerstone. In Zechariah chapter 3:9 God says, I will clean out the engraving of it and lay it before Joshua, the name of the high priest with Zerrubabel. In chapter 4:6-7 God tells Zerrubabel, In the laid waste of Jerusalem, Mt. Zion, he would find the headstone. And in verse 10 They will see Zerrubabel set the stone in the foundation. In Ezra 3:12, The old men see it, remember and weep." The stone was there when Zerrubabel’s temple porch was torn down by Herod, the Great.

We can believe the Cornerstone was in Zerrubabel’s Temple because the Bible records when they had finished laying the foundation, the old men saw and remembered and wept. I believe when they looked at the Cornerstone they remembered the former glory of God when He was present with Israel, as spoken of by Haggai chapter 2:3.

There were twelve steps up to the Temple porch floor. The floor was considered part of the foundation and the Cornerstone was in it. From the description given in II Kings in the building of the Temple, it is my figuring, the Cornerstone would be placed on the right side corner when standing on the porch looking out. The Temple and porch floor would be about seven feet above the Inner Court floor; this is about twelve steps at six to eight inches each. I feel the size of the face of the Cornerstone would be about four feet high and the width would be about four feet wide. I also feel the eyes are big as a hand and are placed in a circle with the first one top center, that would be Wisdom, the next two down and to each side would be Justice and Grace in balance, the next two down and to each side would be Mercy and Wrath in balance and the next two down and to each side would be Truth and Forgiveness in balance.

The people who brought their sacrifices to the front gate would see the Brazen Sea bath for the priests on their left, the Altar of Sacrifice on their right close to center, the Cornerstone to their left in the Temple foundation, and in the center the stairs going up to the porch in front of the twin bi-fold doors between the two six-foot diameter by thirty feet high bronze columns with the burning oil on top.

It is fitting the cornerstone would be in the very foundation of the Temple. It was prophesied in Isaiah 28:16 that the cornerstone would be in the foundation.

It is my conjecture they chose to use the stones from Sidon because they were of a better texture and color than those at the Jerusalem mine. The stones from Sidon would be, I think, from white to a golden cast color to them.

The Cornerstone would have a different appearance than the stones from Sidon if it was cut out of Mt. Zion.

My poetic license of desiring to write of the stones coming from Sidon comes from several passages.

First, there were the words spoken about the Temple buildings in Mark 13:1-2. Jesus said, Seest thou these great buildings. For a building to be great there is a need for it to be compared to other buildings. The great building would need better design, larger size, better craftsmanship, and higher quality of materials. Size and craftsmanship would not be considered as great in importance as design and higher quality materials. For if a building was made of mud and another one beside it was built in the same design out of high quality cut stone, the cut stone building would be considered the greatest.

Hence, this is another thought. This Herod’s remodeled Temple was at a later time than Solomon’s Temple but taken on the same premise when using the word ‘great’ as is used when referenced to Solomon’s Temple means large and high quality.

Now let us consider the people who were hired to be responsible for the construction of Solomon’s Temple. They had mastered the trade of stone masonry had built similar temples to their gods before Solomon built his, even to having giant columns in the front of the building, like Solomon’s. When a builder decides to build a building, he looks for qualified builders. If it is important to him, he will go and see some of their work before hiring. They must have been qualified by Solomon by their previous works.

If we continue this line of deduction, King David spent some time in Philistia when running from King Saul. I feel, and I hope God forgives if I am wrong, that David could have seen some of these temples and desired to build one bigger and better for his God. God did not desire a temple built for Him, just obedience, but allowed the building because it was spawned from love for Him out of David’s heart. If this is true, David saw the stone and the architecture. David may have traveled to Tyre, Sidon to see or saw a temple at Gath, where it is recorded that he stayed. And he saw the stones and wanted to use them for his temple. It is noted that Gath was an important city in David’s day. I would feel Gath would have had a temple.

There are stone quarries in Jerusalem. We see some today. One quarry is the Cave of Zedekiah. It is underground and the cave runs for miles under Jerusalem. There is evidence of quarrying having been done in there. The difficulty of lighting and moving in tight quarters rules it out for me from the pictures I have seen. I feel the stone is also inferior in quality. There is another quarry outside and it has not what I would have thought to be the highest quality of stone for Solomon’ Temple, either.

God gave David the vison of size, shape and all things connected to the Temple. Would God ask for it to built out of the norm the ways of construction? That is to say, it was to be built the best as was known at that day.

We have another consideration. Solomon sent 10,000 men of Israel to work in Phillistia for a course of a month and at home for two months, then back again. He had another 70,000 laborers who were not Israelites that bore burdens and another 4,000 hewers. The number of men 70,000 at one time period, three months gone and three months home plus the time traveling, was