Author's Note: All previous volumes of this series are here. The first 56 volumes are compiled into the book "Bible Study For Those Who Don't Read The Bible." "Part Two," featuring volumes 57-113, was published in December 2022.
Thanks for joining our study on a topic that began last week. If you missed Vol. 261, “The Foundational Meaning of ‘Rock’ in the Old Testament,” please take a moment to read it and enhance your understanding of this study. Here is a quick summary:
The word “rock” appears 128 times in the King James Version of the Bible, while “stone” is mentioned 367 times. Therefore, Bible readers have encountered the word “rock” but likely did not give it much thought — myself included.
In the Old Testament, the term “rock” refers to a physical object that symbolizes God’s character and relationship with His chosen people. Moreover, “Rock” (capitalized) often refers to God Himself, with His everlasting strength, reliability, and stability. Rock can also mean a place of refuge. Below is a Psalm 18 verse summarizing those definitions:
“The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold” (Psalm 18:2).
Many of the rock references in the Old Testament derive from Moses's interaction with and understanding of God as “The Rock.” For example, before Moses died, in his farewell address, he proclaimed:
“The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he” (Deuteronomy 32:4).
In the New Testament, God as the “Rock” is further developed, representing the person of Jesus Christ and the foundation of the Church.
Recorded in the Gospels of Matthew 7:24–27 and Luke 6:47–49, Jesus teaches the parable known as the “Wise and Foolish Builders.” The wise builder’s house is built on a foundation of rock, enabling it to withstand the trials, storms, and challenges of life. That “rock” represents those who follow and believe in Jesus. He provides a firm foundation on which one’s life must be built. Conversely, Jesus said:
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“But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash” (Matthew 7:26-27).
Famously, “rock” is referenced in Matthew 16 when Jesus asks Peter the most critical theological question:
“‘But what about you?’ he asked. ‘Who do you say I am?’ Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’ Jesus replied, ‘Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven’” (Matthew 16:15-19).
Peter, after stating Jesus’s identity, is appointed to ensure that “on this rock, I will build my church.” Interestingly, Peter’s non-Anglicized name is “Petros,” derived from the Greek word “petra,” meaning rock. “On this rock” is God, and Jesus is God. This rock is eternal — it can’t be defeated or destroyed. Although humankind has tried to destroy and defame “the church,” Almighty God is “the church.” Therefore, unlike any church building made by humans, “the church” cannot be destroyed.
Another significant rock-related passage is recorded in the Gospel of Matthew. Immediately after Christ died on the cross, the temple curtain was torn in two. The tearing is recorded in both Mark and Luke, but only Matthew mentions the rocks:
“And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split” (Matthew 27:50-51).
Why did “the rocks split”? One answer is the rocks represent a new creation; simultaneously, upon His death, Jesus gave us eternal life. Regarding the symbolic and supernatural event of the temple curtain being split, it holds special interest for me, given my Jewish heritage. For more details, refer to Volumes 2 and 229.
Luke’s Gospel has two passages related to rocks. First is the “Parable of the Sower,” which teaches and warns about superficial levels of faith. The parable also appears in Matthew 13:1–23 and Mark 4:1–20. Below is the rock verse from Luke. Jesus taught:
“And the ones [people] on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing, fall away (Luke 8:13).
The second Luke “rock” verse is about Palm Sunday. “The Triumphal Entry” is also recorded in Matthew 21:1–11, Mark 11:1–11, and John 12:12–19. Jesus entered Jerusalem, and the people proclaimed:
“‘Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ‘Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!’ Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, ‘Teacher, rebuke your disciples!’ ‘I tell you,’ he replied, ‘if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out’” (Luke 19:38-40).
Jesus knew that stones were God’s creation — pieces of The Rock. Thus, if the people were silenced, creation would proclaim The Truth.
Finally, turning to samples of St. Paul’s rock writings:
“They [Israelites] were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ” (1 Corinthians 10:2-4).
Last Sunday, I wrote how that passage prompted our rock study topic and discussed:
“The rock, from which the water came, and the manna were symbolic of supernatural sustenance through Christ, the Bread of Life and the Water of Life.” For more details, refer to my studies on the "bread" and "water" of life in Volumes 34, 62, and 63.”
In Ephesians, Paul uses rock analogies — foundation and cornerstone — to describe the body of believers in the early churches:
“So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit” (Ephesians 2:19-22).
This brief, two-part study aims to pique your interest in the biblical meanings of “rock.” In the New Testament, rock imagery is a powerful symbol of Jesus's personhood. Then, from His teachings, the unshakable foundational truth endures, offering salvation for those who know He is the way, the truth, and the life. Amen!
Myra Kahn Adams is a conservative political and religious writer with numerous national credits. Her book, "Bible Study For Those Who Don't Read The Bible," reprints the first 56 volumes of this popular study. "Part 2,” with the same title, reprints Vols. 57 –113. Order it here.
She is also the Executive Director of the National Shroud of Turin Exhibit, dedicated to building a future permanent Shroud of Turin exhibit in Washington, D.C. Join our effort! In July, the National Shroud of Turin Exhibit hosted a four-day exhibit (with a “Chosen” VIP guest) at the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis, IN. Some new news. Contact: <MyraAdams01@gmail.com>
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