Spiritual Architecture
A Plumline is a cord weighted with lead
that is used in building to check that vertical structures are “true”.
Freemasonry symbolism is mainly, but not exclusively, drawn from the manual tools of stonemasons – the square and compasses, the level and plumb rule, the trowel, among others.
In the bible it is used symbolically to refer to the divine standard against which God, the builder of his people, tests and judges them. It also symbolizes the standards by which God will rebuild his people.
“To be True”
In Masonry “a stone is not true” if the angles are not right angles.
If the stone isn’t true, then it is worthless
In the bible, “a stone is not true” by not being righteous.
Jesus built his temple with Peter, which means “stone” at the base of Mount Hermon where “The Tribe of Dan” inhabited, and said the “the Gates of Hell” would not prevail against his church.
REVELATION 3 : MESSAGE TO PHILADELPHIA
He who is holy,
who is true,
who has the key of David,
Followers of Christ are the “spiritual stones”.
“To be a true stone” in his temple is to be “holy” and laying aside hypocrisy
1 PETER 2 : THE LORD IS GOOD
1Why laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, all evil speakings, 2As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that you may grow thereby: 3If so be you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
THE LIVING STONE (Isaiah 28:14-22; 1 Corinthians 3:10-15)
4To whom coming, as to a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, 5You also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. 6Why also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believes on him shall not be confounded. 7To you therefore which believe he is precious: but to them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, 8And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.
9But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should show forth the praises of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light; 10Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
11Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; 12Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.
MATTHEW 24 : TEMPLE DESTRUCTION FORETOLD
1And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple:and his disciples came to him for to show him the buildings of the temple. 2And Jesus said to them, See you not all these things? truly I say to you, There shall not be left here one stone on another, that shall not be thrown down.
Cornerstone
a stone forming a part of a corner or angle in a wall;
specifically : a stone representing the nominal starting place
in the construction of a monumental building,
usually carved with the date and laid with appropriate ceremonies.
ACTS 4 : PETER AND JOHN BEFORE THE COUNCIL
5And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers, and elders, and scribes, 6And Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem. 7And when they had set them in the middle, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have you done this? 8Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said to them, You rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, 9If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the weak man, by what means he is made whole; 10Be it known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him does this man stand here before you whole. 11This is the stone which was set at nothing of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. 12Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
ACTS 17 : PAUL BEFORE THE AREOPAGUS
22Then Paul stood in the middle of Mars’ hill, and said, You men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are too superstitious. 23For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore you ignorantly worship, him declare I to you. 24God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwells not in temples made with hands; 25Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he gives to all life, and breath, and all things; 26And has made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; 27That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:28For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. 29For as much then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like to gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device. 30And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commands all men every where to repent: 31Because he has appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he has ordained; whereof he has given assurance to all men, in that he has raised him from the dead.
2 CORINTHIANS : OUR ETERNAL DWELLING (Romans 8:18-27)
1For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed on with our house which is from heaven: 3If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. 4For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed on, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. 5Now he that has worked us for the selfsame thing is God, who also has given to us the earnest of the Spirit. 6Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: 7(For we walk by faith, not by sight:) 8We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. 9Why we labor, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. 10For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he has done, whether it be good or bad.
Edify[g3619]oikodomḗ(occurs 18x in 18v)
feminine (abstract) of a compound of G3624 and the base of G1430;
architecture, i.e. (concretely) a structure;
figuratively, confirmation:
—building, edify(-ication, -ing).
(the act of) building, building up
metaph. edifying, edification
the act of one who promotes another’s growth in Christian wisdom, piety, happiness, holiness
a building (i.e. the thing built, edifice)
{Matthew 24:1 KJV} And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to [him] for to shew him the buildings[G3619] of the temple.
{Mark 13:1 KJV} And as he went out of the temple, one of his disciples saith unto him, Master, see what manner of stones and what buildings[G3619] [are here]!
{Mark 13:2 KJV} And Jesus answering said unto him, Seest thou these great buildings?[G3619] there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
Romans 14:19 KJV} Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify[G3619] another.
{Romans 15:2 KJV} Let every one of us please [his] neighbour for [his] good to edification,[G3619]
{1 Corinthians 3:9 KJV} For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, [ye are] God’s building[G3619]
{1 Corinthians 14:3 KJV} But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men [to] edification,[G3619] and exhortation, and comfort.
{1 Corinthians 14:5 KJV} I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater [is] he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying[G3619]
{1 Corinthians 14:12 KJV} Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual [gifts], seek that ye may excel to the edifying[G3619] of the church.
{1 Corinthians 14:26 KJV} How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying[G3619]
{2 Corinthians 5:1 KJV} For we know that if our earthly house of [this] tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building[G3619] of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
{2 Corinthians 10:8 KJV} For though I should boast somewhat more of our authority, which the Lord hath given us for edification,[G3619] and not for your destruction, I should not be ashamed:
{2 Corinthians 12:19 KJV} Again, think ye that we excuse ourselves unto you? we speak before God in Christ: but [we do] all things, dearly beloved, for your edifying[G3619]
{2 Corinthians 13:10 KJV} Therefore I write these things being absent, lest being present I should use sharpness, according to the power which the Lord hath given me to edification,[G3619] and not to destruction.
{Ephesians 2:21 KJV} In whom all the building[G3619] fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
{Ephesians 4:12 KJV} For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying[G3619] of the body of Christ:
{Ephesians 4:16 KJV} From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying[G3619]of itself in love.
{Ephesians 4:29 KJV} Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying[G3619]that it may minister grace unto the hearers.