Mark 12:10 – And have ye not read this scripture; The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner:

1 Peter 2:5 – Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

The stones appointed for the glorious temple above, are hewn, and polished, and prepared for it here, as the stones were wrought and prepared in the mountains for building the temple at Jerusalem.” – Leighton 1613-1684

“Oh, if the stone can only have some vision of the temple of which it is to be a part forever, what patience must fill it as it feels the blows of the hammer, and knows that success for it is simply to let itself be wrought into what shape the Master wills.” PHILLIPS BROOKS.

The Onyx Stone

The first mention of a stone in the Bible is the onyx stone in Genesis 2.  The word stone or stones is mentioned over 300 times in the word of God.  Stones are pretty important in God’s economy.  They were used in the priests wardrobe.  They were part of the Urim and Thummim where stones were set in a plate of some kind that the priests used to make decisions.  They were used to build temples and altars.  They were often hewn or cut off-site so as not to desecrate God’s holy mount at the temple site.

The Chief Corner Stone

Jesus Christ is the chief or corner stone of the church of the living God.  The church is all born again believers, past, present and future.  As believers, we are lively or living stones that are a part of that church according to 1 Peter 2:5.  As God had the builders hew or cut the stones off-site for the temple in Solomon’s day, so are we hewn, polished, and prepared as Christians, off-site in this world, before the finished product is carried to heaven.  This concept exists in modern construction where walls and other structures are pre-fabricated and then transported to the construction site to assemble them.  God was way ahead with the temple.

A Prepared Stone for Heaven

God wants to prepare us, as Christians, for heaven before we get there.  He wants the stone, or believer, to fit perfectly so that nothing needs to be changed.  As Christians, we should desire to be conformed to the image of Christ each day.  Obviously, we will never get the rock cut perfectly but we should strive for it as much as possible.  Let God continue to work on you and hew you.  He has some rough edges and spikes, here and there, to cut off.  Thank God one day any rough edges or other imperfections will be taken care of when we die or go up in the rapture.