Volume 5, Number 11
THE GREAT PYRAMID A DIVINE ORACLE
ITS SYMBOLIC TEACHINGS
CORROBORATE BIBLE’S STATEMENTS
The following article is contributed by PASTOR
RUSSELL, who has made repeated visits to the GREAT PYRAMID of Gizeh, and has been the
discoverer of many valuable symbolisms, hitherto hidden in its mysterious passages.
For a complete and detailed
study of the subject we commend his illustrated book entitled
“THE DIVINE PLAN AND THE GREAT PYRAMID.”
“In that day there shall be an altar to the
Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt, for a sign and for a witness.”( Isa. 19:19,
20.) Not only did God mention prophetically the great Pyramid in Isaiah, but also in Jer.
32:20, where we read that “He set signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, even unto
this day.”
It is intensely interesting to visit this land of the
Pharaohs, at one time so intimately associated with God’s “chosen people”
Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph and his brethren. It is interesting to imagine ourselves
back at the period of the Exodus of the Israelites, to note the place where the
Isralelites probably crossed the tongue of the Red Sea upon the sandbar made bare by a
strong wind. It was interesting to visit what the Arabs still designate the “Wells of
Moses,” and to note that they are still brackish or bitter springs, “Waters of
Marah.”
But to me the most interesting thing in this ancient
land is the Great Pyramid referred to in our text. Its location is remarkable, and its
size centuries ago marked it as one of the Seven Wonders of the world a building covering
nearly thirteen acres. Its scientific lessons brought forth during the past fifty years by
astronomers and other scientists are still more wonderful, but most wonderful of all to us
are its prophetic teachings, first brought to our attention by Prof. Piazzi Smyth,
Astronomer Royal for Scotland, and others.
The Pyramid is located on an elevated, level plain
overlooking the river Nile. Peculiarly, the delta of the Nile forms a sea coast, which in
shape is a true quarter circle, with the Great Pyramid marking the center angle. This was
discovered by Mr. Mitchell, of the United States Coast Survey, in 1868. He observed the
regularity of the curvature around the whole of Egypt’s northern coast, and, seeking
the explanation found that the fan-like delta started from the Pyramid; and he exclaimed,
“That stone witness is in a more important physical situation than any other building
erected by man.” This fits Isaiah’s description, “An altar in the midst of
the land of Egypt, a pillar at the border thereof.”
SOME SCIENTIFIC
LESSONS
I must not attempt here a presentation of the
scientific details of this great Monument which is now speaking to the world, both on
scientific and religious subjects. I can only hope to arouse sufficient interest to lead
you, dear readers, to learn the particulars. I will merely offer some suggestions by way
of bringing your curiosity to the point of investigation.
Scientists tell us that the measurement of its base
on the four sides, at the level of its sockets, when added, gives as many pyramid cubits
as there are days in four years, to the fraction including the leap-year fraction. The
diagonal measurements across the base, N. E. to S. W., and N. W. to S, E., give as many
inches as there are years in the processional cycle of the stars.
This cycle astronomers had already concluded to be
25,827 years, and the Pyramid corroborates the conclusion. The distance to the sun is
indicated by the height and angle of the Pyramid to the 91,840,270 miles, which almost
exactly corresponds with the latest figures reached by astronomers. The Pyramid also has
its own way of indicating standards of weights and measures, based upon the size and
weight of the earth.
The Rev. Joseph Seiss observed, “There is yet a
grander thought embodied in this wonderful structure. Of its five points there is one of
special preeminence, in which all its sides and exterior lines terminate. It is the summit
corner, which lifts its solemn index finger to the sun at midday, and by its distance from
the base tells the mean distance to the sun from the earth. And is we go back to the date
which the Pyramid gives itself, we find a far sublimer indication. Science has at last
discovered that the sun is not a dead center, with planets wheeling about it, but itself
stationary. It is now ascertained that the sun also is in motion, carrying with it its
splendid retinue of comets, planets, its satellites and theirs, around some other and
vastly mightier Center.
“Astronomers are not yet fully agreed as to what
or where the Center is. Some, however, believe that they have found the direction of it to
be The Pleiades, and particularly of Alcyone, the central one of the renowned Pleiadic
stars.... Alcyone, then, as far as Science has been able to perceive, would seem to be
“the midnight throne’ in which the whole system of gravitation has its Central
Seat, and from which the Almighty governs His Universe. And here if the wonderful
corresponding fact, that at the date of the Great Pyramid’s building... the Pleiades
were distributed over the meridian of this Pyramid, with Alcyone precisely on the line.
Here, then, is a pointing of the highest and sublimest character that mere human Science
has ever been able to so much as hint, and which would seem to breathe an unsuspected and
mighty meaning into that speech of Job, when he demanded “Canst thou bind the sweet
influences of Pleiades?”
SIN’S DOWNWARD
COURSE
Prof. Smyth tells us that he finds astronomically,
that the Pyramid was built in 2170 B. C. He tells us that at that particular time the
Dragon Star, the personification of evil, was in line with its Descending Passage. The
inference is plain when once we perceive that the Pyramid pictures the history of the
world. The Downward Passage represents the downward course of sin and death of the human
race under “the Prince of the power of the air,” under “the god of this
world.”
History in general corroborates this. The lower part
of the passage ceases to be downward, and becomes horizontal to the large chamber in which
it ends. That chamber, wide and high, but with troubled floor, may well be understood to
represent the time in which we are living the time in which the downwardness of our race
has been measurably arrested, and when mankind are comparatively freed from the
superstition which bowed down our forefathers; but the uneven floor indicates “a time
of trouble,” into which we believe we have already entered.
Theological, social, political and financial troubles
are in the pathway of humanity, and this means such anarchy as has been threatening in
China and other Eastern lands, and which the Scriptures clearly declare will overwhelm
Christendom.
BRIGHTER AND BETTER
THINGS
Centuries ago an Arabian Caliph, Al Mamoun, believing
the Pyramid to contain great wealth, spent a fortune in digging into its interior, not
knowing of its Entrance Passage, which at that time may have been covered with the casing
stones. He finally reached the Downward Passageway, but behold, the strenuous labors of
his workmen dislodged a stone in the roof of the Downward Passage, and showed an Upward
Passage, left concealed when building the Pyramid.
Al Mamoun’s men found that Upward Passage
blocked with a large granite block which they were unable to dislodge; and it is still
there. Eager for treasure, they worked their way around it and found above it an Ascending
Passage of about the same height as the Descending Passage, which ends in what is known as
the Grand Gallery. It has the same steep grade as the Ascending Passage. It is narrow at
the base, but wider higher up, and seven times as lofty as the Ascending Passage.
The interior of the walls of these passages is of
creamy marble or limestone, and the Grand Gallery has seven overlappings on each of its
side walls, and both the lower and end walls overhang. At its upper end is the
Ante-Chamber. Through another low Passage we enter what is known as the King’s
Chamber. At the juncture of the low Ascending Passage with the Grand Gallery, is a level
Passage which leads off to what is known as the Queen’s Chamber, directly under the
King’s Chamber.
Thus the low Ascending Passage, the low Horizontal
Passage, and the floor of the Grand Gallery, all come together at one point, and there we
find what is know as the Well, an irregular Passage which leads downward and connects with
the Downward Passage toward its lower end. This Well and the Passage leading to the
Queen’s Chamber apparently were secreted by the builders; but something like an
explosion tore away the top stones covering the Well and the lower portion of the Grand
Gallery, and thus disclosed the Well and also the Passage to the Queen’s Chamber. So
far for our description.
SPIRITUAL LESSONS
HERE TAUGHT
A key suggested in 1868 by a young Scotchman, Robert
Menzies, and which began to open the Pyramid’s religious lessons, was the Well. He
wrote to Prof. Smyth, “From the north beginning of the Grand Gallery, in upward
progression, begin the years of our Savior’s life, expressed at the rate of a year
for an inch. Three and thirty inch-years therefore bring us right over against the mouth
of the Well.” In other words, that Well and the appearance of an explosion, picture
our Lord’s death and resurrection. in harmony with this the Downward Passage
represents the course of sin and death, leading to destruction.
The low Ascending Passage, blocked by the Granite
“Plug,”represents the Law Covenant given to the Jews, but which none of them
were able to keep perfectly, because “there is none righteous, no not one” none
capable of fulfilling the demands of God’s Law because of hereditary weaknesses.
From the time of our Savior the Gospel Dispensation
began, symbolically represented by the Grand Gallery. It is a Dispensation of grace or
favor; nevertheless, its Passageway is steep and narrow, leading to the “Goal”
at the farther end. As the Grand Gallery has an end, so this Gospel Age will have and end.
It will accomplish its purpose which is the gathering of the “elect” of God, to
be the Bride of Christ and His joint-heirs in His Kingdom, which is to bless the world.
Another interesting feature is that the Ascending
Passage with its Plug represents exactly the length of the Jewish Age! And, similarly, the
Grand Gallery represents, an inch to a year, the length of this Gospel Dispensation! It
indicates that at a certain time the great favor of becoming joint-sacrificers with the
Redeemer, and thus becoming joint-heirs with Him in His Heavenly Kingdom, will terminate.
The privilege of walking in the “narrow way” of self-sacrifice, in the footsteps
of Jesus, for the Truth’s sake, will thus end. “Now is the acceptable time”
now is the time when God is willing to accept these living sacrifices, which He declares
are “holy and acceptable to God” (Rom. 12:1), through the imputation of
Jesus’ merit.
THE KING’S
CHAMBER GRANITE
But while the Grand Gallery as a whole stands as a
representative of the entire Gospel Age, at its top we have illustrated the steps
necessary to be taken by each and every one who would constitute a member of the Bride
class, to become new creatures, to become partakers of the divine nature, sacrificing all
that appertains to our human nature. The Ante- Chamber represents the present life of
God’s consecrated children. Its peculiar wainscoting seems to symbolically say that
lessons must be learned by each one who enters in other words, it symbolizes the School of
Christ, in which consecrated believers have lessons of faith, experience, patience and
fortitude to prove their worthiness to pass beyond into Heaven itself, represented by the
Kings’s Chamber.
Before entering this Ante-Chamber, or school, the
pupil must stoop low, for it is entered by a low Passage, implying humility. And no sooner
has he risen than he finds himself confronted by a huge granite obstruction, known as the
Granite Leaf, and he can make no further progress except by bowing low to pass under it.
Granite seems to be used in the Pyramid in much the same way that Gold was used in the
Israel’s Tabernacle to symbolize things Divine. This Granite obstruction threatens to
block our way, an requires us to bow low before it. Symbolically, it says, it is not
sufficient that you have a desire for Godliness, and faith in Jesus, and a desire to be
taught of Him; you cannot go further unless you make a full surrender to God unless
you bow to the Divine will absolutely, in consecration to God.
And here another lesson is taught. From the moment
the pupil bows under the Granite obstruction he begins to tread on the same Granite floor
which constitutes the floor of the King’s Chamber. The lesson seems to be that from
the moment of full consecration the disciple of Christ is begotten of the Holy Spirit to
the divine nature, symbolized by the Granite. His new standing thus declares him in
Scriptural language a New Creature.
The passage leading from the Ante-Chamber to the
King’s Chamber is just as low as the Granite obstruction, which seems to say that as
the one represents a condition of death of the will, the other represents actual death
only by actual death could our Savior or any of His followers pass into the heavenly
state, symbolized by the King’s Chamber; for, as St. Paul declares, “We must all
be changed,” because “flesh and blood cannot enter the Kingdom of God.”
HUMAN RESTITUTION
PICTURED
We understand the Horizontal Passageway leading to
the Queen’s Chamber to symbolically represent the trials and testings that will be
upon the human family incidental to attaining human perfection under the glorious reign of
Messiah, when the Church as the Bride of Christ will be associated with her Lord in
effecting human restitution to all the willing and obedient. Acts 3:19-23.
If, as we believe, God has in this great mountain of
stone caused, to be outlined the Divine Plan of the Ages, it undoubtedly will tell its
wonderful story in trumpet tones, “in that day.” What we can appreciate
of its teachings in harmony with the Bible we find wonder-fully comforting in this day
when skepticism is so rife.
At this time, particularly, it is refreshing to
Christian faith to find not only the Bible itself opening before us, and one quotation
illuminating another and all uniting in the testimony that God is Love, but that the
Messianic Kingdom so long promised is at hand, and that it will bring, as foretold,
great joy to all people, with the best opportunity for returning to Diving favor and
everlasting life. At this time it refreshes our hearts to note the Testimony of God’s
great Stone Witness in the land of Egypt testifying to Divine foreknowledge of the evil
that has been upon the world, and respecting the Divine arrangement for the election of
the Church, and through it, as Messiah’s Kingdom, the blessing of every creature.
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