Basic Symbolism of the Cornerstone Pictorial

One of the most famous, yet misunderstood passages in the Bible concerns the ‘Cornerstone’

The Eye Above the Pyramid could NEVER be considered a Cornerstone. Just as the Eye Below the Pyramid is neither a Keystone or Capstone, but could well represent a Cornerstone

As can be seen, the Cornerstone is literally always found Below, while a Capstone, by definition, is to be found Above it.

Like a building which has both a Cornerstone Below and Capstone Above, a tree will always have both Roots and Branches, otherwise it would whither away and die

All of the Above

A Brief Examination of ‘Root and Branch’ Star of David Cross-References for Revelation 22:16

I, Jesus…am the Root and Branch of David, the bright, Morning Star.

– Book of Revelation 22:16

‘Root and Branch’ Cross-References for Revelation 22:16
– (Isaiah 11:1) A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his ROOTS a BRANCH will bear fruit.
– (Romans 15:12) And again, Isaiah says, ‘The ROOT of Jesse will spring UP, one who will ARISE to rule OVER the nations; the Gentiles will hope in him.’
– (Revelation 5:5) Then one of the elders said to me, ‘Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the ROOT of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.’
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The official cross-references listed for Revelation 22:16 include a specific Old Testament prophecy from the Book of Isaiah which reads: ‘A shoot will come UP from the stump of Jesse, from his Roots, a Branch will bear fruit.’ Because of its blatant use of the ‘Root and Branch’ metaphor, this passage alone should be proof enough that the word ‘Branch’ may indeed be synonymous with the more common term ‘Offspring’ used in most English Biblical translations of Revelation 22:16- ‘I, Jesus…am the Root and Offspring of David.’
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ROOT/BRANCH OLD TESTAMENT: A shoot will come UP from the stump of Jesse; from his Roots, a Branch will bear fruit. (Isaiah 11:1)
ROOT/BRANCH NEW TESTAMENT: And again, Isaiah says, ‘The Root of Jesse will spring UP, one who will arise to rule OVER the nations; the Gentiles will hope in him.’ (Romans 15:12)
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Not only that, but it also seems that St. Paul himself makes reference this same passage from Isaiah in his New Testament Letter to the Romans, where he mentions both the Root (Downward Triangle) and how it shall also metaphorically ‘spring UP’ (Upward Triangle) in a prediction concerning ‘one who will ARISE to rule OVER the nations’.

Clearly, Paul’s use of language can be seen as a blatant display of the Biblical tradition- ‘As Above, so Below’, or in this particular case where the Root is mentioned first- ‘As Below (Root) so Above (Branch)’. The metaphorical understanding to these two Biblical cross-references (Isaiah 11:1 and Romans 15:12) may be seen as follows:

OLD TESTAMENT: A shoot will come UP…From his Roots, a Branch will bear fruit. (Isaiah 11:1)
NEW TESTAMENT: The Root of Jesse will spring UP…who will ARISE to rule OVER the nations. (Romans 15:12)
SYMBOLIC INTERPRETATION: A Downward Triangle shall bring forth an additional Upward Triangle, just as a living tree Root Below will inevitably result in the growth of a new Branch Above. For just as the Star of David requires the presence of both Triangles to become a Star, so too a living tree needs both Roots and Branches simultaneously in order to grow and prosper.

DOWNWARD TRIANGLE: Stump of Jesse, His Roots (Isaiah), Root of Jesse (Romans)
UPWARD TRIANGLE: A shoot will come UP, a Branch will bear fruit (Isaiah), will spring UP, will ARISE to rule OVER the nations (Romans)
BOTH TRIANGLES: The metaphorical family lineage (or family tree as it were) that both the Prophet Isaiah and the Christian Disciple Saint Paul are clearly referring to without ever actually using the word ‘Tree’. With this in mind, the most appropriate symbol for a tree would not only include the Upward Triangle, but would also need the Downward Triangle in order to symbolically represent the underground root system which supports the tree and prevents it from falling over.

THE FINAL EQUATION
GEOMETRY: Downward Triangle + Upward Triangle = Both Triangles Together
TRADITION: Root of David + Branch of David = Star of David
REVELATION: ‘am the Root’ + ‘and Branch of David’ = ‘the bright, Morning Star’

The Complete ‘Root and Branch’ List of Bible References

 
I Jesus have sent mine Angel to testify unto you these things in the Churches. I am the Root and the Branch (offspring) of David, the bright, Morning Star.

– Revelation 22:16

>— The Complete ‘Root and Branch’ List of Bible References —<
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His Roots are dried Below, and his Branch is cut off Above.

– Job 18:16

My Roots will reach to the water, and the dew will lie all night on my Branches.

– Job 29:19

Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch from his Roots will bear fruit.

– Isaiah 11:1

And it sprung up and grew into a spreading vine of low stature, and the Branches thereof looked towards him, and the Roots thereof were under him. So it became a vine, and grew into Branches, and shot forth sprigs.

– Ezekiel 17:6

And there was another large eagle, with great wings, and many feathers, and behold this vine, bending as it were her Roots towards him, stretched forth her Branches to him, that he might water it by the furrows of her plantation.

– Ezekiel 17:7

Say thou: Thus saith the Lord God: Shall it prosper then? shall he not pull up the roots thereof, and strip off its fruit, and dry up all the branches it hath shot forth, and make it wither: and this without a strong arm, or many people, to pluck it up by the root?

– Ezekiel 17:9

How beautiful the tree was- So tall, with such long Branches. Its Roots reached down to the deep-flowing streams.

– Ezekiel 31:7

And if they flourish in Branches for a time, yet standing not fast, they shall be shaken with the wind, and through the force of winds they shall be Rooted out.

– Wisdom 4:4

Out of a Branch of her Roots shall one stand up in his place, who shall come with an army and shall enter into the fortress of the king of the north, and shall deal against them and shall prevail.

– Daniel 11:7

To fear the Lord is the Root of Wisdom; her Branches are long life.

– Sirach 1:20

The Root of wisdom is to fear the LORD and the Branches thereof are longlived.

– Sirach 1:25

Her children shall not take Root, and her Branches shall bring forth no fruit.

– Sirach 23:35

The Offspring of the ungodly shall not bring forth many Branches, and make a noise as unclean Roots upon the top of a rock.

– Sirach 40:15

‘For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace; and all the arrogant and every evildoer will be chaff; and the day that is coming will set them ablaze,’ says the LORD of hosts, “so that it will leave them neither Root nor Branch.”

– Malachi 4:1

If the part of the dough offered as firstfharvest is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the Root is holy, so are the Branches.

– Romans 11:16

If some of the Branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive Root.

– Romans 11:17

Do not consider yourself to be superior to those other Branches. If you do, consider this- You do not support the Root, but the Root supports you.

– Romans 11:18

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