Before the time of Jesus the stone idea had already taken on typological meaning. The “stone,” laid by God, could be a stone of stumbling (Is 8:14) or a stone of faith (Is 28:16). The rejected stone of Psalm 118:22–23 was understood to be Israel, who, although rejected by the nations, would some day enjoy a favored place. Finally, Daniel 2:45, where the stone has a messianic nuance, describes the destruction of Israel’s enemies. At the conclusion of his parable* of the wicked
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