The Inside Story of the Coronation of Elizabeth II

A Queen was crowned – a queen of the oldest ruling dynasty in the world! For weeks (this was during the l950s) London was filled with festive preparation for the coronation of Elizabeth II. The whole world waited in nervous expectation as plans were announced to have films of the coronation ceremony flown by jet across the Atlantic Ocean in order to be televised to the entire United States.

To most Englishmen the coronation is the important ceremony of a generation, filled as it is with pomp, color and tradition. Britain’s proudly boast that in a world seething with revolutionary outburst they will still possess a royal monarch.

Yet the real significance was not the pomp and ceremony, the ritual of the Church of England, to which Englishmen cling to provide consolation from their troubles. The real significance and the most astounding fact – is that on the English throne is seated a descendant of the oldest ruling dynasty in the world – a dynasty which God established and which He has protected and perpetuated through every generation for almost 3,000 years!

England’s throne is important in God’s sight! Men can’t abolish it! God said so! The coronation of Elizabeth II occurred in Westminster Abbey. Surrounded by royal dignitaries in the Abbey, the Queen was anointed, given the royal robe, the crown jewels and finally crowned in the famous coronation chair which was specially built for the “the stone of destiny,” a rock that has been in recorded history for more than 3700 years!

Do you know the significance of this stone? Of England’s throne? Of this dynasty which God considers so important as to preserve it for almost three millennium? The stone is steel gray in color, mixed with red veins, twenty-two inches long, thirteen inches board and eleven inches deep. Attached to both ends are two worn iron rings by which the stone may be carried. This rock is not beautiful, yet it is more important than all the crown jewels! Why?

What is the real reason that Elizabeth II had to be crowned on this rock? Centuries prior to this, the kings of Scotland, the ancestors of the present British royal family were crowned upon it. Upon this stone the ancient Irish kings of the same royal family were also crowned, even as far back as five and one-half centuries before the birth of Jesus Christ.

What is the true significance of this rock? Where did it come from? Ancient Irish annals prove the rock – which they called “Lia fail” meaning stone of destiny – did not originate in Ireland, but came by way of Spain from the East. It was brought by a white-haired old man – a prophet who also brought a daughter of an Eastern king. Through her marriage to the king of Ireland, she not only continued her father’s throne but also became the ancestor of a dynasty which has continued to Elizabeth II, who was crowned Queen over the stone of destiny. Believe it or not, this is the very stone upon which Jacob rested his head that evening about 3,700 years ago when fleeing from his father’s house!

Here is the astonishing origin of the coronation stone!

Turn to Genesis 28:11-22. Here you read that Jacob, tired after miles of walking, stopped for the night and took one of the stones to serve as his pillow. After dreaming in his sleep, “Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillow, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it” (v. 18).

This verse shows that Jacob used one particular stone. Although verse eleven of this chapter implies that Jacob used several stones, it is a mistranslation. The world “them” is in italics and not in the original Hebrew. It should be translated “and he took of the stones of that place, and put one for his pillow, and lay down in that place to sleep.”

Now notice verse 22. Jacob poured oil on the stone and said: “And this stone, which I have set for a pillar shall be God’s house.” This stone was anointed, set aside to become a pillar or witness proving which is God’s house, which is the royal family God had chosen.

Many years later Jacob again speaks of this stone as a “shepherd.” Notice Genesis 49:1. Jacob called all his sons together and told them what would befall them in our day, “in the last days.” In verse 24, when speaking of Joseph’s descendents he interjects by saying that from the tribe of Joseph – not Judah – will be found “the shepherd, the Stone of Israel.

This same rock, the coronation stone accompanied the Israelites during their 40 years wandering in the wilderness. Paul says in I Cor. 10:4 that just as the Israelites had manna as a type of Christ, so they had, as a type of Christ, a rock which gave them water and which followed or went with them in their wanderings! Jesus Christ provides spiritual waters, the Holy Spirit, and Jacob’s shepherd stone, a type of the Divine Shepherd, miraculously provided material water in the wilderness.

Notice Deuteronomy 8:15. Moses says that God provided water during the entire 40 years from “The Rock,” not many different rocks located in the countryside. This is the rock that Moses struck with his rod to bring forth waters (Ex. 17 and Num. 20). It was the shepherd rock, the stone of Israel which went with them in the wilderness.

During those 40 years the stone accompanied Israel. That is undoubtedly why the two iron rings fastened to either end are so worn. The stone beneath the coronation chair could never have become worn by lying untouched in England’s Westminster or Scotland’s Stone or in the halls of Tara in Ireland. It must have been worn during the wilderness wanderings.

As this stone is used in the coronation ceremonies to this day, let’s turn to a scripture which proves that this pillar stone was used in the family of David in the days of ancient Israel.

Turn in your Bible to II Kings 11:14. The event mentioned here occurred at the time when Josiah was proclaimed king in the temple and when wicked Athaliah, who had usurped the throne, was about to meet her doom. Notice what it says: “And when Athaliah heard the noise of the guard and of the people, she came to the people into the temple of the Lord. And when she looked, behold” – what? “The king stood by a pillar, as the manner was, and the princes and the trumpeters by the king, and all the people of the land rejoiced, and blew the trumpets.”

So it was the manner or custom even in that day to have the pillar of stone – Jacob’s pillar stone used in the coronation ceremonies! But how did that stone finally reach London, England, which is now back in Scotland.

The world today in its ignorance looks upon any government or throne as deriving its power from human authority, little realizing that it is God who sets up rulers and who breaks down thrones. Almost 3,000 years ago God made an amazing promise whereby David’s dynasty would continue ruling through all generations and that he should never lack an individual to reign upon his throne. “I have sworn unto my servant David, “Thy seed will I establish forever, and build up thy throne to all generations” (Ps. 89:3-4).

“David shall never want (lack) a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel” (Jer. 33:17). Notice it reads “the house of Israel,” not the “house of Judah.” Remember that after the days of Solomon, the children of Israel were divided into two houses, the House of Judah and the House of Israel. The throne of David ruled in the House of Judah until the days of Zedekiah. When the throne of David apparently was at an end, God caused the prophet Jeremiah to take the king Zedekiah’s daughters (Jer. 43:5-7) and Jacob’s pillar stone with him to transplant the throne of David from Judah to the House of Israel where Jacob prophesied the stone of destiny would be found in our day!

Jacob said that the stone which he anointed would be a pillar, a witness proving which is the house, the nation, the royal family that God has chosen. That stone is found today in Scotland. For many years that stone was kept in Westminster Abbey, but in recent years it was moved back to Scotland.

But wonders of wonders, during the coronation of Elizabeth II millions in the English-speaking world heard her called the “Queen of Israel”! In a prayer it was petitioned that Elizabeth II might govern well “thy people Israel” – the British people! Yes, Elizabeth II is “Queen of thy people Israel.”

The world may scoff and sneer at the truth, the world may deny the facts of history, but Queen Elizabeth is ruling over part of Israel, the tribe of Ephraim. She sits upon the throne of David! – the very throne that Jesus Christ shall take when he returns to rule the world. “And the Lord God shall give unto him (Jesus) the throne of his father David: and he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever” (Luke 1:32-33).

Yes, on the throne of England reigns a descendant of David, a descendant of King Zedekiah’s daughter whom Jeremiah the prophet took to Ireland together with the stone of destiny. From the marriage of that young princess has descended a dynasty that has ruled Ireland, Scotland and England for over 2,500 years! And all of them have been crowned over the stone of destiny, Jacob’s pillow stone.

How startling the truth becomes when we know the inside story of the coronation!

 
The Church of God, New World Ministries P.O. Box 5536 Sevierville, TN 37864