Having ascended up the 120+ feet of the low and steep first ascending passage the Edgar brothers were quite relived to stretch their backs and take a little rest when they finally reached the end of the passage and emerged into the Grand Gallery.

“Straight in front of us we saw the low entrance to the Horizontal Passage, which extends southwards in the same vertical plane as the Descending and First Ascending Passages, but, as indicated by its name, in a horizontal direction. In height and width, it corresponds to the Descending and First Ascending Passages, and leads to a large, nearly square room with a high gabled roof, known as the Queen’s Chamber…”

The photos above depict what the Edgar brothers would have seen before them, minus of course all the newly installed guide rails, ladders and gates and of course the excellent lighting we have today in the Pyramid. In the first photo we are just emerging from the first ascending passage looking down the horizontal passage towards the Queens Chamber. Immediately to the right is the gate which closes off access to the small passage leading to the well. In the second photo we are standing in the Grand Gallery and have approached the gate to the horizontal passage.

Above the low entrance of the Horizontal Passage, sixteen and a half feet in front of us, we beheld the present apparent commencement of the Grand Gallery floor. Strictly speaking the commencement is at the north end-wall. At this place the floor of the First Ascending Passage appears to project about two feet into the Grand Gallery, but this little inclined portion, though continuous with the floor of the First Ascending Passage, is really the beginning of the Grand Gallery floor. Between this portion and the portion further south above the Horizontal Passage, there is a large gap—for the purpose of affording entrance along the Horizontal Passage to the Queen’s Chamber. Some think that originally there was no break in the continuity of the Grand Gallery floor, and that thus the entrance into the Queen’s Chamber was concealed. But it is more probable that the gap was constructed in order to give the appearance of having been forced. There are certain features which indicate this.

When facing south, we perceived at our feet on the west or right-hand side, a very small and short passage branching off in a horizontal direction—See Plates XVIII and XIX. The roof of the short passage is-on a level with the floor of the Horizontal Passage. When examining this small passage we found it necessary, after stepping down into it, to crawl along its floor on hands and knees, but we required to exercise extreme caution, for at a very short distance to the west, it terminates in a deep vertical shaft, fully two feet square in bore. This is the upper end of the Well, the lower opening of which, (depicted below), appears on the west wall near the foot of the Descending Passage.” (Great Pyramid Passages, Page 67 par. 102)

“It is difficult to secure photographs of the Well-mouth which will show it as it appears to one who is standing in the Grand Gallery, because it is impossible to set the camera sufficiently far from the opening and its surroundings to include them all in one picture. The two records which we managed to take (Plates CLXXIII and CLXXIV), while not giving a full view of the opening, show the fractured Ramp-stone very plainly, and also the depression in the west wall of the Grand Gallery (Outlined in red in the second diagram above), which marks the place formerly occupied by the missing portion of the Ramp immediately above the Well-mouth–Compare with Plate XIX.” (Great Pyramid Passages, Page 351 par. 537)

I have purposely substituted the above two illustrations for the original black and white photos as they appear to illustrate much better what the Edgar’s were attempting to explain. Sometimes I find that illustrations are better suited for details.

Today it is nearly impossible to see what the Edgar’s were referring to do to the security gate which was placed over the opening to prevent anyone from wandering into the little side passage and accidentally stumbling into the well shaft.

“According to the Apostle’s statement in Rom 11:25-27, the New Covenant cannot be put into operation until the “fullness of the Gentiles” has come in to complete the body of Christ; for every member of the “body” shares with the “head” in the sacrifice, the blood of which, in the end of this Gospel Age, will be used in sealing with Israel the New Covenant. In other words, when the heavenly calling to become members in the body of Christ closes, the earthly calling of the New Covenant opens.

The first photo above is looking south or up the Grand Gallery while the second is looking north or down the Grand Gallery toward the first ascending passage.

The Great Pyramid corroborates this important phrase of the Lord’s Plan; but to appreciate the symbolism fully, one must have clearly before his mental vision the actual appearance of the lower end of the Grand Gallery. On each side of this passage there is a stone bench which runs the entire length of the floor. These benches are called “Ramps,” and measure about 21″ high by about 20″ wide. The distance between the Ramps is approximately 3½ feet, so that the widths of the floors of the Grand Gallery and First Ascending Passage are the same. The mouth of the Well is formed by a portion of the Ramp on the west side having been broken away; and the appearance of the masonry surrounding this Well-mouth suggests the thought of the once covering Ramp-stone having been violently burst out from underneath (As noted in the above illustrations of the well mouth). If the missing portion of the Ramp were restored the Well-shaft would be entirely concealed. The apparent bursting away of the Ramp-stone graphically suggests the resurrection of Jesus Christ, when God “burst the bonds of death” and raised his beloved Son from the death-state (Acts 2:22-24).

In addition to the breaking of the Ramp-stone at the head of the Well-shaft, a portion of the lower end of the floor of the Grand Gallery appears to have been forcibly removed. It looks as if the floor of the passage had originally extended upward in an unbroken line from the north wall, but that an explosion had taken place which tore away about 17 feet at the lower end. Thus, two violent explosions have taken place in the Great Pyramid; or, rather, the appearance of the lower end of the Grand Gallery gives that impression; for we believe the great Master-Builder purposely arranged the masonry of this part of the passage to suggest the thought of explosions for figurative purposes. If the missing portion of the floor of the Grand Gallery were restored, the Horizontal Passage leading to the Queen’s Chamber would be entirely concealed, so that anyone emerging from the First Ascending Passage and continuing on his way up the Grand Gallery would be unaware of the existence of the Horizontal Passage.

This feature of the Pyramid’s system symbolically confirms Scriptural teaching that the faithful among the people of Israel passed directly from Moses into Christ. They partook of the high or heavenly calling to joint-heirship with Christ, and are represented as emerging from under the low roof of the First Ascending Passage, and walking with him upward along the floor of the Grand Gallery (which at this stage is understood to be unbroken and entire) to the King’s Chamber condition of the Divine nature (2 Pet. 1:4). The majority, blinded because of their unbelief, are pictured as standing with bowed backs in the low First Ascending Passage, while the Gentiles, “who sometimes were far off, are made nigh by the blood [ransom-sacrifice] of Christ ” (Eph. 2:12, 13), and are coming up, as it were, through the Well-shaft and broken Ramp on to the floor, or “walk,” of the Grand Gallery, partaking with Christ Jesus in the heavenly calling. The present condition of the people of Israel is in accordance with the curse pronounced against them by God “Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back always” (Rom. 11:10).

Soon the last member of the Body, having completed his course of trial and testing by laying down his life in sacrifice, will be raised to join his fellow-members who have preceded him since the beginning of the resurrection of the Body in 1878 A.D. The resurrection of the “Body” of Christ constitutes the second bursting of the bonds of death (Matt. 16:18), immediately after which the New Covenant opportunity for human life will be made with the temporarily blinded nation of Israel, as well as with the “residue” of the Gentiles (Acts 15:14-17). This second bursting of the bonds of death is symbolized by the apparent violent breaking away of the lower part of the Grand Gallery floor, which, as will be readily seen, while necessarily closing the “walk” of this upward passage, reveals and opens, as a consequence, the Horizontal Passage leading to the Queen’s Chamber.

Although the raising of the “Head” and “Body” of the Christ from the dead are far separate in point of time, they are regarded by God as one resurrection. We read in Rev. 20:6 “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection; on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.” The Apostle Paul, also, intimates that all those who are made conformable to Christ’s death, shall know the power of His Resurrection (Phil. 3:8-14; Rom. 6:3-5).”

Great Pyramid Passages Pages 92-95, Par. 209-214

We will continue with our next post.