I see another Carpenter

One of my neighbors is building something. I can hear the sounds of hammer and saw, the movement of wood. What he is building remains to be seen, but these are pleasant sounds.

Among other things, my father was a good carpenter. He taught me how to use his tools and I’ve fond memories of being in his shop learning how to make a boat to sail on the creek, or how to fix a broken bridle rein with copper rivets. I have my own set of tools, from pliers, wrenches and screwdrivers to a high-speed router. I’m no expert, but am not afraid to build simple things.

This morning I read from Isaiah 54 again. Verse 11 is highlighted as a promise from God for the restoration of His people. They are suffering in exile, yet He will restore them to their place of worship in Jerusalem.

The verse says, “O you afflicted one, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay your stones with colorful gems, and lay your foundations with sapphires” yet the restored Jerusalem was nothing like what Isaiah describes here. Instead, this verse points beyond that restoration to the creation of a beautiful city, the new Jerusalem. It is a heavenly city, yet coming down from heaven and will appear after till the return of the Lord and the establishing of His kingdom. Revelation 21:18-21 describes it:

The construction of its wall was of jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass. The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all kinds of precious stones: the first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. The twelve gates were twelve pearls: each individual gate was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.

Theologians disagree on whether this is a literal or a spiritualized description of the heavenly city. Either way, it will be fabulous to look at.

I thought of something else while reading Isaiah 54:11. What if this verse is pointing to Jesus Christ? Those who study the Bible in those terms have found great riches. They see how God pulls together the history of His people and the history of His Son. The story of the nation is filled with shadows pointing to the story of Jesus.

For instance, the Israelites were not a significant people when chosen; Jesus was born in a very insignificant place and time. The Israelites were exiled to Egypt; Jesus was taken by His parents to escape Herod’s determination to kill Him.

Throughout the Old Testament we are given many clues about the coming Messiah. The first is in Genesis 3 where God promises that the Seed of the woman would eventually come to destroy the evil one, Satan. The psalms and prophets speak of Him. He is illustrated in types such as Joseph who saved his people, and David who ruled with wisdom and justice.

Here in Isaiah, the description is about God’s people, but it could also describe His Son who was “despised and rejected . . . a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief . . . stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted” (Isaiah 53). There was no comfort for Jesus as He died on the cross for the sins of the world.

Yet He was also promised an everlasting kingdom where He would rule with wisdom and power. His throne would be established in the new Jerusalem. One description from Revelation 4:2-3 says this throne is “set in heaven, and One sat on the throne. And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald.”

If Isaiah 54:11 is pointing to Jesus, then the verses that follow also point to Him. In them, God says, “I will make your pinnacles of rubies, Your gates of crystal, and all your walls of precious stones. All your children shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be the peace of your children. In righteousness you shall be established; You shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear; and from terror, for it shall not come near you. Indeed they shall surely assemble, but not because of Me. Whoever assembles against you shall fall for your sake.”

Whatever the correct interpretation of these verses, I am never wrong in letting myself see Jesus in any part of the Bible. He is the author and finisher, the Alpha and Omega, and from beginning to end, He graces the pages of His Book, and in it, He reveals Himself to me.