The Divine Carpenter

When God destroyed His Temple,
To punish ritual lies,
He promised through His prophet
Another would arise.

A carpenter from Heaven,
With linen string and rod,
Recorded the dimensions
Of the new house of God.

God then said to His Prophet
—The Carpenter as well —
Forever, in this temple,

With Israel, He’d dwell.
Hands made that home, then razed it,
One made without saw birth,
That Carpenter’s Raised temple
Still lives, and fills the earth.

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Even after two millennia of study, there are details included in the Bible that leave us mystified. For instance, in the book of Ezekiel, starting with chapter 40 to the end, that prophet is shown a vision of a new temple that could be built in Jerusalem, if the people of the promise would repent. He is then shown around the structure by a man with a measuring tape and a measuring stick, and takes down its sizes and dimensions. Whether this visionary temple ever reached actual existence is uncertain, though I understand Herod the Great's builders may have used the description when planning their renovation. If the vision was meant to be metaphorical -- and some of it clearly is -- how much of the description of the temple was figurative, and what it was supposed to signify still gives scholars interpretative muscle cramps.

And then there's the man. When biblical prophets have visions, generally an angel escorts them through the scenes. That Ezekiel should be accompanied by someone plainly described as a man is unusual. And what's more, he is a working man: although he is not labeled a carpenter, or building contractor (which, I understand, was one of the functions of a carpenter in the ancient world), or architect, he is carrying the tools those professionals would use to make sure their work was up to specifications.

The oddest part of the section, though, is in chapter 43, when Ezekiel sees God enter this temple. While Ezekiel and "the man" stand and listen, God indicates "Son of man, the place of my throne, and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel for ever …" (Ezekiel 43:7). It sounds like God is referring to the visionary temple as his dwelling place, yet, if that temple was built, it has since been destroyed. If the temple has yet to be built, why should it be necessary? According to Christian doctrine, and practical observation, God has been dwelling with men since the days of Jesus Christ.

And that's when it hit me. What if God wasn't referring to the building when He talked about where He would dwell with Israel? What if he was referring to "the man?" One of the foundations of Christian faith is that Jesus Christ was God on earth; another being that, after He was executed for claiming to be God on earth (John 5:18), He rose from the dead. Another charge made against Him was that He claimed He would destroy the Temple, and rebuild it. What He had, in fact, said was "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up," referring to His body (John 2:19-21). So, if God on Earth referred to His body as a temple, perhaps God in Ezekiel's vision was doing the same.

And He was a carpenter, too.

I've never seen any commentators make these points, but, whether my exposition is right or wrong, it is something to think about. Either way, we can be eternally grateful for the peace with God we can now enjoy forever, through that Divine Carpenter.