Isaiah 54:11-17 "O afflicted city, lashed by storms and not
comforted, I will build you with stones of turquoise, your foundations
with sapphires. I will make your battlements of rubies, your gates
of sparkling jewels, and all your walls of precious stones. All your
sons will be taught by the LORD, and great will be your children’s peace. In righteousness you will be established:
Tyranny will be far from you; you will have nothing to fear. Terror will
be far removed; it will not come near you. If anyone does attack you, it
will not be my doing; whoever attacks you will surrender to you. "See,
it is I who created the blacksmith who fans the coals into flame and forges
a weapon fit for its work. And it is I who have created the destroyer to
work havoc; no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute
every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of
the LORD, and this is their vindication from me," declares the LORD.
Comment
Notice the similarity between the city of Jerusalem described here and
the New Jerusalem of Revelation 21:18-20
"The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass.
The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious
stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third
chalcedony, the fourth emerald, the fifth sardonyx, the sixth carnelian,
the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase,
the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst." But this New Jerusalem
is an analogy for the Church as it says in Rev 21:9
"Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb." As in real
life the jewels speak of preciousness - God holding his people dear to
himself as a rare commodity. But also there is beauty, which speaks of
its purity.
But notice also the difference in emphasis between Isaiah and Revelation.
While in Revelation the emphasis is upon the purity and holiness of the
New Jerusalem, here in rest of the passage in Isaiah the emphasis is upon
its security. Though following this Isaiah will speak on repentance. But
given the destruction of the impending destruction of Jerusalem, just as
its northern neighbor was destroyed and taken captive, the message of security
would deeply touch upon the concerns of the readers.