Immanuel’s Tool Shed

By Bonnie Jones

September 2023

Therefore, the Lord Himself shall give you a sign: Behold, the young woman who is unmarried and a virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Immanuel [God with us]. (Isaiah 7:14 Amplified)

In this dream, I’m helping my sister plant a flower bed in her backyard. Her blueprint includes a variety of exquisite fragrant flowers, a raised flower bed for vegetables in one section, and a stone walking path to a grape arbor where a wrought iron bench will be placed. Butterfly bushes and lilac trees will line the outer perimeter. This garden will be incredible once it’s complete.

As we’re gardening I notice a construction crew working at the adjacent property. From a distance they remind me of the landscapers that work in my neighborhood. They are hard at work, and I can see the plywood floor is already in place. And now they’re framing in the wood beams for the side walls of the structure. Perhaps it’s a house or workplace. From a distance it’s hard to tell. I told my sister she needs to call on “Immanuel.” Obviously, I think he’s the crew chief, but I’m not sure. When the men finished framing in the wall, they took a break and sat on the short brick wall near a shade tree to have lunch. My sister walked over to them and joined in their conversation.

I decided to explore the new structure while the men are on break. My sister and I enjoy going through homes while they’re under construction trying to guess where each room and closet is and how we could do it better.  But this time she’s busy. As I walked through the door’s frame of the new structure, I’m surprised that it is small. Perhaps the size of a two-car garage. But I’m looking for a ladder. I will need it to build the grape arbor.

When I stepped inside the doorway, I noticed a ladder leaned against the wood frame to my right. It was made of dark wood and looked well preserved with oil. I noticed the top rung was much narrower than I remember wooden ladders to be. I thought it would be difficult to stand on the top rung. It looked very heavy mainly because of the oil. As I turned around to examine the rest of the structure, I was surprised to see several other old carpenter tools. They were very clean as if they were never used. Yet they looked ancient, heavy, and very dark in color. The tools included a large wooden hammer, a large heavy well-oiled nail or spike, and an anvil. I didn’t touch any of them. I only observed them with my eyes. Each tool appeared to be wet with oil. Intuitively I knew these were the Lord’s tools. Afterall, He is “The Carpenter” and this is His tool shed.

Immanuel Revealed

I stepped outside and walked around to the side where I laid down to rest my head on the plywood floor plank that extended beyond the frame. Suddenly, yet very gently, a hand reached through from between the wood frame inside the shed. I glanced up only to see “Immanuel.” His skin was darker than I have thought throughout my life. And His face was covered with oil. His smile was so gentle and His words so soft. He placed His right hand on my right cheek and said, “I honor your holiness.” I knew He was “Immanuel,” God with us, and I realized He permitted me to be in “The Carpenter’s” tool shed. (End of dream.)

The Lord allowed me to enter His tool shed where ancient tools had been forged and preserved for future generations. I believe the Lord expressed His honor toward me because I did not touch them.  In past generations, mankind touched the anointing and God removed His glory. By this I mean, anointed ministers took credit for themselves instead of giving honor and glory to God for what he did through them. I believe it’s taken a long time for God to work His nature into a body of believers He can trust with His glory. They will not build temples to themselves but remain humble in Him and return all the glory to God. And now He wants to honor them.

The Tools

I want to look at each tool in the order I saw them. First the ladder (or staircase) symbolizes the connection between heaven and earth, between man and God, the natural and supernatural or the eternal realm. In Genesis 28:11-13 Jacob has a vision of angels ascending and descending on a ladder. Christ is “the ladder” that established contact between man and God. Jesus told Nathaniel, “Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.” (John 1:51)

The Hammer is the Word of God! It is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. The Word of God is a powerful weapon! Jeremiah says it is also like a fire and hammer.

Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces? (Jeremiah 23:29)

Nail – Another word for nail is peg or spike. And today the key to the house of David, kingdom authority, is being transferred from old wineskins to new ones. In Isaiah 22 Shebna, the king’s treasurer, was a wicked, deceitful, and proud man who usurped authority that belonged to King Hezekiah, a righteous king. When his wicked scheme was discovered, he was relieved of his duty and all authority was given to Eliakim, a faithful servant. In the same way today, God is transferring authority to those He finds righteous, and kingdom minded, not self-centered like Shebna.

The key of the house of David I will lay on his shoulder; So he shall open, and no one shall shut; And he shall shut, and no one shall open. I will fasten him as a peg in a secure place, and he will become a glorious throne to his father’s house. (Isaiah 22:22-23)

Anvil – An anvil is an iron block on which metal is placed to be shaped, originally by hand with a hammer. When you lay a hot piece of metal on the anvil and strike it, the anvil is unyielding forcing the iron to submit. When you lift the forged iron, the side which touched the hard surface has taken on its character. When a Christian fully submits to God, like the piece of metal, his life is surrendered to the Word and the working of the Holy Spirit that forges the character of Christ in their life. They bear the stripes and scars of the Lord and behold the beauty of His Love. And it is His love they share with others.

Oil represents the presence and power of the Spirit of God throughout the Bible. Jesus was often referred to as the Anointed One, using oil as a metaphor for the Holy Spirit being present and acting in Christ. Oil often signified prosperity, blessings, and stability. In 1 Kings 17 Elijah proved that oil was provision in time of famine for widow of Zarephath. And oil served as a sign of prosperity to the widow with two sons in 2 Kings 4. It is also the woman with the alabaster flask of costly fragrant oil in Matthew 26: 7.  She poured the oil on the Lord’s head preparing His body for burial. And it’s the 5 wise virgins of Matthew 25 who prepared their lamps with oil for the coming of the Bridegroom.

SUMMARY

“Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” (Matthew 1:23)

Jesus is the Carpenter, “Immanuel, God with us.”  And this is a building without walls and the doorway is open. In fact, there is no door! It’s Revelation 4:1 with an invitation for us to come up and enter His presence.

After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.” (Revelation 4:1)

Immanuel is the Ladder and the Gateway to heaven. That is why the ladder is very narrow at the top, indicative of our journey with Christ. The closer we get to Him, the narrower our journey becomes because we’ve become more Christ like and are drawing nearer to His glory. Our whole desire is to be one with Him.

He is the Carpenter who forged each tool. He is the Hammer, the living Word of God. He is the Peg in the sure place of Isaiah 22:22 and He is the Anvil on which our Christian life is forged. Immanuel is also the Anointing Oil that flows over the entirety of the Melchizedek priesthood that’s arising in the earth today.

Unlike the coastlands of Isaiah41:7, when they saw the power and authority of God, they feared Him. But instead of surrendering to the God of glory and majesty and power, they turned away from Him. In fact, they encouraged each other to build idols of gold. The craftsman, the goldsmith and he who smooths the hammer and strikes the anvil worked as a team. (It is ready for the soldering.) And if they didn’t do it right, their god would be unable to stand, and it would totter.

But God forged each tool individually by His own hands and placed them within His tool shed. They are not idols built by man’s hand, but uniquely fashioned throughout the course of history and only now ready for use. And they will walk in the fear and admonition of the Lord displaying His power, authority, and glory. For they have surrendered their lives unto Him and will give all glory and honor back to the King of kings and Lord of lords. For Immanuel, God with us, is Christ in us, the hope of glory being released in the earth today.