For those who are unfamiliar with the term, a plumb line, also known as a plumb bob or a plummet, is a string with a small weighted “bob”, usually made of metal, on one end. The weight of the bob stabilizes the string, enabling the person using it to make sure that whatever he or she is building is exactly straight vertically. It does for vertical alignment what the carpenter’s level (bubble level) does for the horizontal measuring of level surfaces. The terms “plumb line” and “plummet” are used interchangeably in the Bible and appear seven times in the Scriptures, all of them in the Old Testament.
In the Word of God, the plumb line can sometimes have a literal meaning (Zechariah 4:10). There is also another meaning for it in the Scriptures. Without immediately getting into the prophetic significance of Isaiah 28:16-22, we will look at a part of this passage to see the plumb line’s (plummet’s) symbolic meaning:
Isaiah 28:17a: “Also I will make justice the measuring line, and righteousness the plummet;…”
We see justice mentioned in connection with the measuring line, an ancient method of ensuring levelness in a building or in its foundation. The plummet, or plumb line, is mentioned in connection with righteousness. Whose standard of righteousness? God’s standard, of course. We can now examine the whole passage more closely in order to glean some additional details from it. Keep in mind the concept of the plumb line or plummet representing God’s standard of righteousness:
Isaiah 28:16-19: Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; whoever believes will not act hastily. Also I will make justice the measuring line, and righteousness the plummet; the hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters will overflow the hiding place. Your covenant with death will be annulled, and your agreement with Sheol will not stand; when the overflowing scourge passes through, then you will be trampled down by it. As often as it goes out it will take you; for morning by morning it will pass over, and by day and by night; it will be a terror just to understand the report.” For the bed is too short to stretch out on, and the covering so narrow that one cannot wrap himself in it. For the LORD will rise up as at Mount Perazim, He will be angry as in the Valley of Gibeon—that He may do His work, His awesome work, and bring to pass His act, His unusual act. Now therefore, do not be mockers, lest your bonds be made strong; for I have heard from the Lord GOD of hosts, a destruction determined even upon the whole earth.
The precious cornerstone reference is a prophecy about the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ. Of course, He is also the one and only Savior from sins. Meanwhile, the ministry of Isaiah the prophet was ongoing in the latter days of the northern Kingdom of Israel. Almost two and a half centuries ago, at the start of the reign of Rehoboam son of Solomon, the nation of Israel split into the aforementioned northern portion plus the southern Kingdom of Judah. God, in His great love for His people, sent prophets repeatedly to warn and correct the children of Israel and to tell them to return to Him. Any covenant other than one with the living God was, in effect a covenant with death, if not always physical death then certainly always spiritual death. Although God’s love for all people is profound, He will not alter His holy standards to accommodate anyone regardless of whether they belong to Him or not. There is no refuge from divine judgment apart from salvation. Of course, in Isaiah’s time the birth of Christ was still over 700 years in the future, so at that time the Israelites would be returning to God via the old covenant, the Mosaic Law.
This prophetic passage stretches even further into the future, telling of a destruction determined by God even upon the whole earth. After the Tribulation, the Millennial Reign of Jesus Christ, Satan’s final attempt to deceive the world, and the great white throne judgment, the earth and all the rest of creation will be renovated by fire (2 Peter 3:10-13; Revelation 21:1). Returning to the precious cornerstone: Isaiah, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, prophesied about the coming Messiah despite the sinfulness of the children of Israel and the fact that God was preparing to have the northern kingdom taken into captivity by Assyria and, less than one and one half centuries later, the southern kingdom of Judah by Babylon. Because God is love, His nature compels Him to provide a remedy for sin. Because God is holy, His nature compels Him to judge people who will not repent. His plummet, his plumb line, is His holy standard of righteousness, and Jesus Christ is the One who embodies His righteousness.
We should be well aware that in the sight of God we have no righteousness of our own (Isaiah 64:6). If there was any intrinsic element in us that enabled us to save ourselves, then neither the Old Testament sacrificial system nor Jesus Christ’s death on the cross would have been necessary. As it is, the sacrifices of animals under the Law foreshadowed what the Lord would do for us. The blood of animals provided a covering for sin, but it was Christ alone who would take all sins away. Jesus Christ on earth was the exact representation of God in heaven (Hebrews 1:3). Consider these Scriptures also:
John 14:7-9: “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.” Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?”
Colossians 2:6-10: As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. Beware lest anyone cheat you through vain philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.
James 1:17: Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
1 John 1:5: This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.
Matthew 5:20: “For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.”
From such verses as those above you can see that Jesus Christ is, indeed, an exact representation of God the Father in heaven. Since God is perfectly good and sinless, so is Jesus. With that being said, the words Jesus spoke in Matthew 5:20, part of His great Sermon on the Mount, must have come as quite a shock to His audience, which was primarily Jewish. It was a well-known fact that the scribes and Pharisees thought righteousness came by keeping the Law. Paul the apostle acknowledged this himself in sharing his testimony to the Philippian church (Philippians 3:1-6). The Jewish religious leaders were thus quite legalistic and at times could be mercilessly cruel, but because of their vast knowledge of the Law, their leadership in the Jewish communities, and their efforts to live as perfectly by the Law as possible, they were highly respected and no doubt even held in awe in some cases. What Jesus said shook His listeners to the core of their being. They must have wondered if it was possible for anyone to be right with God based on His words, considering how godly and holy the scribes and Pharisees appeared to be. His audience—and throughout history, many others—would be relieved to learn that our right standing with God is not and cannot be based on our performance or any good works we could do.
The faith that the OT saints put in God was critical. When God was setting out to call a people unto Himself, He first came to Abram (Abraham). Notice what the Word says about this man:
Romans 4:3: For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”
And where is Abraham today? In heaven (Luke 16:23; John 8:56). Returning to the Romans 4 passage, the word “accounted” is, in NT Greek, logizomai (log-ID-som-eye), and according to Strong’s Concordance it means such things as “to take an inventory, estimate (literally or figuratively).” For example, if you made a $100 bank deposit and you wanted to be sure it is in there, you would obtain a receipt showing that the money is, in fact, in your account. In the same manner, the righteousness acceptable to God was deposited in Abraham due to his faith, so afterwards, when God looked upon Abraham, He saw His righteousness in him. And what righteousness is acceptable to God? The righteousness of His Son, Jesus Christ, whom the OT system pointed to and whom we trust in today. To put it this way:
Romans 8:29-30: For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.
There are theologians who claim that this passage means some are irreversibly chosen by God while others are irreversibly condemned to hell, but that is not so. We still have a choice whether to accept salvation or not when God invites us to be saved (John 6:44; Revelation 22:17). It is just that God knows who will accept the gift of salvation and who will not. In His wisdom He can see every possible outcome of every possible choice that anyone could make. God is not limited by our choices (Exodus 32:10; Amos 7:1-6). Notice in the Romans 8 passage the justification, and glorification of those who answer the salvation call (the called). There is a broader sense to the salvation call than just those whom God invites to salvation. Jesus came first to save the Jews, and then with their ongoing rejection of Him, the Gentiles in addition to them (Matthew 10:5-6; John 10:16). Because God’s will is that everyone be saved (2 Peter 3:9), there is a sense that this calling is to the vast majority of the human race, except to those who would never believe and are therefore consigned to life without either the Law or the Gospel (Romans 2:12-16), as in those who lived outside of the Biblical lands and thus the hearing of either for many centuries, and those who will live during the Tribulation and take the mark of the beast (Revelation 13:1-18). Those who are justified by God through accepting Jesus Christ as Savior are declared righteous by God, just as if they had never sinned and are free of sin. The righteousness of God is accounted to them. Barring the forfeiture of their salvation, these individuals’ glorification (by dying saved) is so certain that it is spoken of here in Romans 8 in the past tense—it’s a done deal.
God’s plumb line, His righteous standard, has been used as a terrible instrument of judgment in the past, is being used now, and will be used as such again in the future (2 Kings 21:10-15; Amos 7:7-9; Luke 13:1-5; Revelation 20:11-15). However, it does not have to be that way. If you are lost and God has been dealing with your heart about it, get saved immediately, for tomorrow is not promised (James 4:13-15). If you are backslidden or if you are a lukewarm Christian, return to God and stay close to Him (Hebrews 3:7-15; Revelation 3:14-16). Fellowsaints, rejoice in the fact that you are saved, washed in the blood of the Lamb, and declared righteous by God. When He measures you with His plumb line, you will pass the test. You will spend eternity with the Lord.
Psalms 32:1-2: Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.
1 Corinthians 3:9: For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building.
Psalms 23:6: Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
