walking with Jesus: Be re-builder of walls and restorer of homes (re-written 2021-03-28)

This has something to do with revival, re-building and restoration for the people of God.

While leading the class to enact Nehemiah’s wall building as an exercise of faith in action, the watchman discovered that rebuilding the Old City Gate has great depth of meaning and significance that he never had dreamed of. There is no point doing something unless it starts with a Biblical concept. Then he will see the picture in his imagination. Then he can share with the others with a passion. Then they shall build together.

Yes, the Spirit of God prompted him to find this old path as he waited upon the Lord. When leading the class to do this prophetic act of faith he had merely started the work by faith. But now he knows this is not initiated by him. The following are revelations received on that fateful day in August 2010 as he sought the Lord.

Revelation One: God wants His people to look back to Him as the Foundation, the Source of life. Ps. 102:25 “Long ago, You laid the foundation of the earth and made the heavens with Your hands.” Jeremiah 6:16 states ‘Thus says the Lord, Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is and walk in it; And you will find rest for your souls.’

Revelation Two: God’s truth stands firm as a foundation stone. 2 Tim.2:19 “But God’s truth stands firm as a foundation stone with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and “All who belong to the Lord must turn away from evil.”

Revelation Three: God has assigned some of His people to be builders. Isa.58:12 “Some of you will rebuild the deserted ruins of your cities. Then you will be known as a re-builder of walls and a restorer of homes.” In v11, the Lord also promises that He will guide you continually, giving water when you are dry and restoring your strength. (This was exactly what Jesus did when He came to the two followers on the road to Emmaus).

He chose to appear to only these two who were on their way home (Emmaus, about 71/2 miles from Jerusalem and the Cross). Why? Because He knows and trusts that these two will walk all the way back to Jerusalem to complete their assignment, regardless the fact that it was already nighttime and they had been walking whole day. They are the first re-builders after the Cross!

Revelation Four: The Lord Jesus Christ comes personally to accompany His builders onto the right path. On the Road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35), the resurrected Jesus came to His two followers. They were sad and disappointed, as they thought their hope in the Messiah re-building the physical Israel nation dash to pieces. But the Lord Jesus came to seek them out, took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. After the seven miles’ walk, at their invitation, He went home with them, sat down to eat, took bread, blessed it, broke it and gave to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized Him!

What has the Road to Emmaus got to do with the Old Gate? Then the watchman’s eyes were opened. He looked up the map and found that it started outside the Old Gate and stretched North-West ward. This was not a coincidence. The watchman knew in his spirit that the Lord Jesus has revealed this truth.

When tragic event happened, like the event of the crucifixion of Jesus, the disciples departed from the Old Gate plumb line of God, filled with discouragement, emptiness of purpose, helplessness and even hopelessness. They have left the solid rock foundation of old and moved back to building their own homes on shaky foundation of sands. The path that leads them away from their righteous in Christ is described as “the path of the wicked” in Psalm One.

Psalm 121 promises pilgrims who ascend to Jerusalem, to worship the Lord God Almighty, that the Lord Himself will watch over our lives, keep us from all harm, stand beside us as a protective shade and He will not let us stumble. Indeed, “He will keep watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever.” (Ps.121:8) The two disciples from Emmaus thus received fresh super-human energy and fitness to walk back to Jerusalem to give the other disciples and apostles the good report as the first witnesses of the risen Jesus! The others distrusted the report from the women at the tomb. But these two have gone all the way to and fro Emmaus, walking a journey of 15 miles with hardly any break except the dinner, just to tell them that they had seen the resurrected Jesus who with them, talked to them (Luke 24:27 And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself), and even ate with them!

One clearly revealed clue for us is that Jesus uses the Word of God to turn our focus back to Him and His victory. Only by reading and understanding His Word the followers’ spiritual eyes opened which changed the course of their life immediately. They said to each other, “Didn’t our hearts burn within us as He talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?” “And within the hour they were on their way back to Jerusalem” (to testify for Him)! (Luke 24:32-33)

When the two disciples walked back to Jerusalem’s Old Gate, they were indeed walking towards the Calvary foundation. Indeed, when they arrived, and gave their first witnessing, they found to their great joy that the risen Jesus is now in their midst and they are not alone!

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Nehemiah 3:6-8 Rebuilding the Old City Gate

Faith in action —Old City Gate Rebuilding Group: Purple cloth is used to represent ‘before time’ ‘Ancient of Days’ God; the old paths of God; Original Foundation (Jesus Himself). Note the meanings of the builders’ names, their trades, backgrounds, and vastly different walks of life. Quite a team, walking together in the supernatural realm —The Jerusalem’s wall was completed in 52 days! 

The builders’ names are: Joiada (the Lord knows), and  Meshullam (repaying). They laid the beams, set up its doors, and installed its bolts and bars. Next to them were: Melatiah (Jehovah delivers), Jadon (judge), people from Gibeon (high hill), and people from Mizpah( watch tower), the headquarters of the governor of the province west of the Euphrates River. ⁸ Next was Uzziel (God Is My Strength, Strength Of God) son of Harhaiah, a goldsmith by trade, who also worked on the wall. Beyond him was Hananiah (Yah Has Been Gracious, favor), a manufacturer of perfumes. They left out a section of Jerusalem as they built the Broad Wall.

End Times Witnessing: Rebuilding Your Fish Gate -Why are men made like fish of the sea?

Prophet Habakkuk asked the Lord in anguish, “Why do you make men like fish of the sea, like creeping things that have no ruler over them?” (1:14) “The seemingly random fate that befalls fish and animals, one killing another, is the only thing to which Habakkuk could compare a more evil nation harming a less evil nation”.  (New Spirit-filled Life Bible) Indeed, without knowing God (i.e. with the eternal life in focus), it is difficult not to wonder this way.

The Jerusalem Fish Gate Rebuilding in Nehemiah 3 gave the watchman a fresh picture of God.

Revelation One: God has a good plan for men (Jeremiah 29:11-14 “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope..”) despite the fact that we tend to behave like fish, enjoying the vast freedom of the sea, yet remain ignorant and blinded to the immense danger of the freedom of choices. The fisherman’s net, other predator fishes, polluted waters, other living creatures, men’s excessive profit-making activities (due to greed, lack of foresight, and disobedience and rebellion of men against God’s plumb line, resulting all sorts of wickedness and evil conduct) etc are common examples.

Revelation Two: Lord Yeshua (Jesus), the Son of God who came in the flesh as man, favored humble people like fisherman as He called several of them to be His Apostles. He declared prophetically, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men!” (Matt.4:19) Indeed, He later filled them with the Holy Spirit (the Spirit of Christ) and they became great fishers. In one preaching and witnessing for the risen Yeshua Christ, they brought three thousands to repent, turn away from their wicked ways and turn to Yeshua as their Lord and Savior. (Acts 2:41)

Revelation Three: God’s plan is to bring many fishes (nations) to flow back to Him and there will be no more war (Micah 4:1-3). He spoke through the prophets on this goal. In Isaiah 19:23-25, the prophecy is that Egypt, Assyria and Israel will one day worship the same God as one, the Lord of hosts will bless them and make them a blessing  in the midst of the land.

Revelation Four: Guess what was the first profession called to be disciples of Yeshua? Fisherman. What was the last profession mentioned when describing the New Jerusalem Temple (as in the vision of Ezekiel)? Fisherman. Ezekiel 47 described water flowing from under the threshold of the temple toward the east, which goes down into the valley, and enters the sea. When it reaches the sea, its waters are healed. There will be a very great multitude of fish and they will be healed, and everything will live wherever the river goes. There will be places for fishermen to spread their nets. The fish will be of the same kind as the fish of the Great Sea, exceeding many. (Ezekiel 47:1-10) Also read Revelation 22:1-2.

Jeremiah 16:16 “Behold, I will send for many fishermen,” says the LORD, “and they shall fish them; and afterward I will send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain and every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks.”

(Lost fish/sheep, how not to be found by the Lord?)

Nehemiah 3:3-5 Fish Gate Re-Builder Group: The watchman uses Pink color cloth for this class group to rebuild their section of the walls (signifies blood of the Lamb; be fishers of souls – sharing the Gospel)
The names of the original builders are interesting and prophetic: Sons of Hassenaah (lifted up), people of Tekoa (more faithful & willing to do hard labor for God than their leaders; Prophet Amos ‘burden-bearer‘ is their country man), Meremoth (elevation), Meshullam (friend), Zadok (just).

(Revised October 2012) End Times Witnessing: Rebuilding the Sheep Gate -keep proclaiming the Lord’s death until He comes! (2010-2021 2654 readers)

October 2012 watchman’s notes: the following blog was written 8-24-2010. Now after 2 years, the watchman received a further revelation that it is all about God’s covenant with man. God is a covenant God. He keeps covenant. Jesus commanded us to have Holy Communion with Him. He specifically told the disciples that “this is the blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many, for the remission of sin.”

This is a covenant. God remembers covenant. Every time believers take the bread and the cup, proclaiming the death of Jesus, they are affirming the covenant with God and His terms of the covenant! How great and good our God is in instituting this Holy Communion!

_____________the original blog in 2010 is as follows:

The watchman took the class to continue with the faith in action project in emulating Nehemiah 3: Rebuilding the Wall. The first gate group is Sheep Gate Group. Why Sheep Gate is recorded as the first group to build? This is very important to know and remember.

Revelation One: It is definitely a crucial and powerful prophetic act to keep proclaiming the Lord’s death until He comes!

Every Christian must know and acknowledge that there is no way one can reach God except through the blood of Yeshua (Jesus) on the cross. Not preaching the cross (and the blood of the Lamb of God), even not taking the Holy Communion often, have placed church members at a very vulnerable position. Not knowing the spiritual implication means they have no defense against the attack of the enemy. Yeshua commanded His followers to partake the Holy Communion as often as they did. In addition, the Holy Spirit (through Apostle Paul) further explained in 1 Cor.11:26 ” For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.” Not discerning the Lord’s body (and His complete salvation) resulted that many were weak, sick and many even died.

Unbelievers suffer sickness and die before their time because they do not know or believe in Jesus and accept His salvation. But Christians have believed and accepted Jesus as their Savior and Lord. There is no meaning for Christians to die before your appointed time. You are to live a more than conqueror’s life, accomplishing all that the Lord has assigned to you according to His will, so why not come to the Lord’s table in the worthy manner (with full appreciation and recognition of what He has accomplished for you and receive with thanksgiving and by faith)?

Revelation Two: Another revelation on Sheep Gate is that God has two flocks of sheep in mind, the Israelite and the gentiles. Both are to be saved and redeemed and led back to His fold. No one is to be left out. These are confirmed in the following verses.

Revelation Three: Yeshua is the Sheep (Lamb) which had provided the atonement for all our sins. He is also the Shepherd and the Gate through which all His sheep are to enter.

Revelation Four: After Yeshua resurrected and ascended to heaven, the Holy Spirit has made some of His followers overseers of the flocks. They are to serve faithfully and selflessly. They will be rewarded when the Chief Shepherd Himself, our Lord Yeshua returns.

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¹ Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brethren the priests and built the Sheep Gate; they consecrated it and hung its doors. They built as far as the Tower of the Hundred,^[a]and consecrated it, then as far as the Tower of Hananel.

Isaiah 53:6-7
All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth.

Jeremiah 50:17  “Israel is like scattered sheep; The lions have driven him away. First the king of Assyria devoured him; Now at last this Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has broken his bones.” Ezekiel 34:6 “My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and on every high hill; yes, My flock was scattered over the whole face of the earth, and no one was seeking or searching for them.” Ezekiel 34:12 “As a shepherd seeks out his flock on the day he is among his scattered sheep, so will I seek out My sheep and deliver them from all the places where they were scattered on a cloudy and dark day.”

Matthew 9:36 But when He (Jesus) saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. 15:24 But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

John 10:7 [ Jesus the Good Shepherd ] Then Jesus said to them And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd. again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. John 10:11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. John 10:16

Hebrews 13:20 [ Benediction, Final Exhortation, Farewell ] Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Acts 20:28 Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. 1 Peter 2:25 For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. 1 Peter 5:2 Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; 1 Peter 5:4 and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.

Revelation 7:17 for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

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Nehemiah 3: 1-2 Sheep Gate Re-builder Group: The watchman uses Rust color cloth for this group to rebuild their section of the wall (signifies the blood of the Lamb; sacrifices; salvation)

Note the meanings of their names: High Priest Eliashib (whom God restored), the priests , Jericho men (place of fragrance; the city was originally destroyed by Joshua’s conquest, set free from curse), Zaccur (mindful; he builds even as one man). 

A watchman prays and calls forth a burning torch

Isaiah 62

Isaiah’s Prayer for Jerusalem

¹ Because I love Zion,
I will not keep still.
Because my heart yearns for Jerusalem,
I cannot remain silent.
I will not stop praying for her
until her righteousness shines like the dawn,
and her salvation blazes like a burning torch.
² The nations will see your righteousness.
World leaders will be blinded by your glory.
And you will be given a new name
by the Lord’s own mouth.
³ The Lord will hold you in his hand for all to see—
a splendid crown in the hand of God.
⁴ Never again will you be called “The Forsaken City”^[a]
or “The Desolate Land.”^[b]
Your new name will be “The City of God’s Delight”^[c]
and “The Bride of God,”^[d]
for the Lord delights in you
and will claim you as his bride.
⁵ Your children will commit themselves to you, O Jerusalem,
just as a young man commits himself to his bride.
Then God will rejoice over you
as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride.

⁶ O Jerusalem, I have posted watchmen on your walls;
they will pray day and night, continually.
Take no rest, all you who pray to the Lord.
⁷ Give the Lord no rest until he completes his work,
until he makes Jerusalem the pride of the earth.
⁸ The Lord has sworn to Jerusalem by his own strength:
“I will never again hand you over to your enemies.
Never again will foreign warriors come
and take away your grain and new wine.
⁹ You raised the grain, and you will eat it,
praising the Lord.
Within the courtyards of the Temple,
you yourselves will drink the wine you have pressed.”

¹⁰ Go out through the gates!
Prepare the highway for my people to return!
Smooth out the road; pull out the boulders;
raise a flag for all the nations to see.
¹¹ The Lord has sent this message to every land:
“Tell the people of Israel,^[e]
‘Look, your Savior is coming.
See, he brings his reward with him as he comes.’”
¹² They will be called “The Holy People”
and “The People Redeemed by the Lord.”
And Jerusalem will be known as “The Desirable Place”
and “The City No Longer Forsaken.”

Bible Reading: Be part of the big picture of prophecy!

Zechariah (continued)

God used the prophets to reveal His plans and send His messages to His people. But we also must know that our knowledge is partial and incomplete and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture.
Seeing Visions:  Zechariah received eight prophetic visions for Israel, which all follow the same pattern, a) introductory words, b) a description of the things seen, c) a question by Zechariah to the angel for the meaning, and d) the explanation by the angel.

In the visions we see that God is righteous as well as merciful. He judges and blesses too!

Zechariah 1:8, “In a vision during the night, I saw…” 1:9, “My lord, what do these horses mean?” 1:18,1:19,1:21, 2:1,2:2,3:5,4:2,4:4 (Read all the verses of how he saw visions and asked the angel what they meant)
1. The Man Among the Myrtle Trees (Zechariah 1:7-17) Meaning: God’s anger against the nations and blessing on restored Israel.
2. The Four Horns and the Four Craftsmen (Zechariah 1:18-21) Meaning: God’s judgment on the nations that afflict Israel.
3. The Surveyor with a Measuring Line (Zechariah 2:1-12) Meaning: God’s future blessing on restored Israel.
4. The Cleansing and Crowning of Joshua, the High Priest (Zechariah 3) Meaning: Israel’s future cleansing from sin and reinstatement as a priestly nation.
5. The Gold Lampstand and the Two Olive Trees (Zechariah 4) Meaning: Israel as the light to the nations under Messiah, the King-Priest.
6. The Flying Scroll (Zechariah 5:1-4) Meaning: The severity and totality of divine judgment on sin in Israel.
7. The Woman in a Basket (Zechariah 5:5-11) Meaning: The removal of national Israel’s sin or rebellion against God.
8. Four Chariots (Zechariah 6:1-8) Meaning: Divine judgment on Gentile nations.
God promised prosperity to Israel and Jerusalem
1:17 “The towns of Israel will again overflow with prosperity…” (also read 8:1-3) 2:4 “Jerusalem will someday be so full of people and livestock that there won’t be room enough for everyone! Many will live ouside the city walls. Then, I, myself, will be a protective wall of fire around Jerusalem, says the Lord. And I will be the glory inside the city!”
Prophecy of Jesus Christ, the Branch (the divine High Priest, the King)
2:10 ” Shout and rejoice, O beautiful Jerusalem, for I am coming to live among you.”
3:8-9 “Listen to Me, O Jeshua the high priest, and all you other priests. You are symbols of things to come. Soon I am going to bring My servant, the Branch. ..and I will remove the sins of this land in a single day.”
6:11-13 “…make a crown…Here is the Man called the Branch. He will branch out from where He is and build the Temple of the Lord. Then He will receive royal honor and will rule as King on His throne. He will also serve as Priest from His throne…”
Zechariah 9:9, “Rejoice, O people of Zion! Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem! Look, your king is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious, yet He is humble, riding on a donkey – riding on a donkey colt.”
On That Day” (Future Deliverance); Second Coming of Christ
12:10 “Then I will pour out a spirit of grace and prayer on the family of David and on the people of Jerusalem. They will look on Me whom they have pierced and mourn for Him as for an only son.”
13:1 “On that day a fountain will be opened… a fountain to cleanse them from all their sins and impurity.” 2 “I will remove from the land both the false prophets and the spirit of impurity that came with them.”
13:9, “This third I will bring into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold.”
14:1 “Watch, for the day of the Lord is coming…” 20 “On that day…and the cooking pots in the Temple of the Lord will be sacred as the basins used beside the altar.”

Foreshadowings: Prophecies about Jesus Christ through Zechariah: Messiah would come and dwell in our midst (Zechariah 2:10-12; Matthew 1:23); the symbolism of the Branch and the Stone (Zechariah 3:8-9, 6:12-13; Isaiah 11:1; Luke 20:17-18); His Second Coming (Zechariah 12:10; John 19:33-37). Jesus is the Savior of Israel, a fountain whose blood covers the sins of all who come to Him for salvation (Zechariah 13:1; 1 John 1:7).

Practical Application: Today, we too must prepare to meet our Lord’s Second Coming. We are called to:

1. Listen to the Holy Spirit and be led by the Spirit.
2. Obey God’s word and live His Word.
3. Live a life ministering to God (as chosen people, royal priests, holy nation).
4. Be the the living temple (the Holy Spirit lives in you) for the holy God.
5. You are called to be a part of the big plan too! Are you praying for Jerusalem?

Who we are in Christ:

1 Peter 1:2 “God the Father knew you and chose you long ago, and His Spirit has made you holy. As a result, you have obeyed Him and have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ.” 14 “So you must live as God’s obedient children.” 2:1 “So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech.”
2:4-5,9 “You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple… And you are living stones that God is building into His spiritual temple. What is more, you are His holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God…for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for He called you out of the darkness into His wonderful light.”