Rebuilding Our Spirits

                In our Christian faith we often go through trials and tribulations. Sometimes we must start over fresh in order to draw closer to God. We need to get rid of the contaminants in our lives and rid ourselves of our former selves. We need to let go of the things that kept us from receiving Christ.

                Nehemiah, whose name means comforted by Jehovah, was from Judah. He was among the Jews exiled to Babylon. When the Roman Empire fell to the Persians, Nehemiah found himself as the royal cup-bearer in the palace of the Persian king Artaxerxes. This made it possible for him to be made the civil governor of Jerusalem at the time of their return. In the book of Nehemiah, he hears of how the walls of Jerusalem were destroyed and the gates burned with fire. Immediately he fasted, prayed, and mourned for the people of his country. He asked for favor in front of the king so that he may go and help the people of Israel.

                When the king saw him, he saw how upset he was. He asked Nehemiah to explain what was wrong and upon hearing him, the king granted Nehemiah permission to go help rebuild the walls. Upon arrival in Jerusalem, Nehemiah inspected the wall and ordered the start of the rebuilding. Certain men were assigned to rebuild each of the gates and the rest of the men built the walls. They faced opposition during the rebuilding from Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Amonites, and the men of Ashdod. They threatened to knock it down again but the Jews heard and warned Nehemiah. Therefore, he stationed men with weapons to prepare for attack and told them that God would protect them. During this time, Nehemiah helped the poor get food and the wall was completed in just 52 days. How? Because of the favor of the Lord. The exiles returned and the Israelites confessed their sins.

                In future years, Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem and discovered that the Israelites had returned to their previous way of life, sinning and disobeying the laws. Nehemiah ordered the Levites to purify themselves and assigned everyone duties.

                So, how can you apply this to your life? We need to rebuild ourselves when we are broken. When we sin, God allows us to give in to the desires of our flesh and only with repentance can we fortify our spirits again. We will be judged with the fire and be destroyed. When we have backslid, we are disgraced. Have you ever noticed that when you are deep into sin, something dramatic happens that causes you to repent and draw back to God? It’s the work of God to keep His people close to Him.

“Then I said to them, ‘You see the trouble we are in:

Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have

been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall or Jerusalem,

and we will no longer be in disgrace.”

-Nehemiah 2:17

                I will share two personal experiences that happened to me that made me realize I needed to rebuild. The first experience was in February of 2011. I had gotten caught up with the wrong people at my job and my dad, as he was supposed to, reprimanded me for it. I ran away the next day with $50 in my pocket and my car. My parents found me later that night and brought me home. I repented and started rebuilding my life and relationship with God.

                 I broke up with my boyfriend back in April. I had been so busy focusing on him that I often forgot about God. I believe that God allowed my relationship to end so that I could be drawn back closer to Him. Ever since the end of April I have been working on rebuilding my spirit, layer by layer, as Nehemiah and his workers rebuilt the wall. Have I completed the work? No. We are never finished growing in the Spirit. I continue to grow each day but God is using me for His works. Is a short period of time He has helped me progress so much. 

"Don't be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who

is great and awesome, and fight for your

brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives

and your homes."

-Nehemiah 4:14

"Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, 

join us there. Our God will fight for us!"

-Nehemiah 4:20 

                 During the rebuilding of our spirits, we will face opposition from the enemy but he won't have a stronghold over us. If we have fear of the Lord and commit ourselves to Him, He will protect us. The enemy will not bring us down.

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow

of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and

your staff, they comfort me."

-Psalm 23:4 

                     Have you gone through a period where you had to rebuild? If so, I encourage you to please comment and share. 

 

Understanding the Book of Revelation: The New Heaven, New Earth, and New Jerusalem

                Chapter 21 discusses the New Heaven, the New Earth, and the New Jerusalem. God has perfected and completed His final kingdom and people. There is no blemish or flaw. The sea no longer exists because it was a place for demons (Revelation 20:13) and is no longer needed. It played a major role in the judgment of the world. Therefore, no sea creature will exist nor will any serpent exist in the New Heaven and Earth. The New Heaven and Earth were first promised in Isaiah 65:17-25. 2 Peter 3:10-12 mentions the destruction of the heaven and the earth and the creation of new ones where righteousness dwells. This current earth is not our permanent dwelling place but it is just something we pass through. We must look forward to the reward we will receive once this life ends.

                Revelation is full of symbols. Here, in verse 2, the New Jerusalem signifies the totality of God’s works and the redeemed throughout the ages, who have been restored and transformed. The church is Christ’s bride. Jesus was once God’s tabernacle, a bridge to close the gap between mankind and God so that we may have a relationship with Him. Now, God will be able to reside with them always, as He did with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. There will be no presence of Satan so there won’t be a possibility of another fall. Full satisfaction and rest will be found here because Death, and all other demons, have been cast out by life (1 Corinthians 15:5) and sent to the lake of fire (Revelation 20:14). 

                God make all things new. In Revelation 19:11 Jesus is referred to as Faithful and True. Here in verse 5 Gods words are referred to as faithful and true. Isaiah 65:17 lets us know that there will be a new heaven and a new earth and no one will remember the old. Those who go to God will receive His free grace, everlasting life. All believers will be able to participate in the new earth and the new heaven. All those who don’t believe and never repent of their sins will be burned in the lake of fire, to suffer torment and a second death. They won’t be able to experience the same joy that all of the believers will. During the thousand years, the believers will be the bride, which is temporary, meant for the wedding day. They will be the wife once all things new are brought about, which will last eternity. 

                Verse 10 is in contrast to John being brought to the wilderness to see the great harlot. Here, is lifted up to see the wife of Jesus, the Lamb. Today, we are to be a light to the world (Matthew 5:14), but the New Jerusalem will be the light to all the nations. In Revelation 4:3 God’s appearance is compared to that of jasper. Here, the New Jerusalem is compared to jasper so therefore, she bears the appearance of God. The wall in verse 12 is for her protection. She will defend all that is good and of God. The number twelve is the number of God’s completion. The New Jerusalem is eternally complete and perfect. The angels help protect our possessions and all that we consider dear to us while we enjoy the everlasting life. The names of the tribes represent the Old Testament, the law. With the gate facing all four cardinal directions it signifies that the city is open to all believers. With three gates on each side, it indicates that the triune of God guides everyone here. There will be no more need for prophets in Heaven, so the apostles will represent that grace that God has and the grace that the city is built upon. 

                In Revelation 11:1, John was given a measuring rod to count the saints and believers. He was told only to measure the inner temple, not the outer. Here in verse 15 he is told to measure to show the perfection of the city and what God has made. Gold represents the divine nature of God. Therefore, the city is measured according to God’s divine plan and nature. In saying that the city is square, it is saying that it is perfect in every way. The repetition of 12,000 in the measurements emphasizes completeness. One hundred and forty-four is twelve times twelve, which signifies total completion. The Old Testament times the New Testament. Gold, in verse 17, represents the purity and holiness of the Church. It’s clear like glass so that God’s light can shine through the whole city. It lacks imperfection and flaws. 

                The New Jerusalem is a city of foundations (Hebrews 11:10). Each of the apostles is represented by a type of stone. The apostles were all once clay but have been transformed into stones, as Peter’s name suggests. He came to Christ as Simon but Christ called him Peter, meaning a stone (John 1:42). The colors of the twelve foundations are as follows: the first stone is green, the second and third are blue, the fourth is green, the fifth and sixth are red, the seventh is yellow, the eighth is bluish green, the ninth is yellow, the tenth is apple-green, and the eleventh and twelfth are purple. I’d like to note that the 12 birthstones and signs of the zodiac have the exact same precious stones, excepted listed in reverse order. Pearls are objects of great price but they are also made through the suffering of the mollusk. The idea is that the only way into the city is through the suffering of Christ on the cross. He was wounded by us and secreted his life around us to make us precious, just as an oyster does when a grain of sand wounds it. The New Jerusalem is built of three kinds of precious materials, signifying that she is built with the Triune God. 

                Verse 22 lets us know that there is no need for a temple or tabernacle now because God will dwell among His people and walk amongst them (2 Corinthians 6:16). This is the fulfillment of Ephesians 2:22 where it says that we are being built together as a dwelling place of God. The sun and moon will still exist in the new heaven and new earth but they will not be needed in the New Jerusalem. God will shine so much brighter there, with Jesus as the lamp. Nothing unclean will enter the city and only righteousness will surround her. At night, people usually close their gates. Here, however, there are angels who guard the gates so that no evil shall enter. Isaiah 60:11 and Zechariah 14:11 tells us that there will be perfect security.

Understanding the Book of Revelation: Who Are the Two Witnesses?

 The Temple Measured

                 Chapter 11 reveals the two witnesses to us and the seventh trumpet, which produces the seven bowls that we will see further in chapter 16. In verse 1 John is given a reed like a rod to measure the temple. This is most likely meant to preserve the temple during the time of supernatural calamities and physical danger or for the reformation of the temple, while in Ezekiel the measuring of the temple was for the rebuilding of it. The altar mentioned here is the incense altar because the altar of sacrifice is in the court outside of the temple. The court is on earth. The holy city is the earthly Jerusalem. At the end of this age the Antichrist will make a covenant with the Jews for one week (7 years) during the last week of the 70 weeks (490 years) God appointed the Jews in Daniel 9:24-27 to end sin. During the last three and a half years, or forty two months, he will break the covenant and end the worship of God (Daniel 9:27). He will blaspheme God and persecute His people. He’ll destroy Jerusalem. This will be the Great Tribulation. 

               

The Two Witnesses      

          1,260 days is three and a half years. The two witnesses here are Moses and Elijah. The reason they wear sackcloth is because it’s funeral clothes. It’s a warning to mankind not to worship the Antichrist so they can escape eternal damnation. In verses 5-6, the actions are the same as what Moses and Elijah did. Moses had turned water to blood and brought plagues among men. Elijah caused the rain to stop due to his great faith. By saying they have the power to do these things again tells us they won’t do it but it lets us know their identity. Malachi 4:5 predicted Elijah’s mission.

“See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and

dreadful day of the Lord comes.”

                The prophet Zechariah, in Zechariah 4, received a vision of two olive trees at either side of a golden light stand. 4:13 says they are the two anointed to serve the Lord. In Matthew 17:1-3 both Moses and Elijah appeared before the Lord on the mount of transfiguration. Moses represents the law and Elijah represents the prophets (Luke 16:16). Olive trees produce oil for the lamps (like mentioned in Matthew 25:1-13). Oil signifies the Holy Spirit. Lampstands produce light through use of the oil. During the church age the churches are the lampstands for God’s testimony. During the 42 months the witnesses are the source of the Holy Spirit and the testimony. The Antichrist will kill these two witnesses and their bodies lie in the city of Jerusalem. It’s spiritually called Sodom and Egypt because even after the 1948 restoration they’re as sinful as Sodom and as wordly as Egypt. The torment that they brought upon the earth was the testimony that they spoke because mankind didn’t want to accept it. The three and a half days is included in the 1,260 or else it would extend past the Great Tribulation. In standing back on their feet they have been resurrected. Jerusalem then suffers an earthquake.

                The earth is no longer ruled by Satan and God’s judgment will now occur on the dead. The Ark of the Covenant is the center of all God’s accomplishments. The earthquake that then occurs is the fourth quake predicted in Revelation. The first occurred at the sixth seal, the second was before the seven trumpets, the next was at the rapture of the two witnesses, and now there is one during the seventh bowl which is the most sever calamity of the seventh trumpet. 

Because of Man's Desire

If you don't thank God after every smile why do you blame Him after every tear?

          

              Everyone is so quick to blame God when something goes wrong. Lost a job? That person is cursing God. A loved one dies? “Why would you do that God?” But then when everything is going good for them, they seem to forget who God is and don’t thank Him for what He’s done in them. We should go to Him on all occasions and rejoice at all times.

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your

gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Don not be anxious about anything,

but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

-Philippians 4:4-6

                Some people say that God is evil because He allows evil. But He only allows evil because that is what men who don’t give themselves up to the Lord have in their hearts. They block God and the Holy Spirit from entering their hearts. Therefore, not all bad comes from God, nor Satan; it comes from the hearts of men (although we can blame Satan because they allow Him to control their thoughts and actions.) God allows the bad to happen as the punishment to mankind for not accepting Him.

“He whose walk is blameless is kept safe, but he whose ways

are perverse will suddenly fall.”

-Proverbs 28:18

                If you look at the story of Noah and the ark, God did not cause the great flood for no reason. There was so much sin in the world and earthly desires in the hearts of men that He needed to bring the world back to order. In the story of Jonah and the big fish, Jonah did not end up in the world by God’s own decision. God had ordered Jonah to go to the city of Nineveh and preach against its wickedness. But instead, he tried to run from God and boarded a ship. The sea grew rough and he knew that the only way to help save the other men was to sacrifice himself so he had them throw him into the water. God allowed the fish to swallow him so that he would not drown and perish in the ocean.

                Jerusalem and Judah turned away from God; they became traitors. In return the Lord said that He will bring disaster and oppression to them because of their own wrongdoing (Isaiah 3:4-9). He will take both supply and support from them, the hero and the warrior, the judge and the prophet, the soothsayer and the elder, the captain and men of rank, the counselor, and the skilled craftsman (Isaiah 1-3). It wasn’t the Lord bringing unrighteous punishment. The Jews and the people of Judah brought it upon themselves by not allowing God’s will to be done and by not accepting Him as their god.

                God also allows bad to happen to test us. In the book of Job, God allows Satan to take everything in Job’s possession and give him sores all over his body. He does this to prove that Job was a faithful servant of the Lord. Job’s wife told him to curse God but Job replied, “Shall we accept good from God, and not troubles?”(Job 2:10) Three of Job’s friends kept putting down God but Job did not so in return, Job was made prosperous again and give him twice the blessings.

“God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will

be with you to keep you from sinning.”

-Exodus 20:20

“…to humble you and to test you so that in the end it might go well with you.”

-Deuteronomy 8:16