Zechariah 2 - A man with a measuring line to measure Jerusalem. Vs. 4-5 - Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls, for I will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be THE GLORY in the midst of her. What encouragement!! Vs. 10 - Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the Lord. ** This is fulfilled by Christ now dwelling in the midst of The Church. This is The Church coming to the fulness of the measure of Christ and living in that Truth.

** God is showing Zechariah visions of The Truth of God’s thought concerning Jerusalem, His people, The Temple, His Will, so that Zechariah will encourage the people to keep on building - unto the finishing of the Work. ** If your eyes are not spiritually opened to The Work of God you will get discouraged, dissuaded and stop; but when you see God’s vision, His Plan, His Finished Work you will be stirred up to see the perfection of it - no matter what it costs!

God’s Word goes forth to Zerubbabel - Zechariah 4:6-10 - Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit saith the Lord. The hands of Zerubbabel laid the foundation of THIS HOUSE, and his hands shall also FINISH IT... Who hath despised the day of small things? They shall rejoice and see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel. It was with this chastening and encouragement that The Lord stirred up Zerubbabel and Jeshua to continue the work with the prophets.

Ezra 5:2 - The work was building the house of God at Jerusalem and the prophets of God were helping them - unto the FINISHING. *The enemy still tried to stop them (Vs. 3 and 4), but now they were strengthened by The Word of The Lord and the enemy could NOT cause them to cease (vs. 5). The eye of The Lord was upon them. The enemies write a letter to the King, trying to intimidate them to stop the work, but God’s people realize the work they are to do and KNOW that God is with them. Vs. 7-17, (vs. 11) We are the servants of The God of heaven and earth (not man), and we build the house that was builded many years ago. Vs. 12 - They know that their father’s disobedience caused the house to be destroyed and God’s people to be carried away captive to Babylon.

It was with this knowledge and encouragement that the people set about THE FINISHING of The Temple. They didn’t fear man - for they knew that this was God’s House, His Plan, His Will, and He would prosper them. They only had to be OBEDIENT, AND THEY HAD THE CONFIDENCE THAT God would finish and perfect HIS HOUSE. May this be our heart also!

Lesson 60

We have been seeing that when the Work of rebuilding The Temple in Jerusalem had stopped, God sent forth HIS WORD and His Mind by prophets to chasten and also encourage the people. And when it is God’s Word - something happens. May we take heed and strength from Isaiah 55:10,11 - Notice "My word", not word(s) = plural. (God only has ONE WORD - Christ manifests The Oneness of God’s Word)... out of My mouth, it shall not return unto me void, but it SHALL accomplish that which I please... prosper.

* This is the assurance given to Zerubbabel and Jeshua so they could resume the Work, and even so, we should have this assurance strengthening us. Jesus said in Matthew 16:18 that upon the revelation of Who He is "I WILL build (bring to completion) My Church, and the gates of hell SHALL NOT prevail against it." This is the fulfillment of God’s thoughts toward Jerusalem and His Temple there.

Let us be strengthened today by the words spoken by Zechariah regarding God’s Word concerning THIS PLACE. Zechariah 8:1,2 - I was jealous for Zion with great jealousy. ** God’s thought for this place is tremendously important to Him - what He has determined here is HIS WILL, and He will have what He determined to have! Vs. 3-8 - I am returned unto Zion, and WILL dwell in the midst of Jerusalem; and Jerusalem shall be called a city of Truth. (Truth = The Cross, Christ crucified. This is to define this city; a people living and walking in the reality of The Finished Work of The Cross). Vs. 8 - I WILL bring them , and they SHALL DWELL in the midst of Jerusalem, and they SHALL BE my people, and I WILL BE their God, in truth and righteousness.

Vs. 9-19 - Let your hands be strong, hear in these days these words by your prophets... that the Temple might be built. Vs. 11 - But now I will not be unto the residue of this people as in the former days. I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things. Vs. 15-16 - I thought in these days (in rebuilding of Temple) to do well unto Jerusalem... Speak ye every man the truth ... execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates (The Working of The Cross).

** Vs. 20-23 - people shall come to seek the Lord of hosts IN JERUSALEM, and to pray before The Lord... they shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew (in covenant with God), saying, we will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you!

** This is what Jerusalem is to manifest, and will by the rebuilding of The Temple, and the recovery of God’s Testimony there. *Notice the assurances - I will... I thought... it shall - God has determined it, said it, and it will come to pass. And it all HAS been accomplished by Christ, Who as The Living Word, fulfils all things - in Jerusalem, by the recovery of This Temple and Testimony.

We see this being done in Ezra. In Ezra 6:1 a search was made in the house of the rolls in Babylon, and Cyrus’ decree concerning the house of God at Jerusalem was confirmed (vs. 2-5). *God had stirred up the spirit of Cyrus (see Ezra 1:1) to rebuild HIS HOUSE, and man could NOT stop the fulfillment of His Word! Darius now makes a decree that the Work be not hindered. Vs. 7-12 - Let the work of THIS HOUSE OF GOD alone; let (them)... build this house of God in his place. Even the King’s goods shall be given for the building of this house, and for the offering of sacrifices unto the God of heaven. *Vs. 11 - If a man alter this word, timber from his own house shall be used to hang him. Vs. 12 - God has caused HIS NAME to dwell here, and those who put their hand to alter and destroy this house of God which is at Jerusalem (it is always referred to as that) shall be destroyed! God’s Word shall accomplish His Will - all pertaining to His House at Jerusalem.

Now - Vs. 14 - They builded and prospered through the prophesying of Haggai and Zechariah... They BUILDED and FINISHED it according to the commandment of God.

And now - Vs. 19-22 - they could keep the Passover. It could only truly be kept in THIS PLACE; now the priests were pure and the children of Israel who came again out of captivity and were separated from the filthiness of the heathen of the land, to seek the Lord did eat.(You must come out of captivity and be separated from the people of the land!) NOW they could keep the feasts with joy, for the Lord had made them joyful... and strengthened their hands in the Work of the House of God.

Notice that the people are always brought back to a KEEPING of the Passover. Now - in THIS PLACE the feast could be kept with the joy of the Lord. The Lord was jealous for this, sent HIS WORD forth regarding it, and HIS SON has raised up The True Temple and Testimony! He has accomplished all that His Father desires IN THIS PLACE!

Lesson 61

I want to emphasize an ORDER that is set forth in the scripture, and it is particularly important in regard to the recovery of God’s Testimony in the rebuilding of The Temple in Jerusalem. In Ezra 6 we saw that the house was FINISHED (vs. 15) and DEDICATED (vs. 16) and THEN they KEPT THE PASSOVER (vs. 19) because the priests and Levites were PURIFIED (vs. 20) and those who had SEPARATED THEMSELVES (vs. 21) from the filthiness of the heathen of the land did SEEK the Lord God of Israel and EAT. That is the order.

*We have said that you CANNOT keep the Passover in Babylon. They had to come BACK into the land, into The Place, and set the altar in its place and the house, and in that Finished Work, The Passover can be kept. But it is interesting that a word is used in the scripture regarding this feast. (See Exodus 12:25) And that word is "keep/kept". "Keep" means "to accomplish, be at, bear, bring forth"; and we can see that God’s idea of "keeping the feast" is NOT an outward observance of some religious activity, but an INWARD Work to bring forth what the Passover really was - in them. That is why this order is so important; and the Testimony of The Passover is only kept by following this order.

We see this order in the scripture even earlier when Joshua brings the children of Israel INTO THE LAND after Moses is dead. (Joshua 1) Now, when they all pass over Jordan and come into the land, the Lord tells Joshua to make sharp knives (Joshua 5:2) and circumcise again the children of Israel the SECOND time. Vs. 4-7 - Joshua had to circumcise those who were born in the wilderness, whom God raised up instead of their fathers who would not obey the voice of The Lord. Vs. 8-11 - After the circumcising and abiding until they were whole - THEN the reproach of Egypt was rolled away from them, and they KEPT THE PASSOVER, and then they ATE of the old corn of the land.

** There was no Passover KEPT in the wilderness because there was no circumcision because of the people’s disobedience. But when they came into the land, in the view of The Finished Work (The Ark), they were circumcised (cutting away of flesh, purifying, separating themselves, dedicating themselves to God), and THEN they could KEEP the Passover, and eat the NEW food (have full communion with the Lord.) They were now to bear, bring forth and manifest the accomplishment of what this Passover was to them - the beginning for them, their deliverance, their assurance, their very life. And this feast and what it means is to define God’s Temple and His Testimony - in His people. It cannot be "kept" in the wilderness or in Babylon, but ONLY in the place God established for it. And this finds its fulfillment in Christ, in that Finished Work of His Cross.

*Because of a lack of proper teaching in the Church, most Christians still only see "Passover" as a Jewish holiday, because they have never seen all things fulfilled in Christ. But we now - in Christ - as His Testimony, as His Temple are to KEEP THE FEAST, and Paul shows us this same order as he deals with the Church in 1 Corinthians 5. This letter was written because there were problems in the Church (fornication - Vs. 1), and God’s people were not correctly dealing with the problems - no purifying, no separating from pollution of the world (vs. 2-6). And Paul talks to them regarding this leaven - to purge out (cut away, circumcise, purify) the old leaven, that ye may be (live as, manifest, bring forth) the new lump that they were; as ye are UNLEAVENED. This is The House God has brought forth as His Temple. How? For even CHRIST OUR PASSOVER is sacrificed for us! Christ IS - not "going to be" - IS our Passover, our sacrifice. Now, in light of THAT Finished Work - Vs. 8 - therefore, let us KEEP THE FEAST, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread (Jesus is that New Bread, Corn of New Land) of sincerity and Truth!

In the place God established for His people, where His Name and Testimony is, by The Work of His Cross, which is a FINISHED WORK, The Passover can and must be kept - not as an outward religious observance - once a year; but by a continual eating of this unleavened bread of sincerity and Truth. Christ is this Living Bread! And by Him we are purified, separated, and built up to be The Living Testimony of Christ our Passover.

We now live by continually eating The Lamb, and continually applying His blood on our hearts, and thereby manifesting His Life. Let us keep the feast - in THIS PLACE!

Lesson 62

In our study of the recovery of God’s Testimony we have seen that God’s order was to bring back a remnant to Jerusalem and under the leadership of Zerubbabel and Jeshua (a governor and a priest) the altar was rebuilt, the Temple finished (with encouragement of the prophets) and then the feasts and service of the Temple kept.

But now this restoration of the Temple and its Work had to be MAINTAINED, and for this God raises up Ezra (his name means "HELP"), and he has a different type of ministry and work, but it is essential to maintaining God’s Testimony in His people. The first part of the restoration restored the Temple, but now God’s Work is in separating His people in the Truth of God’s Word. ** Ezra only comes to Jerusalem from Babylon 80 years after the first people returned, and he had the ministry of a SCRIBE. *In order to maintain God’s Finished Testimony there must be a ministry of The Word - GOD’S Word.

Let’s see how God brings this about. Ezra 7 - As was so at the beginning of the return to Jerusalem, God moves upon the King who issues a decree to let this work be done. Vs. 6 - This Ezra (a descendent of Aaron the chief Priest) went up FROM Babylon (you always have to LEAVE confusion and mixture); he was a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which the Lord God of Israel had given. The King granted him ALL his request, according to the hand of the Lord his God upon him. (All was for the maintenance of God’s Testimony in His people - not for "their" sakes, but for HIS NAME’S sake and glory). Vs. 7-9 - some of Israel, priests, Levites and porters came with him (of one mind and heart) unto Jerusalem... according to the good hand of his God upon him. ** Look at what Ezra desired to do - a very specific, necessary thing. Vs. 10 - Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of The Lord and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments. Here again we see an order to God’s recovery - prepare heart, seek the Law, do it, teach in Israel. It is not just a case of "preaching" or "teaching", but letting God search and deal with our hearts, hungering and thirsting after HIS Word, His Law, His Life - and living it. And then - teaching Israel... what? GOD’S statutes and judgments.

Now in order to maintain God’s Testimony of His Finished Work, The Word had to be brought back to God’s people - they had to be taught, by one who knew and lived by God’s Word. And most Bible scholars believe that it was Ezra the scribe who wrote the books of the Chronicles, and he did that in order TO TEACH this new generation God’s ways and judgments. And this makes sense, because the history of the Kings and Israel’s life in the land is recorded in 1 and 2 Kings, but we also have the books of 1 and 2 Chronicles. * These are NOT just a duplication of the history, but they put special emphasis on THE TEMPLE and the failures of God’s people in regard to The Temple and The City. These were written to bring back the Law to God’s people, and show them the consequences of not heeding what God had established for His people. Teaching them God’s Word would enable them to maintain God’s Testimony, and that is true for us.

** Ezra did NOT have his own agenda or motive; he just wanted to be FAITHFUL to The Law of The Lord, to do it, and teach others. The question for us is - what is our motivation in ministry - for the Lord’s Word, or our own?

Ezra 7 - through the rest of the chapter. The King makes a decree to enable Ezra and those (vs. 13) "who are minded of their own free will to go up to Jerusalem"; to go with full provision to serve God according to the Law of The Lord. Once again God makes provision - for HIS purpose. So God brings out a people and blesses them. Ezra 7:27-28 - by God’s Hand Ezra gathered together (as One) men to go up to Jerusalem. But EVERYTHING for Ezra must be according to The Law of The Lord. Ezra 8:15 - they abode (as One) by the river in tents three days (Work of Cross); but Ezra found no sons of Levi. (They were content to stay and minister in Babylon - what an indictment!) But they needed Levites to do the service of The Lord, so Ezra sends (vs. 17-18) for ministers for the House of God, and they brought a man of UNDERSTANDING by the good hand of God. ** True ministry and service in God’s House of His Testimony must be by those separated unto The Lord. That was the Levite - not man’s choice. Look again at Ezra’s heart concerning this Work - they could not go in their own strength, but only in God’s Way. Ezra 8:21-23 - Ezra proclaimed a fast (denying self, looking only to God) to afflict ourselves (this is how The Testimony is maintained - not exalting ourselves) to seek of HIM a right way for us. Ezra was ashamed to ask for the King’s help against the enemy trying to stop them. They sought God, and HE brought them to the land - with all the treasures FOR THE HOUSE. Vs. 31-32 - The hand of our God was upon us, delivering us from the enemy. We came to Jerusalem, and abode there three days. *This is the heart prepared to seek the Law of The Lord and to teach Israel, and TO LIVE God’s Testimony.

Lesson 63

In our last lesson we were looking at God’s Way of maintaining His Testimony, His Finished Work so that His people would remain faithful to what He has done. He does that by raising up a ministry of THE WORD. Help (Ezra’s name) comes by The Word. What characterized Ezra was (Ezra 7:10) he prepared his heart to seek the Law of The Lord, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.

We can bring this right over into the New Testament, and see this same order used regarding God’s Testimony. Paul preached The Word, The Testimony of God - Christ and Him crucified, now fulfilled by Christ in you. The Church was founded and established on That Finished Work, but soon THAT Testimony was being lost, and things in The Church were being perverted and polluted by man’s doctrines and ways. ** What does God do? Paul was ready to be executed for The Testimony of Christ, so God raises up Timothy (his name means "honoring God") and look at Paul’s instructions and admonitions to Timothy - all concerning THE WORD.

- 2 Timothy 1:13 - Hold fast the form of SOUND WORDS, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

- 2 Timothy 2:11-16 - It is a faithful saying... (Work of Christ) ... of THESE things put them in remembrance... strive not about words to no profit. *Study (put your eager effort) to shew thyself approved unto God, rightly dividing (expounding soundly) THE WORD OF TRUTH. (That is The Cross, The Finished Work of Christ). But shun profane and vain babblings. *Timothy’s ministry to The Church was to restore The Truth.

- 2 Timothy 3:14-17 - But CONTINUE thou in the things which thou has learned and been assured of (The Testimony of Christ)... that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto Salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All SCRIPTURE is profitable... that the man of God may be perfect (mature, built up, complete), thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

- 2 Timothy 4:2-5 - Preach THE WORD (God’s Word, Testimony of Christ); be instant, reprove, rebuke, exhort with long suffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure SOUND doctrine... after their lusts, heap to themselves teachers... and they shall turn away ears from THE TRUTH, and shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things... make full proof of thy ministry. ** In order to maintain The Full Testimony of Christ in The Church, God raises up a ministry of The Word, the scriptures, THE TRUTH! And it is only by those stedfast and committed to a full and truthful sharing of GOD’S WORD that God’s people can come to see their failures, and repent, and return to God’s ways.

We see this clearly in Ezra. When Ezra and his group return to Jerusalem with the ministry of The Law of The Lord, and are obedient to it, the people’s lost position and Testimony is revealed.

Ezra 9:1-2 - When these things were done, the princes came to Ezra saying the people of Israel, the priests and Levites have NOT separated themselves from the people of the land... the holy seed have mingled themselves with the people of the land, and the princes and rulers have been chief in this trespass. (Ouch!) Vs. 3 - Ezra grieved because of what the people had done - they had LOST The Testimony by mingling themselves with the heathen, and doing the abominations of those people. Vs. 4-15 - Ezra assembled those who trembled at THE WORDS OF THE GOD OF ISRAEL because of the transgression... and he prayed. Vs. 6 - I am ashamed... for OUR iniquities and OUR trespass. (*Note: not "theirs", but "ours" - he prays for the whole of Israel). Vs. 7-9 - They have trespassed, but God has extended mercy to them so they could set up the house of our God, and repair the desolations, and to give us a wall in Judah and Jerusalem. *He puts them in remembrance. Vs. 10-15 - And now... we have forsaken thy commandments... in the land don’t give your sons and daughters to them, not seek their peace or their wealth; that ye may be strong, and eat the good of the land. Should we AGAIN break Thy commandments? We cannot stand before thee BECAUSE OF THIS. * Now they had The Word - and must DO IT!

Ezra 10:1-4 - We have trespassed... yet now there is hope in Israel... Let us make a covenant with our God to put away... let it be done according to the Law. Vs. 9-12 - They gathered themselves unto Jerusalem (that place) within THREE days. You have taken strange wives (vs. 11) - make confession unto God and do His pleasure, and separate yourselves. As thou has said, so must we DO.

And then the people proceeded in putting away their strange wives. It took them four months! Why were they brought under this conviction that they transgressed? By the ministry of THE WORD, and now by doing it, they were separated, and NOW they can maintain God’s Testimony!

We have finished our reading in the book of Ezra, but before we go on to Nehemiah, I want us to consider more closely the ministry of The Word, The Law, in bringing God’s people to REPENTANCE and to RECOVER and MAINTAIN God’s Testimony. Ezra sought the Law of The Lord, and out of that the people came to see their sin. Once again here we see the Lord’s order.

Romans 3:19-20 - for by the law is the knowledge of sin. This is what the Law was to do - cause you to see your sin. (We saw before that some of the Kings brought back The Word, The Law, read the books to the people and that caused them to repent and turn back to God.)

Romans 7:7 - I had not known sin but by the law.... Vs. 9. For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. ** God brings The Word as Law to show man how he fails, and only by that Word coming (in you) can you see your state - of death. (Vs. 10-14 - sin by the commandment is seen - to death.)

** But we must understand that The Law had its place, and that’s why in order for God to recover His Testimony in His people, they had to be brought back to The Word, and the ministry of The Word brought them to repentance, and they separated themselves unto God according to HIS WORD.

The Law was necessary until...... Galatians 3:19-25 - The Law was added because of transgressions till THE SEED should come to whom the promise was made... (That Seed is CHRIST) If there had been a law given which could have given life, righteousness should have been by the law, But all are under sin, that the promise by faith OF JESUS CHRIST might be given to them that believe (on Him). But before faith (of Jesus Christ) came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. *The Law KEPT God’s people until Christ came. By the keeping of the Law they kept the Testimony of God UNTIL all that The Testimony spoke of came. The Law was our schoolmaster, to bring us UNTO CHRIST, and now we are justified by faith - in what? In Jesus Christ! But after THAT faith (not in the Law, but in Christ) IS COME, we are not longer under a schoolmaster.

The Law was always speaking of another, a greater, One that was to come, and is all fulfilled IN CHRIST.

Hebrews 10:1-3 - The Law had a SHADOW of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can NEVER with those sacrifices... make the comers thereunto perfect (complete, mature). In THOSE sacrifices there is a remembrance again of sins. *The Law could only expose the sins and sinful nature, but NOT change it, and bring about the righteousness that God required.

*The Law and the Priesthood pointed to THE GREATER ONE who was to come. Now The Law would change - when He came.

Hebrews 7:11-12 - the Levitical priesthood and law didn’t bring perfection. A new priesthood (Christ) meant a change of the law. Vs. 115-19 - Another priest arises, who is made NOT after the law of a carnal commandment (dealing with flesh) but after the power of an endless life. Now there is a setting aside of the first commandment (law) because it was weak and unprofitable. ** Vs. 19 - for the law made nothing perfect, BUT the bringing in of A BETTER HOPE did; by the which we draw nigh unto God. * The Law spoke of a way to God, but never could truly bring a people there because it could only expose and deal with sin.

So, what did God do? He brings in a BETTER HOPE, A BETTER PRIEST, A BETTER SACRIFICE, A BETTER COVENANT, A BETTER LAW - and BY HIM - Christ, and His death, burial and resurrection, we can draw nigh unto God.

Romans 8:2-4 - For THE LAW OF THE SPIRIT OF LIFE IN CHRIST JESUS hath (Finished Work) made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh... (* The Law exposed sin, and Jesus coming AS sinful flesh fulfilled the Law and God’s judgment on sin.)... that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled IN US...

We now, IN Christ, BY Christ, by the Law of the Spirit of LIFE in Christ can now come to perfection and completion - and live as the righteousness of God. Now, by His Finished Work, God has raised up a people who are - in the earth - His Testimony, and who are not under the bondage of a sin consciousness, but now they are dead to sin, but alive unto God. This is not by the letter of the Law, but The Spirit of The Law of Life in Christ. May we desire the sincere milk of The Word to grow and walk in The Law of Life!

Lesson 65

As we continue in our study of the Recovery of God’s Testimony, let us remember that God’s Testimony is of a FINISHED WORK, and this recovery must be a FULL recovery. God is not satisfied with a partial recovery, but the full, complete, total Testimony of His Finished Work in a people. We saw the type of it in the Old Testament, and John speaks of the fulfillment of this in Revelation 21:1-3 with the New Jerusalem coming down from heaven. Here is the Testimony - in the city: The Tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell in them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God.

** God gets this Testimony in the Bride, The Lamb’s Wife, the great City - with Glory. This is the full, completed Testimony manifested in His people.

* And it is very interesting that in Revelation 21 there is a long description of the wall of this city (vs. 12-21), which establishes and defines the City.

And we see the type of the importance of THE WALL to the Recovery of The Testimony in the book of Nehemiah. Remember we spoke of God’s order of Recovery - ALTAR, TEMPLE, and then the WALL; and God’s Testimony is not complete without those three aspects. And we see in scripture that God raises up those vessels who He uses for recovery with a heart burden for His purposes. Their hearts have been tried and prepared, they are single minded, determined and strengthened by The Spirit to work towards God’s full Testimony. Daniel prayed for the sins of Israel, Ezra rent his clothes and prayed when he learned what the people were doing contrary to the Law of the Lord.

Listen to Paul’s heart burden: Galatians 4:8-11 - Now you know God; why do you turn again to weak and beggarly elements, whereunto you desire again to be in bondage - ye observe days, and months and times. ** Vs. 19 - My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until CHRIST be (fully) formed in you. This was Paul’s burden, that God’s people would be transformed into the image of CHRIST - not a religious facade, but that they would express Him, manifest Him, His Life would be seen in them. And in order for that to take place they had to cast off all the old religious traditions, separate themselves unto the Lord and Galatians 5:1 STAND FAST in the liberty wherewith CHRIST has made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. This is how God gets His full Testimony in His people, and this relates to the WALL of the city - the WITNESS of Christ in a people, separating His Life in them from the world, keeping The Testimony safe.

And it is with a heart burden for the Lord’s full Testimony that enables Nehemiah to be used of the Lord towards this end. This happens fourteen years after Ezra returned to Jerusalem, and he brought back The Law, the scripture, and restored the separation of the people of Israel from the people of the land. BUT the condition of Jerusalem (meaning the people of God) did not MAINTAIN God’s Testimony, and this is evidenced by the ruin of the walls. Nehemiah was still in the land of captivity, but HIS HEART was towards God’s full Testimony kept IN JERUSALEM.

Nehemiah 1:1-4 - Nehemiah inquired concerning the Jews and Jerusalem. The remnant are in great affliction and reproach (sadly doesn’t this describe much of the Church today?) The WALL of Jerusalem is broken down, and the gates are burned with fire. This described the condition of the people - witness to the world broken down, no safety - anything can come in to them, causing affliction and reproach.

* Vs. 4 - Nehemiah WEPT, MOURNED, FASTED AND PRAYED (see an order?) before the God of heaven. Nehemiah had a heart burden for God’s people, his people, and even though he wasn’t in Jerusalem and a part of the failure of the people, he prayed for God’s people, and that God would use him to restore this Testimony.

Vs. 5-11 - Look at how Nehemiah prays. He prays to the God who keeps Covenant and has mercy for them that love Him and OBEY His commandments. Vs. 6-7 - he prays for the children of Israel and CONFESSES that they sinned against God and kept not His statutes. Vs. 8-9 - Nehemiah reminds God of HIS WORD (*You must know God’s Word to pray for His Will, His Ways) - that He would scatter them, BUT if they turn to Him, yet would He gather them and bring them unto THE PLACE that God had chosen to set HIS NAME there. That place is IN JERUSALEM, in The Temple, at His Altar - The Cross, The Finished Work of Christ.

Vs. 10-11 - These are YOUR people whom you redeemed, so Nehemiah prays that God will answer his prayer and enable Him to return TO JERUSALEM, and repair the wall and the Testimony. This was all for God’s purposes, God’s Name, God’s Glory, and this is the kind of prayer that God will ALWAYS answer. What are we praying for?

Lesson 66

We want to take some time to understand Nehemiah’s concern for the report he received about his brethren in Jerusalem, and I challenge us today regarding the condition of The Church.

Nehemiah 1:3-4 - They were in great affliction and REPROACH. The wall is broken down and the gates are burned with fire. God’s people - in the land, in The Place, having The Temple, worship and scripture restored to them, BUT they were a disgrace, they were a SHAME - not merely to themselves, but most importantly to GOD, Who was to make Himself known by them! They were not living in the Truth of God’s Finished Work, and the condition of the wall and the gates symbolized the condition of the PEOPLE. The wall should have defined them as Jerusalem, The City of God - founded in peace; but there was no clear definition and demarcation to the City, and therefore God’s Name was disgraced and brought to shame. They allowed the world and its influences into the City, and brought to naught The Testimony of a people separated unto God, and God living in their midst. Nehemiah was grieved because of this condition, and prayed to the Lord that he would repair the Wall, and thereby God’s Testimony in His people. ** Nehemiah - his name means "Jehovah comforts".

Let us not forget that Israel and The City and Temple are all types of what Christ has brought forth in the Church through The Cross, so the grief for such a condition in The Church should be even greater.

1 Peter 2:9-12 - Ye are a chosen generation... a holy nation, a peculiar people: that ye should shew forth the praises of Him Who called you... into His marvelous light... are now the people of God... now have obtained mercy. Have your conversation (life style) honest among the Gentiles, that whereas they speak against you as evil doers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify GOD...

** We are that City - at peace with God, who is to glorify Him and make His name known; manifest His Light and Life - here, on the earth.

Philippians 2:13-16 - It is GOD which worketh in you (He is in the midst of The Church) both to will and to do of HIS good pleasure. Do all things without disputings; that ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; HOLDING FORTH THE WORD OF LIFE.

Revelation 3:1 - To the Church in Sardis - I know thy works; that thou has a name that thou livest, and art dead.

God’s City and people should be defined by HIS NAME, and HIS LIGHT and LIFE, and that Testimony must be maintained and guarded. ** If you let that slip and allow other influences to come in, you LOSE The Testimony and the power of HIS NAME, and bring disgrace and shame to The Lord. Jehovah comforts (Nehemiah) His people by REPAIRING the wall, and we see that word "repaired" often in the book of Nehemiah. This is how God’s Testimony is recovered fully. ** What IS Christ, and OF Christ is The Church! That Truth must be returned to God’s people, and they are to live by that Truth.

But now let us turn again to Nehemiah and see that Nehemiah not only saw the problem, but he was willing to risk "his" life to be part of the solution, and to do that he had to leave the place of bondage.

** Many of us are very critical, and we can always find fault and see what is wrong - usually when we ourselves are not even living in the Truth of God’s Finished Work. But Nehemiah was a man of ACTION, not just of mouth, and he risked his safe and privileged status in captivity to return to Jerusalem and repair the Wall.

Nehemiah 2:3 - to the king of Persia - why shouldn’t I be sad, when the city of my fathers lieth WASTE, and the gates consumed? He prayed to the God of heaven. Vs. 5 - If I found favor, send me to the city that I may build it, (not "tear it down", but BUILD IT!) Vs. 7-9 - The King sends letters to the governors to allow the trip, and also to supply timber for the repairs, and this is all (vs. 8) according to the good hand of my God upon me.

** We have said before that God always makes PROVISION when we are faithful to HIS PURPOSE. The King even sent captains of the army and horsemen with Nehemiah to make his journey safe.

*Once again we see a man with a single purpose - God’s purpose, not his own thoughts or plans - ALL according to God’s Testimony in Jerusalem, and to remove the reproach. Vs. 10 - Nehemiah came to Jerusalem to seek the welfare of the children of Israel, and because of that the enemy was grieved and rose up to try to stop him. BUT God’s Testimony would be repaired!

Lesson 67

We are presently considering the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem, and the ministry of Nehemiah to accomplish this. This wall was the Testimony of God to the outside world, and it divided the City and the people of God from the world; but because they had failed to maintain this division - as to what was of God, and what was of the world, God’s people were in great affliction and a reproach. God’s Name and Testimony was now put to shame because of this condition, and Nehemiah is raised up to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem.

Nehemiah 2:10 - Nehemiah seeks THE WELFARE of the children of Israel; the good, what is pleasant, helpful, joyful - and that is equated with the wall needing to be repaired.

** We need to settle the issue in our hearts as Christians: what do we need for our welfare, spiritual well being, our good, our joy? What needs to be repaired and restored in our lives - to keep us from the world, and to truly make us prosper and keep God’s Testimony in us?

Paul had the answer, just as Nehemiah had the answer in type.

Galatians 6:14 - But God forbid that I should glory, save IN THE CROSS OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. ** It is the working - continually - of the Cross IN US that separates us from the world, and the world from us, and as THAT Testimony is restored in us, we are safe, strengthened, and the Life of Christ which is in us will prosper. This is for our good.

But when one seeks this welfare for God’s people, and a full rebuilding of The Testimony of The Cross so we can live in Resurrection power and Life, the enemy rises up to hinder this work. It was so with Paul even as it was with Nehemiah.

Nehemiah 2:10 - Sanballat and Tobiah were grieved because Nehemiah came to help God’s people. It is interesting that Tobiah’s name means "Jehovah is good" - but he is NOT part of Israel, and these people are set AGAINST the people of God. There is a subtle association with Israel, but scripture shows us they are there to HINDER God’s people. Nehemiah had to discern this, and actively oppose their work in Jerusalem.

*This is important for us to understand. There may be people who will talk about the Lord, and appear to be doing His Work, but they will oppose the FULL RESTORATION OF GOD’S TESTIMONY. Look how clearly Paul distinguishes these people, and states what they are the enemy of.

Philippians 3:17-19 - Be followers (as one) of me, and mark them which walk... many walk - (live - their lives)... they are the enemies of THE CROSS OF CHRIST, whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.

** The work of the enemy here is against THE CROSS OF CHRIST, and once we determine to allow the full work of The Cross in our hearts and lives to complete the fulness of God’s Testimony in us, we also can expect such a work of the enemy to hinder this work. So what are we to do?

Let us take Nehemiah as our example. Nehemiah relied on God and not man to enable him to do this work.

Nehemiah 2:11 - I came TO JERUSALEM and was there THREE days. * Nehemiah left the land of captivity and came to THE PLACE, and allowed the three days of Jerusalem (death, burial and resurrection) to do a work in him. ** Without a full Work of The Cross in the vessel, the wall can not be rebuilt; self, flesh must be put away so it is ONLY Christ - in the power of HIS Resurrection.

Vs. 12-16 - He arose at night to survey the condition of the wall and gates, but he told no man what God had put in his heart to do. *We make a lot of "noise" about what WE are going to do FOR GOD, but Nehemiah had a private dealing with God, seeking Him, and asking Him to do the Work - all for one purpose, God’s purpose.

Vs. 17-18 - Let us build UP the wall of Jerusalem (in Resurrection power) that we be no more a reproach. * He only wanted to bring God the honor that He deserves - not shame. Nehemiah told them of God’s good hand upon him, and the king’s words, so they strengthened their hands for this good work (this is for their welfare!).

Vs. 19-20 - The enemy mocks and despised them, but Nehemiah KNOWS the God of heaven WILL PROSPER US; we will arise and build; but YOU have no portion, nor right, nor memorial in Jerusalem.

Is this our assurance? If this Work is our purpose, God WILL prosper us.

Lesson 68

We are looking at the beginning of the Work of Rebuilding the Wall of Jerusalem. Nehemiah 2:17-18 - This was so God’s people would be no more a reproach (shame). They were encouraged by the hand of God upon Nehemiah to rise up and build, and they were strengthened to do this good Work - for their welfare, and restore God’s Testimony and honor in THIS PLACE. The wall would do that.

Nehemiah 3:1 - Look at where and by whom the work on the wall begins. ** It is always important in scripture to take special note of the first mention. This is not what is convenient to man, but what is essential to God, and will reveal His mind and will. Eliashib (his name means "whom God restores") the high priest and his brethren rose up (this term is important in restoration - speaks of Resurrection power - not flesh) and they builded the SHEEP GATE... ** This was where the sheep FOR THE SACRIFICES were brought into the city. And this is where the rebuilding of the wall (God’s Testimony to the world) must begin - the sacrifice/the death/The Cross - that must be restored! And they not only BUILT the sheep gate, they SANCTIFIED IT (set it apart as holy to the Lord), and SET UP THE DOORS of it. * This is the way the rebuilding begins, and the only way it can prosper.

WE MUST GIVE THE LAMB HIS PROPER PLACE IN GOD’S CITY.

?? Who is it Who is on the throne that John sees in the book of Revelation?

Revelation 5:6 - In the midst of the Throne stood A LAMB as it has been SLAIN. Vs. 8-10 - They worship THE LAMB - Thou are worthy... for thou wast SLAIN, and has redeemed us to God, and has made us unto our God a kingdom and priesthood. Vs. 12 - Worthy is THE LAMB.

** The knowledge of the death of THE LAMB has to be RESTORED to God’s people - what He, and HE ONLY has done by His death. Upon this revelation God’s Testimony is built, so it must be established and fixed first.

We know that the work of the enemy is always to hinder this in the lives of God’s people, which will destroy God’s Testimony. This is what Sanballat and Tobiah did, and that’s what Satan does. But look at how God’s people can overcome the accuser of the brethren.

Revelation 12:11 - They overcame him (Satan) by the blood of the LAMB and the word (not words) of their testimony, and they loved not their lives...

The original says "by the word of the witness of them." They didn’t overcome just because they "gave a testimony", but they were the witness of God’s Testimony! They manifested, confirmed by how they lived what God HAD DONE. Their word was The Truth of Christ, and God’s Testimony made real in us is - not I, but Christ! The blood of The Lamb and THAT Testimony causes us to overcome!

And remember that we must bring all things in the Old Testament INTO CHRIST and see their fulfillment in Him by His death, burial and resurrection.

RE: sheep/door - John 10:7,9 - I am the door of the sheep; if any man enter in (by Me) he shall be saved, and shall go in and out and find pasture. Vs. 11 - I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. ** It is this Testimony of Who He is that must be restored to the people of God, and then they are to live daily in this Truth; build "their" lives on that sacrifice.

So the wall is rebuilt beginning at the sheep gate, and the rest of Nehemiah 3 gives us a detailed account of the work - each man "repaired" his area of the wall. *Everyone was of one mind, and they set their hands to this one work - REPAIRING THE WALL. Isn’t this what is missing in The Church today? Everybody is doing their own thing, building their own churches, rather than repairing God’s Testimony - in their own lives and surroundings?

But we also see a STRENGTHENING in this work (Vs. 3,6,13,14 etc.) They laid the beams thereof (Truth is always "laid in Zion" - worked), set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof. ** Vs. 8 - They FORTIFIED Jerusalem unto the broad wall. And notice - it didn’t matter what your "occupation" was - it could all be put towards this one, good work, and every man needed the other if the wall was to be rebuilt.

What a lesson for the Church to learn today! Instead of fighting each other and destroying The Testimony of God by our own doctrines and buildings, we should be helping and encouraging each other in THE TRUTH OF CHRIST, and rebuilding God’s Testimony of HIS SON to the world. And look at where the description of the rebuilding ends. Vs. 32 - back at the SHEEP GATE!

*We are NEVER going to get away from the Testimony of The Cross! And God will always honor THAT Testimony.

Let us rebuild that!

Lesson 69

In our last lesson we saw that the work of REBUILDING the wall of Jerusalem required the people to be of ONE MIND to do this ONE WORK, and everybody rebuilt "their" section of the wall, beginning with the sheep gate. I want to take that thought into the fulfillment of God’s Testimony in The Church, and we see how ministry works in the same way. But let us be clear as to the PURPOSE of ministry in The Church today.

Ephesians 4:11-13a - He gave apostles, prophets, evangelists, prophets and teachers... ** Who gave these ministries and when? Vs. 8 - When CHRIST ascended on high, HE gave gifts to men. This came out from His Finished Work of The Cross. Why? Vs. 12-13 - For the bringing to maturity, perfection of the saints... for the building up to completion of the body of CHRIST (not us). Till we all come IN the unity of THE FAITH... Note: This is to bring "all" to something. ** We must come IN the unity; we in The Church are still trying to come "to" unity, to oneness; but notice the scripture says "IN the unity". God only has one unity, and that is accomplished NOT by man trying to be one, but this is done only by THE CROSS. (See Ephesians 2:14-16) Christ by His Cross has made ONE NEW MAN, who is reconciled to God, in peace.

*This is the Testimony of His sacrifice working in us, and the rebuilding must start with this understanding (work started at sheep gate). Note: Vs. 13 - unity of THE faith - this is not just man’s faith, but it is the faith of Christ (not just "in" Christ, but "of" Christ). *Faith is belief, but it implies knowledge of and assurance of a divine TRUTH. ** That’s why the wall had to be rebuilt upon the foundation that had already been laid. And that foundation is Christ, and Him crucified. THE faith does a spiritual work in us, and brings us to the knowledge that Paul shared in Galatians 2:20 - I am crucified with Christ... I live, yet not I, but CHRIST liveth in me, and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of The Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. ** As we come in the unity of THIS faith, our Testimony to the world would be CHRIST - not I; therefore no division - oneness, and they would see HIM. That’s what Ephesians 4:13 says - unto a perfect man; the fulness of CHRIST. Note: Vs. 15-16 - Speaking the truth in love... That is The Cross, Christ crucified. You can’t rebuild God’s Testimony speaking anything else! ...grow up into Him...body fitly joined together...effectual working in every part, maketh increase of the body unto the building up of itself. Note: not bodies, but body - One - of Christ.

I pray we can see this in type as we read of the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem in Nehemiah. And as we understand what this symbolized, we can see why the work of the enemy was so strong and determined to stop this work. And even more so today, the enemy seeks to hinder and disrupt those who are set upon recovering God’s Testimony of Christ in The Church. May we see the work of the enemy, but also how Nehemiah responds.

Nehemiah 4:1-3 - When Sanballat heard that we builded the wall (not "I’m" building "my" ministry), he was wroth and mocked the Jews. Will they revive the STONES out of the heaps of the rubbish? *Note: The stones and foundation of Jerusalem (meaning Christ) were still there, but they had allowed a lot of rubbish to accumulate. Is that not true in The Church today? The Truth of Christ must be separated out of man’s doctrines and revived in the lives of God’s people. Vs. 3 - Tobiah told them their building would not stand against the wiles (slyness) of the enemy. BUT...Vs. 4-6 - Nehemiah prayed to God. Remember Nehemiah’s desire was to make Israel no more a reproach. He depended upon God to turn the ridicule of the enemy to their own destruction. *Nehemiah didn’t let the mocking, criticism deter him in the work. So we builded the wall... for the people had a mind to work. That work was rebuilding God’s Testimony in their lives; they were determined to finish THAT work.

Nehemiah 4:7-9 - The walls of Jerusalem were up, and the breaches began to be stopped... This speaks of a repairing in individual lives where God’s Testimony has suffered, been destroyed. All the work was to restore those weak spots. (Bring that to Galatians 6:1-2; If a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual RESTORE such a one... Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. That is a question for us: when there is a breach in the Church, do we criticize and gossip, or do we seek to restore that one - with a spirit of meekness? That is how The Body will be built up and perfected; that is fulfilling the law of Christ.

But when a ministry of restoration is at work, the enemy will make a concerted effort to stop that. Nehemiah 4:8 - The enemy All worked AGAINST Jerusalem (the place) and to hinder that Testimony. NEVERTHELESS (Vs. 9) we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night. The enemy will rise up to hinder the work, but as we seek The Lord, and be ever mindful of the ways of the enemy, God will cause His people and His Testimony to prevail!

Lesson 70

We are looking at the work of the enemy to hinder the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem, and that work continues in The Church today - to stop the establishing of God’s Testimony in us. The rebuilding of this wall represents a CLEAR DIVISION of what is Christ and what is not. And the breaches in the wall must be repaired so that the world sees The Truth of Christ’s Finished Work - in a people on this earth. And the enemy mounts a concerted effort to hinder the finishing of this wall or testimony. Before we go back to Nehemiah, let us look in

1 Corinthians 2:11 - and there is a great lesson here for us. Paul is writing to The Church at Corinth regarding a brother who had sinned (see 1 Corin. 5). But now they were to forgive him and comfort him. (Vs. 7). This is how the breaches are repaired - speak The Truth in love, correct, but then - forgive and comfort. Why?? Vs. 11 - Lest Satan get an advantage over us; for we are not ignorant of his devices. *The ways of the enemy to cause division, unforgiveness are many, and we must be aware of his devices. When he gets that advantage over us, The Testimony of Christ, and The Truth of His Work fails. Look at Vs. 14-16a - God ALWAYS causeth us to triumph IN CHRIST - (in THAT place), and makes known Who He is by us in every place. Vs. 16 - look at the clear division and testimony we are to be - the savor of death unto death; the savor of life unto life. That’s why this wall, this Truth of Christ, this Testimony must be rebuilt, making manifest the reality of those who are living in Christ, and those who are not. Vs. 17 - We do not corrupt the Word of God, but as of sincerity, of God - IN CHRIST.

So the enemy will come, but let us take heed from what Nehemiah and the people did. Nehemiah 4:9 - We made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night. *They were looking for the plots of the enemy to hinder their work, and God made this known to them. ** Too many Christians today are IGNORANT of the work of the enemy; we fight each other, and destroy each other, rather than fighting the principalities and powers at work to hinder us. Vs. 10-14 - The bearers of burdens grew weary, and there was MUCH RUBBISH. That speaks of the condition of believers! And in the midst of all that rubbish, the adversary can come in unawares (vs. 11), destroy the people, and cause the work to cease.

But Nehemiah SET in the lower places behind the wall, and on the higher places people with their SWORDS, SPEARS AND BOWS. Vs. 14 - Be not afraid of them: remember THE LORD which is great and terrible (He always causes us to triumph IN Christ!) AND FIGHT FOR YOUR FAMILIES AND YOUR HOUSES. God gives the victory!

**Vs. 15 - When our enemies heard that their plan was known to us, and GOD had brought their counsel to NAUGHT; we returned ALL OF US to the wall, everyone unto his work. But look at the difference now: Vs. 16-17 - half wrought in the work, and the other half held the spears. ** Now the work could continue, but there was a building AND fighting to defend the work. This is important for us to understand. Too many Christians are so busy fighting, there is no building going on. We need both! And remember, they are fighting the enemy - not each other!

**Vs. 18 - Every builder had his sword by his side, and so builded. *For us that is the sword of The Spirit - THE WORD. The Truth - that divides, that penetrates the flesh, that defends The Truth - that’s how the wall is built. Vs. 19-23 - The work is great and large; but the sound of the trumpet gathers them together, and God shall fight for us. ** Vs. 22 - Let everyone lodge within Jerusalem... IN THAT PLACE! This is where we fail - you can’t live in the world and rebuild the wall - you must lodge continually IN THAT PLACE, in Jerusalem, in Christ. * In Him we live, and move, and have our being.

Vs. 23 - Look at the commitment and determination of Nehemiah and those who followed him, and worked on the rebuilding of the wall. We can see this naturally by not changing clothes except for washing them, but may we more so see that those dedicated to this work are clothed upon with Christ, and we are to continually live in that Truth. He will do the cleansing work in us that must be done - removing what is not Christ, and establishing fully His Life and Testimony in us. (See Ephesians 5:25-27) Christ loved The Church and gave Himself for it; that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by The Word, THAT He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle... that it should be holy and without blemish.

*No wonder the enemy wants to hinder and stop THIS Work, but this is God’s great Work in us, recovering His Testimony, and He is well able to do it! Let HIS Great Work be done in us!

Lesson 71

As we continue to discuss the REBUILDING for God’s Testimony, I want to reiterate that this is all in the physical, natural realm in the Old Testament, but that is NOT so today in the New Covenant. We must understand this "building" spiritually, and maintain the difference.

** God’s Glory and presence today is NOT in a physical building, but in that SPIRITUAL REALITY of that which IS COME IN CHRIST.

Ephesians 2:10 - For we are HIS workmanship (His doing, what He has made), created IN Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath ordained that we should walk in them. ** We are to MANIFEST HIS DOING, and when the city and wall are rebuilt according to Christ, we fulfill our purpose here on the earth. *Note: HIS - not mine, ours; created IN HIM - and we must understand we are IN Him, BY Him, THROUGH Him, FOR Him, and even AS Him.

Vs. 19-21 - NOW - in Christ, by His Finished Work, we are of the household of God, built upon Jesus Christ, in Him all the building fitly framed as one (Him) grows unto a holy temple in the Lord; in whom ye also are builded together for an habitation OF GOD through The Spirit. ** Note: This Work is by THE SPIRIT - not by my effort. We don’t "build" a church - He is building His Church, His Body, the fulness of Him. That’s why it’s got to be rebuilt according to God’s original way. Then God gets His Testimony.

** And this is why there is always a work IN US. It is not a building - something outside or separate from us, but the Work of The Spirit IN US.

Romans 12:1-2 - (Look at chapter 11:36 - For OF Him, and THROUGH Him, and TO Him, are all things; to whom be glory forever. Amen.) I beseech you therefore, that ye present your bodies a sacrifice unto God, which is your reasonable service (be willing to give up "your" life); and be not conformed to this world (remember we spoke of the division the True Testimony of Christ should make?) But be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that YE MAY PROVE what is that good, and acceptable and perfect will of God. ** WE are to make God’s FULL thought and will known on this earth. WE must be transformed - changed into His image; we are to walk NOT according to the ways of the world, but according to what God has done IN CHRIST.

We can see this work of changing God’s people very clearly in Nehemiah. As the rebuilding of the wall progresses, the faults and failures of God’s people come to light, and THEY must change.

Nehemiah 5:1-5 - A cry went up because they had brought others into bondage - mortgaging land, making them servants, and not allowing them to be redeemed. (Sadly isn’t this how many Christians are today?) Vs. 6-9 - Nehemiah rebuked them for this usury (lending money at high rates so they could not pay, and had to sell their brethren). *Vs. 9 - It is not good what you do: you ought to WALK in the fear of our God. Vs. 11-13 - RESTORE... we will restore and require nothing of them. They promised, and God would require them to do things this way.

Vs. 14-19 - Nehemiah lived as an example before the people - NOT eating the bread of the governor. Vs. 15-16 - The former governors put burdens on the people, but so did NOT I, because of the fear of God. Also, I continued IN THE WORK OF THIS WALL, didn’t buy land, and all my servants were gathered thither unto THE WORK. ** God provided for Nehemiah abundantly, for his only concern was for THE WORK. ?? We must question ministry today - what are they concerned for? Nehemiah and his servants were single minded - TO FINISH THE WALL.

Nehemiah 6:1-2 - When the enemies heard that he built the wall and there were NO breaches left, Sanballat tried to get Nehemiah to leave THIS PLACE. **Note: let us meet "together" (as one). Vs. 3 - Nehemiah knows the devices of the enemy. He won’t "go down" and cause the work to cease. (You always "go up" to Jerusalem, and "go down" when you leave this place.) I AM DOING A GREAT WORK. They tried four times, but he wouldn’t go!

Vs. 5-9 - Sanballat spreads the lie that Nehemiah wants to be King. Come now, let us take counsel together. Nehemiah replies - no such thing!!

Vs. 10-14 - A hired prophet tries to get Nehemiah to hide in the Temple for fear of losing his own life. Nehemiah knew this was NOT of God, but to try to make him (Vs. 13) afraid, and sin, and have an evil report to bring him to shame. But Nehemiah does not walk in the ways of the world, and God brings him through. He PROVES God’s Will. **Vs. 15-16 - The wall was finished (The Great Work), and when the enemies heard, and the heathen saw these things, they were much cast down in their own eyes, for they perceived that THIS WORK was wrought of our God. We are HIS Workmanship!!

Before we continue reading in Nehemiah regarding the finishing of the wall and the recovery of the city, I want to stress that for us this is NOT speaking of a city that we are "going to go to" "someday", but it is the heavenly Jerusalem - a people living in the Truth of God’s Finished Work by The Cross, The Testimony of Christ, God dwelling in a people.

Matthew 5:13-16 - Ye ARE (not "going to be") salt of earth... ye are THE LIGHT of the world. A CITY that is set on a hill... Let YOUR LIGHT so shine before men (here on this earth; the manifestation of Christ) that they may SEE your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. ** The issue here is LIGHT. The city we are is to show forth its light - here on earth, and this "light" means understanding, knowledge, giving life. This is why the Apostle Paul prayed in Ephesians 1:17-19 for The Church - that God would give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him; the eyes of YOUR understanding being enlightened, that YE MAY KNOW...

** Remember Proverbs 24:3-4 - Through WISDOM is an house builded; and by UNDERSTANDING it is established; and by KNOWLEDGE shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches. This all pertains to the rebuilding of the city and the wall of God’s Testimony - it is all built and maintained by the knowledge (light) of Him IN A PEOPLE.

Look at how what was a type of Nehemiah building the wall is carried over and fulfilled in Christ in Revelation 21. Here John sees the wall of the NEW Jerusalem, the city which is The Lamb’s Bride. (*Remember - Vs. 10 - the city DESCENDS out of heaven from God. Vs. 12 - The wall is great and high, and the wall had foundations, and gates. Vs. 22-27 - here we see a comparison between the Old Covenant natural city with its fulfillment in the New Covenant Spiritual City.

- No Temple therein for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the Temple.

- No need of sun or moon; for glory of God did lighten it; and THE LAMB is the light thereof. *The knowledge of Christ crucified is what is seen.

- Nations shall walk in the light of this city, this knowledge, this Truth.

- Gates shall not be shut... for there shall be NO NIGHT there. *In Old Covenant times gates had to keep out intruders, but here there is NO darkness - only His Light, His understanding - all in the knowledge of Him.

- Nothing enters into this city that defiles, but only those written in the Lamb’s book of Life. ** Here is God’s Testimony FULLY recovered.

When will this be so? When we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of Christ; when HE is the only light, the only understanding, the only wisdom, and He is fully manifested in His people. This is NOT a natural day in the future, but when we come to full knowledge of Him. "In that day... ye shall know..." John 14 - when The Spirit fully reveals Him. This "day" is when God’s people are filled with His Light.

So, this city must come to full knowledge, and we see this order in type in Nehemiah 7:1-4 - When the wall was built (and the breaches repaired) Nehemiah set up the doors, and then appointed the porters and the singers and the Levites. *Can you see an order? We want to get singing and praise and ministry first, but the wall and the doors had to be set up FIRST. Look who was put in charge over Jerusalem: a faithful man, who feared God. He would maintain what Jerusalem was to be - The Place, The City of God’s Name, Glory, His Dwelling. And in order to do that the gates had to be controlled, and he had to appoint watches of the inhabitants of Jerusalem. They had to guard The Testimony and The Life of that City - EVERYONE was to do that.

Vs. 4 - Now the city was large and great; but the people were few therein. Now the city had to be filled - not just with people, but with people who had UNDERSTANDING. Nehemiah makes special note of these people.

Vs. 6 - They went up out of captivity... and came again to Jerusalem... ** The Lord takes special note of those who have decided to leave the captivity and return to THE PLACE He chose; they now are to DWELL here, and they were to fill the city, and restore God’s Testimony in this place.

How would they do that? Nehemiah 8:1 - All the people gathered themselves together as ONE MAN (til we all come to the measure of the fulness of Christ, a perfect man - Ephesians 4:13) into the street that was before the WATER GATE (this speaks of living water, water of The Word, water Jesus gives is IN US a well of water springing up to Eternal Life) and they spoke to Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses which The Lord had commanded to Israel. ** We have seen before that the recovery of God’s Testimony can not be complete without The Word. Now to the people dwelling in the City, by a reading of The Law, and The Word of God bringing them to understanding of God’s Testimony, that City would be filled with light, and they would restore what had been lost to them. As understanding of the Word came, they would truly be That City of God.

Lesson 73

As we continue to look at the necessity of God’s people to come to full understanding of HIS WORD for a complete recovery of His Testimony, let us set our hearts towards that. Let us be encouraged by the words of Deuteronomy 29:29 - The secret things belong unto The Lord our God; but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever, that we may DO the words of this law. *Out of the UNDERSTANDING comes a DOING - and this is how The Lord and His Finished Work is to be seen on this earth - by The Church, living and walking in the Light He is.

This is the situation we see in Nehemiah 8 after the wall was finished, and (vs. 1) they gathered themselves together as One Man (that describes the True Church, The One Body of Christ), and they told Ezra to bring the book of the law of Moses and read it to them. And five times in this chapter we will see "understand" or "understanding" - that must come to God’s people - BY HIS WORD - and THEN there comes a "doing".

Vs. 2-8 - Ezra brought the law before those that could hear with UNDERSTANDING... and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law. ** This is a characteristic of those who dwell IN Jerusalem - in God’s Finished Work, as His City, His Testimony. (Remember Paul’s letter to Timothy regarding a time when God’s people would not endure sound doctrine; they would have itching ears and turn away their ears from The Truth (that’s The Cross, Christ’s Finished Work), and shall be turned unto fables - 2 Timothy 4:2-4) This is why our ears MUST be attentive to God’s Word - ONLY.

** Vs. 4-5 - Ezra the scribe stood on a pulpit of wood... in the sight of all the people (for he was above all the people.) We must understand that GOD’S WORD IS ABOVE ALL OF US!! His Word is Spirit and Life, and we must see it and keep it ABOVE US - out of the earth, flesh realm - higher, all spiritual, known only by the Spirit, not man.

Paul functioned as the fulfillment of what Ezra was a type of. Galatians 1:11-12 - The gospel he preached was NOT after man... but by the REVELATION of Jesus Christ... Vs. 15-18,23-24 - God revealed His Son in Paul that he might preach HIM; he conferred NOT with flesh and blood... After three years I went up to Jerusalem... they heard that he which persecuted us in times past NOW preaches the faith. God’s Son was revealed to Paul in The Word, and it was high above Paul! And out from that comes the preaching of HIM (only), and God is glorified in Paul. This is what seeing The Word above us will do!

Back to Nehemiah 8:6 - Ezra blessed The Lord, and the people lifted their hands and bowed their heads, and worshiped with their faces to the ground. ** When God’s Word is exalted and we bless Him, we are brought to nothingness - and that is TRUE worship.

** Vs. 7-8 - Ministry caused the people to understand the law (God’s Word - not man’s; ‘til we all come... to the fulness) and the people STOOD in their place. *God’s people need an understanding of His Word in order to be ESTABLISHED and ROOTED in their place - IN CHRIST.

Vs. 9-12 - Look at how the people reacted when they heard the Words of the Law - they wept, were sorry, were grieved. They came to understand they were not living in the Truth of God’s Word, and this is what should happen when we come to understanding. BUT - this day (the day of light, the day of understanding) is holy unto our Lord; for the joy of the Lord is your strength! You come to realize that I can not live right before God, but CHRIST IN ME can! He is my strength, my Life, and now I can rejoice and Live by Christ unto My God!

** Vs. 12 - And the people went their way to make great mirth because they had UNDERSTOOD the words that were declared to them. *Wisdom and understanding are better than material riches; they are life and peace to the soul! We must seek UNDERSTANDING of God’s Word!!

Vs. 13-18 - The people gathered together the second day (New day, Spiritual day of new Light) even to understand the words of the law... ?? How many Christians gather "to be blessed"? Why don’t we gather to understand The Word? They found written in the law that the children of Israel should DWELL in booths IN the feast of the seventh month. In the last feast they were to come out of their own houses and dwell in another place; but they had not been doing that according to the Law. But NOW - in understanding (vs. 17) those that were come out again (anew) of the captivity (you always must come OUT of captivity) made booths and sat under the booths. ** And there was very great gladness! Finally coming to dwell IN CHRIST and NOT ourselves does bring great joy and rest!

And how did they spend their time in keeping (in Truth, in sincerity) the feast seven days? Vs. 18 - they read in the book of the law of God - seven days - to fulness!! And then on the eighth day was a solemn assembly.

May we be gathered together for this reason - to UNDERSTAND God’s Word!

Lesson 74

Before we return to Nehemiah, I want us to look at two scriptures pertaining to God’s Word being taught for the full recovery of HIS Testimony, and why it must be raised above all the people. It’s not just "read your Bible every day", but being TAUGHT the spiritual TRUTH as it is IN JESUS. This is for those who dwell in Jerusalem, in Christ.

1 Corinthians 2:9-14 - Natural eye and ear, and understanding can NOT know what God HATH (Finished Work) prepared for them that love Him. But God HATH revealed them unto us by His Spirit... NOW we have received not the spirit of the world, but The Spirit which is of God; that we might KNOW the things that are freely given to us of God. Natural man receives NOT the things of the Spirit of God; foolishness to him, he can not know them, because they are spiritually discerned. *God’s Word can not be taught or understood naturally - it must be spiritual. Only then does it produce Life.

Our problem is that we try to look into God’s Word, which is His mirror, His Vision, but - we go there and see ourselves, rather than Christ, and are deceived. James 1:22-25 - There must be a hearing and then a doing of the Word. The hearer only is like a man seeing himself in the glass, but doesn’t really know who he is. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty (that is Christ, and what The Cross has finished), and continueth therein, not being a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work (The Work that Christ has done, now being done IN YOU), this man shall be blessed in his deed. ** May we go to God’s Word looking for HIM - not us, and ask Him to reveal the spiritual truths there, that WE MAY KNOW what He HAS DONE, and be a doer of THAT Finished Work. This will recover God’s Testimony and glorify HIM.

Let us return now to Nehemiah and see how the teaching of The Word above all the people affected them, and their response to it. Nehemiah 9:1-3 - They were assembled with fasting and repentance, and the seed of Israel separated themselves from all strangers, and stood and confessed their sins. *The true teaching of The Word by The Spirit will separate - soul and spirit (Hebrews 4). They continued to read in the book of the law, and confess, and worship the Lord. (See an order?) The rest of this chapter is the confession they made, and they did this as they stood up upon the stairs (vs. 4). This begins with an acknowledgment of Who The Lord is (vs. 5-6), and it is HIS Name that is to be exalted ABOVE all things. A true learning of God’s Word will do that - exalt Him - not us. As you read through this confession, you see that the people - by the reading of The Word have come to see what God HAS DONE. You do not read what God "is going to do - someday", but what He has already done - in bringing them to this place; and over and over they come to see the failure of Israel in not being obedient to what God has done. And as we read this "history" may God open our eyes to see that Christ has fulfilled all of this by His death, burial and resurrection.

Vs. 7-8 - God chose Abram and made a COVENANT with him to give the land to his seed, and God performed HIS WORDS.

Vs. 9-21 - God saw their affliction and delivered them, through sea, persecutors thrown in deep, cloud and fire were there to give them light in the way they should go. That’s a complete deliverance! God gave them the law, commandments, bread from heaven, water from the rock and promised they would possess the land. BUT they were disobedient (vs. 16-18), yet God in His mercies didn’t forsake them and continued to sustain them.

Vs. 22-25 - God let them possess the land, and they multiplied and prospered, Nevertheless THEY were disobedient, cast law away, and slew the prophets who tried to turn them back to The Lord.

Vs. 27-31 - God delivered them into the hand of their enemies many times, but saved them when they called unto Him. Nevertheless (vs. 31) for His great mercies, God didn’t utterly consume them or forsake them; for thou ART A GRACIOUS AND MERCIFUL God.

Vs. 32-37 - God keeps COVENANT and is just, and WE are the ones who have not kept the law and commandments (vs. 34) and because of THIS, the enemy has dominion over us, and we are in great distress (and we are too!)

*By The Word taught they realized THEY were disobedient to all God had promised and DONE for them, and (vs. 38) now they would make a sure COVENANT - to walk obedient to what GOD HAS DONE - obedient to His Word. They sealed themselves to that. This is what a true learning of God’s Word will do - bring you to see HIS FINISHED WORK, and you come to that COVENANT understanding, and agree to walk (live daily) in it. Look at who were sealed: Nehemiah 10:28-29 - ... all they that had separated themselves FROM the people of the lands UNTO the law of God; everyone having knowledge and understanding... they entered into an oath, to walk in God’s law and to observe and do all the commandments of the Lord. *There must be this determination in our hearts, and IN CHRIST - not in the flesh we can walk in the New Covenant understanding of what God has done - IN CHRIST!

Lesson 75

I trust that during these days we are coming to see the necessity for The Church to come to wisdom and understanding of God’s Word.

Isaiah 33:6 - Wisdom and knowledge shall be the STABILITY of thy times, and STRENGTH of salvation... ** In order for God’s people to manifest His Testimony through their lives this is what is needed. When we have no wisdom and knowledge of what God has done we are a people who are unstable, and not strong in our Salvation. But with the revelation knowledge of God’s Finished Work, we are MORE than conquerors!

But don’t forget this is NOT man’s wisdom, but God’s, and it is ALL and ONLY IN CHRIST.

Colossians 2:2-3 - There is a comfort, and assurance in knowing Him, and experiencing the wisdom and knowledge of God IN CHRIST. And this is why when God gives you this understanding, He requires you to walk in it, and the consequences of disobeying this wisdom are great. They were to Israel under the Old Covenant, and MUCH MORE are they today for us. ** Remember the warning in Hebrews 2:1-4 - We ought to give the more earnest heed not to let ANY of this knowledge slip... every disobedience received a just reward; How shall we escape if we neglect SO GREAT SALVATION? This warning is for us!

But returning now to Nehemiah, what God was doing through Ezra and Nehemiah was through The Word bringing His people back into COVENANT with Him. This is what we read in Nehemiah 9, and the people saw that God kept Covenant with Israel, but they and their fathers did not, and they bore the consequences of that disobedience. (Remember Deuteronomy 28? The blessings and curses for being obedient to all of God’s commandments were clearly set forth to Israel) God’s Covenant with Israel was His firm commitment to them - to be their God, dwell with them, bring them into the land. This was His settled determination, and He was faithful to this Covenant in all His dealings with His people. And God gave Israel the Law, feasts, Temple worship etc. to allow them to walk in Covenant with Him. (Can two walk together except they be agreed? - Amos 3:3) And now, by coming to understand this Covenant through The Word, those that were gathered with Nehemiah in Jerusalem determined to RETURN and be faithful to this Covenant. They now would come into agreement with God’s understanding and thought for them, and live in it. Nehemiah 10:28-29.

What is important for us to see here is that they could not be in Covenant with God just by "saying" they were, or making a "vow" to be faithful. There had to be a "doing", and by this doing they were KEEPING Covenant. ** This is something we as Christians need to consider: first of all - outside of Christ we have NO Covenant relationship with God. But now, if we have come into this New Covenant relationship, we must be living obediently "doing" what God requires. We can’t just "talk"’ we have to LIVE this Covenant relationship, always remembering Jesus said that His Body and Blood were the New Covenant (Testament) - Luke 22. We must "live" His Finished Work!

So in Nehemiah 10 they set forth how they will keep Covenant now that they have knowledge and understanding.

- Vs. 30-31 - not mingle with the people of the land; not buy from the people of the land on the Sabbath or holy day. They would be separate from the heathen.

- Vs. 32-39 - They made a commitment to pay for the service of the house of our God - for the offerings, and their tithes were all to be brought to the house of our God for the continual and proper functioning of The House. They have come to understand that their relationship to God is focused on this House. But notice it is NOT "their" house, but the house of our God, and their commitment is: (vs. 39) - we will not forsake the house of our God.

Wasn’t this the source of their problems? Israel did not remain faithful to God’s House, The Temple, that Finished Work that was established in their midst? This was the visible, tangible expression of The Covenant Keeping God, and His people could not forsake His House. It was in THIS PLACE that God would recover His Testimony and make Himself known.

This was because a people came to UNDERSTANDING by the teaching of God’s Word, and came back into Covenant with God and the functioning of HIS HOUSE IN JERUSALEM. And now look what happens AFTER this.

Nehemiah 11:1-2 - Once the rulers dwelt at Jerusalem in understanding, in Covenant, then others were BROUGHT IN; one of ten to DWELL IN JERUSALEM. Many willingly offered themselves to dwell in Jerusalem, so they had to cast lots! Now they could bring others in to live in this glorious, Covenant relationship with God. Once the commitment to God’s Will was made, many can come to dwell in the good of that.

Where else would you rather live?

Lesson 76

We finished our last lesson in Nehemiah seeing that when God’s people vowed to walk in Covenant with God - in understanding of The Word, that people willing offered themselves to live in Jerusalem. Under the Old Covenant that was a physical place, but now we have a GREATER place to dwell in that fulfils all that natural Jerusalem spoke of.

Acts 17:28 - For IN HIM we live, and move, and have our being. *We so often quote this scripture, but I pray we will come to a real understanding of what it means. The place, and the ONLY "place" we live (true, Eternal Life) is IN CHRIST. But once we have willingly agreed to live HERE - as One with Him, having no life but Christ, then we move and do all things in the knowledge and understanding of THIS PLACE. And we are never to leave this place, but honor it, and not bring anything of the world into this place. That is how God’s Testimony is to be in this earth, and we see the type of it in Nehemiah. Nehemiah 11 and part of Nehemiah 12 talks about these people, and they are listed in relation to the business of the House of God.

Nehemiah 12:27,30 - At the dedication of the wall, the Levites (ministry separated unto God to do the work of the House of God) were brought TO Jerusalem to keep the dedication with gladness, and they purified themselves, and purified the people, and the gates, and the wall. All was to be HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD. Vs. 43 -That day they offered great sacrifices and rejoiced... so the joy of Jerusalem was heard even far off. (God’s Testimony manifested.)

Nehemiah 12:44-47 - At that time (of understanding, of Covenant) the Temple ORDER was RESTORED... all according to the commandment of David and Solomon. (Remember when Solomon finished the Temple - all according to God’s plan, and the glory filled the Temple? (1 Kings 8) That order needed to be restored to God’s House, and through The Word by Ezra and the ministry of Nehemiah they were brought back to the Order of The House. (Reference Ezekiel 43:12-12 - Shew the house to the house... law of house... MOST HOLY.)

Nehemiah 13:1-3 - On that day (notice "that day", "that time"? Jesus said, "At that day, ye shall KNOW... John 14:20) they read in the book that the Ammonite and Moabite should not come into the congregation of God forever. When they heard the law they separated from Israel all the mixed multitude. *This had been, and continued to be a problem for God’s people. A mixed multitude came out from Egypt with them, and remained amongst them, and God’s people allowed it, but God hates mixture, and would have these influences removed so that His people would be separate from all others - and be holy unto Him. ** We must always be aware of the danger of this influence, and in the full restoration of God’s Testimony in Jerusalem this MUST be dealt with.

Nehemiah 13:4-6 - Before this Eliashib ("whom God restores") the priest was allied with Tobiah (the ENEMY of the work who tried to hinder this restoration). He prepared a great chamber for Tobiah in the House of God, in the place where they should have been putting the meat offerings, frankincense, tithes. *It is very important that we understand this: when we give the enemy place in our lives, he will take over, and things that are necessary to our relationship with the Lord will be displaced and removed. ** Notice why this was: Vs. 6 - In all this time Nehemiah was NOT AT Jerusalem!! Do you see how important the ministry, dedication, boldness and sincerity of Nehemiah’s burden for Jerusalem was? If that heart burden and truth does not remain IN Jerusalem, all sorts of things can happen!

But what does God do? He sends HIS WORD, and as we have seen in the past, He raises up a prophet to speak to His people, and call them back to HIS WAY IN HIS PLACE. During this time, when Nehemiah was not in Jerusalem, Malachi speaks the Word of The Lord to Israel. He speaks to them of His love, but rebukes them for what they are doing. ** All things had been restored to them in that place, but they continued to pollute The Lord’s Altar, and failed to honor His Name. Malachi had God’s burden for His people.

Malachi 1:1-5 - God declares His love for Israel; He chose them, that He would be magnified and make Himself known in their midst. ** The problem was with the priests and their worship and service in the House. They were worshiping God with their lips, in formal ways, but not with sincerity of heart and truth, and were dishonoring Him and despising His Name. Vs. 6-8 - You can see through this dialogue that they don’t even know what they are doing! They think they are doing good! Ye offer polluted bread on my altar... you offer the blind, lame and sick for sacrifice (it was supposed to be perfect!) Offer that to your governor! Vs. 8-10 - God will NOT accept this kind of offering! Vs. 11-14 - They have profaned His Name, they have despised His table and offerings. Cursed be the deceiver who sacrifices a corrupt thing to the Lord for I AM a Great King!

The rebuke of the Lord by Malachi to Israel is a strong one, and comes in light of God’s Restored Testimony in Jerusalem - they were to dwell in that!

Lesson 77

I think we can see very clearly from our readings in Nehemiah and Malachi the condition of God’s people regarding His Temple. God has never only wanted an outward, formal show of religion and traditions, but He has always desired an inward, PERSONAL relationship with His own. Jesus spoke of this in Matthew 15:7-9 - The Pharisees were rebuking His disciples because they were not following the Jewish traditions. This people draw nigh unto me with their mouth, and honors me with their lips, but their HEART is far from me. But in vain do they worship Me...

Israel continued to profane God’s Name even though they went through the formal Temple worship. The problem with the Old Covenant is that it never changed the heart, and we see in Malachi and Nehemiah the failure of God’s people to be faithful to God’s Covenant. ** The Lord spoke through Ezekiel regarding what He would do to get the glory in His people for HIS OWN NAME’S SAKE. Ezekiel 36:16-26 and 27 - A NEW HEART also will I give you, and a NEW SPIRIT will I put WITHIN YOU; and I will TAKE AWAY the stony heart, and give you an heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes... and keep my judgments.

*This is the basis of The NEW COVENANT that would be needed.

Hebrews 8:7-13 - If the first covenant had been able to work, there would not have been need for a second. The Lord will make a NEW Covenant with Israel, NOT according to the Old Covenant that they did not continue in. This is the New Covenant: I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts; I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people.

** Everything in the Old Covenant was on the outside: the best they could do was write the scriptures on their doorposts, and on phylacteries - ribbons tied on the arm and on a box tied to the head during prayers, but this NEVER brought obedience, and we see the condition of the people when Malachi is raised up to speak to them. They were going on with the formal Temple worship, but polluting God’s Altar and Name, and God was NOT accepting this any longer. God had established HIS House and HIS Name in their midst, in The Place, but because of the condition of their hearts, He will bring judgment upon them.

And I pray that as we continue with this study that we see that God is NOT pleased just because "we go to Church", but He would have us live as His House, in His Name, and by His Spirit - bringing Him the honor that is due to HIM for what He has done - IN Christ.

Malachi 2 - deals with the priests. Vs. 1-4 - If they will not take it to heart to give glory to His Name, He will send a curse among them. They will know His Covenant is with Levi (they were zealous and faithful to God). Vs. 5-7 - My Covenant was with him of life and peace; he feared my name; the law of truth was in his mouth; no iniquity found in his lips; he walked with me in peace and equity. * For the priests’s lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at HIS mouth, for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts.

Can you see that these priests were NOT in Covenant with God as Levites should be? They worked in the House, but not in God’s way. ** Vs. 8-9 - Ye are departed out of THE WAY; and caused many to stumble at the law; ye have corrupted the Covenant of Levi... therefore I also made you contemptible and base before all the people, as ye have not kept my ways. (Doesn’t that describe some "ministry" today?) Vs. 17 - Ye have wearied the Lord with your words, when you say everyone that doeth evil is good in the sight of the Lord, or where is the God of judgment. They would not correct each other, but continued with an insincere, vain show of religion.

*Now God through Malachi speaks of what He will do to deal with this. Notice where The Lord is suddenly going to come.

Malachi 3:1-4 - The messenger will prepare the way and then The Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come TO HIS TEMPLE, even the messenger of The Covenant. This is God’s answer! THE APPEARING OF THE LORD! Where? IN HIS TEMPLE! It all spoke of Him, and the prophecy is that He shall come - there, in that place. BUT (vs. 2) - who may abide the day (light) of His coming? He is like a refiner’s fire, and HE shall sit (in His Temple) and purify the sons of Levi, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness. ** Vs. 4 - THEN shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord as in the days of old. ** ONLY the appearing of The Lord - in His Temple - to cleanse and refine the people will change this condition.

And He HAS COME - IN THIS PLACE!

Lesson 78

I trust that during these studies we are allowing The Lord to challenge our HEARTS regarding the Recovery of HIS Testimony in His people. This is NOT done by an outward display of religious traditions, but by an inward Work of THE CROSS changing our hearts so we can walk in Covenant with Him. The false, outward show was a burden to God’s heart in the time of Nehemiah and Malachi, and Jesus spoke of it to the "religious leaders" of His day.

Matthew 23 - This whole chapter shows us the failures of the Pharisees and God’s judgment upon them. Vs. 5-12 - They do their works to be seen of men... but ONE is your Master, even CHRIST... whosoever exalts himself shall be abased; and he that humbles himself shall be exalted. ** Vs. 25-32 - Woe unto you, scribes and pharisees, you make clean the outside... but within are full of extortion and excess... cleanse first that which is WITHIN... You are like whited sepulchres (tombs for dead) which appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones and uncleanness... Ye appear outwardly righteous among men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. They said they would not have killed the prophets, but they are the children, and do the same things. Vs. 37-39 - Jesus lamented over Jerusalem, and being in the midst of them, wanted to gather them to Himself as He told them Who He was - but they REFUSED, and their house (that Temple and Israel as a nation) is left unto you desolate.

This was the same burden expressed through the words of Malachi: they were going through the religious traditions of The Temple, but their hearts were far from God, and they refused to walk in True Covenant relationship with The Lord in This Place.

Malachi 3:7-12 - God says you have gone away from my ordinances, even as your fathers. RETURN UNTO ME, and I will return unto you. They have robbed God in their tithes and offerings, and because of that they were cursed. *The tithes and offering was for God’s House, and the proper functioning and maintenance of His Testimony. They gave a portion to God acknowledging that all things came FROM Him, and all things were FOR Him. As they are obedient God will pour out blessings of heaven (is that material?) and rebuke the devourer. Then they shall be called blessed, for they shall be a delightsome land. *This was not every man living for himself, or giving to God so he can get, but a people faithful to God’s Covenant with them.

Vs. 13-15 - They have spoken against God by saying it is vain to serve God. (Sad - most of our actions as Christians "say" the same thing!) Vs. 16-18 - God takes notice of them that fear The Lord (honor Him), and that thought upon His Name. (Jerusalem, Zion is the place of HIS Name; that "place" today is Christ, and we are to honor God IN Christ.) God will separate the righteous and the wicked; him that serves God and him that serveth Him not.

Malachi 4:1 -The day cometh (Malachi prophesied of the coming of The Lord - in His Temple, as fire, as soap. That day has NOW come in Christ.) HIS coming shall burn up the wicked and proud - not in the world, but those in His City, His Temple, His own people.

Vs. 2-4 - To them that fear His Name, the sun of righteousness shall arise with healing, and they shall go forth, grow up, and tread down the wicked. *Remember the law of Moses.

Vs. 5-6 - Before the coming of the great and terrible day of The Lord, there will be a ministry of Elijah the prophet to deal with HEARTS.

- This was God’s final prophetic Word to His people, in His House, urging them to return to Him in the Truth of His Temple, but all pointing to "a day coming". That day would be fulfilled 400 years later - by Christ.

But now let us turn back to Nehemiah, who with the same heart burden for the failures in God’s people regarding Jerusalem and The Temple, goes to work cleansing The House.

Nehemiah 13:7-9 - He cast Tobiah and his "stuff" out of God’s House, and brought again the vessels of the house. (Take away... establish...)

Vs. 10-14 - tithes for Levites reinstituted - all for the house of God.

Vs. 15-22 - They were violating the Sabbath; working rather than resting in God’s Finished Work. Nehemiah knew this was the reason wrath came upon Israel in the past. *Vs. 19 - He commanded the gates to be shut and not opened until after the Sabbath. He sets his servants there to guard the gates. He commanded the Levites to cleanse themselves and keep the gates to sanctify the Sabbath day.

Vs. 23-30 - He saw Jews who had married other races, so their children could not speak in the Jew’s language. Nehemiah cleansed them from ALL strangers because he saw this transgression in the house.

Nehemiah was faithful to the burden of The Lord for HIS HOUSE, and God’s House needed to be cleansed so that His Testimony could be restored there. Is He cleansing us??

Lesson 79

As we are coming to the end of this study, I want to sum up some things, and focus now on the issue of GLORY. We know in the Old Covenant that God determined a place for His people, and this was to be a House of HIS GLORY. And we know in the type, when Solomon FINISHED The Temple and the Ark of the Covenant was put in its place, the glory of The Lord filled the House of The Lord. (1 Kings 8:6-11) This was God’s presence and satisfaction in this Finished Work, and was to be His Testimony in the earth.

But we have seen that Israel was not faithful to this Finished Work, and they left the place, and God’s Glory was no longer found there, and God allowed that whole work to be destroyed, and His people removed from Jerusalem. Seventy years later they return to Jerusalem, to rebuild the House of The Lord, and they do; but it is interesting that even though the altar, the temple and the wall are rebuilt, we do not read in Ezra or Nehemiah that the glory of God filled that place. ** The prophets during that time prophesied of a glory TO COME.

Haggai 2:3,9 - Speaking during the time of the rebuilding of the Temple. The second was as nothing compared naturally to the first. But - Vs.9 - The GLORY of this latter house shall be greater than of the former... peace in this place.

We know from our readings in Ezra, Nehemiah and Malachi that due to the condition of the people, even though the physical temple was rebuilt in Jerusalem and the services and traditions continued, there was no glory there, and the Lord rebuked His people for their failures, and spoke through Malachi of a day coming that would bring God’s Glory to His House. When (Malachi 3:1-4) The LORD SHALL COME TO HIS TEMPLE, and appear THERE as refiner’s fire and as fuller’s soap, to purify the house; that the offering unto the Lord would be pleasant as in days of old. *This was prophesying of the Glory of the House that was TO COME, and would cleanse the House, and ultimately bring forth a greater GLORY. And for 400 years Israel lived with this prophecy - speaking of a day TO COME, of The Lord TO COME, of a Glory TO COME. During this time the Temple worship continued, and religious doctrines and traditions abounded - but there was NO GLORY. They were in the place, but waiting on the coming of The Lord, and I believe there is an important lesson here for us. *We have been brought into God’s Finished Work - The Cross, His death, burial and resurrection, but until The Lord appears - we only have our religious traditions, and NO true Glory. **Don’t forget, the promise was that THE LORD would appear, He would come - but where? In His Temple! We are going to look at some scriptures to show you that The Lord Jesus did that, but I want to jump over now to show you the fulfillment of this in Colossians 1:25-27 - This was a mystery that had been hidden. They were expecting The Lord, they were expecting a greater glory, a greater Temple. Paul declares God HAS made this mystery known - Christ IN YOU is The Glory that Israel had hoped for, the Glory they expected! He has come, not only to the Temple, but NOW He is appearing IN His Temple, and is being revealed (made known) as the very Glory of it! And now, fulfilling the type, He is filling His Temple, His Body, His Church - with HIMSELF! Christ in you IS the greater Glory of the latter House. And His revealing in His House is necessary to a true cleansing of The House, and a putting away of religious traditions. ** Israel was waiting... expecting... a glory to come, The Lord to come. The Church today is NOT waiting, but we are to be living in The Truth of HIS COMING. Manifesting HIS LIFE, His Testimony throughout the earth.

I want us to see this in Luke 2 - Remember after the Temple was rebuilt in Jerusalem, and Malachi spoke The Word of The Lord to Israel - the people waited... and waited... 400 years, and things would finally be manifested. Where? In Jerusalem! In The Temple! Luke 2 - Jesus was born, and then (vs. 21-24) according to the Law of Moses, His parents brought Him to Jerusalem, to present Him to The Lord in The Temple. In Jerusalem there was a man called Simeon (The Hearing One) (vs. 25-35) who was waiting for the consolation of Israel. He was waiting, eagerly expecting that God would fulfil His Word to Israel, comfort them and bring forth the full Salvation He had promised to them. The Holy Ghost had revealed (mystery made known) to him that he would not see death before he had seen The Lord’s Christ. THEN Simeon is prepared to die! Notice The Lord Jesus not only comes TO The Temple, but is revealed IN The Temple as Who He really is. Note: Vs. 32 - THE GLORY of Thy people Israel. Joseph and Mary marveled at this: it can only be revealed by The Spirit.

Then Vs. 36-38 - Ana the prophetess, who had not departed from the TEMPLE (what God had promised THERE), she sees The Lord’s Christ, and knows Who He is, and spake OF HIM to all that looked for redemption in Jerusalem. Fulfilling God’s Word, Jesus appears (is revealed) in His Temple, and those who are looking FOR HIM, receive HIM as the promise of God - NOW COME!!

Lesson 80

I trust that The Lord is helping us to bring everything that we are learning about "The Place" into Christ. All of the types and shadows under the Old Covenant would finally come to be fulfilled by Christ through His death, burial and resurrection. Remember that The Law, with the feasts, Temple worship and ordinances defined Israel’s relationship to God, and allowed them to come to God, but this was UNTIL Christ came. See Galatians 3:22-24 - Kept under the law... schoolmaster to bring us unto CHRIST. And just as there was only ONE way and ONE place for Israel, so much more for us today, for Jesus fulfilled and summed up all of that when He told them (speaking of the Cross) in John 14:6 - I AM THE (the only) Way, THE Truth, and THE Life: no man cometh unto The Father, but BY ME. He now came - to that place, in that place, to fulfill all that The Temple, Law spoke of, BUT now they had to turn from the first and find everything IN HIM.

Let us look at Jesus’ own words: Matthew 5:17 - Think not that I am come (He came - as the prophets had prophesied He would come, but not how the people thought He would come) to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to FULFIL. Fulfil what? The law and the prophets - God’s mind and will, not man’s. (They wanted an earthly King and Kingdom: His Kingdom is a heavenly one.) John 5: 39-47 - (you do) Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of ME (ALL that was written spoke of Him). And ye will not come TO ME, that ye might have life. *The Temple, feasts, Law SPOKE of Life, but only Christ IS Life; we don’t receive Life by "going to church", but by coming to Christ! He is Way... Life. Do not think I will accuse you to the Father, but Moses (The Law)... For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me; for he wrote OF ME. ** The Law spoke of Christ, so when the Jews refused Him, they were also rejecting Moses - serious!

Let us look now at a few references and see the relationship Jesus sets forth of Himself to the Temple, and His fulfilling all things. Luke 2:41-52 - His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Passover (signifying the death of the Lamb, sacrifice that delivered Israel, their beginning) When He was 12, they went up (always "up") to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast. *Vs. 43 - They had fulfilled the days and they returned, but He tarried in Jerusalem. Where? Vs. 46 - After THREE days they found Him in the Temple (He presented Himself THERE - to fulfil all that the feast spoke of) sitting in the midst...(He became One with the Temple, The Law, the feast) His mother rebuked Him for treating them this way. He responds: Don’t you know that I must be about MY FATHER’S business (heavenly Father - not earthly). Where? In The Temple - here is The Father’s plan. Notice Vs. 43 - they had fulfilled "the days" - there were "days" that Israel had to observe by the Law, feasts, prophets, but NOW Christ has come and He will fulfill those days, and bring forth a New Day - Eternal Day! (See Hebrews 1 - In times past God spoke... at the END of those DAYS, God hath spoken IN SON.)

Luke 4:16-21 - This is in the synagogue at Nazareth. Jesus goes into the synagogue on the Sabbath Day. (He, Who is The Sabbath, where God finds His rest in His Finished Work) and He stands up to read. (Vs. 16) He reads from Isaiah’s prophecy of Himself: The Spirit of The Lord is upon ME... anointed ME... sent ME... to preach the acceptable year of THE LORD. Then He closes the book and sits down, and their eyes were fastened on Him. * History tells us there was always a chair left for the Messiah - The One who Israel hoped and expected to come. He sits in THAT chair, and proclaims: THIS DAY is the scripture FULFILLED in your ears. Notice all that He gathers into Himself here: Sabbath, Temple worship, prophecy, scripture, day, healing, deliverance, etc. This is what He came to do for them - FULFIL scripture. *Vs. 22 - they wondered at His words, but could only see Him in the flesh - as Joseph’s son, and when He rebuked them for not accepting Him, (Vs. 28-30) they were filled with wrath, and wanted to kill Him, but He passing through the midst of them, went HIS Way (way of the Cross).

Another very important scripture regarding Jesus and The Temple is John 2:13-25 - And the JEWS’ Passover was at hand... Notice that phrase - they were only keeping up the outward, traditional, religious observance of the feast - not unto God, but to themselves. Jesus went up to Jerusalem and found in the Temple those that sold... So He drove them all out of The Temple. (Remember Malachi said The Lord would come to His Temple as refiner’s fire and fuller’s soap to purify it so the offerings could then be pleasing to God.) Take these things hence: make not MY FATHER’S HOUSE an house of merchandise (man profiting for himself in this place). The disciples remembered the scripture (Vs. 17). The Jews ask Him: what sign do you show us, seeing you do these things. *Vs. 19 - Destroy THIS TEMPLE, and in three days I will raise it up. This is God’s sign - THREE DAYS - destruction of the first (THIS Temple signified Old Covenant order), and the raising up of a New Covenant, order - but now not physical. Jesus spoke of the Temple of His Body. He would become all THIS Temple spoke of but failed at, and bring forth another, and only when He was risen from the dead did His disciples remember His Word and believe the scripture. He fulfilled this place!

Lesson 81

As this is the last lesson in our study on "The Place", I want to begin with a scripture we started with which sets forth God’s plan for His people. Exodus 15:17 - (vs. 13 - THOU has led forth (out of Egypt) the people which THOU has redeemed; THOU hast guided them in THY strength unto THY holy habitation). *Notice all is by The Lord - to HIS habitation.) THOU shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of THINE inheritance, IN THE PLACE O Lord, which THOU hast made for THEE to dwell in, in the sanctuary (Temple) which THY hands have established. The LORD shall reign for ever and ever.

*God’s relationship with His people was with THIS PLACE, but notice the emphasis on Him - Thou, Thine, Thee - not me! And all of His dealings with them were towards this. This finally was all summed up IN Jerusalem, IN the Temple, but this was only the types and shadows, because this ONLY is fulfilled in a Person - The Place is in reality a Person, and that Person is HIS SON, JESUS CHRIST. We do not have a relationship with a building or a physical location, but with a Person; we are not going to a "place" far away, some day - but we are living IN CHRIST.

The prophet Isaiah prophesied of this to God’s people.

Isaiah 66:1-4 - The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool; where is the house that ye build unto Me? And where is THE PLACE of My rest? All those things I have made ... but to THIS MAN will I look, even to him that is poor, of a contrite spirit and trembles at my word. Israel - even though they were doing the Temple rituals were NOT pleasing God, and were choosing their own ways. God did not find HIS REST (satisfaction, completion) in an earthly house where man prevailed. ** But God looked to A MAN - His heart was fixed on a man, and THIS MAN would be THE PLACE of His Rest, His Habitation, His joy. God saw all of His relationship with His people summed up and completed IN CHRIST. This is where He brought Israel, and He presented Himself to them as the fulfillment of all that Jerusalem and the Temple, Law etc. spoke of.

Paul speaks of this glorious fulfillment and realization in Ephesians 1:3-14. God hath (Finished Work) blessed us with ALL SPIRITUAL blessings in heavenly ("places" is not in the original) IN CHRIST. According as He hath chosen us IN HIM before the foundation of the world... ** The place of God’s choosing is IN CHRIST (bring them in to the place). God didn’t "choose" who would "come in", but He chose WHERE He chose a people to be - IN CHRIST - no other "place". This is where He brings us to Himself by Christ; this is His will (vs. 5). This is where He has made us accepted - in the beloved (Christ) (vs. 6) - to His praise. This is where ("In Whom" - in a person - Christ) we have redemption through His blood, forgiveness of sins (vs. 7). This is where He gathers together in one all things IN CHRIST (vs. 10). This is where we have an inheritance (vs. 11-12), that we should be to the praise of His glory - those who trust IN CHRIST. *This "place" is God’s Will for His people and all things work to THIS purpose.

So God brought Israel to Jerusalem and to The Temple, and finally TO CHRIST, which was in truth the place that He had for them. But now, when He came to fulfil all that the first order, Old Covenant relationship spoke of, they have to leave the earthly place, and come into the second, heavenly, the true. This is why Jesus came. Hebrews 10:5-10 - God didn’t have pleasure in the offerings of bulls and goats for sin. Lo, I COME (in the volume of the book it is written of ME - This Man), to do Thy will, O God. Lo, I come... He taketh away the first, that He may establish the second. How did He do that? Vs. 10 - Through the offering of

the body of Jesus Christ once and for all - The Cross, FINISHED Work.

I’d like to encourage you to read the gospels again with special attention to things Jesus did in the Temple, and see Him as presenting Himself as the fulfillment of that place. Examples - Jesus cleanses The Temple two times; the second time (Matthew 21) the blind and lame come TO HIM in the Temple, and He healed them. He taught there, He rebuked the scribes and Pharisees there, He pardoned the woman found in adultery there (Law stoned her, He forgives her). *He had no authority in the religious world - not a Levite, scribe, but He did all these things by the authority of HIS FATHER - in His Father’s House, to do His Father’s Will.

Jesus presented Himself as the fulfillment of the whole first order, but they would not receive Him as that, and in turning to Him, give up the types and shadows. Even His disciples had a problem with that, and this is a lesson for us. ** By His Finished Work of The Cross, He has fulfilled ALL of the types and shadows, and we now should be looking at Him and for Him for All things, and NOT back to the types. Look to the "I AM..."

Matthew 24 - He just finished rebuking and denouncing the Jewish scribes and Pharisees for their hypocrisies (Matthew 23) and laments over Jerusalem (Matthew 23:37-39) who He tried to gather to HIMSELF, but they would not. Matthew 24:1 - Jesus went OUT and departed from The Temple He now was leaving that whole system, order - and will NOT return to it. They have refused Him, but He will go on and take away the first and establish the second. Vs. 1b-2 - his disciples came to Him showing Him the Temple - clinging to the first, but He tells them it will ALL be thrown down. Ve. 3 - They see that as the end of the "age" - (not the physical world, but the time and understanding they are living in)