Remodeling and Remixing

Day 87:  Nehemiah 1–7; Zechariah 1–4; Revelation 6–10

As I read Nehemiah, Zechariah and Revelation I see that rebuilding and tearing down are all related.  Old Testament history and prophets are revisited in the New Testament vision of hope.  Just as today's studio musicians "sample" sound bites from former hits and mix them into their new song, John the Revelator remixes Zechariah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Isaiah and others into his vision of the end of this present age.  Just as carpenters tear out walls, rip up carpets and floorboards in order to remodel a home, God tears down corrupt governments and sinful societies in order to recreate a holy nation and a righteous kingdom that has no end.

The kingdom with no end was promised through prophet after prophet and as the writer of Hebrews has already mentioned, they never saw the promise fulfilled. But now through God's work of salvation in Jesus Christ, the eternal kingdom of the Son of David is the kingdom of the Son of God.  The Son is one with the Father in the Spirit.  The triune God known to classic Christianity is one God: Creator of all things seen and unseen, Redeemer of all creation, and Sustainer of holy life forever.  I include qualifying adjective "holy" to describe the life that God sustains forever.  Unholy lives, unrighteous attitudes and behavior will not live forever.   Remodeling is required.  Only the best bits will make it into the remix of God's  eternal love song.

Nehemiah records the next phase of Jerusalem's rebuilding post the exile from Babylon.  Nehemiah was King Artaxerxes cupbearer.  He was saddened by the news of how bad things were in Jerusalem.  The rebuilding was not going well.  Nehemiah felt great compassion for his people and cried out to God for help.  He confessed their sins and included himself in the guilt (Neh. 1:4-11). 

Here is a great leader.  He so identifies with his beloved people the Israelites that their failings become his own.  

It is likely Nehemiah was born in exile and had never been to Jerusalem.  Many of the returning exiles were 2-3 generation removed from the destruction of Jerusalem.  While some were young men and women when Jerusalem fell, most of the returning Israelites were grandchildren and great grandchildren to the ones who were first taken into captivity.

Nehemiah is given permission to go and rebuild the Jerusalem with the Persian king's blessing. When he arrives he inspects the walls and surveys all the work required.  He then shares his vision to rebuild the city with the elders and leaders of the people.  Nehemiah inspires them and they agree to do the work.

Chapter three is another "boring" list, but the details on who did what to rebuild the walls around Jerusalem is inspiring.  The feeling one gets is that this is something to which the whole community contributes.  Everyone helps.  There is such a blessing on communities when its citizens are of one mind and purpose.  When 9/11 occurred, for a brief moment there was a unity of spirit through out the whole country. We were united in horror, grief and nationalistic pride.  It seemed we all joined in anyway we could to respond with compassion and commitment to our country's aid.  It was and is a beautiful thing.  Crises can bring out the best in humanity... and the worst.

The Israelites were not without resistance.  There were enemies outside Jerusalem and enemies within.

"When Sanballat, Tobiah, and the Arabs, Ammonites, and Ashdodites heard that the repair to the walls of Jerusalem was progressing and that the gaps were being closed, they became furious. They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and throw it into confusion. So we prayed to our God and stationed a guard because of them day and night (Neh. 4:7-9)."

Notice their response to the threat outside their community was both spiritual and militant.  They prayed to God and they posted armed guards.  How often do we face out obstacles in life with only the militant strategy?  Do we forget from where comes world conquering victory? A great leader like Nehemiah knows and leads the people in prayer.  Then the a plan is devised based on what God says.

The enemy within Jerusalem was the same enemy that caused them to lose Jerusalem in the first place.  Ezra had already dealt with their intermarriage with gentiles in the area.  Nehemiah now has to deal with a subtle from of idolatry.  It's called greed.  The rich were oppressing the poor.  They were lending funds and then taking lands and property and people to pay the debts.  But the law clearly states that after 7 years, an indentured servant who is an Israelite is returned to his family.  All debts are wiped clean.  And every 50 years, the year of Jubilee everyone gets back their inherited lands which they have lost to pay debtors (Dt. 15:7-14; Lev. 25:23-28).

Nehemiah confronts them. 


     "I accused the nobles and officials, saying to them, "Each of you is charging his countrymen interest." So I called a large assembly against them and said, "We have done our best to buy back our Jewish countrymen who were sold to foreigners, but now you sell your own countrymen, and we have to buy them back." They remained silent and could not say a word. Then I said, "What you are doing isn't right. Shouldn't you walk in the fear of our God [and not invite] the reproach of our foreign enemies? Even I, as well as my brothers and my servants, have been lending them money and grain. Please, let us stop charging this interest. Return their fields, vineyards, olive groves, and houses to them immediately, along with the percentage that you have been assessing them."
    They responded: 'We will return [these things] and require nothing more from them. We will do as you say (Neh. 5:7-12).'"

By remaining strong in the Lord and in his belief that God had called him to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, Nehemiah led Israel to complete the project in only 52 days!  The speed and efficiency by which the task was accomplished caused their enemies great fear. It was a feat performed with half the labor force watching guard against terrorism from the Samaritans, Ammonites and Arabs in the area.  It was obvious to everyone that God was aiding his people.  God was back in Jerusalem!

Zechariah was a prophet during the rebuilding of the temple with Zerubbabel, descendant of David, as governor and Jeshua/Joshua, descendant of Aaron as high priest, and Darius as the King of the Persian empire.  While Zechariah prophesies destruction against the enemies of Israel, his writings are much more focused on restoration.  This is refreshing when the prophetic writings are typically heavy on doom and light on hope.  Hope jumps of the page in Zechariah. 

Zechariah has a series of visions involving angels communicating to him what is coming.

He saw a rider on a red horse.  The rider reported that all is quiet and calm on earth,  but now Yahweh will disturb the quiet by bringing the exiles back to Jerusalem.

"I am fiercely angry with the nations that are at ease, for I was a little angry, but they made it worse. Therefore, this is what the LORD says: I have graciously returned to Jerusalem; My house will be rebuilt within it"... "My cities will again overflow with prosperity; the LORD will once more comfort Zion and again choose Jerusalem (Zch. 1:14-17)."

His other visions include horns begin cut off symbolic of cutting of the power of the four nations who rose up against Judah and Israel, Egypt, Assyria, and Babylon are at least three of the contenders, but by the time of this writing God had already reduced all three.  Many nations have stood against Israel, more than four.  It is likely that four represents the enemy nations of Jerusalem on all four sides: north, south, east, and west.  During the remodeling, God will establish peace by removing the threat of enemy nations.

A third vision includes a measuring line ion the hand of the surveyor which reveals that God is rebuilding the holy city.  Hear the hope filled words!

"Jerusalem will be inhabited without walls because of the number of people and livestock in it." The declaration of the LORD: "I will be a wall of fire around it, and I will be the glory within it (Zch. 2:4-5)."

A fourth and fifth vision establishes righteous, capable and anointed leadership, for the the rebuilt city requires a  rebuilding of the people who will inhabit the city. Jeshua/Joshua the priest and Zerubbabel are depicted as olive trees on either side of a golden lampstand (Yahweh in His temple).  Godly men who will seek the Lord and do His will are required for a remodeled city and remixed people.

John reveals his vision of the Lamb of God opening the seven seals on the scroll.  Jesus Christ, the only One worthy to open the hidden things about to happen at the end of the age because of His victory of sin and death, breaks the seals one by one.  Withe each broken seal the wrath of God is unleashed on the unrepentant earth.  Four riders on white, red, black, and pale green horses are unleashed upon the earth in the breaking of the first four seals.  They bring conquest, war, famine and death. 

The next two seals reveal that more righteous people will die and rest with God, along with those who have already died in the great persecution of the church which John's contemporaries are suffering, and the cosmos will turn grow unstable with stars falling from heaven and "sky rolled up like a scroll (Rev. 6:9-14)."

Before this seventh seal is broken the fullness of Israel is protected with seal from God on their foreheads. The symbolic number of 144,000 represents all the tribes of Israel. And following them are all the Gentiles who hope in the Christ, the Lamb of God.

"These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation.
    They washed their robes and made them white
    in the blood of the Lamb."

This countless multitude of Jew and Gentile is saved from the terrible day of the Lord and His Lamb.  They stay faithful through the terrible tribulation and persecution. 

Finally the seventh seal is broken.  This reveals the fullness of the wrath of the Lamb (Rev. 6:16). Seven trumpets are sounded by seven angels, each blast bringing terrible devastation.  But even with this great tribulation there are some who refuse to repent.  They still have a chance to humble themselves before God and be saved, but do not.

^"The rest of the people, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands to stop worshiping demons and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood, which are not able to see, hear, or walk. And they did not repent of their murders, their sorceries, their sexual immorality, or their thefts (Rev. 9:20-21)."

In a remix of the former seven seals the seventh trumpet is held from its blast as more works of salvation occur.  Two witnesses, best bits from Zechariah (Zch. 3-4), prophesy for the Lord, but the beast from the abyss kills them.  They are resurrected. Survivors are terrified and give God glory.  Some who were unrepentant now do turn to God.

In glory the seventh trumpet is blasted and heaven is opened revealing the lost ark of the covenant, symbolizing God's presence in the true sanctuary of the eternal realms.

The 24 elders praise the Lord saying,

"We thank You, Lord God, the Almighty, who is and who was,
    because You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign.
    The nations were angry, but Your wrath has come.
    The time has come for the dead to be judged,
    and to give the reward to Your servants the prophets,
    to the saints, and to those who fear Your name, both small and great,
    and the time has come to destroy those who destroy the earth (Rev. 11:17-18)."



Reimagined images from the prophets are remixed into John's vision revealing the eternal hope that has always been for the people of God.  While the unrest of this fallen world continues, people of faith hold onto hope in every generation, washing themselves in the blood of the Lamb and trusting in God's love, mercy, sovereignty and authority to deliver them.  They may suffer persecution.  They may suffer disaster along with those who destroy the earth with pollution, war, perversion and greed, but the one who holds onto Christ will know eternal hope.  Hope will lead us to remodel our churches removing what is tired old tradition and no longer serving God.  Hope will lead us to remix our communities, hanging onto the best of what we are and leaving on the cutting room floor the things that do not credit the Name of God.

Lord, all your works are good and right.  Protect Your church from people who hate you and despise obedience to Your right ways. Provide for your church "anointed ones" who will continue to proclaim Your truth leading a people who will stand, "not by human power, not by worldly might, but by Your Spirit (Zch. 4:6)."  Keep us ever faithful to the end so we may shine with You forever in the light of Christ.  Amen.