The Daily Word of Righteousness

The Work of Restoration, #29

And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (Revelation 20:4)

We are taught in the Book of Revelation that righteousness will be established and maintained on the earth throughout the thousand-year Kingdom Age because the saints have been placed on the thrones of glory.

After the thousand-year Kingdom Age has been concluded, God and the Lamb will establish Their throne forever on the new earth. As in the case of the Kingdom Age, the saints will rule the creation insuring that sin and rebellion never again will bring death to the people whom God has created for His pleasure (Revelation 22:5).

The conquering saints are the wall of the new Jerusalem. Will the new Jerusalem be an actual city or is it a symbolic portrayal of the virtues of the saints? No doubt the new Jerusalem is an actual city. But in any case, the new Jerusalem will be an open revelation to the world of what God has created in His chosen, the Church of Christ.

The wall of the new Jerusalem is a manifestation of the resistance to lawlessness and rebellion that has been created in the overcomers by the intense heat and pressure of their experiences on the earth. The gates of the holy city are the "pearl" created from the reaction of the saints to the cross that they bear with patience throughout their lifetime on the earth.

Are not the adornments of the wall and the city the "gold, silver, precious stones" that the saints have built on the foundation, Christ (I Corinthians 3:12)?

Accepting Responsibility

How did Nehemiah respond to the notification that the remnant of Jews in the area of Jerusalem were suffering, and that the wall and gates of the city of Jerusalem were broken?

And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven, (Nehemiah 1:4)

Nehemiah was the cupbearer of King Artaxerxes of Persia. Nehemiah held a position of great importance and responsibility. He was prospering in Babylon, as had Daniel and many other Jews.

But when the Word of God came to Nehemiah he repented. He turned to God. He sat down and wept and mourned. He fasted and prayed before God. He confessed the sins of Israel. He reminded the Lord of His promises to those who repent. Then with fear and trembling, at the risk of his life, he decided on a course of action.

Today the Word of God is coming to us concerning the need to rebuild the wall of defense against all lawlessness and rebellion. The Lord's people are easily deceived by unscrupulous men and by Satan because they have not been taught righteousness and holiness of behavior and because they are not carrying the cross of consecration. They are not under the discipline of the Lord. The wall of protection is missing.

To be continued.