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Transcript 339D — Rebuilding the Wall [Neh 4]
HC: Good evening. Welcome to Open Forum.
CALLER: Good evening. In Nehemiah 4, does the rebuilding of the walls of the city of Jerusalem by the remnant of Israel somehow symbolically mean it is the believer's duty today to build and renew the church by making disciples, first at home and then expanding to encompass the whole world? Is there some symbolical meaning in that chapter for me?
HC: The question is raised concerning the building of the walls of Jerusalem as we see it related to us in Nehemiah 4. Nehemiah came with a remnant out of Babylon, and in a space of fifty-two days he built the walls of Jerusalem. And we see a rather detailed account of this building.
Now the question is raised, does this symbolize in any sense the task that the believer has today, to build the walls of the temple, or the walls of Jerusalem? And by all mean, yes, that is so. We are temple builders. When we bring the Gospel as ambassadors of the Lord Jesus Christ, we are building the temple of God. Each believer becomes a living stone is the house of God, we read in I Peter 2:4 or 5. Or in Ephesians 2 it speaks about us being built into a most holy temple. or in Acts 15, as the Gentiles are coming into the body of Christ, the Old Testament reference is to the rebuilding of the ruins of the dwelling of David.
When we are bringing the Gospel, we are building the walls of Jerusalem, of the holy city, or the walls of the temple, the body of Christ. And certainly it is typified by Nehemiah 4.
CALLER: Thank you so much, Mr. Camping.