NEHEMIAH’S  BURDEN 

(An apostle’s heart cry)

PREFACE – Almost four years ago the Lord first allowed me to see these things written here.  I spoke the vision in part verbally at that time, but it has taken these last four years to receive the earthly words to describe what I saw in the Spirit.

INTRODUCTION – Three years ago the Lord Jesus began revealing to me in part the origins of Paul’s thoughts outlined in 1Corinthians 12:28  —  “And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues.”  While the verse can be reflective of spiritual authority, I believe the primary intent of this verse is to demonstrate the chronological order in which God establishes and orders community in the midst of His people. In this ordering I believe that God gave apostles, prophets and teachers for the bringing forth of congregations from inception to the setting in place of elders in the midst of the people and beyond.  Consequently the teaching of Paul that he planted Apollos watered and God gave the increase (1 Cor. 3:5-8).

Possessing some understanding of the rabbinic discipline that Paul would have been trained in (at the feet of Gamaliel – see Acts 22:3), I believe his thoughts for 1Corinthians 12:28 would not have been pulled out of thin air, but would reflect a deeper understanding of old testament scriptures as revealed by the Holy Spirit. 

While the chronological order may be different, I am persuaded that a typology of apostolic – prophetic – teacher is demonstrated in the re-establishment of community in Jerusalem.  In this I believe that Nehemiah (sent forth from the king) served in an apostolic function with two prophets (Haggai & Zechariah) and Ezra as a teaching priest.  Some may rightly point to Zerubbabel as being part of the equation as well, but I see him more as a pastoral type trying to bring forth temple worship without the community to support it.  Even today you hear the shouts of grace! grace!; to the pastoral ministry while the vital work of the rest of the five-fold ministry is pushed aside and left unsupported and subjugated to the religious systems of men.

As Nehemiah completed the task of rebuilding the walls as governor; there began a process of restoration to the community of Jerusalem the city of the kings of Judah, and the place where the King of Kings said He would place His Name.

So literally you have the typology of apostle, prophet and teacher in the stories of Ezra and Nehemiah and you can see the re-establishment of the community. With this in mind the Lord spoke this first person account to me.

A parable of the Lord Jesus that dove-tails this thought is found in Matthew 21:33 as the Lord Jesus describes His vineyard.  The hedge of His protection, the winepress of His righteousness and justice, and watchtower of His Divine strategies have all been compromised as a result of the poisonous seeds of rebellion (tares) that have flourished within the vineyard…

NEHEMIAH’S BURDEN

 “So I came to Jerusalem and was there three days. Then I arose in the night, I and a few men with me; I told no one what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem; nor was there any animal with me, except the one on which I rode….”

 And I came to the first gate and the gate was burnt and the hinges and locks of the gate were lying in the dust… And the name of the gate is called “Holiness unto the Lord” for the people are no longer consecrated and they’re full of sexual promiscuity and a spirit of destruction resides over the people as they give themselves over to the lust of the eye; for His Standard of Holiness has been trampled under the feet of men who worship the creation more than the creator; who is blessed forever; Amen.

As I continued; I saw the first breach in the wall and the Lord said; “this is called mammon” for the love of money has overrun the city of our God and the merchandising of the gospel of Christ has caused many ripe and full clusters of fruit to break off and rot in the ground going unused; while the choicest clusters were sold at the marketplace called ‘Christian Conference.’

And I heard the Word of the Lord say “You who have no money come buy and eat… Yes come; buy wine and milk – without price… for God has indeed chosen “the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him.”  And I heard Judgment say “now those in tribulation and poverty are made rich, and those who are wealthy have become poor.”

Within the broken down walls at this breach I found many storage barns of men laying in charred ruins and I heard the Word of the Lord saying “on the night these barns were set ablaze I required the souls of those that found security in their possessions; those who walked in a spirit of fear and doubted whether the Arm of the Lord would sustain them.”

I came next to a breach of the wall where the bones of many children lay strewn among smoking embers and boulders from the wall.  Weeping uncontrollably; I guided the animal upon which I rode to go around this place; not wanting to trample the bones of these precious ones.  As I did this the Word of the Lord spoke to me saying: “This place is called ‘witchcraft’.  For it is here that the fathers and mothers rebelled against My Word; causing many sons and daughters to pass through the fire, even to the third and fourth generation.”  As I moved past this ground; I knew in my heart that our Merciful Father would redeem these broken lives and cause these bones to live again.

As I approached the next gate; I was taught by the Holy Spirit that as the Glory of the Lord departed the sons of men presumptuously tore down and burned this gate called ‘The Fear of the Lord.’  For it was here that men exchanged the humble garments of a servant for the flowing robes of religious leadership, and if you listen closely with the hearing that the Most Holy Spirit supplies; you will hear the chains of bondage rattling underneath their flowing robes ready to ensnare the little ones desiring to serve the Lord with a pure heart.

Next to the charred remains of the gate called the ‘Fear of the Lord’ stood a glass tower called prosperity where the ones in flowing robes stood beckoning the innocent sheep, and the lambs did not perceive that in the eyes of these leaders; they were not sheep needing to be nurtured back to health, but rather they were fatted calves ready to be sacrifice on the altar called ‘OUR VISION OF THE MINISTRY.’

I next came to a breach in the wall where a flurry of activity was taking place as the people were trying to rebuild with the untempered mortar of leaven in their lives as the ‘Doctrine of the Perversion of His Grace’ had taught them that they could mix the mortar with unclean hands.  I then heard the Word of the Lord saying; “I will break down the wall you have plastered with untempered mortar, and bring it down to the ground, so that its foundation will be uncovered; it will fall, and you shall be consumed in the midst of it. Then you shall know that I am the LORD.”

As I continued; I came to what at first glance appeared to be a strong gate fully intact with the inscription ‘Testimony of Armilius’ inscribed across the top, but as I drew near I realized that the gold and silver in the gate were impure and that the hinges of iron that held the gates upright were fastened to one another with bolts of clay.  I heard the grieving of the Lord as I realized that if those who had entered here would have simply tested the soundness of these gates; they would have realized the power behind them was the spirit of false prophecy which is the testimony of the lawless one.  At this point; before I continued my journey I took note of others also dressed in the flowing robes of religion as they purposefully handed those who came through this gate of false prophecy a bucket of untempered mortar and pointed them in the direction of the flurry of activity that was now behind me.

I then noticed off in the distance the first gate from whence I began, and I was startled by the fact that between this third gate and the first one the wall was totally missing.   I knew that it was from here that demons of hell had completely overrun the city doing their greatest harm to the people of God.   As I nudged the animal I rode upon forward a bone chilling cold began to overcome both of us; quickly bringing us to the brink of death.  And as I was about to lose consciousness the Word of the Lord came to me and spoke saying ‘this is the breech called ‘Lawlessness’ and as you know now more than ever; the love of many has grown cold’

It was at this moment that I notice it; a small incline that led slowly outside the perimeter of the wall.  As I headed in this direction I began to revive and the pace of the animal quickened as we both were warmed almost immediately.   Within moments the path that I thought was forming in front of us disappeared into rubble that my animal could no longer walk upon. 

I was about to turn around when I noticed something on the ground that continued through the rubble and overgrowth of weeds.  As I knelt down; I knew by the Holy Spirit that I was looking at Blood that was both older than the earth I stood upon and yet appeared fresh enough as to have been spilled only seconds before I laid eyes on it.

As I continued on foot along this path; I came to a clearing overlooking the ruins of the ancient city I had just traversed.  I then noticed the post holes in the ground and a crown of thorns covered with blood, and I began to softly weep again; not only for the overwhelming Love of Christ that I felt penetrating my heart afresh, but also for my peers; as I realized that the path leading to this place was so overgrown that I was certain deep down within me that few from my generation had ever come to this place where the death of everything you are meets the Life of Everything Jesus purchased for us to become.  For the cross and the path that leads you there is foolishness to those who are perishing; but to those who are being saved it is the power of God.

The Lord then opened my eyes and I saw a table of pure gold filled with an abundance of bread and wine and I heard the Word of the Lord say “Come to the table I have prepared before you in the presence of your enemies.  Eat and drink; for My Flesh is meat indeed and My Blood is drink indeed, and it is available to all who will come outside the gate even as my servant Abraham did; for even as Abraham was a friend of God so I call all those who do the will of My Father in heaven.”

As I ate the Bread and Wine of Life; I beheld very near, next to a path that led back to the first gate of the city; a place where there was a pool of Fire and Glory and as I approached this place I saw many Sword handles coming out of the Fire and Glory, and while all the handles appeared similar in that some were gold handles inlayed with silver and full of jewels, and others were silver handles inlayed with gold and also full of jewels.  As I approached the heat from the pool of Fire became almost unbearable and the Glory became so intense that I could not distinguish which type of handle I grasped whether it was gold or silver. 

As I pondered in my heart which type of handle I now held in my hand the Word of the Lord spoke to me and said: “It is foolishness to hold this question in your heart; for both the gold and the silver are Mine and both have touched My Glory and the value of My Sword for the apostle and the value of My Sword for the prophet are the same, for I have placed you among those who shall build the old waste places; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; and you shall be among those who are called the Repairer of the Breach, the Restorer of Streets to Dwell In.  Only remember to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God; for in the Courts of the King of Kings; (Blessed be His Name); righteousness and justice are always the foundation of His Throne.”

As I lifted the Sword; I knew that this particular Sword was fashioned before the foundation of the world for my hand alone, and for this hour alone.  I also knew that I could only carry this Sword in the strength that Christ alone supplies and that the Anointing and Glory that were in the midst of the Sword would pierce my own heart many times over the remaining years of my assignment in the earth. 

It was then that I became aware of a scroll that I carried in the midst of my garment and which I now know that I have carried since I was four years old.

When I opened the scroll I read these words:

     For unto us a Child is born,

     Unto us a Son is given;

     And the government will be upon His shoulder.

     And His name will be called

     Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,

     Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

     Of the increase of His government and peace

     There will be no end,

     Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,

     To order it and establish it with judgment and justice

     From that time forward, even forever.

     The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

AND

He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.  He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.  For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers.  All things were created through Him and for Him.  And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.   And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.

When I read these words; every fiber of my being trembled uncontrollably with a desire stronger than I have ever known; to see the Throne of My King; the greatest Friend I will ever know; established in the earth, and to see every creature throughout the universe bow the knee before the Lord of Glory for all eternity.

Today; almost four years later the Lord showed me more:

I then noticed a humble looking grey pitcher filled with the same liquid glory and the Spirit of the Lord spoke to me saying ‘Now hold aloft My Sword and call for the remnant to come forth.’  As they came forth to this dwelling place of His Spirit; the Spirit of the Lord spoke again and said now break the pitchers and SHOUT: “The Sword of the Lord and of His Apostles and Prophets,” and as His remnant did this together the Glory of the Lord began to spill forth and fill the earth and as I looked at the broke handle in my hand it became a bright and burning lamp and I looked around and beheld a Remnant, and a Bride fully alert with their lamps burning brightly; waiting for the return of  their Beloved King and Bridegroom.

I testify this day that I have seen these things with the eyes of my heart and I now proclaim to the Remnant of the Lord of Hosts ‘COME FORTH IN THE BLOOD COVENANT NAME OF JESUS CHRIST THE MESSIAH.

In His Precious Presence

Allen

1-17-05

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