Crystallization-Study of 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther
Message Seven
Nehemiah—a Pattern of One Who Has Dispensational Value to God
OPENING WORD OF THE PROPHESYING MEETING
Reading the verses in each day.
Reading the main points in the outlines.
Pray-reading the verses:
Rev. 12:5 And she brought forth a son, a man-child, who is to shepherd all the nations with an iron rod; and her child was caught up to God and to His throne.
Neh. 13:14 Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and do not blot out my loyal deeds, which I have done for the house of my God and for its services.
Neh. 2:17…Jerusalem lies in waste and its gates are burned with fire. Come and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem…
Word of Appetizer
Please explain what is the example of Nehemiah being a pattern of someone who has dispensational value to God?
Nehemiah was one who lived not in his natural man but in resurrection. He was aggressive, but his aggressiveness was accompanied by other characteristics. First, he loved God…He also loved the holy land (signifying Christ), the holy temple (signifying the church), and the holy city (signifying the kingdom of God)…As a person who loved God, Nehemiah was one who contacted God. We are told a number of times that Nehemiah prayed to God. Furthermore, Nehemiah trusted in God and even became one with God.
Nehemiah, as the governor, in the position of a king, was a man with a pure heart for the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s wall in carrying out God’s economy; he was a pattern of what a leader among God’s people should be.
Although Nehemiah was the ruler, he was altogether not ambitious; this is indicated by the fact that in reconstituting the nation, he recognized his need of Ezra for the reconstitution of the people of God with the word of God.
Spiritual Burden
The man-child consists of the overcomers who stand on behalf of the church, take the position that the whole church should take, and do the work for the church; the Lord’s recovery is the practicality of God’s economy today, and His economy can be carried out only by the man-child.
There is the need for us to have the proper aggressiveness in the Lord’s recovery today; in relation to the mocking, despising, and reproach of these opposers, Nehemiah was very pure and aggressive, not cowardly; the aggressive ones receive help from God. Nehemiah did not live in his natural man but in resurrection; as a person who loved God, Nehemiah prayed to God to contact Him in fellowship; Nehemiah trusted in God and even became one with God; as a result, he became the representative of God.
Concluding Word of the Prophesying Meeting
The Revelation of the Truth
God’s desire is to end this age and bring in the age of the kingdom; in order for God to accomplish this, He must have His dispensational instrument.
Because the church has not attained to God’s purpose, God will choose a group of overcomers who will attain to His purpose and fulfill His demand; this is the principle of the man-child.
When Israel was taken into captivity for seventy years, God still had a dispensational move because of Nehemiah, who was a true overcomer; he is a pattern of someone who has dispensational value to God.
The Experience of Life
The entire being of the man-child is saturated and permeated with the element of Christ, because they are daily strengthened into their inner man so that Christ may build Himself into their hearts, they are being nourished with the unsearchable riches of Christ, and they put on Christ as the whole armor of God.
When we realize and enjoy Christ as our life, we have the church as the house of God; if we go further and realize His headship, the house will be enlarged to be the city, the kingdom of God.
Practice and Application
All of us should look to the Lord and pray that we will have dispensational value to God; we need to come forward to three things: to the Holy of Holies, to the throne of grace, and to God Himself; do not shrink backward—come forward.
Our natural capacity, ability, and virtues must pass through the cross of Christ and be brought into resurrection, into the Spirit as the consummation of the Triune God, to be useful to God in the accomplishing of His economy.
It is surely worthwhile for us, especially the leading ones in the churches, to consider his example so
that we may be a pattern of gaining God and flowing out God to others in order to turn the age.
PROPHESYING TOPICS—TWELVE TOPICS PER WEEK
Day 1
T1 The rapture of the man-child brings an end to the church age and introduces the kingdom age (Rev. 12:10-11)
(Why is it said that God’s most important dispensational move is in Revelation 12? )
T2 Being an overcomer is not primarily for escaping the tribulation (Rev. 12:5)
(Please illustrate that we need to see of what value the rapture is to the Lord, not to ourselves.)
Day 2
T1 The seed of the woman is mainly the Lord Jesus who was born of Mary (Gen. 3:15)
(Please illustrate who the woman in Genesis 3:15 refers to.)
T2 The Lord Jesus and His overcomers compose the man-child (Rev. 20:4)
(Please illustrate this man-child is not individual; he is corporate.)
Day 3
T1 Satan has been judged on the cross, but this judgment needs to be executed (Rev. 12:10)
(Please illustrate that the overcomers must rise up to take the position of the church to execute God’s sentence on Satan.)
T2 The man-child in Revelation 12 consists of the overcomers who stand on behalf of the church (Rev. 12:10-11)
(Please illustrate that the overcomers take the position which the whole church should take and do the work for the church.)
Day 4
T1 The house of God on the earth needs His kingdom to safeguard the house and to carry out His eternal economy (Matt. 16:18-19)
(What is the crucial point of the book of Nehemiah?)
T2 All who have been used by God through history have been aggressive persons (Neh. 2:17; Matt. 16:18-19)
(Please illustrate Nehemiah was very aggressive; he surely was not cowardly.)
Day 5
T1 Although Nehemiah was a servant of the king, he was aggressive to volunteer himself to God (Neh. 2:17; 1 Thes. 2:2)
(Please illustrate In typology the spiritual significance that tmany persons were temporarily used by God according to their natural capacity and natural virtues.)
T2 Our natural ability needs to be crossed out and then brought into resurrection (Exo. 3:2-6; 1 Thes. 2:2)
(Please illustrate that in resurrection our capability, ability, and virtues will be many times greater than they were in the natural life.)
Day 6
T1 Nehemiah was one who lived not in his natural man but in resurrection (Neh. 1:4b; 13:14)
(Please illustrate what characteristics accompanied Nehemiah’s aggressiveness. )
T2 Nehemiah was the perfect leader, the best leader in human history and the best example of what an elder should be (Neh. 5:19; 1 Pet. 5:3)
(Please illustrate with examples that Nehemiah’s good example.)
