Walls and Borders, Part 2
Jesus and Walls
It is indeed true that Jesus was an inclusive guy. Whereas others who claimed piety shunned prostitutes, drinkers, tax collectors and many common folk as sinners, Jesus went among them, assisting, healing and inviting them to listen to his message. Because Jesus is seen by many as being inclusive and loving some figure he would be against a wall that would be a deterrent for undesirable people to enter the country.
On the other hand, Jerusalem, where Jesus did much of his ministry, had a wall and the temple where he taught also had walls around it. Walls were quite common in his day and neither Jesus or any other writer in the scriptures spoke of them as being evil, or of a people being sinners for putting one up.
It is interesting that the prophets anticipated the manifestation of a New Jerusalem, a higher correspondence of the walled city of old Jerusalem. Concerning this city of God, it was written:
“And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife. And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;
“And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates. And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
“And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof. And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal. And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel. And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.”
Rev 21:9-18
This is to be quite a city. If we translate the measurements into modern units we see that the city is about 1500 miles square as well as 1500 miles in height. Then around the city is a wall that is 266 feet high and guarded by twelve angels.
And why would God and Christ want a giant wall around their city?
Obviously the city is to be a habitation for the good guys and once descended to the earth there will be a need to keep the bad guys out.
“And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” Rev 21:27
“Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without are dogs (repulsive people), and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches.”
Rev 22:14-16
It is pretty clear here that those who are approved, and in the book of life, can enter through the gates in the walls, but those who are not so registered will not be allowed entrance. The largest wall that is to ever appear on the earth is to insure that only those approved get through into the city.
It appears that those who claim that Jesus would be against a wall are barking up the wrong tree as he was the one who gave out this revelation through the angel telling of us of the city of God, which has a wall much larger than anything ever constructed on the planet.
And why would the city of God need to keep out the bad guys?
The answer is simple. To keep it a heavenly and desirable place to be there has to be controls as who gets in and who does not. Quality of life is determined by the company you keep and life is much better when you are surrounded by honest and loving people instead of thieves, backstabbers and harmful individuals.
Jesus talked about this separation during his ministry. He gave this parable:
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away.
“So shall it be at the end of the world (age): the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just”
Matt 13:47-49
In Luke chapter 16 we have the account of the rich man who refused to help a poor beggar. After he died he was told, “between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.” Luke 16:26
So, according to Jesus there is even a wall, or barrier of separation in the afterlife.
Jesus was inclusive in that he offered his message to all who would listen and was kind and forgiving to all. That didn’t mean that he wanted to spend eternity with just anyone. Even during his earth life he gathered out twelve of the best people he could find with whom he spent most of his time. His inner circle was handpicked by himself.
Walls can be an advantageous tool of positive separation. They can supply a power to screen those who come through the gates so the destructive people are kept out and the constructive people are allowed in which keeps the area within the walls a place a peace, law and productivity.
Then when the time comes that those on both sides of the wall are equal in what they can contribute the walls can come down.
We are told that the New Jerusalem will have no need for a temple as did the old one. We would hope the time would come that it would also have no need of walls.
Copyright by J J Dewey
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