Remember when God told Joshua multiple times, “Do not be afraid.”  When an angel appeared to Gideon, or Samson’s parents, or David, it was a startling experience to see a brilliant, beautiful, shining being come to proclaim messages from God.  The first thing the angel would say — and I would think that the tone of voice would be very soothing– was  “Do not be afraid.”

Probably the most famous angelic message was the one given to Mary when she was told that she was to be the mother of the Messiah.  “Do not be afraid,” the angel said to Mary.  

But there is another visitation that is perhaps the most poignant of all.  John, the beloved, was on the isle of Patmos, imprisoned on the rocky island because he preached the word of God.  It was the Sabbath day and John was in a worshipful frame of mind, I am sure, because that is when God comes to us.   John heard a voice like a trumpet BLAST behind him!  When he turned around, he saw…seven gold lampstands, furniture found in the Holy Place of the heavenly Temple.  Standing in the middle of them was the Son of Man, wearing a long robe with a gold sash across His chest.  His head and His hair were white like wool, as white as snow!  And His eyes….oh, His eyes,  bright like flames of fire.  His feet were as bright as bronze refined in a furnace, and His voice THUNDERED like mighty ocean waves.  He held seven stars in His right hand, and a sharp two-edged sword came from His mouth.  And His face was as bright as the sun in all its brilliance!!!! 

John recognized the glorified One, calling Him the “Son of Man,” but the brightness of His appearance and the majesty of His voice, the golden glow and the polished bronze feet, all were too much for John.   Jesus, the Creator of all things.  Jesus, Who died for John’s sins to make his salvation sure.  Jesus, Who served in greatest humility so recently, now was so incredibly beautiful as to take away John’s equilibrium!

John says “When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead.  But He laid His right hand on me and said,  “Don’t be afraid!  I am the First and the Last.  I am the living One Who died.  ….”  Jesus established His identity for those of us who live in this age and who take the time to read what Jesus has said which reverberates to today!  Then He gave clear instruction to John regarding writing down the REVELATION of JESUS! 

   Then, Jesus, Who sits at the right hand of the Father, laid His right hand on John and said, “Don’t be afraid!  I am the First and the Last. …”   Think of John’s mixed emotions: fear, yes, because of the immense power emanating from the Savior; joy, yes, because John liked to be a close to Jesus as possible; a feeling of sinfulness, yes, for we are all sinners. 

 What a scene.  What a loving heavenly Father we have!  Do you see Him?  Merely vicariously seeing through the eyes of John is a very emotional experience for me.   And each time we reach Week #33 in the TILE Bible reading calendar, the scenes of Revelation 1 become ever more effervescent, and deeply meaningful. 

It was 2001 when it dawned on me that it’s very important to God that we not live in fear!  Duh!  Why did it take me three times through the scriptures to get the importance of this message from God.  I’m so glad that reading the Bible completely each year has become a permanent part of my life, because every journey through brings new understanding about my Saviour. 

Any psychologist will tell us that fear can be a debilitating emotion, affecting not only our behaviors, but our very vital organs!  These bodies are the temples of the Holy Spirit, the gift Jesus left for His believers (that’s us) when He ascended to heaven.  We need to keep our bodies healthy and functioning efficiently so that we can be living letters to our neighbors and our church family, and our own families and/or close friends. 

Therefore, “do not fear” the bad economy, just tighten your belts and trust God; “do not fear” the illness you might get – some day, it could hasten it; “do not fear” your enemies (whether people or Satan’s angels) for God is greater than any or ALL of them…     Oh, my friends, God is so interested in the details of our lives.  He has the capacity to absorb the needs of every living human being.   Lean on Him and feel His hand of comfort stilling the storms that brew all around us. 

Once more, let me repeat:  God does not want you to live your life in fear.  He doesn’t promise that we’ll never have pain, grief, or illness, but He DOES PROMISE to walk with us through those challenges.  Let His power carry you.  Whatever challenges come your way, God’s presence can make even the deepest valleys bittersweet. 

Remember the T-shirts that were popular a few years ago?  The “No Fear” shirts?  Maybe a visual might help us to move out of our fearful thought patterns into the light of more healthful thoughts In the momentous changes in our world of late, I encourage you to “Take the Name of Jesus with You” and sing about Him until your courage soars unfettered toward Heaven!

Following the line of Judah’s kings, it was one hundred thirty-nine and a half years from the time Israel fell, to Judah’s exile to Babylon.  Nebuchadnezzar attacked Jerusalem three times and took captives each time.  Jeremiah got to choose whether to stay in Judah or go to Babylon.   He remained, and wrote letters to his relatives in Babylon with reports of visions from God.  Daniel read one of those letters which indicated it was about time for the exile to end, and he started praying about it, in eloquent prayers.   When Daniel prayed, Heaven answered for he was “greatly beloved in Heaven!”

When the time was just right, Zerubbabel felt the call of God, and, along with Jeshua, led a group of about 50,000 exiles back to their homeland – they were repatriated with King Cyrus’s blessings.   Babylon had fallen toward the end of the exile and the Mede and Persian rulers were of a mind to let their captives go home!  It was Zerubbabel’s job to construct the foundation as the first step toward rebuilding the Temple.  The journey from Babylon took four and a half months, and it appears that the travelers needed three days to rest upon their arrival in Canaan.  We can only imagine what a chore traveling hundreds of miles was then.   Then they had to construct homes, and then they started working on the foundation.

Picture the desolation of Judah following the repeated assaults by Nebuchadnezzar whose army pillaged the land, tore down city walls, burned the Temple, and the palaces, private homes as well, and the larger public buildings.   The Babylonians marched back and forth over the land rendering the earth bare!  It was an ugly place.  Once Zerubbabel got there, not only did he have burned out structures to depress him, there were enemies who did not want Judah to be revived.  God sent two prophets, Haggai and Zechariah,  to give them courage and the foundation was finally completed.

Many years later,  a scribe in Babylon, by the name of Ezra, who was well versed in the law of Moses, was called by God to go to Judah and help in the rebuilding of the Temple.  King Artaxerxes of Persia wrote a letter for Ezra to carry with him commissioning any and all officials of the Persian government to cooperate and assist Ezra in his work.   Ezra said that the king was good to him because the (Ezra 7:10) ”gracious hand of the Lord his God was on him.  This was because Ezra had determined to STUDY AND OBEY the law of the Lord AND to teach those laws and regulations to the people of Israel.”   Sometimes I feel that Gracious Hand while absorbed deep in the marvelous Word of God!  Dear Awesome Friend!

Ezra put together a balanced team that was considerably smaller than the first group - around 1200 people, including some priests and singers.  What a spiritual leader he was.  Before leaving on the trip he gave orders for all to fast and humble themselves before God.  They prayed for  safe journey and protection for them and their children, and their goods.  And God heard their prayers. 

Upon their arrival in Judah they did not turn in the gold and silver utensils which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the Temple to Babylon, until the fourth day!  So you see, they rested for three days, too!  I probably would have rested for some months!!!  

Ezra had a real problem to deal with.  The Jews had intermarried with people of other nations and had allowed heathen worship practices in their homes.  “Ezra tore his clothing, (Ezra 9:3-5) pulled hair from his head and beard, and sat down utterly shocked and remained there until the evening sacrifice.  At that time, I stood up from where I had sat in mourning with my clothes torn!    I FELL TO MY KNEES, LIFTED MY HANDS TO THE LORD MY GOD,  and prayed.”  The problem was addressed in an orderly fashion and foreign spouses left the camp to return to their own countries. 

Thirteen years later, Nehemiah was at the fortress of Susa (where Daniel was when he received the vision in Daniel 8 regarding the 2300 day prophecy!) working for good King Artaxerxes.  His brother from Jerusalem visited Nehemiah and shared the news of how enemies were complicating the work on the Temple and the city wall.  So Nehemiah asked the King for permission to make a trip to his homeland. 

THREE DAYS AFTER ARRIVING in Jerusalem (some recovery time from the trip?), Nehemiah went out after dark riding a donkey.  He included no one except a couple of his officials to take this tour with him.  He assessed the damage to the city walls and began to lay plans for their most efficient repair.   The city officials did not know Nehemiah had been out there in the night nor had he spoken with anyone else in the administration.  But now he said to them, “You know the tragedy of our city.  It lies in ruins, and its gates are burned.  Let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem and rid ourselves of this disgrace!” 

Enemies tried to breach the wall and attack Nehemiah and his workers.  So he told his men to work with a tool in one hand and a weapon in the other.   There were days when they did not get undressed in case of a nighttime attack.  Even so, Nehemiah and his crew finished the wall of the city in 52 days!  Then he took a census of all the people.    

In midautumn,  when Judah was settled, all the people assembled together as one person at the square just inside the Water Gate.  They asked Ezra the scribe to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had given for Israel to obey.  So on October 8, Ezra the priest brought the scroll of the law before the assembly, which included the men and women and all the children old enough to understand.  Ezra faced the square just inside the Water Gate in full view of all the people. from early morning until noon and read aloud to everyone.  Ezra stood on a high wooden platform that had been made for the occasion. (Nehemiah 8:3, 4)  Priests stood to his right and left.  When they saw him open the book, they all rose to their feet!

Then Ezra praised the Lord, the great God, and all the people chanted “Amen! Amen!” as they LIFTED THEIR HANDS TOWARD HEAVEN.    Ezra and the priests read from the Book of the Law and clearly explained the meaning of what was being read, helping the people understand each passage.  The people started weeping for joy, because they understood the Law.  What a team Ezra and Nehemiah were.   

After studying the Law in depth, the people returned on October 31, just a few weeks later, for another observance!  But this time they fasted.  The Book of the Law was read aloud to them for about three hours.  Then for three more hours they took turns confessing their sins and worshiping the Lord their God.   Some of the priests called out to the people:  “Stand up and praise the Lord, your God, for He lives from everlasting to everlasting!  We are making a solemn promise and putting it in writing.  On this sealed document are the names of our princes and Levites and priests.”

Nehemiah planned a great celebration to dedicate the wall.  I wish I could have watched the rehearsals and the performance as two choirs and instrumentalists walked in opposite directions, singing as they went.  Of course they eventually converged and continued to the Temple as a very large choir to continue giving thanks to God.  Nehemiah 12:47 says:  “So now, in the days of Zerubbabel and of Nehemiah, the people brought a daily supply of food for the singers, the gatekeepers, and the Levites.”

All was well — until Nehemiah saw some men treading their winepresses on the Sabbath.  Also he saw some people bringing bundles of grain, and bread, wine, grapes, figs and all sorts of produce to Jerusalem to sell.  Nehemiah rebuked them for selling their wares on the Sabbath.  And when he saw some merchants setting up camp outside the gate of the city on Friday afternoon, Nehemiah spoke “sharply” to them, so they left and they didn’t come back! 

After serving as governor of Judah for 12 years, Nehemiah did return to Babylon to continue working for King Artaxerxes.  Later, he returned to Judah for another term of service.

All to say, these three warriors for God, Zerubbabel, Ezra and Nehemiah, worked diligently “against all odds” to rebuild the City of David.  They (especially Ezra)  also established the beginning date for the 2300 day prophecy, the longest time prophecy in Scripture.  God bless them all for marching so many miles, enduring hardship and most of all for listening to the God of Heaven Who never deserted them and was with them in all their work.  And so He will be with us today as we serve Him in love.

II Chronicles 16:9 “The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.”

Job 1:8  “Then the Lord asked Satan (during a council meeting held in heaven of all the ‘Sons of God:’  caretakers of other planets–see Archive for April 2008 on www.thisislifeeternal.org on the Journal-Blog page):  ‘ Have you noticed My servant Job?  He is the finest man in all the earth–a man of complete integrity.  He fears God and will have nothing to do with evil.’ ”

Malachi 3:16,17 “Then those who feared the Lord spoke with each other, and the Lord Himself listened to what they said.  In His presence, a scroll of remembrance was written to record the names of those who feared Him and loved to think about Him.”

Proverbs 14:26  “Those who fear the Lord are secure;  He will be a place of refuge for their children.”

Psalms 33:13, 14  “The Lord looks down from heaven and sees the whole human race.  From His throne He observes all who live on the earth.” 

Psalms 34:15  “The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right; His ears are open to their cries for help.”

The attention that God gives to events and individuals on earth, according to the Scriptures, amazes me.  Trillions of thoughts, actions, decisions and attitudes are occurring “24/7.”  He not only knows what is happening right this minute, but He has recorded information in “resource books” in heaven (Mal. 3:16,17; Rev. 21:27; Ps. 69:28) that I’m sure will be available during the millenium to those who are “judging, and reigning” with Christ (Rev. 20:4,11-15)

I believe that God’s presence everywhere, anywhere, anytime on this earth is represented symbolically in Ezekiel 1 and Revelation 4.   These chapters are better than any science fiction movie ever concocted by mere human beings:  fascinating reading!  But for this writing, I’ll emphasize references to “eyes.”

Ezekiel writes the book bearing his name while most of Judah is in exile in Babylon because they had rebelled against the Lord.  As they were camped beside the Kebar River, “the heavens were opened to me (Ezekiel) and I saw visions of God, and I felt the hand of the Lord take hold of me.” (Ezekiel 1:3) (Imagine!)  Ezekiel saw a great storm coming from the north, driving before it a huge cloud that flashed with lightning and shone with brilliant light.  The fire inside the cloud glowed like gleaming amber.  From the center of the cloud came four living beings that looked human (vs. 5)…They each had two pairs of wings with human hands (vs. 8)  beneath them.

“As I looked at these beings, (Ezekiel speaking) I saw four wheels on the ground beneath them, one wheel belonging to each.  …The rims of the four wheels were awesomely tall, and they were COVERED WITH EYES ALL AROUND THE EDGES.”  Ezekiel 1:15-18   This structure of beings and wheels are described as being extremely fast and they could change direction without turning!  They each had 4 faces: a human face on the front, a face of a lion on the right, the face of an ox on the left side, and the face of an eagle on the back. (vs. 10) 

Now come to Revelation 4 where worship in Heaven is described.  John, the Beloved sees 24 elders around the throne of God and four “living beings each COVERED WITH EYES, front and back.  The first one had the form of a lion; the second looked like an ox, the third had a human face; and the fourth had the form of an eagle with wings spread out as though in flight.  Each of these living beings had six wings, and THEIR WINGS WERE COVERED WITH EYES, inside and out….” (vs. 6-8)

Ezekiel and John, living some thousand years apart, saw similar worship scenes!   Looking at II Chron. 16:9, do you see a God Who is capable of seeing and hearing us at ALL TIMES?  Think about what that entails–seeing and hearing us  from outer space with a technology way beyond our understanding, unnumbered throngs of hearts with all kinds of spiritual failures and successes, and myriads of requests.   Can you feel assured that God is interested in your choices or needs?  

Because of God’s unfailing love, we can know that in God’s infinite greatness, He is both capable of knowing us, and is interested in every faithful follower on earth.  In the gospels, He asserts that anyone who will listen to His Word and follow it are more like His family, than His earthly mother and siblings!  Therefore, I declare, that we who spend time with Him in His Word, meditating, praying and then going forth to do the job He gave each of us to do–we are His family and He is looking forward to bringing His faithful ones home as soon as possible. 

I believe the eyes inside and outside of the angels’ wings, and all around the wheels in Ezekiel’s “chariot,” AND the eyes seeming to cover the four living beings in Revelation 4, represent the work of the Holy Spirit.  Jesus said that He would live in our hearts through the Holy Spirit.  It is through Him that the Father loves us and we love Him.  The Holy Spirit is unlimited in His power.  Pentecost launched a greater role for the Holy Spirit.  He is available to us night and day and through His ministry to us all (see Romans 8), the Father and Son are in touch with us instantly – sometimes even before we call.   Having said that, I have observed that the Trinity seems to work on our behalf either singly, or in coordination.  I’m not saying that the Father and Son cannot see us directly from Heaven.  I believe Heaven is employing every modality available to Them to save us!!!  Hallelujah!

Incidentally, remember the banners Israel marched under every time they broke camp to move to the next venue?  There were four groupings of tribes when they marched.  I couldn’t find a scriptural reference to verify what was on those banners, but according to Jewish tradition, during Israel’s wilderness wandering, when the Cloud (or God, see I Cor. 10:4) moved, the whole camp moved with the tribe of Judah (the banner was a Lion)  leading 3 tribes, then came Reuben (the banner was an Ox) leading 3 tribes, third came the tribe of Ephraim (the banner was of a Man) leading 3 tribes and last came Dan (the banner was an Eagle) leading the final group of 3 tribes.   Notice that the symbols used in both Ezekiel and Revelation were the same ones used in the banners that led Israel through the wilderness!   

God’s people, spiritual Israel, ARE STILL MARCHING TOWARD HEAVEN!  And GOD is still LEADING HIS PEOPLE ON! 

Next time you read through Proverbs or many of the Psalms where God is pictured as “leaning down” to the hear the prayers of His people, let the beautiful truths given us by David, Ezekiel and John bring the fragrance of Heaven into your life, because GOD IS TRULY WITH US.  HE SEES US, He even knows my name, and He likes to spend quality time with me and all others who sincerely seek to know Him.