Those who trust in the Lord are as Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds His people from this time forth and forever. Psalm 125:1–2. God’s people are to be like an immovable mountain with the Lord surrounding them.
Zechariah prophesied a similar Word: Then I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, there was a man with a measuring line in his hand. So I said, “Where are you going?” And he said to me, “To measure Jerusalem, to see how wide it is and how long it is.” And behold, the angel who was speaking with me was going out, and another angel was coming out to meet him, and said to him, “Run, speak to that young man, saying, ‘Jerusalem will be inhabited without walls, because of the multitude of men and cattle within it. For I,’ declares the Lord, ‘will be a wall of fire around her, and I will be the glory in her midst.’ ”
“Sing for joy and be glad, O daughter of Zion; for behold I am coming and I will dwell in your midst,” declares the Lord. Zechariah 2:1–5, 10.
The Lord is to be a wall of fire around spiritual Jerusalem and the glory in her midst. During Zechariah’s time, cities were protected by walls from those who would plunder or ravage them. Such walls would be of no value today, for how could men build a wall that modern warfare could not destroy? However, God said that He Himself will be the wall of fire about Jerusalem and that in her very midst He will be the glory. For this to occur, there cannot be any other walls around Jerusalem.
In Zechariah’s vision, the man who went to measure the city met with a problem when the angel said that Jerusalem would be inhabited without walls because of the multitude of men and cattle in it. God declared that He would be the wall of fire around her, a wall of fire that could expand as Jerusalem expanded.
Zechariah was a seer prophet who prophesied the visions that he saw. In the Old Testament we find that some prophets prophesied from words and thoughts, while others, seer prophets, prophesied from visions, speaking what was pictured before them. Jeremiah and Samuel were also seer prophets who prophesied the visions and pictures which they saw. The New Testament disciples moved in various supernatural realms, but the only one with the apocalyptic seer vision was John the Beloved. When reading the book of Revelation, we are well aware that John was seeing what he was writing.
In old Jerusalem there was an inner wall; and because the city had grown, another larger outer wall was built. But the new Jerusalem is going to be a city without walls, because of the multitude of people who will be coming into spiritual Zion. A wall would be impractical in these days of the restoration. Zechariah was actually a prophet of today’s restoration because his prophecies regarding Jerusalem were never fulfilled in the physical realm. The prophecies of Zechariah speak about spiritual Jerusalem, spiritual Zion—God’s people who will be like a city without walls. Just about the time they think that God has revealed everything that could be revealed, some may want to build a doctrinal wall. Then God will reveal further truths that go beyond that wall.
Groups of believers became denominations when they built walls around doctrinal truths which God had revealed to them. But the walls they built shut them in, and they slowly died. God does not want such walls. Today God is saying, “Do not build any walls, because I will teach you more and more. You have not learned even the beginnings of what you have yet to learn. You are going to really know Me. You may think you know Me now, but you will know Me better tomorrow.”
A multitude of people will be added to spiritual Jerusalem in this end time. It will keep expanding so that no walls can ever be built around it. The New Testament churches that God is raising up will never have facilities that are adequate. This is a growth pattern that is a blessing of the Lord. The denominations today worry about holding on to their young people, but the churches that God is leading are only concerned about training their young people and launching them into a lifetime of service to the Lord. Their objective is not merely to hold on to numbers or to count the attendance in church services. The Lord wants an end-time company of prophets who will speak His Word and bring forth His Kingdom on the earth.
The Lord is saying to those who have no walls, “I will be your wall of fire.” Can you envision what Zechariah saw? Can you picture the multitude growing and the wall of fire expanding, so that it constantly holds within its circumference all the people whom God will bring into Zion? Everyone whom God brings into a walk with Himself comes within that fiery protection of God Himself being a wall.
God has promised to be your living protection. He will be to you whatever He says He will be—if you appropriate it. He has said that He is a wall (Zechariah 2:5), a refuge (Psalm 46:7), a high tower, and a shield (Psalm 144:2). He is the Lion of the tribe of Judah and the Lamb (Revelation 5:5–6). Confess what the Scriptures say. What He is in provision, He will become to you by appropriation. He says that He will be a wall of fire; that is His provision. Appropriate it and say, “Be Thou unto me a wall of fire!”
The prophet Isaiah prophesied another aspect of spiritual Zion: “And foreigners will build up your walls, and their kings will minister to you; for in My wrath I struck you, and in My favor I have had compassion on you. And your gates will be open continually; they will not be closed day or night, so that men may bring to you the wealth of the nations, with their kings led in procession. For the nation and the kingdom which will not serve you will perish, and the nations will be utterly ruined.” Isaiah 60:10–12. Here God is saying that instead of plundering the saints, the world will bless the saints. Instead of being under heavy restrictions, the people of the Lord will be loosed from restrictions. They will be given protection, instead of being vulnerable to attack. The world will build walls for God’s people where they need to be built.
At one time or another, every believer experiences the feeling of being vulnerable and of standing helpless with no protection. The Lord does not encourage him with a feeling of security at that moment, because He has given this commandment: “If someone wants to take your coat, give him your cloak also” (Matthew 5:40). Considering this, a Christian might expect to be stripped of everything. In many different ways this has happened to God’s people. Now God is saying, “I am going to change that. Instead of taking away from you, men will give to you. Your gates will be open continually because a parade of people will be bringing things to you, rather than taking them away. Your gates will never be closed, so that men may bring to you the wealth of the nations with their kings led in procession. Anyone who does not serve your interest will perish.”
Isaiah continued: “And the sons of those who afflicted you will come bowing to you” (a preceding generation may have afflicted you, but their sons will come bowing to you) “and all those who despised you will bow themselves at the soles of your feet; and they will call you the city of the Lord, the Zion of the Holy One of Israel. Whereas you have been forsaken and hated with no one passing through, I will make you an everlasting pride, a joy from generation to generation. You will also suck the milk of nations, and will suck the breast of kings” (this means that the richness of nations and of kings in authority who have control over vast assets will be milked by Zion); “then you will know that I, the Lord, am your Savior, and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.” Isaiah 60:14–16.
Believe this passage of Scripture. Believe in the protections and the immunities that God says He will bring. Believe in the day of fulness and strength that He will bring. God is creating a countertide that will be total and devastating to every present trend. The Old Testament prophets described these trends as building houses for others to live in, planting vineyards for others to drink (Zephaniah 1:13), and sowing crops for others to reap (Micah 6:15). However, God has said repeatedly in His Word, especially in the book of Isaiah, that when the days of the Kingdom come, these trends will be reversed. His people shall build houses and inhabit them. They shall plant vineyards and eat the fruits of them (Isaiah 65:21). In other words, you shall have according to what you have produced—and in abundance. Going still further, God promises that you will not be able to keep your gates closed, because people will bring gifts to you.
It is rather significant that Isaiah 60:5 declares, “… the abundance of the sea will be turned to you, the wealth of the nations will come to you.” The wealth of the sea is one of the greatest untapped resources. At the present time, gold is being mined from the sand that is being drawn up out of the ocean onto barges. The tons of sand that go through this process yield more gold than any other form of mining being done in the world today. Out where the fishes swim is wealth which God says will come to Zion. The abundance of the sea, and the wealth of everything else that God has, will be turned to those who trust Him.
Believe that all things are yours. Do not be content just to hear doctrines and thoughts and ideas that are not made real to you. Claim something real from God. Possess it. It is yours. Let your faith reach into God’s provision and say, “We’ve done it and we’ve won it!”