Even the best version of the City of Man, i.e., the restored city of old Jerusalem, proves a failure, doomed to degradation and destruction, and therefore designed to deepen our longing for the eternal city, the heavenly Jerusalem, the City of God.

Through the New Covenant in Jesus Christ, God is preparing for Himself a people fit to dwell in the heavenly city, where they will rejoice in His presence forever.

The work of building the city of God is taxing, dangerous work and Nehemiah profiles and prophesies what it takes to finish this glorious kingdom work.

Our lives should constantly look for and work toward that heavenly city built by God through His Son Jesus Christ, for this is the life of true repentance and faith.

God’s Better Temple is administered by a Better Priest who confronts and removes eternally the sin of His people, though always through repentance. Hallelujah!

We must be clear that the promise of the gospel (rebuilding the temple) can never fail, but is fulfilled through enmity, strife, and struggle.

Ezra Series

As Mordecai and Esther through her metaphorical death overturned the death sentence on them by defeating their enemies, so too the Lord Jesus by His death abolished the death sentence on His people by defeating His enemies.

We’ll never achieve satisfaction now, not to mention eternal life forever, until we confront the real enemy of our souls and the only way to defeat that enemy.

The favor of the King is uniquely given to Esther, the one whom he loves, which means she is in position to intercede for her people when their time of desperate need arises.