By Karen Y. Stevens

All thru the Bible, it talks about walls built around the temple, the cities, etc.  Jerusalem was surrounded by massive walls.

Ps 51:18 – “Do good in Your good pleasure to Zion; Build the walls of Jerusalem.”  

David’s prayer was answered when his son Solomon built the wall of Jerusalem around the city and repaired the breaches of the city of David.  

Nehemiah 4:15 tells us that the work of rebuilding the wall took 52 days, working day and night.  He had to go to great lengths to commission the King to do this, but he knew the importance and success of the wall to the city.  

As you read the chapters in Nehemiah, you will also see that they faced opposition from many people who did not want a wall to be built or rebuilt.  

In particular, two men named Sanballat and Tobiah, who did not like the Jews, were leading the charge to stop it.  

Today, the wall of Jerusalem is approximately two and a half miles long.  It has an average height of almost 40 feet and an average thickness of 8 feet.  

In Psalm 51:18 David is talking to God when he says – “May it please you to prosper Zion, to build up the walls of Jerusalem.”  

The words “wall/walls” are used 245 times in the Bible.  Many of these are speaking of walls somewhat like a “border wall.  

Walls were nearly always built around cities in the Bible.  Many were huge. It is said that the wall surrounding Babylon was 387′ high and 87′ thick!  

Deut 3:5 – “All these cities were fortified with high walls and with gates and bars, and there were also a great many unwalled villages.”  

The Hebrew word “chowmah” is most often used for “wall” in the Old Testament, and Strong’s defines it as “a wall of protection.”  

This was the primary use for walls; for protection from those who lived outside the city (as well as from wild animals), and also protection from attacks.  

This example in Nehemiah is not the only example of God ordained, wall building in the Bible.  

If you grew up in church like me, I’m sure you remember the walls of Jericho in Joshua 6:1-27.  God directed Joshua to walk around the city seven times and the walls came tumbling down, where Joshua’s army attacked and seized the city.  

God instructed that His Tabernacle be surrounded by a 7 and a half foot, high white linen fence (see Ex. 27:9-19).  

The Pope presently lives in one of the largest walled cities today where the walls go as high as 30 feet.  

In the book of Revelations, it talks about what the New Jerusalem will look like – vs 12 – “ It had a wall great and high and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels; ….”  

The difference in the walled ‘New Jerusalem’ than these other Biblical cities, is the gates will never be shut because all evil will be eradicated.  

Wow!  To be able to come and go with no worries!  Can’t wait.

 

Karen Y. Stevens is the founder of the Orange County Christian Writers Guild.