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by Wayne Blank
Bulwarks
Various sorts of physical bulwarks were known during Bible History:
"And Uzziah [see Kings of Israel and Judah and Israelite Dynasties] prepared for them throughout all the host shields, and spears, and helmets, and habergeons, and bows, and slings to cast stones. And he made in Jerusalem engines, invented by cunning men, to be on the towers and upon the bulwarks, to shoot arrows and great stones withal." (2 Chronicles 26:14-15 KJV)"Walk about Zion [see Who, What or Where Is Zion? and Daughter of Zion], and go round about her: tell the towers thereof. Mark ye well her bulwarks, consider her palaces; that ye may tell it to the generation following. For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death." (Psalm 48:12-14 KJV)
True Christians are "the household of God, which is the Church of the living God, the pillar and bulwark of the Truth" (1 Timothy 3:15 RSV) in a world where Satan "has blinded the minds of the unbelievers [see Believers], to keep them from seeing the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ" (2 Corinthians 4:4 RSV). God commanded His servants to "Let light shine out of darkness" (2 Corinthians 4:6 RSV), to hold the line against ever-increasing assaults upon the Truth of The Word of God that are prophesied to occur in our time now.
"Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by giving heed to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, through the pretensions of liars whose consciences are seared" (1 Timothy 4:1-2 RSV)"But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of stress. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, inhuman, implacable, slanderers, profligates, fierce, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding the form of religion but denying the power of it." (2 Timothy 3:1-5 RSV)
"while evil men and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceivers and deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings which are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness" (2 Timothy 3:13-16 RSV)
"For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own likings, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander into myths. As for you, always be steady" (2 Timothy 4:3-5 RSV)
Speaking of a future Jerusalem for those who have "held the line" in this life (see Physical and Spiritual Israel and the Fact Finder question below):
"We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks. Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the Truth may enter in. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee." (Isaiah 26:1-3 KJV)
Fact Finder: When and how does the New Jerusalem arrive?
See The City To Come
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