Building Up Jerusalem: Lessons for the Church Today

The biblical books of Ezra and Nehemiah are not often the subject of sermons or studies. However, these books are filled with a rich history and fascinating insights into the lives of these two men of God and the parts they played in reconstructing Jerusalem and the temple after the diaspora. Diving into these books, Gilbert Vega has undertaken the task of bringing the stories to life. He lays out the historical narrative and draws parallels between rebuilding Jerusalem and the temple to the building up of God's present-day church. In his words: "The objective of this work is to relive the historical narrative of the brave individuals who took it upon themselves to build up an entire city. For the purpose of the narrative, I will be highlighting the two major events cited above: rebuilding the temple and the walls of the city. Though these events were separated by seventy years, I will treat them as one pivotal event: the restoration of Jerusalem. Secondarily, we will extrapolate applicable lessons for the contemporary church in our task of preparing a people for the kingdom of God." If you have ever taken the time to acquaint yourself with these two men, you will learn some interesting things about them. Even if you are familiar with this part of Jewish history, you will gain new insights into how the experiences of Ezra and Nehemiah are relevant to us today. "...the author draws many insightful lessons for the church today as the end of her journey draws near. I highly recommend reading this book." Atilio R. Dupertuis, ThD, Retired Professor of Theology, Seventh-day Adventist Seminary, Andrews University, Berriens Springs, MI "...describes historical events in a way that made me feel like I was a participant with a "big picture perspective" and then prodded me to reflect on implications for me now and for the Christian church today. Halvard B Thomsen, DMin, Retired pastor/church administrator

About the Author :
Dr. Vega holds a PhD in church history from Trinity Theological Seminary. He has served as a pastor in the Central California Conference, Arizona Conference and Southeastern California Conference. While in Arizona he was also the Hispanic Ministries Coordinator. From there he was called to the Southern New England Conference where he served as an administrator in the capacities of Executive Secretary and President of the conference. Currently, Gilbert resides in Moreno Valley, California.

Review :
"Rebuilding Jerusalem, Lessons for the Church Today, centers on a difficult moment in the history of God´s people in the Old Testament. As the author writes, the fall of the city of Jerusalem and the captivity which followed, was a crushing blow to the city and the psyche of the entire Jewish state. However, not everything was lost. In the providence of God, the captives would have the opportunity to return and rebuild the city. The return was not easy, but a remnant remained, some committed individuals who yearned to return to Canaan. Based on the difficulties and setbacks the returnees would experience at every step, the author draws many insightful lessons for the church today as the end of her journey draws near. I highly recommend reading this book." -Atilio R. Dupertuis, ThD, Retired Professor of Theology, Seventh-day Adventist Seminary, Andrews University, Berrien Springs, MI "History is more than a mere record of past events. To learn the lessons history teaches sometimes requires a skilled teacher. In Rebuilding Jerusalem, Dr. Gilbert Vega becomes such a teacher. He describes historical events in a way that made me feel like I was a participant with a "big picture perspective" and then prodded me to reflect on implications for me now and for the Christian church today." -Halvard B Thomsen, DMin, Retired pastor/church administrator