We are in a Nehemiah moment – the time of the Hammer and the Sword – A Word by Christy Johnston

The Remnant is on the move. 

In a recent vision, I saw a battlefield where many of God’s sons and daughters were beginning to move all over the place into new and strategic positions of authority. Like the game of chess, I saw these soldiers moving from their previous held positions into new roles and assignments. The move wasn’t comfortable, nor did it make sense to the soldier, but the move was a setup to ‘checkmate’ the enemy. I heard the Lord say, “I am repositioning and realigning my Body into strategic places to do battle and win victory over the principalities of those regions.”

In the vision, I then saw that each soldier was given both a hammer and a sword. I then heard the Lord say, “This is a Nehemiah moment, a window of time to restore, rebuild and tear down the principalities of long-withstanding strongholds over regions and culture.”

“The remnant there in the province who had survived the exile is in great trouble and shame. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are destroyed by fire.”

Nehemiah 1:3

God is positioning these soldiers, His remnant, realigning them and moving them into unusual battle formations. I saw many being handed divine keys in this hour, while continuing to hold onto their hammer and sword. These keys would open up new assignments in earthly realms. New job opportunities, unexpected physical moves to new locations, new relationships and new roles. I heard the Lord say, “just because you did not anticipate it, does not mean that I did not plan it. Trust me in this hour, for I am setting you up for victory, and it will come swiftly, just as Nehemiah’s call to rebuild came swiftly. My swift hand of justice will cause you to rebuild in a moment, what was torn down over many generations.”

God is moving His people into a re-alignment of His will. This is strategic movement on His part, and it may not make a lot of sense in the moment, but to those who are being called, they will have an unmistakable burning within their spirit, as the Holy Spirit speaks, ‘move this way, walk in this direction.’ The direction may not come with all of the answers, but take that first step. Seek confirmation, but don’t be afraid to follow His leading, for where He is leading you may not feel comfortable or make a lot of sense in the moment, but it is a strategic repositioning that is going to surprise you with victorious outcomes.

Stay on guard against the spirit of intimidation. 

In the midst of the vision of this great re-positioning, I saw the enemy prowling to intimidate. He began to surround soldiers with questions and intimidations. “Who are you to think you can have authority over this?” “You don’t have what it takes to fulfill this task from the Lord.” “Have you forgotten where you came from… Who your family is? Have you gotten too full of yourself? Do you need to be taken down a notch?” I then saw, that these questions and intimidations came through the form of friends of the soldiers, some family members and even some fellow Christians surrounding the soldiers on the field, poking and prodding them to bow to the harassment.

The spirit of intimidation won’t always come through the world, its voice will sometimes echo through those we love, treasure and hold in high esteem the most, which can often be the hardest battle to overcome. I am here to remind you, you are going to NEED to be filled to overflowing with the Word of God in this hour if you are to fully step into the new assignment He has for you. Pour over the scriptures that remind you of who you are in Christ Jesus. Fill your soul and your spirit with what the Lord says about you. Forgive those that harass, love them, bless them, but ignore their words and keep moving.

Nehemiah faced this spirt through Sanballat and Tobiah. Their names mean, “Enemy in secret’ and ‘Yahweh is Good.’ The enemy often comes in secret, through those who love the Lord themselves, their intentions may be ‘good’ but through insecurities of their own, they bend their voice to the will of the serpent and become voices of intimidation. Stay on guard. You can disarm this spirit by loving and blessing them in return, but continuing to stay in the Word and in the will of the Lord by moving on with the work He has set before you. This is why you will need the sword- it is the sword of His Word.

A time to rebuild.

I have been seeing the numbers 444 repetitively as of late. The number 4 in Hebrew holds historic and prophetic significance.  It represents authority, government, rule, dominion, time, fullness and Holy Spirit. As I was studying the story of Nehemiah, I was amazed to discover that Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem and rebuilt the walls, all within the year of 444BC. The Lord is resounding this message right now, that we are in a Nehemiah window of time to rebuild divine government, assert Christ-authority, rule and dominion over the strongman that is set up over regions, and to restore the fullness of the Holy Spirit within the Body of Christ. It is a time of rebuilding the foundations, rebuilding the walls that have been devastated by the generations. This is the hammer in the vision. It is the restoring of God’s ideas, God’s plans and God’s foundations over every fabric of society, from government to cultural thoughts and ideologies. God is calling His soldiers to hammer into smithereens the idols that both the church and the world has erected. Idols of thought and speech, idols of self, idols of ‘man-made’ ideologies, idols that have set themselves against the one true God.

Isaiah 61:4

They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations.

The Lord is looking for a people right now who will say, “send me, and I will go.” He is looking for a people who will trust Him in the midst of the discomfort of change, who will follow Him to the ends of the earth. He is positioning His people right now for ordained victory to tear down the altars and rebuild the walls.

Who will go?

Keys for the soldier:

• Do not neglect your time in the Word of God in this hour. While there are many pressing issues at hand, there is none more pressing than keeping your oil full. If you do not, you will be wholly susceptible to the voices of intimidation, and will likely\be unable to withstand the lies. Keep your oil full and you will be able to move with confidence in the direction God is sending you. You are needed, your voice is needed, your assignment is NEEDED, so STAY on guard and in the Word.
• Do not be afraid to confront the idols and smash them to smithereens. “Is not my word like fire,” declares the LORD, “and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?” Jeremiah 23:29 The soldier of God MUST be BOLD in this hour to confront the principalities of darkness and claim back the territory that belongs to the Lord.
• Pray unceasingly. Pray in tongues throughout the day, take communion daily. Keep your spirit filled with what the Lord is saying and don’t be moved until you see His Kingdom established over your regions.