The book of Nehemiah gives us a glimpse of who Jesus is in the Old Testament (O.T).
A contemporary of Ezra, leads the 3rd and last return from Babylon. Close introspection of the text in the book of Nehemiah reveals unbelievable hidden treasures as to how Nehemiah, like Ezra, is a portrayal of Christ, and not just in his first coming, but also his second.
Let’s see a quick overview of this that I beseech you to go and validate by reading the scriptures.
| Nehemiah | Jesus Christ | |
| Profession | A cupbearer to the king of Persia (2:1) | Cupbearer to the King of kings (Matthew 26:39) |
| Position | Gave up his exalted position at the right hand to the king (2:1-5) | Gave up his position at the right hand of God, and humbled himself (Philippians 2:5-8) |
| Passion | Wept over Jerusalem’s plight (1:3-4) | Wept over Jerusalem (Luke 19) |
| Protection | Defeats 3 enemies, Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem who laughed and scorned and despised him (2:19-20) | Jesus defeated Satan, the World and Sinful nature, being mocked and despised (Matthew 4:1-11; Colossians 2:13-15; Romans 6:6) |
| Priesthood | Reestablished the reading of the word of God and set the priesthood (Ezra) again before returning to the King (8:1-9; 9:13) | Presented himself ALIVE with many convincing Proofs, speaking about the things concerning the kingdom (royal priesthood) of God (Acts 1:3) |
| Passage | Returned to the king (13:4-6) | Ascended into heaven to the King (Acts 1:9-10) |
| Purification (cleansing of sin) | Returns to cleanse and throw his enemies out (13:6-9) | Will return to cleanse all sin and impurity (Zech 13:1) and throw his enemies out (Luke 13:27) and rule with a Rod of Iron (Rev 19:15) |
| Provision (of rest) | Commanded the Sabbath to be kept Holy. Restored the day of Rest. (13:22) | And to those who are troubled, rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels. (2 Thessalonians 1:7) |
Interestingly in order to provide rest for the people of God, Nehemiah has to fight, physically, some men who intermarried and had lost the language (in a sense their ability to worship the God of heaven) and you see Nehemiah says that he cursed them and smote some of them and plucked off their hair and made them swear by God. Those not so blessed with a full head of hair, don’t feel too good, The Bald, be not Bold. I am not suggesting that Jesus will pull your hair out, but you can be sure he knows the number of your hair in your head, even it is one.
In Nehemiah, Jesus in profession is the cupbearer of the wrath of God and in provision, He is the provider of Rest (the Sabbath).
