Ask
the Chinese, Hadrian, the French. History suggests that walls often do not
accomplish the ends for which they were built, although as defensive
fortifications they can serve a limited purpose. As a means to control the
movement of people they are less effective. No human wall can separate the
righteous from the evil. It is in our hearts that we build walls to keep God
from us; He honors those walls, but we are the worse for it.
The
Chinese began building defensive walls as early as the 7th Century BC. The Qin
dynasty greatly emphasized the building project (220-206 BC), tearing down
walls that divided the previously warring feudal states and completing and
connecting a defensive wall along the northern frontier. The wall that remains
to modern times was built mostly during the Ming dynasty (1368-1644 AD), being
built of bricks and stones, rather than boards and rammed earth. There are multiple lines of fortifications
because of shifting geopolitical dynamics over the course of two millennia, and
estimates of the total length of walls range from 8,850 to approximately 21,200
km, depending on what is included in the survey. The height of the sections
typically seen in modern times ranges from 5 to 8 meters with width of 5 to 6
meters. The Great Wall had multiple objectives over the many centuries when it
was built. Most builders were motivated
by the need for defensive fortifications against raids or conquest. The Qing
dynasty (1644 - 1912 AD) built a section called the Willow Palisade in
Manchuria in the late 17th century for migration control. The term "Great
Wall" was adopted for the entire network during this period.
Hadrian's
wall was built 122-128 AD during the Roman Empire's control of England, to
control raids by the Picts. It was approximately 117 km long, ranging from
3.5-6 m high, and 2-3 m wide. Its remains are a historical artifact to this
day. Its construction may have been motivated strongly by internal Roman
politics, defining the limits of the Empire, more than actual utility in
controlling invading raids or armies. In later years the Romans attempted to
control the Scottish lowlands north of the wall, up to the Antonine wall
approximately 100 km further north, but this was unsuccessful.
The
Maginot Line's purpose was to keep Germany from invading France after the First
World War. Constructed from 1930 to 1939, it consisted of a string of heavily
fortified strong points with artillery commanding the surrounding countryside.
It ran approximately 700 km from the border of Switzerland to the border of
Belgium. The German invasion of France in 1940 bypassed it by invading through
Belgium. According to some sources, this was part of the purpose of the wall,
to force Germany to violate other nations' sovereignty if/when they invaded
France, drawing them (and others, such as Great Britain) into any war with
Germany.
There
are a few common features of these
walls. They were built primarily to prevent military incursion by an armed
invader. For this reason, they had strong points or garrisons periodically
along the length of the wall, which patrolled and were able to respond to
intrusions or assaults. They had gates or openings at various points, to allow
for normal daily traffic of daily business, because the wall was not a total
bar to commerce.
How
successful were they at accomplishing their objectives? The Chinese dynasties
that were in power remained so for centuries. The Ming dynasty suffered military defeats and
it is hard to tell if the wall materially affected the outcome of their battles
or campaigns. The Roman Empire abandoned Great Britain about 410 AD. As
mentioned above, the German army made an end run around the Maginot Line,
invading France by way of Belgium in 1940. The effectiveness of the Willow
Palisade in controlling migration is hard to assess. Over the course of a few
centuries, there appears to have been some. Was it slower than it otherwise
would have been because of the wall?
Biblical
accounts of walls virtually all focus on city walls, whose purpose was twofold.
The primary purpose was to fortify the city against assault by an invader.
Another purpose was to control the entry of individuals to the city.
The
city walls of Jericho were mentioned first as an obstacle to the Israelite
spies, in that they had to escape over them (Joshua 2:15) since the gates were
shut. Nevertheless, everyone knows the ultimate outcome; "Joshua fit the
battle of Jericho and the walls came a tumblin' down." (Joshua 6:20)
The
walls of Jerusalem were symbolic of the safety and security of its inhabitants.
Notably, the end of the kingdom of Judah was marked when the walls were
breached, the city destroyed, and the king and his family were captured, circa
587 BC. (2 Kings 25) Nehemiah was devoted to rebuilding the walls as a means of
re-establishing the security and safety of the Israelites who returned to
Palestine after the Babylonian captivity circa 445 BC. (Nehemiah 2:17) The
walls were again breached, and the city leveled in 70 AD by the Romans under general
(later emperor) Titus.
When
we plan to build a wall, we need to consider its purpose, connect that purpose
to the attributes it will need to accomplish that purpose, consider the broader
context in which it will function, and lessons that previous walls might teach.
Aside from a powerful symbol of xenophobia, why would we build a wall?. Would a
wall stop people from coming here illegally? It might slow some down, but even
so there are many other venues for determined people to travel. The context for
this wall is broad. We already have border patrol, INS, innumerable laws,
regulations, and the executive orders. We have a society with a large number of
legal immigrants, and an economy in which both legal and illegal immigrants
participate. We have a pluralistic culture in every dimension imaginable.
Revelation
21:10-26 describes the new Jerusalem in considerable detail, waxing eloquent on
both walls and gates. Whether this is a spiritual metaphor or a literal future
heavenly place (or both), the key point is Revelation 21:27. The people of God are within it and no one
who practices abomination and lying shall enter. Revelation 22:15 elaborates
that outside are dogs and sorcerers and immoral persons and murderers and
idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying. Revelation 7:9 stands in
stark contrast, showing worship before the throne of God by a vast multitude no
one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language. The criterion
for those God values is clear.
Entry
via the gates is only possible through Christ; Revelation 21:21 shows the gates
as pearls, and Jesus is the Pearl of Great Price (Matthew 13:45-46). The
apostles, and the church they began by preaching the gospel, are the foundation
of the New Jerusalem. (Revelation 21:14) All are invited, but only those who
repent of their sin and receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior are actually
able to enter. Those who cling to their sin cannot come into His presence. (2
Thessalonians 1:9) Everyone wants to go to heaven. But not everyone is willing
to pay the price of surrendering to Jesus as Lord. Any wall in our hearts that
separates us from Christ must be torn down, or we will not enter in.
