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RESEARCH - GATES / GATEKEEPERS / GATEWAYS - according to Scripture
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GATES - ACCORDING TO SCRIPTURE (from NIV) and from BibleGateway
Gates, gateways and gatekeeps, etc. have much significance in the Bible...both in terms of physical realities but even more so of spiritual realities behind the physical realities.
As we are seeking to cooperate with what the Holy Spirit is wanting to do in working together to see God's purposes brought into being in the Gateway region - the GATEWAY to not only the Lower Mainland but a major Gateway to the nation, it would do us well to gain a better understanding of the significance that Scripture places on the realities represented in 'gates', etc.
Excellent article about the various GATES of the wall in
the book of Nehemiah
Nehemiah:
Rebuilding the Walls - Ray Stedman
More about the significance of GATES, etc.: Kingdom
Walls and Gates
Understanding
Spiritual Gates
Unlocking The Ancient Door
Revealing the Ancient of Days
More articles and info about 'gates'
Biblical Keys to Unlock Spiritual Gates/Gateways
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"Violence shall no longer be heard in your land, neither wasting nor destruction within your borders; but you shall call your walls Salvation, and your Gates Praise Isaiah 60:18
"Open the gates, that the righteous nation which keeps the truth may enter in." Isaiah 26:2
EASTON'S BIBLE DICTIONARY SAYS:
"At the gates of cities courts of justice were frequently held, and hence "judges of the gate" are spoken of (Deuteronomy 16:18; 17:8; 21:19; 25:6,7, etc.). At the gates prophets also frequently delivered their messages (Proverbs 1:21; 8:3; Isaiah 29:21; Jeremiah 17:19,20; 26:10). Criminals were punished without the gates (1 Kings 21:13; Acts 7:59). By the "gates of righteousness" we are probably to understand those of the temple (Psalms 118:19). "The gates of hell" (RSV, "gates of Hades") Matthew 16:18, are generally interpreted as meaning the power of Satan, but probably they may mean the power of death, denoting that the Church of Christ shall never die."
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Genesis 19:1
The two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening, and Lot
was sitting in the gateway of the city. When he saw them, he got up
to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground.
Genesis 23:10
Ephron the Hittite was sitting among his people and he replied to Abraham
in the hearing of all the Hittites who had come to the
gate of his city.
Genesis 23:18
to Abraham as his property in the presence of all the Hittites who
had come to the gate of the city.
Genesis 24:60
And they blessed Rebekah and said to her, "Our sister, may you increase
to thousands upon thousands; may your offspring possess
the gates of their enemies."
Genesis 28:17
He was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place!
This is none other than the house of God; this
is the gate of heaven."
Genesis 34:20
So Hamor and his son Shechem went to the gate of their
city to speak to their fellow townsmen.
Genesis 34:24
All the men who went out of the city gate agreed with Hamor and his son Shechem,
and every male in the city was circumcised.
Exodus 20:10
but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not
do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or
maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within
your gates.
Deuteronomy 3:5
All these cities were fortified with high walls and
with gates and bars, and there were also a great many unwalled villages.
Deuteronomy 5:14
but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not
do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or
maidservant, nor your ox, your donkey or any of your animals, nor the alien
within your gates, so that your manservant and maidservant may rest, as you
do.
Deuteronomy 6:9
Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your
gates.
Deuteronomy 11:10
The land you are entering to take over is not like the land of Egypt, from
which you have come, where you planted your seed and irrigated it by foot
as in a vegetable garden.
Deuteronomy 11:20
Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates,
Deuteronomy 17:5
take the man or woman who has done this evil deed to your city gate and stone
that person to death.
Deuteronomy 20:11
If they accept and open their gates, all the people in it shall be subject
to forced labor and shall work for you.
Deuteronomy 21:19
his father and mother shall take hold of him and bring him to the elders at
the gate of his town.
Deuteronomy 22:15
then the girl's father and mother shall bring proof that she was a virgin
to the town elders at the gate.
Deuteronomy 22:24
you shall take both of them to the gate of that town and stone them to death-the
girl because she was in a town and did not scream for help, and the man because
he violated another man's wife. You must purge the evil from among you.
Deuteronomy 25:7
However, if a man does not want to marry his brother's wife, she shall go
to the elders at the town gate and say, "My husband's brother refuses
to carry on his brother's name in Israel. He will not fulfill the duty of
a brother-in-law to me."
Deuteronomy 33:25
The bolts of your gates will be
iron and bronze, and your strength will equal
your days.
Joshua 2:5
At dusk, when it was time to close the city gate, the men left. I don't know
which way they went. Go after them quickly. You may catch up with them."
Joshua 2:7
So the men set out in pursuit of the spies on the road that leads to the fords
of the Jordan, and as soon as the pursuers had gone out, the gate was shut.
Joshua 6:26
At that time Joshua pronounced this solemn oath: "Cursed before the LORD
is the man who undertakes to rebuild this city, Jericho: "At the cost
of his firstborn son will he lay its foundations; at the cost of his youngest
will he set up its gates."
Joshua 7:5
who killed about thirty-six of them. They chased the Israelites from the city
gate as far as the stone quarries [ 7:5 Or [ as far as Shebarim ] ] and struck
them down on the slopes. At this the hearts of the people melted and became
like water.
Joshua 8:29
He hung the king of Ai on a tree and left him there until evening. At sunset,
Joshua ordered them to take his body from the tree and throw it down at the
entrance of the city gate. And they raised a large pile of rocks over it,
which remains to this day.
Joshua 20:4
"When he flees to one of these cities, he is to stand in the entrance
of the city gate and state his case before the elders of that city.
Then they are to admit him into their city and give him a place to live with
them.
Judges 5:8
When they chose new gods, war came to the city gates, and not a shield or
spear was seen among forty thousand in Israel.
Judges 5:11
the voice of the singers [ 5:11 Or [ archers ] ; the meaning of the Hebrew
for this word is uncertain. ] at the watering places. They recite the righteous
acts of the LORD , the righteous acts of his warriors [ 5:11 Or [ villagers
] ] in Israel. "Then the people of the LORD went down to the city gates.
Judges 9:35
Now Gaal son of Ebed had gone out and was standing at the entrance to the
city gate just as Abimelech and his soldiers came out from their hiding place.
Judges 9:40
Abimelech chased him, and many fell wounded in the flight-all the way to the
entrance to the gate.
Judges 9:44
Abimelech and the companies with him rushed forward to a position at the entrance
to the city gate. Then two companies rushed upon those in the fields and struck
them down.
Judges 16:2
The people of Gaza were told, "Samson is here!" So they surrounded
the place and lay in wait for him all night at the city gate. They made no
move during the night, saying, "At dawn we'll kill him."
Judges 16:3
But Samson lay there only until the middle of the night. Then he got up and
took hold of the doors of the city gate, together with the two posts, and
tore them loose, bar and all. He lifted them to his shoulders and carried
them to the top of the hill that faces Hebron.
Judges 18:16
The six hundred Danites, armed for battle, stood at
the entrance to the gate.
Judges 18:17
The five men who had spied out the land went inside and took the carved image,
the ephod, the other household gods and the cast idol while the priest and
the six hundred armed men stood at the entrance to the gate.
Ruth 4:1
Meanwhile Boaz went up to the town gate and sat there.
When the kinsman-redeemer he had mentioned came along, Boaz said, "Come
over here, my friend, and sit down." So he went over and sat down.
Ruth 4:11
Then the elders and all those at the gate said, "We are witnesses. May
the LORD make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah,
who together built up the house of Israel. May you have standing in Ephrathah
and be famous in Bethlehem.
1 Samuel 4:18
When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell backward off his chair by the side
of the gate. His neck was broken and he died, for he was an old man and heavy.
He had led [ 4:18 Traditionally [ judged ] ] Israel forty years.
1 Samuel 9:18
Saul approached Samuel in the gateway and asked, "Would you please tell
me where the seer's house is?"
1 Samuel 17:52
Then the men of Israel and Judah surged forward with a shout and pursued the
Philistines to the entrance of Gath [ 17:52 Some Septuagint manuscripts; Hebrew
[ a valley ] ] and to the gates of Ekron. Their dead were strewn along the
Shaaraim road to Gath and Ekron.
1 Samuel 21:13
So he pretended to be insane in their presence; and while he was in their
hands he acted like a madman, making marks on the doors of the gate and letting
saliva run down his beard.
1 Samuel 23:7
Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah, and he said, "God has handed
him over to me, for David has imprisoned himself by
entering a town with gates and bars."
2 Samuel 3:27
Now when Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into the gateway, as
though to speak with him privately. And there, to avenge the blood of his
brother Asahel, Joab stabbed him in the stomach, and he died.
2 Samuel 10:8
The Ammonites came out and drew up in battle formation
at the entrance to their city gate, while the Arameans of Zobah and
Rehob and the men of Tob and Maacah were by themselves in the open country.
2 Samuel 11:23
The messenger said to David, "The men overpowered
us and came out against us in the open, but we drove them back to the entrance
to the city gate.
2 Samuel 15:2
He would get up early and stand by the side of the road leading to the city
gate. Whenever anyone came with a complaint to be placed before the king for
a decision, Absalom would call out to him, "What town are you from?"
He would answer, "Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel."
2 Samuel 18:4
The king answered, "I will do whatever seems best to you." So the
king stood beside the gate while all the men marched out in units of hundreds
and of thousands.
2 Samuel 18:24
While David was sitting between the inner and outer gates, the watchman went
up to the roof of the gateway by the wall. As he looked out, he saw a man
running alone.
2 Samuel 18:26
Then the watchman saw another man running, and he called down to the gatekeeper,
"Look, another man running alone!" The king said, "He must
be bringing good news, too."
2 Samuel 18:33
The king was shaken. He went up to the room over the gateway and wept. As
he went, he said: "O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only
I had died instead of you-O Absalom, my son, my son!"
2 Samuel 19:8
So the king got up and took his seat in the gateway. When the men were told,
"The king is sitting in the gateway," they
all came before him. [ David Returns to Jerusalem ] Meanwhile, the
Israelites had fled to their homes.
2 Samuel 23:15
David longed for water and said, "Oh, that someone would get me a drink
of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!"
2 Samuel 23:16
So the three mighty men broke through the Philistine lines, drew water from
the well near the gate of Bethlehem and carried it back to David. But he refused
to drink it; instead, he poured it out before the LORD .
1 Kings 4:13
Ben-Geber-in Ramoth Gilead (the settlements of Jair son of Manasseh in Gilead
were his, as well as the district of Argob in Bashan and its sixty large
walled cities with bronze gate bars);
1 Kings 16:34
In Ahab's time, Hiel of Bethel rebuilt Jericho. He laid
its foundations at the cost of his firstborn son Abiram, and he set up its
gates at the cost of his youngest son Segub, in accordance with the
word of the LORD spoken by Joshua son of Nun.
1 Kings 17:10
So he went to Zarephath. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there
gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, "Would you bring me a little
water in a jar so I may have a drink?"
1 Kings 22:10
Dressed in their royal robes, the king of Israel and
Jehoshaphat king of Judah were sitting on their thrones at the threshing floor
by the entrance of the gate of Samaria, with all the prophets prophesying
before them.
2 Kings 7:1
Elisha said, "Hear the word of the LORD . This is what the LORD says:
About this time tomorrow, a seah [ 7:1 That is, probably about 7 quarts (about
7.3 liters); also in verses 16 and 18 ] of flour will sell for a shekel [
7:1 That is, about 2/5 ounce (about 11 grams); also in verses 16 and 18 ]
and two seahs [ 7:1 That is, probably about 13 quarts (about 15 liters); also
in verses 16 and 18 ] of barley for a shekel at the gate of Samaria."
2 Kings 7:3
Now there were four men with leprosy [ 7:3 The Hebrew word is used for various
diseases affecting the skin-not necessarily leprosy; also in verse 8. ] at
the entrance of the city gate. They said to each other, "Why stay here
until we die?
2 Kings 7:10
So they went and called out to the city gatekeepers
and told them, "We went into the Aramean camp and not a man was there-not
a sound of anyone-only tethered horses and donkeys, and the tents left just
as they were."
2 Kings 7:11
The gatekeepers shouted the news, and it was
reported within the palace.
2 Kings 7:17
Now the king had put the officer on whose arm he leaned in charge of the gate,
and the people trampled him in the gateway, and he died, just as the man of
God had foretold when the king came down to his house.
2 Kings 7:18
It happened as the man of God had said to the king: "About this time
tomorrow, a seah of flour will sell for a shekel and two seahs of barley for
a shekel at the gate of Samaria."
2 Kings 7:20
And that is exactly what happened to him, for the people trampled him in the
gateway, and he died.
2 Kings 9:31
As Jehu entered the gate, she asked, "Have you come in peace, Zimri,
you murderer of your master?" [ 9:31 Or [ "Did Zimri have peace,
who murdered his master?" ] ]
2 Kings 10:8
When the messenger arrived, he told Jehu, "They have brought the heads
of the princes." Then Jehu ordered, "Put them in two piles at the
entrance of the city gate until morning."
2 Kings 11:6
a third at the Sur Gate, and a third at the gate behind the guard, who take
turns guarding the temple-
2 Kings 11:19
He took with him the commanders of hundreds, the Carites, the guards and all
the people of the land, and together they brought the king down from the temple
of the LORD and went into the palace, entering by way of the gate of the guards.
The king then took his place on the royal throne,
2 Kings 14:13
Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, the
son of Ahaziah, at Beth Shemesh. Then Jehoash went to Jerusalem and broke
down the wall of Jerusalem from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate-a section
about six hundred feet long. [ 14:13 Hebrew [ four hundred cubits ] (about
180 meters) ]
2 Kings 15:16
At that time Menahem, starting out from Tirzah, attacked Tiphsah and everyone
in the city and its vicinity, because they refused to open their gates. He
sacked Tiphsah and ripped open all the pregnant women
2 Kings 15:35
The high places, however, were not removed; the people continued to offer
sacrifices and burn incense there. Jotham rebuilt the Upper Gate of the temple
of the LORD .
2 Kings 23:8
Josiah brought all the priests from the towns of Judah and desecrated the
high places, from Geba to Beersheba, where the priests had burned incense.
He broke down the shrines [ 23:8 Or [ high places ] ] at the gates-at the
entrance to the Gate of Joshua, the city governor, which is on the left of
the city gate.
2 Kings 25:4
Then the city wall was broken through, and the whole army fled at night through
the gate between the two walls near the king's garden, though the Babylonians
[ 25:4 Or [ Chaldeans ] ; also in verses 13, 25 and 26 ] were surrounding
the city. They fled toward the Arabah, [ 25:4 Or [ the Jordan Valley ] ]
1 Chronicles 9:17
The gatekeepers: Shallum, Akkub, Talmon, Ahiman and their brothers, Shallum
their chief
1 Chronicles 9:18
being stationed at the King's Gate on the east, up to the present time. These
were the gatekeepers belonging to the camp of the Levites.
1 Chronicles 9:19
Shallum son of Kore, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, and his fellow
gatekeepers from his family (the Korahites) were responsible for guarding
the thresholds of the Tent [ 9:19 That is, the temple; also in verses 21 and
23 ] just as their fathers had been responsible for guarding the entrance
to the dwelling of the LORD .
1 Chronicles 9:20
In earlier times Phinehas son of Eleazar was in charge of the gatekeepers,
and the LORD was with him.
1 Chronicles 9:21
Zechariah son of Meshelemiah was the gatekeeper at the
entrance to the Tent of Meeting.
1 Chronicles 9:22
Altogether, those chosen to be gatekeepers at the thresholds
numbered 212. They were registered by genealogy in their villages. The gatekeepers
had been assigned to their positions of trust by David and Samuel the seer.
1 Chronicles 9:23
They and their descendants were in charge of guarding the gates of the house
of the LORD -the house called the Tent.
1 Chronicles 9:24
The gatekeepers were on the four sides: east, west,
north and south.
1 Chronicles 9:26
But the four principal gatekeepers, who were Levites, were entrusted with
the responsibility for the rooms and treasuries in the house of God.
1 Chronicles 11:17
David longed for water and said, "Oh, that someone would get me a drink
of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!"
1 Chronicles 11:18
So the Three broke through the Philistine lines, drew water from the well
near the gate of Bethlehem and carried it back to David. But he refused to
drink it; instead, he poured it out before the LORD .
1 Chronicles 15:18
and with them their brothers next in rank: Zechariah, [ 15:18 Three Hebrew
manuscripts and most Septuagint manuscripts (see also verse 20 and 1 Chron.
16:5); most Hebrew manuscripts [ Zechariah son and ] or [ Zechariah, Ben and
] ] Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah,
Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom and Jeiel, [ 15:18 Hebrew; Septuagint (see
also verse 21) [ Jeiel and Azaziah ] ] the gatekeepers.
1 Chronicles 16:38
He also left Obed-Edom and his sixty-eight associates to minister with them.
Obed-Edom son of Jeduthun, and also Hosah, were gatekeepers.
1 Chronicles 16:42
Heman and Jeduthun were responsible for the sounding of the trumpets and cymbals
and for the playing of the other instruments for sacred song. The sons of
Jeduthun were stationed at the gate.
1 Chronicles 22:3
He provided a large amount of iron to make nails for the doors of the gateways
and for the fittings, and more bronze than could be weighed.
1 Chronicles 23:5
Four thousand are to be gatekeepers and four thousand are to praise the LORD
with the musical instruments I have provided for that purpose."
1 Chronicles 26:1
The divisions of the gatekeepers: From the Korahites:
Meshelemiah son of Kore, one of the sons of Asaph.
1 Chronicles 26:12
These divisions of the gatekeepers, through their chief
men, had duties for ministering in the temple of the LORD , just as their
relatives had.
1 Chronicles 26:13
Lots were cast for each gate, according to their families, young and old alike.
1 Chronicles 26:14
The lot for the East Gate fell to Shelemiah. [ 26:14 A variant of [ Meshelemiah
] ] Then lots were cast for his son Zechariah, a wise counselor, and the lot
for the North Gate fell to him.
1 Chronicles 26:15
The lot for the South Gate fell to Obed-Edom, and the lot for the storehouse
fell to his sons.
1 Chronicles 26:16
The lots for the West Gate and the Shalleketh Gate on the upper road fell
to Shuppim and Hosah. Guard was alongside of guard:
1 Chronicles 26:19
These were the divisions of the gatekeepers who were descendants of Korah
and Merari.
2 Chronicles 8:5
He rebuilt Upper Beth Horon and Lower Beth Horon as fortified cities, with
walls and with gates and bars,
2 Chronicles 8:14
In keeping with the ordinance of his father David, he appointed the divisions
of the priests for their duties, and the Levites to lead the praise and to
assist the priests according to each day's requirement. He also appointed
the gatekeepers by divisions for the various gates, because this was what
David the man of God had ordered.
2 Chronicles 14:7
"Let us build up these towns," he
said to Judah, "and put walls around them, with towers, gates and bars.
The land is still ours, because we have sought the LORD our God; we sought
him and he has given us rest on every side." So they built and prospered.
2 Chronicles 18:9
Dressed in their royal robes, the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah
were sitting on their thrones at the threshing floor by the entrance to the
gate of Samaria, with all the prophets prophesying before them.
2 Chronicles 23:5
a third of you at the royal palace and a third at the Foundation
Gate, and all the other men are to be in the courtyards of the temple
of the LORD .
2 Chronicles 23:15
So they seized her as she reached the entrance of the Horse Gate on the palace
grounds, and there they put her to death.
2 Chronicles 23:19
He also stationed doorkeepers at the gates of the LORD's temple so that no
one who was in any way unclean might enter.
2 Chronicles 23:20
He took with him the commanders of hundreds, the nobles, the rulers of the
people and all the people of the land and brought the king down from the temple
of the LORD . They went into the palace through the Upper Gate and seated
the king on the royal throne,
2 Chronicles 24:8
At the king's command, a chest was made and placed outside, at the gate of
the temple of the LORD .
2 Chronicles 25:23
Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, the
son of Ahaziah, [ 25:23 Hebrew [ Jehoahaz ] [,] a variant of Ahaziah ] at
Beth Shemesh. Then Jehoash brought him to Jerusalem and broke down the wall
of Jerusalem from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate-a section about six
hundred feet [ 25:23 Hebrew [ four hundred cubits ] (about 180 meters) ] long.
2 Chronicles 26:9
Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate, at the Valley Gate and
at the angle of the wall, and he fortified them.
2 Chronicles 27:3
Jotham rebuilt the Upper Gate of the temple of the LORD and did extensive
work on the wall at the hill of Ophel.
2 Chronicles 31:2
Hezekiah assigned the priests and Levites to divisions-each of them according
to their duties as priests or Levites-to offer burnt offerings and fellowship
offerings, [ 31:2 Traditionally [ peace offerings ] ] to minister, to give
thanks and to sing praises at the gates of the LORD's dwelling.
2 Chronicles 31:14
Kore son of Imnah the Levite, keeper of the East Gate, was in charge of the
freewill offerings given to God, distributing the contributions made to the
LORD and also the consecrated gifts.
2 Chronicles 32:6
He appointed military officers over the people and assembled them before him
in the square at the city gate and encouraged them with these words: (check
out what he said..)
2 Chronicles 33:14
Afterward he rebuilt the outer wall of the City of David, west of the Gihon
spring in the valley, as far as the entrance of the Fish Gate and encircling
the hill of Ophel; he also made it much higher. He stationed military commanders
in all the fortified cities in Judah.
2 Chronicles 35:15
The musicians, the descendants of Asaph, were
in the places prescribed by David, Asaph, Heman and Jeduthun the king's seer.
The gatekeepers at each gate did not need to leave their posts, because their
fellow Levites made the preparations for them.
Ezra 2:42
The gatekeepers of the temple: the descendants
of Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita and Shobai 139
Ezra 2:70
The priests, the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers and the temple servants
settled in their own towns, along with some of the other people, and the rest
of the Israelites settled in their towns.
Ezra 7:7
Some of the Israelites, including priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers and
temple servants, also came up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes.
Ezra 7:24
You are also to know that you have no authority to impose taxes, tribute or
duty on any of the priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, temple servants
or other workers at this house of God.
Ezra 10:16
So the exiles did as was proposed. Ezra the priest selected men who were family
heads, one from each family division, and all of them designated by name.
On the first day of the tenth month they sat down to investigate the cases,
Ezra 10:24
From the singers: Eliashib. From the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem and Uri.
Nehemiah 1:3
They said to me, "Those who survived the exile and are back in the province
are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and
its gates have been burned with fire."
Nehemiah 2:3
but I said to the king, "May the king live forever! Why should my face
not look sad when the city where my fathers are buried lies in ruins, and
its gates have been destroyed by fire?"
Nehemiah 2:8
And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the king's forest, so he will
give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel by the temple and
for the city wall and for the residence I will occupy?" And because the
gracious hand of my God was upon me, the king granted my requests.
Nehemiah 2:13
By night I went out through the Valley Gate toward the Jackal [ 2:13 Or [
Serpent ] or [ Fig ] ] Well and the Dung Gate, examining the walls of Jerusalem,
which had been broken down, and its gates, which had been destroyed by fire.
Nehemiah 2:14
Then I moved on toward the Fountain Gate and the King's Pool, but there was
not enough room for my mount to get through;
Nehemiah 2:15
so I went up the valley by night, examining the wall.
Finally, I turned back and reentered through the Valley Gate.
Nehemiah 2:17
Then I said to them, "You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in
ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the
wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace."
Nehemiah 3:1
Eliashib the high priest and his fellow priests went to work and rebuilt the
Sheep Gate. They dedicated it and set its doors in place, building as far
as the Tower of the Hundred, which they dedicated, and as far as the Tower
of Hananel.
Nehemiah 3:3
The Fish Gate was rebuilt by the sons of Hassenaah. They laid its beams and
put its doors and bolts and bars in place.
Nehemiah 3:6
The Jeshanah [ 3:6 Or [ Old ] ] Gate was repaired by Joiada son of Paseah
and Meshullam son of Besodeiah. They laid its beams
and put its doors and bolts and bars in place.
Nehemiah 3:13
The Valley Gate was repaired by Hanun and the residents of Zanoah. They rebuilt
it and put its doors and bolts and bars in place. They also repaired five
hundred yards [ 3:13 Hebrew [ a thousand cubits ] (about 450 meters) ] of
the wall as far as the Dung Gate.
Nehemiah 3:14
The Dung Gate was repaired by Malkijah son of Recab, ruler of the district
of Beth Hakkerem. He rebuilt it and put its doors and
bolts and bars in place.
(JESUS IS THE DOOR - the GATE - sheep gate - )
Nehemiah 3:15
The Fountain Gate was repaired by Shallun son of Col-Hozeh, ruler of the district
of Mizpah. He rebuilt it, roofing it over and putting
its doors and bolts and bars in place. He also repaired the wall of
the Pool of Siloam, [ 3:15 Hebrew [ Shelah ] [,] a variant of Shiloah , that
is, Siloam ] by the King's Garden, as far as the steps going down from the
City of David.
Nehemiah 3:26
and the temple servants living on the hill of Ophel made repairs up to a point
opposite the Water Gate toward the east and the projecting tower.
Nehemiah 3:28
Above the Horse Gate, the priests made repairs, each
in front of his own house.
Nehemiah 3:29
Next to them, Zadok son of Immer made repairs opposite his house. Next to
him, Shemaiah son of Shecaniah, the guard at the East Gate, made repairs.
Nehemiah 3:31
Next to him, Malkijah, one of the goldsmiths, made repairs as far as the house
of the temple servants and the merchants, opposite the Inspection Gate, and
as far as the room above the corner;
Nehemiah 3:32
and between the room above the corner and the Sheep Gate the goldsmiths and
merchants made repairs.
Nehemiah 5:16
Instead, I devoted myself to the work on this wall. All my men were assembled
there for the work; we [ 5:16 Most Hebrew manuscripts; some Hebrew manuscripts,
Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac ] did not acquire any land.
Nehemiah 6:1
When word came to Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab and the rest of our enemies
that I had rebuilt the wall and not a gap was left in it-though up to that
time I had not set the doors in the gates-
Nehemiah 7:1
After the wall had been rebuilt and I had set the doors in place, the gatekeepers
and the singers and the Levites were appointed.
Nehemiah 7:3
I said to them, "The gates of Jerusalem are not to be opened
until the sun is hot. While the gatekeepers are still on duty, have them shut
the doors and bar them. Also appoint residents of Jerusalem as guards, some
at their posts and some near their own houses."
Nehemiah 7:45
The gatekeepers: the descendants of Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita and
Shobai 138
Nehemiah 7:73
The priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers and the temple servants,
along with certain of the people and the rest of the Israelites, settled in
their own towns. [ Ezra Reads the Law ] When the seventh month came
and the Israelites had settled in their towns,
Nehemiah 8:1
all the people assembled as one man in the square before the Water Gate. They
told Ezra the scribe to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the
LORD had commanded for Israel.
Nehemiah 8:3
He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the
Water Gate in the presence of the men, women and others who could understand.
And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.
Nehemiah 8:16
So the people went out and brought back branches and built themselves booths
on their own roofs, in their courtyards, in the courts of the house of God
and in the square by the Water Gate and the one by the Gate of Ephraim.
Nehemiah 10:28
"The rest of the people-priests, Levites, gatekeepers, singers, temple
servants and all who separated themselves from the neighboring peoples for
the sake of the Law of God, together with their wives and all their sons and
daughters who are able to understand-
Nehemiah 10:39
The people of Israel, including the Levites, are to bring their contributions
of grain, new wine and oil to the storerooms where the articles for the sanctuary
are kept and where the ministering priests, the gatekeepers and the singers
stay. "We will not neglect the house of our God."
Nehemiah 11:19
The gatekeepers: Akkub, Talmon and their associates, who kept watch at the
gates-172 men.
Nehemiah 12:25
Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon and Akkub were
gatekeepers who guarded the storerooms at the gates
Nehemiah 12:30
When the priests and Levites had purified themselves ceremonially, they purified
the people, the gates and the wall.
Nehemiah 12:31
I had the leaders of Judah go up on top [ 12:31 Or [ go alongside ] ] of the
wall. I also assigned two large choirs to give thanks. One was to proceed
on top [ 12:31 Or [ proceed alongside ] ] of the wall to the right, toward
the Dung Gate.
Nehemiah 12:37
At the Fountain Gate they continued directly up the steps of the City of David
on the ascent to the wall and passed above the house of David to the Water
Gate on the east.
Nehemiah 12:39
over the Gate of Ephraim, the Jeshanah [ 12:39 Or [ Old ] ] Gate, the Fish
Gate, the Tower of Hananel and the Tower of the Hundred, as far as the Sheep
Gate. At the Gate of the Guard they stopped.
Nehemiah 12:45
They performed the service of their God and the service of purification, as
did also the singers and gatekeepers, according to the commands of David and
his son Solomon.
Nehemiah 12:47
So in the days of Zerubbabel and of Nehemiah, all Israel contributed the daily
portions for the singers and gatekeepers. They also set aside the portion
for the other Levites, and the Levites set aside the portion for the descendants
of Aaron.
Nehemiah 13:5
and he had provided him with a large room formerly used to store the grain
offerings and incense and temple articles, and also the tithes of grain, new
wine and oil prescribed for the Levites, singers and gatekeepers, as well
as the contributions for the priests.
Nehemiah 13:19
When evening shadows fell on the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, I
ordered the doors to be shut and not opened until the Sabbath was over. I
stationed some of my own men at the gates so that no load could be brought
in on the Sabbath day.
Nehemiah 13:22
Then I commanded the Levites to purify themselves and go and guard the gates
in order to keep the Sabbath day holy. Remember me for this also, O my God,
and show mercy to me according to your great love.
Esther 2:19
When the virgins were assembled a second time, Mordecai was sitting at the
king's gate.
Esther 2:21
During the time Mordecai was sitting at the king's gate, Bigthana [ 2:21 Hebrew
[ Bigthan ] [,] a variant of Bigthana ] and Teresh, two of the king's officers
who guarded the doorway, became angry and conspired to assassinate King Xerxes.
Esther 2:23
And when the report was investigated and found to be true, the two officials
were hanged on a gallows. [ 2:23 Or [ were hung ] (or [ impaled ] ) on poles
; similarly elsewhere in Esther ] All this was recorded in the book of the
annals in the presence of the king.
Esther 3:2
All the royal officials at the king's gate knelt down and paid honor to Haman,
for the king had commanded this concerning him. But Mordecai would not kneel
down or pay him honor.
Esther 3:3
Then the royal officials at the king's gate asked Mordecai, "Why do you
disobey the king's command?"
Esther 4:2
But he went only as far as the king's gate, because no one clothed in sackcloth
was allowed to enter it.
Esther 4:6
So Hathach went out to Mordecai in the open square of the city in front of
the king's gate.
Esther 5:9
Haman went out that day happy and in high spirits. But when he saw Mordecai
at the king's gate and observed that he neither rose nor showed fear in his
presence, he was filled with rage against Mordecai.
Esther 5:13
But all this gives me no satisfaction as long as I see that Jew Mordecai sitting
at the king's gate."
Esther 6:10
"Go at once," the king commanded Haman. "Get the robe and the
horse and do just as you have suggested for Mordecai the Jew, who sits at
the king's gate. Do not neglect anything you have recommended."
Esther 6:12
Afterward Mordecai returned to the king's gate. But Haman rushed home, with
his head covered in grief,
Job 17:16
Will it go down to the gates of death [ 17:16 Hebrew [ Sheol ] ] ? Will we
descend together into the dust?"
Job 29:7
"When I went to the gate of the city and took my seat in the public square
Job 38:17
Have the gates of death been shown to you? Have
you seen the gates of the shadow of death [ 38:17
Or [ gates of deep shadows ] ] ?
Psalm 9:13
O LORD , see how my enemies persecute me! Have mercy and lift me up from the
gates of death,
Psalm 9:14
that I may declare your praises in the gates of the Daughter of Zion and there
rejoice in your salvation.
Psalm 24:7
Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the
King of glory may come in.
Psalm 24:9
Lift up your heads, O you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the
King of glory may come in.
Psalm 69:12
Those who sit at the gate mock me, and I am the song of the drunkards.
Psalm 87:2
the LORD loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.
Psalm 100:4
Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks
to him and praise his name.
Psalm 107:16
for he breaks down gates of bronze and cuts through bars of iron.
Psalm 107:18
They loathed all food and drew near the gates of death.
Psalm 118:19
Open for me the gates of righteousness;
I will enter and give thanks to the LORD .
Psalm 118:20
This is the gate of the LORD through which the righteous
may enter.
Psalm 122:2
Our feet are standing in your gates, O Jerusalem.
Psalm 127:5
Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They
will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate.
Psalm 147:13
for he strengthens the bars of your gates and
blesses your people within you.
Proverbs 1:21
at the head of the noisy streets [ 1:21 Hebrew; Septuagint [ / on the tops
of the walls ] ] she cries out, in the gateways of the
city she makes her speech: (Wisdom)
Proverbs 8:3
beside the gates leading into the city, at the entrances,
she cries aloud: (wisdom)
Proverbs 14:19
Evil men will bow down in the presence of the good,
and the wicked at the gates of the righteous.
Proverbs 17:19
He who loves a quarrel loves sin; he who builds a high gate invites destruction.
Proverbs 18:19
An offended brother is more unyielding than a fortified city, and disputes
are like the barred gates of a citadel.
Proverbs 24:7
Wisdom is too high for a fool; in the assembly at the gate he has nothing
to say.
Proverbs 31:23
Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he
takes his seat among the elders of the land.
Proverbs 31:31
Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works
bring her praise at the city gate.
Isaiah 3:26
The gates of Zion will lament and mourn; destitute,
she will sit on the ground.
Isaiah 13:2
Raise a banner on a bare hilltop, shout to
them; beckon to them to enter the gates of the nobles.
Isaiah 14:31
Wail, O gate! Howl, O city! Melt away, all you Philistines! A cloud of smoke
comes from the north, and there is not a straggler in its ranks.
Isaiah 22:7
Your choicest valleys are full of chariots, and horsemen are posted at the
city gates;
Isaiah 24:12
The city is left in ruins, its gate is battered to pieces.
Isaiah 26:2
Open the gates that the righteous nation may
enter, the nation that keeps faith.
Isaiah 28:6
He will be a spirit of justice to him who sits
in judgment, a source of strength to those who turn
back the battle at the gate.
Isaiah 38:10
I said, "In the prime of my life must I go through the gates
of death [ 38:10 Hebrew [ Sheol ] ] and be robbed of the rest of my
years?"
Isaiah 26:2
Open the gates that the righteous nation may enter,
the nation that keeps faith.
Isaiah 45:1
"This is what the LORD says to his anointed, to
Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of to subdue nations before him and to
strip kings of their armor, to open doors before him so that gates will not
be shut:
Isaiah 45:2
I will go before you and will level the mountains
[ 45:2 Dead Sea Scrolls and Septuagint; the meaning of the word in the Masoretic
Text is uncertain. ] ; I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars
of iron.
Isaiah 54:12
I will make your battlements of rubies, your gates of sparkling jewels, and
all your walls of precious stones.
Isaiah 60:11
Your gates will always stand open, they will
never be shut, day or night, so that men may bring you the wealth of the nations-
their kings led in triumphal procession.
Isaiah 60:18
No longer will violence be heard in your land, nor ruin or destruction within
your borders, but you will call your walls Salvation and your gates Praise.
Isaiah 62:10
Pass through, pass through the gates! Prepare the way for the people. Build
up, build up the highway! Remove the stones. Raise a banner for the nations.
Jeremiah 1:15
I am about to summon all the peoples of the northern kingdoms," declares
the LORD . "Their kings will come and set up their thrones in the entrance
of the gates of Jerusalem; they will come against all her surrounding walls
and against all the towns of Judah
Jeremiah 7:2
"Stand at the gate of the LORD's house and there proclaim this message:
" 'Hear the word of the LORD , all you people of Judah who come through
these gates to worship the LORD .
Jeremiah 15:7
I will winnow them with a winnowing fork at the city
gates of the land. I will bring bereavement and destruction on my people,
for they have not changed their ways.
Jeremiah 17:19
This is what the LORD said to me: "Go and stand at the gate of the people,
through which the kings of Judah go in and out; stand also at all the other
gates of Jerusalem.
Jeremiah 17:20
Say to them, 'Hear the word of the LORD , O kings of Judah and all people
of Judah and everyone living in Jerusalem who come through these gates.
Jeremiah 17:21
This is what the LORD says: Be careful not to carry a load on the Sabbath
day or bring it through the gates of Jerusalem.
Jeremiah 17:24
But if you are careful to obey me, declares the LORD , and bring no load through
the gates of this city on the Sabbath, but keep the Sabbath day holy by not
doing any work on it,
Jeremiah 17:25
then kings who sit on David's throne will come through the gates of this city
with their officials. They and their officials will come riding in chariots
and on horses, accompanied by the men of Judah and those living in Jerusalem,
and this city will be inhabited forever.
Jeremiah 17:27
But if you do not obey me to keep the Sabbath day holy by not carrying any
load as you come through the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, then I
will kindle an unquenchable fire in the gates of Jerusalem that will consume
her fortresses.' "
Jeremiah 19:2
and go out to the Valley of Ben Hinnom, near the entrance of the Potsherd
Gate. There proclaim the words I tell you,
Jeremiah 20:2
he had Jeremiah the prophet beaten and put in the stocks at the Upper Gate
of Benjamin at the LORD's temple.
Jeremiah 22:2
'Hear the word of the LORD , O king of Judah, you who sit on David's throne-you,
your officials and your people who come through these gates.
Jeremiah 22:4
For if you are careful to carry out these commands, then kings who sit on
David's throne will come through the gates of this palace, riding in chariots
and on horses, accompanied by their officials and their people.
Jeremiah 22:19
He will have the burial of a donkey- dragged away and thrown outside the gates
of Jerusalem."
Jeremiah 26:10
When the officials of Judah heard about these things, they went up from the
royal palace to the house of the LORD and took their places at the entrance
of the New Gate of the LORD's house.
Jeremiah 31:38
"The days are coming," declares the LORD , "when this city
will be rebuilt for me from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate.
Jeremiah 31:40
The whole valley where dead bodies and ashes are thrown, and all the terraces
out to the Kidron Valley on the east as far as the corner of the Horse Gate,
will be holy to the LORD . The city will never again be uprooted or demolished."
Jeremiah 36:10
From the room of Gemariah son of Shaphan the secretary, which was in the upper
courtyard at the entrance of the New Gate of the temple,
Baruch read to all the people at the LORD's temple the words of Jeremiah from
the scroll.
Jeremiah 37:13
But when he reached the Benjamin Gate, the captain of the guard, whose name
was Irijah son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah, arrested him and said, "You
are deserting to the Babylonians!"
Jeremiah 38:7
But Ebed-Melech, a Cushite, [ 38:7 Probably from the upper Nile region ] an
official [ 38:7 Or [ a eunuch ] ] in the royal palace, heard that they had
put Jeremiah into the cistern. While the king was sitting in the Benjamin
Gate,
Jeremiah 39:3
Then all the officials of the king of Babylon came and took seats in the Middle
Gate: Nergal-Sharezer of Samgar, Nebo-Sarsekim [ 39:3 Or [ Nergal-Sharezer,
Samgar-Nebo, Sarsekim ] ] a chief officer, Nergal-Sharezer a high official
and all the other officials of the king of Babylon.
Jeremiah 39:4
When Zedekiah king of Judah and all the soldiers saw them, they fled; they
left the city at night by way of the king's garden, through the gate between
the two walls, and headed toward the Arabah. [ 39:4 Or [ the Jordan Valley
] ]
Jeremiah 49:31
"Arise and attack a nation at ease, which lives in confidence,"
declares the LORD , "a nation that has neither gates nor bars; its people
live alone.
Jeremiah 51:30
Babylon's warriors have stopped fighting; they remain in their strongholds.
Their strength is exhausted; they have become like women. Her dwellings are
set on fire; the bars of her gates are broken
Jeremiah 51:58
This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Babylon's thick wall will be leveled
and her high gates set on fire; the peoples exhaust themselves for nothing,
the nations' labor is only fuel for the flames."
Jeremiah 52:7
Then the city wall was broken through, and the whole army fled. They left
the city at night through the gate between the two walls near the king's garden,
though the Babylonians [ 52:7 Or [ Chaldeans ] ; also in verse 17 ] were surrounding
the city. They fled toward the Arabah, [ 52:7 Or [ the Jordan Valley ] ]
Lamentations 1:4
The roads to Zion mourn, for no one comes to her appointed feasts. All
her gateways are desolate, her priests groan, her maidens grieve, and she
is in bitter anguish.
Lamentations 2:9
Her gates have sunk into the ground; their bars he has
broken and destroyed. Her king and her princes are exiled among the nations,
the law is no more, and her prophets no longer find visions from the LORD
.
Lamentations 4:12
The kings of the earth did not believe, nor did any
of the world's people, that enemies and foes could enter the gates of Jerusalem.
Lamentations 5:14
The elders are gone from the city gate; the young men
have stopped their music.
Ezekiel 8:3
He stretched out what looked like a hand and took me by the hair of my head.
The Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven and in visions of God he
took me to Jerusalem, to the entrance to the north gate of the inner court,
where the idol that provokes to jealousy stood.
Ezekiel 8:5
Then he said to me, "Son of man, look toward the north." So
I looked, and in the entrance north of the gate of the altar I saw this idol
of jealousy.
Ezekiel 8:14
Then he brought me to the entrance to the north gate of the house of the LORD
, and I saw women sitting there, mourning for Tammuz.
Ezekiel 9:2
And I saw six men coming from the direction of the upper gate, which faces
north, each with a deadly weapon in his hand. With them was a man clothed
in linen who had a writing kit at his side. They came in and stood beside
the bronze altar.
Ezekiel 10:19
While I watched, the cherubim spread their wings and rose from the ground,
and as they went, the wheels went with them. They stopped
at the entrance to the east gate of the LORD's house, and the glory of the
God of Israel was above them.
Ezekiel 11:1
Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the gate of the house of the
LORD that faces east. There at the entrance to the gate were twenty-five men,
and I saw among them Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah son of Benaiah, leaders
of the people.
Ezekiel 21:15
So that hearts may melt and the fallen be many, I have stationed the sword
for slaughter [ 21:15 Septuagint; the meaning of the Hebrew for this word
is uncertain. ] at all their gates. Oh! It is made to flash like lightning,
it is grasped for slaughter.
Ezekiel 21:22
Into his right hand will come the lot for Jerusalem, where he is to set up
battering rams, to give the command to slaughter, to
sound the battle cry, to set battering rams against the gates, to build a
ramp and to erect siege works.
Ezekiel 26:2
"Son of man, because Tyre has said of Jerusalem,
'Aha! The gate to the nations is broken, and its doors have swung open to
me; now that she lies in ruins I will prosper,'
Ezekiel 26:10
His horses will be so many that they will cover you with dust. Your walls
will tremble at the noise of the war horses, wagons and chariots when he enters
your gates as men enter a city whose walls have been broken through.
Ezekiel 27:3
Say to Tyre, situated at the gateway to the sea, merchant of peoples on many
coasts, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: " 'You say, O Tyre, "I
am perfect in beauty."
Ezekiel 38:11
You will say, "I will invade a land of unwalled villages; I will attack
a peaceful and unsuspecting people-all of them living without walls and without
gates and bars.
Ezekiel 40:3
He took me there, and I saw a man whose appearance was like bronze;
he was standing in the gateway with a linen cord and a measuring rod in his
hand.
Ezekiel 40:5
I saw a wall completely surrounding the temple area. The length of the measuring
rod in the man's hand was six long cubits, each of which was a cubit [ 40:5
The common cubit was about 1 1/2 feet (about 0.5 meter). ] and a handbreadth.
[ 40:5 That is, about 3 inches (about 8 centimeters) ] He
measured the wall; it was one measuring rod thick and one rod high.
Ezekiel 40:6
Then he went to the gate facing east. He climbed its steps and measured
the threshold of the gate; it was one rod deep. [ 40:6 Septuagint;
Hebrew [ deep, the first threshold, one rod deep ] ]
Ezekiel 40:7
The alcoves for the guards were one rod long and one rod wide, and the projecting
walls between the alcoves were five cubits thick. And the threshold of the
gate next to the portico facing the temple was one rod deep.
Ezekiel 40:8
Then he measured the portico of the gateway
Ezekiel 40:9
it [ 40:8,9 Many Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac; most
Hebrew manuscripts [ gateway facing the temple; it was one rod deep. 9 Then
he measured the portico of the gateway; it ] ] was eight cubits deep and its
jambs were two cubits thick. The portico of the gateway faced the temple.
Ezekiel 40:10
Inside the east gate were three alcoves on each side; the three had the same
measurements, and the faces of the projecting walls on each side had the same
measurements.
Ezekiel 40:11
Then he measured the width of the entrance to the gateway;
it was ten cubits and its length was thirteen cubits.
Ezekiel 40:13
Then he measured the gateway from the top of
the rear wall of one alcove to the top of the opposite one; the distance was
twenty-five cubits from one parapet opening to the opposite one.
Ezekiel 40:14
He measured along the faces of the projecting walls
all around the inside of the gateway-sixty cubits. The measurement
was up to the portico [ 40:14 Septuagint; Hebrew [ projecting wall ] ] facing
the courtyard. [ 40:14 The meaning of the Hebrew for this verse is uncertain.
]
Ezekiel 40:15
The distance from the entrance of the gateway to the far end of its portico
was fifty cubits.
Ezekiel 40:16
The alcoves and the projecting walls inside the gateway were surmounted by
narrow parapet openings all around, as was the portico; the openings all around
faced inward. The faces of the projecting walls were decorated with palm trees.
Ezekiel 40:18
It abutted the sides of the gateways and was as wide as they were long; this
was the lower pavement.
Ezekiel 40:19
Then he measured the distance from the inside of the lower gateway to the
outside of the inner court; it was a hundred cubits on the east side as well
as on the north.
Ezekiel 40:20
Then he measured the length and width of the gate facing north, leading into
the outer court.
Ezekiel 40:21
Its alcoves-three on each side-its projecting walls and its portico had the
same measurements as those of the first gateway. It was fifty cubits long
and twenty-five cubits wide.
Ezekiel 40:22
Its openings, its portico and its palm tree decorations had the same measurements
as those of the gate facing east. Seven steps led up to it, with its portico
opposite them.
Ezekiel 40:23
There was a gate to the inner court facing the north gate, just as there was
on the east. He measured from one gate to the opposite one; it was a hundred
cubits.
Ezekiel 40:24
Then he led me to the south side and I saw a gate facing south. He measured
its jambs and its portico, and they had the same measurements as the others.
Ezekiel 40:25
The gateway and its portico had narrow openings all around, like the openings
of the others. It was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide.
Ezekiel 40:27
The inner court also had a gate facing south, and he measured from this gate
to the outer gate on the south side; it was a hundred cubits.
Ezekiel 40:28
Then he brought me into the inner court through the south gate, and he measured
the south gate; it had the same measurements as the others.
Ezekiel 40:29
Its alcoves, its projecting walls and its portico had the same measurements
as the others. The gateway and its portico had openings all around. It was
fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide.
Ezekiel 40:30
(The porticoes of the gateways around the inner court were twenty-five cubits
wide and five cubits deep.)
Ezekiel 40:32
Then he brought me to the inner court on the east side, and he measured the
gateway; it had the same measurements as the others.
Ezekiel 40:33
Its alcoves, its projecting walls and its portico had the same measurements
as the others. The gateway and its portico had openings all around. It was
fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide.
Ezekiel 40:35
Then he brought me to the north gate and measured it. It had the same measurements
as the others,
Ezekiel 40:38
A room with a doorway was by the portico in each of the
inner gateways, where the burnt offerings were washed.
Ezekiel 40:39
In the portico of the gateway were two tables on each side, on which the burnt
offerings, sin offerings and guilt offerings were slaughtered.
Ezekiel 40:40
By the outside wall of the portico of the gateway, near the steps at the entrance
to the north gateway were two tables, and on the other side of the steps were
two tables.
Ezekiel 40:41
So there were four tables on one side of the gateway and four on the other-eight
tables in all-on which the sacrifices were slaughtered.
Ezekiel 40:44
Outside the inner gate, within the inner court, were two rooms, one [ 40:44
Septuagint; Hebrew [ were rooms for singers, which were ] ] at the side of
the north gate and facing south, and another at the side of the south [ 40:44
Septuagint; Hebrew [ east ] ] gate and facing north.
Ezekiel 42:15
When he had finished measuring what was inside the temple area, he led me
out by the east gate and measured the area all around:
Ezekiel 43:1
Then the man brought me to the gate facing east,
Ezekiel 43:4
The glory of the LORD entered the temple through the
gate facing east.
Ezekiel 44:1
Then the man brought me back to the outer gate of the sanctuary, the one facing
east, and it was shut.
Ezekiel 44:2
The LORD said to me, "This gate is to remain shut.
It must not be opened; no one may enter through it. It is to remain shut because
the LORD , the God of Israel, has entered through it.
Ezekiel 44:3
The prince himself is the only one who may sit inside
the gateway to eat in the presence of the LORD . He is to enter by way of
the portico of the gateway and go out the same way."
Ezekiel 44:4
Then the man brought me by way of the north gate to the front of the temple.
I looked and saw the glory of the LORD filling the temple of the LORD , and
I fell facedown.
Ezekiel 44:11
They may serve in my sanctuary, having charge of the gates of the temple and
serving in it; they may slaughter the burnt offerings and sacrifices for the
people and stand before the people and serve them.
Ezekiel 44:17
" 'When they enter the gates of the inner court, they are to wear linen
clothes; they must not wear any woolen garment while ministering at the gates
of the inner court or inside the temple.
Ezekiel 45:19
The priest is to take some of the blood of the sin offering and put it on
the doorposts of the temple, on the four corners of the upper ledge of the
altar and on the gateposts of the inner court.
Ezekiel 46:1
" 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: The gate of the inner court
facing east is to be shut on the six working days, but on the Sabbath day
and on the day of the New Moon it is to be opened.
Ezekiel 46:2
The prince is to enter from the outside through the portico of the gateway
and stand by the gatepost. The priests are to sacrifice his burnt offering
and his fellowship offerings. [ 46:2 Traditionally [ peace offerings ] ; also
in verse 12 ] He is to worship at the threshold of the gateway and then go
out, but the gate will not be shut until evening.
Ezekiel 46:3
On the Sabbaths and New Moons the people of the land are to worship in the
presence of the LORD at the entrance to that gateway.
Ezekiel 46:8
When the prince enters, he is to go in through the portico of the gateway,
and he is to come out the same way.
Ezekiel 46:9
" 'When the people of the land come before the LORD at the appointed
feasts, whoever enters by the north gate to worship is to go out the south
gate; and whoever enters by the south gate is to go out the north gate. No
one is to return through the gate by which he entered, but each is to go out
the opposite gate.
Ezekiel 46:12
When the prince provides a freewill offering to the LORD -whether a burnt
offering or fellowship offerings-the gate facing east is to be opened for
him. He shall offer his burnt offering or his fellowship offerings as he does
on the Sabbath day. Then he shall go out, and after he has gone out, the gate
will be shut.
Ezekiel 46:19
Then the man brought me through the entrance at the side of the gate to the
sacred rooms facing north, which belonged to the priests, and showed me a
place at the western end.
Ezekiel 47:2
He then brought me out through the north gate and led me around the outside
to the outer gate facing east, and the water was flowing from the south side.
Ezekiel 48:30
"These will be the exits of the city: Beginning on the north side, which
is 4,500 cubits long,
Ezekiel 48:31
the gates of the city will be named after the tribes of Israel. The three
gates on the north side will be the gate of Reuben, the gate of Judah and
the gate of Levi.
Ezekiel 48:32
"On the east side, which is 4,500 cubits long, will be three gates: the
gate of Joseph, the gate of Benjamin and the gate of Dan.
Ezekiel 48:33
"On the south side, which measures 4,500 cubits, will be three gates:
the gate of Simeon, the gate of Issachar and the gate of Zebulun
Ezekiel 48:34
"On the west side, which is 4,500 cubits long, will be three gates: the
gate of Gad, the gate of Asher and the gate of Naphtali.
Hosea 11:6
Swords will flash in their cities, will destroy the bars of their gates and
put an end to their plans.
Amos 1:5
I will break down the gate of Damascus; I will destroy the king who is in
[ 1:5 Or [ the inhabitants of ] ] the Valley of Aven [ 1:5 [ Aven ] means
[ wickedness ] . ] and the one who holds the scepter in Beth Eden. The people
of Aram will go into exile to Kir," says the LORD .
Obadiah 1:11
On the day you stood aloof while strangers carried off his wealth and foreigners
entered his gates and cast lots for Jerusalem, you were like one of them.
Obadiah 1:13
You should not march through the gates of my people in the day of their disaster,
nor look down on them in their calamity in the day of their disaster, nor
seize their wealth in the day of their disaster.
Micah 1:9
For her wound is incurable; it has come to Judah. It [ 1:9 Or [ He ] ] has
reached the very gate of my people, even to Jerusalem itself.
Micah 1:12
Those who live in Maroth [ 1:12 [ Maroth ] sounds like the Hebrew for [ bitter
] . ] writhe in pain, waiting for relief, because disaster has come from the
LORD , even to the gate of Jerusalem.
Micah 2:13
One who breaks open the way will go up before them; they will break through
the gate and go out. Their king will pass through before them, the LORD at
their head."
Micah 5:6
They will rule [ 5:6 Or [ crush ] ] the land of Assyria with the sword, the
land of Nimrod with drawn sword. [ 5:6 Or [ Nimrod in its gates ] ] He will
deliver us from the Assyrian when he invades our land and marches into our
borders.
Nahum 2:6
The river gates are thrown open and the palace
collapses.
Nahum 3:13
Look at your troops- they are all women! The gates of
your land are wide open to your enemies; fire has consumed their bars.
Habakkuk 2:16
You will be filled with shame instead of glory. Now it is your turn! Drink
and be exposed [ 2:16 Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scrolls, Aquila, Vulgate and
Syriac (see also Septuagint) [ and stagger ] ] ! The cup from the LORD's right
hand is coming around to you, and disgrace will cover your glory.
Zephaniah 1:10
"On that day," declares the LORD , "a cry will go up from the
Fish Gate, wailing from the New Quarter, and a loud crash from the hills.
Zechariah 14:10
The whole land, from Geba to Rimmon, south of Jerusalem, will become like
the Arabah. But Jerusalem will be raised up and remain in its place, from
the Benjamin Gate to the site of the First Gate, to the Corner Gate, and from
the Tower of Hananel to the royal winepresses.
Matthew 7:13
"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the
gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through
it.
Matthew 7:14
But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads
to life, and only a few find it.
Matthew 16:18
And I tell you that you are Peter,[ 16:18 Peter means rock.] and on this rock
I will build my church, and the gates of Hades[ 16:18 Or hell] will not overcome
it.[ 16:18 Or not prove stronger than it]
JESUS HEALS AT THE GATES, often
Matthew 26:71
Then he went out to the gateway, where another girl saw him and said to the
people there, "This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth."
Luke 7:12
As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried outthe only
son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was
with her.
Luke 16:20
At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores
John 5:2
Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is
called Bethesda[ 5:2 Some manuscripts Bethzatha; other manuscripts Bethsaida]
and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades
John 10:1
"I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the
gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber.
John 10:2
The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his
sheep.
John 10:3
The watchman opens the gate for him, and the
sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
John 10:7
Therefore Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth,
I am the gate for the sheep.
John 10:9
I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.[
10:9 Or kept safe] He will come in and go out, and find pasture.
Acts 3:2
Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called
Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple
courts.
Acts 3:10
they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple
gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what
had happened to him.
Acts 9:24
but Saul learned of their plan. Day and night they kept close watch on the
city gates in order to kill him.
Acts 10:17
While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by
Cornelius found out where Simon's house was and stopped at the gate.
Acts 12:10
They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading
to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When
they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him.
(Whole Chapter: Acts 12 In context: Acts 12:9-11)
Acts 14:13
The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought bulls
and wreaths to the city gates because he and the crowd wanted to offer sacrifices
to them.
Acts 16:13
On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the
river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and
began to speak to the women who had gathered there.
Acts 21:30
The whole city was aroused, and the people came running from all directions.
Seizing Paul, they dragged him from the temple, and immediately the gates
were shut.
Hebrews 13:12
And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to
make the people holy through his own blood.
1 John 5:8
the[ 5:7,8 Late manuscripts of the Vulgate testify in heaven: the Father,
the Word and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one. 8 And there are three
that testify on earth: the (not found in any Greek manuscript before the sixteenth
century)] Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement.
Revelation 21:12
It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the
gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel.
Revelation 21:13
There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south
and three on the west.
Revelation 21:15
The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city,
its gates and its walls.
Revelation 21:21
The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The
great street of the city was of pure gold, like transparent glass.
Revelation 21:25
On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will
be no night there.
Revelation 22:14
"Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right
to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city
From: http://www.morningstarministries.org/pages/word_week/april_2004/April_5_2004.html
Intro / The Original Functions of the City Gate / Defending the City Often Began at the City Gates / The Gate Signified Authority / Honoring the Gates of Our Homes and Our Lives / Setting Up the Defenses / How Do We Do This? /
"Today we are being prepared for the last days. If our hearts are filled with bitterness, fears, or evil desires, we will not be able to stand against what is coming. Every day we need to view our own hearts as fortresses of truth and righteousness that we are building, which will be strong enough to withstand any assault. The walls of this fortress are salvation, and its gates are praise (see Isaiah 60:18). Inside of our fortress we have the most powerful force there is - the Holy Spirit.
Damascus Gate is the northernmost gate of the eight gates of the Old City. Like many gates, it was named for the destination of the road that began at this gate - Damascus.
http://www.bridgesforpeace.com/publications/teaching/Article-10.html
It is a beautiful gate with high, iron-clad doors that were once closed each night to keep marauders out of the city.
1. A bit of info on gates:
2. The Original
Functions Of The City Gate
3. In ancient times, the city gate was the busiest place in the city. Near
or just inside the gates, there were courtyards or a broadening of the street
where much of the city's social, business and legal interaction took place.
There is where we find the reading of the Law and proclamations taking place
(Josh. 20:4; II Chr. 32:6; Neh. 8:1,3); where justice was administered as
the elders judged legal cases and business transactions (Dt. 16:18; II Sam.
15:2, Amos 5:10-15); where news was exchanged and discussed (Gen. 19:1), and
local gossip was spread (Ps. 69:12). It was a place where markets flourished,
e.g. the Fish Gate (Neh. 3:3) or the Sheep Gate (Neh. 3:1) in Jerusalem, and
where trading centers for imported items were established
4. Prophets and priests delivered admonitions and pronouncements at the gates
(Isa. 29:21; Amos 5:10: Jer. 17:19, etc.). Criminals were punished just outside
the gates (I Kgs. 21:10, Acts 7:58). The city gate was even the place where
one could attract the attention of the sovereign or dignitary (II Sam. 19:8;
I Kgs. 22:10; Est. 2:19,21; 3:2). It was where strangers who were visiting
the city passed the night, if they had no place to stay.
5. To be chosen as an elder to sit at the gate of the city was an honorable
position (Prov. 31:23; Dan 2:49), although it became a curse for Lot, who
chose to be an elder at the gate of Sodom where he compromised his stand for
the Lord (Gen. 19:1).
6. Defending
The City Often Began At The Gates
7. Since the gates of a city were the only way in or out of the city, the
large doors of the gateway, which were made of metal and wood (Ps. 107:16;
Isa. 45:2) were secured at night with iron or wooden cross bars (I Kgs. 4:13;
Neh. 3:13) for the protection of the inhabitants.
8. The main gate of each city was large enough for the entry of chariots and
carts. It was carefully designed and built to deter the entrance of enemy
soldiers, as this was the most vulnerable place in the walls of a city. The
gates were often flanked by towers (II Sam. 18:24, 33) on which watchmen stood,
day and night.
9. Some gates were built in a zigzag design, like the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem.
This caused a man on horseback to slow down and open the defensive stance
of his body as he maneuvered his horse through the passage, making it easier
for defenders to kill him.
10. Other gates allowed straight passage into the city, like those of Solomon's
great walled cities. They had multiple chambers in the passageway from which
soldiers could attack intruders as a first line of defense, e.g. David awaited
Absalom's army in one of these chambers (I Sam. 18:24). Most gates had vertical
and horizontal openings, above and around the doors, through which to throw
boiling liquids, spears, rocks, arrows and other sharp objects upon enemy
soldiers. The Lord promised strength to those who turn back the battle at
the gate (Isa. 28:6).
11. The Gate
Signified Authority
12. In the Bible, the gate was more than the entrance and exit to a city.
Figuratively, it represented the place of authority and the glory of the city
(Isa. 3:26; Jer. 14:2). Like "fringes of the garment," which represented
the authority of a man, so too, the gate represented the place of authority
of a city, where the elders sat. Scripture even refers to supernatural authority
as the "gates of heaven" (Gen. 28:17) and the "gates of hell"
(Mt. 16:18).
13. The biblical term, "to be within the gates," referred to being
under the authority of the elders of the city who presided in the gates (Dt.
15:7; 31:12,13).
14. In battle, to "possess the gates" is a biblical term meaning
to possess the city (Gen. 22:17; 24:60).
15. In the story of Samson, he took this quite literally. In his day, Israel
was under the control of the Philistines, a cruel and hateful people. Samson
went down to the Philistine city of Gaza, where they had laid a trap for him
and waited in the city gate to kill him. At midnight Samson tore their city
gates, doorposts and cross bars from the walls of the city, (the symbol of
their authority), and carried them off to Hebron, an Israelite city. This
was a symbolic act of triumph for Israel and of humiliation for the Philistines
(Jud. 16:2-3).
16. The Israelites were instructed to establish this authority with judges
at the city gates (Dt. 16:18), as a place of judgment to insure justice and
obedience to God's laws by the people.
17. Another function of the elders at the gate was to protect the city and
their people from the outside world. The gate was the most vulnerable point
in these ancient, walled cities, and it was necessary to place judges there
to interview those entering the city to be sure their presence was welcomed.
Evildoers who might cheat, steal or break the laws of the city were not allowed
to enter or stay in the city (Dt. 17:2-5).
18. At Tel Dan, far to the north of the Hulah Valley in the tribal area of
Dan, the main city gate was uncovered. There archaeologists found the seat
of the chief elder, who sat on a throne-like platform with other elders to
evaluate and interview those coming into the city, and also hear and judge
the grievances of those within the city.
19. Honoring
The Gates Of Our Homes And Our Lives
20. You might ask, "How does this apply to me?"
21. Today, we live in open, unwalled cities. We have courts of law, and mayors
and city councils who are seated at city hall, not at the city gate. Nevertheless,
God's prescription to the Israelites and followers of the Bible to establish
justice, is the basis of the legal systems in our Western societies today.
22. While we may not have any control over who enters our cities today, we
personally do have that authority in our own homes, which God places under
our authority.
23. You see, the door of the home is also a gateway. In Hebrew, a gateway
or doorway is the same word, sha'ar, and the Bible has much to say about our
responsibility to keep the focus of our homes on the Lord.
24. Deuteronomy 11:18a-20a, says: "Therefore you shall lay up these words
of Mine in your heart and in your soul... you shall teach them to your children,
speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when
you lie down, and when you rise up. And you shall write them on the doorposts
of your house and on your gates, that your days and the days of your children
may be multiplied..."
Ever since Moses spoke these words, the Jewish people have literally placed God's Word on the gates of their cities and on the doorframes of their homes-on the doorframes of the entrances to the house and on the doors to each room in the house used for living purposes. The Scriptures from Deuteronomy 6:4-9 and 11:13-21 are rolled up and placed inside a mezuzah, which is a small metal, stone, wooden or ceramic box nailed on the right doorframe. Throughout the ages, faithful Jews have touched the mezuzah upon entering and exiting buildings, homes and individual rooms, which has the effect of keeping them focused on the Lord, whom they serve.
Believe me, paying that kind of attention to the Lord, if done sincerely, would cause you to consider deeply the kinds of activities and thoughts you would engage in.
We have a place of responsibility before God and to our families to uphold the precepts of God and "guard the gates" of our homes - guarding against negative outside influences that would detract from a God-centered environment (Dt. 17:2-5; 21:18-19). God will honor this commitment to Him.
A striking example of this is found in the story of Passover. Moses told the people to slay a lamb and place the blood on the doorpost and lintel of their home. Then the angel of death would pass over the door and not allow the destroyer to come into their houses to strike any who were in the home, Israelite or not. (Ex. 12:22-23). Those who obeyed were spared.
Being responsible over the "door" of our home also includes those who come into our home and how they behave.
Deuteronomy 31:12-13, says,
"Gather the people together, men and women and little ones, and the stranger who is within your gates, that they may hear and that they may learn to fear the LORD your God and carefully observe all the words of this law, and that their children, who have not known it, may hear and learn to fear the LORD your God as long as you live in the land which you cross the Jordan to possess."
Some may think my wife, Pat, and I are old-fashioned, but
when our daughters, Ashley and Allison, bring their friends into our home,
their words and deeds are expected to be honoring to the Lord, even if they
are not Bible-believers. God's values are honored in our home and Ashley and
Allison's friends can see and hear this when visiting.
1. My observation, even in Jerusalem, is that often, Bible-believing children
and teen-agers are easily swayed to speak and act like non-believers in the
world, not the other way around. Sometimes it takes the loving encouragement
of a parent to guide the situation into a pattern that honors the Lord.
2. Not only does "guarding the gate" involve who and what comes
into the front or back door, but through other vulnerable access points, or
gateways, into our home. This would include television, radio and even reading
material. Just as the ancient elders of the cities of Israel were to keep
unsavory things from entering the city to protect their people, we have that
charge over our place of authority. The prophet Isaiah spoke sharply to Israel
about the sinful practices that went on in their homes (Isa. 57:8).
3. What are we watching on television, or listening to on the radio? What
magazines and books enter our home? In a world that has moved far from the
values of the Bible, it is easy to find the influences of the world creeping
in upon us and chipping away at our biblical values, right in our own homes.
A chip here and a chip there, and before you know it, we are guilty of the
same sin as Israel, who flirted with the things of the world in opposition
to the biblical precepts of God.
4. That spelled disaster for ancient Israel, and it will spell disaster for
us, as well. None of us is immune, and we find we have to be a true "watchman
at the gate" of our home, daily. Old-fashioned or not, I find it exciting
to take a stand and glorify the Lord in our home, bringing up our children
in the "nurture and admonition of the Lord" (Eph. 6:4), and then
watching how the Lord blesses this effort. For those of us who are parents,
it is our responsibility to "train up a child in the way he should go,
and when he is old he will not depart from it" (Prov. 22:6). This all
begins in our homes.
5. Finally, out of our mouths come forth what is in our hearts. Your words
will reveal your heart which speaks evil, or righteousness that leads to salvation
(Mt. 15:18; Lk. 6:45; Rom. 10:10). Our mouth is the "gateway" that
proclaims what is really going on in our lives. So the Psalmist cries out
to the Lord, "Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; Keep watch over the
door of my lips" (Ps. 141:3). The Lord expects us, with His help, to
guard every aspect of our lives under our authority.
6. Setting
Up The Defenses
7. Just as the ancient walled cities defended their inhabitants against the
"enemy" who would seek to destroy them, we need to stand guard in
our home and guard our lips for the Lord.
8. Just as the gate was configured in a way to deter outside attack, so we
need to be prepared, through prayer and action, to protect those "within
our gates," our families and those who visit us. We need to set a standard
and stick with it so that we can defend our families from ungodly, unbiblical
influences.
9. Matthew uses the image of the gate to express how we need to conduct our
lives, "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the
way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it" (Mt.
7:13).
10. How Do We Do
This?
11. I am not suggesting we turn our homes into a legalistic, dogmatic, protective
fortress enforced by the "laying down of the law" by an authoritarian
figurehead.
12. I am speaking of establishing a biblical home environment that imparts
the love, joy and wisdom of the Lord through following biblical values. Then,
when compared with the standard of the world, a home set apart for the Lord
will prove itself to be the "higher ground" that will be sought
after by your family and friends. And it will produce the fruit of righteousness
for the Lord.
13. My wife, Pat, as a teen-age baby sitter, worked in a Christian home where
the love of the Lord was expressed on a daily basis, and that contact eventually
brought her to the Lord. At this point in our family life, our children are
young and we are appreciating this time when we can gently build godly values
into their hearts. We know times of testing will come later and appreciate
your prayers for our family as we pray for yours.
14. Let's encourage each other in creative ways to protect the gates of our
homes and hearts. We can impart the Lord within our gates, rather than simply
letting the world take over via TV, video, radio, the Internet, and magazines,
and by the people who visit there.
15. Let's be pro-active like the elders at the gate. Check out who and what
comes into your home and make it a little corner of the Kingdom of God that
attracts others because of the joy, life and light of God that is expressed
there. In a world that is searching for meaning, purpose and inner fulfillment,
they may find it in our homes.
16. After all, God created us and then gave us His Word as a guide for our
lives so we can live it more abundantly. If we do so and prove that it works,
then God will be glorified in our lives, as He should be.
17. We who dwell in the Kingdom of God need to live righteously and thankfully
before the Lord. To be found in His presence, "within His gate,"
we will have joy and gladness.
18. "This is the gate of the LORD, through which the righteous shall
enter" (Ps. 118:20).
19. "Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name" (Ps.100:4).
20. From: http://www.bridgesforpeace.com/publications/teaching/Article-10.html
21. Having strong 'walls' is so important:
22. Psalm 51:18
23. In your good pleasure make Zion prosper; build up the walls of Jerusalem
24. Nehemiah 2:13
25. By night I went out through the Valley Gate toward the Jackal [ Or Serpent
or Fig ] Well and the Dung Gate, examining the walls of Jerusalem, which had
been broken down, and its gates, which had been destroyed by fire.
If our 'walls' are not protected, this is typical of what the enemy would
try to do:
1. Nehemiah 4:7
2. But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the men of Ashdod
heard that the repairs to Jerusalem's walls had gone ahead and that the gaps
were being closed, they were very angry.
3. Psalm 89:40
4. You have broken through all his walls and reduced his strongholds to ruins.
5. Psalm 144:14
6. our oxen will draw heavy loads. [ Or our chieftains will be firmly established
] There will be no breaching of walls, no going into captivity, no cry of
distress in our streets.
7. Psalm 80:12
8. Why have you broken down its walls so that all who pass by pick its grapes?"
Interesting spiritual implications!
From:
http://cytsyn.com/english/destinations/china/cityguide/xian/attractions2.htm
"...There is a rampart every 120 meters. The ramparts are towers that
extend out from the main wall, the top of the rampart being at the same level
as the top of the wall. The ramparts were built to allow soldiers to see those
enemies who would try to climb the wall. The distance between two ramparts
is just within the range of arrow shot from either side. This allowed soldiers
to protect the entire wall without exposing themselves to the enemy. They
are altogether 98 of them on the wall; each has a sentry building on top of
it.
The weapons in ancient times were primitive. The gates of the city wall were the only way to go into and out of town. Therefore, these gates were important, strategic points, that the feudal rulers racked their brains to try to defend. In Xi'an's case, the east, west, south and north gates, each consists of three gate towers. The main tower is called Zhenglou. Zhalou is the gate tower with the suspense bridge, and Jianlou is the narrow tower. The Zhalou tower stands away from the wall. It is used to lift and lower the suspense bridge. The Jianlou tower is in the center of the others. Its front and the two outer sides have square windows to shoot arrows from. The Zhenglou tower is the inner one. It is the main entrance to the city. Jianlou and Zhenglou are connected by tunnels, called Wengcheng in which soldiers could be stationed. From the Wengcheng there are also horse passages leading to the top of he wall. These are gradually ascending steps made so that it is easy for war horses to ascend and descend. There are all together 11 horse passages around the city.
A watch tower is located on each of the four corners of the wall. The one at the southwestern corner is round, probably after the model of the imperial city wall of the Tang Dynasty, but the other three are square-shaped. On top of the watch towers there is a corner rampart, higher and larger than the ordinary ramparts. This shows the strategic importance of the corners of the city wall in war times. Along the outer crest of the city wall there was constructed crenellations or battlements, 5,984 of them. Under each crenel there is a square hole, from which arrows wee shot and watch was kept. The lower, inner walls are called parapets. They have not crenels. They were not crenels. They were used on the inside of the wall to prevent soldiers from falling off the wall when traveling back and forth on top of the wall.
The first city wall of Xi'an was built of earth, rammed layer upon layer. The base layer was made of earth, quick lime, and glutinous rice extract, tempered together. It made the wall extremely strong and firm. Later, the wall was totally enclosed with bricks. On top of the wall, there is a brick water trough every 40-60 meters. They are used for drainage. They have played a very important role in the long-term protection of the city wall of Xi'an.
A moat, wide and deep, runs around the city. Over the moat, there used to be a huge suspense bridge which would cut off the way in and out of the city, once lifted.
Thus, the Ming Dynasty city wall formed a complex and well-organized system of defense. It is also the most complete city wall to have survived through China's long history. The city wall itself is a true display of the ability and wisdom of the working people in ancient times. It provides invaluable and substantial material for the study of the history, military science, and architecture of the Ming Dynasty.
Today, after the repairs that have been made on the wall by the local government, the city wall has taken on a new look. A circular park has been built in between the high wall and the deep moat, all around the city. The thriving trees and flowers, the rockeries in the park, and the buildings of classical Chinese architecture, together with the city wall, make Xi'an all the more beautiful..."
CONTENTS
From:
19. The Noon Gate
"...The Noon Gate is the main gate leading into
the Imperial City. It was originally constructed as a tower but then
later constructed to its present state. It is the site
where the Emporor would receive homage from his subjects. Other ceremonies
took place there as well, such as the Proclamation of Doctor Lists
and Calendar Offering Day. Inscribed in stone on the
road passing the Noon Gate is "Tilt your hats and dismount." This
is to remind passers to show respect when passing the gate by getting
of their horses and taking their hats off.
23. Great Golden Gate
The Great Golden Gate is the entrance to the Forbidden Purple City. In the
middle is a door which is only to be opened to the Emporor and State guests.
It is considered by some to be the most exquisite of all the gates. Lacquered
red and yellow, the wood gate leads through two bronze gateways and passes
two bronze vessels cast by Lord Nguyen Tan..."
Old City Gates in
the Old Testament - pictures and lots of good info!!!
Pictures of the 12 Gates of Jerusalem
Old
Jerusalem City Gates, pictures and descriptions
From: Sheep and the Gate - NT analogy
"...These communal sheep pens in Scripture would be found in a village or in a town. A number of shepherds would put their sheep together in such a place for the night. They were very secure. Each pen had a strong gate as well as a watchman who would patrol throughout the night in order to keep any danger at bay.
This enclosure was much more crude than the communal pen. The wall was
made of field stones which were piled high one on top of the other. Thorn
bushes were then fastened to the top of the wall to act like barbed wire.
Animals and thieves were discouraged from climbing up the wall due to the
thorns.
Please notice that the purpose of the pen was safety.
The fence, the thorns, the door, were all a part of
the shepherd's defense system that was meant to keep predators away.
John 10:9 now notes: "I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be
saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture."
Here we see Jesus using a well-known Hebrew phrase. He says that through Him
the sheep can come in and go out. To be able to come and go unmolested was
the Jewish way of describing a life that is absolutely secure and safe.
When a person can come and go without fear, it means that the country is at
peace; that it enjoys perfect security.
In verses 7 and 9 Jesus emphatically and dogmatically
declares Himself to be "THE GATE" OR "THE DOOR."
· There was only one door into Noah's ark.
· There was only one door into the Old Testament tabernacle or Holy
of Holies.
· There is only one gate or door into
heaven.
So it is that there is only one door into the
Kingdom of God, that gate or door is JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF!
Now, if you are like me, you might have trouble understanding how someone
could be likened to a gate or a door. I once read of a lady who made a trip
to the Holy Land. While there she came to understand this passage in a whole
new light. Let me share with you her insights. "We reached a high ridge
overlooking the village of Bethlehem. There we found a sheepfold and went
right in to inspect it. It was not long before the owner appeared -- a veteran,
with a long beard. "'Is this your sheepfold?' my friend asked. 'Aye.'
"'And is this where the sheep sleep?' pointing to a rough shelter thrown
up against a rock in a corner.' He nodded.
"'But you've no gate to the fold; how do you close them in at night?'
"The old man looked at us as if we ought to have known better. 'I am
the door,' he said with emphasis; and gathering his loose robe right about
his ankles, he was down in a moment, squatting in the doorway, back against
one post, feet against the other, his knees drawn up and clasped by his weather-beaten
old hands. 'I am the door,' he repeated. 'I keep watch
here at night. If thieves or wild beasts attempt to enter, they have to tackle
me first. I have never lost a lamb from the fold yet.'"
Jesus is the door -- to God's sheepfold! Before a thief can get to the sheep,
he must deal with the door. Before a wild animal can destroy one of the little
ones, it must get through the door.
(Put on a shepherd's garment, pick up shepherd's staff) The Shepherd's body
lies at the entrance of the pen. Before anything gets in, it must first be
granted permission from the Good Shepherd; who is minding the door! Jesus
by His very presence guarantees the well-being of His sheep. John 6:39 declares,
"And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all
that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day." The
Good Shepherd would rather die Himself rather than allow a wolf to get in
and spoil the flock!
Listen now to John 10:9 once again: "I am the gate;
whoever enters through me will be SAVED." We don't hear that word
"saved" much anyone. Some modern preachers want to do away with
the term. I don't know why. The word translated "saved" here means
"delivered safe and sound." It sounds like a good word to me..."
From: The Sheep
Gate…Scripture -
"...1 Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brothers the priests, and they built the sheep gate; they sanctified it, and set up the doors of it; even to the tower of Hammeah they sanctified it, to the tower of Hananel. 2 Next to him built the men of Jericho. Next to them built Zaccur the son of Imri. 3 The fish gate did the sons of Hassenaah build; they laid the beams of it, and set up the doors of it, the bolts of it, and the bars of it. 4 Next to them repaired Meremoth the son of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz. Next to them repaired Meshullam the son of Berechiah, the son of Meshezabel. Next to them repaired Zadok the son of Baana. 5 Next to them the Tekoites repaired; but their nobles didn't put their necks to the work of their lord. 6 The old gate repaired Joiada the son of Paseah and Meshullam the son of Besodeiah; they laid the beams of it, and set up the doors of it, and the bolts of it, and the bars of it. 7 Next to them repaired Melatiah the Gibeonite, and Jadon the Meronothite, the men of Gibeon, and of Mizpah, that appertained to the throne of the governor beyond the River. 8 Next to him repaired Uzziel the son of Harhaiah, goldsmiths. Next to him repaired Hananiah one of the perfumers, and they fortified Jerusalem even to the broad wall. 9 Next to them repaired Rephaiah the son of Hur, the ruler of half the district of Jerusalem. 10 Next to them repaired Jedaiah the son of Harumaph, over against his house. Next to him repaired Hattush the son of Hashabneiah. 11 Malchijah the son of Harim, and Hasshub the son of Pahath-moab, repaired another portion, and the tower of the furnaces. 12 Next to him repaired Shallum the son of Hallohesh, the ruler of half the district of Jerusalem, he and his daughters. 13 The valley gate repaired Hanun, and the inhabitants of Zanoah; they built it, and set up the doors of it, the bolts of it, and the bars of it, and one thousand cubits of the wall to the dung gate. 14 The dung gate repaired Malchijah the son of Rechab, the ruler of the district of Beth Haccherem; he built it, and set up the doors of it, the bolts of it, and the bars of it. 15 The spring gate repaired Shallun the son of Colhozeh, the ruler of the district of Mizpah; he built it, and covered it, and set up the doors of it, the bolts of it, and the bars of it, and the wall of the pool of Shelah by the king's garden, even to the stairs that go down from the city of David. 16 After him repaired Nehemiah the son of Azbuk, the ruler of half the district of Beth Zur, to the place over against the tombs of David, and to the pool that was made, and to the house of the mighty men. 17 After him repaired the Levites, Rehum the son of Bani. Next to him repaired Hashabiah, the ruler of half the district of Keilah, for his district. 18 After him repaired their brothers, Bavvai the son of Henadad, the ruler of half the district of Keilah. 19 Next to him repaired Ezer the son of Jeshua, the ruler of Mizpah, another portion, over against the ascent to the armory at the turning of the wall. 20 After him Baruch the son of Zabbai earnestly repaired another portion, from the turning of the wall to the door of the house of Eliashib the high priest. 21 After him repaired Meremoth the son of Uriah the son of Hakkoz another portion, from the door of the house of Eliashib even to the end of the house of Eliashib. 22 After him repaired the priests, the men of the Plain. 23 After them repaired Benjamin and Hasshub over against their house. After them repaired Azariah the son of Maaseiah the son of Ananiah beside his own house. 24 After him repaired Binnui the son of Henadad another portion, from the house of Azariah to the turning of the wall, and to the corner. 25 Palal the son of Uzai repaired over against the turning of the wall, and the tower that stands out from the upper house of the king, which is by the court of the guard. After him Pedaiah the son of Parosh repaired. 26 (Now the Nethinim lived in Ophel, to the place over against the water gate toward the east, and the tower that stands out.) 27 After him the Tekoites repaired another portion, over against the great tower that stands out, and to the wall of Ophel. 28 Above the horse gate repaired the priests, everyone over against his own house. 29 After them repaired Zadok the son of Immer over against his own house. After him repaired Shemaiah the son of Shecaniah, the keeper of the east gate. 30 After him repaired Hananiah the son of Shelemiah, and Hanun the sixth son of Zalaph, another portion. After him repaired Meshullam the son of Berechiah over against his chamber. 31 After him repaired Malchijah one of the goldsmiths to the house of the Nethinim, and of the merchants, over against the gate of Hammiphkad, and to the ascent of the corner. 32 Between the ascent of the corner and the sheep gate repaired the goldsmiths and the merchants..."
From: http://bible.www9.50megs.com/Nehemiah/12.html
"...1 Now these are the priests and the Levites who went up with Zerubbabel
the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra, 2 Amariah, Malluch,
Hattush, 3 Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth, 4 Iddo, Ginnethoi, Abijah, 5 Mijamin,
Maadiah, Bilgah, 6 Shemaiah, and Joiarib, Jedaiah. 7 Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah,
Jedaiah. These were the chiefs of the priests and of their brothers in the
days of Jeshua. 8 Moreover the Levites: Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah,
Judah, and Mattaniah, who was over the thanksgiving, he and his brothers.
9 Also Bakbukiah and Unno, their brothers, were over against them according
to their offices. 10 Jeshua became the father of Joiakim, and Joiakim became
the father of Eliashib, and Eliashib became the father of Joiada, 11 and Joiada
became the father of Jonathan, and Jonathan became the father of Jaddua. 12
In the days of Joiakim were priests, heads of fathers' houses: of Seraiah,
Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Hananiah; 13 of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan;
14 of Malluchi, Jonathan; of Shebaniah, Joseph; 15 of Harim, Adna; of Meraioth,
Helkai; 16 of Iddo, Zechariah; of Ginnethon, Meshullam; 17 of Abijah, Zichri;
of Miniamin, of Moadiah, Piltai; 18 of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jehonathan;
19 and of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi; 20 of Sallai, Kallai; of Amok,
Eber; 21 of Hilkiah, Hashabiah; of Jedaiah, Nethanel. 22 As for the Levites,
in the days of Eliashib, Joiada, and Johanan, and Jaddua, there were recorded
the heads of fathers' houses; also the priests, in the reign of Darius the
Persian. 23 The sons of Levi, heads of fathers' houses, were written in the
book of the chronicles, even until the days of Johanan the son of Eliashib.
24 The chiefs of the Levites: Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua the son of
Kadmiel, with their brothers over against them, to praise
and give thanks, according to the commandment of David the man of God, watch
next to watch. 25 Mattaniah, and Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon,
Akkub, were porters keeping the watch at the store-houses
of the gates. 26 These were in the days of Joiakim the son of Jeshua,
the son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the governor, and of Ezra
the priest the scribe. 27 At the dedication of the wall
of Jerusalem they sought the Levites out of all their places, to bring them
to Jerusalem, to keep the dedication with gladness, both with giving thanks,
and with singing, with cymbals, psalteries, and with harps. 28 The sons of
the singers gathered themselves together, both out of the plain round about
Jerusalem, and from the villages of the Netophathites; 29 also from Beth Gilgal,
and out of the fields of Geba and Azmaveth: for the singers had built them
villages round about Jerusalem. 30 The priests and the Levites purified themselves;
and they purified the people, and the gates, and the wall. 31 Then I brought
up the princes of Judah on the wall, and appointed two great companies who
gave thanks and went in procession; whereof one went on the right hand on
the wall toward the dung gate: 32 and after them went Hoshaiah, and
half of the princes of Judah, 33 and Azariah, Ezra, and Meshullam, 34 Judah,
and Benjamin, and Shemaiah, and Jeremiah, 35 and certain of the priests' sons
with trumpets: Zechariah the son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son
of Mattaniah, the son of Micaiah, the son of Zaccur, the son of Asaph; 36
and his brothers, Shemaiah, and Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel,
and Judah, Hanani, with the musical instruments of David the man of God; and
Ezra the scribe was before them. 37 By the spring gate, and straight before
them, they went up by the stairs of the city of David, at the ascent of the
wall, above the house of David, even to the water gate eastward. 38 The other
company of those who gave thanks went to meet them, and I after them, with
the half of the people, on the wall, above the tower of the furnaces, even
to the broad wall, 39 and above the gate of Ephraim, and by the old gate,
and by the fish gate, and the tower of Hananel, and the tower of Hammeah,
even to the sheep gate: and they stood still in the gate of the guard. 40
So stood the two companies of those who gave thanks in the house of God, and
I, and the half of the rulers with me; 41 and the priests, Eliakim, Maaseiah,
Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah, with trumpets; 42 and
Maaseiah, and Shemaiah, and Eleazar, and Uzzi, and Jehohanan, and Malchijah,
and Elam, and Ezer. The singers sang loud, with Jezrahiah their overseer.
43 They offered great sacrifices that day, and rejoiced;
for God had made them rejoice with great joy; and the women also and
the children rejoiced: so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard even afar off.
44 On that day were men appointed over the chambers for the treasures, for
the heave-offerings, for the first fruits, and for the tithes, to gather into
them, according to the fields of the cities, the portions appointed by the
law for the priests and Levites: for Judah rejoiced for the priests and for
the Levites who waited. 45 They kept the charge of their God, and the charge
of the purification, and so did the singers and the porters, according to
the commandment of David, and of Solomon his son. 46 For in the days of David
and Asaph of old there was a chief of the singers, and songs of praise and
thanksgiving to God. 47 All Israel in the days of Zerubbabel, and in the days
of Nehemiah, gave the portions of the singers and the porters, as every day
required: and they set apart that which was for the Levites; and the Levites
set apart that which was for the sons of Aaron..."
From: HEALS
LAME AT POOL OF BETHESDA ..... JESUS IS MASTER OVER TIME
"...3RD Miracle John 5: 1 - 8
Here we have to picture all these people who are laying around this pool for
the Angel of the Lord to come down and trouble the waters.
This pool must have been huge first it was near the
temple gate the sheep gate pool is the literal meaning of the pool of Bethesda
............ the Sheep Gate being the gate where
the Sheep were brought in to be slaughtered for the sacrifices of the people
........ it had 5 porches one on each side and one in the middle..."
From: http://www.praxistable.org/04212002.html
"...This week at praxis...Jesus sighted in loaf of bread (Jesus said)
"Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the
gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. The one who enters
by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The
gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls
his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his
own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his
voice. They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him
because they do not know the voice of strangers." Jesus used this figure
of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.
So again Jesus said to them, "Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for
the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did
not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and
will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief
comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life,
and have it abundantly. ----John 10:1-10...
...In the second section (vs. 7-10) the imagery shifts, and the focus
falls on Jesus as the gate of the sheepfold. On the one hand, a warning is
given about the thieves and bandits who appear before the gate, but whom the
sheep do not heed. On the other hand, an invitation
is issued, promising salvation, nurture, and abundant life to all who pass
through the Jesus-gate. Jesus has come not as the thief to kill the
sheep and leave the flock in disarray; he has come to give fullness of life.
The repetition of the phrase, "I am the gate"
places emphasis on the exclusiveness of Jesus as the way to eternal life.
It is a prominent motif in the Fourth Gospel, and no doubt helped to establish
the peculiar identity of the Johannine community in distinction from the synagogue.
They were a people who saw no hope apart form the Good Shepherd, whose voice
they had come to know.
---- Texts for Preaching
This interpretation of Jesus as the gate to salvation makes its appearance very early in patristic exegesis, for Ignatius says: "He is the gate (thyra) of the Father, through which enter Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and the Prophets and the Apostles and the Church." There is a parallel to the Johannine picture of the gate to salvation in Matthew 7:13 where Jesus speaks of the narrow door or gate pyle) into the kingdom of God is the Son of God; no man [sic] can enter otherwise than through the Son. ----Raymond Brown, The Gospel According to John. The Anchor Bible.
Thyra: qðuðrðað the door to a house or building.
---Greek English Lexicon
"I am the door." (John 10:7, 9) The origin of the metaphor has
been much debated. Some scholars see a misreading of the Aramaic "shepherd
of the sheep" as "door of the sheep." Others trace the influence
of pre-Christian Gnosticism. Yet Old Testament models for the shepherd -image,
for going in and out, and for door-predication form a more obvious basis.
In analogy to "I am the way" in 14:6, "I am the door"
develops the thoughts in 10:1-2. The lesson of v.9 is that Christ alone mediates
membership in the messianic
community and reception of its blessings of salvation and eternal life. The
lesson of v.7 is that he alone mediates the authentic pastoral office. ----Theological
Dictionary of the New Testament...
Questions:
· How is Jesus a gate, a door?
·
· The Buddhist idea of the gateless gate is (at least one way of perceiving
it)
· a gate one passes through that then disappears behind you, as if
it wasn't
· there. How is this different from John's use of gate for Jesus?
·
· Are you inside, outside, or in the middle of the gate?
·
· Is the gate open or closed?
·
· Is it possible to climb over the wall? What do you learn when you
do that? ..."
From:
http://my.execpc.com/~paulnue/year_b/easter4b2000_ser.htm
"...The "gatekeeper" in verse three, for instance, caught my
eye for the very first time. The gatekeeper
opens the gate for the Good Shepherd. Why a gatekeeper?? Isn't that
a bit formal for the average sheep herd? Marty Aiken mentioned to me last
night after the service that he's not a city boy, and he said that the only
time he can think of when there might be a gatekeeper for the sheep is when
they are brought to the stockyard to be slaughtered. This is the point, in
fact, where the shepherd finally leaves his sheep for good -- or for ill,
if you're a sheep. The shepherd does not enter the stockyard with his sheep.
He abandons them to the slaughter.
It was similar in Jesus' day. There wasn't
a gatekeeper at the average sheep pen. But I'll bet there was a gatekeeper
at the big Sheep Gate in Jerusalem where the sheep would be led to the great
Passover slaughter every year. And this is where the average shepherd would
leave his sheep off at the gate, abandoning them to the slaughter. But Jesus
is the Good Shepherd who walks right in that gate with the sheep and "goes
ahead of them," out the other side of the holding pen into the Temple
courtyard to be slaughtered. So Jesus isn't just laying down his life out
in the field for some dangerous wolf. The most dangerous place for a sheep
in Jesus' day was out in the Temple courtyard. The wolves are already a metaphor
for the sacrificers who come to slaughter the lambs in the sacrificial machinery.
Jesus lays down his life as the Lamb of God on the altar of sacrifice...
...…John 10 makes so much more sense to me now. Take a quick look, for
example, at his sudden switch of metaphors in verse 7. He's
the Good Shepherd who walks into the sheep stockyard, and then, all of a sudden,
he's the gate. Why the gate? Notice the sheep going freely in and out from
shelter to pasture and back again? They no longer will be herded to the altar
of sacrifice...."
From: A Biblical Worldview:
narrow is the gate
By Fred Field
What did Jesus say about gates?
Fred Field Email: fredfield@earthlink.net
September 9, 2002
From:
The Relationship Between the Church and the Kingdom
"...The relationship between the Church of Christ and the Kingdom of
God is this: the Church has the keys
of the Kingdom. The Church is the called-out Wife of the Lamb
and the nobility of the Kingdom. Through the Church, God will set up the remainder
of His Kingdom, His rulership in the earth.
God's main purpose in the earth at this time is the
calling out and building of His Church, the Body of Christ. When Jesus
comes, Christ, Head and Body, will go forth in the fullness of the Holy Spirit
of God to set up the Kingdom of God throughout the entire earth. Then the
Church will reign over the saved peoples of the earth to the ages of ages
(Daniel 7:27).
The Kingdom of God is the doing of God's will
in the earth. "Your kingdom come, Your will be done in the earth."
"The Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit."
We are permitted to come to God through the legal device of ascribed righteousness.
But the Kingdom of God is actual righteousness and holiness of personality
and behavior plus stern obedience to the Father in Heaven.
The laws and ways of the Kingdom of God were announced by Jesus, as recorded
in the four Gospels. The Sermon on the Mount, Matthew, Chapters Five through
Seven, is a particularly rich source of the laws of the Kingdom of God. Jesus
taught us to be forgiving; to do good to all; to seek righteousness; to love
God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength, and our neighbor as ourselves.
Jesus taught us to respond in generosity and kindness to demands made on us.
He told us to "turn the other cheek" if we were struck.
The condition of the world today is such that people are moving away from
keeping the laws of the Kingdom of God rather than toward keeping them. The
world may be further from the Kingdom of God today than it was in the days
of Christ. Has Jesus been defeated? Has God given the world to the wicked?
Not at all! We see the Church. The Church is the hope of bringing the Kingdom
of God to the earth. The Church is the means by which God will install His
laws, His Kingdom in the earth. God's laws will be established here and there
is no power that can prevent it.
First, God sent Christ. Jesus kept the laws of the Kingdom of God perfectly
in the earth, two thousand years ago. Today the ministries of the Church are
in travail to bring forth Christ in the saints of the Lord. Through the grace
of God in Christ, especially through the working of the Holy Spirit, the Christians
are learning how to keep the laws of the Kingdom of God, and to keep them
now-in this present life.
God's laws are impossible to keep by our own wisdom and strength. Through
the good that is in Christ, especially in His body and blood, we are increasingly
able to overcome the evil in the world-the evil that is becoming in these
days more wicked and vile than ever before. There is goodness in Christ through
which the saints are enabled to overcome the evil in the world.
In the meantime, we Christians are having a difficult time keeping God's righteous
and holy laws. While we know of the laws of the Kingdom, the keeping of these
laws is so high above us that "turning the other cheek" has become
a Christian joke. The laws of the Kingdom are never a joke with true saints,
the sincere disciples of the Lord Jesus. In the present hour the Holy Spirit
is guiding the Lord's people into the holy and righteous conduct of the Kingdom
of God.
When persecution and tribulation come upon the Church, many Christians who
are leading lukewarm spiritual lives are brought closer to the Lord through
their suffering. When we are brought closer to Jesus, He begins to teach us
and to help us concerning doing the will of the Father.
When Jesus appears in the clouds of the heaven there will be a great company
of His saints who will appear with Him, ready to bring judgment and deliverance
into the Christian assemblies and then into the earth. "The Lord comes
with ten thousands of his saints." The Lord Jesus and His victorious
saints, His "mighty men" to use a term from the reign of King David,
will rule the peoples of the earth with the iron of God's strength.
Throughout the thousand-year Kingdom Age the Church of Christ will be nourished
by the Lord and will grow strong in His righteous ways (Malachi 4:2,3). The
people will learn righteousness and peace (Isaiah 2:3). During the Kingdom
Age the laws of the Kingdom of God will be learned and observed throughout
the earth.
During the new heaven and earth rule of Christ the servants of the Lord, whose
home will be the new Jerusalem, will reign as kings and priests. The laws
of the Kingdom of God will be kept on earth and in the heavens forever, ages
without end.
We can understand from this that the relationship between the Church of Christ
and the Kingdom of God is that the Kingdom of God will be set up on the earth
by means of the Church. The Church is God's means for establishing the Kingdom
of God and is itself the beginning and governing body of the Kingdom of God.
The Tabernacle of the Congregation reveals the interventions of God in world
history from the time Christ hung on the cross, as portrayed by the blood
sprinkled on the Mercy Seat, all the way to the moment when the holy city
becomes the Most Holy Place on the earth and the Throne of God and of the
Lamb are established on the earth forever.
The bronze Altar of Burnt Offering standing in the Courtyard informs us that
one day the entire universe will be reconciled to God through Christ. This
is the kingdom-wide interpretation of the Tabernacle of the Congregation..."
(Note from G.Wiebe) interesting thoughts..never considered these 'palm lines' from a potentially biblical perspective...but if it is rooted in Scripture, it isn't surprising, since the enemy likes to counterfeit everything, so perhaps palm reading is the counterfeit of this 'biblical' palm reading?)
"...The lines in the palm of the hand (upper left picture) correspond to the strategic pathways through the Tabernacle. The Gate, which is the only way into the Tabernacle, represents the entrance into Eternal Life, or Christ the way (John 14:6). There are 4 posts in the Gate, which represent the weakness of man without a Savior as symbolized by the weakness of the four fingers without the thumb. The thumb represents Salvation. Four fingers plus the thumb are strong. The 4 posts also represent four strategic paths associated with Salvation. The first path is the Line of the Father. No one can be saved unless the Father draws him (John 6:44, 65; Jeremiah 31:3). The second path is the Line of the Spirit (or destiny), which represents Jesus Christ the promised Messiah (Isaiah 9:6). Christ had a royal destiny, and Christians share His destiny. The third line is the Line of the Soul, or success, which represents Christ the King in His Millennial reign (Isaiah 9:7). The fourth line represents the perfect humanity of Jesus Christ in hypostatic union, who was qualified to bear the sins of the world (Isaiah 53:7; John 1:29; 1 Peter 1:18-19; Revelation 5:11-13).
Door - Grace Orientation
The Door controls access to the Holy Place and Holy of Holies. The Door represents
the Lord Jesus Christ, our entrance into the Spiritual Life (John 10:9). The
5 posts in the Door represent grace and the 5 strategic paths into the Holy
Place and Holy of Holies. The 5 lines of the palm which correspond to the
5 posts are:
1. Line of Light - this line connects the Line of the Father to light of the
first finger (John 1:4, 9; 8:12).
2. Line of Holy Spirit (Heart) - often ends between first and second fingers
or on the forefinger mount (Ephesians 2:18).
3. Line of the Spirit (destiny) - connects along the middle finger through
the veil (Hebrews 10:19-20).
4. Line of the Soul (success) - connects to the third finger - represents
vindication through Christ our Intercessor (Hebrews 7:25)
5. Line of the Body - access through the Door is through faith, which is symbolized
by the bread, the Spiritual food (Romans 5:2)
The Lord's hand is inscribed in the Tabernacle. Christians are "predestined
to conform to the image of His Son" (Romans 8:29). Therefore, the definition
of the Lord's hand in the Tabernacle also applies to the believer's hand..."
From: Gate
"...The three mounts at the base of the palm correspond to paths through
the Gate, the symbol of Christ the way of Salvation. The Mount of the Mind
corresponds to the objective thinking of the mind, or left lobe of the soul.
The Mount of the Heart corresponds to the thinking of the right lobe. And
the Mount of Evangelism corresponds to the function of the Holy Spirit in
Common Grace to make the Gospel real to the unbeliever.
Lines of the Palm
The Line of the Father represents the Sovereign Design of the Father for the
Life of Christ. The Line of the Son represents the authority of the Lord Jesus
Christ over all creation. The Line of the Holy Spirit represents the Holy
Spirit, who provides the power for the Spiritual Life. The Line of Destiny
represents the purpose of Jesus Christ to go to the Cross and provide Salvation
for all mankind. Note: Salvation was provided for all mankind, but only those
who accept it through faith in Jesus Christ will be saved.2 The Line of the
Body represents the virgin birth of humanity of Jesus Christ. It extends to
the Mount of Humility. The Line of the Soul, or Success, begins at the nail
scar and represents the victory of the Cross and extends to the Mount of Justice.
The Line of Light, which is an extension of the Life Line, extends to the
Mount of Life.
Door
The mounts of the fingers represent the paths through the Door of the Holy
Place of the Tabernacle (John 10:7-9). The Mount of Life of the first finger
represents the motivation of Christ to be the Light of the world. Jesus Christ
entered the Door at the Mount of Life to be the Good Shepherd and go to the
Cross (John 10:7-11). The Holy Mount represents the motivation of Christ to
be holy, which means consecrated to God. The Mount of Life and the Holy Mount
correspond to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The Mount of Justice represents
the motivation of Christ to meet all the demands of the absolute Justice of
the Godhead. And the Mount of Humility represents the motivation of Christ
to maintain humility in accepting his humble birth. The humanity of Jesus
Christ was motivated. Neither motivation nor hands apply to the deity of Christ
because God is not physical and is not motivated. He functions on the basis
of His perfect integrity..."
The Keys of the Kingdom
- unlocking the door
Repent…… the Gospel of the Kingdom - total-life worship
From:
Peter and the Keys
"...What does Jesus mean by the term "keys"?
In verse 19, Jesus promised to give Peter the keys to the kingdom of heaven.
In context, what then are the keys? Literally, a key is a "metal instrument
by which the bolt
of a lock is turned." As such a key is
"a means of gaining entrance, possession, or control." In the figurative
sense, "key" is defined as "something that gives an explanation
or provides a solution." These definitions come from Webster's
7th New Collegiate Dictionary, under "key" (noun), definition numbers
1a, 2, and 3a respectively.
A key, in context with Jesus' usage of the term in v. 19, could denote several
things. Most importantly, the "keys"
would certainly include information or procedures on how to gain entrance
into the kingdom of heaven. Unlocking or explaining prophecy, or even the
words of Christ could be a function of the keys. Also, solutions to personal
problems could be a function of the keys. Interestingly, the term "keys"
is plural, which indicates many possibilities for the keys..."
BIBLICAL KEYS TO UNLOCK SPIRITUAL GATES/GATEWAYS
+ Humility
+ Repentance
+ Forgiveness
+ Prayer & Intercession
+ Obedience to God / Honoring Him
+ God's righteousness and justice
+ Loving God first and loving others as ourselves
+ Laying down our lives for others
+ Thankfulness and Praise to God
+ Unity in the Body
+ Faith
+ Servant Heart
More to come...