In the past towns used to have wall and gates. Why? To protect and keep the people safe.
The city of Jerusalem in Biblical times had 10 gates, each with a specific name and function.
The Gates of Jerusalem have a wonderful prophetic story to tell, having been named 1,000 years before the Lamb came.
The old town of Jerusalem, the town of David, it was rebuilt by Nehemiah. It is not the town you will see if you go the Jerusalem today. But this place nowadays is being dug.
Today I would like to show you how those gates can teach us some spiritual truth.
There were 10 gates each one with a name and function.
Only specific things could go in or out through those gates.
1 Sheep Gate – Encounter with the lamb of God- experience salvation- Jo. 1: 29
2 Fish Gate – To grow, to multiple, to move Mc 1:17
3 Old Gate- To be set free from our past – 2 Co 5.17
4 Valley Gate – the sinner must be brought down into the valley of humility and conviction before he can call upon the Lord for salvation. Rm 6:6
5 Dung Gate- throw away the garbage and become more like Jesus- Fruit of the Spirit. Gal 5:22-23
6 Fountain Gate- be Baptized by the Holy Spirit. Rm 8: 26, 27
7 Water Gate – Word of God, be cleansed by the washing with water through the word. Ef 5:26
8 Horse Gate- Allowing Jesus to carry our burden, learn to depend on Him, and also serve one another. 1 Pe 5. 7
9 East Gate- Jesus Return I Ts 5.23
10 Miphkad or Inspection Gate – Judgment of God- 2 Co 3.5
After the receiving of the Lamb as our Saviour, we begin a journey that will take us from the lowest part of the city overlooking the Valley of Gehenna (a place that represents the torments of hell); past the Water Gate (a place of worship); and past the Horse Gate (a place of service). On this journey, we should be mindful that we will someday enter heaven’s Eastern Gate and be inspected at the Inspection Gate.
We should so live our lives with a humbleness of spirit; with an integrity of heart and mind; and with a boldness for our Lord; that when we get to heaven, we will be glad to be there.
The Gates
Gates were used to get in and out of the city and at that time they were places where decisions were made that could affect the whole city.
Gates in our lives talks about decision. Where we manifest authority, will, permission and make choices. You can open or close the gates in your own life. It’s not your partners (husband or wife), brother or sister, mother or father, teachers, boss, friends or even Satan or God who make choices in your life. We can choose, God gave us as gift the Free Will.
A indecisive will is vulnerable to attacks, but a restored will finds harmony with God and with himself.
Isaiah wrote that our righteousness is as “filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6). We must come to the place of repentance where we turn from sin. This is the message of the Dung Gate.
This continues the process in which, as the Apostle Paul taught, “old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (II Corinthians 5:17).
The modern Dung Gate lies just southwest of the Western Wall, near the southern wall of the Temple Mount.
However, in David’s day, it was located about as far south as the ancient wall would take you – right at the bottom of the hill where the Valley of the Cheese makers meets the dump ground that is known as the Gehenna Valley. In like manner, a person must spiritually become about as far down as one can get. We must come to the place where we are willing to turn the corner, so to speak, and begin the journey back toward the house of God (the Temple).
There is a spiritual principle here, all garbage produced in a city needs to be thrown away, if not it will make people in the city sick. It will attract rats, flies and cockroaches in addition to the stench.
Relationships
Let’s understand this principle in our lives.
Can I accumulate garbage in my life? How can I keep myself clean?
We are called to produce fruits of repentance Matt. 3:8.
As we relate with one another in the body of Christ we start to learn about the character of Christ, and how a truth Christian should behave. The Holy Spirit works in us developing the fruits. Gal 5. 22, 23. We are called to abandon the old life, the works of the flesh.
When we relate to each other we are fed, nourished and blessed but along with that might come culture shock, misunderstanding, offense (this is the garbage that is produced in the body of Christ). So, what do you do with these things, do you throw them away, and forget about them or do you keep looking at them, smelling and playing with them?
This is called forgiving and forgetting.
Mt 18: 21-22 21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”
22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.
Mt 5: 21- 24 21 21 “You have heard that it was said to our people long ago, ‘You must not murder anyone.[d] Any person who commits murder will be judged.’ 22 But I tell you, don’t be angry with anyone. If you are angry with others, you will be judged. And if you insult someone, you will be judged by the high court. And if you call someone a fool, you will be in danger of the fire of hell.
23 “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.
Mk 11.25 And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” [26] [g]
1 Pe 3: 7 In the same way, you husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way [with great gentleness and tact, and with an intelligent regard for the marriage relationship], as with [c]someone physically weaker, since she is a woman. Show her honour and respect as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered or ineffective.
Phil 3: 12,13-12
12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,
The way we act to one another will bless or curse our lives. If you forgive your prayers will be answered, your life will be longer.
Eph 6:1 -3
1 Children obey your parents in the Lord [that is, accept their guidance and discipline as His representatives], for this is right [for obedience teaches wisdom and self-discipline]. 2 Honour [esteem, value as precious] your father and your mother [and be respectful to them]—this is the first commandment with a promise— 3 so that it may be well with you, and that you may have a long life on the earth.
Why do so many believers prefer to collect their trash instead of taking it out the gate? Why do they insist on keeping bitterness and resentment as part of their lives? Why do they allow disappointments and wounds to infect so deeply? Why do people like to sit around the trash, and talk about church problems and people’s problems and how others have failed?
Some do this as an excuse, but they are disobeying the word. The right thing is to throw it all away, but they prefer to keep it to justify their lifestyle. In fact, some people do not want to be healed, they seem to enjoy getting sick and keep making excuses for their sins.
You have control of the gate; you can open it and you can close it.
Gossip
There are people who come together to talk about their trash (their grief and resentment) and there are others who like to meditate on the trash of others (their brothers’ faults and sins)
Don’t talk about others behind their back, talk to them. Solve the problem, through away your trash.
There are others who refuse to put the trash out of their lives and bring them to church; there are people with garbage stored for over twenty years.
Make the decision not to keep any more trash in your heart and refuse to have fellowship with dung talkers – people who like to talk about the worse in others or manure spreaders – people who like gossiping.
These people are always gossiping about other people’s sin or how they were hurt by someone. The sign of change will come as we begin to acknowledge our sins and repent from them.
Remembering difficulties, problems, disappointments and offenses are part of a healthy relationship. They are part of life. But what we do with the trash in our lives will determine how healthy and strong our spiritual lives will be.
Forgiveness must always flow into our lives.
Take the garbage that was produced in a relationship, and put it out of your life, and try and re-establish a relationship with those who hurt you. Grow in love, compassion and mercy. Learn to practice what Jesus taught us.
Ephesians 4:20-32
20 That, however, is not the way of life you learned 21 when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. 22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbour, for we are all members of one body. 26 ‘In your anger do not sin’[d]: do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold. 28 Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.
29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
If there is anyone with whom you have not been getting on well with, I invite you to try and fix the relationship you have with that person, go to him/her. Release forgiveness, forgive. Do not keep any more trash in your life. Remember the dung gate is always open, you can go there to throw your trash away.
Conclusion
After receiving the Lamb as our Saviour, we began a journey that will take us from the lowest part of the city overlooking the Valley of Gehenna (a place that represents the torments of hell); past the Water Gate (a place of worship); and past the Horse Gate (a place of service). On this journey, we should be mindful that we will someday enter heaven’s Eastern Gate and be inspected at the Inspection Gate.
We should so live our lives with a humbleness of spirit; with an integrity of heart and mind; and with a boldness for our Lord; that when we get to heaven, we will be glad to be there.