The Walls & Gates of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 3)

Notes compiled by the Senior High Sunday School class and Pastor Jacob on the Gates mentioned in Nehemiah 3.

The Sheep Gate

Literal Meaning:

• Nicole Turich - It was the gate in which the sheep and lambs used in the sacrifice were brought through.
• It was called the sheep gate because this was the gate which the sheep and lambs used in the sacrifice were bought through.

Symbolic of Jesus:

• Nicole Turich - Jesus says he is the gate for the sheep - the sheep are to enter through Jesus.
  • “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” - Philippians 4:13
• “At the sheep gate is where it all began. This the gate where the Lord Jesus entered into Jerusalem…(John 5:2)…The sheep gate is the gate through which the animals were brought for sacrifice. This is the gate the Lord used. I think He was acting out, as it were, a walking parable. He was illustrating what John the Baptist said about Him, “…Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29b). 

- J. Vernon McGee, Thru The Bible 

Christian Life:

• Nicole Turich - Spiritual meaning of Sheep Gate is death and offering the lamb (Jesus Christ), which death, blood and resurrection bring us forgiveness of sins and redemption.
  • This gate signifies the starting point
    • The gate points to the first coming of Jesus
• The Sheep Gate represents the first step in our life with Christ. It represents the realization that Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God and represents how Christ was sacrificed for our sins on the Cross.
• The Sheep Gate is the first gate mentioned and the last gate mentioned which is symbolic that everything begins and ends with the Cross.
• “There for Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture.” -  John 10:7-9

The Fish Gate

Literal Meaning:

• This is the gate that fish were brought through from the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River.
• There would have been a marketplace close to this gate and where people often gathered.

Symbolic of Jesus:

• When Jesus began his ministry he called men to follow him, these men were his disciples. In Matthew he calls out to Peter and his brother Andrew, “Come, follow me and I will make you fishers of men” 

Christian Life: 

• “After the disciples learned the facts of the gospel, Jesus said to them, “And, behold I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with the power from on high” (Luke 24:49). That is, don't go yet. Wait until you are baptized by the Holy Spirit, indwell by the Holy Spirit, and then filled by the Holy Spirit. On the day of Pentecost they were filled, and they became fisheries of men. Today that is what God is saying to His own.”

- J. Vernon McGee, Thru The Bible 

• It is the natural next step of our Christian faith after seeing and understanding what Jesus did for us on the Cross to then want to tell other people about it. The simple act of telling others what Christ has done for you and for them is acting as a ‘fisher of men’

The Old Gate

Literal Meaning: 

• The old gate is on of the original gates made that has lasted the sands of time.

Symbolic of Jesus:

• First you have to understand what the Old Gate means to our Christian lives to see how it was used by Christ. The Old Gate represents the wisdom of God that out lasts the wisdom of men.
• Jesus often refers back to biblical prophesy and brings clarification to the wisdom of God in the Old Testament. We can also look back to Jesus’ words as wise words to live by and if we do our lives will be testament to the eternity that we have in Christ.

Christian Life:

• This gate is best summed up by Jeremiah 6:16:
  • “This is what the Lord says: ‘Stand at the crossroads and look; ask the ancient paths, ask where the good way is and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But you said, ‘We will not walk in it.” 
• Our world is constantly striving after the next best thing wanting to consume the new trend or new way of life at all times. The Old Gate reminds us that God’s way may seem like an old way but it’s a solid wise way that will cultivate strength in our lives to stand strong.
• The wisdom of God is beyond technological advancements and new health fads if you follow Him and live by His guidance He has promised us that His burden is easy and light.
  • “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”  - Matthew 11:28-30 

The Valley Gate:

Literal Meaning: 

• Molly Bebko - Gate opened out to the valley of Hinnom, which in Hebrew means ‘split’
  • ‘split’ - split from captivity/doubt
• This gate led out of Jerusalem and opened up into the valley of Hinnom.

Symbolic of Jesus: 

• Molly Bebko - Prophetically in the history of the church the valley gate would speak of the humbling and suppression of the true church following on from when ‘Christianity’ was made a state religion under Constantine.

Christian Life: 

• Molly Bebko - Valley Gate = humility and trials the Lord uses for our spiritual growth
  • Humbling - growing into the character of God (Sanctification)
    • Humility - The valleys of life humble us
• Molly Bebko - The distance between the Old Gate and the Valley Gate is the ‘honeymoon phase’ with God. It is when you get to bask in God’s love right after you accept Him into your heart. The Valley Gate can represent doubts or trials in your walk with God.
• “It is the gate of humility, the gate of humbleness. God sometimes has to lead us through trials and difficulties in order to teach us some lessons. We are told that faith develops in us different virtues, and one of them is lowliness of mind…This is something that you cannot cultivate in your own human strength.“Humility has to come from the inside. It is the fruit of the Holy Spirit. I am reminded of the man who said to his friend, “I have been trying to be humble and at last I have succeeded. “The friend said, “Well, I know you are proud of that.” The man replied, “I sure am.” Humility is not attained by human effort. We have to be humbled by the Spirit of God.” 

- J. Vernon McGee, Thru The Bible

• Valleys of life are never easy but they cause us to deepen our roots in the Spirit. When the trials of life come they test our faith and cause us to realize that we are utterly dependent on God and in that realization we can see that we need Him. When we realize that we need God we can start walking in humility with Him. Just like a man must break a horse before it becomes useable God must break us and valley seasons do that for us spiritually.

The Dung Gate

Literal Meaning: 

• The Dung Gate is where all the trash and filth was taken out of the city.
• Today the Dung Gate leads to the wailing wall.

Symbolic To Jesus: 

• Jesus lived a perfect life before the Father and called us to be like him meaning that would have to remove the junk and filth from our lives.
• Before Jesus died on the cross one’s filth and junk stayed with them but through the blood of Jesus’ sacrifice we are able to have the filth and junk removed and are able to walk pure in God’s sight.

Christian Life: 

• The Dung Gate represents our need to clear the junk and filth from our lives. It may mean getting rid of some physical things that we own that are wrong or inappropriate or things that cause us to sin like movies, music, or for some it might be alcohol, drugs or other items. It also might mean getting rid of some of our habits that are really habitual sin in our lives like gossiping or lying another might be that you constantly lust over images where you are seeking to look at images that please you but these are all sin and God has called us to rid our lives of them.
• The Dung Gate reminds us that God has called us to purity.
  • “Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves form everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.” - 2 Corinthians 7:1

The Fountain Gate

Literal Meaning: 

• This gate is located near the pool of Siloah, which was used for cleaning before going to temple.

Symbolic To Jesus: 

• Jesus is the fountain of life. Meaning that if we drink of the water that He gives we will have life eternally.
  • One must know Christ to know that the water they drink of is His so we must know Christ to drink from His well.

Christian Life: 

• The Fountain Gate is near to the Dung Gate which symbolizes that often in our lives when we have gone through a season of ridding the junk from our lives that we have a season where God refreshes our soul. Now clean and clear from sin God is able to pour His blessings and peace.
• It also represents that Holy Spirit is the one that cleanses and flows freely through our lives and empowers us in our Christian life.
• It is also a reminder of of what Christ said to the woman at the well.
  • “but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” - John 4:14 
• “At the Feast of Tabernacles Christ stood up and said, “Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” (John 7:38). In the next verse John explains His statement: “By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since jesus had not yet been glorified.)” (John 7:39). In Romans 8:9 Paul says, “You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.” The gate of the fountain, therefore, teaches the fact that every believer is indwell by the Spirit of God, and that he needs an infilling of the Spirit. When a believer is filled with the Spirit, he is not just a well, but a fountain of living water which will gush out to be a blessing to other people. All of us should be a blessing to others in these days in which we live.”

- J. Vernon McGee, Thru The Bible

The Water Gate

Literal Meaning: 

• This gate lead down to the Gihon Spring which was used to bring water into the city.

Symbolic to Jesus:

• Jesus taught us that it is by the washing of the Word that we are clean.
  • “You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.” - John 15:3 

Christian Life: 

• The Water Gate symbolizes how the Word of God effects our lives. In Psalm 119:9 it states that it is only by God’s word that we can be clean.
• The Water Gate and the Fountain Gate are next to one another which symbolizes the significance of the Word and Spirit and how they work together in our lives. Holy Spirit makes the Word come alive and the Word strengths Holy Spirit within us.
• “There are many people today who try to prove that the Bible is the Word of God. There are also those who try to prove that the Bible is not God’s Word. My ministry at the beginning was an apologetic ministry. I tried to prove that the Bible was the Word of God. I learned, however, that I do not need to prove it; I am to give it out, and the Spirit of God takes care of that. I have already come to the definite, dogmatic conclusion that the Bible is indeed the Word of God. I don't think it is - I know it is. And I know what it can do for you today. Therefore it does not need my weak support. The Bible will take care of itself.”

- J. Vernon McGee, Thru The Bible

The Horse Gate

Literal Meaning: 

• This gate was located close to the King’s stables and this would be the gate that the men of Jerusalem would ride out of to go to war.

Symbolic To Jesus:

• There will come a day when Jesus will return as a warrior King on a horse. While He doesn't ever enter or leave thought the Horse Gate, or at least hasn't yet, He still symbolizes the Warrior King that we are to follow.

Christian Life: 

• “The Horse Gate speaks of the “soldier service” of the believer today. In Ephesians 2:6 Paul tells us that God has “…raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenliness in Christ Jesus.” That great truth is in the first part of the book. In the second part of Ephesians we are told to “…walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called” (Eph. 4:1). Our heads are up in the heavenlies, but our feet are down here on the ground where we have to walk. Not only that, in Ephesians 6:11 we are told to “put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wise of the devil.” There is a real battle to be fought. It is a spiritual battle. Ephesians 6:12 continues: “For we wrestle not against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” We are not fighting against flesh and blood but against spiritual forces in this battle.”

- J. Vernon McGee, Thru The Bible

• We are called to be warriors for the Gospel which means that we are in a spiritual war for the souls of men. The enemy is set on destroying the earth, anything Godly including us, it is the most epic battle of good and evil, the darkness versus the light and we are the light in the darkness. This gate reminds us of that battle and how we need to be found in the armor of Christ.

The East Gate

Literal Meaning: 

• Josh Turich - The Messiah will enter Jerusalem through this gate
  • To prevent this Muslims sealed the gate during the rule of Suleiman
• The gate on the east side of Jerusalem which is opposite of the Mount of Olives.
• In modern Israel this gate is sealed up

Symbolic to Jesus: 

• Josh Turich - The shutting of the Eastern Gate is symbolic of the fact that Israel shut the gate to God by the folly of their pursuit of other Gods.
• Jesus will enter in through this gate when He returns and He will be established the King of Heaven and Earth.

Christian Life: 

• Josh Turich - Represents the hope of Jesus’ coming back
• The East Gate is the gate of our hope. Our hope in that Jesus is coming back and He will establish His throne on the Earth and will bring everlasting peace and joy. We will finally have full relationship with Jesus and be under his leadership.

The Miphkad Gate

Literal Meaning: 

• Miphkad means ‘review’
• Also known as The Inspection Gate
• David would review his troops at this gate. His troops would see how much David loved them and they loved him back. David was there to check them, greet them and thank them for their service.

Symbolic To Jesus:

• When Jesus returns He will take the rightful seat as Judge but as a Judge who does not Judge the world to condemn it but to reward it. He will reward those who have lived for Him and acted in love and in obedience to Him.

Christian Life: 

• The Inspection Gate is a reminder that once we are found in Christ we are no longer bound to be judged by the Father in condemning them for their sin but instead they will come before Christ and His judgement seat.

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