the gates of jerusalem

Email:[email protected] 1

THE WALL

AND

THE GATES OF JERUSALEM

(Nehemiah- Ch. 3)

Presented by

Joy Joseph Mundukottackal

KONKANI CHRISTIAN (BRETHREN) ASSEMBLY


The Wall and Gates of Jerusalem

NEHEMIAH Ch. 3

1. SHEEP GATE (3:1; 12: 39)

2. FISH GATE (3:3; 12: 39)

3. OLD GATE (3: 6; 12: 39)

4. THE VALLEY GATE (3: 13; 2: 13)

5. THE DUNG GATE (3: 14; 2: 13; 12: 31)

6. FOUNTAIN GATE (3: 15; 2:14; 12:37)

7. WATER GATE (3: 25; 26)

8. HORSE GATE (3:26)

9. EAST GATE (3: 29)

10. MIPHKHAD GATE (3: 31)

(Total 12 gates, but we have account of only 10 rebuilt)


Wall and Gates of Jerusalem

THE BURDEN OF NEHEMIAH

OVER THE CITY OF JERUSALEM(THE CITY; THE PLACE OF MY FATHER’S SEPULCHRES)

The remnant that are left of the captivity

there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof

are burned with fire. (Neh.1: 3)

And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days,

and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven,

(Neh.1: 4)



Who was Nehemiah ?

Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. (Neh.1: 1)

He was in Shushan the palace. (Neh.1: 2) He was the cupbearer of King Artaxerxes (Neh.2: 1)

King’s cupbearer was equal to the position of the governor of a province. (A desirable job)

But he was one that loved the God of Heavens and kept his commandments (Neh.1: 5)

He was a man of prayer and willing to make intercession for the people of God. (Neh.1: 6)

More than any thing his life a history of prayer. (Neh.1: 11)



BRIEF HISTORY OF THE CITY OF JERUSALEM (In relation to the Ark or the temple of God)

Tent of the meeting was in the wilderness (Acts.7: 44)

Ark was in Shiloh till the time of Samuel (Jud.18: 31) The Lord forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh (Ps.78: 60) He choose the mount of Zion he loved (Ps.78: 68)

David brought the Ark of God to Jerusalem (1.Chro.16: 1)

(For I have not dwelt in an house since the day that I brought up Israel unto this day; but have gone from tent to tent, and from one tabrnacle to another. 1 Chronicles 17: 5)

Solomon built the Temple of God (2.Chr.6: 1-2)



BREIF HISTORY OF THE TEMPLE OF GOD

1. Solomon’s temple- (1.King.6) Began BC.966

It remained till BC.586= almost 380 years.

Place: Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD at Jerusalem In mount Moriah, where the LORD appeared unto David his father, in the place that David had prepared in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite. (2. Chro.3: 1)

Destruction of Solomon’s temple: In the nineteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, came Nebuzaradan,.., into Jerusalem, And burned the house of the LORD,…

(Jeremiah 52: 12-13) BC.586



2. Zerubbabel’s Temple (Hag.2: 18)

(BC.518 remained till Herod rebuild it- Remained 500 years)

3. Herod’s Temple (Jn.2: 20) Was magnificent (Lk.21: 5)

(Work of renovation began BC.19; took 46 years- Jn.2: 20)

Destroyed by Titus (Romans) AD. 70

(Not leaving stone upon stone – Lk.21: 6; Prophecy fulfilled)

Hosea 3: 4 For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and with out an ephod, and without teraphim:

(Israel now a nation; waits to rebuild the temple)

NOW-Ye are the temple of God and Spirit of God dwells in you.



BRIEF HISTORY OF THE WALLS OF JERUSALEM

David took the stronghold of Zion. (Which is the city of David –2.Sam.5: 7)

David built round about from the Millo and inward. (2.Sam.5: 9)

First wall King Solomon built- 1.King 9: 15

Second wall King Hezekiah built –2.Chro. 32: 5

Third wall King Manasseh built - 2.Chro.33: 14

(The veiling wall- still remaining is the part of Solomon’s wall)



Return of the Jews from the exile. (History)

Edit of return BC. 538 Cyrus BC.538-530 (Ez.1: 1-3; 6: 3)

First return BC.538 with Zerubbabel

(49897- from 70 years captivity-Jer.25: 11) (Built the alter- BC.538 In the seventh month (Ez.3: 1)

(Laid the foundation- BC 536 -Ez.3: 8)

HISTORY OF PERSIAN KINGS (Of their edit return of Jews) Cambyses. BC. 530-522

Smerdis. BC. 522 Darius BC. 521-486 (Ministry of Haggai -BC.520 and Xerxes BC. 485-465 Ministry of Zechariah BC.520-518) Artaxerxes BC. 464-424

Edit of Artaxerxes and return of Nehemiah (BC.444)

God holds the key of history (Is.44:28;45:1-2; Dan.2:29-40;7:1-7)



WALLS AND GATES ARE NOW PART OF HISTORY You have leant a brief history of them.

What Spiritual truths you can learn of it now? What the wall and the gates represent now?

What was the concern and task of Nehemiah? How he accomplished it; what the secret?

What must be the concern of us these days? How we can achieve it; What is required now?



WHAT THE WALL AND THE GATES REPRESENT ?

Isaiah 60: 18 But thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise.

Wall – Salvation (The joy of salvation)

Gates- Praise (The worship to our God)

WHAT WAS THE CONCERN OF NEHEMIAH? (“Revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are

burned”;-Neh.4:2) Come and let us build up the wall-Neh.2:17)

(Now is to bring out the truth to the light out of the “heaps of false teachings or doctrines of traditions and practices” accumulated over through years; and to fortify the walls of faith, and to re-establish the true worship)



NEHEMIAH’S LIFE AN ENSAMPLE TO FOLLOW

Preparation thru prayer (Neh.1: 4-11)

Willingness to go by himself (Neh.2: 5) First to observe than publicity (Neh.2: 11-16) Encouraging others (Neh.2: 17-18) Labouring together (Neh.4: 23) Courageous and not dismayed (Neh.6: 11) Understanding the needs of others (Neh.5: 8) Not taking privileges (Neh.5: 14) Personal integrity (Neh.5: 15) Looks to the Lord alone for reward (Neh.5: 19)

Can we claim to have any such virtues ?



COURAGED TO OVERCOME THE HINDRANCES

From the enemies (Neh.2: 10; 4: 7) ? (From without)

Indignation (Neh.2: 10)

Reproach (Neh.4: 1-2) About to war (Neh.4: 8) Mischief (Neh.6: 2) Open letter (Neh.6: 5) Threatening (Neh.6: 9)

When enemies fail in their strategy uses (From within)

Deception thru own people (Neh.6: 10-14)



DO NOT MISS THE GOAL

Let us rise up and build (Neh.2: 18)

Revive the stones out of the heaps..(Neh.4: 2) There is much rubbish to remove (Neh.4: 10) I am doing a great work (Neh.6: 3)

What it is to “revive stones out of heaps of rubbish”? Thru years enemies broken down the wall and gates

Thru the “dark ages” rubbish (false practices) heaped up.

Reformation revived “Justification by faith” and… Out of the heaps of traditions and practices (entered thru the centuries in to the church.) What traditions ??.



SHORT LIST OF RUBBISH HEAPED UP THRU YEARS

Veneration of the cross

Veneration of the saints The mass The doctrine of purgatory The rejection of the priesthood of believers The confession to the priest The Mary worship (mediation) The prayer to the saints (Dead ones) The Rosary

1 Peter 1: 18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;



SHORT LIST OF STONES

Justification by faith (Gal.2: 16; Rom.4: 5) Salvation by Grace (Eph.2: 8) The infallibility of the Word of God (2.Tim.3: 16) Trinity (1.Jn. 5: 8; Mat.28: 19) The deity of the Lord Jesus Christ (1.Jn.5: 20) Indwelling of the Holy Spirit (Rom.8: 9;11) Baptism (Rom.6:3-4; Gal.3: 27;1.Pet.3:21) Lord’s table (Lk.22:19-20; 1.Cor.10:16-17; 11:24-30) Priesthood of all believers (1.Pet.2: 9; Rev.1: 6) The worship in spirit and truth (Jn.4: 23-24)

Have you been able to revive the stones ?



WHERE ALL ENIMIES BROKEN DOWN THE WALLS? “Revive the stones out of the heaps and build”

Isaiah 58:12 And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach,The restorer of paths to dwell in.

HOW ABOUT YOUR GATES?

Nehemiah 3:3 But the fish gate did the sons of Hassenaah build, who also laid the beams thereof, and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof. (Ps.147: 13)

WHAT THE TEN GATES REPRESENTS? Shows ten spiritual experiences of a believer.



1.The Sheep gate (Neh.3: 1; Jn.5: 2) (Entering to the experience of Salvation-Rom.10: 9-10)

Was the gate thru which sheep and cattle were brought to the temple for sacrifices after cleansing in the Pool of Bethesda.

Shows none but our Lord Jesus Christ himself

John 10: 7 Jesus therefore said;… I am the door of the sheep.

John 10: 9 I am the door: if any one enter in by me, he shall be saved, and shall go in and shall go out and shall find pasture Blessed Lord Jesus Christ; He demands the preeminence in our life. (Col.1: 14- 18)

(Have you entered thru this door; do you give preeminence to him?)



2.The fish gate (Neh.3: 3) (Bringing new souls to the church of God-1.The.2: 19)

Thru this gate the fishes were brought into the market of the city of Jerusalem. (Neh.13: 16)

The fish gate points us the Lord’s call.

Matthew 4:18-19 And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And he saith unto them, Follow me,and I will make you fishers of men.

John 21:10 Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught.

Do you boast of the past; or bring new fishes caught ?



3. The old gate (Neh.3: 6) (Restoring back to the First experiences-Rev.2: 4-5)

The corner gate of the first wall built by Solomon (Zec.14: 10)

(being built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the corner-stone (Eph.2: 20)

Going back to apostles teachings and practices (Acts.2: 42)

Restoration there will be great joy (Ps.126: 1-4)

Remember…and repent, and do the first works (Rev.2: 4-5) Uzziah……. went into the temple to burn the incense (2.Chr.26: 16)

Son Jotham; howbeit entered not to the temple of the Lord (27: 2) His son Ahaz…. shut up the doors of the house of the Lord (28: 24) Hezekiah…. in the first year…..itself opened the …… repaired (29: 3)

(Lam.5: 21 Turn thou us unto thee, Jehovah, and we shall be

turned; renew our days as of old).



4. The valley gate (Neh.3: 13) (To be with Christ outside the camp. Heb.13: 13)

The gates are not only to go in; but also to go out. (Jn.10: 9) We like the experience of Mt.Trans-figuration (Mat.17:4) But we need the experience of the valley also (Mat.17:14-20)

Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp.

Spirit of the Lord.. valley full with bones. (Ezekiel 37: 1- 4) Can these bones live? (Ezekiel.37: 3)

The Lord wants you and me to go in to the valley. May be it is place of no hope (The Lord can turn it as the valley of hope)

“Valley of Achor” door of hope (Jos.7: 26; Hos.2: 15; Is.65: 10)



5. The dung gate (refuse gate) (Neh.3: 14) (The experience of cleansing- Jn.17: 17)

All the dung and waste of the city was taken out thru this gate to be burned outside.

Let us purify ourselves from every pollution of flesh (2.Cor.7: 1)

When King Hezekiah restored the house of the Lord; (2.Chr 29: 12-17) The priests went into the inner part of the house of Jehovah

to cleanse it, And the Levites took it to carry it forth into the brook Kidron.

(Not only cleaning, but disposing it properly inevitable)

Covering up the sin will robe us of our areas of fruitfulness.



6. The fountain gate (Neh.3: 15) (Depending on the Lord for all thing- Rom.10: 12)

Isa2: 2-3 …the mountain of Jehovah's ..And many peoples shall go and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of Jehovah, to the house of the God of Jacob;

All my springs are in thee my God (Ps.87: 7)

The city of Jerusalem never had the lack of water (2.Chro.32: 2-4)

Cisterns collected the rain water; supplemented the springs.

Forsaken me, the fountain of living waters (Jer.2: 13)

Jesus Said; If any one thirst, let him come to me and drink.(Jn.7:37)

...Give him that thirsts of the fountain of the water of life (Rev.21:6) Shall lead them to fountains of waters of life (Rev.7:16-17)

Will you be able to say with psalmist, “All my springs are in thee”.



7. Water Gate (Neh.3: 26; 8:16) (Life instructed of the word of God- 2.Tim.3: 16)

Gathered before the Water gate (Neh.8: 1-12)

Word of God only leads to real spiritual revival

Book of the Law was read publicly (v.1) All who could understand heard (V.3)

People given reverence to the word (v.5) Lead to the worship of God (v. 6) Explained to them the word (v. 7- 8) They wept (repented) before the word (v.9) They were asked to be joyful (v. 10) Went home rejoicing for had understanding (v. 12)

How much you give importance to the Word of God ?



8.Horse gate (Neh.3: 28) (Life of praise and worshiping God- Col.1: 13)

The horses presented to King Solomon were brought to him thru this gate, which is near to the Lebanon house.

Give unto Jehovah glory and strength (Ps.29: 1)

1.Kings 10: 23-25 And king Solomon was greater than all the kings…

And brought every man his present, …horses. Mules..

1.Kings 10: 26 And Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen

1.Kings10: 28-29 The horses that Solomon had was from Egypt:

Lk.11: 31 behold; one greater than Solomon is here Psalms 96: 6-10 Majesty and splendor are before him

Psalms 29: 2 Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name..



9. The east gate (Neh.3: 29) (From life to life or glory to glory-2.Cor.3: 18)

We read the name, but not anything of rebuilding; (This eschatological in nature- gives hope of his coming)

Called to obtain the Glory of the Lord (2.The.2:14)

Ezekiel 43:1-5 And he brought me unto the gate, the gate which looked toward the east. ..behold,..came from the way of the east; (Jesus entered his triumphal entry on colt back thru this gate). Ezekiel 44: 1-2 This gate shall be shut; it shall not be opened,

Zec.14: 4 And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem toward the east,

Zec.14: 9-11 And Jehovah shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Jehovah, and his name one.



10.Miph-kad (Hammiph-kad) gate. (Neh.3: 31) (Live in expectation of His coming-Phil.3: 20)

We have no other reference about this gate, than in this book. Anticlockwise we coming so far now; it near to the Sheep gate.

Wait for his son coming from heaven (1.The.1: 10)

So let take the literal meaning of it; “An appointed place”.

Hebrews 9: 27 It is “appointed unto men” once to die, and after this cometh judgment;

1.John 3: 2-3 Beloved…that hath this hope in him purifieth himself.

Revelation 4:1 A trumpet speaking.., saying, “Come up here”

1.The.4: 15-17 The dead in Christ shall rise first; then *we*, the living who remain, shall be caught up together with them …. to meet the Lord in the air. “ So shall we be ever with the Lord”.



Ten gates are ten spiritual experiences

1. SHEEP GATE - Entering to the experience of Salvation

2. FISH GATE - Bringing new souls to the Church of God

3. OLD GATE - Restoring back to the First experiences

4. THE VALLEY GATE -To be with Christ outside the camp

5. THE DUNG GATE - The experience of cleansing

6. FOUNTAIN GATE - Depending on the Lord for all things

7. WATER GATE - Life instructed of the Word of God

8. HORSE GATE – The life of praise and worshiping God

9. EAST GATE - From life to life or glory to glory

10. MIPHKHAD GATE - Live in expectation of His coming



So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the

month Elul, in fifty and two days.

And it came to pass, that when all our enemies heard thereof, and all the heathen that were about us saw these things, they were much cast down in their own eyes:

For they perceived that this work was wrought of our God.

(Nehemiah 6:15-16)

How it is with the wall and gates of your life ?

Leaves to be broken down, or wants to be repaired ?


Walls and gates of Jerusalem

Who all were building ? The High Priest and his brethren first (3: 1) Men from different places (some nobles did not- 3: 5) The rulers, the priests (3: 29) The sons the rulers (3:9) The daughters of the rulers (3:12) Goldsmiths (3: 31) Apothecaries, Merchants (3: 32)

How far each build ? Some from gate to gate, some next to it, some next to his house some from place to place, some against house, some even against his chamber

How they build ? What you are building and how ? Build, Fortified, Laid beams, set up doors set locks and bars..



Beloved Brethren in the Lord

Hope this study

The wall and gates of Jerusalem has been edifying.

Any questions, comments, suggestions

Please write to my Email:

Email: [email protected]

the gates of jerusalem

Spiritual

wall of jerusalem

gates of jerusalem nehemiah

gates of jerusalem return

gates of jerusalem walls

nehemiah bc

solomons wall

return bc

veiling wall