In my time with the Lord this morning, He sent me to Nehemiah 3. Nehemiah was rebuilding the wall of the city that was destroyed by the Babylonian invasion. Along with rebuilding the wall he rebuilt the gates of the wall. Holy Spirit told me that there was a spiritual meaning to the wall and all the gates. The wall represents the wellbeing of our spiritual lives. This is what He showed me about gates that are found in that chapter.
1. (Neh 3:1) The Sheep Gate.
This is first gate mentioned in Nehemiah 3. The high priest Eliashib (which means God restores) with his brethren and priests built the Sheep Gate. The high priest brought through the Sheep Gate lambs and sheep to the temple where they were offered as a sin sacrifice. Jesus Christ is the High Priest of New Covenant, who is the Lamb, who was offered for the sake of our sins. The building of our spiritual walls of protection starts with this gate.
John 10:7 So Jesus said to them again, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.
2. (Neh 3:3) The Fish Gate.
Fish were brought in through the Fish Gate for selling. The spiritual meaning of the Fish Gate is that after salvation through the Sheep Gate we start fishing for men. The Fish Gate means the preaching of gospel and fishing of men to the kingdom of God.
Matthew 4:19 And He *said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
3. (Neh 3:6) The Old Gate.
After the Sheep Gate and the Fish Gate comes the Old Gate, which spiritual meaning is death of the old man. We have to consider ourselves dead to our old nature.
Romans 6:6 6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; 7 for he who has died is freed from sin.
4. (Neh 3:13) The Valley Gate.
The valley gate is where we find pasture. The spiritual meaning of the valley gate is it is where we find our needs met in Jesus.
John 10:9 I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.
5. (Neh 3:14) The Refuse Gate.
Through the Dung Gate, trashes were taken out of Jerusalem, to a valley of Hinnom, in which those trashes were burnt. The Dung Gate spiritual meaning is that sin, must be put away.
John 13:14 If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.
6. (Neh 3:15) The Fountain Gate.
The Fountain Gate is located near the pool of Siloah. It is the same place where Jesus told the blind man to go wash. The spiritual meaning of the fountain gate is the living water of life flowing out of us through the filing of the Holy Spirit.
John 7:38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’”
7. (Neh 3:26) The Water Gate.
The water gate is where the overflow of water could escape from the temple reservoirs. The spiritual meaning of the Water Gate is the overflow of the power of the Holy Spirit out of our lives and brings life to those around us.
Revelation 22:1 Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, 2 in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
8. (Neh 3:28) The Horse Gate.
Horses were used in the wars against enemies. The spiritual meaning of the Horse Gate is the reality of spiritual warfare.
Ephesians 6:12 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.
9. (Neh 3:29) The East Gate.
According to Jewish tradition, the glory of God entered through the eastern gate. Spiritual meaning of the East Gate is waiting on the Lord to come.
Matthew 24:4242 “Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.
10. (Neh 3:29) The Inspection Gate.
Miphkad, translated here as inspection, means and appointed place. The spiritual meaning of the inspection gate means the place of the presence of God. It is our secret place where we sit in the presence of God just like Moses did at the tent of meeting as we allow Him to inspect and speak into our lives.
Exodus 33:7 Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, a good distance from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting. And everyone who sought the Lord would go out to the tent of meetingwhich was outside the camp.
The order of the gates is no accident. Our spiritual life begins at the sheep gate as we enter into kingdom life through the blood of the lamb. After we have been saved, we are to tell everybody about Jesus Christ as fishers of men. We have to recognize from the old gate that our old sin nature was crucified and the power of sin is broken. The Valley Gate speaks to us about the green pastures of rest and provision available to us through Jesus. The Dung Gate shows us that we don’t keep sin in our lives. The Fountain Gate tells us that the Holy Spirit flows through us as living water. The Water Gate reveals that the overflow of the Holy Spirit from our life gives life and healing to those around us. The Horse Gate tells us to be prepared for spiritual warfare. The East Gate speaks to us about staying ready for the return of Jesus. The Inspection Gate speaks to us about the secret place of meeting with the presence of God on a regular basis.