I will enter His gates with thanksgiving in my heart
I will enter His courts with praise
I will say this is the day that the Lord has made
I will rejoice for He has made me glad.
This is an old chorus based on the Psalm 100:4
It’s a very familiar verse to everyone who is part of an assembly of believers in Jesus Christ/Yeshua haMashiach.
Most of us will identify the action of entering His gates, with going through the doors of the building where the meetings are held; and His courts with praise’ as moving into the sanctuary of the building. That’s what most of us have been taught for years and we would probably not think it meant anything else.
At the time this verse was written, there was only the Temple in Jerusalem/Yerushalayim. It was not considered the ‘church building’ of its day, although many people do think of it in that way. The Temple was the very dwelling place of our Heavenly Father however, as we know, He no longer dwells in a building. According to 1Cor. 6:19, The Temple containing the Holy Spirit of the Living God is now our bodies. The inner sanctuary, the Holy of Holies was where Gods presence dwelt and the sanctuary/holy of holies was inside the whole structure called the Temple. The innermost part of us, is the sanctuary for His Holy Spirit. He is residing in our born again from above spirit. Wherever a true believer is, that’s where the sanctuary of God’s presence is also.
We also have to remember that the church or ecclesia is not a building. Ecclesia, the called apart, or called out ones, are the people. They the individuals that make up the body of Messiah in the earth. We are the living stones that make up His habitation on earth.
1Peter 2:5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
So if these gates are not the physical ‘church building’ or ‘gates to the temple’ what are they?
Gates, as entrances and exits, have long captured our imagination. Many traditions are rich with gates and ours is no exception. Among others are:
Gates of Salvation,
Gates of Repentance,
Gates of Prayer,
Gates of Righteousness,
Gates of introspection and reflection,
Gates of Hell,
Gates of Glory,
Heavens gates.
In Hebrew the word gate is sha’ar.
שַׁ֫עַר
This word has many different meanings.
As well as gate, sha’ar can mean,
hair, a storm or tempest, a decision, to calculate,
a determination, a remnant or something horrible.
The Hebrew word for gate, sha’ar and its variations, appears more than 350 times in scripture. In Hebrew culture the imagery of gates covers both historical and spiritual meanings, being symbolic on many levels.
Most commentators on scripture believe that the first time a word is mentioned in the Torah is significant and tells of its deepest meaning.
For example:
The first mention of sha’ar
is immediately after the binding of Isaac.
This is when Abraham is blessed and God promises him that “your descendants will inherit the gate of their enemies” Genesis 22:17.
The next mention of sha’ar is in Genesis 24:60 when Rebecca leaves her family to marry Isaac, she receives a similar blessing: “May your offspring take possession of the gate of those who hate them”.
Gates, then, are points of protection and power. To possess the gate of our enemies is to control the forces that want to harm us. In ancient Israel, gates were the stronghold protecting daily life within the safety of city walls and gates; and so much of that life took place at the gates of the city, where the elders would gather and prophets would speak.
An interesting point is that the word sha’ar comes from the same Hebrew root as shiur (measure). In one interpretation of the verse “Her husband is known in the gates” The Hebrew sages teach that the husband is a metaphor for God, whose understanding is only known in measures. Our Heavenly Father makes Himself known to each individual according to the measure of the understanding of his or her heart.
It seems very strange that one word can mean so many different things and yet at the same time, be related?
If we look at the word in the context of a doorway, especially a doorway to our Heavenly Father, these words are all related.
For a long time, Gates have been a symbol of a point of communication between worlds and realms. In Genesis 28:17 following Jacobs dream of the ladder, he says, “This is no other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven”.
The spiritual significance of gates became increasingly more emphasized after the gates of Jerusalem were broken down and the Holy Temple was destroyed, Hebrew sages teach that the gate of heaven is the place to which prayers ascend.
As we often do with Hebrew words lets break down to the individual letters which we know from previous studies that they all have their own meanings and are pictures telling a story in themselves. The word sha’ar is made up of the letters sh = shin a = ayin and r = resh.
שַׁ֫עַר
For example in the first letter of the word for gate and that is a
שַׁ֫
Shin by which we get the idea of a storm or tempest which is expressed as or represents the passionate love of Heavenly Father for His children. It is telling us that when we go through this gate we enter the stormy passionate love of God.
עַ
Ayin is the next letter which represents deep spiritual insight. It gives us a picture that when we pass through this gate/sha’ar into the presence of God you are immersed into deep spiritual insight and understanding where we discover something horrible!
What could it be that is horrible? That is our sinful nature and the darkness hidden in the deep recesses of our hearts, remnants of the old man, the carnal nature.
In studying the Hebrew scriptures and beginning to appreciate the Israelite culture and way of life, we see how they lived and what their customs were.
In those days before there were wooden doors in a home, hair from animals was woven together to make a kind of doorway covering the entrance.
This door was to keep the wind from blowing dust etc. into the house it was not meant to keep out strangers.
Many times it was the wool from a lamb which was used to make this doorway.
We should not think this so strange because we know of course that it is the Lamb of God who cleanses us from our sin. He provides the doorway/gate to relationship with our Heavenly Father and He is able to protect us from spiritual contamination from the outside world, yet gives us a WAY to reach others and invite them into ‘His home.’
Furthermore we must make a decision as to whether or not to accept this gift of the sacrifice of the Lamb of God and to enter in through that provision.
ר
Resh is the final letter for the word door or gate/sha’ar and that is the letter r or Resh which represents repentance/teshuvah.
This could inspire a picture showing us that when we come together with other believers in Messiah, whether it is in a building we call a church or in a home; then together we find out the precious jewels to be unearthed in God’s Word. We will enter His gates where we will find deep insight into our sinful natures, leading us to repent of our sins and through the shed blood of the Lamb of God be cleansed so you can enter into the fiery, passionate and stormy love of God.
It would automatically follow that having been cleansed of our sin and having had the privilege of experiencing the
שַׁ֫ shin/ stormy passionate love of God, our heart will be filled with thankfulness towards Him.
In Hebrew thankfulness is the word todah, and its spelled
T for Taw D for Daleth and H for Hei/Hay.
todah: thanksgiving:8426
Original Word: תּוֹדָה Part of Speech: Noun Feminine Transliteration: todah Phonetic Spelling: (to-daw’) Definition: thanksgiving
תּ Taw gives the picture of expressing praise and thanksgiving,
דָ Daleth which is a door or portal to the last letter,
the ה Hei which speaks of the presence of God.
We learn that the behavior and lifestyle of the people in the assembly of Laodicea mentioned in Revelation 3:14-22 was not acceptable to the Lord. This made them neither hot nor cold in their relationship towards Him and this caused Him to say that He was ready to spew them out of His mouth.
What were they doing that made our Heavenly Father say that?
In verse 20
Behold, I stand at the door and knock.”
Here is an answer, in order to fully comprehend what it means, we must take a look at the Hebraic use of language in that day. This expression is one that a Jewish person of that time would quickly understand. To them it was an indication that Messiah was seeking to make His presence known, so He was knocking at the todah /praise and thanksgiving which is the doorway to His presence.
If an individual opens that dalet/doorway, that gate, with praise and thanksgiving Messiah will enter and His presence will fill the sanctuary, which as we have seen in scripture is our bodies, and He will not only dine with us, He will abide with us.
Another interesting point that we miss in our western culture is that in Middle Eastern, Oriental or Semitic culture of that day, and incidentally it still is today, when someone wants to reconcile with an enemy they will have dinner together and discuss their differences. This explains why inPsalms 23:5David writes that God prepares a table before him in the presence of his enemies. With an emphasis on cultural etiquette David is saying is that God lays the foundation or prepares the ground work for reconciliation with his enemies. When we read Revelation 3:20 we know that the Blood of the Lamb cleanses us from our sin, however it is our thanksgiving and praise that ultimately brings reconciliation us to the loving, stormy filled passion and the presence of our heavenly Father.
It is also of interest to note that all we have to do is open the dalet/door and Messiah Yeshua passes through, it is not us that passes through. This is the big change in the order of things, the protocol of how to approach a Holy God has changed from the directions given to Moses. Whereas it used to be that the people passed through the gates of the temple to enter the place of God’s presence, and then only the priests could enter the holy place; and only the High Priest could go into the holy of holies once a year on Yom Kippur. All the rest of the people had to stay in the outer court. Today it is up to us to ask and invite Messiah into the sanctuary, our bodies, to bring His presence into us. In praise and thanksgiving, we are inviting Messiah to enter our sanctuary and let it become His holy of holies.
“Open for me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter and thank God. This is the gateway to the Lord; the righteous shall enter it” Psalm 118:19.
All are thresholds of revelation where His divine presence reaches into our human realm.
In Hebrew the Jewish synagogue service tells us that:
Every morning God is said to open the gates of the east and break open the windows of the heavens, bestowing light to the world and its inhabitants (Shabbat morning prayer).
Sunrise over Jerusalem from the Mt of Olives
As the first light breaks through the darkness, it calls to us to wake up to the reality of His steadfast love and endless grace and mercy.
The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22/3
Every day is a new beginning.
Ezekiel contains several references to a gate that faces east. In Ezekiel 10:18–19, the prophet sees the glory of the Lord leave the temple through
the entrance of the east gate of the Lord’s house”;
the glory then moves east of the city to the Mount of Olives
Ezekiel 11:23
Later, Ezekiel sees the glory of the Lord return to the temple via
“the gate facing east” Ezekiel 43:1–5.
Gates open and gates close, but, we are told, there is one gate that is never closed. In Matthew 7:13-14 In this context Matthew is discussing the narrow gate leading to salvation, eternal life & the broad gate which leads to destruction. Yeshua/Jesus made it clear, the path to eternal life is open to everyone who asks. However, the gate to heaven is “narrow” in the sense of having a particular requirement for entrance—faith faith in Jesus Christ/Yeshua haMashiach. Salvation is found only in the Person of Jesus Christ/ Yeshua haMashiach. The Bible tells us that He is the only Way John 14:6. The “wide” gate is non-exclusive; it allows for human effort and all other of the world’s religions.
God offers salvation to everyone who accepts it John 1:12; 3:16-18; Romans 10:9; 1 John 2:2.But it is on His terms. We must come the way He has provided. We cannot create our own paths or come to a holy God based on our own efforts. They choose temporary, earthly pleasure over the self-sacrifice required in following Jesus/Yeshua.Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23; Matthew 10:37.The narrow gate is ignored. Most people would rather create their own religions and design their own gods. So it was with sorrow, not as a discrimination, that Messiah declared that the road to eternal life is
“narrow, and only a few find it.“
When faced with the choice between a narrow, bumpy road and a wide, paved highway, most of us choose the easier road. Human nature gravitates toward comfort and pleasure. When faced with the reality of denying themselves to follow Jesus/Yeshua, most people turn away. John 6:66. Messiah never sugar-coated the truth, and the truth is that not many people are willing to pay the price to follow Him.
We are to choose which gates we will enter into, let’s make sure the sha’ar we choose are the ones that take us into the passionate love of our Heavenly Fathers presence.
Shalom mishpachah/family
and cheverim/friends!
It’s all about Life and Relationship,
NOT Religion.
You are greatly loved and precious in His sight.
NOT SURE?
YOU CAN BE..
SAY THE FOLLOWING FROM YOUR HEART RIGHT NOW…
Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.
I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name. Amen.
is a walled area within modern Jerusalem and is just a 0.9 square kilometer (0.35 square mile) in area.
שַׁעַר sh’ar gates
Yerushalaim
יְרוּשָׁלַם
Yerushalayim
The 2 gates in this post are Not named in
Nehemiah’s Jerusalem…
but still an important gate is
שער ציון
Zion Gate
Sha’ar Tzion
ZION
Zion Gate
The Hebrew for the Zion Gate is
Sha’ar Tzion.
שער ציון
Zion is one of the biblical names of Jerusalem,
and this gate is onMount Zion.
Note there are old and new areas with the same name.
The third of the four major gates of Jerusalem is the Zion Gate. This gate faces the compass direction south, and is located along the southwestern walls of the Old city.
It is named such because the gate faces, and provides access, to Mount Zion.
The gate was built by the Ottoman sultan, Suleiman the Magnificent in 1540; who built many of the gates of Jerusalem which along with theZion Gate still stand today.
It is one of the gates of Jerusalem that lead into the Jewish Quarter of the Old City.
Walls near the Zion Gate date from the Hasmonean and Herodian periods of the history of Jerusalem.
Similar to the previously mentioned gates of Jerusalem, the Zion Gate was built with an L-shaped internal structure.
One window on each side of the gate lent its distinguishable characteristic; and like the Jaffa Gate, can support both foot and vehicle traffic. However, vehicles are not allowed to enter only through the gate, only to exit.
Other names of the Zion Gate are;
the Gate of the Prophet David,
and the Gate to the Jewish Quarter.
The name, the Gate of the Prophet David,
is due to Muslim tradition
which places the tomb of king David on Mount Zion;
and in Arabic the gate is called Bab Nabi Daud.
It is believed the Crusaders and other early Christians misidentified the location of David’s tomb. David was
not buried on Mount Zion, but in the City of David, probably on the Ophel outside the northern walls of the
city at that time:
Then David rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David. – 2 Kings 2:10
The tomb of David was still in Jerusalem in 30 AD when Peter addressed a crowd of Jews and said:
Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. – Acts 2:2
The Zion Gate saw much fighting in the 1967 war of Independence and it was one of the main gates used to enter and liberate the Old City, even today Zion Gate is riddled with bullet holes from the War of 1948.
Both the Zion Gate and the Jaffa Gate were closed from 1948 to 1967 when the Jordanians (Arabs) maintained control of the Old City.
They closed the gates because they faced West Jerusalem, which was controlled by Israel.
However, during the Six Day War of 1967, Israeli troops erupted through theZion Gate, dashing through the Armenian Quarter on their way to the Jewish Quarter.
At the same time Israelite forces flooded through the other gates of Jerusalem converging on the Wall.
This gate leads to the Armenian quarter, through which you can reach the Jewish Quarter. Picture below showing bullet holes and a Mezuzah on the entrance wall of the gate.
Jaffa Gate
שער יפו
Sha’ar Yaffo
Also called:
The Gate of David’s Prayer Shrine,
Porta David.
This gate was added into the walls of the expanded city limits and we looked at its predecessor called the Valley Gate in a previous post.
Today’sJaffa Gateseems to have taken the place of the ancientValley Gate,though the western portion of the city wall lies much further west than it did in the city of David and Nehemiah.
Jaffa Gate‘s entry was strategically built
and retains its original L-shaped interior.
The Jaffa Gate,
also known as
Sha’ar Yafo
שער יפו
or
David’s Gate,
Sha’ar David שער דוד
And in Arabic Bab el-Khalil,
This gate gets its name because it leads to the Jaffa/Joppa road, the main thoroughfare, the forerunner of the contemporary highway to the port of Jaffa/Joppa.
It is also known as David’s Gate because of the proximity of the Tower of David or David’s Citadel.
The present tower was built by Suleiman the Magnificent, but still called the Tower of David because the current structure was built on the foundations of the original tower built by King David.
The main entrance to the Old City is the Jaffa Gate, which was also built by Suleiman in 1538.
The name in Arabic, Bab el-Halil
or Hebron Gate,
means
The Beloved;
and refers to Abraham,
the beloved of God who is buried in Hebron.
The Jaffa gate also leads to the road to Hebron.
Facing due west, the Jaffa Gate is the best known and busiest of the gates of Jerusalem and is the only gate on the western side of the Old city. Today it is the main vehicle entry point into the Old City, and one of only two of the gates of Jerusalem that allow vehicle access.
Located above the Hinnom Valley, or Gehenna Valley (Valley of Hell), it was the main entrance into the Old city until 1948.
This was mentioned in previous post in Nehemiah’s rebuilding of the smaller Jerusalem and was then known as the Valley gate.
The main road from the Jaffa Gate runs between the northern hill of the Acra and the southern hill Mount Zion; it leads eastward into the city down into the Tyropeon Valley.
Each of the gates of Jerusalem has a unique or distinctive quality or feature about it.
The Jaffa Gate’s distinctive characteristic is
a small sphere on each side of the arch.
The gate is constructed of large, hewn, sand-colored bricks and the entry is about twenty feet in height. The wall rises another twenty feet above the gate. The Jaffa Gate was strategically built on a right angle with the wall as a defensive measure.
Just inside the Joppa /Jaffa Gate
is David street.
As one enters, to the left is the Christian Quarter,
to the right the Armenian Quarter,
and straight ahead is the Muslim Quarter of the city.
A square is located across the street from the nearby Tower of David.
In times past wheat and other goods and merchandise were sold in this square. During the Crusader conquest of Jerusalem in 1099 AD, Moslem defenders and their wives and children sought refuge and protection inside the Tower of David.
The gate on the western side of the Old City marked the end of the highway leading from the Jaffa coast and now leads into the Muslim and Armenian quarters. A road allows cars to enter the Old City through a wide gap in the wall between Jaffa Gate and the Citadel.
This passage was originally built in 1898 when Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany visited Jerusalem. The ruling Ottoman Turks opened it so the German Emperor would not have to dismount his carriage to enter the city.
In the early 1900’s Pasha, the tyrant of Jerusalem, staged hangings near the Jaffa Gate to coincide with the dismissal of Friday Prayers so that large audiences would see the dead bodies.
Up until the end of the 19th century AD the Jaffa Gate was locked each night. This was done in order to keep out marauders, bandits and thieves, as well as jackals, hyenas, and other unwanted invaders. Travelers at dusk carried lanterns to identify themselves, and those who arrived after dark were forced to sleep outside the city gate. The gate was reopened at dawn.
Jaffa gate Sha’ar Yaffo – this western facing gate was traditionally the main entrance to the Old City. It is named for the port city of Jaffa which faces this gate, and from where visitors and pilgrims to the Holy Land would disembark from their boats to start the last stretch to Jerusalem by foot or carriage.
Also known as the Hebron Gate,
in Arabic, this gate is called Bab el Halil;
or Bab-el-Khalil, the Gate of the Friend.
Halil is the one of the names for Abraham who is buried in Hebron, which is where the name Abraham, the friend of God, comes from; and this gate also links Jerusalem to Hebron via the Patriarchs Route which starts just outside the gate.
From the Jaffa gate, there is access to the Arab Market,
or the King David Citadel or to
go into the Jewish Quarter via the Armenian Quarter.
It was also called Joppa Gate because the road to the port city of Joppa – on the Mediteranean coast also began from it.
This gate is the only one on the western side of the Old City and is called the gate of Hebron, because the main road to Hebron also started from here.
Herod built three towers, which he named the
Hippicus, Phasael and Mariamme
connected to the western section of the walls in 37 – 34 B.C.
One of these towers, now known as the Tower of David, stands today just inside the Jaffa Gate.
It is the highest point in the Old city, and the gate was originally built to defend and protect the approach from the west.
The Tower of David is the dominating feature near the Jaffa Gate.
It has also been called the Chevron Gate, as the road from this gate leads to Chevron as well.
Another name for this gate, the Gate of David’s Prayer Shrine.
Porta David/the Gate of David and so not surprisingly the gates of Jerusalem can quickly become a confusing mixture of names.
The Crusader name for the Jaffa Gate was Forte David. An anonymous pilgrim spoke of the area in 1220 A.D. while traveling through the city and is recorded as saying:
“In the city of Jerusalem there are four principal gates, in the shape of a cross, one opposite the other… David’s Gate faces west, and stands exactly opposite the Golden Gate, which faces east… This gate belongs to the Tower of David, and is therefore called David’s Gate.”
The present day name of this gate is the Jaffa Gate since it still leads to the port of the city of Jaffa. In the photo above, the Jaffa Gate is on the left and the Citadel/Tower of David on the right.
This is the wall south of Jaffa Gate (in between the gate and the Citadel/Tower) which was removed in 1898 by the Ottoman sultan Abdul Hamid II. The moat, which was located where the road is now, was also filled in at that time. The sultan did this to give the Kaiser the impression that he was entering Jerusalem through the Jaffa Gate when really he was not, since there is a legend that says all conquerors will enter through the Jaffa Gate!
It was through the Jaffa Gate the mayor of Jerusalem exited the city seeking out the British army in order to surrender the city. On December 9, 1917 Brigadier General CF Watson and Lt. Colonel H Bailey entered Jerusalem with the mayor through the 1898 opening near the Jaffa Gate used by the Kaiser.
Two days later, British General Edmund Allenby entered through the Jaffa Gate on foot and gave a speech on the steps of the Citadel. General Allenby entered, on foot, through the Jaffa Gate, deliberately ignoring the German Kaiser’s opening, and accepted the surrender of Jerusalem to the British.
General Allenby chose the Jaffa Gate because it was one of four major gates of Jerusalem. Some have suggested his first choice would have been the Golden Gate, however, this required walking through a Muslim cemetery, thus Allenby chose the Jaffa Gate as his point of entrance. He did so as a show of respect to the city and to differentiate and distance himself from any comparison to Kaiser Willem.
Accompanying him was Major T.E. Lawrence, who is better known by his later name Lawrence of Arabia.
The Jaffa Gate was the focus of Israeli forces in 1948 as they tried to capture the Old City in order to unite it with Israeli-controlled western Jerusalem. However, the Jews did not gain control of it until 1967. Between 1948 and 1967 the Jordanians could not use this gate for traffic so they had to widen the Dung Gate to get access the Old City and its Citadel.
In 1908 a clock tower was erected just outside the gate to accommodate the budding business district in that location. However, the tower lasted just ten years and then destroyed by the British.
In 1948 during the Israeli Independence War, Haganah forces were defeated by the Jordanians in their attempt to capture the Jewish Quarter of the old city and connect it with Western Jerusalem. It was only after the 1967 Six Day War that Israeli forces were able to regain control of the Jaffa Gate.
The Jaffa Gate has been, and will continue to be, one of the four primary gates of the Old City of Jerusalem.
Its strategic location, nearby artifacts and historical importance, as well as its ability to host vehicle traffic, make it also one of the most unique of the gates of Jerusalem.
The gates will continue in next post….
Shalom shalom
‘Mishpachah’
‘Family/Tribe’
משפחה
Mish-pa-KHa,
friends, visitors and every reader…
Please don’t leave this page before making certain you are His
and are truly born from above.
Know of a certainty that Jesus/Yeshua is
your Redeemer, Savior, Lord
and soon returning King
and that you have a personal relationship with Him.
You are greatly loved and precious in His sight.
It’s all about Life and Relationship, not Religion.
NOT SURE? YOU CAN BE..
SAY THE FOLLOWING FROM YOUR HEART RIGHT NOW…
Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry.
I repent of them all and turn away from my past. I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’ name. Amen.
A GATE gives access to the City; it is a seat of power, authority and influence; 1 Chronicles 9:22-23.
We enter God’s City through these Gates;
Matthew 5:14; Hebrews 11:10; 12:22
These Gates reflect the restoration of Kingdom Principles in the lives of God’s people.
The Restoration of the 12 Gates reveals the rebuilding of an original structure: God’s Divine Order and Government;
Gen. 35:22; 1 Kings 4:7; Matt. 10:1; Rev. 12:1; 21:12-21
Last post was a look atThe SHEEP Gate –
The principle of conversion, repentance, atonement, new birth.
Nehemiah.3:1-2; John 3:3
Sheep enter through the DoorJesus/Yeshua and become part of God’s flock; John 10:7-16
Jesus/Yeshua seeks after sheep who wander and go astray;Isaiah 53:6.
The next Gate:
And the fish gate did the sons of Hassenaah build…. Nehemiah 3:3
Fish Gate – sha’ar dag -שַׁ֤עַר דָּג
This was one of Jerusalem’s main entrances in the days of the First Temple, according to2 Chr. 33:14.This gate led out to the main road north from Jerusalem/Yesushalyim, the road descended to the coastal plain through Beth-Horon. The majority of researchers agree that it is located close to the site where the Damascus Gate is today.
This gate was called the Fish Gate because merchants brought fish from Tyre or the Sea of Galilee through it to the fish market13:16.
Fish Gate – sha’ar dag -שַׁ֤עַר דָּג
reminds us of Jesus/Yeshua’s words concerning soul winning.
We are to become fishers of men Mt. 4:19in response to Yeshua/Jesus’ call to His disciples.
It seems that the Fish Gate was next in line to the Sheep Gate. Recall that the first thing Yeshua/Jesus was to send them out immediately after being saved, to witness for Him. The woman at the well and the possessed man among the tombs were examples of this recorded in John 4:5-38 and Mark 5:1-20.
At the time of Nehemiah, the Fish Gate was in disrepair. That is like so many believers who, for long periods of time, make no attempt to witness or win anyone to Messiah. There are many Believers who are fishing; sometimes they do not catch anything, but we’ll never catch a fish until we try! He is still calling us to be fishers of men because all around us today there are hungry hearts.
Yeshua/Jesus said to His disciples, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”He is giving us the same message as we stand before the Fish Gate.
Nehemiah 3:3-5; Matthew 13:47-49; Mark 16:15; Luke 5:6-9
The abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee Is 60:5
The FISH Gate -shows us the principle of evangelism, outreach, soul-winning.
An interesting note:
And next unto them the Tekoites repaired; but their nobles put not their necks to the work of their Lord. (Nehemiah 3:5)
Think what it would mean to be recorded in God’s book that, when the opportunity presented itself to put ourselves to the work of the Lord, we did not do it and missed the opportunity!
They were right next to theFish Gate.Scripture says,
He that withholdeth grain, the people shall curse him… Proverbs 11:26.
Today some are withholding grain/the Word of God, from those that are hungry.
Prov. 11:30
tells us that
he that winneth souls is wise
and He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves [souls] with him Ps. 126:6.
Every believer should heed Mt. 28:19–20 and share the message of salvation, so that souls will be saved and we will shine as the stars forever and ever Dan. 12:3. and of course we are to make disciples of those that choose to follow Messiah.
As previously, mentioned, the majority of researchers agree that the Fish Gate was located close to the site where the Damascus Gate is today.
Damascus Gate שער שכם, Sha’ar Sh’khem
meaning
Shechem Gate, or Nablus Gate.
Sha’ar Shchem שער שכם
also known as
Nablus Gate
was built in 1542 by Suleiman the Magnificent and faces north. In Hebrew, the gate is named after the important northern city in Israel in ancient times, Shechem. The triple gate has one large center gate originally intended for important people, and two smaller side entrances for commoners.
It was also called Neapolis Gate around 325-638 AD
The original gate is believed to have been built during the period of the Second Jewish Temple or בית מקדש , that was destroyed by the Romans. In the second century AD during the reign of Hadrian, the Romans built a new gate.
A Roman victory column was erected in front of the gate,
giving the gate its Arabic name
Bab el-Amud,
meaning the
Gate of the Column/Pillar or Column Gate.
The Romans would place milestones along the roads and highways that they built throughout their empire in order to measure distance. Point zero in the land of Israel was a great pillar just inside Damascus Gate and the name preserves its memory. The pillar, for which the gate was named, has been seen in ancient art works. During the British mandate excavation unearthed the gate, however the column was never found.
The Damascus Gate is the largest and most magnificent and was probably the gate used as the main entrance to the city in ancient times and two towers stand on each side of the gate prepared for battle.
The Gates led to the main roads leading from the city. In this case the road leads to Shechem – Nablus and then on to Damascus…The road along which Saul met Yeshua/Jesus.
These are photos of the modern day Damascus Gate note the thickness of the walls bottom right photo!
Currently it opens to the beginning of the Arab bazaar and marketplace and to the Moslem Quarter and is the busiest of all the Old City gates. The location of this gate today marks the position of a major city gate from when Herod Agrippa expanded the city walls in 41 AD.
In the northwest corner is
The Old Gate
11
Moreover, the old gate repaired Joiada, the son of Paseah…. (Nehemiah 3:6)
this gate is identified with the
Corner Gateof
2 Kings 14:13 and Jeremiah 31:38.
Scholars differ in their Opinions concerning the use of the term Old Gate, but some believe this gate was so named, because it was the main entrance into the old city of Salem /Jerusalem on the north side.
Maps differ in their opinions of the position of the Old Gate as shown on the diagram.
The Old Gate is one of the many gates of the wall of Jerusalem, located on the northern side. It was repaired by the Jebusites during the wall rebuilding in the Book of Nehemiah.
In some versions the gate is called
the Jeshanah Gate, which translates to the old gate.
Despite the destructive fire of the city, evidently it left some remnant of the walls and gates that could be put to use so repairs to the third gate are recorded as the beams being laid, the doors set in place, and bolts and bars attached. This is similar to the repairs of many of the other gates.
Young’s Literal Translation uses the word strengthened rather than repaired, because the Hebrew word gives the idea of making strong and firm.
There are no references to the old gate having a specific use, as the Sheep and Fish Gates did however, it was in a convenient place for everyone as an entrance and exit from the city.
The Old Gate brings to mind the old man being renewed spiritually by our Heavenly Fathers spirit of Holiness. We could look at this in a significant way, that as The Old Gate is made new, repaired, strengthened in order to fulfill the purpose of the Fish Gate, and this is only made because of the Sheep Gate.
“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, to be made new in the attitude of your minds, and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” Ephesians 4: 22:
Everything is connected! We know that it is impossible to serve God until we are made new in Messiah. Becoming fishers of men depends on us being renewed, strengthened and made firm in our faith and walk and only through the Lord Jesus/Yeshua Messiah.
The Old Gate serves to remind us that in us all some of the old still remains.
But just asThe old gate, though damaged and broken, was not thrown away when Nehemiah and his men came to rebuild; the gate was repaired, strengthened and put to good use/re-purposed! And renamed theNew Gate.
The prophetic type in the Old Gate seems to be that men are plagued with a sin nature which is inherited from Adam. The unregenerate man is known in Paul’s writings as the old man: “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin” Romans 6:6. Ephesians 4:22 and Colossians 3:9
There is an ongoing struggle for each of us, because we are not suddenly transformed the moment we become born again from above. Because we are left in our bodies of death; and there will always be this tension between the old and the new while we are still on the earth. Paul said“What a wretched man I am. “Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God – through Jesus Christ our Lord.” We are made new spiritually, but our physical bodies are still part of the old creation.
Because the Old Gate reminds us of the old man/nature of believers in Yeshua/Jesus. It contrasts God’s ways and with our old lifestyle before we began to walk with HimJer. 6:16. In Jeremiah 6:16 we find this statement:
Thus saith the LORD, Stand in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk in it, and ye shall find rest for your souls.
We are living in a day when we are interested in the new thing; the newest model of car, style of clothes, and gadgets for the house, etc. Things may change around us, but the human heart remains the same and the constant search for something new, is the thing that is leading us to frustration.
We need to ask for the old paths. Jeremiah said that when we do we will find rest for our souls.
We need to restore the old virtues for the pattern of living today. Although the human heart is the same as it has always been, its needs are greater because of the technological life in which it is surrounded.
We are to put off the opinions of the old nature and walk in the newness of Jesus/Yeshua’s life asCol. 3:5–17 tells us to, so that sin has no dominion over our everyday living.Rom. 6:6–14.
The Old Gatesets forth the concept that sinful man needs to hear the Gospel of the Lamb. Those who tell the story are calledfishers of men and enter in through the New Gate of Jesus/Yeshua.
HaSha’ar HeChadash –
The New Gate השער החדש
or HaSha’ar HeHadash
השער החדש
Gate of Hammid
The New Gate
is known in Hebrew as HaSha’ar Hechadash,
Heb. השער החדש
and in Arabic as Bab el-Jadid, the Gate of Hammid.
This gate was constructed in 1889 by permission of Sultan Abdul Hamid II.
Called HaSha’ar HeChadash, the New Gate because it is the newest gate added to the old city of Jerusalem. Unlike all the other gates that were part of the original design of the wall constructed by Suleiman the Magnificent in the 16th century, this gate was breached in 1889. Though it was opened by the permission of the Ottoman ruler, it was done in the waning years of that empire. The New Gate was breached to afford the Christian pilgrims, and some note, specifically to provide the German Emperor William II easier access to the Christian Quarter.
This gate is also called Gate of Hammid in honor of the Sultan Abdul Hamid who gave permission to build it.
After the New Gate was captured by Jordan in 1948 it was closed off. It was reopened in 1967 after the Six Day war when Israel regained control of the Old City and the New Gate.
At the end of the Six Day War, Israeli soldiers file past a burnt vehicle as they enter the Lions’ Gate (or St Stephen’s Gate), Old City of Jerusalem, Israel, June 11, 1967. Israeli forces defeated the Jordan, which had held the Old City of Jerusalem since the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.
In The OLD Gate we can see the principle of the restoration of foundational truths. Nehemiah 3:6-12; Ecclesiastes 1:9
This is the uncovering of scriptural truth and a return to the apostles teaching and practices;
Isaiah 28:10; Hebrews 6:1-2
Remove not the ancient landmark which thy fathers have set.
Prov. 22:28
Ask for the ancient paths!
The New Gate was not part of the original 1535 design of Suleiman the Magnificent.
Even though the New Gate is located just up the hill from the Damascus Gate in the north wall, there’s no comparison.
The New Gatewas placed into the wall by the Ottomans in 1887 so that people could easily access the homes being built outside the city wall to the north of the city. The sultan Abdul Hamid also wanted to assist the Christian pilgrims from Russia, (they stayed at the Russian Compound just outside these walls), within easy access to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.
The New Gate is located near the northwestern corner of the city and leads into the Christian quarter.
New Gate Sha’ar Chadash
was not a part of the original plan of the city walls. It was opened in 1887 by the Turkish sultan Abed el Hamid in order to give Christian pilgrims who had settled in this area outside of the Old City walls direct access to the sites holy to them in the Christian Quarter.Since it is the most recent of all gates to be built it is called the New gate and it faces Northwest.
From looking at the gates we become aware that next to the Old Gate there was another gate called the Gate of Ephraim. Ephraim means fruitfulness or doubly fruitful and it was at the beginning of a long valley, or depression in the landscape called the
valley of the cheese makers
or the Tyropoean Valley.
Today this valley runs through the center of the old city parts of the excavated wall run parallel to it.
As we make progress in our walk, there will be a choice either
the old gate or the gate of Ephraim?
We may have been called like the one lost sheep or we may have been caught like a fish.
When first we are born again from above the scales fall off our eyes like Saul/Paul on the road to Damascus and we see truth for the first time. After a few days we begin to wonder if it is real and do we want to make that lifetime commitment. We have come through the sheep gate and through the fish gate now there is a choice which one will we choose….
the old gate back to the old life and friends
or
the gate that leads to fruitfulness?
It is tied directly to Matthew 13:20,21 and Mark 4
the sower and the seed.
The Old Gate lies at the threshold of a valley a long deep valley
The Tyropean Valley.
Here the believer will have trials which valleys represent. However we are to go through the valley as in the shepherds Psalm 23 and He is with us all the Way.
More Gates coming in the next post…
Shalom shalom
‘Mishpachah’
‘Family/Tribe’
משפחה
Mish-pa-KHa,
friends, visitors and every reader…
Please don’t leave this page before making certain you are His
and are truly born from above.
Know of a certainty that Jesus/Yeshua is
your Redeemer, Savior, Lord
and soon returning King
and that you have a personal relationship with Him.
You are greatly loved and precious in His sight.
It’s all about Life and Relationship, not Religion.
NOT SURE? YOU CAN BE..
SAY THE FOLLOWING FROM YOUR HEART RIGHT NOW…
Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry.
I repent of them all and turn away from my past.
I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’ name. Amen.
The prophet Ezekiel says that a day will come when there will be 12 gates in the city walls, one for each of Israel’s tribes. (Ezekiel 48:31-34).
There can be some confusion as to which gate is called what because, over the generations they have been given different names depending on who was in control of the city.
A GATE
שַׁ֫עַר shaar
gives access to the City; it is a seat of power, authority and influence; 1 Chronicles 9:22-23
Cities were walled with gates to protect those inside, it was a security defense; they were very thick.See pictures below.
The walls around the Old City of Jerusalem were built in the early 16th century by Turkish Sultan, Suleiman the Magnificent.
There are many stories connected to
Sha’ar Yerushalyim
the walls of Jerusalem.
Via the gates people entered and left the city, by them, Jerusalem was conquered numerous times, and here trading has taken place for thousands of years. Although the gates of Jerusalem were in a slightly different place in Biblical times, the city gates were a place to learn Torah and to teach the laws in scripture. Today, officially there are 8 gates in the walls of the Old City, although there are a few extra “unofficial” gates. 7 of the official gates are still in use, while one has been blocked off for hundreds of years.
If we count 12 the list would be:
The Valley Gate (2:13; 3:13). Also 2Chronicles 26:9.
The Gate of the Fountain (2:14; 3:15; 12:37), on Ophel at the Gihon spring that is mentioned in 2Kings 25:4. Jeremiah 39:4.
The Sheep Gate (3:1; 12:39). North of the Temple.
The Fish Gate (3:3; 12:39). Also 2Chronicles 33:14. Zephaniah 1:10.
The Old Gate (3:6; 12:39). Also 2Chronicles 33:14, and 2Kings 22:14,college. Also called the First Gate.Zechariah 14:10.
The Dung Gate (2:14; 3:14; 12:31). Probably same as Harsith Gate (Jeremiah 19:2); sometimes rendered the Gate of Potsherds/Pottery Gate. Leading to Hinnom. .
The Water Gate (3:25, 26).
The Horse Gate (3:28). Also 2Kings 11:16. 2Chronicles 23:15. Jeremiah 31:40. South-east of the Temple, and close to the city and house of David.
The East Gate (3:29). East of the Temple, and connected with it.
The Gate of Miphkad (3:31). Probably north-east of Temple. Also called The Registry Gate.
The Gate of Ephraim (8:16; 12:39). Also 2Chronicles 25:23.
The Prison Gate(12:39), or Gate of the Guard2Kings 11:6, 19
In Nehemiah 3, the first sixteen verses refer to Jerusalem, and the latter sixteen verses to Zion (or the city of David), south of Moriah. Those who wish to study these, and a comparison with chapter 12, will find it explains most of the difficulties connected with the layout of the city.
Four of the gates of Jerusalem face the cardinal directions; the Damascus Gate to the north, the Golden Gate to the east, the Zion Gate to the south, and the Jaffa Gate to the west.
The remaining gates are:
the Flower, or Herods Gate,
the Lion Gate,
the Dung Gate,
and the New Gate.
The Old City of Jerusalem had eight gates in its walls.
Suleiman’s original walls had six gates:
Damascus Gate,
Herod’s Gate,
Stephen’s Gate,
Dung Gate,
Zion Gate and
Jappa Gate.
The gates were all designed and built to have an L-shaped entry instead of a straight line of entry. Taking this sharp ninety degree turn would have slowed down an invading army in the final moments of a siege. The “L” turns have been removed from Stephen’s Gate and the Dung Gate to better facilitate modern traffic but can still be seen in the other four gates.
The Gates Of Jerusalem in Nehemiah’s Day.
Nehemiah chapter 3 describes the building of the walls and gates of the city, giving the names of the individuals and families who performed the work and the portion of the wall or gates on which they were employed.
After the Babylonian Captivity, when the Jewish people returned to their homeland, Jerusalem lay in ruins. The Temple, the city walls, and the gates had been destroyed as a result of the three invasions of Nebuchadnezzar and his forces in 606 BC, 597 BC, and 586 BC.
Much work needed to be done, and Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah each led groups of the returned remnant in the task of rebuilding the city of Jerusalem.
Restoring the gates was a necessary element in rebuilding the walls and securing the city. The dictionary defines a gate as a movable structure controlling entrance or exit through an opening in a fence or wall or any means of entrance.
Under the adverse conditions which he encountered, Nehemiah’s task was enormous.
The job required a team effort, as described in chapter 3. To accomplish the task, Nehemiah assigned specific work places to individuals and families, who were assigned to work on sections of the wall or gates near their homes. This provided the motivation needed to complete the work and it also avoided wasting time that would have been needed to travel to other parts of the city. It assured the workers that they would be near their homes to protect their families in the event of an attack. Each family was to use all of its available talent, thus making it a household project v. 21, 23–24, 26, 28–30. In addition to local residents, many people who lived outside of Jerusalem were assigned to work on sections of the wall where homes were sparse v. 2, 5, 7, 27.
Some of the work assignments were given according to their roles in life .e.g. v. 1 the High Priest and other priests were assigned to rebuild the
Sheep Gate which was important to the priests
because animals were brought through that gate to the Temple for sacrificial offerings.
Beginning from the north wall of the Temple, and going forward counterclockwise 10 gates are mentioned inchapter 3.
The circumference of the walls was approximately 2 1/2 miles, or 4 km. and covering approximately 220 acres/890308 sq.metres.
There are spiritual applications for our lives today
reflected in the
10 gates names
and what they were connected to.
The Sheep Gate, Fish Gate, and Old Gate
were located in the northern section of the wall.
The Sheep Gate
is the first gate mentioned in Nehemiah.
The building of the wall and gates
begins from the Sheep Gate
in Nehemiah 3,
because
everything begins from the offering of
the Lamb
Yeshua HaMashiach/Jesus Christ.
The first gate is the Sheep Gate
and, next to it,
the Tower of Hananel, which means God’s mercy
or something to do with the mercy of God;
and the Tower of the Me’ah, which is the Hebrew word for one hundred.
As just mentioned, that is the gate to which they brought the sheep into Jerusalem to be sacrificed in the temple.
Recall, when Yeshua/Jesus said
if a shepherd loses a sheep,
he’ll leave the 99 and go after the 1?
(Luke 15:3-7)
If 1 sheep is missing,
it is not counted as a legitimate flock.
A flock had to be 100!
Sometimes, some of us go astray, maybe some fall away and young believers sometimes backslide. In times of stress and crisis, it can sometimes seem that the Lord has abandoned us, and so we wander off. This is not true and the Good Shepherd comes after us because He doesn’t want to lose any that the Father has given to Him. The Sheep Gate is representative of Messiahs statement in
John 10:27
The spiritual meaning of the Sheep Gate is that the High Priest built it, and that through that gate,lambs and sheep were brought to the temple for sacrifice.
Note that the sheep gate had no locks or bars,
for
the door of salvation
is open to everyone.
This was the only gate that was sanctified,
setting it apart as a special gate!
IN v. 1, 32 on the northeast corner of the wall. was the location of The Sheep Gate named because sheep were led through it to the Temple. It was near the market where sheep were sold and close to the Sheep Pool where the Temple sacrifices were washed. The Sheep Gate was also near another well known place, the Pool of Bethesda (Jn. 5:2).
The Tower of Hammeah (hundred) and the Tower of Hananel (12:39). Were Between the Sheep Gate and the Fish Gate.
The Tower of Hananel is also mentioned in Jeremiah 31:38 and Zechariah 14:10 as the northernmost part of the city.
The Sheep Gate is a reminder to us of calvarys’ cross. Yeshua/Jesus was “the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world” Jn. 1:29 Humanity is described as wayward sheep (Isa. 53:6) who need a shepherd to lead them into God’s eternal heavenly sheepfold. Yeshua/Jesus is the door through which sinners can enter the sheepfold and be redeemed (Jn. 10:1–9).Believers are bought with a price according to 1 Cor. 6:20, the blood of God’s Lamb, Jesus Christ/Yeshua HaMashiach
Then Eliashib, the high priest, rose up with his brethren, the priests, and they builded the sheep gate; they sanctified it, and set up the doors of it. (Nehemiah 3:1)
The Sheep Gate in Jerusalem was near the temple; it was where the sacrificial animals were brought in to be offered on the altar. It is in keeping that the priests should build this particular gate, for it speaks of Christ and His work upon the cross for us. That is exactly what the prophet had said:
He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. (Isaiah 53:7)
When John the Baptist marked Christ out for His ministry he said,
“Behold the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).
It makes one wonder if the Yeshua/Jesus came in at the Sheep Gate every time He entered the city except on the day of the Triumphal Entry?
We do know for sure that He came in through the Sheep Gate to the Pool of Bethesda, where He healed the blind man. That act was symbolic of the fact that He came as the Lamb of God to take away the sin of the world, the poor man who was healed is a picture of every sinner who, will find deliverance from sin if they are willing to come to the cross of Messiah.
Yeshua/Jesus not only came in through that gate, but they took Him out through that gate when He was arrested and also when He was led out to be crucified. The Sheep Gate was the place of judgment, telling us that He bore the judgment of our sin. This is the gate where we must begin with God, because He is not prepared to meet us anywhere else but at the cross.
It is interesting to note that,
next unto him the men of Jericho built. Nehemiah 3:2. Jericho was the city of the curse, and the men of Jericho were building right next to the Sheep Gate.
Surely, that’s not by chance!
Messiah bore the curse of sin on the cross for us.
in Galatians, Paul wrote saying:
Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us; for it is written, Cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree. Galatians 3:13.
The old Sheep gate
שער כבשים
sha`ar ha-tso’-n or sha’ar ke-ves
is also known as
St Stephens gate
and
Lions gate
שערהאריות Sha’ar ha-Arayot,
to the north of the Haram es-Sherif, or temple area from which the path leads down into the valley of the Kedron.
The first gate has implications in being called sheep (sacrifical lamb) and lion (of Judah/tribes) and Stephen seeing heaven opened, (martyr). This is where we too must begin our journey into His Kingdom/City…
At the foot of the cross where
freedom from the curse of sin awaits us.
Jesus Christ/Yeshua HaMashiach is the High Priest of the ReNewEd Covenant, He is the Lamb, who offered His life as the price of our sins.
As our spiritual High Priest, Yeshua/Jesus set up doors of the Sheep Gate, which means that
He is the Door of the sheep.
To receive salvation and, therefore enter God’s kingdom, a man must enter through the blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ/Yeshua haMashiach.
John 10:7 Then said Jesus to them again, Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.
It is very significant that
Eliashib in Hebrew means:
God restores.
Again it’s not by chance but our Heavenly Fathers’ design that, as High Priest, he was the one who rebuilt the Sheep Gate and the walls surrounding it.
The Gates continue in Part 2!
Shalom shalom
‘Mishpachah’
‘Family/Tribe’
משפחה
Mish-pa-KHa,
friends, visitors and every reader…
Please don’t leave this page before making certain you are His
and are truly born from above.
Know of a certainty that Jesus/Yeshua is
your Redeemer, Savior, Lord
and soon returning King
and that you have a personal relationship with Him.
You are greatly loved and precious in His sight.
It’s all about Life and Relationship, not Religion.
NOT SURE? YOU CAN BE..
SAY THE FOLLOWING FROM YOUR HEART RIGHT NOW…
Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry.
I repent of them all and turn away from my past.
I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’ name. Amen.
I will enter His gates with thanksgiving in my heart 
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