I have been reading the book of Nehemiah. What caught my attention is the building of the 10 gates of Jerusalem in chapter 3 where it was clearly and orderly elaborated how those gates were built according to their right order and position.
I have researched about the Spiritual meanings of these gates and their order but what I got is one and the same explanation. Most Christians today view those gates as representations of our spiritual progression as we grow in the Lord. Those gates may somehow represent our spiritual growth but if we try to dig deeper into the verses of Nehemiah chapter 3, we will know that those gates signify more! They represent not only our spiritual progression but those gates also reveal to us how will our Lord Jesus Christ will work in us so that we can ultimately be a part of His Bride.
THE CITY OF JERUSALEM
Before tackling the gates, let us first tackle the City of Jerusalem of where these gates are being built.
We should all remember that according to Romans 9:1-8, there are Natural and Spiritual Israel. The natural Israel is, of course, the seeds of Jacob (Israel) according to the flesh. And the Spiritual Israel is the Church (us), the seeds of Abraham not in flesh but according to the election of our Lord Jesus Christ (Gal. 3:29).
If there are two kinds of Israel today, there are also two kinds of Jerusalem. If the natural Israel today has the natural City of Jerusalem, so is the Spiritual Israel has also the Spiritual City of Jerusalem.
Today, the natural City of Jerusalem is found in the country of Israel which was declared last December 6, 2017 by the U.S. President Donald Trump as the new capital of the country in replacement to Tel Aviv City which is the former capital of Israel. Many countries have opposed and are against its declaration as the capital of Israel. You may wonder as to why they are against it. These people who oppose are not Israeli. Israel is not their country so that declaration should not bother them. But why are there so many oppositions on its declaration? BECAUSE THE DECLARATION IS A BIBLICAL FULFILLMENT. History be told, Jerusalem has always been the capital of Israel. Jerusalem is the chosen city of the Lord to symbolize the Holies of Holies in the Tabernacle of Moses. In the whole world, there is this chosen country by God, Israel, and in Israel, there is this chosen city, Jerusalem. Jerusalem represents the chosen among the chosen.
The Scripture tells us that God had chosen only one place on this earth to put His Name, and that is the city of Jerusalem in Israel (2 Chr.6:6, Neh.1:9). Before Jerusalem was chosen, Israel could worship Yahweh at any place where they could build an altar to offer their sacrifices. However, since the day when God made it the chosen place of worship, Jerusalem had been the only acceptable place of worship for the True Worshippers. It is in this city that the Temple of the Lord was built. THE HOUSE OF THE LORD was in the City of Jerusalem. It is in this city that Our Lord Jesus Christ shed His blood and gave His life for us.
The present-day Israel is the location of the Garden of Eden. In the midst of that Garden (Israel) is where the Lord God has planted His TREE OF LIFE – HIS DIVINE WORD – by which His chosen people might have access to the Life of His Shekinah Glory which is now Jerusalem. It was also in this same place that the Adversary of God, Satan, had continually been fighting against God and His Truth by getting His people to break His Divine Word the same way he deceived Eve into partaking of that forbidden tree – “Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil”. These all happened in the place where Jerusalem is located.
Mt. Moriah which is also located in Jerusalem, is the same location where God promised Abraham that he would be a blessing to all people on earth (Gen.22:2). Since 691 A.D. the mountain peak of Moriah has been occupied by the Mosque of Omar, better known as ‘The Dome of the Rock’. This is the place where the Temples of Solomon and Zerubbabel once stood in their respective times. Until today, there is still great battles between the Lord and Satan in this area of the promised land. The enemy is doing everything to possess the land that’s why many are against its declaration.
Therefore, it is in Jerusalem that God would establish His presence and identity on earth. Jerusalem was God’s city, where the people of God would dwell. The declaration that Jerusalem is the Capital of Israel is the fulfillment of God’s Word that’s why Satan is against it.
On the other hand, the Spiritual Jerusalem is found in the midst of Spiritual Israel, the Gentile Church. This Spiritual City is composed of the wise virgins among the Gentile believers. And just like in the natural Jerusalem, it is also in this spiritual City that Spiritual battles are being fought today between our Lord and Satan.
One day, both the Jews and the Gentile believers will compose the ultimate City of the Lord – the Holy City, New Jerusalem which is the Tabernacle of God (Rev. 21).
In Hebrews 11:10, Abraham is looking for “a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” This City is described in Revelation 21 as the Holy City, New Jerusalem. In Revelation 21:9, an Angel invited John to “Come hither, I will shew thee the Bride, the Lamb’s wife.” And in verse 10, what John saw is “that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God.” He was told to come to see the Bride, but what he saw is the Holy City, New Jerusalem. This only means that that Holy City, New Jerusalem is no other than the Wife of our Lord Jesus Christ herself adorned for her Husband (Rev. 21:2). Let us remember also that this Holy City is the tabernacle of our Lord (Eph. 1:23, Rev. 21:3).
Who will make up this Spiritual City? Who will compose the Bride of Christ? They are no other than both the Gentile believers and the Jews.
So there it is! The natural City of Jerusalem and the Spiritual City of Jerusalem.
FIRST THE NATURAL THEN THE SPIRITUAL
In 1 Corinthians 15:46 we read,
“Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.”
This means that the Natural Jerusalem is the type and shadow of the Spiritual one. Those purposes and plan of God which are foreshadowed in building the natural city of Jerusalem will also happen in building His Spiritual Jerusalem – the making of His Gentile Bride. First to the Natural then to the Spiritual. With this in mind, we are now ready to look at the spiritual significance in the building of the gates of Jerusalem during the time of Nehemiah and relate them to the making of the Spiritual Jerusalem today.
BACKGROUND
For the background, after Babylon invaded Jerusalem and captured its inhabitants (including the prophet Daniel and its three friends), Babylonians then destroyed Jerusalem (Daniel 3:1-2). 52 years after Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed, Cyrus the Great, king of Persia, who had conquered the Babylonians, allowed the Jews to return to their ancient homeland (Ezra 1:1-4).
The Jews returned in waves. Zerubbabel led the first wave of Jewish return to Israel just two years after Cyrus allowed the return (Ezra 1-6). Seventy-five years after the first wave, Ezra led the second wave of return to finished the temple (Ezra 7-10). Ten years later, after Ezra and other 1500 Israelites returned to rebuild the temple and Jerusalem, Nehemiah (who is still in Babylon) received the news that the walls and the gates of the city were not yet built. Nehemiah was now the cup-bearer of king Artaxerxes of Persia.
Because of that news, Nehemiah was deeply troubled and depressed because of the condition of Jerusalem. In Nehemiah Chapter 2, Nehemiah prays and fasts for 4 months before coming to the king to ask for permission to allow him to go to Israel to build the walls and the gates of the city. Nehemiah’s prayers were answered. The king allowed him to restore Jerusalem, its walls and streets. Not only did the king grant Nehemiah the permission, resources and authority he also provided the security of his army captains for his safe passage. It only took 52 days for Nehemiah and the other workers to completely build the walls and the gates.
SPIRITUAL MEANINGS OF THE TEN GATES
We all know that Gates functioned as entrance and/or exit of a walled city. In order to be a part or to get access to the city, you need to pass through the gate/s to enter it and also to pass through it in order to exit it.
In Revelation 21:12-13, God’s ultimate City, the Holy City, New Jerusalem has twelve pearly gates which represent the twelve tribes of Israel. This is to tell us that it was unto the children of Israel that the Word of God was first given (Acts 7:38; Rom.3:1-2). The Jews who are the members of the Wife of our Lord Jesus Christ will make up the gates of that Holy City. This is because in order to be a part of this Holy City, one must have access to the Word of God that was first given to Israel for there is no other way to get into God’s House but only through God’s own Family – Israel.
However, it is interesting to note that the city of Jerusalem which is rebuilt during the time of Nehemiah has only ten (10) gates. Its gates had also unique names and purposes. We will then concentrate on this city since this city exactly represents today’s Gentile Bride of the Lord Jesus Christ and its ten gates represent how will our Lord work in us in order for us, the Gentile believers, to become citizens of the City. Therefore, our Lord has provided also 10 gates (ways) for the Gentile believers to be part of His Bride and for His flock to be citizens of the City.
1. Sheep Gate
Nehemiah 3:1 “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; even unto the tower of Meah they sanctified it, unto the tower of Hananeel.”
This is the very first gate mentioned. It was called the Sheep Gate because it is through this gate that the sheep and lambs which were sacrificed in the Temple were brought through. Take note also that the builder of this gate is no other than Eliashib the high priest himself and his brethren the other priests.
In Spiritual Jerusalem, the first gate provided by our Lord for the Gentile believers to enter the City and to be part of It is trough the Sheep – the Lamb who was slain before the foundation of the world (Rev. 13:8, Rev. 5:6). Yes, this is the very first step in order for us to be part of His Bride. He is the door by which everyone must enter to be saved (John 10:7-9). Without the shedding of His blood, we cannot be saved and be part of His City.
The sheep gate, therefore, represents the first coming of our Lord Jesus Christ about 2000 years ago as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29). The sheep gate then speaks to us of the cross and the sacrifice that our Lord has made for the remission of our sins. If you have noticed, the whole chapter 3 of Nehemiah starts and ends with this gate (Neh. 3:1,32). This is because our Lord Jesus Christ is the “the author and finisher of our faith” (Heb.12:2). The story of His Bride starts with Him and ends in Him.
This Sheep gate was the very first gate built and opened by our Lord Jesus Christ, the High Priest for the Gentile Church to enter and be part of His Bride. He is the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6). Once believers will accept Him as their Savior and are baptized by the Holy Ghost, they have now entered into the Sheep gate provided by our Lord.
2. Fish Gate
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.”
The second gate is the Fish Gate. It is named the Fish gate because it is in this gate where the fishermen would bring in their fishes caught in the sea of Galilee to be sold in the market of Jerusalem.
On the Spiritual Jerusalem, the Fish gate is the second gate provided by our Lord for the Gentile believers to become citizens of His City. After paving the way for the Sheep gate, after His victory in the cross and after claiming the Scroll in the hand of God, our Lord Jesus Christ was given all power in heaven and on earth (Matt. 28:18). And so this authority He had given also to His disciples – the “Fishers of Men” to go and teach all nation and to baptize them in His name (Matt.28:19). And as He has commanded to them in the early part of His ministry “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19). Therefore, this Fish gate was opened through the Fishers of men.
After their commissioning, the apostles have gone to different parts of the earth to preach the Gospel and teach the people about our Lord Jesus. It was through them that a great number of people were converted. In the book of Acts alone, it was recorded that about 8000 people were water baptized (Acts 8:16; 10:48; 2:38; 4:10-12; 19:3-6).
It is also during this period that the first Gentile Church started. It is the Church in Ephesian Age where the Apostle Paul was the messenger sent. He was an apostle born out of due season (1 Cor.15:8) and it was through him that many Gentile believers have entered the Fish gate to become the Bride of Christ.
Through these Fishers of men, many fishes (people) were brought to the City. The Apostles are the one who laid the foundation for our faith. And that foundation is no other than our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 3:10-11). It is to their doctrine (Acts 2:42) and their faith that we should all go back to (Jude 1:3). That’s why we call them our “Apostolic Fathers” for the foundation of the Church was laid by them.
3. Old Gate
Nehemiah 3:6 “Moreover the old gate repaired Jehoiada the son of Paseah, and Meshullam the son of Besodeiah; they laid the beams thereof, and set up the doors thereof, and the locks thereof, and the bars thereof.”
This third gate is called the Old Gate because it is one of the original gates when the city was first built. Notice it’s almost 90 degrees left turn from the Fish gate and how it is close to it. Notice also how many people work together in order to build this gate. This is the gate which has the most number of people working together.
Not long after the first Church was established by the Lord through the Fish Gate, then tares among the wheat began to grow and rapidly multiply also (Matt. 13:24-30). It was after the death of the Apostles that their number in the Church of God also began to multiply. These tares are no other than the Nicolaitanes which our Lord God hates (Rev. 2:6).
The word Nicolaitanes came from the word “nikao” which means “to conquer” and from the word “laity” that means “congregation”. So these people’s purpose is to conquer the congregation of the Lord. They are the people who seek to make distinctions between the ministers of the Word and those who accepted and listened to the Word (congregation). These Nicolaitanes are the ones who separate and lifted up the ministers from the common believers. They believe that ministers are not equal to the common believers because they are ministers of the Lord. So they exalted them thus, conquering the Church.
This device to deceive the believers is the way of the White Horse Rider of Revelation 6:2, the deceiver. The rider who is Satan, began to create a system that appealed to the religious carnal mind of the people, the Nicolaitan system. He began to dress up among the ministers and bestow impressive titles on them to separate them from the common believers. The people were deceived by the white look of Satan that they accepted this system. And so, this White Horse Rider “went forth conquering, and to conquer” the congregations.
The Lord hates this kind of spirit (Rev. 2:6). He hates it when a person is exalted because to Him, all members of His body are equal (1 Cor. 12:23-25). No one is more important than the other. During the Ephesian and the Smyrnian Church Ages (Rev. 2), many Christian congregations have been influenced by this spirit. The ministers are ruling the congregations instead of serving them (Mark 9:35). It grows rapidly among churches that during the third Church Age, the Pergamian Age (Rev. 2:12-17), Satan finally established his seat of power in Christendom through the founding of the Roman Catholic Church – the ultimate Nicolaitan church. From hereon, Nicolaitism was formally established. In its system, the ministers were not only above the congregation, but it has also established many levels of distinction so that its ministers will be much higher than the congregation.
In Roman Catholicism, many levels of distinction of the ministers from the congregation were established. The first level of distinction is the Priest. For the Priest to be distinct from the congregation, one must call him “Father” to emphasize that he is more “mature” in faith than the common people. Next level is the Bishop, then the Archbishop, then the Cardinal and ultimately the Pope. The Pope is called the “Vicar of God” which means that he is the one who represents God here on earth. He is the highest in the hierarchy and the rest is lower. This is the reason why the Lord hates this organized church of Satan. It’s full of Nicolaitans.
Today, this spirit is not only prevalent in the Roman Catholic Church. This “doctrine of the Nicolaitanes”, has caused the widening of the gap between the clergy and the laity. The system of the Protestant churches, the Denominational and Nondenominational, the Pentecostals, the Charismatics and even the Endtime Message churches were all influenced by this spirit of Nicolaitism. They have their associate pastors, senior pastors, bishops and suchlike because they take after their Mother Harlot.
In the Endtime Message circle, they make bro. Branham their Absolute just like the Pope. Their Pastors are lifted up above the congregation. In some big Endtime Message groups who have “Outreach churches,” their Pastor in their “Mother church” is the “Elder Pastor” or the Senior Pastor of those outreach churches. Their ministers are teaching the congregation that they should address them as “Pastor” and not just Brother. They are teaching the common believers that it’s a sign of respect if we addressed a minister as “Pastor” and that they should be granted this “double honor” because they are ministers of the Lord. These false ministers do not know that the Lord hates these branding of title upon them for they are making distinctions between them and to emphasize they are not equal to the common believers. These ministers have no shame to our Lord. They have adopted a similar organizational structure just like their Mother. But in all of these, Satan is in the highest seat.
Beloved of the Lord Jesus Christ, if you are a minister of God, do not teach the congregation to call you anything that will set you apart from them. If you are addressing the males in the congregation as “Brothers,” then let them address you as Brother also. Do not be a Nicolaitan. Do not make a distinction between them and you. Have you not notice why most of the true servant of our Lord is telling believers to just call them “Brothers”? There’s nothing wrong if you will not be addressed as “Pastor”. What’s wrong when the congregation will addressed you “Brother’? Remember, the Lord hates Nicolaitan people and He still hates them until today. Unless we will all go back to the Old Gate, the original way, the gate provided by our Lord Jesus, we are just falling to the bottomless pit provided by Satan.
According to Watchman Nee, one of the true servant of our Lord:
“The system of fathers of the world church, the clergy system of the state church, and the pastoral system of the independent churches are all the same in nature. They are all Nicolaitans. In the Bible, there are only brothers. There is the gift of a pastor but no system of pastors. The pastoral system is man’s tradition. If the children of God are not willing to return to the position of that in the beginning, no matter what they do, it will not be right.”
But ministers today will hate you for preaching this. It is because they don’t want these outward distinctions that separate the ministers from the believers to be removed. They want to maintain their status as the “Leader” in their local churches. These people have no shame to our Lord Jesus Christ who is the true owner of the flock.
It is because of this falling away from the original that our Lord provided the Pergamian Church the Old Gate. If believers during that period will just separate themselves from this system of Satan and will come back to the original, and enter the Old Gate provided by our Lord, they will surely become citizens of His City. Servants like Polycarp, Ireneaus, St. Martin are just some of the many servants used by our Lord to rebuild the Old Gate.
Even today, the spirit of the White Horse Rider still continues to conquer the souls of men. Many Endtime Message Churches today are practicing this way of the White Horse Rider. Uplifting the ministers from the believers. They have been deceived. They have been conquered. But the standard of the Lion of God also prevails in this hour to them who have Lion anointing (Rev. 4:7) and have come back to original and entered in the Old Gate, to those who contend for the faith that was once delivered to the saints. If we will only come back to that Old Gate, that original gate, we will surely be part of that Holy City, New Jerusalem who is the Bride of our Lord.
Is the church or the ministers of the church you are attending to are making distinctions between the ministers and the believers? Are they teaching that you should call them “Pastor”? Are they telling you to give double honor to them? If this is happening to your local church, then you are in a Nicolaitan system. Beloved, return to the Old Gate.
4. Valley Gate
Nehemiah 3:13 “The valley gate repaired Hanun, and the inhabitants of Zanoah; they built it, and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof, and a thousand cubits on the wall unto the dung gate.”
The city of Jerusalem is surrounded by several valleys. Apparently, this fourth gate is called the Valley Gate because it opened for the people of the valley of Hinnom (Neh. 11:30). Unlike the first three gates which are near to each other, notice the long distance between the Old Gate and the Valley Gate.
A valley is a low area between mountains or hills. This means that if you are walking in the valleys, you will experience walking in the lowest part of the hills or the mountains that seem to receive no sunlight. You need also to have strong endurance since occasionally if you are in a valley, there will be a time when you need to climb mountains and hills and need to trek down upon them to overcome these lowest parts of them.
In the Bible, valleys symbolized trials and hardships that every believer needs to undergo through in order to be cleansed with fire. In Psalm 23:4, David wrote:
“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”
Even if we are in the valley that has the shadow of death covering us, we should not be afraid for the Lord is with us. It is also in the Valley of Hinnom that the children of Ahaz and the children of Manasseh who were both wicked kings of Israel were burned with fire (2 Chr. 28:3, 33:6).
After the White Horse Rider which is Satan disguised as good to deceive and conquer the people (Rev. 6:2), he then becomes the Red Horse Rider to kill and take peace from earth (Rev. 6:4).
Right after Satan had successfully established his seat, the Roman Catholic Church, he then went on to kill the true believers of the Lord who were not deceived by his White Horse scheme. During the fourth Church Age, the Thyaterian Age (Rev. 2:18-29) which lasted for about 1000 years (from 6th century to the year 1520), about 68 Million people who refuse to accept the Roman Catholic Church were killed by the Red Horse Rider through the Roman Catholics. These martyrs were branded as witches or heretics whenever they refuse to join the church. This was a glorious period for Satan and his wife, the Roman Catholic Church. It is called The Dark Ages for it is the period of darkness (valley) among the believers.
Life was very hard especially for the saints at that time. They were really walking in the valley of the shadow of death during those times. Many family members were separated from one another. Some are burned with fire, some were tortured in an unspeakable way, some were given to the lions and the worst, children were beheaded before their parents for the parents to despise their faith and accept Roman Catholicism (read the Foxe’s Book of Martyrs by John Foxe). This period of tribulation is about 1000 years long which is the reason why the Valley Gate is very far from the Old Gate.
In spite of these walking in the valley of the shadow of death, our Lord never leaves His Church. Through their suffering, through those trials, He had provided them the way to become His Bride by opening the Valley Gate. Servants like Columba were the one used by our Lord to build the gate. Our Lord had given them the Calf (a sacrificial beast) anointing (Rev. 4:7) to counter the Red Horse Rider. That Calf anointing in them had caused them to labor hard to the extent that they willingly sacrificed their lives for their faith. Millions of Christians willingly sowed their lives as martyrs and their sowing had not been in vain for they have become the citizens of the City! They have become our Lord’s Bride!
5. Dung Gate
Nehemiah 3:14 “But the dung gate repaired Malchiah the son of Rechab, the ruler of part of Bethhaccerem; he built it, and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof.”
This fifth gate was named Dung Gate because it is through this gate that all rubbish in the city were taken out. We have known that the gate has two purposes, it serves as the entrance and the exit of the city.
The great influenced of Satan and his wife, the Roman Catholic Church, on their reign of about 1000 years during the Dark Ages has left the Gentile Church in almost complete darkness. Access of the Bible is exclusively for the Roman Catholic Priests only. The original teachings and the doctrines of the Apostles written on the Bible were done away and was replaced by the traditions and dogma of the Roman Catholic Church. With no Bible to light and guide the Church of the Lord, the believers were in spiritual darkness and hunger (Rev. 6:6). From the Red Horse Rider, Satan changes his form and become the Black Horse Rider (Rev. 6:5) to bring spiritual darkness and hunger to the believers.
Then a Roman Catholic Priest by the name of Martin Luther who has access to the Bible that time was raised by our Lord to be His Messenger to the fifth Church Age, the Sardisian Church Age. He received a revelation when he heard the Voice of God saying, “the just shall live by faith” (Rom. 1:17, Gal. 3:11, Heb. 10:38) and so he fled Satan’s wife and preach the message of Justification. He wrote the 95 theses against the Papal system and nailed them on the door of Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany in the year 1517. It was the beginning of the Age of Reformation.
It was also during those times that the Printing Press was also invented by Johannes Gutenberg in Germany enabling the mass production of the Bible. Many were enlightened and feed by the Word of God. The Black Horse Rider was countered by the Man anointing (Rev. 4:7). Together with Luther, servants like John Calvin and John Knox were given this anointing.
The dungs (rubbish) that influence the Church during the Dark Ages were removed in the Age of Reformation. Some of these dungs are the teachings of indulgences (one needs to pay to the Roman Catholic Church for the salvation of the soul in purgatory), intercession of the saints, exaltation of Mary as the Mother of God, purgatory, worship of images, salvation by various sacraments and the man-made church hierarchy and papal authority. All of these are dungs that need to be removed in order for the believers to become a Bride. And these were a lot to be removed! This is the reason why it is called the Dung Gate. The Bible called that age “Sardis” which mean “the escapes ones” (Rev. 3:1).
The Papal system was fatally wounded at that time. It is in this period that the seventh head of the beast was severely wounded (Rev.13:3). Gradually, people came out of their ignorance and shed their superstitions.
After that, these removals of dungs have continued in the sixth Church Ages, the Philadelphian Church Age. It was to John Wesley, the sixth Church Age Messenger that the message of Sanctification was given. It was not enough that those who were saved only knows that they have been Justified by the blood, they should also Sanctify themselves and walk in holiness. They should remove those ways that defiled them.
6. Fountain Gate
Nehemiah 3:15 “But the gate of the fountain repaired Shallun the son of Colhozeh, the ruler of part of Mizpah; he built it, and covered it, and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof, and the wall of the pool of Siloah by the king’s garden, and unto the stairs that go down from the city of David.”
The Fountain Gate is located near the pool of Siloah (Neh. 3:15) which some Bible commentaries told us that it’s the place where people used to cleanse before proceeding to the temple. It is said that this is also possibly the same pool in John 9:7 named “The pool of Siloam” where our Lord Jesus healed the blind man (John 9:1-11).
A fountain is a burst of water which formed a pool and then into a stream and with continuous water flow, will create a river (Gen. 2:6,10). Water symbolizes the Word of God which gives Life to us (John 4:14, 7:38, Rev. 22:17). There is life on our planet because we have water unlike in other planets.
After the message of Justification and Sanctification, the Church once again slumbered into darkness because most of those who went out of the beastly system of the Great Whore of Revelation chapter 17, which is the Roman Catholic Church, they also formed their own system patterned after their harlot mother. They are the Lutherans, the Calvinists, the Methodist, the Baptist, the Pentecostals, the Adventist, the Branhamites and all of those whose system were patterned in the Nicolaitan system of there mother harlot. They have protested and leave their mother just to form another Nicolaitan system of their own. You see? The mother harlot just produced many daughters through these different protestant churches!
The Church again slumbered and slept with darkness surrounding her (Matt. 25:5). But then she was awakened by the message of the Shout of 1 Thessalonians 4:16. That Shout is no other the message of the messenger (Best Man) of the Groom in Matthew 25 that awakens the ten virgins. It speaks of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit message that quickened the Church from her slumber during that time. And the message was this:
“Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.” (Matt. 25:6)
And just like a fountain of water that burst out of the ground, this message had awakened the Church which made her get out of the system of the daughters of the great harlot she is in. The 7th messenger of our Lord given to the Laodicean Church Age is no other than brother William M. Branham who is also the Midnight Cry. According to Revelation 3:20, our Lord is knocking at the door, He is outside of the Church. The Church needs to come out from this Nicolaitan system. That’s why the message of the 7thmessenger is for the Church to be “BACK TO THE WORD! BACK TO THE ABSOLUTE!”
This is the Endtime Message. Yes, because they have fallen away from their Groom, the Word. And they need to come out to meet Him.
During that time, just like a fountain that brings forth Life, the great revival had happened to the Church. It is through this Fountain Gate that the Church were quickened by the Holy Ghost. Then that fountain had created a pool that draws many believers to be cleansed. Great healings and miracles were witnessed by the Church through the ministry of the 7th messenger. Many Bible mysteries were also revealed. Some of them are the Seven Church Ages, the Seven Seals, Seventy Week of Daniel and many others.
That message became the fountain of Life in order to bring back the believers to the Word. Anyone who followed that message and has come out of the Nicolaitan system and has gone back to the Word (Bible) has automatically become a citizen of the City!
7. Water Gate
Nehemiah 3:26 “Moreover the Nethinims dwelt in Ophel, unto the place over against the water gate toward the east, and the tower that lieth out.”
Facing towards the east, the 7th gate is called the Water Gate because it is near the water tunnel that fed down Gihon Spring. Noticed also the long-distance of this gate to the next gate which is the Horse Gate.
This is where we are now, in the Water Gate. As I have stated above, water symbolizes the Word of God that gives us Life (John 4:14, 7:38, Rev. 22:17). If you have followed the message of the Midnight Cry, you should be here right now, in the Water Gate. You should be in the Bible right now enjoying the abundant water that flows from it.
After the message of the Shout (Midnight Cry) in 1 Thessalonians 4:16, the next is the Voice of the Archangel. This Archangel is no other than our Lord Jesus Christ Himself voicing through His ministers today, the Five-Fold Ministry (Eph. 4:11). It is through them that we have been continuously exposed to the Living Water of Life which is the Word of God. In our generation, if you wanted to become a citizen of the City, this is the only way (gate) provided by our Lord to achieve it. Like what Ephesians 5:26 is telling us:
“That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,”
Yes, our Lord, the Archangel, is washing us right now with the continuous supply of His Word. If we have eyes to see and ears to hear, we will notice that in today’s generation, there is a feast prepared before us by our Lord through its Five-Fold Ministers. One has only to search for the true one. The goal is “Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:” (Eph. 4:13).
However, this process is a long process just like the distance of this gate to the next gate which is the Horse Gate. It will need ample time for our soul to be thoroughly transformed by the washing of the Word. Ours is actually a great Gate, what we need to do now is to feast on the Word of God.
Again, if we wanted to become the Bride of our Lord Jesus Christ, His provided gate to our generation is the Water Gate. We need to submerge ourselves today in His Word. We need to come back to His Word, the Bible. We need to claim it and submerge ourselves on It. So that we may “be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper” (Psa. 1:3, cf. Jer. 17:8).
This is the only way for our generation to become citizens of the City. And we need the Water in this gate if we want to last up to the next gate.
8. Horse Gate
Nehemiah 3:26 “From above the horse gate repaired the priests, every one over against his house.”
This 8th gate is called the Horse Gate because this gate is just east of the Royal Palace and southeast of the Temple. It is through this gate that the king of the city and his men riding their horses returning from war would enter in. This is the most practical gate to return to from war since this is also the nearest gate to the King’s stables. That’s why this gate is also known as the King’s Gate (1 Chr. 9:18).
A Horse in the Bible symbolizes war or battle (Pro. 21:31). This is because, after the Water Gate, great battles will transpire upon the Bride of Christ. Yes, you may not believe it, but after the continuous supply of the Word brought by the Water Gate, there will be a great spiritual drought upon the Bride.The purpose why we need to submerge ourselves to the Water of the Word today, is to prepare us for this coming great battle, the coming drought.
According to Amos 8:11-13:
“Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD: And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it. In that day shall the fair virgins and young men faint for thirst.”
We are the Spiritual Israel, and what happened to the natural Israel will also happen to the Spiritual one.
We are wheat in the fields sowed by our Lord Jesus Christ (Mat. 13:24-30). And drought is the wheat’s greatest hurdle to overcome. In order for the wheats to be harvested, it should first undergo two kinds of rains, the former and the latter rains (Hos. 6:3). The former rain is no other than what we are experiencing today, the continuous supply of the Word through the Voice of the Archangel. We need enough water in order for us to grow, to pollinate, to produce flowers and then to produce fruits. This is the reason why it’s so important for us to submerge ourselves in the Word to today through the Water Gate.
The latter rain is no other than the Trump of God (1 The. 4:16) to be delivered through the Seven Thunders of Revelation 10:4.
But in between the former rain and the latter rain, the Bride will experience a great drought. This will be experienced just before the outpouring of the latter rain and before the harvest will come.
I know this because I am the son of farmers. Both my parents are farmers. I myself is also a farmer when I was young. I was born in Negros Occidental, the sugarcane capital of the Philippines where our main source of income is farming rice and sugarcane. In the Philippines, there are only two seasons – the wet and the dry season. Wet season started from July to end of December and the dry season is from January to June. Sugarcane is a perennial plant that takes almost a year to be harvested. In order to produce much sugar yield, you need to plant it in the late wet season from October to December for it to absorb enough water needed for its growth. This is its former rain. Then from January to June, it will experience six months of drought. The drought played an important role for it to yield much sugar and sweeter cane juice. Upon experiencing drought, sugarcane will consume its water and will have much room for sugar to go on its system. Sugarcanes which are exposed to too much rain are not sweet and produces low sugar yield.
You will also notice that during this period of drought, almost all of its leaves are turning brown and are drying. A common onlooker would usually say that the plant is dying. But only the farmer knows what’s really happening on its plant. He knows that life cannot be found on the leaves anymore. It now goes down deep into its inside and it will make his sugarcane much sweeter.
Then after that almost six months of drought where the plants are almost dying, they are now ready for the latter rain. This starts from the month of July to September where strong typhoons are bombarding the Philippines. This plenty of rain is needed by the plants for its final transformation just before the harvest. This will then boost the sugarcane and will give it sweeter but much more juice. It will then transform its dying body in an alive and well-nourished body again ready for the harvest. And so it is on these months that the sugarcane is being harvested in the Philippines.
Just like the sugarcane, the wheat also needs to experience both the former and the latter rain in order to be ready for the harvest. But in between these two rains, it will also experience the drought or the lack of rain. It will turn its life-teeming-green leaves into dry-golden leaves. This is then the indication that the wheat is ready for the latter rain and the harvest.
This is also true for the Bride of our Lord. We are now enjoying the former rain brought by the Voice of the Archangel through the Five-fold Ministry. What we need to do now is to get enough water as much as possible in preparation for the coming great drought. Because just before the Seven Thunders will come, the Bride of our Lord will experience great drought. All of these continuous flows of water now will cease someday (Amos 8:11-13). The Bride will feel dry; She will become thirsty, up to the point that She will almost lose Her hope upon the coming of Her King. The world will see Her as a hopeless and a dying Bride. But to Her Groom, She is now the most beautiful. To Him, She had made herself ready and she is now prepared for the last Trump (1 The. 4:16). She has turned Herself into Gold.
The drought will make Her much sweeter. Yes! Because in the Bible, victory is always much sweeter after a great battle. Remember beloved Bride: when everything seems hopeless and you feel that you are dying and in the verged of losing hope, that’s the time that the Lord will do His great works in you.
It is during the time of Israel’s hopelessness when they were turned between their Egyptian enemies and the great Red Sea that the Lord parted the sea for them to pass. It is during that time when Job is losing hope and would rather want to die that the Lord his God had turned all his miseries into blessings! It is during that time when the disciples of our Lord had lose all their hopes that their Master will return and that they even went back to be fishermen again that their Master appeared to them and called them to be Fishers of men. All of their hopes were renewed and it even gives them great courage that they are now willing to give their lives for the Word.
It is also after the greatest droughts and the greatest battles fought in our lives that our Lord has given us much sweeter victory! Yes! Because stars shine the brightest during the darkest hour of the night. And it is for this reason that the Lord told the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:9
“And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
Indeed! When we are at our weakest, He is at the strongest! It is only when the Bride is at Her weakest that the Lord can prove to us how strong He is! It is therefore impossible for our Lord to return today when the Bride is still enjoying the former rain through the Five-Fold ministry and Life from the water of the Word is overflowing Her. No matter where you will look at her today, the Bride of our Lord is teaming with Life because of the abundance of Water. The drought had not yet come and the latter rain had not yet poured.
But wait for that day when the Bride becomes hopeless. When signs of Life is almost impossible to be found in Her. Wait for that day when She can’t almost lift Her hand to praise Her Groom. Wait for that day when She will almost give up on waiting for Her Groom. WAIT FOR THAT DAY. And when you will see that day coming upon Her, just like what the Apostle Paul has said, you need to be glad. Be very glad! You need to give glory in these infirmities of Her. Because that’s the time that the power of Her Christ will rest upon Her! That’s the day that the strength of Her Groom will be made perfect upon Her!
This is also the day that I am looking forward to. If the Lord will allow us to see that great day and will not let us experienced dying until He will come for us on the Rapture, then what we should do during the great drought in order to overcome it and experience the latter rain is to enter the Horse Gate.
A horse is the best animal to be used for battles because it is an animal of strength, endurance and speed. It is really ideal for battles. During the time of drought, the Bride needs the endurance to overcome this great event. It’s the final hurdle that will challenge Her faithfulness to Her Groom. And She will be proven faithful (Rev. 17:4) because according to Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:9, this is Her quality:
“Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”
Yes! Because whenever She is weak, that’s the time that She is strong! Her Best will going to come to Her at Her worst. Just like a gallant soldier during a war, the more She is wounded, the more She became courageous. The Water that She has absorbed in the Water Gate through the Five-fold Ministry today will perfect Her and will give Her endurance until the latter rain will come. This is the “extra oil” that She (the Wise Virgins) has taken in Her vessel (Matt. 25:4). If you are a Wise Virgin, you will know that there will be a coming drought, that’s why you will need to be wise enough today and bring extra Water with you. Get on as much Water as you can right now to make it through the coming drought. Don’t be like the foolish virgins who won’t enter through the Water Gate right now and are just contended on the Water that they’ve got from the Fountain Gate. Their Water will not be enough until the latter rain. We need the Water Gate to get extra water (oil).
That’s why all of you quotationers and Branhamites, stop wandering in the wilderness of quotations right now and GO BACK TO THE WORD! GO BACK TO THE BIBLE NOW! The Water from the Fountain that Moses (bro. Branham) have struck upon the Rock will only temporarily sustain your thirst, but it will never SUBMERGED you to the river of the Water of Life that can only be found in the Bible. Enter the Promise Land now and listen to Joshua through the true Five-Fold Ministers. Submerged yourselves in the Bible. That’s the only way you can get enough Water.
Alongside this great Spiritual battle that will be experienced by the Bride, the physical world will also experience one of the greatest war it will ever experience, the battle of Ezekiel 38 and 39 – the Gog and the Magog.
Just before the Rapture, Russia (Magog) and its prince (Gog) will declare war with Israel. But then they will awfully be defeated because the time that its great army will reach Israel, Rapture will happen (Rev. 8:1, 10:1-6). The dead in Christ shall rise (1 The 4:16b) that will cause a great earthquake which will shake the whole world. It will be like the powerful earthquake that has torn the veil of the temple into two when our Lord has descended in Sheol to resurrect the dead (Mat. 27:51, Mark 15:38). All those armies will fall upon the mountains of Israel (Eze. 39:4-5). And due to their numerous numbers, it will take seven years for the Israelites to burn all of their weapons (Eze. 39:9). That’s how numerous they are.
But this war will be the signal that the Gentile Bride has now overcome Her greatest battle. Her endurance and faithfulness have helped Her. She is now ready to meet Her King and enter the Royal Palace with Him through the Horse Gate.
After the dead in Christ have risen, those that have overcome the great drought will meet those Bride of Christ who was once dead before. Bride like bro. Branham, the Apostle Paul, Martin Luther, John Wesley and all of our brethren and our loved ones who went before us to the Lord who are also members of His Bride will all be resurrected and will be given a glorified body. That day will be like what happened in Matthew 27:52-53. If you are a Bride of the Lord, you will see them on that glorious day. They will be here among us along with the ministration of the Seven Thunders just like what happened in Acts 1:1-11. They will be our witness to our transformation from corruptible to being incorruptible.
This is also the fulfillment of the tent vision of bro. Branham. In that vision, he saw that people who went inside the tent who has no feet and no arms were whole again after coming out of the tent. Yes, bro. Branham will be there because he will be resurrected from the dead and he will be a witness for the glorification of our Body. Just like a caterpillar who went inside its cocoon, we will go inside that tent where the Seven Thunders are ministering and we will come out to be a butterfly! Oh, what a day that will be!
After our glorification, we will then meet our Groom in the air and together with Him, just like the triumphant soldiers who have just won the great war, we will enter this Horse Gate and go directly to His Royal Palace, to the stable He had prepared for us. That’s why this Horse Gate is also called the King’s Gate because it is through this gate the King and His Queen (his gallant soldiers) will enter in.
It is for this reason “that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Rom. 8:18). Stay faithful to our Groom and look forward to that glorious day. And surely one day, all will be fulfilled.
9. East Gate
Nehemiah 3:29 “After them repaired Zadok the son of Immer over against his house. After him repaired also Shemaiah the son of Shechaniah, the keeper of the east gate.”
The 9th gate is called the East Gate because this gate is just east of the Temple (see the above image). This gate is also just the opposite side of Mount of Olives, the place where one can have a better view of the city. This is also the gate where our Lord Jesus Christ has used to enter Jerusalem after descending from Mount of Olives while riding a donkey that great multitude of people also spread their garments and cut down branches of trees to spread on the path of the Lord while shouting “Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest” (Mat 21:1–11, Mark 11:1–11, Luke 19:28–44, John 12:12–19). Our Lord then went straight into the Temple (Matt. 21:12).
Today, this gate is sealed by Muslims whose goal is to prevent the return of the Messiah to Jerusalem. But the shutting of this East Gate is just the fulfillment of the Word of the Lord in Ezekiel 44:1-3.
These Muslims have also built their mosque called the “Dome of the Rock” right on the Temple ground itself which has also prevented Israel to build their Temple today. But one day, when the dead in Christ shall rise, that great earthquake will crumble that mosque and will destroy that seal of the East Gate. Israel then will be able to build the Third Temple on its original location.
After the Rapture of the Gentile Bride, the Church Ages is finished and the Gospel will now go back to Israel. It will only be through the ministry of the Two Witnesses of Revelation 11 and through the 144,000 Jews that were sealed by these Two Witnesses (Rev. 11:1-13, 14:1-13) that the Word will be ministered. Just like the sun that rises from the east to the west, so is the Gospel of our Lord. It came from Israel then to Europe, to America to Asia to Africa and will one day go back to Israel. Just like the path of the sun that lightens the earth.
When this will happen, no gate will be opened for the gentile believers especially for those foolish virgins (Branhamites and Quotationers) who did not submerge their selves in the Bible during the ministry of the Five-Fold Ministry. The door will be shut for them (Matt 25:10). And no matter how hard they will knock, no gate will be opened (Matt. 25:11). No one now can enter the City during those times. The East Gate will continue to be shut and be sealed. Foolish virgins will then experience what the faithful Jews will experience, they will all be martyred for their faith (Rev. 6:9-11, 7:9-17, cf. Zech. 13:1-9).
Their only opportunity to enter the City is when the East Gate will be opened during the coming of our Lord together with His Wife to fight the battle of Armageddon (Eze. 43:4, Rev. 19:11-21, Matt. 24:29-30, Zech. 14:4). But since they will be all dead during that time, all of those foolish virgins and faithful Jews will only be resurrected right after the battle of Armageddon for them to enter the City of God through the East Gate (Rev. 20:4, 7:9-17). By the opening of the East Gate through the coming of the King and His Wife, those foolish virgins after being resurrected will become now citizens of the City.
Note: These foolish virgins are not part of the Bride of the Lord. The Bride are those wise virgins who were raptured and experienced the Marriage of the Lamb Who became the Wife of the Lord. The foolish virgins will not experience the rapture and the Marriage of the Lamb but they will be citizens of the City when the Lamb and His wife will return to earth (Rev. 20:4)
Some have speculated that the resurrection of the foolish virgins and the faithful Jews should be the events for the Horse Gate and not the East Gate since it is during this period that our Lord Jesus Christ has also descended from heaven riding a horse together with His Wife as recorded in Revelation 19:11-21. But these people should remind their selves that if these events will take place on the Horse Gate, then it will contradict the very word of the Lord recorded in Ezekiel 43:1-2,4 and Zechariah 14:4 that when our Lord will return together with His Wife, He will enter Jerusalem using the East Gate.
“Afterward he brought me to the gate, even the gate that looketh toward the east: And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: and his voice was like a noise of many waters: and the earth shined with his glory…And the glory of the LORD came into the house by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east.” (Eze. 43:1-2,4).
Therefore, there’s no doubt that the foolish virgins and the faithful Jews can only enter the City through the East Gate when Ezekiel 43:1-2 and 4 is fulfilled.
10. Miphkad Gate
Nehemiah 3:31 “After him repaired Malchiah the goldsmith’s son unto the place of the Nethinims, and of the merchants, over against the gate Miphkad, and to the going up of the corner.”
The 10th gate is the Miphkad Gate which means “command” in Hebrew language. Different Bible versions like the New International Version, New Living Translation, Berean Study Bible, New American Standard Bible, Christian Standard Bible and other versions have translated the word “Miphkad” to the word “inspection” since that its another meaning. So this 10th gate is also known as the Inspection Gate.
It is in this Inspection Gate that the merchants who would like to sell their goods in the city were being inspected to make sure that the goods entering the city are not adulterated or spoiled.
After the resurrection of the foolish virgins and the faithful Jews, our Lord Jesus Christ will sit in the throne of King David in Jerusalem as the Son of David. This is after the Nicolaitan Systems of this world have been destroyed by our Lord during the Battle of Armagedon. Being the rightful King, He will sit in the throne of David to judge the nations. He will then separate the sheep (His seed) which He had redeemed by His blood (John 10:11,15) from the goats (serpent’s seed) as stated in Matthew 25:31-46.
Yes, there are two kinds of people in this world, the sheep and the goats. Some ministers will tell you that our Lord Jesus came to this world to save all human beings. He gave His life for all humans. But I tell you, the Word of God is telling us the opposite. He only gave His life for the sheep – to those who are His. His blood is only for the sheep and not for the goats.
“I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep…As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.” (John 10:11,15)
In the Inspection Gate, this is where our Lord will inspect every human being (Matt. 25:32). Those who will pass the inspection can enter the City during the Millennial reign of the Lord Jesus Christ and His Wife (Isa. 11:6-9, 65:17-25, Rev. 20:6, Eze. 43:13-37, Zech 8:3-5, 14:16-19, Micah 4:1-4). And those people that are allowed to enter are only the sheep (Matt. 25:34). The goats, on the other hand, will be bound for a thousand years during the Millennial reign together with Satan and his demons (Rev. 20:2). After a thousand year, they will be cast into the lake of fire where all of the wicked soul will be annihilated (Rev. 20:7-10, 2 Pet. 2:4, Jude 6).
Together with our Lord, we, the Bride sitting on the thrones (Rev. 20:4), will judge the Gentiles nations (1 Cor. 9:2) and the twenty-four Elders (12 Patriarchs and 12 Apostles) will judge the 12 tribes of Israel (Rev. 4:4, Matt. 19:28).
Those sheep who will enter the Mellinial Reign are not the Bride of the Lord but they will enter the City to become the citizens of It and they will be the one to repopulate the Earth.
The Inspection Gate is the LAST GATE. I REPEAT. THE INSPECTION GATE IS THE LAST GATE. This gate will be opened so that the Gentiles and faithful Jews who are sheep can enter the city. After this gate, there will be no more gate to be opened. If you are not a Bride nor a Foolish Virgin, then you should at least be a sheep so that you can enter this gate. But if you are neither of these three, then there will be no more gate to be opened for you. THERE WILL BE NO SALVATION BEYOND THIS. All of those who cannot enter the City will face the Great White Throne judgment and shall be cast out into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:11-15).
It will then go back to the first gate again, our Lord Jesus Christ, the Sheep Gate, the “the author and finisher of our faith” (Heb.12:2). The first entrance of the City starts with Him and it will also ends in Him (Neh. 3:32).
CONCLUSION
Indeed, the Spiritual meanings of the Gates of Jerusalem built by Nehemiah and the other workers have taught us many things. But I want you also to look at those servants used by our Lord to built those Gates. Their labor is all voluntary. No one got paid by Nehemiah. They all volunteered to know that it is for their Lord. They did not expect any reward from it. And all ministers of God today should do the same also.
It is almost 13 years ago since I first know our Lord. Within that period, I have also seen many ministers who got frustrated and got discourage in the ministry that the Lord had given to them. One of the biggest reason why they got discouraged is that they have expected that if they work for the Lord, they will get their reward in this life. That is, they will going to have a good life here on earth. Some are even preaching that one of the signs that the Lord is blessing the ministry is when they will own a car! So some are buying or loaning money to possess a car just to show that their ministry is being blessed. These ministers are hypocrites. Don’t be like them.
They will even give to you Matthew 6:33 that says “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” to support this claim. They will emphasize the phrase “all these things” and explained it to be materials things that you will possess if you serve the Lord. If those things were material things, then all of those true servants of the Lord should have been rich people during their ministry here on earth! But what said the Apostle Peter and John when they were asked by a lame man in the temple for some alms? Acts 3:6 say:
“Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.”
This only means that all those things that will be added unto us are not material things but spiritual ones. The lame man asks for alms, but he was given healing. This will be the same for us also. We are discouraged because we are expecting materials things when our rewards are actually spiritual. Beloved servants of the Lord Jesus Christ, don’t settle for a temporal (material) rewards here on earth when you can have lasting (spiritual) rewards reserved for you hereafter.
Indeed, it is difficult to be a servant of the Lord here on earth. Satan and his demons will tempt you and bombard you with their schemes. But our Lord will also not leave you nor will He ever fail you (Jos. 1:5). When you felt discouraged and felt tired of serving our Lord, don’t look at those ministers who have shown you their riches. Remember these words He has spoken through Joshua in Joshua 23:14
“And, behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth: and ye know in all your hearts and in all your souls, that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the LORD your God spake concerning you; all are come to pass unto you, and not one thing hath failed thereof.”
Yes, it’s true that we are not the riches person here on earth, but did He ever fail to provide us all the good things He had promised for us? Perhaps may we have encountered many problems in our lives, but in those problems, did the Lord ever fail you in overcoming them? Perhaps we may not have a mansion here on earth, but we have a roof above us where we can sleep at night. Perhaps we may not have expensive and delicious food in our table but we know that He had provided us something to eat. Perhaps we don’t have any cars, but He has given us feet and good health for us to reach our intended destinations. And we know that even if these things will be taken away from us, surely He will still be there for us.
That’s why cheer up! Our God is a great God! The thought that we still woke up every morning and that we are still alive today are the very proof that He has still a wonderful plan for us.
May the Lord will guide us into all His truth is my prayer.
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I needed to thank you for this wonderful read!! I absolutely loved every bit of it.
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