Nehemiah Part 12

Nehemiah Part 12 – Horse Gate 

The Horse Gate is the next gate repaired and restored by Nehemiah and his laborers. All of the other gates prepare us for this Gate. The Horse Gate is even higher up than the Fountain and Water Gate. Horses were used in battle and also to transport men. It is the place of spiritual warfare and loyal service to the King. It is the place of strength, power and victory. We are ready for spiritual warfare and spiritual service at the Horse Gate. The Spirit (Fountain Gate) and Truth (Water Gate) have prepared us for this Gate.

The Horse Gate was near the Water Gate and near the King's palace. David's mighty men and the king's army rode through this Gate going in and out of battle. These mighty men were once those who were in debt, distress and discontented and came to David in the cave of Adullam pledging loyalty to him. (see 1 Samuel 22:1-2) David turned these sinners into his mighty men who would lead his army to victory and conquer the land. Eventually these men would rule and reign with David when he became King over all Israel. This is a picture of King Jesus who takes a sinner and makes him or her into a mighty man and woman of God who will rule and reign with Jesus when He comes again to establish His kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. In the meantime, we are to be warring spiritually for our King Jesus and His kingdom.

David was told that he could not build the Temple of God because he had shed blood. David was a Mighty King and Warrior, but his son Solomon, the King of peace and wisdom, would build God's House. Jesus, the spiritual David who is a Mighty Warrior and King, and the spiritual Solomon as the King of peace and wisdom, will build God's Temple in the hearts of those who love and follow Him. The pure wisdom of the Anointed Word/Jesus builds the house of God. Jesus said to His disciples in Luke 21:15, “For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.” As the Word of God, Jesus was pure, perfect wisdom. Wisdom is also a gift of the Holy Spirit. (see 1 Corinthians 12:8)  In Proverbs 1:20-33, God warns against rejecting wisdom. Then He tells of the benefits of wisdom in Proverbs 22:4.  Wisdom is supreme! Proverbs 4:5-9: “Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget My words or swerve from them. Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you. Wisdom is supreme; therefore, get wisdom. Though it costs you all you have, get understanding. Esteem her, and she will exalt you; embrace her, and she will honor you. She will set a garland of grace on your head and present you with a crown of splendor.”  We are to seek the wisdom of the Word of God above all else.  The Bible says that wisdom gives life (Eccl. 7:12), makes strong (Eccl. 7:19) and is better than weapons (Eccl. 9:18; 2 Cor. 10:3-5). Psalm 37:30 says that the righteous speak wisdom. God's Word is perfect wisdom! Great is our Lord and mighty in power, His wisdom has no limit!” Ps. 147:5  James tells us that if we want wisdom, we are to ask God for it.  The Bible also says that we are to study to show ourselves approved.  God does not give deep wisdom to the casual seeker or a double-minded believer.  He searches for those who hunger and thirst for His wisdom. 

The priests repaired the Horse Gate, each the portion in front of his own house. (see Nehemiah 3:28) The rebuilding begins with the individual right where he or she stands. The rebuilding of the wall and gates begins and ends with the priests! The High Priest and the priests rebuilt the Sheep Gate; now the priests will rebuild the Horse Gate. All followers of Christ are His priests! Pastors, leaders and believers can only teach and repair to the level of understanding of the scriptures they know. God wants His people prepared for spiritual warfare. Hell has gates also! No doubt they are named idolatry, pride, arrogance, lust, fornication, adultery, false truth, murder, stealing, envy, drunkenness, rage, selfish ambition, unforgiveness, hatred, witchcraft, etc. Jesus wants His Church to be so prepared that the gates of hell will not prevail against it! This will take time, commitment and a willingness to obey.  We must walk according to the Spirit and Word in order to defeat the works of darkness. If we don't know, understand and do the Truth, how will we be victorious? The Anointed Word of God is the most powerful and holy weapon you will ever hold in your hand, heart and mind in this lifetime. It is expedient that we know it and use it against the powers of darkness. The Father, Jesus/Word and the Holy Spirit give us the full armor of God to defeat the enemy of ours and others souls. (see Ephesians 6:10-20) Paul asked the believers in Ephesus to pray for him “that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains.” Paul was bound to Jesus and the Truth! David had his spiritual armor on when he confronted and defeated Goliath. Saul tried to get David to put on his fleshly armor, but David refused. He had his faith in God and his Word as his armor.

Satan will do everything he can to undermine our confidence in the Truth,“which is the Word of God,” both the Living Word and the written Word. God told Jeremiah that there will come a time when He will write the Word of God in the hearts of His people and embed it in their minds. They will no longer teach people to know the Lord because they will all know Him from the least to the greatest. Then the Lord told Jeremiah that the “days are coming when this city (Jerusalem) will be rebuilt for Me from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate (Sheep Gate). The whole valley where dead bodies and ashes are thrown and all the terraces out to the Kidron Valley on the east as far as the corner of the Horse Gate, will be holy to the Lord. The city will never again be uprooted or demolished. Jeremiah 31:38, 40  Hananel means “God's mercy.” The Corner Gate is the Sheep Gate. God's mercy is extended to all through the Shepherd of the sheep – Jesus. Christians--whether Jew or Gentile-- are His warring Body and teaching Body. This valley of dry, dead bones can only come alive as we speak the Word of life into it by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Ezekiel 37)

At God's appointed time, Jesus will come in a cloud of glory from heaven on a white horse to make war against the enemies of His people. His white garment of truth, righteousness, faith, salvation and God's Word will defeat the powers of darkness, just as it is to do today in the hearts and mouths of His people. Jesus returns as the Warrior-King to establish truth and justice. (Psalm 96:13) He is called Faithful and True (Rev. 19:11). He is also called “the Word of God.” v13 Those riding behind Him are also dressed in fine white, clean linen. These are those clothed in righteousness, truth, faith and salvation. Out of His mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. V15  Jesus who is God will destroy the enemies of His people by the powerful Word of His mouth!  He will call it forth and it will be so. The Word of God is double-edged. It will save and give life, but it will also destroy the enemy and his followers. It is this powerful also in the hearts and mouths of those who love and follow the Word of God/Jesus. The Body of Christ is to call for and illustrate His righteousness—not tolerate sin! Until He comes again, we who love and follow Jesus are to be teaching, maturing and warring to establish His kingdom of righteousness on earth as it is in heaven.

Believers in Jesus must pass through all of these gates to prepare us for spiritual service and spiritual warfare, so we can also teach, train and equip others to do the same. When you have a church that is operating in Spirit and in Truth and is open to the fullness of both, the gates of hell will not prevail against it. There is a lot of rubbish in today's church that needs to be cleaned out. Once this is done and the Anointed Word of God is taught in fullness and established in the hearts of believers by doing it, then we will take on the forces of darkness and defeat them. What will Jesus find when He comes again? A Victorious Bride who has made herself ready for her Bridegroom, or a Church in ruins? The faithful remnant rebuilt the walls and gates in Nehemiah's time. It will be the faithful remnant who love Jesus who will rebuild them now! Nominal Christianity can't accomplish this. Only the faithful remnant who are bound to Jesus and His Word can. Jesus is called Faithful and True when He comes again on a white horse. Those following Him will also be faithful and true—His warring bride.