The Sheep Gate

The Sheep Gate

My Message as we came to pray over our city was to realize Jesus is the Lamb of God; and the citizens of our city, State and Nation need Jesus.

I just returned from Israel and during our tour of Israel, our guide pointed out the many arches and gates throughout the land; Especially in Jerusalem there were many.  Our guide took us to the temple site, and showed us the sheep gate where the lambs were brought in to the temple for sacrifice.  He indicated that Jesus may have entered Jerusalem at His triumphant entry through the sheep gate signifying spiritually that He was the Lamb soon to be slain, as the sacrifice for our sins.

As I researched, I found the following interesting: Nehemiah in chapter 2 inspects and desires to rebuilt the broken walls of Jerusalem:  “And I went out by night by the gate of the valley, even before the dragon well, and to the dung port, and viewed the walls of Jerusalem, which were broken down, and the gates thereof were consumed with fire. 

With the Kings permission Nehemiah made plans with the priests to repair the walls:  and - - -

Nehemiah 3: 1 Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brothers the priests, and they built the Sheep Gate. They consecrated it and set its doors. They consecrated it as far as the Tower of the Hundred, as far as the Tower of Hananel.

The high priest Eliashib with his brethren, and priests built the Sheep Gate and set up its doors.  This is the first gate mentioned, of the many gates on the walls of Jerusalem.

The spiritual meaning of the Sheep Gate is that the high priest was building it and that through the Sheep Gate lambs and sheep were brought to the temple, where they were offered. The Lord and the Messiah (Christ) Jesus (Yeshua) is the High Priest of New Covenant, who is the Lamb, who was offered for the sake of our sins.

Spiritual meaning of Sheep Gate is death and offering the Lamb (the Lord Jesus), which death, blood and resurrection bring us forgiveness of sins and redemption. The high priest was setting up the doors of the Sheep Gate, which means that He is the Door of the sheep. Through the Lord Jesus a man will be saved from the power of death-, sin and eternal damnation to eternal life.

Prophecy - The Return of Yeshua
The Beautiful Gate, also known as the Golden Gate, is located in the east wall of Jerusalem. It was open at the time of Yeshua's triumphal entry into Jerusalem. The gate Yeshua went through was destroyed in 70 A.D. The rebuilt gate was sealed by the Muslim conquerors in 1530 A.D. Ezekiel prophesied the closure of this gate around 600 B.C. and that the Prince (Messiah) will enter the gate in the future:

"Then he brought me back the way of the gate of the outward sanctuary which looked toward the east; and it was shut. Then said the LORD unto me; This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter in by it; because the LORD, the God of Israel, hath entered in by it, therefore it shall be shut. It is for the prince; the prince, he shall sit in it to eat bread before the LORD; he shall enter by the way of the porch of that gate, and shall go out by the way of the same.” - Ezekiel 44:1-3.

Recently another gate has been discovered directly beneath the Beautiful Gate. This may be the gate referred to in Scripture.

21a Alternate Triumphal Entry Gate
Yeshua may have entered Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate north of the Temple complex. This would be consistent with His role as the Lamb of God, since it was through this gate that the sacrificial lambs were brought into the Temple.

John referred to Jesus as the “Lamb of God,” who takes away the sins of the world.

Jesus spoke of himself being the “Door” John 10:9  I AM the door (gate); whosoever enters in by me shall be saved and shall go in and out and find pasture.