Horse Gate

The Horse Gate

"Beyond the Horse Gate the priests made repairs, each in front of his own house. After them Zadok the son of Immer made repairs in front of his own house. "

Neh 3:28-29(NKJ)

The Horse gate stood north of the Water Gate, adjacent to the temple area. It was here that wicked Athaliah was executed (2 Chron. 23:15). God warned His people not to trust in horses and chariots (Deut. 17:14-20), but Solomon imported them from Egypt (1 Kings 10:26-29), and they became an important part of the nation's defense system (Isa. 2:7).

The Kings Palace was right by the warrior's stables which led to the Horse Gate, an underground passage that the warriors took their horses through after receiving marching orders from the King.

The Horse Gate reminds us that there is warfare in the Christian life (2 Tim. 2:1-4) and that we must always be ready to do battle (Eph. 6:10-18). It is significant that the priests repaired this gate as well as the Sheep Gate. Both were near the temple area. This gate was on the East Side of city wall of Jerusalem near the Temple. Jeremiah promised its rebuilding (Jer. 31:40), and the priests under Nehemiah rebuilt it (Neh. 3:28).

Horses were used in battle and became a symbol of war.

'I saw Heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness does He judge and make war.'

Revelation 19:11

Spiritual warfare, as we will see in this entire study on Nehemiah, is a requirement of every Christian because we are all in a battle whether we know it or not. If we are to part of the end-time army that joins Jesus on white horses in white linen (our righteous acts based on the Rhema Word of God revealed at the Water Gate), then we must be hearers and doers of God's marching orders to us.

It is obvious that if we began our journey at the Sheep Gate and passed through the Fish Gate, the Corner Gate the Valley Gate and the Dung Gate, and the Fountain Gate that we should reap some positive benefits. The Horse Gate outlines some of these benefits.

THE POWER OF THE HORSE

The Ass and the Horse figure prominently in the Bible. You will recall that Jesus rode a donkey when he presented himself as their Lamb and Future King. The Ass as it is used in the King James was a Noble animal. It was the animal of kings. It symbolized peace. Christ is descried as lowly riding on an Ass; this time he came in peace to the nation of Israel.

The horse was entirely different, speaking of strength and power.

"Do you give the horse his strength or clothe his neck with a flowing mane? Do you make him leap like a locust, striking terror with his proud snorting? He paws fiercely, rejoicing in his strength, and charges into the fray. He laughs at fear, afraid of nothing; he does not shy away from the sword. The quiver rattles against his side, along with the flashing spear and lance. In frenzied excitement he eats up the ground; he cannot stand still when the trumpet sounds. At the blast of the trumpet he snorts, 'Aha!' He catches the scent of battle from afar, the shout of commanders and the battle cry."

Job 39:19-25

So you can see that the horse speaks of strength and power. When we come to the horse gate we are taught that when we have passed through each of the gates we will have strength for spiritual warfare. We will have warrior strength. When we meet at the Horse Gate we put on the whole armor of God to do battle against the demonic powers at work in the world. (Read Eph. 6:10-18; Isa. 63:1-4; Joshua 1:8,9).

Actually this wasn't a gate in a logical sense. It was more of an underground passageway under the walls that led to the palace grounds. Nothing is said about its reconstruction, only that the wall under it was repaired. Jeremiah promised its rebuilding (Jer. 31:40) along with the whole city of Jerusalem, and the priests under Nehemiah rebuilt it (Neh. 3:28).

THE HORSE GATE LEADS TO THE KING'S HOUSE

Once our lives are in focus to the plan of God we are in position to Receive our Marching Orders, and Advance.

It seems to me that the marching orders were obtained at the Water gate. It only follows that after we are instructed at the Water gate we must follow through and fulfill our orders as soldier servants. In doing this we need the spirit of David's mighty men. Next to him was Eleazar son of Dodai the Ahohite. As one of the three mighty men, he was with David when they taunted the Philistines gathered at Pas Dammim for battle. Then the men of Israel retreated, but he stood his ground and struck down the Philistines till his hand grew tired and froze to the sword. The LORD brought about a great victory that day. The troops returned to Eleazar, but only to strip the dead. (2 Samuel 23:9,10)

When we have access to the King's house we also enjoy life with the King, in His presence. The Bible tells us that when we are in the King's house that he dwells with us and reveals himself to us.

"Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God."

Revelation 21:3

We live in a day of laxity and indifference toward the Word of God. The Bible always speaks directly to our lives as the Holy Spirit speaks to us through it. It always sounds good and we wouldn't have it any other way. After all it's just matter of opinion isn't it. However, the Bible speaks in plain words. We need to take it as a message from God.

Harry Ironside quotes from a preacher of the 19th century, Archibald Brown. His words could well be written in letters of fire for us today.

"Renounce all the policy of the age. Trample upon Saul's armor. Grasp the book of God. Trust the Spirit who wrote its pages. Fight with this weapon only and always. Cease to amuse, and seek to arouse. Shun the clap of delighted audience, and listen to the sobs of a convicted one. Give up trying to please men who have only the thickness of their ribs between their souls; warn and plead, entreat, as those who feel the waters of eternity creeping upon them."

Remember that as we take up the sword of the Spirit that the day of eternity is rapidly passing away. It will be soon to late to minister Christ to people who need him.

"As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work."

John 9:4

So, get your marching orders from the Lord at the King's house and go forth in the power and strength of the Lord. Beware of treating the Word of God with the mind of a skeptic. Take it seriously. Listen to the words of Joshua 1:6-9:

"Be strong and courageous Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."

THE BATTLES THE HORSE WAGES

Present Battles (Eph. 6:10-18)

Sooner or later every believer discovers that the Christian life is a battleground, not a playground, and that he faces an enemy who is much stronger than he is; apart from the Lord. That Paul should use the military to illustrate the believer's conflict with Satan is reasonable. He himself was chained to a Roman soldier (Eph. 6:20), and his readers were certainly familiar with soldiers and the equipment they used. In fact, military illustrations were favorites with Paul (2 Cor. 10:4; 1 Tim. 6:12; 2 Tim. 2:3; 4:7).

As Christians, we face three enemies: the world, the flesh, and the devil (Eph. 2:1-3)"The world" refers to the system around us that is opposed to God, that caters to "the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life" (1 John 2:15-17). "Society apart from God" is a simple, but accurate, definition of "the world." "The flesh" is the old nature that we inherited from Adam, a nature that is opposed to God and can do nothing spiritual to please God. By His death and resurrection, Christ overcame the world (John 16:33; Gal. 6:14), and the flesh (Rom. 6:1-6; Gal. 2:20), and the devil (Eph. 1:19-23). In other words, as believers, we do not fight for victory "we fight from victory!" The Spirit of God enables us, by faith, to appropriate Christ's victory for ourselves.

When Joshua fought his great battles for entrance into Canaan the Lord spoke directly to him and told him to have courage and take heart. He needed an infusion of strength that only the Lord could give him. The battle is the Lords.

Prophetic Battles- (Rev. 19:11-17)

The first time Jesus came he came in peace. He will come in power and great glory riding on a White Horse.

"I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "He will rule them with an iron scepter." He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS."

Rev. 19:11-16

First, John described the Conqueror (Rev. 19:11-16) and then His conquests (Rev. 19:17-20:3). The rider on the white horse (Rev. 6:2) is the false Christ, but this Rider is the true Christ. He is not coming in the air to take His people home (1 Thes. 4:13-18), but to the earth with His people, to conquer His enemies and establish His kingdom.

Jesus is not alone in His conquest, for the armies of heaven ride with Him. Who are they? Certainly the angels are a part of this army (Matt. 25:31; 2 Thes. 1:7); but so are the saints (1 Thes. 3:13; 2 Thes. 1:10).

Jude describes the same scene "See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones to judge everyone, and to convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly acts they have done in the ungodly way, and of all the harsh words ungodly sinners have spoken against him." (Jude 14-15).

The word saints means "holy ones" and could refer to believers or angels. It will be unnecessary for the army to fight, for Christ Himself will defeat the enemy through three great victories. Note that the armies that followed him were also riding white horses and robed in white. They are riding as a vast army of saints who will come with Him to the earth. The army with Christ will defeat the Kings of the earth. Satan and His anti-Christ and false prophet will be captured and utterly defeated and the saints will rule with Christ.

The Horse Gate is the last of the Power Gates and leads us on to the last two, Prophetic Gates.

Conclusion:

Once we have walked though all the other gates then we are fit to go through the Horse Gate, into the King's house to get our marching orders. God gives us power to do so. Once we receive God's Rhema Word (marching orders) at the Water Gate, we must act in obedience to it, waging the good warfare by galloping out through the Horse Gate.

The Horse gate is the first gate where there is a moving our of God's people to surrounding nations. It speaks of reaching out in His mission to save the lost from every tongue tribe and nation. If we truly go through the Horse Gate then we will prepare the way for the King's return. That is through the East Gate.