“The Inspection Gate Message 12”
The Spiritual Application of the Gates
Nehemiah 3:31 Monte T. Brown
September 28, 2014 Sunday Evening
Stapp Zoe Baptist
Prelude
As mentioned this morning the Word of God is ever living and ever speaking to us through each word on these pages.
Each day that passes, we see more and more of the Word of God unveiling before us.
Jesus spoke to us through parables and object teaching, therefore every bit of the Word of God is ever speaking words of wisdom to us.
Looking at the events unfolding in the Middle East and the fact that we are living in end times I see it is important that we understand the importance of the Promise Land and that city called “The City of God.”
“The City of God” is Jerusalem and it has been in the headlines of history for thousands of years.
Part of the uniqueness of this city is the wall that surrounds the city.
Within the wall are the gates that outline the premature of the city.
Each one of these gate sends us a message that applies to us today.
The book of Nehemiah list ten of the twelve gates that needed repaired.
We have just looked at ten of the twelve gates and gleam insight from each of these gates.
Each one of the gates is unique and gives us a specific message about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Now we will take a look at one of the twelve gates that did not need repair, The Inspection Gate.
Scripture
After him repaired Malchiah the goldsmith's son unto the place of the Nethinims, and of the merchants, over against the Inspection Gate (Miphkad), and to the going up of the corner. Nehemiah 3:31 (KJV)
Prayer
The Inspection (Miphkad) Gate
The word “Miphkad” means “review, census, muster” and suggests the idea of judgment. It is also called the muster gate.
It carries with it the idea of troops showing up for review in front of their commander.
The idea of judgment here represented is that someday God is going to call all souls up for review in the judgment.
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
2 Corinthians 5:10 (KJV)
This gate represents a call to holiness and righteousness as we realize that God is holy and calls those who serve Him to be holy.
The gate was in or near the North end of the east wall of Jerusalem.
If you walked through the Inspection Gate, you would step right out into the court of the temple and be very close to the location of the threshing floor of Ornan that David purchased to stay the judgment against Israel when a sacrifice was offered.
It is upon this same piece of ground that the temple was built so that sacrifices would continue to mark this spot.
Hence, the story of Ornan’s threshing floor is forever of importance to man.
The story of Ornan’s threshing floor and God’s judgment of David and Israel is found in I Chronicles 21.
David ordered a censes of Israel to number or count them.
It wasn’t that numbering Israel was wrong.
God had previously has Moses actually do this in Numbers 1:1-3; and in Numbers 26:1-4.
It was his motive of pride that made it wrong.
Satan provoked him to do this, not God.
The consequence was judgment upon Israel.
David was warned by Joab not to do this but preceded against this counsel and had Joab go take a census and number Israel.
In all, Israel and Judah had 1 million and 570 thousand men who could draw a sword.
The story goes on to say that this rebellious act displeased the Lord, therefore, he struck Israel.
The Lord spoke to Gad, David’s seer, and told David he and Israel would have to face judgment.
David could pick between three alternatives:
1) three years of famine.
2) three months to be defeated by his enemies
or
3) three days of plague upon the land with the angel of the Lord destroying throughout Israel.
David’s answer was that he would rather fall into the hands of the Lord then the hands of his enemies.
The result was that 70,000 men of Israel died.
God also sent the angel to Jerusalem to destroy it.
As he was destroying it, the Lord looked and relented.
He told the angel, “It is enough; now restrain your hand.
And the angel of the Lord stood by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
David lifted up his eyes and saw the angel standing between heaven and earth with his sword still drawn and stretched out over Jerusalem.
David repented before God and asked that judgment be upon him and not the people.
The Lord spoke to David through Gad and directed that David should go erect an altar on the threshing floor of Ornan, so David purchased the threshing floor from Ornan for the current today’s income of $ 267,000 that is a lot of money when the average wage for one year in 450 BC was $145.00.
He built an altar to the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. This location was to be the site of Solomon’s temple.
The Inspection Gate represents
The concept of judgment dealing with the removal of the consequences of sin is very much a part of the services that took part in the temple and a part of understanding what future judgment is all about.
This gate represents a neglected part of our destiny and the important aspects of judgment.
The yearly keeping today of Yom Kippur in Israel helps to illustrate the importance of The Inspection Gate.
The yearly celebration of Yom Kippur focuses on the biblical Day of Atonement in the Old Testament. Once a year, while the people fasted and prayed and confessed their sins, the high priest went into the most holy place before the Ark of the Covenant and sprinkled blood upon the mercy seat for the atonement of sins on behalf of all the people.
On this day they “proclaim God as their One and True King and their desire to serve Him”
They believe that at this time God reviews the statues of His creation.
The ten days between Rosh Hashanah are spent in prayer and fasting in repentance for the sins of the past year.
Here is how judgment takes place during the 10 days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement).
God examines the past year, the actions, and the life.
Though judgment is inscribed, it is not yet sealed and can be changed at least for another 10 days.
Conclusion/Invitation
When we confess our sins and come to Christ we start and new beginning, “if anyone is in Christ he is a new creature.” 2 Corinthians 5:17
Our past sins are nailed to the cross.
Christians are still called to repent of sins and walk in righteousness. We are still to examine our selves and put away sins from our lives knowing that one day we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:10
As we stand spiritually in The Inspection Gate with David looking upon the threshing floor of Ornan remembering the resting place of Solomon’s Temple we also remember this is the place Christ will return to.
The New Jerusalem is to come down to this place.
God has preserved this little piece of land for eternity and honored it.
As we stand in The Inspection Gate of review, we are reminded of the call to holiness and righteousness God is calling his followers to in our day.
Peter reminds us of our call, “As obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy. And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of our sojourning here in fear..” I Peter 1:14-16
Let’s be inscribed and sealed for the New Year by repenting and confessing our sins and inviting God to show His mercy to Israel and to us in releasing a destiny for His purposes in our lives.
