mark h lane www.biblenumbersforlife.com GATES OF JERUSALEM IN PROPHECY - PART I Eastern Gate of Jerusalem1 INTRODUCTION The Eastern Gate of the Temple Mount is sealed off (see photo above). In the same way the mystery of the meaning of the Gates of Jerusalem has been sealed – until now. The meaning is revealed to us because we are very late in the prophetic calendar before the Rapture and return of Christ. We can now look back in history and identify the prophetic meanings of the Gates precisely. METHODOLOGY Our method of pinpointing the dates and events for each Gate of Jerusalem is based on these assumptions: 1. Prophecy of the Incarnation is Songs 6:9 (Annunciation to Mary)2 2. Prophecy of the Birth of Jesus Christ occurs in Songs 6:10 (Gloria in Excelsis Deo)3 3. Prophecy of the life of Jesus Christ continues in Songs and ends at the Cross of Christ in Songs 8:144 4. Modern history is predicted consecutively on a one-verse-one year basis in Songs, Isaiah and Jeremiah5 5. The 8th year in the life of Jesus Christ is marked as 1 AD (Isaiah 1:1 = Songs 7:4)6 6. The years prophesied in Jeremiah follow consecutively after the years prophesied in Isaiah 7. Every time the word ‘gate’ appears in Songs, Isaiah or Jeremiah it refers to a Gate of Jerusalem 8. Only the Gates of Jerusalem in the Book of Nehemiah are prophetic of the ‘rebuilding’ (i.e. future) 1 The Eastern Gate (called the Golden Gate by Moslems) was sealed by Moslems in 810, reopened by Crusaders in 1102, resealed by Saladin in 1187. Finally it was opened then sealed again by Suleiman the Magnificent, in 1541 and has remained closed since. 2 “My dove, my perfect one is unique; she is the only one of her mother, choice one of her that bore her. The daughters saw her, and called her blessed; yea, the queens and the concubines praised her.” (Songs 6:9) 3 “Who is this who appears as the dawn, fair as the Moon, bright as the Sun, and majestic as the Stars in procession?” 4 “Come away, my love, and be thou like to a roe or to a young hart upon the mountains of spices.” (Songs 8:14) 5 We provide evidence for the one-verse one-year hypothesis in our paper: Come Away My Love. We provide prophecies for years in modern history on our pages: Isaiah (1-1292AD) and Jeremiah (1293AD-present). 6 Each year of Jesus’ life corresponds to a verse in Songs and a verse in Isaiah up to his death on the Cross (Songs 8:14 = Isaiah 1:30) mark h lane www.biblenumbersforlife.com THE BUILDING OF THE ORIGINAL WALLS OF JERUSALEM The walls and towers of Jerusalem were built in stages: (1) ancient walls of the Jebusites (surrounding the area later called the City of David); (2) walls of Solomon were extended to the Temple Mount (1 Kings 3:1); (3) towers (Corner Gate, Valley Gate, and Ophel) were built by Uzziah (2 Chron. 26:9); (4) the ‘High Gate’ of the Temple was built by Jotham (2 Chron. 27:3); (5) walls were built by Hezekiah outside the terraces of the City of David to the east (2 Chron. 32:5); (6) walls were built by Hezekiah to the west and north including the Fish Gate (2 Chron. 33:14). The map below is from a 1912 Book for Travelers. The walls called ‘Present Town Wall’ a heavy black line surround the area called ‘Bezetha’ are the modern walls of Jerusalem. These were built after Nehemiah. On the north side the old walls are colored in solid red, just beneath ‘Bezetha’. The old Sheep Gate and the old Fish Gate can be seen here. The old Ephraim Gate was located 400 cubits east of the old Corner Gate. On the west side the old walls continue due south following the ‘First Wall’ dashed red line to the ‘Remains of Ancient Walls’ solid black line. On the south side Hezekiah’s wall includes the Valley Gate, the Dung Gate, down the hill to a corner, then the Fountain Gate below the City of David. mark h lane www.biblenumbersforlife.com PROPHETIC MAP OF THE WALLS AND GATES The map below shows the order of the gates and towers referred to in the Book of Nehemiah. The exact location of all the gates is lost to history. The exact shape of all the walls is lost to history. Our map is a ‘prophetic map’ not a ‘survey map’. The main thing the Bible student needs to know is the order of the gates, not the precise distance between them. The order we have them is as described by Nehemiah. For example, some maps put the Dung Gate up on the hill where the Valley Gate is located. Other maps put the Dung Gate at the bottom of the hill. We have put it half way between since we don’t know. FISH SHEEP GATE Tower of Tower of GATE GUARD {rebuilt} Hananel Hundred {rebuilt} GATE {in good repair} {in good repair} EAST GATE OLD GATE {rebuilt} TEMPLE AREA HORSE GATE {in good repair} EPHRAIM GATE {in good repair} Tower of Ovens OPHEL KIDRON VALLEY Scale (roughly): 100x100 cubits WATER GATE {in good repair} DAVID'S SERPENT'S CITY POOL MOUNT TOMBS ZION {rebuilt} VALLEY GATE {rebuilt} FOUNTAIN GATE {rebuilt} SILOAM POOL DUNG GATE KING'S GARDEN VALLEY OF SONS OF HINNOM mark h lane www.biblenumbersforlife.com RE-BUILDING THE WALLS OF JERUSALEM (Nehemiah chapter 3) The map below shows the families that re-built the walls. The wall is re-built starting from the Sheep Gate and proceeds clockwise all the way around to the beginning. This importantly tells us: prophetic fulfillment starts at the Sheep Gate, continues clock-wise, and ends at the Sheep Gate. The Sheep Gate is the Savior! Chamber of 1 Eliashib, the High Priest 5 4 3 2 1 41 the Corner 2 Men of Jericho 6 FISH SHEEP GUARD 3 Zaccur son of Imri GATE Tower of Tower of GATE GATE 4 Sons of Hassenaah 7 'God's Mercy' the Flock 40 5 Meremoth #1 son Uriah 39 6 Meshullam son Berekiah 8 13 Rephiah, ruler 1/2 Jerus. 38 7 Zadok son Baana 14 Jedaiah son Harumaph 37 8 Men of Tekoa (ex-nobles) 15 Hattush EAST GATE 9 Joiada and Meshullam #2 9 OLD 16 Malkijah and Hasshub #1 36 10 Men of Gideon and Mizpah 10 GATE 17 Shallum, ruler 1/2 Jerus. TEMPLE 35 11 Uzziel the goldsmith 18 Hanun and Zanoahites AREA 12 Hanaiah the perfumer 11 19 Malkijah #2 son Recab 34 20 Shallun, ruler Mizpah HORSE GATE 16 15 14 13 12 21 Nehemiah, ruler Beth Zur EPHRAIM 22 Levites 17 Tower of Ovens GATE 23 Hashabiah, ruler 1/2 Keilah 23 Binnui son Henadad, ruler 1/2 Keilah OPHEL 33 24 Ezer son Jeshua, ruler Mizpah 25 Baruch son Zabbai 26 Meremoth #1 son Uriah (again) 27 Priests from surrounding region 28 Benjamin and Hasshub #1 (again) KIDRON VALLEY 29 Azariah son Maaseiah son Ananiah 32 30 Binnui son Henadad (again) WATER 31 Palal son Uzai GATE 30,31 32 Pedaiah son Parosh and Temple Servants of Ophel 28,29 33 Men of Tekoa (again) 26,27 34 Priests in front of their houses DAVID'S 24,25 SERPENT'S 35 Zadok son Immer CITY 22,23 POOL MOUNT 36 Shemiah son Shecaniah TOMBS ZION 37 Hananiah son Shelemiah 38 Hanun 6th son Zalaph 39 Meshullam son Berekiah (again) 21 VALLEY GATE 40 Malkijah son goldsmiths FOUNTAIN GATE 18 41 Goldsmiths and Merchants SILOAM POOL DUNG GATE KING'S GARDEN 19 20 VALLEY OF SONS OF HINNOM mark h lane www.biblenumbersforlife.com NEHEMIAH’S CHOIR TOURS (Neh. 12:27-43) When the time came to dedicate the walls and gates of Jerusalem, Nehemiah appointed two choirs both starting at the Valley Gate. They walked across the walls in opposite directions to different places. FISH SHEEP GUARD GATE Tower of Tower of GATE GATE Hananel Hundred EAST GATE OLD GATE TEMPLE AREA HORSE GATE Tower of Ovens EPHRAIM GATE OPHEL KIDRON VALLEY Scale (roughly): 100x100 cubits WATER GATE DAVID'S SERPENT'S CITY POOL MOUNT TOMBS ZION 'LEFT' CHOIR VALLEY GATE FOUNTAIN GATE START SILOAM POOL DUNG GATE KING'S GARDEN 'RIGHT' CHOIR VALLEY OF SONS OF HINNOM Nehemiah provides us with insights: (1) there are Two Choirs, two prophetic groups of ‘wall walkers’; (2) the Left Choir are the Christians, whose home is Mount Zion, who look back in hope to the Sheep Gate; (3) the Right Choir led by Ezra the Scribe are the Jews, who look back to the promises made to the Patriarchs: re- building David’s City, the inauguration of the Messiah, King of the World, Son of David, ruling from Jerusalem. mark h lane www.biblenumbersforlife.com SUMMARY– BIG PICTURE The Walls of Jerusalem predict modern history 1AD to the Rapture. The Life of Christ starts at the Chamber of the Corner: Christ leaves his lofty room (Heaven) to be incarnated in the lowly room (Womb) of Mary. In 9AD Christ appears in the Temple (Sheep Gate). On the final trip around, the Chamber of the Corner is the Voice of the Archangel (1st Seal) and the 1st Trumpet is the Rapture of Saints. From 2AD to 8AD is the Great Tribulation. Then at the very point on the Wall Christ 1st appeared in the Temple, 9AD, Christ’s 2nd Coming! (Cross 30AD) (Rapture) AGE OF GRACE LIFE CHRIST 305AD 87AD 46AD 9AD 1AD 7BC 8BC FISH SHEEP GUARD Chamber GATE Tower of Tower of GATE GATE of Corner Hananel the Flock NEW GATE 1929 AD EAST GATE 1770 AD 405 AD OLD TEMPLE GATE AREA HORSE GATE 1755 AD Tower of Ovens 453 AD {sub-entrance} EPHRAIM GATE OPHEL KIDRON VALLEY Scale (roughly): 100x100 cubits WATER 1722 AD GATE DAVID'S SERPENT'S CITY POOL MOUNT TOMBS ZION VALLEY GATE FOUNTAIN GATE 1467 AD 516 AD SILOAM POOL DUNG GATE KING'S GARDEN 560 AD VALLEY OF SONS OF HINNOM mark h lane www.biblenumbersforlife.com PART 1 – ROMAN EMPERORS RESIST GOD OF HEAVEN Prophecy concerning the portion of the wall along the north wall directly west of the Chamber of the Corner: AGE OF GRACE LIFE CHRIST 305AD 87AD 46AD 9AD 1AD 7BC 8BC FISH SHEEP GUARD Chamber GATE Tower of Tower of GATE GATE of Corner Hananel the Flock The following is the list of verses in the Prophets starting with Songs 6:9 which contain the key-words: ‘GATE’ or ‘TOWER’.