ISAIAH - Chapter 26 - the Key to the City
ISAIAH – Chapter 26—the Key to the City
Tuesday, February 18, 2014, the Year of Our Lord
Pastor Carolyn Sissom
Isaiah is given a glimpse of the glorified City of God and one of the keys to the Kingdom. This chapter is known as Judah’s (praise) Kingdom Song. It opens with praise for the Lord’s faithfulness and mercies. This great song proclaims the Day of Jehovah’s ultimate victory. It is praise for the deliverance and establishment of the City of our God (New Jerusalem/ the Kingdom of God on earth as it is in Heaven).
The deep secret or one of the keys of the mystery of this realm of Glory to the City of God is the mind that is stayed on Him in faith.
For those who have entered in to the Kingdom of God through this “key” of perfect peace and trust (i.e. faith), we are “in that day”.
Isaiah 26: 1-3: “In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah (praise); we have a strong city (New Jerusalem); salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks. Open you the gates that the righteous nation (Kingdom of God) which keeps the truth may enter in. You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You; because He trusts in You.”
Hebrews 11:16: “Truly, if they (the patriarchs of faith) had been mindful of that country from where they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better country that is heavenly; wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared for them a city.”
Hebrews 12:22: “You have come to mount Zion, and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels.”
New Jerusalem (21:2) “is prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” (21:9b) “Come here I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife having the glory of God: and her light was like to a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal; and had a wall great and high and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the Children of Israel.” 21:21: And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.”
In the present Gospel order, the temple city and commonwealth are all in that dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit. The City is the church in glory and perfection. This is God’s dwelling place among men. “There is no need of a separate temple. If the Lord is there, then the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.”
The Twelve Gates = twelve experiences which do progressively unfold from the Christ, (the God) or divine nature from within us.
1 Cor. 3:9-10: “For we are laborers together with God. You are God’s husbandry, you are God’s building. According to the grace of God which is given to me, as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation, and another builds thereon, but let every man take heed how he builds thereupon.
The twelve gates are twelve entrances into the Light of the Gospel church. There are no shadows. 21:27: “there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defiles, neither whatsoever works abomination, or makes a lie; but which are written in the Lamb’s book of life. 21:8: The fearful, and unbelieving and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone which is the second death.”
21:25: And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. And they shall bring the glory and honor of the nations to it.”
Isaiah prophecies in verse 2: “Open you the gates, that the righteous nation which keeps the truth may enter in.”
Each Gate is made of Pearl. Pearl represents that which is costly and painful. This is the fellowship of His sufferings:
Each of the twelve gates is a manifestation of the nature of God in us kicking hard to be birthed from within. Each is an experience and expression of His nature.
Ezekiel 48 is the final chapter of Ezekiel and concerns the distribution of the land and the permanence of the City of the Lord’s Presence. Thus we see the permanence of the Glory! Verses 1-29 reveal the portion of the twelve tribes. Verses 30-35 provide the size and the gates and the name of the City.
The goings out of the city (48:30) are its ministries. Rev. 21:25, “the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day. The name of the city from that day shall be, ‘THE LORD IS THERE’. (Jehovah-Shammah).” BLESSING, PEACE, SECURITY, AND GLORY.
- First gate – Reuben – “ Behold a Son” (Gen. 29:32) This gate speaks of the experience of the New birth which is the impartation and deposit of the very nature of God. This is the seed of life of the divine nature. This emphasizes the ministry of the Holy Ghost as he draws an individual and brings Him to the place of repentance and Faith. This marks the beginning of our salvation; the beginning of the descent of New Jerusalem into the visible realm.
Isaiah prophesies in 26:1: “We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks.”
- Second Gate – Simeon – “Hearing” (Gen. 29:33) – this gate speaks of the experience of the Holy Ghost Baptism (infilling) Note that another ten gates come after this one. This experience moves us from tradition to truth. We begin to “hear” after we are filled with the Spirit.
- Third Gate – Levi – (Gen. 29:34) “Union, twined; joined; adhesive; cleave; attached.” This gate speaks of the experience of spiritual ministry. (the gifts of Spirit). This is vertical union with God in the Spirit and here is horizontal union with man in the Spirit. This is the growth whereby we are not ministering in fleshly fellowship or worship. We do not come to meetings to be ministered to but we come to minister unto Jesus and unto one another. We do not come to meetings to “have a good time”. Although that is the overflow of all Holy Spirit fellowship and worship.
- Fourth Gate – “Judah” (Gen. 29:35) “to praise, revere, or worship (with extended hands).” This gate speaks of the experience of Praise (confidence, faith, trust in God) coming from the Christ nature within us. Real praise does not come from the mind, but from the belly. When this lion of the tribe of Judah begins to roar from in us, the power of praise is released to heal, deliver, and to set free! True praise destroys the confusion of Babylon and every prison or place of limitation.
- Fifth Gate – “Zebulun” (Gen. 30:20) “habitation (to be desired). This gate speaks of the experience of identification with the body of Christ. These are those who are able to be planted in a local church or local assembly. The church is the Body of Christ. We are the dwelling place of God. We are his place of rest. We are God’s habitation, temple, tabernacle, house, sanctuary, building, and mansion. You will sense Zebulun coming forth when you want to be with your brothers and sisters in Christ. Get to know the family and the city that you re going to live in forever.
- The Sixth Gate – Issachar (Gen. 30:18) “Reward, hired, payment of contract, compensation; also benefit, price, wages, worth.: This gate speaks of the experience that we do love our master and that we cannot be bought…We are bought by the Lord and cannot serve another. We’re under contract (covenant) to Him and He has exclusive rights to us! Jesus returned in power of the Spirit in His ministry after being tested. Our reward is the Lord, with no abuse of the gospel.
- Seventh Gate – Dan – (Gen. 30:5-6) “Judge”, umpire, execute judgment, Minister judgment.” This gate speaks of the experience of pureness and righteousness of judgment flowing from us to produce life. The old nature can do nothing but minister death and condemnation. Judgment is past, present and future. There is a people being judged now. The Lord is dealing with the motives until we love righteousness and hate iniquity! Many think the Lord will deal with others the way He dealt with me! This is not true; for he will confound the Pharisee in us. We must be led by the Spirit.
- Eight Gate – Gad – (Genesis 30: 9-11) “troop or good fortune…to crowd upon, attack, invade, overcome, assemble by troops, army band of men armed and prepared.” This gate speaks of the knowing that we are in the bosom of the Father. We have been set apart and separated. This is the point of no return. I am persuaded” – no turning back – no stumbling block and no offenses!
- Ninth Gate – Asher – (Genesis 30: 12-13) “happy; to be level or straight or right; to go forward; be honest; prosper; blessed.” This gate speaks of the experience of being content in every circumstance. This is manifested by worship in every situation. This nature cannot be bound. This nature will flow even while hanging from a cross. Jesus was anointed with more happiness and joy than any other (Heb. 1:9).
- Tenth Gate – Naphtali (Gen. 30: 7-8) = “Wrestling,” From a root to twine or struggle. This gate speaks of the experience of being an overcomer who is releasing the creative word. There is a negative side to Naphtali. He was born as a result of sister wrestling enviously against sister (strife among believers). Wrestling against flesh and blood will cause us to fall from the 6th place to last!
- Eleventh Gate – Joseph – (Gen. 30: 1-2, 22-24) – Let him add or augment, continue to do a thing.” “Abundance of life”. This gate speaks of the experience of being a preserver of life to others (family and nation). We shall liken both Joseph and Benjamin to the 100-fold who constitute a first fruits company. He was highly favored and was exalted to ruler ship to feed a nation. He was rejected, hated, and envied and then revealed to his brethren.
- Twelfth Gate: “Benjamin” = “Son of the Right Hand.” This gate speaks of the experience of sitting with Him in the throne as a full brother. This would include the adoption and our coming into the fullness of His stature. Joseph = Jesus = our elder brother; “He shall add” another son! (Rom 8:29) He. Received the Benjamin feast (5 times as much as his brothers). Note two men of the tribe of Benjamin: (a) Saul of O.T. = beginning of Kingdom. (b) Saul of N.T. = revelation of son- ship.
Rev. 21:12: “And the twelve gates had twelve angels, and the names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel.” The Angels are messengers. They proclaim the message of the Gospel Church to all who will dig into the deep for the Pearl.
Ezek 43:10-11b: “Son of man show the house to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities and let them measure the pattern, and if they be ashamed of all that they have done, show them the form of the house, and the fashion thereof, and the goings out thereof, and the comings in thereof.” Ezekiel’s temple was never built in the natural, but is a vision of the Glory of the Gospel Church.
In Ezekiel 43 and 44, the Eastgate is the Gate that was shut when the Glory of God departed from the temple. We are now the Temple of the Lord and the Glory of God will return through His Gospel Church as we give him place and repent of our sins that He may dwell in us and the Glory of God will dwell and abide in the Bride of Christ. “Behold the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them and be their God. (Rev. 21:3) The Eastern Gate in within a people. Let us not miss the Glory of the City on earth as it is in Heaven. (Sermon Notes by: Carolyn Sissom, Twelve Gates of Pearl, www.eastgateministries.com)
Isa. 26: 4-6: “Trust in the Lord forever; for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength. For he brings down them that dwell on high; the lofty city, He lays it low. He lays it low even to the ground. He brings it even to the dust. The foot will tread it down, even the feet of the poor, and the steps of the needy.
The other city, (the capitol of the world empires) will be laid low. The Lord will permit His own oppressed and poor people to tread it down.
Isa. 26: 7-10: The way of the just is uprightness. You, most upright, do weigh the path of the just. Yea, in the way of Your judgments, O Lord, have we waited for You; the desire of our soul is to Your name, and to the remembrance of You. With my soul have I desired You in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek You early; for when your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness. Let favor be shown to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness; in the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly, and will not behold the majesty of the Lord.”
The wicked are perversely blind to God, whereas the righteous wait for God to act. In the meantime the name of God and His indwelling Presence is joy unspeakable for the righteous.
“You, most upright”; God is more upright than the upright.
- He brings the proud down.
- He lays the lofty city to the ground.
- He causes the poor and helpless to tread upon the mighty.
- He weights the path of the just.
Isaiah lists 7 things that constitute uprightness:
- Walking in the way of God’s judgments.
- Waiting for the Lord to lead.
- Desiring the name of God.
- Remembering the Lord.
- Desiring God with the whole soul.
- Seeking God early with the Spirit.
- Learning righteousness by chastening.
Three characteristics of the wicked (verse 10):
- He will not learn righteousness when favor is shown to him.
- He will deal unjustly with neighbors.
- He will refuse to recognize God in all His merciful dealings with him.
Isa. 26: 11-15: “Lord, when Your hand is lifted up, they will not see; but they shall see, and be ashamed for their envy at the people; yea, the fire of Your enemies shall devour them. Lord, You will ordain peace for us; for You also have wrought all our works in us. O Lord our God, other lords beside You have had dominion over us; but by You only will we make mention of Your name. They are dead, they shall not live; they are deceased, they shall not rise; therefore have You visited and destroyed them, and made all their memory to perish. You have increased the nation, O Lord, You have increased the nation. You are glorified: You had removed it far to all the ends of the earth.”
Although the wicked will not recognize all the goodness of God which is about him, he will yet be made to see and be ashamed that he did not see the hand of God sooner, and that he envied the righteous.
The other lords are the oppressors of the past, present or future. The kings and oppressors are dead and will not be permitted to live again to oppress Israel.
Isa. 26: 16-18:”Lord, in trouble have they visited You, they poured out a prayer when Your chastening was upon them. Like as a woman with child that draws near the time of her delivery is in pain, and cries out in her pangs; so have we been in Your sight, O Lord. We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it were brought forth wind; we have not wrought any deliverance in the earth; neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen.”
For the church of the 21st century. We, like Israel, have not brought forth deliverance in the earth. Instead, the United States of America has allowed the wicked and evil men to rule over this nation.
Historically and in the time of Isaiah the people had struggled vainly under Ahaz and Hezekiah to rescue themselves. Many had died in the years of struggling, but they are not beyond hope, for death is itself to be defeated. Jesus defeated death at His resurrection from the dead. Today’s oppressors are doomed, but yesterday’s and today’s martyrs will live.
Isaiah was blessed to get this glimpse beyond the grave as well as into Heaven to see the glory of the City of God.
Isa. 26:19: “Your dead men shall live; together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing you that dwell in dust; for your dew is as the dew of herbs and the earth shall cast out the dead.”
This is an assurance of the bodily resurrection of the righteous. In 25:8, Isaiah saw and prophesied of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. In Verse 19, he sees the resurrection of the saints. In life there is waiting (Vs 8), suffering and failure (Vs. 16-18); bug God holds fast His own, even through death.
With a vivid metaphor, the prophet visualizes life-giving and light-bearing dew penetrating through the dusty earth into Sheol.
Dew is metaphorical of a blessing of the Holy Spirit; unity of the Spirit; the Word of God. Jesus Christ, the “Word of God, is Heaven’s Dew unto His people. The Spirit of the Lord was upon Jesus just as the dew covered the manna, a type of Him who is the “bread of life”. “Behold how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like…the dew of Hermon and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion…”
Isa. 26: 20-21: “Come my people, enter into your chambers, and shut your doors about you; hide yourself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation pass. For, behold, the Lord comes out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.”
Then after these awesome visions of the Heavenly city and beyond the grave, the prophet utters a final call to the remnant of God, urging them to quietness and patience until the indignation is past. God will keep His people during the hour of trial. Jesus is the ark of safety. To be in the ark is to be in Christ! We are passing over into the power of the ages to come. The order is changing. The beast system of the spirit of anti-christ will fall.
God’s people can successfully hide from their human foes; but those enemies will not ultimately be able to hide their sins and bloodshed from God’s all Seeing Eye.
The Lord’s place is in his chariot throne which carries His omnipresence. He comes forth to punish the inhabitants of the earth.
Blood here refers to guilt as in the case of the blood of righteous Abel which was said to be crying from the ground.
We are under the New Covenant and the Blood of Sprinkling which speaks better things than that of Abel.
Carolyn Sissom, Pastor
Eastgate Ministries, Inc.
Scripture from K.J.V. I entered into the labors of F. F. Bruce Bible Commentary , David F. Payne; F. F. Bruce Bible Commentary; Principles of Present Truth by Kelly Varner and sermon notes by: Pastor Carolyn Sissom, Twelve Gates of Pearl. Comments and conclusions are my own and not meant to reflect the view of those who I entered into their labors.