THE MIPHKAD GATE - Judgment and Reward
THE MIPHKAD GATE – Judgment and Reward
Pastor Carolyn Sissom
February 28, 2016, the Year of Our Lord
I have been pondering the principle of the Miphkad Gate. Miphkad is only used in Nehemiah as the name of one of the gates of Jerusalem. (Nehemiah 3:31-32.)
3:31-32: THE MIPHKAD GATE – The principle of judgment and reward. The Hebrew word “Miphqad” means “assignment; an appointment, mandate, a designated spot, censes; appointed place, commander, number; to visit; to oversee, muster, charge, care for, miss, deposit.”
Psalms 122:1-5: “I was glad when they said to me, Let us go into the house of the Lord. Our feet shall stand within your gates, O Jerusalem….For there are set thrones of judgment (justice), the thrones of the house of David.”
Running the race and the victor’s crown would also apply.
Revelation 3:21: “To him that overcomes will I grant to sit with Me in My throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His throne. He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
The Miphkad gate is identified with the Benjamin Gate. We could consider the open reward of Matthew 6:4. “That your alms may be in secret; and your Father which sees in secret Himself shall reward you openly.”
Mt. 6:6: “When you pray, enter into your closet, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father which is in secret; and your Father which sees in secret shall reward you openly.”
Mt. 6:17-18: “When you fast, anoint your head, and wash your face; that you appear not to men to fast, but to your Father which is in secret and your Father, which sees in secret shall reward you openly.”
Apparently this was the Gate of registry. Kings set thrones in gates to the city as a place of judgment. Thus the principle of judgment in the Gate (Throne) i.e. authority.
Psalm 89:15: “Justice and judgment are the habitation of Your throne; mercy and truth shall go before Your face.”
Psalm 89 sings of the coronation of David and his Seed, the Lord Jesus Christ, and His many-membered body. It tells of the endlessness of David’s throne through Jesus Christ.
This is that place in the Lord where we are called to rule and reign with Christ Jesus.
Ephesians 2: 6-7: “Christ has raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus; that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
As I taught each one of the gates in Nehemiah, I found myself identifying my own spiritual journey walking and living as a Christian. I thank God for each brokenness, humiliation, rejection, persecution, attack and life battle. Through each battle, more of Christ was deposited in me as I prayed for mercy not to compromise and held on to the Lord. I also prayed not to strike the rock to hard.
Thank you Lord for the journey and the grace for the journey.
The Miphkad gate was located in the north east corner of the city. “After him repaired Malchia (my king is Jehovah) the goldsmith’s son unto the place of the Nethinims and of the merchants, over against the gate Miphkad, and to the going up of the corner (principle of cornerstone). And between the going up of the corner unto the Sheep Gate (high Priest) repaired the goldsmiths and the merchants.”
Each gate is prophetic of growth, movement, progression, maturity, change, formation, development, restoration, repentance and transfiguration. Each of the twelve gates is a manifestation of the nature of God in each one of us kicking hard to be birthed from within. Each is an experience and an expression of his nature being deposited in us through our life journey.
We are being conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. We are ascending into the higher realms of the Spirit. We are returning to the dominion in Eden. We are returning to the bosom of the Father. We are being changed. We are being saved (delivered). We are growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. We are ascending into Zion and the full authority of His throne. We are ascending into the Hill of the Lord. We are becoming just like Jesus.
Psalm 89:4-5: “Your seed will I establish for ever, and build up your throne to all generations. The heavens shall praise Your wonders; O Lord; Your faithfulness also in the congregation of the saints.”
The twelve gates = twelve experiences which do progressively unfold from Christ (the divine) nature from within each one of us. All twelve prophetic experiences are costly.
The names and the gates are prophetic of the work of the Kingdom of God in each believer.
Revelation 21:12: “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.”
The city = a people = the abode for the fullness of God = Body of Christ = the Lamb’s wife = the Church in Glory and perfection. “Carolyn teach New Jerusalem as purity.”
The rebuilding of the twelve gates of Nehemiah are a prophetic principle of the Lord numbering and choosing anointed ministries and people standing shoulder to shoulder in Unity of the Spirit and the Bond of Peace declaring the Word of the Lord and revealing the salvation, healing, deliverance, glory and judgment of Jesus Christ to the world.
It is my persuasion due to my “walk” and “calling” that just as the Lord in the 1990’s and early 2000’s was numbering a people for the revelation of His Glory and to be carriers of His glory, (principle of the East Gate), this present overturning, testing, and election is for a people who will be seated on thrones with him judging the nations. (Principle of the Miphkad/Benjamin Gate – 12th gate).
In the same way the Lord numbered and chose those who were to rebuild the Temple, Wall and Gates, the Lord is again choosing and equipping saints for His Kingdom work on earth.
Quote from 2000: “If God is numbering a people in this hour for the revelation of His Glory, those who are being called can expect to be tested and proven.”
As we see the political spirit causing turmoil in Israel, the nations of the world and certainly the present election cycle of the United States, so we are being tested in the Church. “There were two anointed kings in Israel – Saul and David! The contest is on, and it grows more and more bitter as the days go by. Not by the “elect” David, but by Saul who out of envy and jealousy was out to trap David and slay him. David’s only concern was to wait for God, do God’s will and save Saul’s life. Let us learn from the spirit of David…for it would become his “key” to the throne.” (David Warnock)
Ephesians 3:10: “To the intent that now to the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God.”
Being led by the Spirit of Wisdom, we have been studying “Wisdom” on Sunday evening because we are persuaded the Holy Spirit is moving on the earth with a greater outpouring of wisdom
IF, AND I SAY IF, the Lord is numbering a people to raise the standard of the people of the earth before the throne of righteousness of the Lord, then we are being moved by the Holy Spirit to fulfill 1 Corinthians 6:1-7:
“Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints? Do you know that the saints shall judge the world? And if the world shall be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know you know that we shall judge angels? How much more things that pertain to this life? If then you have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church. I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? No, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren? But brother goes to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers. Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because you go to law one with another? Why do you not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded? Nay, you do wrong and defraud, and that your brethren. Know you not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God?”
Do not mistake or misinterpret my words today that I am advocating “false judgment” and “foolish opinions” of condemnation, criticism or complaining against anyone, saint or sinner; and calling that the judgment of the Lord.
Psalm 96:13: “The Lord comes to judge the earth. He shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with His truth.”
Rev. 19:11: “I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and He that sat upon him was called faithful and true, and in righteousness He does judge and make war.”
The New Testament speaks of God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothed with compassion, kindness, humility, goodness and patience. Bearing with each other, forgiving grievances against one another, bonding together with love and perfect unity...
Our mind is renewed and transformed once the wall of the knowledge and ways of God is completely repaired. The twelve gates restored prophetically reveal a balanced divine order. (Twelve is a governmental, kingdom number). The Lord promised that those who “followed Him in the regeneration” would sit on thrones with him.
This is the principle of the UNITY OF THE BODY OF CHRIST. Believers are God’s chosen people who are placed in a local Church to have their minds renewed by His Word and to be jointly fit together.
A true local church and each member is a living stone. Each stone that is out of place brings a reproach because it gives the enemy access through a hole in the wall to oppress the people. Whenever one member is oppressed, the body needs to collectively minister to the member who is under oppression. Thus are revealed the principles of interrelationship and mutual submission (including good manners, protection, consideration, respect, sensitivity, sensibility). We are members one of another.
Each gate and each name have a prophetic NOW meaning to the Gospel Church. Each of the Lord’s ministries is intertwined together to prophetically fulfill His Kingdom purposes in each of our lives, each church, Para-church, and nations of the earth. I won’t list the twelve gates of Nehemiah today, but listed below are the twelve gates of New Jerusalem, which is the glorified community of God (after the progressive work of regeneration has done its perfect work in our lives.)
THE TWELVE GATES OF NEW JERUSALEM
1. REUBEN GATE – “Behold a son” New Birth, Conversion
2. SIMEON GATE – “hearing and accepting” Holy Ghost Baptism
3. LEVI GATE – “union, twined and joined” SPIRITUAL Ministry (gifts)
4. JUDAH GATE – “praise, worship” Praise (From within)
5. ZEBULUN GATE – “habitation, dwelling Body life (identification)
6. ISSACHAR GATE – reward, hire Cannot be bought
7. DAN GATE – judge, umpire Righteous judgment
8. GAD GATE - “troop, army, band” Predestination
9. ASHER GATE – “happy, blessed” Content in all Circumstances
10. Naphtali GATE – “obtained by wrestling” Overcoming - prevailing
11. JOSEPH GATE - “let him add” Preserver of life
12. BENJAMIN GATE –“son of the right hand” Adoption – sit in throne
“And He carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City Jerusalem, coming down out of Heaven from God. It shone with the Glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a precious jewel, like jasper, 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….(vs19-21) “And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth Sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysophrasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth an amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl;” This is the home of righteousness. God had a plan. The beloved city is thus marked out as the True Israel or People of God. This is emphasized by the reoccurrence of the number twelve and its multiples throughout the description of the city. Here using the number twelve as being metaphorical of the number of the elect.
“Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God. Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel (Rev. 7:4):
From the tribe of Benjamin 12,000 (12th Gate) Amethyst
In Revelation 21:19, the foundations of the City walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone: The twelve precious stones mentioned in verses 19 and 20 are reminiscent of those in the high priestly breastplate, engraved with the names of the twelve sons of Israel. The twelve pearly gates in verse 21 convey some idea of the splendor of the glorified people of God.
The variety of stones upon which the names were written is that no two were alike. This is a picture of the Church of God on earth with no two believers alike. We have different groups, gifts, callings, functions, denominations, etc., but we are all one church and will be judged by how we show charity to each other.
BENJAMIN: The ninth stone is Benjamin. The stone is the Amethyst, a rock crystal, colored purple. This is the Son of the Right Hand Company. This was the only son born after Jacob’s name was changed to Israel. Joseph was the end of the old nature and now Benjamin has come forth in the new nature. Many brave warriors came from the tribe of Benjamin. Ehud, the left handed warrior; Jonathan; Mordica and Esther; and Paul who said, “For I also am an Israelite of the seed of Abraham of the tribe of Benjamin.” Genesis 49:27: “Benjamin shall ravin as a wolf: in the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil.” Benjamin is the 12th Gate. 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.
Whether he has used a temple, a city, the Bride, the Sons of God, the tabernacle, etc. etc. All of these images are used to describe a people in whom dwells the fullness of God. This is the Body of Christ, the Lamb’s wife, 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. In the present Gospel order, the temple city and commonwealth are all in that dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit.
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 is written in the Lamb’s book of life. 21:8:
Not just one experience, but many.
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.”
The name of the city from that day shall be, ‘THE LORD IS THERE’. (Jehovah-Shammah).” BLESSING, PEACE, SECURITY, AND GLORY.
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.”
Just as all the gates of the city are within his people, also the Miphkad/Benjamin gate is within the Church.
Those who are carriers of this anointing/authority will do so with love, wisdom, mercy, kindness, justice, and truth. This will be the measuring stick.
Psalm 89:14: “Justice and judgment are the habitation of Your throne; mercy and truth shall go before Your face.”
Ps. 96:13: “The Lord shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with His truth.”
Matthew 19:28: “Jesus said to them, Verily I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man shall sit in the throne of His glory, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”
Carolyn Sissom, Pastor
Eastgate Ministries Church
This sermon is a compilation of many of sermons and teachings on The Gates, Nehemiah, Revelation, the Stones, etc. These are from my sermon notes on the website as well as teachings by Kelly Varner. Comments and conclusions are my own.