Praying The Gates of Jerusalem

“I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you.”  Genesis 12:3

When God spoke these covenant words to Abraham, He was talking about the release of inheritance and destiny. We are also directed to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. When we pray through the gates of Jerusalem we are releasing inheritance and destiny for Israel and for those who bless her. Each Gate represents a part of this destiny. See Ps 122:2, 6

The Eastern Gate is also called the Golden Gate. It is the gate Jesus road through on the Triumphal Entry to Jerusalem. It is the gate through which Christ is expected to come at His return. (See Ezekiel 43:1-5; John 12:12-19; Ps 118:25, 26) The Jews believe that the Messiah will come through this gate. The Muslims walled up this entrance with brick to block the future return of the Messiah and put a cemetery in front of it to prevent this destiny. This act reveals a spirit of blocking, a spirit of hindrance, and a spirit of death against Israel and the Christian Church. Indeed, we see this stance today against Israel in the middle east.

This Eastern Gate is also referred to as the “Gate Beautiful” in Acts 3:2 or the Shushan gate by historians. This gate at one time was decorated to commemorate the deliverance God brought to Israel by the Persian King Cyrus. It was decorated in white marble with etchings of Lilies depicting the city of Shushan the capital of the Persian King. It was seen as the gate of deliverance. It was to this gate the disciples came after Pentecost to begin their ministry by healing the man born lame who was begging at the gate for alms (mercy). They came to announce to the world that a new deliverance had come to the gate of deliverance! They came to announce that a new deliver had come whose deliverance is greater then that which Cyrus brought. They came to announce a new beginning for God’s people. Acts 3:26 ends with this word concerning Jesus the Messiah, “to you first (Israel) God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities.” The word “bless” means to speak well of. Jesus can look at our faults and iniquities and still speak well of us because He sees us through His grace as to what we will become. Knowing His love for us we are drawn to turn to Him for restoration and new beginnings.

Claiming the Inheritance: God has a new beginning that begins first with Israel and then all mankind. He has a way of deliverance to release to all who enter this gate! Every ministry is to reflect the mercy and deliverance demonstrated at this gate. The ultimate deliverance will be when the Messiah returns at the second coming to restore all things. There is to be a gateway of deliverance in every city of every nation as established by the Church. This is also the inheritance of the Christian Church which is to announce a new beginning to the afflicted and lost (Luke 4:18) and release deliverance to the captives to sin in this world.

“Lord, we come to the gate beautiful to claim back both the inheritance you came to bring for Israel and for the Christian Church. Those who oppose you would block up or hinder the the way of your deliverance, but we stand together to declare with the disciples there is new life and a new deliverance for Israel. We cut off the assignments to block up or hinder our destiny. We speak to Israel and our own churches, ‘Silver and gold have we none, but such as we have we give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.’ Enter into your destiny. Receive the glory of the Lord which comes to fill the temple and establish your future. We declare in the name of Jesus Christ the Messiah the opening of the Eastern Gate (Gate Beautiful) and the release of the inheritance it represents for Jerusalem and our own cities.