The Gates of Jerusalem were often named for either according to their destination of the road that adjoined them or according to the purpose of what was located next to them. The Fish Gate was where a fish market was located. It was located on the east wall just west of the Gihon Spring. This gate is where the fishermen came to sell fish sometimes in violation of the Sabbath ( 2 Chron. 33:14). Almost every biblical mention of the Fish Gate involved either corruption of the people; or the aftermath of it.

This Gate Represents: “God’s call to transform the market place.”

This gate depicts the responsibility spiritual leaders for the market place.
It shows how God calls them to exercise their authority in the market place and how God holds spiritual leaders responsible for the moral conditions in the market place. This model would suggest that pastor and spiritual leaders are not just called to a church congregation, or a ministry in a city, but they are called to the city itself. This is further given attention by Jesus in His address to the 7-Churches in the book of Revelation. He addresses the Churches by the name of their cities and holds them responsible for their spiritual conditions. (see Rev. 2,3)

When society becomes corrupt and secularized the two public ways it shows up is in the places of worship and in the business world. Scripture says of the defilement of the worship, “They set their abominations in the House, which is called by My name, to defile it. (Jer 32:34). In the market by the Fish Gate we are told, “They brought fish, and all manner of wares, and sold on the Sabbath. (Neh. 13:16-17).

The story of King Manasseh: This story in 2 Chronicles 33 illustrates the kind of Market Place transformation God is looking for as represented by the Fish Gate. In verses 1-7 we are told that the King rebuilt the high places which his father Hezekiah had broken down. He raised up altars to Baal and made wooden images to the host of heaven and served them. In verse seven it says he even sets a carved image of a carved idol he made in the house of God. Judgment soon followed. The Lord allowed the army of the Assyrian King to come take him into captivity. It says they bound him with bronze fetters and put a ring in his noise. We are told that in the midst of his affliction he cried out to the Lord God and humbled himself before God. The Lord heard his plea and restored him back to his kingdom in Jerusalem.

The sign the King was truly transformed soon followed. The market place begins to reflect the spiritual transformation of leadership, “The king built a wall outside the City of David on the west side of Gihon Spring, as far as the entrance of the Fish Gate; and raised it to a very great height and posted watchmen on the wall. He took away the foreign gods and the idol from the house of the Lord, and all the altars that he had built in the mount of the house of the Lord and in Jerusalem; and he cast them out of the city.” (Verse 14,15) The Gihon Spring was important to survival in Jerusalem. A tunnel was dug to bring it into the city. In the event of coming under siege their water would be sure. It provided 34,000 cubic feet of water per day. It flowed through Hezekiah’s tunnel to the pool of Siloam within the city (2 Kings 20:20). The Word “Gihon” means to “gush forth.” The temple was built above and  overlooking this spring. The spring has a spiritual application as does each gate. As Jesus told the women at the well in John Chapter four, God is looking for those who will worship Him in spirit and in truth. Out of these worshippers will gush forth a fountain of living water. (John 4:14, 23; 7:38)

Market place transformation: This begins in the lives of spiritual leaders and the people of God in a city being committed to worshipping God in spirit and in truth both where they worship and where they live. This means they must be willing to take down the idols in their own lives which have become more important then God. The homes and hearts need to be purged of false idols. When the people of God have done this He will direct them to take down the idols in the market place, the high places and the gates of the city. Idolatry abounds in all cities. There are places of darkness which represent altars of offense to God in every city.

The need to take a spiritual inventory of your city.
The king demonstrated his personal transformation to God by guarding the city and seeking to cleanse it from false worship. He then sat a watch over the city. There is a need to take a spiritual inventory of every city so the people of prayer can began to watch over the city. Gates of a city can be identified by asking a few questions. What are the spheres of influence in the city? What are the spheres of authority? And what are the spheres of education and entertainment? Write down the list this produces. These are the gateways of influence in a city that the enemy is seeking to possess. The people of God need to take these gates back through prayer. By praying and worshipping over these gates the idols are cast out of the city as the king did in the natural. It’s time to take back the Fish Gate in the market place. It’s time for believers to go stand in this gate and take back the market place for God.

Prophecy for Jerusalem waiting for Future Fulfillment

“And for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, and her salvation as a lamp that burns, the gentiles shall see your righteousness, and all kings your glory. You shall be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord will name.. You shall no longer be termed forsaken, nor shall your land any more be termed desolate; but you shall be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah, for the Lord delights in you, and your land shall be married… I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem, who shall never hold their peace day of night. You who make mention of the Lord, do not keep silent, and give Him no rest till He establishes and till He makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth.”  (Isaiah 62:2-6)

A Prayer For Market Place Transformation beginning with us:

“Father, we stand in the Fish Gate looking first at our own hearts and our need to evict all idols we have made ourselves. Search our hearts as you did King David and show us if their be any wicked way in us. (Psalms 139:23, 24) Search our homes and show us the idols that we place before you in our lives. Give us the moral courage to evict them from our homes. Lord, show us our places of work and the market places that need our influence and prayers so that all of our cities will have watchmen on the walls who watch over our city and pray for market place transformation. We call upon the God of Israel, Abraham, and Isaac to intervene in Israel and in Jerusalem. Lord, we stand together with the prophet Isaiah asking that you will fulfill your word spoken long ago that Israel will be called “Beulah” or “Married” to your purposes. And that you will come rejoice over her as your bride. We ask that you will rise up watchmen for Israel and make her a praise in the earth as you have promised. WE call upon the people of God who are learning anew about the spiritual inheritance to heed your word through the prophet Isaiah, ‘Go through, and go through the gates! Prepare the way for the people, Build up, build up the highway! Take out the stones, Lift up a banner for the peoples’. Lord, teach us to watch over our market places and be faithful watchmen. Amen!”