Pray For Israel :- Biblical Gates of Jerusalem : The Miphkad Gate

The word “Miphkad” means “review, census, muster” and suggests the idea of judgment. It is also called the muster gate. It carries with it the idea of troops showing up for review in front of their commander. The idea of judgment here represented is that some day God is going to call all souls up for review in the judgment. (2 Cor. 5:10) This gate represents a call to holiness and righteousness as we realize that God is holy and calls those who serve Him to be holy.

The gate was in or near the North end of the east wall of Jerusalem. If you walked through the muster gate, you would step right out into the court of the temple and be very close to the location of the threshing floor of Ornan that David purchased to stay the judgment against Israel when a sacrifice was offered. It is upon this same piece of ground that the temple was built so that sacrifices would continue to mark this spot. Hence, the story of Ornan’s threshing floor is forever of importance to man.

The story of Ornan’s threshing floor and God’s judgment of David and Israel is found in I Chronicles 21. David ordered a censes of Israel to number or count them. It wasn’t that numbering Israel was wrong. God had previously has Moses actually do this in Numbers 1:1-3; 26:1-4. It was his motive of pride. Satan provoked him to do this, not God. The consequence was judgment upon Israel. David was warned by Joab not to do this but preceded against this counsel and had Joab go take a census and number Israel. In all, Israel and Judah had 1 million and 570 thousand men who could draw a sword.

The story goes on to say that this rebellious act displeased the Lord, therefore, he struck Israel. The Lord spoke to Gad, David’s seer, and told David he and Israel would have to face judgment. David could pick between three alternatives: 1) three years of famine. 2) three months to be defeated by his enemies or 3) three days of plague upon the land with the angel of the Lord destroying throughout Israel. David’s answer was that he would rather fall into the hands of the Lord then the hands of his enemies. The result was that 70,000 men of Israel died. God also sent the angel to Jerusalem to destroy it. As he was destroying it, the Lord looked and relented. He told the angel, “It is enough; now restrain your hand. And the angel of the Lord stood by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. David lifted up his eyes and saw the angel standing between heaven and earth with his sword still drawn and stretched out over Jerusalem. David repented before God and asked that judgment be upon him and not the people. The Lord spoke to David through Gad and directed that David should go erect an altar on the threshing floor of Ornan, so David purchased the threshing floor and built an altar to the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. The Lord answered from heaven by fire and consumed the offerings and commanded the angel to return his sword to its sheath. Up to this point the tabernacle of the Lord was at the high place of Gibeon. In chapter 22 David looks upon this little piece of land purchased from Ornan and declares, “This is the house of the Lord God, and this is the altar of burnt sacrifice, so David commanded masons to cut hewn stones to build the house of God. He then later called his son Solomon and charged him to finish building the house or temple. Solomon’s temple was built upon Ornan’s threshing floor!

Men would continue to bring their sins to this place to receive Mercy.

The concept of judgment dealing with the removal of the consequences of sin is very much a part of the services that took part in the temple and a part of understanding what future judgment is all about. This gate represents a neglected part of our destiny and the important aspects of judgment.

The yearly keeping today of Yom Kippur in Israel helps to illustrate the importance of this gate. The yearly celebration of Yom Kippur focuses on the biblical Day of Atonement in the Old Testament. Once a year, while the people fasted and prayed and confessed their sins, the high priest went into the most holy place before the Ark of the Covenant and sprinkled blood upon the mercy seat for the atonement of sins on behalf of all the people.
The word “atonement” is a compound word meaning “at – one – ment.” The purpose of this day was to bring “At – one – ment” with God. This season in Israel starts with Rosh Hashanah 10 days before Yom Kippur (The Day of Atonement). Rosh Hashanah means “Head of the Year.” They believe that Rosh Hashanah is the day on which God created Adam. Each Rosh Hashanah is the birthday of mankind. On this day they “proclaim God as their One and True King and their desire to serve Him” They believe that at this time God reviews the statues of His creation. The ten days between Rosh Hashanah are spent in prayer and fasting in repentance for the sins of the past year. During this time they examine their commitments for the New Year before the Lord that they might be “inscribed and sealed” for the New Year and consecrated to God. A special greeting is used the first night of Rosh Hashanah, “May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year.”

Here is how judgment takes place during the 10 days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement). God examines the past year, the actions, and the life. Though judgment is inscribed, it is not yet sealed and can be changed at least for another 10 days. God waits until Yom Kippur to seal the book for the next year. He looks at three areas during this time: repentance, worship, and charity. It is a time to put aside all sin and seek At-one-ment with God. A prayer shawl called a “talit” is worn the entire evening symbolizing a new covering of God’s wings. The book of Jonah is read showing God’s desire to bless man and show him mercy rather then punish him. During these 10 days a person’s destiny could be changed for the New Year. Judgment or receiving the consequences for their sins during the coming year could be changed if they were given to God during these 10 days. A new destiny would be inscribed and sealed by God as a result of the repentance. This is why they would encourage one another at the beginning of the season with the salutation, “Be inscribed and sealed.” It literally meant, “Be sure to get right with God for the New Year. Have Him inscribe and seal you for a new beginning.”

When we confess our sins and come to Christ we start and new beginning, “if anyone is in Christ he is a new creature.” (2 Cor 5:17). Our past sins are nailed to the cross. Christians are still called to repent of sins and walk in righteousness. We are still to examine our selves and put away sins from our lives knowing that one day we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. (2 Cor. 5:10) As we stand in this gate with David looking upon the threshing floor of Ornan remembering the resting place of Solomon’s Temple we also remember this is the place Christ will return to. The New Jerusalem is to come down to this place. God has preserved this little piece of land for eternity and honored it. As we stand in this gate of review, we are reminded of the call to holiness and righteousness God is calling his followers to in our day. Peter reminds us of our call, “As obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy. And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of our sojourning here in fear..” (I Peter 1:14-16.) Let’s be inscribed and sealed for the New Year by repenting and confessing our sins and inviting God to show His mercy to Israel and to us in releasing a destiny for His purposes in our lives.

A Future Prophetic Word to be fulfilled through this Gate: Isaiah 66: 5-16

“Here the word of the Lord, You who tremble at His word: Your brothers who hate you, and exclude you for My name’s sake, have said, ‘Let the Lord be glorified, that we may see your joy.’ But they shall be ashamed. The sound of noise from the city! A voice from the temple! It is the sound of the Lord repaying his enemies all they deserve.. Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad for her all you who love her; rejoice greatly with her, all you who mourn over her. For you will nurse and be satisfied at her comforting breasts; you will drink deeply and delight in her overflowing abundance. For this is what the Lord says: ‘I will extend peace to her like a river, and the wealth of nations like a flooding stream; and you will nurse and be carried on her arm and dandled on her knees. As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you; and you will be comforted over Jerusalem. When you see this, your heart will rejoice and you will flourish like grass; and the hand of the Lord will be made known to his servants, but his fury will be shown to his foes. See, the Lord is coming with fire, and his chariots are like a whirlwind; he will bring down his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. For with fire and with his sword the Lord will execute judgment upon all men, and many will be those slain by the Lord.”

Prayer for Israel:
“Lord, we stand with David in this gate amazed at your mercy and summoned by your judgment to seek your holiness and righteous ways. We repent of our idolatry of putting the things of this world before you. Cleanse our hearts of corruptible things. Give us pure hearts and clean hands. We ask you, O God, for You to remember Israel and release a new destiny this coming year that will bless the nations with a revelation of Your name. We confess that we have not served you above all others. We ask that You would make our purposes and the intents of our hearts one with your purposes this year. We pray for the peace of Jerusalem, and pray that the ‘holy land will become holy again.’ Lord, we pray that you would arise and let your enemies be scattered. For your names’ sake we ask that you would make Jerusalem a praise in the earth and a dwelling place of your habitation. May all the nations of the earth be blessed by the glory that you bestow upon Jerusalem. We pray and declare during this beginning of a New Year that to all who will seek your face in the nations of the earth, and in Israel, ‘Be inscribed and sealed for the new year’.” Amen!