We can classify Gates by location, or the realm in which they occur, the realm of occurrence can be physical, spiritual and relate to the soul. Gates of the soul relate to the mind, will, emotions and the heart.
Gates of the Heavens
Jacob had a dream in which he dreamed that he saw angels ascending and descending on a ladder from heaven. When he woke up he declared that indeed he was at the gate of heaven. He was sleeping in the site of an ancient altar his forefather Abraham had erected in that location in Bethel.
The gates of the heavens include the highest heaven, second heaven or the abode of angels, angels themselves, the heavenly hosts, the sun, the moon, the stars, and other aspects of other portions of the universe such as: constellations, planets, bodies of water above the firmament, including the Four Winds (Zechariah 2:6; Ezekiel 2:11), etc.
Genesis 7: 11,12 talks about the floodgates of the heavens, which were opened (See also Genesis 8: 2, Malachi 3: 8-11). According to Job 38, you have the gates of light and the gates of darkness in heaven. In the case of Isaiah 24:17-23, it talks about the fact that God will punish the powers in the heavens above and the kings of the earth below.
Ezekiel 1:1-7 also talks about open heavens. It means that the heavens can be closed also. When the heavens are open, favor and blessings flow. When gates of heaven are closed then it means that disfavor and disconnection from the power of God is experienced on earth. See also Hosea 2:20-23.
Everything that we see in the physical realm first happens and is controlled from, the realm of the spirit by opening or closing the gates there. How do I know that? To begin with, to control anything, anywhere, you must do it from its roots, from its foundation. To control a tree, you must control it from its roots. You want to solve the problem of cobwebs? Deal with the spider that spins them. You want to control a car, control it from the one who started it. If you want to control a car, you need to go to the manufacturer and he will teach you how best to do so, because he knows everything he has put in there. In the same way, even for remote controlled cars, it is the one who started who can stop it. I want you to know that everything is controlled from the realm of the spirit.
Gates of the Earth
According to Psalm 148:7-13, the gates of the earth include: great sea creatures, all ocean depths, lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds. Also included are mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars, wild animals and all cattle, small creatures and flying birds, kings of the earth and all nations, princes and all rulers on earth, young men and maidens, old men and children.
On earth, we have gates of bodies of water, the atmosphere, the sea, rivers, nations, life, human beings. Other gates include monuments, altars, etc. The sea (Job 38:8,9,10,16); Rivers (Nehemiah 2:6); The Land (Nehemiah 3:13,14, Mark 11:2-4, Zechariah 9:9-12, 14-17); Nations (Ezekiel 26: 2), Cities (Ezekiel 21:18-23); The atmosphere: Air/winds, Snow, Hail, Lightning, and Thunderstorms (Revelation 7:1, Ezekiel 38:9, Job 38: 24-26, Zechariah 9:14).
Among the creation trees are very important as gates. There are many places and towns where some trees serve as the gates to or from the town. Even heaven has a tree - a tree whose fruit is supposed to be the gateway to the life and healing of the nations.
There are trees that have been planted for people. Those people behave the way the tree does. When it withers their lives also reflect that withering in health, business, famiy relations etc… when the tree flourishes they too flourish in their lives. There are trees that have been planted in people’s names and anything that happens to the tree happens to the person. There was a case of somebody who was in London, and some people somewhere in Ghana chopped off the branches of the tree that was supposed to be representing him. When they chopped off the branches of that tree, the man became crippled. That tree was being used as a gateway into his life.
Money can be a gate. There are many ways in which money can be used to unlock doors. People will bribe in order to have favor. Proverbs says that money answereth all things. It opens doors. Really it can be both a key and a gate. People can draw power from others using money. That is why we need to pray over all monies that we receive.
Gates of life
The Gates of life include the Gates Of The Spirit; The Gates Of The Soul; The Gates Of The Body; or the Seven Information Gates. The Seven Information Gates comprise of our senses, namely our 2 ears for hearing, 2 eyes for seeing, 2 nostrils for smelling, and 1 mouth for speech and tasting. Our hearts, heads, feet and hands among others, are additional information gates. Other gates of our lives include our reproductive organs, umbilical cord, etc.
It means if the devil wanted to catch you, the easiest way for him to go about it, is through the information gates. For most of us the battle has been concentrated at these information gates, especially in the area of our thoughts, feelings, emotions, and speech (Proverbs 18:20-21). For instance, a lot of temptation has been from what you see or what you hear. The most important of all the information gates is the heart (Proverbs 4:23).
Titus 1:15, says your mind and heart color everything you see and hear. Two people can see the same thing and the interpretation is different- this one says it is beautiful and the other says it is not.
Your hair is also a bolt to the gates of your mind and life. It is inferred as a bolt of the gate, which some people can use to gain access to the ignorant. Many people who practice voodoo can use hair. Hair is seen as the crowning glory of the head. In others it is used to display age and wisdom (Pro 16:31, 20:29). It can also signify life and blessings. Hair cutting or loss signifies, sickness, loss, death, curse (Jer 7:29).
Similarly shoes, are also the bolts of your feet: that is the covering for the feet. Feet can be a major entrance into your life. Feet generally transport you from place to place as directed by your heart.
To show respect in the ancient East, when they greeted, they touched the feet. The greeting of submission, respect or honor means “I am at your feet.” The Bible gave a blessing to feet that bring good news (Isa 52:7). The Bible also goes on to give the armor for feet (Eph 6:15). Apparently it is the readiness to bring good news. Feet are important. Shoes are like the bolt to your feet. If they can get the bolt then they might gain access to the gate.
In some places people try to access your life through your shoes. Some ask for a bride or bridegroom’s pair of shoes. We’ve had to pray with some people whose shoes disappeared from the closet or wardrobe, after the wedding. Maybe you have had the experience where your shoe or some other very personal item has disappeared; then you should pray and cut off anything that is trying to gain access to you through such gates.
Apart from the gates of life mentioned above, other gates of life are the entrance to the various seasons of life, which are namely, birth, childhood, initiations into youth, adulthood, marriage, parenthood, grandparenthood, death.
Gates of death
The Gates of death have to do with death, the grave and hell. With regard to the grave, it is illegal to have an encounter with people who are dead. Once a person dies, they can never return in any way or form to life, except resurrection from the dead. Abraham pointed this out to the rich man who wanted Lazarus to be sent back to earth to warn his brothers concerning hell’s woes. Other portions of scripture speak of cords of death (Psalm 18:4-6; 116:3) and snares of death (Ecclesiastes 7:24-25).
Excerpt from The Book "Praying Through The Gates of Time" By Pastor Abu Bako. To be continued
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