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Walls and Gates - Part 1
How can modern cultures even conceive or relate of a city gate? There once was a day where gates were imperative because walls were imperative. A city with broken walls was a city soon to be taken by enemies. Walls were planned defense for whoever resided within. If a city was evil, good could not make its way in. Likewise, if a city were built on truth as stated in Isaiah 26:1, other righteous nations (visitors) could enter freely without fear of being harmed. There was protection both for home-dwellers and visitors alike.
While walls were a given, potentially the first thing built, so were gates to pass through. Why build a dwelling prior to a wall for fear of your enemy ravaging what you just labored to erect. Did not the pioneers circle their wagons prior to setting up camp for the night? Do not two animals sleep facing opposing directions for protection through the night? The point is walls have always been necessary.
Without exception, when one searches and interfaces with the buildings of ancient walls, castles, towers, and gates of cities, bloodshed, war, and the fear of tragedy dominates. The study of ancient Jerusalem (rebuilt by Nehemiah in 536 BC), China’s Beijing, and the even longer Zhong Hua wall of Nanjing City built in 917 AD., are among the oldest built, undergoing numerous rebuilds and repairs from wars and deteriation. More recently, by historic standards, Rome’s many cities built at the time of Christ continued through multiple builds and rebuilds of city gates in Athens, Dublin, and Florence, etc… through 1200AD.
The walls surrounding Dublin, Ireland were built in the 9th century surviving multiple attacks from her enemies through 1200 AD when the New Gate was built in 1188 AD. Behind this New Gate were housed prisoners and is still in use today. Multiple renovations have made the more than ten ancient gates notable today in Dublin. King Henry VI hired four citizens for 40 years at two different times during the 4th and 33rd year of his reign, to maintain the walls. Most walls were named for the builders, or for the geographic location as in the case of the Bridge Gate.
Towers almost always were built alongside gates for lookouts at night. Most gates were opened during the day and guarded by night unless reasons of concern afforded closing in the day. Sieges obviously took place at night predominantly for the surprise affect and fire was the choice of weapon. Most gates were burned rather than knocked down.
Since most cities were built near water, a 2km wall in Cairo, Egypt is unique in that it carried water both within and atop its walls towards its builder’s castle (El-Oyom) built in 1193 AD. A 32 million dollar renovation is currently in progress to preserve the wall which was capable of hauling water uphill to the castle with the use of wooden wheels via channels into wells. Amazingly, vibrations from Cairo’s subway system do not affect the wall, nor did the massive earthquake in Cairo in 1992. The wall is very flexible and can handle such vibrations according to one of many engineers renovating from Cairo University.
Even more recently, the 610 year old gate in South Korea, said to be “the pride of the nation” was burned on February 11, 2008. Officially named Sungnyemun (Gate of Exalted Ceremonies), it was constructed in 1398 AD and served as the main southern entrance for Seoul when the walled city became Korea’s capital. Renovations of the gate took place in 1961-1963, and again in 2005 and became open to the public for the first time in 2006.
As one onlooker in Seoul Korea commented, “It feels like the pride of the nation and hope is lost and crumbled.” Interestingly, the gate was burned only two years after it was open to the public, after years of only subway viewing outside a perimeter wall around the gate.
Gates are vulnerable by design. They allow passage through a wall built for protection. There were no walls or gates in the Garden of Eden until sin entered man’s heart. God designed the first wall and gate. Why? Man trusted God completely before sin. Eve trusted Adam before sin. Walls are built between people when trust erodes. This can happen quickly or over time.
Walls and gates are not always made of concrete, brick, or wood. Many walls are abstract, yet very real. If you get too close to my personal space, I will back up. If you drive too close to my car I will honk (albeit politely) to let you know there is inherent danger in getting too close. If a boy says something inappropriate to my daughter I will come to her aid. If a grown man bullies my son I will come to his aid. All of us have personal walls as choices, as well as family walls. Some walls fluctuate month to month, even year to year as our trust of others either rises or dwaines. Other walls are made of concrete with deep supported footings which will never change in our lives.
All people groups erect social walls for what is acceptable between individuals and groups. In the Old Testament God deems these civil and moral laws just as important as geographic (land ownership), food, and cleanliness laws. God devotes untold pages to these rules-laws-walls. Today, we erect similar walls. In fact, most of civilized cultures have erected walls based upon the pages God wrote for the Hebrew people.
Countries have different rules and walls. Many differences are based upon emphasis due to their history as a people, but most differences are negligible by comparison. Cities that tilt toward leniency in promiscuity may also lean conversely toward being conservative regarding drug enforcement. My point is that most countries require a certain unity with regards to boundaries in order to live along side each other. Those countries that never stop feuding as demonstrated by Israel and certain Mid-East countries, have never successfully built healthy walls of agreement or gates of passage.
While walls within and between countries can be very similar, move those observations down the political ladder to states, cities, and finally to churches, families, and individuals; then fireworks begin to fly.
It seems the smaller the people group the more ambiguity resides in the walls and boundaries. Herein lies the need for spiritual application of walls and gates to be erected by concerned parents of children vulnerable to their enemies.
Spritual GATES
\Our study of gates begins with the ancient cities and why they had gates. What did these gates represent? Who resided at them and for what cause? Were the elders of the city the only ones seen at the city gate, and what were they doing there as implied through scripture? Seeking answers to these questions will undoubtedly help us destroy unhealthy walls and gates in our own lives and that of our families.
Gates have always meant a ‘break in the wall’; ‘a place to pass through’. The time it takes to climb a wall each time you desire to be on the other side would be a waste of time. Gates were necessary for ingress and egress. They were once imperative for those leaving for hunting or harvesting planted food outside the walls. Many short travels, probably daily, required time outside the protection of the wall. Food, communication, education ill-afforded within the walls, travel, commerce with others, even the offensive attack of enemies outside the walls is among multiple purposes for city gates.
Again, Isaiah (25:1) refers to the land of Judah as a strong city (Salvation), and that God will establish the walls, with gates, which can only be entered by those keeping truth. A study of Cyrus (God’s anointed) reveals that only God can give power over kings through gates that will not be closed.
You cannot have walls without gates. We must remember this all important truth. Walls without gates can bring about destruction in numerous ways, because impassable walls are like living under the law while gates allow for passages that free us as parents from controlling everything, into a ‘response relationship’ with God Himself as well as others.
Some walls and gates should never be built. Some are detrimental to God’s purposes. Some walls are built with impassable gates for a time until children are old enough to pass through with safety. Other gates are left open accidentally and to the destruction of those who pass through too soon. Other gates are left open deliberately, hoping learning will take place. Studying how God decides upon walls and gates for training His people is most helpful. Like-wise, the older/wiser adult decides for the younger and inexperienced when gates should be passed or locked shut.
The truth is, regarding walls and gates, that there are increased levels of freedom at the lower levels of government (I.E. church, family, and personal) to make godly choices which differ from others. This is the work of God in our lives which make us individuals and families and local churches. We can agree that Americans separated from our homeland because our fathers in England were too rigid and their restrictions propelled us to knock the gates down.
Those same choices exist for us today on several fronts: the institution of marriage, the home, church-life, our vocation, education, sports and other activities for our children, and of course-- individual walls and gates!
Go to Part 2
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