The Gates of Hell vs. the Gates of Zedek (Who Can Stand 3)

Some of you readers may have been surprised by my use of the phrase “the gates of Zedek” in my last post. I even hesitated a bit before leaving it that way. Later in the day God took me to the following passages:

Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the LORD: This gate of the LORD, into which the righteous shall enter. (Psalms 118:19-20)

In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah; We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks. Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in. (Isaiah 26:1-2)

First, the Hebrew word  zedek (צֶדֶק tsedeq tseh’-dek) is translated as “righteousness” in Psalm 118:19. Strong’s says the word means “the right (natural, moral or legal); also (abstractly) equity.” Strongs also says that this word is derived from the Hebrew word צָדַק tsadaq tsaw-dak’ which means “to be (causatively, make) right (in a moral or forensic sense).” Then verse 20 translates צַדִּיק tsaddiyq tsad-deek’ as “the righteous.” This word means “just,” and would mean “a man of justice” in this context. This word is also derived from the Hebrew word צָדַק tsadaq tsaw-dak’ and shows that the words righteousness and justice mean virtually the same thing.

Next, in his 26th chapter Isaiah prophesies of New Jerusalem. New Jerusalem is the city comprised of living stones (the living stones are fully perfected and glorified overcomers) which comes down from heaven to rule the earth according to Revelation 21-22. Notice that in Isaiah the gates of New Jerusalem open for “the righteous nation which keeps the truth.” Revelation chapters 21 and 22 teach us that only the righteous can ever enter New Jerusalem. Sinners will forever remain outside her walls in the outer darkness, that is, until they repent. The word translated “righteous” in Isaiah 26:2 also comes from the Hebrew word צַדִּיק tsaddiyq tsad-deek’Strong’s says that the King James Version of the Bible translates this word as a “just, lawful, righteous (man).” Remember that Jesus came as a priest after the order of Melchizedek according to the Book of Hebrews. The word Melchizedek means “King of Righteousness.” So, not only are the overcomers the living stones which comprise New Jerusalem, they are also the gates which open or close depending upon who tries to enter her. Thus we see that God’s people rule and control the gates of righteousness, the gates of Zedek. Those who control the gates to the city wield authority in that city.

Now recall the words of Jesus when Peter made the first confession of faith concerning his true identity:

He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. (Matthew 16:15-19 KJV)

Peter’s name comes from the Greek word πετρος Petros pet’-ros and means a small or piece of a rock. The rock upon which Christ said he would build his church is from the Greek word πετρα petra pet’-ra and means a mass of rock. Jesus did not build the church upon Peter; he builds the church upon the acknowledgement of and obedience to who he is, the very Son of God, for Jesus himself is “the rock” of Scripture. In the passage above Jesus prophesied that the gates of hell would never prevail against the gates of his church, his kingdom, his called out ones, for the gates of a city define its boundary.

Today we see the gates of hell advancing everywhere around us in 1) worship of false gods and denial of the true God, 2) idolatry by worshiping and spending ourselves for things that are not God, like money, sex, and power, 3) using the name of God and Jesus Christ in order to deceive the people and promote an evil agenda, 4) ceaseless motion and working to promote our own evil ways and never entering God’s rest, 5) disobedience to parents and the brainwashing of people to do away with true parents altogether, 6) murder, violence, and endless wars, 7) pornography, sodomy, rampant fornication, and adultery, 8) differing weights and measures and outright theft of people’s property, 9) lying to achieve anything one desires because the end justifies the means in the eyes of most people, and 10) always lusting for and acquiring (coveting) more and more. Even the many billionaires steal from the poor in their lawless greed for ever more.

On the other hand we see the remnant, the 144,000 who cling to their faith that truth does exist, that his Name is Jesus Christ, that they personally know this truth, and that he reveals his standards of righteousness and justice to them.

Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. 2 And I heard a voice from heaven like the roar of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder. The voice I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps, 3 and they were singing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders. No one could learn that song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. 4 It is these who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins. It is these who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These have been redeemed from mankind as firstfruits for God and the Lamb, 5 and in their mouth no lie was found, for they are blameless. (Revelation 14:1-5, ESV)

These 144,000, these overcomers of God, make up the Gates of Zedek, the entrance to the Holy City of Zion. They cannot be overcome or defeated by the gates of Hell. Their very name denies the possibility. The Satanic sea swells and its water of filth beats upon these gates, but they cannot come within them and they cannot knock them down. No, instead it is the overcomers who overcome, destroy, and prevail against the gates of Hell.

2 The Gazites were told, “Samson has come here.” And they surrounded the place and set an ambush for him all night at the gate of the city. They kept quiet all night, saying, “Let us wait till the light of the morning; then we will kill him.” 3 But Samson lay till midnight, and at midnight he arose and took hold of the doors of the gate of the city and the two posts, and pulled them up, bar and all, and put them on his shoulders and carried them to the top of the hill that is in front of Hebron. (Judges 16:2-3)

Satan seeks to kill us today just as surely as the Gazites tried to kill Samson. But, like Samson, at midnight we will arise and destroy the gates  (authority) of Satan’s kingdom. And like Samson we will deliver those under that wicked Satanic authority to “the top of the hill” to Zion itself. This is when the restoration of all things really begins.

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