It is not unusual for ancient cities to have large walls and sturdy gates. They existed to keep the city safe. By controlling the flow of people, they protected those on the inside. Very often they were used to prevent people from entering completely, such as in times of war.
Towards the end of Ezekiel there is a description of how things are to be arranged in the future. The descriptions of the land, temple and city can be seen as descriptions of the coming Kingdom as well as the obvious description of a physical future reality. In Ezekiel 48:30 onwards the details are given of the gates of this future city. However, the interesting thing is that in that verse they are not referred to as 'gates', but 'exits'.
Could it be that where before the emphasis was on controlling and defining the inward flowing of outsiders, the emphasis now is on encouraging and releasing the outward flow of insiders! What does this mean for us today? Let's see your comments and thoughts.
Rich.
I think it is a remarkable prophecy and so clearly fits with the idea of having outward focused objectives. While we are cocooned within the church building we feel comfortable and safe but are not the relevant church that Tom was encouraging us to become on Sunday.
ReplyDeleteHaving clearly defined exits (and then passing through them) will make us uncomfortable and deeply challenged, and will require our time and energy but surely the fruits of the Kingdom lay outside the gates. Tony.