WATCHMAN & GATEKEEPERS

 “SUPER SOLDIER”

also known as 

Intercessory Watchmen & Gatekeepers

The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen for his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. John 10:3

The Watchman: Ezekiel 33:1-7

The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, speak to your people and say to them: ‘When I bring the sword against a land, and the people of the land choose one of their men and make him their watchman, and he sees the sword coming against the land and blows the trumpet to warn the people, then if anyone hears the trumpet but does not heed the warning and the sword comes and takes their life, their blood will be on their own head. Since they heard the sound of the trumpet but did not heed the warning, their blood will be on their own head. If they had heeded the warning, they would have saved themselves. But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes and takes someone’s life, that person’s life will be taken because of their sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for their blood.’ “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so, hear the word I speak and give them warning from me.

The Context in these verses: God informs Ezekiel that he was to be a watchman for the people. 

Of what use is a watchman if the enemy can advance and all the pertinent details of that city are known? 

The Watchman would be of no use. In the bible days, a watchman would stand in a high place, upon a wall or a tower, and scan the horizon for enemies. When the watchman saw the enemies approaching, the watchman was responsible for shouting a warning to the unsuspecting citizens that danger was near and that they needed to prepare for the attack.

Ezekiel’s role as watchman— is like a Believers job is today— which was to teach God's way of righteousness. 

He was to warn and share the message of repentance and give an exhortation for them to grow in faith and obedience to holiness.

The Gatekeeper - I Chronicles 9:22-27 (NIV)

Altogether, those chosen to be gatekeepers at the thresholds numbered 212. They were registered by genealogy in their villages. The gatekeepers had been assigned to their positions of trust by David and Samuel the seer. They and their descendants were in charge of guarding the gates of the house of the Lord—the house called the tent of meeting. The gatekeepers were on the four sides: east, west, north and south. Their fellow Levites in their villages had to come from time to time and share their duties for seven-day periods. But the four principal gatekeepers, who were Levites, were entrusted with the responsibility for the rooms and treasuries in the house of God. They would spend the night stationed around the house of God, because they had to guard it; and they had charge of the key for opening it each morning.–

The Context: The gatekeeper’s spoken of here were reportedly appointed by David and Samuel and were performing service in preparation for their registry. During this time there was a lot of chaos going on. We learn that the doorkeepers dwelt in villages near Jerusalem, they came to the city as often as their service was required. They were trustworthy individuals. They could be trusted to guard the sacred things in the tent of meeting.

4 Things about Gates:

a. Gates were places of battle. Judges 5:8. Victory or failure is decided at the gates. 

b. Gates were places of authority and decision making. Ruth 4:11.

c. Prophets declared God’s Word at the gates. Jeremiah 17:19-20.

d. Elders sit at the Gates. Proverbs 31:23.

WHAT ARE GATES?

1. A gate is an opening. It is not just an opening, but a legal access point. Access into a life, city, church, family, or nation is granted or denied at the gate.

2. A gate confines or shuts up things. It’s a place of entry or exit.

3. A gate is a control point. It’s a symbol of power and authority.

4. A gate is a border, pathway, a boundary.

5. A gate is an altar. It’s a place where decisions are made.

6. A gate is a meeting place.

7. Gates are portals. "Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it." Genesis 28:12.

There is a spiritual world that exists just like the physical world but its invisible to the natural eyes. We call this a portal!

A portal is as an entry point into another realm or dimension.

It's a connection between the natural and supernatural. The spiritual realm which the ordinary eyes cannot see includes the divine dimension and the demonic dimension. 

TYPES OF GATES

1. Personal gate: Every person has a gate. Your mind, body, dream, and mouth are gates in which the enemy wants to use to come in to dominate, deceive and destroy.

2. Family gate: You must guard against anything that threatens your family. Take a stand to lead your family to Christ. Be careful not to allow the enemy to dump trash into your family. There are many ways by which this trash can be dumped: television, social media, books, magazines, fashions, and attitudes, just to name a few.

Know what is going on in your children’s and grandchildren’s lives. Supervise and guide them. Guard and lead them to Christ

3. Church gate: If the spiritual gates of the church are opened, fighting, prayerlessness, strife, and division will be common. You must also close the back doors of the church.

4. Community gate: The light of the Gospel cannot shine brightly in a town or city if the enemy has captured the gates. Crimes, poverty, sickness, injustice, and violence are the other signs of enemy at the gate. So, we must take steps to possess the gates. Acts 16:16-25. (Paul and Silas – prayed and sang)

5. National gates: A nation can be in serious trouble if certain gates are not open. 2 Kings 7:1- 11. The enemies sounded the city of Samaria; the gates of the city were closed. The siege prevented the enemies from coming in, but it also brought famine, sickness and problems because those gates had been closed. So, for the gates to be opened, the enemies had to be dealt with. I think about our country and the many gates that are open. And there is something we can do as a church. We can pray and intercede for our country and petition God to close the gates of poverty, gates of injustice and the gates of greed. And in 2 Kings 7, when God intervened; the siege was lifted, the problems ended and prosperity came to the city.

At every gate, there are gatekeepers.

Gatekeepers are the people who monitor the gate, deciding who gets in, who has access to what or whom. God's looking for men and women to take up positions at the gates. Gatekeepers that see into the spiritual realm, observe what is happening, and lean forward to take action when there's danger.

There are Doors in every City that need to be watched and prayed for. And as spiritual watchmen/gatekeepers we want to be mindful to pray for these six doors:

1. Church door

2. Legal door- includes police, lawyers, judges and anyone responsible to care for the security of others

3. Education door

4. Commerce and business door: airport and banking headquarters

5. Political door

6. Doors of influence, people of influence such as; sports figures, radio and television personalities and regular media

GATEKEEPERS AND WATCHMEN

The watchmen and gatekeepers are very important in the security and prosperity of a home or city. They work together in the spirt.

Wherever you see the watchman, the gatekeeper is nearby.

Gatekeepers need the eyes of the watchmen to rightly discern what and who to let in through the gates.

But there is a subtle difference between the watchman and gatekeeper. The watchman sees from a distance.

The gatekeeper sees up close.

The watchman's position is at the watchtower day and night.

The gatekeeper's position is at the gate.

The watchman’s weapon is the trumpet while the gatekeeper has weapons to attack the enemy and to defend the city. Weapons of prayer, praise, influence.

A gatekeeper must be quick to take action when danger arises.

Duties of the Gatekeepers

1. Gatekeepers are the watchmen on the walls.

At times, gatekeeper and watchman are one position combined. Every gatekeeper must be alert and sensitive to rightly discern what to let in through the gates.

2. Gatekeepers are hands and feet of God. They are trusted to protect the Temple. Gatekeepers defend the Gospel, the truth of the Word and protect the holiness of the Temple. They know the Scriptures well and are full of wisdom. Gatekeepers are bold to speak out against the sin.

3. Gatekeepers are teachers.

They keep the Lord’s people on the right path, keeping them from drifting. A gatekeeper gently teaches and guides the people from taking wrong steps.

4. Gatekeepers are intercessors.

Intercession is advocacy. Intercession is warfare. Every individual needs prayer; families need prayer; churches need prayer; cities and nations need prayer.

5. Gatekeepers are responsible to guard God's secrets.

There are secrets that God only shares with His trusted children. Amos 3:7. A gatekeeper knows how to keep his or her mouth closed when its necessary. They are the custodians of God's secrets and the secrets of the people.

6. Gatekeepers hold the keys to open or close gates. Matthew 16:19.

Elijah was a gatekeeper. James 5:17-18.

7. Gatekeepers keep watch for the Lord’s return. Mark 13:34

8. The gatekeeper is a protector and defender.

Gatekeepers of the city do not consist only of clergy and pastors. They include politicians, educators, economists, health officials, media personal and certain lay persons.

9. Gatekeepers are people of influence who can readily determine the ebb and flow of what goes on in the life of their city. 

From Scripture we learn that they are to protect the city, to make decisions concerning it, to discern what is right and wrong, to determinate city’s direction, to govern it(at time spiritually) to allow or deny entry to whatever form of influence seeks to enter it, to remain vigilant at all times and not to leave their posts.

What are the qualifications to be a gatekeeper?

1. You must know God.

2. Seek the leading of the Lord.

4. You must be clean. Nehemiah 13:22; Acts 24:16.

5. You must be trustworthy. 1 Chronicles 9:22.

6. You must be alert. A guard cannot go to sleep on duty.

7. You must be strong and courageous. 1 Chronicles 26:6-9; 1 Peter 5:8-9.

8. You must be wise. You need God’s wisdom as you watch over the gates.

9. Be ready to sacrifice your sleep and time gatekeeping.

10. Be disciplined. You must watch over what comes in and what goes out. 11. Have faith. James 5:15.

12. Addicted to praise and worship. Acts 16:25-26.

13. Be obedient. Deuteronomy 28:1. Deuteronomy 28:7. Deuteronomy 28:13. 14. Be a reader and doer of the Word. Matthew 4:4.

15. You must be ready to wait in the presence of God.

16. Be prayerful. James 5:17-18.

17. Have a strategy of prayer to take over the gates from the enemy.

(1). Jericho warfare - inside and outside the church, home or city;

(2). Street warfare - praying in the street of your home or community;

(3). House to House warfare - praying from house to house;

(4). Strategic warfare - praying at specific locations;

(5). Dedication warfare - anointing the land, ground for rededication to the Lord; 

(6). Community praise - joining together to lift up the banner of Jesus Christ.

“So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.” Ezekiel 22:30.

Are you willing to be a gatekeeper for your family, church, city or nation? 

Then stand watch with added commitment today. There's a reward!

Like Jonah, have you failed in your God's given assignment, due to one reason or the other? 

Repent and come back to God today. It’s not too late.

" Therefore, I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." 1 Timothy 2:2-4. 1 Peter 5:1-14.