Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brethren the priests and built the Sheep Gate; they consecrated it and hung its doors … Nehemiah 3:1

A major work of Nehemiah was rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. The walls had 10 different gates or entrances that gave access to the house of God. Just like there were 10 gates that needed to be restored, there are 10 things in the restoration work of God within the Church today.

(1) The Sheep Gate (Neh. 3:1-2). God wants to restore the shepherding and caring of those who are weak, vulnerable, broken, sick and lost. For the Church to be healthy, proper pastoral care and discipleship is absolutely vital.

(2) The Fish Gate (3:3-5). The primary purpose of the Church is soul-winning. Yet, many Christians detest being fishers of men because fish smell bad. They are also dirty, slippery and hard to handle. Never be so consumed by your self-importance and self-need that you fail to be an effective soul-winner.

(3) The Old Gate (3:6-8). This gate refers to the things that have been established a long time ago—the ancient Bible truths and scriptural doctrines that have stood the test of time. As they repaired the Old Gate, the residence of the governor was also restored. Authority in life is found as the believer grounds himself in sound doctrine.

(4) The Valley Gate (3:13). Valleys are very low places. They speak of humility. There is the need to restore humility back into the Church life. We must remember that unless the Lord builds the house, they who build it labor in vain.

(5) The Refuse Gate (3:13). This speaks to us of sanctification—getting rid of the things that poisons our spiritual lives if we hold on to them. What is the “refuse” or “dung” in your life that is keeping you from loving God 100 percent? Dump it at the Refuse Gate.

(6) The Fountain Gate (3:15). The fountain speaks to us of the fullness of the Holy Spirit. The fullness of the Holy Spirit brings with it authority and power for leadership. We need to restore the Fountain Gate back in the Church.

(7) The Water Gate (3:26). The Water Gate again speaks of the restoration of the Word of God in our lives (Eph. 5:26).

(8) The Horse Gate (3:28). The horse is seldom afraid of danger. God wants His Church to be strong in spiritual warfare.

(9) The East Gate (3:29). The sun rises from the east. This gate, therefore, speaks of light, glory, hope and vision. God wants to restore a strong sense of vision and purpose back to the Church.

(10) The Miphkad Gate (3:31-32). Miphkad in Hebrew means to remember or to recall. God wants us to constantly recount the sacrifice of Calvary and never to trade off our spiritual values and calling for the worthless things of this world.