North Gate

The North Gate holds significant importance in biblical texts, particularly in the context of the Temple in Jerusalem. In Ezekiel's vision of the new Temple, the North Gate is one of the three main gates described, alongside the East and South Gates. Ezekiel 40:20-23 provides a detailed description of the North Gate: "As for the gate of the outer court that faced north, he measured its length and width. Its gate chambers, three on each side, its gateposts, and its portico had the same measurements as the first gate: fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. Its windows, portico, and palm trees had the same measurements as those of the gate facing east. Seven steps led up to it, and its portico was opposite them."

The North Gate is often associated with judgment and divine presence. In Ezekiel 8:3-5 , the prophet is taken in a vision to the North Gate of the inner court, where he witnesses idolatrous practices: "He stretched out what looked like a hand and took me by the hair of my head. The Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven and carried me in visions of God to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the north gate of the inner court, where the idol that provokes to jealousy stood. And there before me was the glory of the God of Israel, as in the vision I had seen in the plain."

The North Gate's association with judgment is further emphasized in Jeremiah 1:14-15 , where the Lord declares, "From the north disaster will be poured out on all who live in the land. For I am about to summon all the clans and kingdoms of the north," declares the LORD. "Their kings will come and set up their thrones at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem; they will come against all her surrounding walls and against all the cities of Judah."

South Gate

The South Gate, like the North Gate, is part of the architectural design of the Temple as described in Ezekiel's vision. Ezekiel 40:24-27 provides the measurements and features of the South Gate: "Then the man led me to the south side, and I saw a gate facing south. He measured its gateposts and portico, and they had the same measurements as the others. The gateway and its portico had windows all around like the other windows; it was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. Seven steps led up to it, and its portico was opposite them. It had palm trees on its gateposts, one on each side."

The South Gate, while not as frequently mentioned as the North Gate, plays a role in the orderly worship and movement within the Temple complex. In Ezekiel 46:9 , the South Gate is part of the prescribed movement for worshipers: "When the people of the land come before the LORD at the appointed feasts, whoever enters by the north gate to worship must go out by the south gate, and whoever enters by the south gate must go out by the north gate. No one may return through the gate by which he entered, but must go out by the opposite gate."

This regulation underscores the importance of order and reverence in worship, ensuring that the flow of people within the Temple is structured and respectful. The South Gate, therefore, serves as a symbol of the orderly approach to worship and the presence of God.

In summary, both the North and South Gates are integral to the structure and function of the Temple as envisioned by Ezekiel. They represent not only physical entry points but also spiritual principles of judgment, order, and reverence in the worship of God.