Topical Bible: Gates: Made of Iron

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In biblical literature, gates often symbolize power, authority, and protection. The mention of gates made of iron specifically highlights strength and impenetrability, serving as a metaphor for divine protection and the formidable barriers that God can overcome for His people.

Biblical References:

1. Psalm 107:16 · "For He has broken down the gates of bronze and cut through the bars of iron."
This verse celebrates God's deliverance and power to break through the strongest of barriers. The imagery of iron gates here underscores the might and seemingly insurmountable obstacles that God can dismantle for the sake of His people. It reflects the theme of liberation and divine intervention, where God acts as the ultimate liberator, freeing His people from bondage and oppression.

2. Isaiah 45:2 · "I will go before you and level the mountains; I will break down the gates of bronze and cut through the bars of iron."
In this passage, God promises to go before Cyrus, the Persian king, to prepare the way for his conquests. The breaking of iron gates signifies God's sovereign power to remove obstacles and ensure victory. It serves as a reassurance of God's providence and His ability to fulfill His purposes through chosen instruments, even those outside the covenant community.

Symbolism and Interpretation:

Iron gates in the Bible symbolize formidable challenges and the strength of human or spiritual opposition. Their mention often accompanies themes of divine intervention, where God demonstrates His supremacy over earthly powers. The breaking of iron gates is a powerful metaphor for God's ability to deliver His people from captivity and to open paths that were previously inaccessible.

From a theological perspective, the imagery of iron gates being broken can also be seen as a foreshadowing of Christ's victory over sin and death. Just as God breaks through physical barriers for His people, Christ's resurrection breaks the spiritual barriers that separate humanity from God, offering eternal life and freedom from sin.

Historical and Cultural Context:

In ancient times, city gates were crucial for defense and commerce. They were often constructed from strong materials like iron to withstand attacks and control access. The strength of a city's gates was a measure of its security and power. Thus, the biblical references to iron gates would resonate with contemporary audiences as symbols of strength and security, making God's ability to break them all the more significant.

Theological Implications:

The breaking of iron gates by divine power emphasizes God's omnipotence and His commitment to His covenant people. It reassures believers of God's ability to overcome any obstacle, whether physical, spiritual, or emotional. This theme encourages faith and trust in God's provision and protection, affirming that no barrier is too great for Him to overcome on behalf of those who trust in Him.

In summary, the concept of iron gates in the Bible serves as a powerful symbol of God's deliverance and the assurance of His mighty intervention in the lives of His people.

Nave's Topical Index

Acts 12:10
When they were past the first and the second ward, they came to the iron gate that leads to the city; which opened to them of his own accord: and they went out, and passed on through one street; and immediately the angel departed from him.
Nave's Topical Index

Library

Shoes of Iron, and Strength Sufficient: a New Year's Promise
... What a mercy it is, when God strengthens our gates and secures the bars thereof ... that
it would be a very unusual thing for shoes to be made of iron and brass. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 35 1889/shoes of iron and strength.htm

How the Sedition was Again Revived Within Jerusalem and yet the ...
... as the zealots thought it was made against themselves ... So these left off guarding
the gates any longer ... were beaten both with wooden and with iron weapons without ...
/.../chapter 3 how the sedition.htm

Whether Christ Made any Stay in Hell?
... Lord and Saviour's bidding all 'the bars of iron were burst ... Ps.23:7, 9): "Lift up
your gates, O ye ... into hell: and consequently it appears that He made no stay ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether christ made any stay.htm

Men Chosen --Fallen Angels Rejected
... Thine iron bars, O death, cannot be filed by mortal, and thy chains are ... who snapped
the fetter, cut the bars of brass, unlocked the gates, and made his way ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 2 1856/men chosenfallen angels rejected.htm

How Herod Rebuilt the Temple and Raised it Higher and Made it More ...
... the inward parts were fastened together with iron, and preserved ... places which were
about the wall, and made it a ... This cloister looked to the gates of the temple ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 11 how herod rebuilt.htm

The Northern Iron and the Steel
... Then the gates of hell are to prevail against the church ... The iron will never break
the northern iron and the ... at the bidding of spring, a people made willing in ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 17 1871/the northern iron and the.htm

How one of the Towers Erected by the Romans Fell Down of Its Own ...
... on fire, because they were covered with plates of iron. ... mounted the breach, where
Nico had made one, and ... gotten over that wall opened the gates, and received ...
/.../chapter 7 how one of.htm

Palestine under Pagan Kings.
... They had twenty gates made of solid brass, and were surmounted with two hundred
and ... the machines were large enough to discharge beams loaded with iron; and one ...
/.../headley/half hours in bible lands volume 2/palestine under pagan kings.htm

Christ the Breaker
... of brass, and who cuts the bars of iron in sunder ... Breaker is gone up before us,'
the prison gates are open ... fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made you free ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture a/christ the breaker.htm

A Description of the Temple.
... whereas those that led thither from the other gates were five ... any iron tool, nor
did any such iron tool so ... of partition, about a cubit in height, made of fine ...
/.../chapter 5 a description of 2.htm