God’s Spirit hovered over the dark, lifeless planet Earth (Gen. 1:2). In three days, God separated the light from the darkness, the waters above from the waters below, and the dry ground from the sea (Gen. 1:3-13). Then, in the next three days,  He filled them with lights to govern the day and night, with birds and fish, and with living creatures and humans (Gen. 1:14-30). God saw all that He had made in six days, and it was very good (Gen. 1:31). Like a conquering King returning home, God added one more thing to make the week full of life — His Presence. Because God ceased, shabbat, on the seventh day, He established and blessed it as a sacred space and holy time in partnership with humanity (Gen. 2:1-3).

To imitate His work of giving life to a lifeless planet, God granted humans kingship over His creation to serve as shepherds, fostering peace
and harmony by exercising justice and mercy. A good shepherd cares for the garden’s needs, protecting it from harm and exploitation by
standing in the doorway. In this way, humans worship God, exercising the tree of life’s wisdom.

Unlike neighboring nations and lacking hierarchical status, Israel’s kings, as God’s servants, were to demonstrate kingship by shepherding the people. When their king did not elevate himself above the people, the people, in turn, easily served the king. Because Israel’s kings failed, Israel looked for an anointed Davidic king–a shepherd of humanity–to stand in the gap.

Jesus Christ said, “I AM the door of the sheep,” “I AM the door,” and twice, “I AM the good shepherd” who lays down His life for the sheep (Jhn. 10:7, 9, 11, 14). The King of Glory claimed kingship because He victoriously laid down His life for the sheep in justice and mercy, turning the key to the seventh day. The door, the place of becoming holy, is the Good Shepherd. How He unlocked the secret to Eden’s door is housed in three Hebrew words.

John pointed out three Hebrew words in His Gospel: Bethesda (house of mercy), Gabbatha (paved judgment seat), and Golgotha (place of the skull, the census), which total 434, (229 + 19 + 186), the same as creation’s door (dalet), 434, to the Sabbath. The door to the Father’s House of Mercy was
opened by the Messiah’s sacrifice when He was condemned for our transgressions before Pilate and died outside the gates so our names could be registered in the Book of Life at the east entrance to His holy mountain. When a person enters His Sabbath fellowship through experiencing the Door, the Good Shepherd King, then “he has known My name” (letter sum 434, Psa. 91:14).  To know God and Jesus Christ is eternal life (John 3:17).

Takeaway:
Having laid down His life, the Shepherd King of Glory is the door into Eden’s eternal Sabbath through which we can intimately know His name and bear much fruit. The Door is the place of judgment and mercy, where, because of His sacrifice, our names may be written in His Book of Life.

Fun Factors: 
John 10’s “I AM the door of the sheep” (3944), I AM the door” (1391), and twice “I AM the Good Shepherd” (3189) add to 8519. The number 8519 = 7 × 1217, or 7(312 + 162). Seven is completion and wholeness, the Sabbath; God’s name El = 31; 16 or 42 represents the square (perfection) of God’s holy city. The Hebrew letter for door, dalet, has a letter sum of 434, 14 × 31, and the Greek for the door, tes thyras, has a letter sum of 518, 14 × 37. Both 31 and 37 are numeric values of God’s names respectively, El and Elah.

434 = the total words of Genesis 1, the six days of creation
434 = the fourth letter of the Hebrew alphabet, dalet, ד, symbol of a door
434 = the judgment (הַמִּשְפָט, Exo. 23:6, 28:30, Strong’s H4941)
434 = to sanctify (לְקַדַּשׁ, Neh. 13:22, Eze. 46:20, Strong’s H6942)
434 = the sixty-two weeks of Daniel’s seventy-week prophecy of Israel’s restoration (7 × 62)
434 = John’s three Hebrew words, Bethesda “house of mercy”, Gabbatha “paved judgment seat”, and Golgotha “place of the skull, census”, 229 + 19 + 186

The Hebrew word for door, pethach, פֶּתַח, has a letter sum of 488, 8 × 61, or 8(5² + 6²), or 22² + 2²; 61 is the 18^th prime and 8^th Pythagorean Prime, alluding to the eight Feasts of YHWH in His holy (25) tabernacle (36). The number 61 is the center of a triangle of 153.  It also matches the 6 + 1 = 7 creation equation, which, when squared, 6² + 1² = 37, yields the constant associated with God’s names and titles.