Gates" in ancient times had a significance that does not hold in the modern world. Cities then were enclosed by walls for protection; gates in the walls let people in and out to do their business, but were also the weak points in the cities' defenses. In the Bible, cities on one level represent the minds of individual people. On a broader level, they represent beliefs shared by a community. The gates, then, represent openings where the Lord can feed us an understanding of truth and a desire for good. They also represent points where the hells can invade and sway us with false ideas and evil desires. We are kept in balance during our lifetimes, with influences from both the Lord and from hell. Ideally, we will over our lifetimes continue to invite the Lord farther and farther in and drive the hells back until ultimately the Lord can occupy our minds completely. And that point our belief in Him and His power and love will hold the gates and deny evil any entrance. As individuals, we at that point become angels. As communities, we at that point become part of the Lord's church. And at that point the gates become an entry point, introductory truths that allow people to enter churches and start bringing the Lord into their lives.

3828. Verses 21-24 And Jacob said to Laban, Give me my wife, for my days are completed, and I will go [in] to her. And Laban gathered together all the men of the place and made a feast. And so it was in the evening that he took Leah his daughter and brought her to him; and he came [in] to her. And Laban gave to her Zilpah his servant-girl - to Leah his daughter to be her servant-girl.

'Jacob said to Laban, Give me my wife' means that general good was now to be joined to the affection for interior truth. 'For my days are completed, so that I may go [in] to her' means that that state had now been reached. 'And Laban gathered together all the men of the place' means all the truths belonging to that state. 'And made a feast' means the introduction. 'And so it was in the evening' means when the state was still obscure. 'That he took Leah his daughter and brought her to him; and he came [in] to her' means that as yet it was a joining merely to the affection for external truth. 'And Laban gave to her Zilpah his servant-girl - to Leah his daughter to be her servant-girl' means external affections or external bonds which are subservient means.