Titus 2:13, “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ.”

As we walk around Jerusalem, we now come to my favorite gate and perhaps the most photographed gate of Jerusalem today.

THE EAST GATE (Nehemiah 3:29)

It is a beautiful gate. And yes, it is the site of the Beautiful Gate where Peter and John prayed for the crippled man and he was healed, the first miracle after Jesus ascended. (Acts 3:1-10)  It is a huge double gate in the center of the eastern wall of the Temple Mount.  I am sure you have seen pictures of it.  The two arched gates have names – the southern is called the Gate of Mercy and the northern one is called the Gate of Repentance.  It is also called The Golden Gate and faces the Mount of Olives.

Many times I have looked over to the Golden Gate from the Mount of Olives and thought of how Jesus will walk through this gate again when He comes the second time. This is what the East Gate represents – the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ from heaven.  He will return to the Mount of Olives and then walk through the Golden Gate into Jerusalem.  Zechariah prophesied, “And in that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east.  And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, from east to west, making a very large valley… And the Lord shall be King over all the earth.”  (Zechariah 14:4-9)

Jesus is called the Bright and Morning Star and also the Sun of Righteousness.  (Revelation 22:16, Malachi 4:2).  Both rise in the east.

There is a very interesting prophecy about the East Gate in Ezekiel 44:1-3, “Then he brought me back the way of the gate of the outward sanctuary which looks toward the east; and it was shut. Then said the Lord unto me; this gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter in by it; because the Lord, the God of Israel has entered in by it, therefore it shall be shut. It is for the prince; the prince, he shall sit in it to eat bread before the Lord; he shall enter by the way of the porch of that gate, and shall go out by the way of the same.”

This prophecy was partly fulfilled six hundred years later, when the Lord Jesus triumphantly entered into Jerusalem four days before His crucifixion.  It is now known as Palm Sunday.  (Matthew 21:1-11)  Shortly afterwards, the Romans ruined the gate and it was closed to all commerce.

Years later, Moslems conquered the city, and upon the site of Solomon’s temple, built their shrine, the Dome of the Rock.  In 1543 Sultan Suleiman rebuilt the Golden Gate and planned to make a triumphal entry into Jerusalem through its portals. However, for some unknown reason, and without explanation, (except that he was unknowingly fulfilling Biblical prophecy) he cancelled the procession and ordered the gate to be closed.  Every other gate in Jerusalem is open today but this gate is still shut – and will be until Jesus Christ who is Lord of lords and King of kings walks through it again!

·        The Bible urges us to look for His glorious appearing.  (Philippians 3:20; Titus2:13; 2 Peter 3:12)

·        It tells us to wait for His coming.  (1 Corinthians 1:7; 1 Thessalonians 1:10)

·        We are to prepare for His coming. (2 Corinthians 5:10; 1 John 2:28; 3:2-3)

·        We must be ready for His coming.  (Matthew 24:44; 25:14)

·        We are to love His appearing.  (2 Timothy 4:8)

Are we looking and preparing for His coming?  I was particularly challenged about this earlier this year.  After waiting for 13 years for our son and his wife to come from Australia to be with us here in Tennessee, we heard rumors that they were on their way.  But we had no idea of the date, as they wanted to keep it a surprise.  We started to prepare for their coming.  Every day we wondered if this would be they day!  We would receive clues, wait in anticipation, and then be disappointed.  We could hardly stand the suspense.  Eventually the great day arrived – and it was a surprise!  What excitement for the whole family as in-laws and nieces and nephews all met for the first time.  Afterwards I felt very challenged and had to ask myself, “Am I looking for the Lord’s return with us much anticipation as I looked for our son’s coming?

If we are truly looking for His coming, it will change the way we live.  It will change the atmosphere of our home.  Perhaps we could do some repairing of the East Gate.

Love from NANCY CAMPBELL

PRAYER:

“Oh Lord, please help me to be aware that this life is only preparation for the next life, which is the real life.  Help me to live in anticipation of your coming.  Amen.”

 

AFFIRMATION: