The Ten Gates of Jerusalem. Pt. 12

Good and blessed morning to all of our Faithful Readers

Here is a bit of review to help us keep the message of the Ten Gates before us.

• The Sheep Gate (Salvation) points us to Jesus Christ the Lamb of God and our salvation.

• The Fish Gate (Service) points us to serving Jesus Christ by being fisher's of men.

• The Old Gate (Standards) points us to the unchanging standards of Jehovah's Word and our need to stay in the good path and the good way that scripture marks out.

• The Valley Gate (Suffering)  points us to the sufferings of Christ and the general struggles of living in a sin cursed world. Born again Christians are in a battle against a fierce enemy who would seek to send us into a dark valley of suffering.

• The Dung Gate (Sanctification) points out our need to carry out the dung and trash (sin) that accumulates in our minds or through our actions. 

• The Fountain Gate (Supplying) points us to relying on the Spirit of God.  Jesus said the Spirit is like a river of waters springing up to life everlasting. 

• The Water Gate (Sufficiency) reminds us that God gave us everything we need to know for this life and for preparation of eternal life.  The Scriptures are the full revelation from God to man.  We cannot live without them nor can we have spiritual life without them. 

• The Horse Gate (Struggles & Sacrifice) is the gate of battle.  It looks out on the Kidron Valley where many terrible things happened with regard to idolatry.  It reminds us that we will have a lifelong battle against the powers of darkness. 

Our Lord has granted us another day of life and  an opportunity to live for His honor and glory.  When I read through the book of Acts, I am always struck by the unbridled passion for Jesus Christ that the first generation of new Christians displayed.  I desire that same zeal and passion in my own life and I am sure many of you long for this as well. 

Our Readers come to visit this blog from at least 10 different nations around the world.  Can we continue to pray together that the Spirit of God will do a reviving and purifying work in the church of Jesus Christ, no matter where we live?

The church in America is infected with the same lethargy and apathy that led Christ to condemn the Laodicean church.  I am pretty sure that this is true in many churches around the world. 

Apathy and lethargy must be purged out in order for zeal and revival to occur.  It begins at the individual level with you and me. Let us pray for the Spirit of God to begin a work in our own hearts that will spread like a flame and be used to reawaken slumbering Christians everywhere for God's glory.



The 9th Gate in our study is the East Gate as seen in the photo above.  This gate faces East and was the first gate to be opened in the morning at the rising of the sun.

The East Gate remains completely sealed shut.  It was sealed in the 1500's by the Ottoman Empire in order to prevent the Jewish Messiah from entering through it.  This gate seems primarily focused upon some past judgment and future promises of God. Therefore we shall see that it is uniquely connected with the Coming of Christ. 

Let's begin by looking at the text.  We do not see much regarding the condition of this gate but it certainly needed to be rebuilt like the other gates that we have studied.  Zadok helped complete the work on the East Gate.  His name means "righteousness."  He was assisted by Shemaiah and his name means "repaid by Jehovah."

Hananiah, Hanun and Meshullam worked alongside Zaddok and Shemaiah.  These 3 men were mentioned in connection to earlier gates that we studied and it seems that as work was finished on one section the workers were reassigned to help in other areas. 

Nehemiah 3:29-30 After them repaired Zadok the son of Immer over against his house. After him repaired also Shemaiah the son of Shechaniah, the keeper of the east gate. 
After him repaired Hananiah the son of Shelemiah, and Hanun the sixth son of Zalaph, another piece. After him repaired Meshullam the son of Berechiah over against his chamber.


The East Gate is connected with a great miracle of Christ.

The East Gate is sometimes called the Beautiful Gate or the Gate of Mercy.  The following text tells us about Peter healing a man from birth at this gate.  It gives us a spiritual context to think about what this gate means.  It was a notable miracle done through the power of our risen Lord Jesus Christ.  This gate provided the most direct access to the Temple. 

Acts 3:1-10 Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour. 
And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple; 
Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms. 
And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us. 
And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them. 
Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. 
And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. 
And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God. 
And all the people saw him walking and praising God: 
And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him.

The East Gate was frequently visited by Jesus Christ. 

If you go out of the East Gate you are headed toward the Mount of Olives.  It is the place that Jesus visited frequently during His earthly ministry. 

Luke 22:39 And he came out, and went, as he was wont, to the mount of Olives; and his disciples also followed him. 

And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation.

When Jesus taught openly in the Temple he went to the Mount of Olives to spend the night.

Luke 21:37-38  And in the day time he was teaching in the temple; and at night he went out, and abode in the mount that is called the mount of Olives. 

And all the people came early in the morning to him in the temple, for to hear him.

Jesus visited this place three times during the last week of His earthly ministry.  The first time was when Christ triumphantly entered Jerusalem and the multitude worshipped Jesus.

Luke 19:37-38 And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen; 

Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest. 

Jesus' second visit was when he preached the "Olivet Discourse" to teach His disciples about the signs of His return to earth and the final judgment of humanity.  This is found in Matthew 24.

Jesus' third visit is referenced above in the text from Luke 22:39 where He entered the garden to pray the night of His betrayal. 

The Mount of Olives is where Jesus Christ ascended back to His Father in Heaven.

Acts 1:9-12 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. 

And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; 
Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day’s journey.

The Mount of Olives is where Jesus Christ will return to establish His kingdom.

Zechariah 14:1-4 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. 

For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. 
Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. 
And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.

The East Gate is where Ezekiel saw the glory of God leave the Temple.

We noted these events previously when we studied the Divine Name Jehovah Shamma.

Ezekiel 10:18-19 Then the glory of the LORD departed from off the threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubims. 

And the cherubims lifted up their wings, and mounted up from the earth in my sight: when they went out, the wheels also were beside them, and every one stood at the door of the east gate of the LORD’S house; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above.

The Mount referred to in this text is the Mount of Olives.  The East Gate is on that side of Jerusalem facing the Mount of Olives. 

Ezekiel 11:22-23 Then did the cherubims lift up their wings, and the wheels beside them; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above. 
And the glory of the LORD went up from the midst of the city, and stood upon the mountain which is on the east side of the city. 

The East Gate will be opened at the coming of Jesus Christ to establish His kingdom. 

This final text from Ezekiel looks forward to the full restoration of the nation of Israel and the establishment of the millennial kingdom of Christ.

His glorious voice sounding like the noise of many waters and the light of His glory shines on the earth.  These images match up with what John described when he saw the glorified Son of God in Revelation 1.  All people will fall down and worship Jehovah just as Paul wrote when he said "every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord of lords and King of kings."

Jesus is going to enter the new temple through the East Gate.  The departed glory of God will once again fill the holy temple.  If seeing all of this was not enough, the Lord showed Ezekiel where His throne would be placed.  What a glorious day this will be!

Ezekiel 43:1-7 Afterward he brought me to the gate, even the gate that looketh toward the east: 

And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: and his voice was like a noise of many waters: and the earth shined with his glory. 
And it was according to the appearance of the vision which I saw, even according to the vision that I saw when I came to destroy the city: and the visions were like the vision that I saw by the river Chebar; and I fell upon my face. 
And the glory of the LORD came into the house by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east. 
So the spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court; and, behold, the glory of the LORD filled the house. 
And I heard him speaking unto me out of the house; and the man stood by me.
And he said unto me, Son of man, the place of my throne, and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel for ever, and my holy name, shall the house of Israel no more defile, neither they, nor their kings, by their whoredom, nor by the carcases of their kings in their high places.

The message of the East Gate: Jesus Christ will return and will rule and reign over all peoples of the earth. It is the Gate of the Sovereign Savior. 

The last words of Ezekiel's prophecy shall be literally fulfilled in Jerusalem.  Jehovah Shamma--The LORD is there.  Jesus Christ who is Jehovah in the flesh will be there among mankind. 

My mind cannot begin to understand what this will be like but I know this, it will be good because God is good.  It will be holy because God is holy.  It will be righteous because God is righteous. It will be full of grace and mercy because God is the source of grace and mercy.  It will be full of truth because God is the sole source of truth.  The beauty of Jehovah's holiness will fill the earth and His people shall seek after holiness. 

Points to Ponder....

• Jesus will return one day. 

• Are you ready to stand face to face with your Creator? 

• Are you born again into the family of God?

• All the fulness of the Godhead dwells in Christ bodily. We will see the indescribable glory of the Father, Son and Spirit on display.

• If the King is returning what will that day be like?

Serious questions to think about.  We studied the rapture of the believer in a series of earlier posts.  There are many parables and teachings that Jesus gave which tell us what it will be like when He returns. 

One is the parable of the ten virgins.  5 had oil symbolizing the indwelling presence of the Spirit of God.  5 had no oil indicating that they may have been religious but not regenerated.  All ten virgins were waiting for the wedding of the bridegroom. Some were prepared and some were not. 

Do not be unprepared for the coming Day of the Lord.  I have shown the way of salvation in numerous posts.  Jesus said "Ye must be born again."  There are no exceptions to this command.  If you are not saved when Jesus returns then you will be in that group who are cast into outer darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. 

At some point I would like to study the parables that concern the second coming of Christ. 

Bob