Dr.
David R. Reagan
The Eastern Gate in the old walled city of
Jerusalem has a very special place in my heart, for it was that gate which God
used to open my eyes to His Prophetic Word.
The year was 1967. The occasion was the Six
Day War. As the fate of the new state of Israel hung in the balance, I searched
the newspapers daily for any information I could find about the war. The turning
point came on June 7 when the Israeli army broke through the Lion's Gate and
returned control of the ancient city of Jerusalem to the Jewish people for the
first time in 1,897 years.
The next day I read a fascinating news account
about one of the Jewish commando groups that had been involved in the assault on
the city. The article stated that some members of the group had suggested
catching the Jordanian defenders of the city off guard by blowing open the
sealed Eastern Gate. But the leader of the group, an Orthodox Jew, had
vehemently protested the idea, stating that "the Eastern Gate can be opened
only when the Messiah comes."
That statement caught my eye. I wondered what
the fellow was talking about. I knew nothing about the Eastern Gate except that
it was the only gate of the city that led directly onto the Temple Mount. I was
not aware that it was sealed, nor did I know that its opening was in any way
biblically linked to the return of the Messiah.
I decided to do some research on the matter,
and that decision initiated my study of Bible prophecy. I had been attending
church for 30 years, but like most Christians, I knew nothing about Bible
prophecy. The topic was generally ignored by the preachers in the church I grew
up in.
My concordance quickly directed me to the
passage that the Orthodox Jew had alluded to. I found it in Ezekiel 44. The
context is a supernatural tour the Lord is giving Ezekiel of the future
Millennial Temple (40:1-3).
In chapter 43 the Lord gives Ezekiel a vision
of God's glory entering the Millennial Temple from the east, through the Eastern
Gate. The Lord then says to Ezekiel: "Son of
Man, this is the place of My throne and the place of the soles of my feet where
I will dwell among the sons of Israel forever" (43:7).
The Lord then reveals to Ezekiel that the
Eastern Gate will be closed and will not be reopened until the Messiah returns
in glory (44:1-3).
This prophecy was partially fulfilled more
than 400 years ago in 1517 when the Turks conquered Jerusalem under the
leadership of Suleiman the Magnificent. He commanded that the city's ancient
walls be rebuilt, and in the midst of this rebuilding project, for some unknown
reason, he ordered that the Eastern Gate be sealed up with stones.
Legends abound as to why Suleiman closed the
Gate. The most believable one is that while the walls were being rebuilt, a
rumor swept Jerusalem that the Messiah was coming. Suleiman called together some
Jewish rabbis and asked them to tell him about the Messiah. They described the
Messiah as a great military leader who would be sent by God from the east. He
would enter the Eastern Gate and liberate the city from foreign control.
Suleiman then decided to put an end to Jewish
hopes by ordering the Eastern Gate sealed. He also put a Muslim cemetery in
front of the Gate, believing that no Jewish holy man would defile himself by
walking through a Muslim cemetery.
The Gate has remained sealed since that time.
The Muslim cemetery still blocks the entrance. The old walled city has eight
gates, and the Eastern Gate, and it alone, is sealed — just as prophesied in
Ezekiel 44. The world would call that an "amazing coincidence." I call
it a "God-incidence."
The Eastern Gate is proof positive that the
Bible is the Word of God. Its sealing is clear evidence that we are living in
the end times. The Gate awaits the return of the Messiah. Then and only then,
will it be opened.
I have a vision of what that glorious day will
be like. It is related to the Lord's First Coming. I believe Jesus is going to
replay His triumphal entry into Jerusalem when He returns.
When He came the first time, Jesus rode a
donkey from the Mount of Olives down into the Kidron Valley and up to the
Eastern Gate where He entered the Temple Mount for His last days of teaching. As
He made that ride, the Valley of Kidron was filled with thousands of admirers
who had heard about the resurrection of Lazarus. They waved palm branches and
chanted, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" Within a few days that same
fickle crowd was shouting, "Crucify Him!"
We are told in Revelation 19 that when Jesus
returns He will come as a victorious military conqueror, riding through the air
on a supernatural white horse. In Isaiah 61 we are told that He will come from
the east, and in Zechariah 14 we are told that he will touch ground on the Mount
of Olives.
Revelation 19:14 says that all the Redeemed
will come with the Lord. Think of it! You and I will be there to witness the
Lord's return. Zechariah 14 says He will speak a word that will supernaturally
destroy the Anti-Christ and his forces.
Then, I believe we will witness a replay of
the Lord's triumphant entry into Jerusalem. With angels hovering above and
millions of the Redeemed filling the Kidron Valley, Jesus will ride up to the
Eastern Gate on His white horse, and as He approaches the Gate, it will blow
open. He will then enter the City of David, and to the triumphant shouts of
"Hosanna to the Son of David," He will be crowned the Kings of kings
and the Lord of lords.
I believe that's what Psalm
24 is all about when it says:
Lift up your heads, O gates, and be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in! Who is the King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, The Lord mighty in battle . . . The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory.