| e near future, the world will witness the most | | | | components of Ezekiel’s prophecy and |
| awesome event in all of human history. Jesus | | | | compare them to the historical record. In so |
| Christ will physically return to earth in order to | | | | doing, we will learn the identity of the Prince who |
| exact vengeance on the enemies of God. Known | | | | will open the Eastern Gate and what His doing so |
| as the “Commander of Heaven’s | | | | will mean for the world. |
| Armies,” Christ will appear in sky like | | | | The first question a person might ask is why is |
| lightning, and every eye will see Him. His feet will | | | | the gate closed? In the aforementioned passage, |
| touch down on the Mount of Olives, on the very | | | | the Lord tells Ezekiel the eastern gate must be |
| place from which He ascended, and thus fulfill a | | | | closed because: |
| prophecy made almost 2,000 years by two | | | | “The Lord, the God of Israel, entered |
| angels on the Mount of Olives: | | | | here.” Ezekiel 44:2 (NLT) |
| “After saying this, he was taken up into a | | | | At the time the Book of Ezekiel was first written, |
| cloud while they were watching, and they could no | | | | this statement prophesied a future event. |
| longer see him. As they strained to see him rising | | | | However, this event transpired a few hundred |
| into heaven, two white-robed men suddenly stood | | | | years later, when Jesus of Nazareth triumphantly |
| among them. ‘Men of Galilee,’ | | | | entered the Eastern Gate in preparation for the |
| they said, ‘why are you standing here | | | | Passover festivities: |
| staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from | | | | “The next day, the news that Jesus was |
| you into heaven, but someday he will return from | | | | on the way to Jerusalem swept through the city. |
| heaven in the same way you saw him | | | | A large crowd of Passover visitors took palm |
| go!’” Acts 1:9-11 (NLT) | | | | branches and went down the road to meet him. |
| When Christ returns, He will enter Jerusalem | | | | They shouted, ‘Praise God! Blessings on |
| through the Eastern Gate of the Old City walls. In | | | | the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hail |
| so doing, He will fulfill not only the prophecy of | | | | to the King of Israel!’ Jesus found a young |
| these two angels, but innumerable prophecies | | | | donkey and rode on it, fulfilling the prophecy that |
| recorded by God’s prophets for the | | | | said: ‘Don’t be afraid, people of |
| benefit of mankind. | | | | Jerusalem. Look, your King is coming, riding on a |
| The Eastern Gate | | | | donkey’s colt.’ His disciples |
| Approximately 2,600 years ago, the prophet | | | | didn’t understand at the time that this |
| Ezekiel was given a vision of the Glory of the | | | | was a fulfillment of prophecy. But after Jesus |
| Lord: | | | | entered into his glory, they remembered what |
| “After this, the man brought me back | | | | had happened and realized that these things had |
| around to the east gateway. Suddenly, the glory | | | | been written about him.” John 12:12-16 |
| of the God of Israel appeared from the east. The | | | | (NLT) |
| sound of his coming was like the roar of rushing | | | | As this passage states, the triumphant entry of |
| waters, and the whole landscape shone with His | | | | Jesus of Nazareth fulfilled an additional prophecy, |
| glory. This vision was just like the others I had | | | | one made over 500 years earlier by the prophet |
| seen, first by the Kebar River and then when he | | | | Zechariah: |
| came to destroy Jerusalem. I fell face down on | | | | “Rejoice greatly, O people of Zion! Shout |
| the ground. And the glory of the Lord came into | | | | in triumph, O people of Jerusalem! Look, your King |
| the Temple through the east gateway.” | | | | is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious, |
| Ezekiel 43:1-4 (NLT) | | | | yet he is humble, riding on a donkey – |
| Ezekiel’s vision was no ordinary vision, for | | | | even on a donkey’s colt.” |
| He witnessed nothing less than the Glorious | | | | Zechariah 9:9 (NLT) |
| Appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ezekiel | | | | This is only one of the numerous Old Testament |
| describes in his vision what Jesus told His disciples | | | | Messianic prophecies fulfilled in the life of Jesus of |
| when warning them to guard against false | | | | Nazareth, but if any doubt exists as to the |
| prophets who claim the Messiah has arrived | | | | identity of the rider on the donkey, it should be |
| – that he is in this place or that place. | | | | swept away two verses later when we read of |
| Jesus tells us not to believe such people, for when | | | | God’s promise to the world: |
| He returns, all eyes will see Him simultaneously: | | | | “Because of the covenant I made with |
| “For as lightning lights up the entire sky, | | | | you, sealed with blood, I will free your prisoners |
| so it will be when the Son of Man comes.” | | | | from death in a waterless dungeon.” |
| Matthew 24:27 (NLT) | | | | Zechariah 9:11 (NLT) |
| In addition, Ezekiel’s vision offers further | | | | Christ sealed this covenant with His blood on the |
| details of the Lord’s Glorious Appearing: | | | | cross not long after His triumphant entrance into |
| 1) He will appear from the east. | | | | Jerusalem. Because of His sacrifice, many have |
| 2) The sound of His coming will be like the roar of | | | | been freed from eternal damnation in hell (death |
| rushing waters.and | | | | in a waterless dungeon). |
| 3) He will enter the Temple through the eastern | | | | Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah, the Lamb of |
| gateway. | | | | God who wipes away the sin of the world. He is |
| The fact that the Lord Jesus Christ will once again | | | | the Prince who will “sit inside this gateway |
| walk through the Eastern Gate is confirmed in | | | | to feast in the Lord’s presence” |
| Ezekiel 44: | | | | Ezekiel 44:3 (NLT). Because Jesus blessed the |
| “Then the man brought me back to the | | | | Eastern Gate with His coming, it has been sealed |
| east gateway in the outer wall of the Temple | | | | shut. No man, no army, and no person but Jesus |
| area, but it was closed. And the Lord said to me, | | | | Christ Himself can open the Eastern Gate ever |
| “This gate must remain closed; it will | | | | again. This is God’s promise. |
| never again be opened. No one will ever open it | | | | The fact that the Eastern Gate remains closed to |
| and pass through, for the Lord, the God of Israel, | | | | this day is God’s testimony to doubters |
| has entered here. Therefore, it must always | | | | throughout the world. Just as Thomas doubted |
| remain shut. Only the prince himself may sit inside | | | | the Lord until he could see Him with his own eyes |
| this gateway to feast in the Lord’s | | | | and touch the scars on His body, most of the |
| presence. But he may come and go only through | | | | world demands physical evidence as a prerequisite |
| the entry room of the gateway.” Ezekiel | | | | for belief. The Eastern Gate is their physical |
| 44:1-3 (NLT) | | | | evidence. It is the testimony of Jesus Christ, and |
| Not only does this passage reiterate certain details | | | | soon, it will be the stage on which the Glory of |
| of the Lord’s Glorious Appearing, but it | | | | God will be revealed for all the world to see. |
| offers substantial evidence to the unbeliever that | | | | The Glorious Appearing |
| the Bible is the Word of God. Why? Because | | | | Just as the two angels testified following the |
| Ezekiel 44 demonstrates the astounding accuracy | | | | ascension of Jesus, the Lord will one day return |
| of bible prophecy, providing evidence that can | | | | just as He left. When He does, He will come as a |
| verified firsthand by anyone who doubts. | | | | conqueror, the Commander of Heaven’s |
| Over 2,600 years ago, the Lord declared the | | | | Armies. His feet will touch down on the Mount of |
| Eastern Gate would be shut and would remain | | | | Olives, and He will go out to fight against |
| closed until the Messiah arrived to open it. For | | | | God’s enemies: |
| hundreds of years, the Eastern Gate offered | | | | “Then the Lord will go out to fight against |
| convenient, unfettered access to the Temple | | | | those nations, as he has fought in times past. On |
| courtyard. Yet, for almost five hundred years | | | | that day his feet will stand on the Mount of |
| now, it’s been closed. | | | | Olives, east of Jerusalem. And the Mount of |
| In this generation, the Messiah will open it. | | | | Olives will split apart, making a wide valley running |
| The History of the Eastern Gate | | | | from east to west. Half the mountain will move |
| The Eastern Gate is one of eight gates built into | | | | toward the north and half toward the south. You |
| the walls which surround the Temple Mount in | | | | will flee through this valley, for it will reach across |
| Jerusalem. The Eastern Gate provides the only | | | | to Azal. Yes, you will flee as you did from the |
| entrance from the East, and it faces the Mount | | | | earthquake in the days of King Uzziah of Judah. |
| of Olives. | | | | Then the Lord my God will come, and all his holy |
| The Eastern Gate was destroyed during the | | | | ones with him.” Zechariah 14:3-5 (NLT) |
| Roman conquest of Jerusalem, and the | | | | Zechariah 14 further describes what this day will |
| subsequent destruction of the Temple in A.D. 70, | | | | look like, the day when Christ will establish His |
| thus fulfilling Christ’s prophecy that | | | | Kingdom on earth, a kingdom which will never be |
| “not one stone will be left on top of | | | | destroyed: |
| another” Matthew 24:2 (NLT). Prior to this, | | | | “On that day the sources of light will no |
| the Eastern Gate had never been sealed. | | | | longer shine, yet there will be continuous day! Only |
| Sometime in the sixth or seventh century, the | | | | the Lord knows how this could happen. There will |
| Byzantines rebuilt the Eastern Gate. The exact | | | | be no normal day and night, for at evening time it |
| year they did so remains a matter of debate. | | | | will still be light. On that day life-giving waters will |
| However, for our purposes, what happened after | | | | flow out from Jerusalem, half toward the Dead |
| it was rebuilt is of much greater importance. In | | | | Sea and half toward the Mediterranean, flowing |
| the year 1541, the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman I | | | | continuously in both summer and winter. And the |
| sealed the Eastern Gate. Historians disagree as to | | | | Lord will be king over all the earth. On that day |
| why he did this, but legend abound that, learning | | | | there will be one Lord – his name alone will |
| of the prophecies which predicted the | | | | be worshiped.” Zechariah 14:6-9 (NLT) |
| Messiah’s entrance through the Eastern | | | | When speaking to His disciples, Jesus confirmed |
| Gate, Suleiman tried his best to make sure it | | | | that He will one day fulfill the prophecies of |
| wouldn’t happen during his reign. And just | | | | Zechariah: |
| in case a sealed entrance didn’t thwart | | | | “Immediately after the anguish of those |
| the Messiah’s coming, Muslim built a | | | | days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will give |
| cemetery directly in front of the gate – | | | | no light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the |
| conventional wisdom being that a Jewish Holy man | | | | powers in the heavens will be shaken. And then at |
| would never defile himself by walking through a | | | | last, the sign that the Son of Man is coming will |
| Muslim cemetery. | | | | appear in the heavens, and there will be deep |
| It’s been over 465 years since Suleiman | | | | mourning among all the peoples of the earth. And |
| sealed the Eastern Gate, and despite numerous | | | | they will see the Son of Man coming on the |
| well-documented attempts to open it, the gate | | | | clouds of heaven with power and great |
| has remained sealed just as the Lord proclaimed | | | | glory.” Matthew 24:29-30 (NLT) |
| to Ezekiel over 2,600 years ago. | | | | He will also fulfill the prophecies of Isaiah: |
| The Identity of the Prince | | | | “The heavens will be black above them; |
| So is the sealing of the Eastern Gate merely a | | | | the stars will give no light. The sun will be dark |
| coincidence? Or is it a bona fide partially fulfilled | | | | when it rises, and the moon will provide no |
| bible prophecy, poised for its ultimate fulfillment on | | | | light.” Isaiah 13:10 (NLT) |
| the day the Messiah comes to open it? To find | | | | And, finally, God will dwell among His people. |
| the answer, we only need to examine the various | | | | |