Then he brought me back the way of the gate of the outward sanctuary which looketh toward the east, and it was 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. Ezekiel 44:1,3
The Eastern Gate that Ezekiel is being shown in today’s text holds a fascinating and critical place in prophecy. Also known as the Golden Gate or the Gate of Mercy, the Eastern Gate is the route that the Lord Jesus will use when He returns to claim His throne in Jerusalem. This gate faces the Mount of Olives, from where Jesus made His assention into Heaven after His resurrection. When He returns, Jesus will descent to the Mount of Olives, and from there enter Jerusalem through the Eastern Gate. It was also through the Eastern Gate that Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey shortly before His betrayal and crucifixion. But the gate, as our text tells us, is closed, as any visitor to Jerusalem can (and should) see.
Who closed the gate? The Mohammedans, during the reign of the sultan Suleiman in the 1500s walled up the Eastern Gate to prevent – as they thought – an possibility of Jesus using it for His triumphant entrance. In doing so, their evil design actually fulfilled prophecy. The gate remains sealed for now. But the puny masonry of the Mohammedans will vanish as dust when the Prince of Peace returns to establish His kingdom.
The Eastern Gate stands today as a monument of man’s futile efforts to thwart the plans of God. We wonder at how anyone could expect stones and mortar to hold back the Almighty from His purposes. But the world is throwing up all types of obstacles today against God. They seek to destroy His Word, to replace His principles of holiness and righteousness with their own sinful and depraved laws. As he had the Moslems brick up the gate, the devil has his minions today working to destroy marriage through the promotion of homosexuality, and the sanctity of human life through abortion and euthanasia. These efforts appear to be succeeding now. But they must and will fail in the end.
The Eastern Gate also stands as a monument to God’s promise to His people Israel. Their Prince is coming, and nothing will prevent His triumphant arrival. As with all of God’s promises, His assurance that the Prince will eat bread in the Eastern Gate is sure and steadfast.
Consider the Eastern Gate today and remember that God is keeping His promises; His word will never fail. -Jim MacIntosh