The Eastern Gate Series

“The Eastern Gate Message 11”

The Spiritual Application of the Gates

Ezekiel 43:1-5; Nehemiah 3:1-31 Monte T. Brown

September 28, 2014 Sunday Morning

Stapp Zoe Baptist

Prelude

As we approach the last two gates of “The Spiritual Application of the Gates” we come to “The Eastern Gate,”

It seems that the events that surround us today we see more and more of the Word of God unveiling before us.

Jesus spoke to us through parables and object teaching, which unveils the Word of God, which is constantly speaking words of wisdom to us.

We are living in the end times and one can’t help but see the importance of the Promise Land and “The Blessed City of God.”

One cannot see Jerusalem in the headlines of the news.

What is so unique about Jerusalem is the wall that surrounds the city.

Within the wall are the gates that outline the premature of the city.

Each one of these gate sends us a message that applies to us today.

The book of Nehemiah list ten of the twelve gates that needed repaired.

We have just looked at ten of the twelve gates and gleam insight from each of these gates.

Each one of the gates is unique and gives us a specific message about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Now we will take a look at one of the twelve gates that did not need repair, The Eastern Gate.

Scripture

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. Ezekiel 43:1-5 (KJV)

On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,

Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord. John 12:12-13 (KJV)

Prayer

Introduction

The Eastern Gate also called The Golden Gate.

It is the gate Jesus road through on the Triumphal Entry to Jerusalem.

It is the gate through which Christ is expected to come at His return. (See Ezekiel 43:1-5; John 12:12-19; Psalms 118:25, 26)

In 1517 AD the Turks conquered Jerusalem under the leadership of Suleiman the Magnificent.

The story goes that he commanded that the city's ancient walls be re-built.

Suleiman the Magnificent heard rumors beginning to sweep through 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.

This act reveals a spirit of blocking, a spirit of hindrance, and a spirit of death against Israel and the Christian Church.

The Eastern Gate has remained sealed since that time. The Muslim cemetery still blocks the entrance and The Eastern Gate is still sealed just as prophesied in Ezekiel 44.

Ezekiel 44:1-3 says; the gate that looked toward the east and it was shut. The Lord said to me, ‘This gate shall be shut; it shall not be opened, and no one shall enter by it, for the Lord God of Israel has entered by it.’

The east gate opens and looks toward the Mount of Olives and we know that when Jesus returns He will return to this mount.

In Zechariah 14:4 is says; He will then enter Jerusalem by the east gate. The east gate then speaks of the return of Jesus Christ.

For our Christian life it shows us of our need to live with this hope and too long for His return. A specific crown is even given to those who do this 2 Timothy 4:8

The sealing of The Eastern Gate is proof that the Bible is the Word of God and that we are living in the end times.