Heaven Bound

THE EASTERN GATE, OLD CITY JERUSALEM

For the last couple of weeks, the words from Psalm 24:7 have been running through my head almost continuously. They seem to be in the back of my mind constantly and I even wake up at night thinking about them.  I really like the Chris Tomlin praise song, King of Glory whose lyrics are taken from Psalm 24, so, I kind of chalked it up to that.  But, its been two weeks now, and I’m finally to the point – “Lord, are you trying to tell me something? ” I couldn’t quite figure it out, until my devotions this morning, when it sort of all clicked together.

“Lift up your heads, O you gates, be lifted up you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory?  The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates, lift them up you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is he, this King of glory?  The Lord Almighty — HE IS THE KING OF GLORY.”   Psalm 24:7-10.

I was reading from Jeremiah 17 this morning when I came across a very peculiar command from the Lord. 

 Twice in the passage God gives a strict warning regarding carrying a load through the temple gate on the Sabbath. As I mentioned, this seemed odd to me and I wondered what the big deal was, but, after thinking about it a little bit, it actually made sense. Here’s what it says in verse 27: 

  “But, if you do not obey me to keep the Sabbath day holy by not carrying any load as you come through the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, then I will kindle an unquenchable fire in the gates of Jerusalem that will consume her fortresses.”  

Gates are very important in scripture and are featured in both the first and second comings of the Messiah. 

A colt, never a man has ridden

 At the triumphal entry on what has come to be known as Palm Sunday, Jesus entered Jerusalem through the Eastern Gate of Jerusalem on the back of a donkey’s colt in fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9, presenting himself to Israel as their Messiah.  The instructions Jesus gave his disciples in finding a colt may seem peculiar to us, but, actually they were very important in understanding the work that Jesus would do at the cross.  By entering the gate on the back of a young colt, Jesus was symbolizing that he alone, like the donkey who carried him, the donkey who had never been ridden, was able to carry, or bear our burdens, our sins as well.  Thus, it was very important that no one come through the gate carrying a load.  I love how God draws pictures for us through events. What a fantastic fulfillment of Jeremiah 17:27! 

Seal the Gate

In 1099 A.D. in fulfillment of Ezekiel 44:1-3, the Arabs knowing full well the Jewish scriptures regarding a Messiah, boarded over the Eastern gate with bricks in an effort to prevent his return. 

“Then he brought me over to the outer sanctuary, which faces east; and it was shut.  And he said to me, ‘this gate shall remain shut; it shall not be opened and no one shall enter by it; for the Lord the God of Israel has entered it; therefore, it shall remain shut. Only the Prince may sit in it to eat bread before the Lord, he shall enter by way of the vestibule of the gate, and shall go out the same way.”

 So afraid are they, in fact,  that not only have they bricked up the gate, but, they have also planted a cemetary at its entrance as extra insurance for keeping him out;  knowing that by Jewish law, any Jew who comes in contact with a dead body would be rendered unclean.

LIFT UP,  YE ANCIENT GATE

Although God gave the order to seal the gate, it will  one day be opened in fulfillment of Isaiah 62:10 for the return of the King.

 “Pass through, pass through the gates, prepare the way for the people, build up, build up the highway, remove the stones. Raise a banner for the nations.” 

No bricks or cemetaries will stop the return of Jesus.  How futile the mind of man!  Jesus the King of Glory; God over the living and the dead will return and there is no power in heaven or earth that can stop him!   From all appearances, the opening of this gate may be soon. This is something to keep our eye on. When the bricks are removed from the gate, the first king who first enters it, may not be the King of Glory, Messiah Jesus, but, the pretend king, the “son of perdition,” the anti–messiah. We know in the last days, many will be deceived and Israel may erroneously welcome a man who comes not in the name of the Lord, but, in his own name.

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There are some who believe Psalm 110-118 are prophetic of the time period we are living in, and if this is so, then Psalm 110 corresponds with our current year and Psalm 118 corresponds with the year 2018;  the start of the Messianic kingdom.  From the many prophecies being rapidly fulfilled, I think this is more than likely.  For more information on how these things tie together, check out my previous post titled “Psalm 118 and the year 2018.”  https://cindybythesea.wordpress.com/2009/09/12/psalm-118-and-the-year-2018/ 

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 “The Lord says to my Lord: ‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool under your feet …. he will drink from a brook beside the way; therefore, he will lift up his head.” Psalm 110:1 & 7. 

The focus of Psalm 110 is victory.  In scripture, when something is “lifted up“, whether it’s a gate, a head or a hand being lifted up, it is always a symbol of victory.  This theme is carried to completion in Psalm 118. 

“Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous . The Lord’s right hand has done many things! The Lord’s right hand is lifted up  … open for me the gates of righteousness, I will enter and give thanks to the Lord.  This is the gate of the Lord through which the righteous may enter, I will give you thanks, for you have answered me; you have become my salvation. (Yeshua).”  Psalm 118:15-21

The gates are lifted up!  Our salvation is complete!  And, the glory of God returns to the temple!

“Then, the man brought me to the gate facing east, and I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east. His voice was like the roar of rushing waters, and the land was radiant with his glory.”  Ezekiel 43: 1-2

Grace and blessings in Messiah Jesus, King of Glory, watching and waiting with YOU, for his soon return!  Cindy