The Eastern Gate to the Temple Mount was used by Jesus on many occasions, most notably when He entered the city of Jerusalem the week before His death. We Christians call that event the Triumphal Entry and we call the day in which it took place, Palm Sunday.

The gate faces the Mount of Olives on the east side of the Old City. For centuries, Jewish tradition has said that the Messiah will enter into the city through the Eastern Gate. Because the Muslims had a very great fear of this event, they sealed the gate hundreds of years ago thus fulfilling Bible Prophecy. “Then he brought me back the way of the gate of the outward sanctuary which looketh toward the east; and it was shut. Then said the LORD unto me; This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter in by it; because the LORD, the God of Israel, hath entered in by it, therefore it shall be 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 Arabs also planted a cemetery in front of the gate thinking it would prevent Jesus, who is a Rabbi, from entering for fear of becoming spiritually unclean.

It’s interesting to note that Ezekiel wrote these words hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus Christ. This is but another example of the accuracy of the Bible and the prophetic pictures that are presented within its pages. The fact that God Almighty would use a false religion to bring the prophecy to pass shows the irony involved.

So, if the gate is sealed and the cemetery is there, what needs to happen in order for Jesus to walk through it once more? The following scripture, also an age-old prophecy, explains the mystery. “And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.” (Zechariah 14:4).

This great fore-telling of the 2nd Coming of Jesus Christ makes it very plain that when He returns, He will set His foot down upon the Mount of Olives which is just across the small Kidron valley from the gate. As Jesus touches the earth, there will be a great earthquake and the mountain will split in half from east to west. If you look at a map of the area, you will quickly notice that the Mount of Olives is directly in line with the Eastern Gate. Not only will the gate be forced open but the cemetery out in front won’t stand much of a chance either! 

Who is able to stand before our great God and King, Jesus Christ? Who is able to thwart His plans for the redemption of His saints? Who will stand in His way as He begins His Millennial Reign upon this planet? Who?

Disclaimer: Many of the articles on the site were written many years ago. While the lessons and teachings are certainly applicable to issues of today, please note that some of the references mentioned in the article may be dated or otherwise proved inaccurate due to the passage of time. We bring you these articles in their original format. Thank you.