The Christ in Prophecy Journal

The Gate to Prophecy: The Two Advents of Jesus Christ

Eastern or Golden Gate


Watch
MP3 PDF

At the pinnacle of the Mount of Olives, you’ll enjoy a terrific view of the Temple Mount from inside the Dominus Flevit Chapel. I love go there when I take tour groups to Israel because of the fact that it has so much significance in the history of Jesus Christ. When Jesus would come to Jerusalem, He would always stay in the little town of Bethany on the other side of the mountain. Then Jesus would walk over and probably stop somewhere around the Mount of Olives in the morning and pray, looking over the city and the Temple, and then He’d go on down to the Temple Mount.

During the last week of Jesus’ life, when He made his Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem, He rode into town on a donkey. He was hailed “Hosanna, the Son of David.” But, that same crowd was yelling for His crucifixion a week later. The Bible tells us repeatedly that Jesus is going to return, and that His return is going to be very different from His first coming.

Let’s contrast the two advents of Jesus Christ for a moment. The first time Jesus came, He came humbly on a donkey. But, He is going to return on a white war charger, which is the symbol of a victorious general.

The first time Jesus came, He came humbly to walk to a cross and die for the sins of mankind, but He is coming back to pour out the wrath of God upon those who have rejected the grace, mercy and love of God.

The first time Jesus came, He came with eyes filled with tears. He wept at the tomb of Lazarus. He wept over the city of Jerusalem. But, it says when He returns His eyes will be like white hot coals of fire, because He is coming in judgment.

The first time Jesus came, He was given one crown — a crown of thorns which was pressed down upon His head until the blood ran down upon His shoulders. But, when Jesus returns, He’s going to come back with all the crowns of all the kingdoms of the world.

Every time I bring a group up to the Mount of Olives, I give them that teaching and talk about how the second time Jesus comes He is going to ride down into the Kidron Valley and then He is going to ride up to the Eastern Gate. It’s then going to blow open supernaturally as we are told in Psalm 24. Jesus is going to go up on the Temple Mount and He is going to be coroneted the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords!

Back in about 1987, I brought a good sized group over to the Holy Land, not only to give them a tour of the land, but I brought them over to attend the International Celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles. About 4,000 to 5,000 Christians a year attend. I brought that group up to Dominus Flevit and I presented the teaching that I just covered in a more extended form.

During the evening, we got ready for the final evening of the celebration, joining some 4,000 to 5,000 Christians walking around the Old City of Jerusalem. Bands were playing, we were singing and waving banners, and we were waving the flags of our country. We walked around the city to illustrate to the Jewish people that there are Christians in the world who stand behind Israel.

We ended that march around the city by walking up the very steep Mount of Olives. When we got to the top, we stood there and watched the sunset over the city. Thousands of pilgrims sang hymns as the sun set. It was a very moving time.

One of the persons that we had in our group was a man by the name of Terry Gibson. Terry was a trustee of Lamb & Lion Ministries at the time. He’s a pastor from the Houston, Texas area. When he got back to his room that night, Terry was so moved by what he had experienced at Dominus Flevit and in that march around that city and in that sunset that he experienced over the city of Jerusalem, that he sat down and began to write. He wrote a poem about the Eastern Gate. That poem has since been published in several books. The following is what he wrote.

A Powerful Poem

There is a gate in waiting
In the City of the King
It waits above the valley
And adorns a tranquil scene

Jerusalem is churning
On the north, south and west
Yet the Eastern Gate waits quietly
Above multitudes at rest

On Olive Mount, I stood one day
And viewed this Golden Gate
Amid singing saints and setting sun
In the spirit was my state

Looking o’er this glorious Gate
From atop that blessed mount
Two scenes of great events
I saw, and I now recount

One scene took place in ages past
The other is soon to be
In both there was the Son of God
And this Gate of Destiny

The first scene was triumphant
They hailed Him as a King
There were thousands in the valley
And “Hosannas” loud did ring

Many miracles of greatness
Had He done before their eyes
Giving sight to the blind
Calling forth the dead to rise

His disciples were elated
As they joined this happy throng
But little did they know
That their hopes would soon be gone

So long ago the prophet told
That lowly, He would come
Riding on a donkey’s colt
Unbefitting the Righteous One

Yet thousands upon thousands
Stood in the valley on that day
And up the path to the eastern Gate
With palm branches did array

“Save us Son of David”
The multitude did cry
When suddenly, the crowd did change —
And they shouted “Crucify!”

Oh! What price our God did pay
While sinners yet were we
The mocking ones — The crown of thorns
Pierced hands — what agony!

And so the only Son of God
Was hung upon a cross
He’d come to earth in Godly love
To save those who were lost

Then the scene did fade away
And another took its place
For Jesus had said He would return
To redeem mankind’s disgrace

On Olive Mount I stood again
I viewed the Eastern Gate
Yet it was closed, sealed with stone
Awaiting a King to coronate

Ezekiel long ago had said
The Gate would thus be so
Until the Prince returned to earth
Then all the world would know

Around the city armies stood
From nations of the world
And smoke and fire were everywhere
The armaments were hurled!

Yet the Golden Gate still quietly stood
While looking upward it seemed
Suddenly the trump did sound
It was the coming of the King!

And then I saw the Lord of Lords
Descending from on high
With multitudes of Heavenly Hosts
Behind Him in the sky

He came and stood on Olive Mount
And then the earth did shake
He spoke and all the armies fell
And the evil power did break

Upon a white and valiant steed
Down Olive Mount did ride
Through Kidron Valley up to the Gate
While the Jewish remnant cried

They looked on Him
whom they had pierced
And grieved as for a son
So bitterly they wept in shame
Yet with grace He did respond

And all the while the numbers grew
Of Angels and the Saints
Millions upon millions
Joined Him in the ranks

They sang “Hosanna to the Son of David”
“Hosanna to the King”
Throughout all heaven and the earth
The loud Hosannas ring

The Gate in waiting trembled
And the stones then blew apart
As the Holy One did enter
His eternal reign to start

Oh! What sweetness in that Day
The redeemed of God shall know
From Mount Zion in Jerusalem
The living waters flow

Are you yearning for that day
When the Lord of Hosts shall come?
Or do you flee in fear
Before the Holy One?

Call upon His name!
Before that coming day
Flee into His loving arms
He will wipe all the tears away.

Wasn’t that a powerful poem? I have read that many times to our pilgrimage groups, and each time it just blesses my soul.

In the third segment of our study of the Gate to Prophecy, we’ll look at why the Eastern Gate is embroiled in a great archaeological debate.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

RELATED ARTICLES

ABOUT AUTHOR View all posts Author Website

Dr. David Reagan

Dr. David Reagan is the Founder and Evangelist Emeritus of Lamb & Lion Ministries. He is a life-long Bible student, teacher, and preacher and he led over 45 pilgrimages to Israel. Dr. Reagan was the host of the radio then television program Christ in Prophecy for nearly 40 years.

2 CommentsLeave a Comment

LEAVE A REPLY

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *