What is the Eastern Gate?
Mentioned in Ezekiel
There are several Scriptures that mention the Eastern Gate. A specific passage that mentions the Eastern Gate is Ezekiel 44:1,2:
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.
The Eastern Gate is on the east side of the city of Jerusalem facing the Mount of Olives. This is the only gate in the Old Jerusalem city wall that leads directly into the temple area. The gate was closed by the Turkish governor of Jerusalem in 1530 A.D. in the hope of postponing the day of judgement and the end of the world. Many Christians believe that when Jesus comes again (the second coming of Christ), the gate will be opened and He will once again enter the Holy City. (KIRBAN’S PROPHECY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT, p. 101)
When Christ returns to this earth (second coming of Christ) it has been prophesied that at the moment His feet touch the ground at the Mount of Olives there will be a great earthquake that will cause the Eastern Gate to open.
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).
