Message to the Church in Philadelphia
7And to the angel of the church in
Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he
that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth,
and no man openeth;
8I know thy works: behold, I have set before
thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and
hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name. 9Behold, I will make them of
the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie;
behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that
I have loved thee. 10Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I
also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon
all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. 11Behold, I come
quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
Revelation 3:7-11
The Eastern Gate, also known as the Golden Gate or Beautiful
is the most identifiable of the Jerusalem wall.
The Old City of Jerusalem is surrounded by a wall containing
eight major gates. Moving counter-clockwise from the northern-most gate are
Herod’s Gate, the Damascus Gate, the New Gate, Jaffa Gate, Zion Gate, the Dung
Gate, the Eastern Gate, and the Lions’ Gate. The Eastern Gate, facing the Mount
of Olives across the Kidron Valley, is unique in that it is completely sealed
shut. Many see the Eastern Gate’s obstruction as a fulfillment of biblical
prophecy.
Golden Gate (Eastern) and Huldah Gates (Southern) of old Jerusalem
These prominent gates are now closed / sealed / shut / blocked to any access.
Are there “shut gates” in your life?
I have been fascinated by the Eastern Gate for some time,
but recently learned more about another shut gate – blocked from entrance - The
Huldah Gates in the Southern Wall of the Temple Mount. The effort taken to seal these doorways is
intriguing. Why were they closed and why
do they remain shut are thoughts to ponder.
As Passover nears we are reminded of Jesus Christ’s “triumphal
entry” into Jerusalem at the Eastern Wall. (See study notes below.) The
original gate that Nehemiah built (and possibly dating to the time of Solomon)
is underground, below the current gate, as documented by archaeologist James
Fleming in 1969. It was through the lower gate (now underground) that Jesus
would have entered Jerusalem.
John 10:23
And Jesus
walked in the temple in Solomon's porch.
Acts 3:10
And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple:
and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that
which had happened unto him.
11 And as the lame man which was healed held Peter and
John, all the people ran together unto them in the porch that is called Solomon's, greatly wondering.
Like
us, this is a gate in waiting – longing for the fulfillment of redemption and
the Lord’s return.
In Isaiah 63:1-6 the Messiah is portrayed as coming
to Jerusalem from the direction of Edom and Bozrah — areas to the east.
And the Lord said to me, “This gate shall be shut; it shall not be
opened, and no man shall enter by it, because the Lord God of Israel has
entered by it; therefore it shall be shut.
Ezekiel 44:2
The Huldah Gates in
the Southern Wall of the Temple Mount
are named for Huldah (Hebrew: חֻלְדָּה) a prophetess mentioned in 2 Kings 22:14-20
and 2 Chronicles 34:22-28.
The Huldah Gates
(Hebrew: שערי חולדה, Sha'arei Hulda) are the two sets of now-blocked gates
in the Southern Wall of the Temple Mount, situated in Jerusalem's Old City. The
western set is a double arched gate (the Double Gate), and the eastern is a triple arched gate (the Triple Gate).
The area is located on the south-east side of the temple mount, inside the old city. The area is approached through the Ha'Ashpathot (Dung) gate which is located on the south side of the area, which is today an Archaeological park.
With little doubt, the entrance of Jesus into the temple
mount was through these steps or through the entrance above the Robinson arch.
Recent archaeological
excavations near The Huldah Gates have been in the media:
Isaiah & Hezekiah archeological finds
RESEARCHERS BELIEVE
THEY DUG UP 2,700-YEAR-OLD SEAL OF DOOMSDAY PROPHET ISAIAH
The 2,700-year-old
clay relic was found at the foot of the southern wall of Temple Mount.
“The surviving portion
of the top register shows the lower part of a grazing doe – a motif of blessing
and protection found in Judah, particularly in Jerusalem – present also on
another bulla from the same area,” she said.
The Times of Israel- Feb 22, 2018
OPHEL EXCAVATION DIRECTOR DISCUSSES BIBLICAL DISCOVERIES, TEMPLE MOUNT
“The Ophel was built by King Solomon in the 10th century, and it was the biblical equivalent of an acropolis in Jerusalem where royalty ruled from.”
Ophel”
means to “rise above,” and refers to a higher element of the natural landscape.
The
excavations take place some 50 meters between the City of David and the Temple
Mount’s southern wall.
http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Ophel-excavation-director-discusses-biblical-discoveries-Temple-Mount-543681
http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Ophel-excavation-director-discusses-biblical-discoveries-Temple-Mount-543681
Ophel- In Hebrew - the name of the fortified hill on the
south-east of the temple mount. Its root name in Hebrew is o-ph-el, which means
"climb" or "ascend". It was translated to
"tower", "hill", "cliff" or "fort" in
various translations.
The Ophel (Hebrew: עֹ֫פֶל ‘ōp̄el), refers to a specific part in two cities: the
extended City of David (the oldest part of Jerusalem), as in 2 Chronicles 27:3;
33:14, Nehemiah 3:26; 11:21.
King Hezekiah's Seal Impression Found in
the Ophel Excavations, Jerusalem
Biblical Discovery: Seal of the Prophet
Isaiah Found
Israel Prophecies - The Golden Gate or Eastern Gate
Jerusalem: Ancient Gates, Future Glory #8:The Eastern Gate
Isaiah 62
I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem;
They shall never hold their peace day or night.
You who make mention of the Lord, do not keep silent,
7 And give Him no rest till He establishes
And till He makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth.
10 Go through,
Go through the gates!
Prepare the way for the people;
Build up,
Build up the highway!
Take out the stones,
Lift up a banner for the
peoples!
11 Indeed the Lord has proclaimed
To the end of the world:
“Say to the daughter of Zion,
‘Surely your salvation is coming;
Behold, His reward is with Him,
And His work before Him.’”
12 And they shall call them The Holy People,
The Redeemed of the Lord;
And you shall be called Sought Out,
A City Not Forsaken.
Psalm
24:7-10 contains a prophecy about the Lord’s return.
“Lift up your heads, O gates,
And be lifted up, O ancient doors,
That the King of glory may come in!
And be lifted up, O ancient doors,
That the King of glory may come in!
Who is the King of glory?
The Lord strong and mighty,
The Lord mighty in battle.
The Lord strong and mighty,
The Lord mighty in battle.
Lift up your heads, O gates,
And lift them up, O ancient doors,
That the King of glory may come in!
And lift them up, O ancient doors,
That the King of glory may come in!
Who is this King of glory?
The Lord of hosts,
He is the King of glory.”
The Lord of hosts,
He is the King of glory.”
Handel
Messiah - Lift up your heads, O ye gates
Sources:
The Eastern Gate / Golden Gate /
Beautiful Gate
The Gate in Waiting
Jerusalem fine art photography by Reynold Mainse
My notes / connections with the Eastern Wall -
Huldah the prophetess / Huldah
Gates / Ophel
Lift
Up Your Heads, O You Gates! (Psalm 24)
More discoveries and connections!
We are at the time of year that rehearses when Christ came the first time, officially as King: the Triumphal Entry. We are told to be looking for Him, the second time, so this is a high time of expectation, as we review more patterns of redemption, and this special day in context.
We are at the time of year that rehearses when Christ came the first time, officially as King: the Triumphal Entry. We are told to be looking for Him, the second time, so this is a high time of expectation, as we review more patterns of redemption, and this special day in context.
The Mountains of Israel - Hebron, Shechem, Samaria and Jerusalem in history
and their relevance to today and prophecy.
Jerusalem (A rare video!) - an old originals photographs of the Holy City from 1853 and up
https://youtu.be/MFvHh5c6d-M
Maranatha!
