THE EASTERN GATE
SERMON STARTER
A week ago Thursday at 2 am my mom peacefully slipped away from this world and those who love her. For the past two years I have been able to call her occasionally on the phone and tell her I love her. Our conversations were all similar. Often she'd ask me about how her passing would be. What would it be like when it came her time to pass on.
One of my favorite verses to quote to her was John 5:24,
"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life."
Then I'd tell her, "Mom, you taught me these verses about Jesus' resurrection promises when I was a little child. She'd hesitate, allowing the truth of Jesus' Great Promise to sink in. There's a difference when the theoretical becomes actual, and the propositional becomes reality.
We always ended our "Mom Calls" with "I love you."
She'd reply with a heart-felt, "I love you." She enjoyed a prayer of blessing from me and my closing of the call was, "Goodbye for now." I'd hang up with my heart in my throat as we both realized that one of these calls would be our last.
At her service last Sunday I was asked by the family to present two songs she loved. One was called appropriately, "The Love of God," and the other was "The Eastern Gate."
I dedicate this sermon to her and the latter old time gospel song.
Pastor Phil <><<
June 10, 2012
Sheepfold Ministries - Pastor Phil Roland
THE EASTERN GATE
REVELATION: 21:1-27
"The Golden Gate" or "The Gate of Mercy"
http://www.moriel.org/Teaching/Online/Gates_Jerusalem/09_East.html
I. EASTERN GATE BACKGROUND - Ezekiel 44:1-3
"Then He brought me back to the outer gate of the sanctuary which faces toward the east, but it was shut. 2 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. 3 As for the prince, because he is the prince, he may sit in it to eat bread before the LORD; he shall enter by way of the vestibule of the gateway, and go out the same way."
A. There are a total of Eight Gates going into Jerusalem today
1. Only Seven are open
2. One Gate no one can enter today
B. Eastern Gate / Golden Gate / Mercy Gate is Walled Over today
1. It was walled up in 1530 A.D. by the Ottoman Turks
2. They read the Jewish prophesies of Ezekiel from 600 B.C.
3. The Ottoman Turks were Islamic, believing part of the OT
4. Walled the East Gate to prevent the Jewish Messiah's entrance into the city
C. "The Prince" entered the East Gate on Palm Sunday of Holy Week
1. Jesus is God and Heaven's "Prince"
2. He will enter through it a Second Time
3. When He Comes Again!
D. The eastern gate is still shut awaiting the coming Prince of Peace!
II. EASTERN GATE COMPLICATIONS - Zechariah 14:1-4
"Behold, the day of the LORD is coming, And your spoil will be divided in your midst. 2 For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem; The city shall be taken, The houses rifled, And the women ravished. Half of the city shall go into captivity, But the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city. 3 Then the LORD will go forth And fight against those nations, As He fights in the day of battle. 4 And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, Which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, From east to west, Making a very large valley; Half of the mountain shall move toward the north And half of it toward the south.
A. Islamists have placed a Muslim cemetery before the Eastern Gate
1. Jewish Law forbids a Priest/Levite from touching the dead
"And the LORD said to Moses, "Speak to the priests, the sons of
Aaron, and say to them: 'None shall defile himself for the dead
among his people," Leviticus 21:1
The Eastern Gate, cont., p.2
2. Muslim scholars are "Black and White Thinkers"
3. They believe by placing their dead in front of the Gate
4. They hope to Prevent the Jewish Messiah's Return
B. The Mount of Olives will be split in two - Acts 1:10-12
"And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up,
behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, 11 who also said,
"Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same
Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven." 12 Then they returned to
Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a
Sabbath day's journey."
1. Jesus will return on the Mount of Olives
2. Geologists say that there is a geological rift in Jerusalem
3. It extends North and South from Jerusalem to the Dead Sea
4. The rift awaits seismic activity / Earthquake
5. Split the Mount of Olives from Jerusalem to the Dead Sea
C. There will be at that time no Muslim cemetery there
1. God will supernaturally split the area in two
2. Making a clean path, opening the Eastern Gate for Jesus
D. Jesus will sit on His Throne at the Temple and rule 1,000 years
III. EASTERN GATE IMPLICATIONS TODAY
A. Heaven's Gate's are never shut - Rev. 21:25
"Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there)."
1. Jerusalem's Eastern Gate was shut because of Israel's sin
2. Mixing the Worship of Jehovah w/the worship of false gods
3. Israel rejected God's own Son when He visited them
4. God allowed the Eastern Gate to be shut until the End Times
5. The closed gate also reminds us of a supernatural battle
a. The Battle is over ownership of the Temple Mount
b. Muslim's Mosque of Omar / Dome of the Rock
6. When Jesus Returns He will open the Gate
a. He will rebuild the Temple
b. Israel will know the Lord
B. Heaven is the city "Four Square" - Revelation 21
1. Christian dead believe they will meet their loved ones there
2. Reunions, Restoring of long past friendships w/loved ones
3. "Wait" is a foreign term to heaven, no time there
4. They won't "wait" for us, they'll meet us there
C. The question is, "Will I meet you there?"
1. That question is settled in your heart, now
2. Today, now is God's Accepted Time for you - 2 Cor. 6:2
"For He says: "In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the
day of salvation I have helped you." Behold, now is the accepted
time; behold, now is the day of salvation."
THE EASTERN GATE
Closing Illustration
I have conducted more than 600 funeral services in my ministerial career. On more than one occasion I have seen two believing women holding each other and weeping before the body of a loved one. Their exchange is something like this,
"If you get there before I do, tell them "I'm coming!""
It is true that many of us in this room are not just looking for the next reunion with their loved ones. I propose we will meet them where we meet Jesus, just inside the Eastern Gate. . .
"Over there. . ."
Play again. . .
THE EASTERN GATE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDxEvdFKknE
THE EASTERN GATE texts
Revelation 21:1-27 (NKJV)
1 Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea.
2 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.
4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away."
5 Then He who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." And He said to me, "Write, for these words are true and faithful."
6 And He said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts.
7 He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.
8 But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."
9 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, "Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb's wife."
10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,
11 having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.
12 Also she had a great and high wall with twelve gates, and twelve angels at the gates, and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:
13 three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west.
14 Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
15 And he who talked with me had a gold reed to measure the city, its gates, and its wall.
16 The city is laid out as a square; its length is as great as its breadth. And he measured the city with the reed: twelve thousand furlongs. Its length, breadth, and height are equal.
17 Then he measured its wall: one hundred and forty-four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of an angel.
18 The construction of its wall was of jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass.
19 The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all kinds of precious stones: the first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald,
20 the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.
21 The twelve gates were twelve pearls: each individual gate was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.
22 But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.
23 The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light.
24 And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it.
25 Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there).
26 And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it.
27 But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life.
EASTERN GATE SING-A-LONG
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDxEvdFKknE
The Eastern Gate
written by Isaiah G. Martin
C
I will meet you in the morning
F C
Just inside the Eastern Gate
F
Then be ready faithful pilgrim
G7 C
Lest with you it be too late
I will meet you I will meet you
G7
Just inside the Eastern Gate over there
C
I will meet you I will meet you
G7 C
I will meet you in the morning over there
If you hasten off to glory
F C
Linger near the Eastern Gate
F
For I'm coming in the morning
G7 C
So you'll not have long to wait
I will meet you I will meet you
G7
Just inside the Eastern Gate over there
C
I will meet you I will meet you
G7 C
I will meet you in the morning over there
