The Gate into Jerusalem

The Lord said to me, “This gate is to remain shut. It must not be opened; no one may enter through it. It is to remain shut because the Lord, the God of Israel, has entered through it. The prince himself is the only one who may sit inside the gateway to eat in the presence of the Lord. He is to enter by way of the portico of the gateway and go out the same way.” (Ezekiel 44:1-3)

The Golden Gate into Jerusalem

Originally the gate was built during the reign of King Solomon. It was placed to the east of the new Temple because the sole entrance for the Tabernacle was placed on the east, in the direction of the rising sun. The priests used the gate to send the scapegoat away from the Temple and to take the Red Heifer to the Mount of Olives. After the first Temple was destroyed, Ezekiel said the Messiah would eventually enter through this gate.

The Golden Gate and the Dome of the Rock

In about the year 30 AD, Mark tells us, “Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest heaven’ Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple courts.” (11:8-11)

The road from Mount of Olives to Jerusalem

The Messiah entered the gate on a donkey according to the prophecies of Genesis 49:11, Psalm 118:22-29; Ezekiel 46:12; and Zechariah 9:9. He spent the week teaching in the Temple, and then he gave the gift of life, according to the prophecies, on the cross. Jesus was buried in the tomb for three days. Then he arose from the dead, walked among his disciples for forty days, and ascended to heaven east of the Temple and its Golden Gate, on the Mount of Olives.

A bird's eye view of Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives

It is believed that Jesus will enter Jerusalem through the Golden Gate when He returns in what is called the second coming. This is because when the Spirit left the Temple in Jerusalem after Nebuchadnezzar deported Israel, the Spirit flew above the Golden Gate and over the Mount of Olives.

An inside view of the Golden Gate

“Then the cherubim, with the wheels beside them, spread their wings, and the glory of the God of Israel was above them. The glory of the Lord went up from within the city and stopped above the mountain east of it. The Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the exiles in Babylonia in the vision given by the Spirit of God.” (Ezekiel 11:22-24)

Looking from Temple Mount past the Golden Gate to Olivet

I have written much more about the Golden Gate and its stories in a kindle book - Israel: Stories for Your Journey. This $2 book is an excellent resource for anyone traveling to Israel. It goes beyond the normal guide books to tell over 250 stories about the sites most tourists visit.

An excellent guide book for travelers to Israel

I learned a lot about the land of the Bible through three visits and by writing Israel: Stories for Your Journey (1.99 on Kindle), Many questions and ideas I formed about stories in the Bible were answered through seeing and studying the geography of the land. I invite you to visit Israel or read my book to learn more.