East Gate or called Beautiful Gate, today called Gate of Mercy
Psalm 118
English Standard Version, David Cochran Audio
Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures forever!
2 Let Israel say,
“His steadfast love endures forever.”
3 Let the house of Aaron say,
“His steadfast love endures forever.”
4 Let those who fear the Lord say,
“His steadfast love endures forever.”
5 Out of my distress I called on the Lord;
the Lord answered me and set me free.
6 The Lord is on my side; I will not fear.
What can man do to me?
7 The Lord is on my side as my helper;
I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.
8 It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in man.
9 It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in princes.
10 All nations surrounded me;
in the name of the Lord I cut them off!
11 They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side;
in the name of the Lord I cut them off!
12 They surrounded me like bees;
they went out like a fire among thorns;
in the name of the Lord I cut them off!
13 I was pushed hard, so that I was falling,
but the Lord helped me.
14 The Lord is my strength and my song;
he has become my salvation.
15 Glad songs of salvation
are in the tents of the righteous:
“The right hand of the Lord does valiantly,
16 the right hand of the Lord exalts,
the right hand of the Lord does valiantly!”
17 I shall not die, but I shall live,
and recount the deeds of the Lord.
18 The Lord has disciplined me severely,
but he has not given me over to death.
19 Open to me the gates of righteousness,
that I may enter through them
and give thanks to the Lord.
20 This is the gate of the Lord;
the righteous shall enter through it.
21 I thank you that you have answered me
and have become my salvation.
22 The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
23 This is the Lord's doing;
it is marvelous in our eyes.
24 This is the day that the Lord has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
25 Save us, we pray, O Lord!
O Lord, we pray, give us success!
26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
We bless you from the house of the Lord.
27 The Lord is God,
and he has made his light to shine upon us.
Bind the festal sacrifice with cords,
up to the horns of the altar!
28 You are my God, and I will give thanks to you;
you are my God; I will extol you.
29 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures forever!
Why were gates important? 182 times the Bible speaks of gates. A city gatekeeper was a prominent citizen. Someone you wanted to judge the trustworthiness of the traveler and someone to speak wisely. In both the Old and New Testament a lot of towns were built to keep out invaders - the unrighteous. So many gates because the people were unsure. Only in the days of St. Paul's Basilica were they beginning to come out of the fortified cities. The Church open for evening prayer led to a greater trust. The full name of St. Paul's Basilica is St. Paul's Basilica Outside the Walls.
Photo of the Western Tunnel towards the Temple MountWe could consider all the exciting discoveries in 1867-70 by Sir Charles Warren who dug all around the Temple Mount. But no one has found the original East Gate, the Gate called Beautiful Gate. Today, built in 6th century A.D, is called Gate of Mercy. Why is the original gate missing or not found? A really good reason would be:
Ezekiel 44:1-3
Then he brought me back to the outer gate of the sanctuary, which faces east. And it was shut. 2 And the Lord said to me, “This gate shall remain shut; it shall not be opened, and no one shall enter by it, for the Lord, the God of Israel, has entered by it. Therefore it shall remain shut. 3 Only the prince may sit in it to eat bread before the Lord. He shall enter by way of the vestibule of the gate, and shall go out by the same way.”
Herod killed infant sons in Bethlehem, but he rebuild the Eastern Golden Gate and opened it. For the King of the Jews, the true King of the Davidic line. Luke 19 tells us Jesus entered from the East, from the Mount of Olives.
So what shall we say of St. Peter by the pearly gate? Not much. Because the Scriptures don't tell of one pearly gate. Revelation 21 tells us Heaven has 12 gates named after the Tribes of Israel. And each gate is one large pearl.
If we dwell on the knowledge, the "proof", we miss the greater point. Jesus entered into the Beautiful Gate. It was open for Him. How does God keep His gates for us?
Revelation 21:25-27
On no day will its gates ever be shut
For there will be no night there. The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
Father God, when we ask Jesus the Christ, Your only Son, to live in us and be part of us. When we believe in our heart and confess with our mouth You are Lord; You stretch out Your arms again for us. Amen.
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2 comments:
It is worth noting that in many other countries the government foots the bill for a university education. The US is unique in that we expect individuals to pay for their own post-secondary education...probably something that most people would not want to change, but it is the reason for most of the college debt that we are currently seeing.
You are absolutely right the proper attitude in every situation is gratitude. We cannot approach the Lord without it. The envy and greed that the world teaches us block our path to the divine. It is an important message.
Hi, I enjoyed your comments. We have a family friend who was with his father stationed in the Army, in Germany, in his 5th grade year. He successfully went to public German elementary schools where he was tested and told he wouldn't be slated for University, rather trade schools. Being an American, he returned and is now entered in the United States Air Force Academy, one of the most selective Universities in the USA. I am grateful for our freedoms to choose. I, personally, would like to see education given the premiere status in the USA government. Some of the things we fund should be re-examined and re-prioritized.
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