For you are the fountain of life! (Psalm 36:9)
In Ez. 43:1, Ezekiel had a vision of the glory of the Lord coming back the same way that it left -through the east gate. Ez 43:1-5 says, “Afterward he brought me to the gate, the gate that faces toward the east. And behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east. His voice was like the sound of many waters (see Ez. 1:24); and the earth shone with His glory. It was like the appearance of the vision which I saw -like the vision which I saw when I came to destroy the city. The visions were like the vision which I saw by the River Chebar; and I fell on my face. And the glory of the Lord came into the temple by way of the gate which faces toward the east. The Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court; and behold, the glory filled the temple.”
The outer east gate is called the “golden gate.” One article notes, “According to Jewish tradition the Messiah (Mashiach) will enter Jerusalem from the east. The gate has a special holiness; legend has it that the Shechinah (Divine Presence) used to appear through this gate and will appear again, and that in the meantime it must be left untouched. The Arabs (Moslem's) call this gate The Mercy Gate (Bab el Rahmeh) and according to the Koran, the just will pass through this gate on the Day of Judgment.” [1]
This article goes on to note, “It is interesting that this gate is the only one of the eight gates in Jerusalem that is sealed.”[2]
Neh. 3:29 says "...the gate that looketh toward the east: And the glory of the Lord came into the house by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east."
Ezekiel 44:1-3 notes, “Then he brought me back to the outer gate of the sanctuary, which faces east; and it was shut. And he 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. 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."
The east gate to the inner court was used for worship. The Lord says in Ezekiel 46:1-3 says, “The gateway of the inner court that faces toward the east shall be shut the six working days; but on the Sabbath it shall be opened, and on the day of the New Moon it shall be opened. The prince shall enter by way of the vestibule of the gateway from the outside, and stand by the gatepost. The priest shall prepare his burnt offerings and his peace offerings. He shall worship at the threshold of the gate. Then he shall go out, but the gate shall not be shut until evening. Likewise the people of the land shall worship at the entrance of the gateway before the Lord on the Sabbaths and the New Moons.”
Commentary notes, that the prince and people did not enter into the inner court by way of the east gate, but stood by the gatepost and worshiped. They had full view of the priests at the altar but were not permitted to enter the inner sanctuary through the gate.[3] Only the Messiah entered in through the east gate.
Jesus road on foal of a donkey from the Mount of Olives into Jerusalem as people cried out “Hosanna to the Son of David.” He rode into the through the east gate. As He entered the temple, he drove out the thieves and proclaimed the temple as a house of prayer. He then healed all the blind and the lame who would come to Him as the children cried out, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” (Matthew 21:1-16)
Jesus says in John 10:1-2, “Most assuredly, I says to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens...”
Jesus is also the gate by which one can enter into the inner sanctuary. Jesus says in John 10:9, “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.”
A gate provides entrance or access to something that otherwise would be unavailable. It is an entryway through a barrier and controls who can enter and who cannot. [4] [a]
When man sinned and ate the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, access to the garden, where one could walk and talk with God, was shut. Cherubim stood at the east gate of the garden of Eden, with a flaming sword, guarding the way to the tree of life and keeping man out (Gen. 3:24)
When Jesus came, he opened the door, making the way for us to have access to the inner sanctuary, into the very presence of God by His blood. It is by faith and through His sacrifice that we can commune with God.
Jesus is also the Good Shepherd who gives his life for the sheep (John 10:1). Matthew 21 says that when He entered by the gate of the temple, He healed the blind and lame. The Lord says in Ezekiel 34:16 about Himself as the True Shepherd, “I will seek what was lost and bring back what was driven away, bind up the broken and strengthen what was sick; but I will destroy the fat and the strong, and feed them in judgment.”
This prophesy of the Messiah coming by the way of the Mount of Olives down to Jerusalem through the east gate is anticipated to be fulfilled again through His return. Scripture verses used to support this are Zechariah 14:4 and Acts 1:10-12. [b]
Matthew 24:27 says, "For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of man."
Zechariah 14:4-9 says, “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. Then you shall flee through My mountain valley, for the mountain valley shall reach to Azal. Yes, you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Thus the Lord my God will come, and all the saints with You. It shall come to pass in that day that there will be no light; the lights will diminish. It shall be one day which is known to the Lord -neither day nor night. But at evening time it shall happen that it will be light. And in that day it shall be that living waters shall flow from Jerusalem, half of them toward the eastern sea and half of them toward the western sea; In both summer and winter it shall occur. And the Lord shall be King over all the earth. In that day it shall be – 'the Lord is one,' and His name one.”
Matthew 27:45 says about Jesus' Crucifixion (believed by some sources to occur on the Mount of Olives) that it was a day that there was darkness over the land. As He gave up His spirit, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many. So when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly saying, 'Truly this was the Son of God!'” And as one of the soldiers pierced his side, both blood and water poured out (John 19:34). [c]
One commentary notes about His standing on the Mount of Olives at His final return, “And his feet shall stand - He shall appear in full possession of the place, as a mighty conqueror. And the Mount of Olives shall cleave - God shall display his miraculous power as fully in the final restoration of the Jews, as he did when he divided the Red Sea that their forefathers might pass through dry-shod.” [5]
Joel 3:14-18 says about these last days of His return, “Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision. The sun and moon will grow dark, and the stars will diminish their brightness. The Lord also will roar from Zion, and utter His voice from Jerusalem; the heavens and earth will shake; But the Lord will be a shelter for His people, and the strength of the children of Israel… And it will come to pass in that day that the mountains shall drip with new wine, the hills shall flow with milk, and all the brooks of Judah shall be flooded with water; A fountain shall flow from the house of the Lord and water the Valley of Acacias.”
One article notes about His return, the great day of atonement, and the Feast of Trumpets [announcing the imminent arrival of the King], “The ultimate New Covenant fulfillment of this future Jewish New Year, (Tishrei 1 on the Hebrew calendar), will be spectacular beyond words. The feast will explode into holy history. And it will be a blockbuster. Moses declared and prophesied that it would become a "memorial of blowing of trumpets" (Lev. 23:24-25)… Back then [2000 years ago] we saw Him [Jesus] ride into Jerusalem on a donkey as the 'Suffering Servant'. But when Messiah returns this next time He will come as the Conquering King. After Trumpets on Tishrei 1 comes the "Ten days of awe" which lead on to Yom Kippur on Tishrei 10 which is the Day of Atonement. This is the most solemn day of the year. On this awesome Day of Reckoning all accounts between YHVH-God and all His covenant people are settled. The Jubilee Year is also announced on this same tenth day of Tishri.” [6]
Another article notes about water flowing from the house of the Lord to the Valley of Acacias, “The Valley of Acacias (Valley of Shittim) was a place associated with both failure and victory. It is located on the eastern side of the Jordan River, to the north of the Dead Sea. It was where the King of Moab sent his young women to the men of Israel to seduce them into idolatry and sexual immorality (Numbers 25:1-3). It was also the launching place for the armies of Israel when they set out against Jericho and Canaan in the days of Joshua (Joshua 2:1 and 3:1).” This article notes, “When water from the house of the Lord flows down to the valley of Acacias, then God’s grace and provision covers the past - every sin, every victory is covered over by Him.” [7]
Water flowing from the house of the Lord through the east gate was seen in a vision of Ezekiel. Ez. 47:1-9 says, “Then he brought me back to the door of the temple; and there was water, flowing from under the threshold of the temple toward the east, for the front of the temple faced east; the water was flowing from under the right side of the temple, south of the altar. He brought me out by way of the north gate, and led me around the outside to the outer gateway that faces east; and there was water, running out on the right side. And when the man went out to the east with the line in his hand, he measured one thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the water came up to my ankles. And he measured one thousand and brought me through the waters; the water came up to my knees. Again he measured one thousand and brought me through; the water came up to my waist. Again he measured one thousand and brought me through; the water came up to my waist. Again he measured one thousand, and it was a river that I could not cross; for the water was too deep, water in which one must swim, a river that could not be crossed. He said to me, 'Son of man, have you seen this?' Then he brought me and returned me to the bank of the river. When I returned, there, along the bank of the river, were very many trees on one side and the other. And he said to me: 'This water flows toward the eastern region, goes down into the valley, and enters the sea. When it reaches the sea, its waters are healed. And it shall be that every living thing that moves, wherever the rivers go, will live. There will be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters go there; for they will be healed, and everything will live wherever the river goes.”
Clarke's Commentary notes: “and consequently these waters, as well as those spoken of in Joel 3:18, and in Zechariah 14:8, are to be understood spiritually...” He notes that taken in this view, they can be applied to the outpouring of the Spirit “ by which the knowledge of the true God was multiplied in the earth.” He also notes that farther the waters flowed from the temple, the deeper they grew. [8]
Jesus is the Fountainhead from which water flows from the house of the Lord through the east gate, filling the valley and then entering the sea. David cries out in Psalm 36:9 (NLT), “For you are the fountain of life, the light by which we see.”
Barnes Notes on the Bible comments, “For with thee is the fountain of life - The fountain or source from which all life flows. All living beings derive their origin from thee, as streams flow from fountains; all that is properly "called" life proceeds from thee; everything which makes life real life - which makes it desirable or happy - has its origin in thee.” [9]
Ezekiel 47:8-12 says about the waters that flow from the east gate of the temple: “When it reaches the sea, its waters are healed. And it shall be that every living thing that moves, wherever the rivers go, will live. There will be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters go there; for they will be healed, and everything will live wherever the river goes. It shall be that fishermen will stand by it from En Gedi to En Eglaim; they will be places for spreading their nets. Their fish will be of the same kinds as the fish of the Great Sea, exceedingly many. But its swamps and marshes will not be healed; they will be given over to salt. Along the bank of the river on this side and that, will grow all kinds of trees used for food; their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail. They will bear fruit every month, because their water flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for medicine.” [d]
Jesus says in John 10:10, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
Revelation 22:1-2 says, “Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.
Swamps and marshes that are given over to salt, speak of places where the water becomes stagnant rather than ever flowing back out. These places become destitute of life. The Dead Sea also called the Salt Sea “is the final receptacle of the river Jordan, the lowest and largest of the three lakes which interrupt the rush of its downward course.” [10]
Jesus says in Matthew 10:8, “Freely you have received, freely give.” Giving comes from a heart of gratitude for what we have received. Thomas a Kempis writes, “the gifts of grace cannot flow in us when we are ungrateful to the Giver, when we do not return them to the Fountainhead. Grace is always given to him who is duly grateful, and what is wont to be given to the humble will be taken away from the proud." [11]
As the song goes, “the river rushes to the lowest place.” The earlier commentary noted that the river became deeper as it rolled down into the valley and towards the sea. It is in the lowest place that we experience the deepest connection with God.
And 1 Peter 5:5-7 says, “Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for 'God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. [e] Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”
This does not mean that we are supposed to pretend to be humble by our actions while we secretly hope that God will give us honor in front of everyone else. This feels more like manipulation. The word 'exalt' used here is hupsoo, and it's meaning is literally, “lifting” up of Christ in His crucifixion.”[12] As we humble ourselves in gratitude - seeing how truly worthy He is to be exalted, becoming like Christ in his crusifixion, we are given grace to go through our struggles. As we look to Him and humble ourselves under His hand, He gives us joy in the midst of our trials and lifts us above them with Him.
One article notes that when we are humble, “we get joy through serving others and giving joy to others. True humility means we have a sense of oneness with others; when we are humble we can get joy from others achievements.”[13]
We can easily try to get our significance or value by the things we do rather than who we are in Christ. When we do this, we measure other's value or worth by our standard of significance. We are filled with pride when we compare ourselves and come out on top. And when we don't measure up to others, we are filled with destuctive envy. We cannot desire other's best when we are measuring our sense of significance against them.
True humility is a lack of focus on oneself altogether. Our hearts are connected with God's purposes for others and we desire to see Him glorified in others, and His purposes come forth -even at the expense of ourselves.
Paul says in Philippians 2:3, “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each one esteem others better than himself.”
"Someday I'm gonna see the King, Come Lord Jesus, Come" sings in the background.
Lord, You are all that we need. As the song sings, "You alone are worthy." Forgive me for wherever I have tried to get a sense of value from the approval or appreciation of others. Would You catch our up in Your love and free us from all the ways we get caught in making it about ourselves. Give us greater humility. We long to see the fullness of Your Spirit poured out, bringing life to all those it touches. As the song goes, would You "Let the river flow."
a. The tabernacle in the wilderness and the temple in the days of Ezekiel, faced east towards the sunrise.[14] And we, as living temples, are to face east – with our eyes towards the Sonrise.
b. For more information on the Mount of Olives as it relates to the return of Jesus see: Mount of Olives. Becker Bible Studies. Located at: http://www.guidedbiblestudies.com/topics/mount_of_olives.htm Last Accessed: 3/8/11
c. One article on the debate of the location of the crucifixion is “Golgotha: the Place of the Skull (No. 217)” located at: http://www.ccg.org/english/s/p217.html
d. We are called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord in Isaiah 61:3. And Psalm 92:12 says the righteous will flourish like a palm tree.
e. According to the Strong's Exhaustive Concordance, grace in this case is '”the merciful kindness by which God, exerting his holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection, and kindles them to the exercise of the Christian virtues.” [15]
1-2. Herod's Temple. The Golden Gate. Located at: http://www.bible-history.com/jewishtemple/JEWISH_TEMPLEThe_Golden_Gate.htm. Last Accessed: 3/8/11
3. Henry, Matthew: Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible : Complete and Unabridged in One Volume. Peabody : Hendrickson, 1996, c1991, S. Eze 46:1
4. Evangelical.us "I Am The Gate." Located at: http://www.evangelical.us/i-am-the-gate.html. Last Accessed: 3/15/11.
5 Clarke's Commentary on the Bible. Zechariah 14:4. Located at: http://biblecommenter.com/zechariah/14-4.htm Last Accessed: 3/8/11
6. Finley, Gavlin. "The Feast of Trumpets." Located at: http://endtimepilgrim.org/trumpets.htm. Last accessed 3/15/11.
7. Guzik, David. Joel 3 - Judgment in the Valley of Decision. Located at: http://www.enduringword.com/commentaries/2903.htm. Last Accessed: 3/8/11.
8. Clarke's Commentary on the Bible. Ezekiel 47. Located at: http://clarke.biblecommenter.com/ezekiel/47.htm. Last Accessed: 3/8/11
9. http://bible.cc/psalms/36-9.htm
10. Smith, William: Smith's Bible Dictionary. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1997
11. Kempis, Thomas a. The Imitation of Christ. Dover Publications, Inc. Mineola, New York. 2003.
12, 15. Strong, James: The Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible : Showing Every Word of the Text of the Common English Version of the Canonical Books, and Every Occurrence of Each Word in Regular Order. electronic ed. Ontario : Woodside Bible Fellowship., 1996, S.
13. Pettinger, Tejvan. "The Benefits of Humility" Located at: http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Benefits-of-Humility&id=500666 Last Accessed 3/15/11.
14.Blank, Wayne, “Why Did They Face East.” Located at: http://www.keyway.ca/htm2002/20021008.htm. Last accessed: 3/15/11.13
The outer east gate is called the “golden gate.” One article notes, “According to Jewish tradition the Messiah (Mashiach) will enter Jerusalem from the east. The gate has a special holiness; legend has it that the Shechinah (Divine Presence) used to appear through this gate and will appear again, and that in the meantime it must be left untouched. The Arabs (Moslem's) call this gate The Mercy Gate (Bab el Rahmeh) and according to the Koran, the just will pass through this gate on the Day of Judgment.” [1]
This article goes on to note, “It is interesting that this gate is the only one of the eight gates in Jerusalem that is sealed.”[2]
Neh. 3:29 says "...the gate that looketh toward the east: And the glory of the Lord came into the house by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east."
Ezekiel 44:1-3 notes, “Then he brought me back to the outer gate of the sanctuary, which faces east; and it was shut. And he 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. 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."
The east gate to the inner court was used for worship. The Lord says in Ezekiel 46:1-3 says, “The gateway of the inner court that faces toward the east shall be shut the six working days; but on the Sabbath it shall be opened, and on the day of the New Moon it shall be opened. The prince shall enter by way of the vestibule of the gateway from the outside, and stand by the gatepost. The priest shall prepare his burnt offerings and his peace offerings. He shall worship at the threshold of the gate. Then he shall go out, but the gate shall not be shut until evening. Likewise the people of the land shall worship at the entrance of the gateway before the Lord on the Sabbaths and the New Moons.”
Commentary notes, that the prince and people did not enter into the inner court by way of the east gate, but stood by the gatepost and worshiped. They had full view of the priests at the altar but were not permitted to enter the inner sanctuary through the gate.[3] Only the Messiah entered in through the east gate.
Jesus road on foal of a donkey from the Mount of Olives into Jerusalem as people cried out “Hosanna to the Son of David.” He rode into the through the east gate. As He entered the temple, he drove out the thieves and proclaimed the temple as a house of prayer. He then healed all the blind and the lame who would come to Him as the children cried out, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” (Matthew 21:1-16)
Jesus says in John 10:1-2, “Most assuredly, I says to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens...”
Jesus is also the gate by which one can enter into the inner sanctuary. Jesus says in John 10:9, “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.”
A gate provides entrance or access to something that otherwise would be unavailable. It is an entryway through a barrier and controls who can enter and who cannot. [4] [a]
When man sinned and ate the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, access to the garden, where one could walk and talk with God, was shut. Cherubim stood at the east gate of the garden of Eden, with a flaming sword, guarding the way to the tree of life and keeping man out (Gen. 3:24)
When Jesus came, he opened the door, making the way for us to have access to the inner sanctuary, into the very presence of God by His blood. It is by faith and through His sacrifice that we can commune with God.
Jesus is also the Good Shepherd who gives his life for the sheep (John 10:1). Matthew 21 says that when He entered by the gate of the temple, He healed the blind and lame. The Lord says in Ezekiel 34:16 about Himself as the True Shepherd, “I will seek what was lost and bring back what was driven away, bind up the broken and strengthen what was sick; but I will destroy the fat and the strong, and feed them in judgment.”
This prophesy of the Messiah coming by the way of the Mount of Olives down to Jerusalem through the east gate is anticipated to be fulfilled again through His return. Scripture verses used to support this are Zechariah 14:4 and Acts 1:10-12. [b]
Matthew 24:27 says, "For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of man."
Zechariah 14:4-9 says, “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. Then you shall flee through My mountain valley, for the mountain valley shall reach to Azal. Yes, you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Thus the Lord my God will come, and all the saints with You. It shall come to pass in that day that there will be no light; the lights will diminish. It shall be one day which is known to the Lord -neither day nor night. But at evening time it shall happen that it will be light. And in that day it shall be that living waters shall flow from Jerusalem, half of them toward the eastern sea and half of them toward the western sea; In both summer and winter it shall occur. And the Lord shall be King over all the earth. In that day it shall be – 'the Lord is one,' and His name one.”
Matthew 27:45 says about Jesus' Crucifixion (believed by some sources to occur on the Mount of Olives) that it was a day that there was darkness over the land. As He gave up His spirit, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many. So when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly saying, 'Truly this was the Son of God!'” And as one of the soldiers pierced his side, both blood and water poured out (John 19:34). [c]
One commentary notes about His standing on the Mount of Olives at His final return, “And his feet shall stand - He shall appear in full possession of the place, as a mighty conqueror. And the Mount of Olives shall cleave - God shall display his miraculous power as fully in the final restoration of the Jews, as he did when he divided the Red Sea that their forefathers might pass through dry-shod.” [5]
Joel 3:14-18 says about these last days of His return, “Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision. The sun and moon will grow dark, and the stars will diminish their brightness. The Lord also will roar from Zion, and utter His voice from Jerusalem; the heavens and earth will shake; But the Lord will be a shelter for His people, and the strength of the children of Israel… And it will come to pass in that day that the mountains shall drip with new wine, the hills shall flow with milk, and all the brooks of Judah shall be flooded with water; A fountain shall flow from the house of the Lord and water the Valley of Acacias.”
One article notes about His return, the great day of atonement, and the Feast of Trumpets [announcing the imminent arrival of the King], “The ultimate New Covenant fulfillment of this future Jewish New Year, (Tishrei 1 on the Hebrew calendar), will be spectacular beyond words. The feast will explode into holy history. And it will be a blockbuster. Moses declared and prophesied that it would become a "memorial of blowing of trumpets" (Lev. 23:24-25)… Back then [2000 years ago] we saw Him [Jesus] ride into Jerusalem on a donkey as the 'Suffering Servant'. But when Messiah returns this next time He will come as the Conquering King. After Trumpets on Tishrei 1 comes the "Ten days of awe" which lead on to Yom Kippur on Tishrei 10 which is the Day of Atonement. This is the most solemn day of the year. On this awesome Day of Reckoning all accounts between YHVH-God and all His covenant people are settled. The Jubilee Year is also announced on this same tenth day of Tishri.” [6]
Another article notes about water flowing from the house of the Lord to the Valley of Acacias, “The Valley of Acacias (Valley of Shittim) was a place associated with both failure and victory. It is located on the eastern side of the Jordan River, to the north of the Dead Sea. It was where the King of Moab sent his young women to the men of Israel to seduce them into idolatry and sexual immorality (Numbers 25:1-3). It was also the launching place for the armies of Israel when they set out against Jericho and Canaan in the days of Joshua (Joshua 2:1 and 3:1).” This article notes, “When water from the house of the Lord flows down to the valley of Acacias, then God’s grace and provision covers the past - every sin, every victory is covered over by Him.” [7]
Water flowing from the house of the Lord through the east gate was seen in a vision of Ezekiel. Ez. 47:1-9 says, “Then he brought me back to the door of the temple; and there was water, flowing from under the threshold of the temple toward the east, for the front of the temple faced east; the water was flowing from under the right side of the temple, south of the altar. He brought me out by way of the north gate, and led me around the outside to the outer gateway that faces east; and there was water, running out on the right side. And when the man went out to the east with the line in his hand, he measured one thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the water came up to my ankles. And he measured one thousand and brought me through the waters; the water came up to my knees. Again he measured one thousand and brought me through; the water came up to my waist. Again he measured one thousand and brought me through; the water came up to my waist. Again he measured one thousand, and it was a river that I could not cross; for the water was too deep, water in which one must swim, a river that could not be crossed. He said to me, 'Son of man, have you seen this?' Then he brought me and returned me to the bank of the river. When I returned, there, along the bank of the river, were very many trees on one side and the other. And he said to me: 'This water flows toward the eastern region, goes down into the valley, and enters the sea. When it reaches the sea, its waters are healed. And it shall be that every living thing that moves, wherever the rivers go, will live. There will be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters go there; for they will be healed, and everything will live wherever the river goes.”
Clarke's Commentary notes: “and consequently these waters, as well as those spoken of in Joel 3:18, and in Zechariah 14:8, are to be understood spiritually...” He notes that taken in this view, they can be applied to the outpouring of the Spirit “ by which the knowledge of the true God was multiplied in the earth.” He also notes that farther the waters flowed from the temple, the deeper they grew. [8]
Jesus is the Fountainhead from which water flows from the house of the Lord through the east gate, filling the valley and then entering the sea. David cries out in Psalm 36:9 (NLT), “For you are the fountain of life, the light by which we see.”
Barnes Notes on the Bible comments, “For with thee is the fountain of life - The fountain or source from which all life flows. All living beings derive their origin from thee, as streams flow from fountains; all that is properly "called" life proceeds from thee; everything which makes life real life - which makes it desirable or happy - has its origin in thee.” [9]
Ezekiel 47:8-12 says about the waters that flow from the east gate of the temple: “When it reaches the sea, its waters are healed. And it shall be that every living thing that moves, wherever the rivers go, will live. There will be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters go there; for they will be healed, and everything will live wherever the river goes. It shall be that fishermen will stand by it from En Gedi to En Eglaim; they will be places for spreading their nets. Their fish will be of the same kinds as the fish of the Great Sea, exceedingly many. But its swamps and marshes will not be healed; they will be given over to salt. Along the bank of the river on this side and that, will grow all kinds of trees used for food; their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail. They will bear fruit every month, because their water flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for medicine.” [d]
Jesus says in John 10:10, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
Revelation 22:1-2 says, “Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.
Swamps and marshes that are given over to salt, speak of places where the water becomes stagnant rather than ever flowing back out. These places become destitute of life. The Dead Sea also called the Salt Sea “is the final receptacle of the river Jordan, the lowest and largest of the three lakes which interrupt the rush of its downward course.” [10]
Jesus says in Matthew 10:8, “Freely you have received, freely give.” Giving comes from a heart of gratitude for what we have received. Thomas a Kempis writes, “the gifts of grace cannot flow in us when we are ungrateful to the Giver, when we do not return them to the Fountainhead. Grace is always given to him who is duly grateful, and what is wont to be given to the humble will be taken away from the proud." [11]
As the song goes, “the river rushes to the lowest place.” The earlier commentary noted that the river became deeper as it rolled down into the valley and towards the sea. It is in the lowest place that we experience the deepest connection with God.
And 1 Peter 5:5-7 says, “Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for 'God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. [e] Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”
This does not mean that we are supposed to pretend to be humble by our actions while we secretly hope that God will give us honor in front of everyone else. This feels more like manipulation. The word 'exalt' used here is hupsoo, and it's meaning is literally, “lifting” up of Christ in His crucifixion.”[12] As we humble ourselves in gratitude - seeing how truly worthy He is to be exalted, becoming like Christ in his crusifixion, we are given grace to go through our struggles. As we look to Him and humble ourselves under His hand, He gives us joy in the midst of our trials and lifts us above them with Him.
One article notes that when we are humble, “we get joy through serving others and giving joy to others. True humility means we have a sense of oneness with others; when we are humble we can get joy from others achievements.”[13]
We can easily try to get our significance or value by the things we do rather than who we are in Christ. When we do this, we measure other's value or worth by our standard of significance. We are filled with pride when we compare ourselves and come out on top. And when we don't measure up to others, we are filled with destuctive envy. We cannot desire other's best when we are measuring our sense of significance against them.
True humility is a lack of focus on oneself altogether. Our hearts are connected with God's purposes for others and we desire to see Him glorified in others, and His purposes come forth -even at the expense of ourselves.
Paul says in Philippians 2:3, “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each one esteem others better than himself.”
"Someday I'm gonna see the King, Come Lord Jesus, Come" sings in the background.
Lord, You are all that we need. As the song sings, "You alone are worthy." Forgive me for wherever I have tried to get a sense of value from the approval or appreciation of others. Would You catch our up in Your love and free us from all the ways we get caught in making it about ourselves. Give us greater humility. We long to see the fullness of Your Spirit poured out, bringing life to all those it touches. As the song goes, would You "Let the river flow."
a. The tabernacle in the wilderness and the temple in the days of Ezekiel, faced east towards the sunrise.[14] And we, as living temples, are to face east – with our eyes towards the Sonrise.
b. For more information on the Mount of Olives as it relates to the return of Jesus see: Mount of Olives. Becker Bible Studies. Located at: http://www.guidedbiblestudies.com/topics/mount_of_olives.htm Last Accessed: 3/8/11
c. One article on the debate of the location of the crucifixion is “Golgotha: the Place of the Skull (No. 217)” located at: http://www.ccg.org/english/s/p217.html
d. We are called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord in Isaiah 61:3. And Psalm 92:12 says the righteous will flourish like a palm tree.
e. According to the Strong's Exhaustive Concordance, grace in this case is '”the merciful kindness by which God, exerting his holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection, and kindles them to the exercise of the Christian virtues.” [15]
1-2. Herod's Temple. The Golden Gate. Located at: http://www.bible-history.com/jewishtemple/JEWISH_TEMPLEThe_Golden_Gate.htm. Last Accessed: 3/8/11
3. Henry, Matthew: Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible : Complete and Unabridged in One Volume. Peabody : Hendrickson, 1996, c1991, S. Eze 46:1
4. Evangelical.us "I Am The Gate." Located at: http://www.evangelical.us/i-am-the-gate.html. Last Accessed: 3/15/11.
5 Clarke's Commentary on the Bible. Zechariah 14:4. Located at: http://biblecommenter.com/zechariah/14-4.htm Last Accessed: 3/8/11
6. Finley, Gavlin. "The Feast of Trumpets." Located at: http://endtimepilgrim.org/trumpets.htm. Last accessed 3/15/11.
7. Guzik, David. Joel 3 - Judgment in the Valley of Decision. Located at: http://www.enduringword.com/commentaries/2903.htm. Last Accessed: 3/8/11.
8. Clarke's Commentary on the Bible. Ezekiel 47. Located at: http://clarke.biblecommenter.com/ezekiel/47.htm. Last Accessed: 3/8/11
9. http://bible.cc/psalms/36-9.htm
10. Smith, William: Smith's Bible Dictionary. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1997
11. Kempis, Thomas a. The Imitation of Christ. Dover Publications, Inc. Mineola, New York. 2003.
12, 15. Strong, James: The Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible : Showing Every Word of the Text of the Common English Version of the Canonical Books, and Every Occurrence of Each Word in Regular Order. electronic ed. Ontario : Woodside Bible Fellowship., 1996, S.
13. Pettinger, Tejvan. "The Benefits of Humility" Located at: http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Benefits-of-Humility&id=500666 Last Accessed 3/15/11.
14.Blank, Wayne, “Why Did They Face East.” Located at: http://www.keyway.ca/htm2002/20021008.htm. Last accessed: 3/15/11.13
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