IN 1967 WHEN THE SIX DAY WAR BROKE OUT I WAS A PROFESSOR OF INTERNATIONAL LAW AND POLITICS, AND BECAUSE I WAS FOLLOWING INTERNATIONAL POLITICS I FOLLOWED THAT SIX DAY WAR VERY CAREFULLY.
I WILL NEVER FORGET THAT WHEN THE WAR WAS OVER I READ A VERY INTERESTING NEWS ARTICLE ONE DAY THAT SAID WHEN THE ISRAELI’S DECIDED THAT THEY WERE GOING TO TAKE THIS OLD CITY WHICH WAS UNDER THE OCCUPATION OF THE JORDANIAN FORCES, THE LOGICAL WAY TO DO IT WAS TO HIT IT FROM THE WEST OVER AT THE JOFFA GATE, CERTAINLY NOT HERE BECAUSE ALL THIS TERRITORY WAS UNDER JORDANIAN CONTROL.
BUT THE ISRAELI’S ALWAYS RELYING ON SURPRISE DECIDED, NO WE ARE GOING TO HIT FROM THIS SIDE, WE’LL COME AROUND UNDER THE COVER OF DARKNESS AND HIT FROM THIS SIDE [EAST]. AND IT SAID THAT WHILE THEY WERE DISCUSSING THAT THEY DISCUSSED THE POSSIBILITY OF BLOWING OPEN THIS GATE [EASTERN] WITH SATCHEL CHARGES AND CATCHING THE JORDANIANS BY SURPRISE.
THEN IT SAID THAT WHEN THAT SUGGESTION WAS MADE AN ORTHODOX RABBI WAS THERE WHO SAID, “NO, YOU WILL DO THAT OVER MY DEAD BODY BECAUSE THAT GATE IS SUPPOSED TO BE CLOSED UNTIL THE MESSIAH RETURNS.”
WELL I HAD NO IDEA WHAT THAT WAS ALL ABOUT FOLKS. I HAD GROWN UP IN A CHURCH THAT DID NOT TEACH BIBLE PROPHECY. I KNEW NOTHING ABOUT BIBLE PROPHECY. SO I GOT OUT A CONCORDANCE AND I LOOKED UP THE WORD GATE AND I STARTED LOOKING AT VERSES AND GUESS WHAT? I DISCOVERED EZEKIEL 44 WHICH HAS A PROPHECY THAT SAYS,
1 THEN HE BROUGHT ME BACK THE WAY OF THE GATE OF THE OUTWARD SANCTUARY WHICH LOOKETH TOWARD THE EAST; AND IT WAS SHUT.
2 THEN SAID THE LORD UNTO ME; THIS GATE SHALL BE SHUT, IT SHALL NOT BE OPENED, AND NO MAN SHALL ENTER IN BY IT; BECAUSE THE LORD, THE GOD OF ISRAEL, HATH ENTERED IN BY IT, THEREFORE IT SHALL BE SHUT. (EZEKIEL 44)THEN I GOT OUT THE ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANNICA AND I STARTED READING ABOUT THE EASTERN GATE AND IT SAID THAT NO ONE KNOWS FOR SURE WHY THIS WALL WAS CLOSED. BUT THE BEST STORY IS THAT WHEN THESE WALLS WERE BEING REBUILT IN THE 1500’S BY SULEIMAN THE MAGNIFICENCE THAT A RUMOR SWEPT JERUSALEM THAT THE MESSIAH WAS COMING. AND THEY CALLED THE RABBIS IN AND SAID, “WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?”
“WHEN THE MESSIAH COMES HE IS GOING TO COME FROM THE EAST, HE IS GOING TO GO THROUGH THE EASTERN GATE AND HE IS GOING TO RUN ALL OF YOU ALIENS OUT AND HE IS GOING TO BECOME THE MESSIAH THE RULER OVER THE EARTH.”
WELL FOLKS THAT IS A SPECIAL STORY FOR ME BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT GOT ME INTERESTED IN BIBLE PROPHECY. I WAS HOOKED FROM THAT POINT ON. I COULD NOT BELIEVE THAT I WAS SEEING A PROPHECY FULFILLED BEFORE MY VERY EYES IN THE 20TH CENTURY AT THAT TIME. AND SO I STARTED STUDYING BIBLE PROPHECY INTENTLY. THAT IS WHY I CALL THIS GATE THE GATE TO PROPHECY.
(Christ In Prophecy, “The Temple Mount,” YouTube, Apr 25, 2012, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tba4u-aLB2s)