Ezekiel 44:1-3

Ezekiel 44:1-3 (ESV): “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.”

All believers have a place in God’s Kingdom, but not all believers have the same access to every place within the Kingdom of God. Our place is not determined by us but by God and His perfect plan for each of us individually.

The Eastern Gate on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem has always been a point of great interest. It is currently sealed because the Turks believed the prophecy that Jesus would one day return and enter through that gate. So, in 1540–1541, Suleiman the Magnificent, a sultan of the Ottoman Empire, ordered it to be sealed.

As fascinating as that is, the present Temple Mount area is not what Ezekiel saw. He was given a vision of a future Temple yet to exist. When the Lord enters this Eastern Gate no man can follow Him, except one. It’s possible that this refers to David. What we do know is that this person will eat bread before the Lord in this gate, for he was created by God for that very purpose.

Did you know that you, too, were created by God to fulfill a very specific role in His Kingdom? It might not be at the Eastern Gate, but it’s somewhere. God has a place for you. The only way we can occupy that place is by being in Christ. If you haven’t come to Christ, come to Him today. And if you have, then live fully for His Kingdom. Amen?

Father, we thank You that You have created a specific place for each of us in Your Kingdom. Encourage us to stay the course when things are tough. To You be the glory forever and ever, in Jesus’ name, amen.