“East” – A Prophetic Symbol

Introductory Thoughts

The Hebrew word for “east” is kedem or qedem.

·        Anciently, it meant “in front of.”

·        When facing the rising sun, it was:

·        “In front of,” meaning the direction of “east” [right was south; left, north; and behind, west].

·        This was tied to the rising sun.

·        It symbolized deliverance from darkness

·        A new beginning

As God chose to decree a seven-day clock, representing a week, He adopted kedem as a
prophetic symbol for:

1.     Life

2.     Light

3.     Newness

4.     Deliverance (later)

“And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed” (Genesis 2:8).

·        The Septuagint translates this place as “Paradise in Eden.”

·        What it is “east of” is not defined in this pre-flood world.

·        But that Garden was “eastward” (miqqedem), and this direction is noted!

·        Then comes another east reference related to one of the four Garden rivers:

“And the name of the third river [is] Hiddekel: that [is] it which goeth toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river [is] Euphrates” (Genesis 2:14).

·        God chose to introduce directional messages related to:

·        The Garden – where life was given to man

·        The River – that brought it water to the east

·        Why did He describe this?

·        We can capture more insight through noting its continued importance.

Adam and Eve were placed “east” of the Garden when driven from that “home” (Genesis 3:24).

On the Day of Atonement the blood was taken into the Most Holy Place first on behalf of Aaron himself as the High Priest, then for the people (Leviticus 16:11-15).

·        This blood was sprinkled on the east side of the mercy seat

·        And before the ark/mercy seat on the east side

·        This signified the cleansing and deliverance from sin that the Messiah would bring.

·        Immediately – east part of mercy seat

·        Future – east of the ark towards the rising sun

The Tribe of Judah was encamped to the east of the tabernacle.

·        It was through them that the Messiah or Deliverer would come (Isaiah 11:1).

·        Jesse, David’s father, was of the lineage of Judah.

·        The “standard” or symbol of the Tribe of Judah (a Lion) was to be placed “on the east side” of the camp “toward the rising of the sun” (Numbers 2:3).

Many other references are made related to the “rising sun” (Numbers 34:15) and the east in the Old Testament.

·        When qedem was used with the name of God, elohiym, intriguingly, the “in front of” or “east” suddenly meant “eternal God.”

·        Malachi recorded the words of “the Lord of host”: “But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings” (Malachi 4:2).

·        As east was simply viewed as “toward the rising sun”:

·        It also drew a higher and more sacred intimation.

·        Deliverance would arise with healing or restoration in its wings.

·        In Revelation 7:2 an angel “ascended from the east,” ordering the four angels with the “winds of strife” to hold them:

·        Until that healing or restoration was complete, i.e.:

·        The sealing

The Tabernacle and later the Temple entrance faced the east.

·        In Solomon’s, and later, Herod’s Temple, a straight line could be made from the Most Holy.

Through the:

Holy Place

      Temple court entrance

            East gate of Jerusalem

                  Over the top of Mount of Olives

                        East – towards the rising sun

The gate of Jerusalem had beautiful relief work, typifying the city of Shushan.

·        The gate was called the “Gate Beautiful” (Acts 3:2, 10) or the “Gate of Susa” (history).

·        It commemorated “Deliverance.”

·        By Cyrus (of Persia when Shushan would be its capital) from Babylon

·        By Esther (who lived in Shushan) from Haaman’s deceptions

Thus, east, again, symbolized “deliverance.” The city of Shushan became a symbol for the City of Deliverance. That would later be seen as the “New Jerusalem” in Revelation.

·        This gate was so sacred to the Jewish people in recognition of that city.

·        They had special “keepers of the gate” (I Chronicles 31:14, Nehemiah 3:29) guarding it.

Christ, it is believed, entered Jerusalem at the onset of the Passion Week through that gate.

·        He was to be the Deliverer.

The Fascinating Story of Ezekiel

God’s glory is about to depart from the Jewish temple – forever – (save for Christ’s actual presence at the first advent).

·        Coals from the temple are scattered over the city (Ezekiel 10:2).

·        This denotes either purification or, as here, final judgment (Revelation 8:5; cf. Deuteronomy 4:24).

·        God’s glory journeys in a defined route as it departs:

·        From above the cherubim

·        To the Threshold of the temple

·        Moves to the “east gate” of the city

·        At this gate the wicked leaders of the city are judged.

·        God gives at this east gate His everlasting covenant promise (Ezekiel 11:16:20)

·        Restoration will come: “they shall be my people, and I will be their God” (vs 20).

·        Glory moves to the Mount of Olives – “east of the city” (Ezekiel 11:22).

·        Now

·        Ezekiel’s vision of the departure of the Shekina stops.

·        God’s glory symbolically awaits “in the east” to return (which he implied in the covenant promise to His people and church).

The glory does return – in beautiful imagery of the second advent and restoration of man.

·        Ezekiel 40–48

·        Concludes his prophetic book

·        Yaheweh returns to the temple

·        Establishes His residence in the city

·        This fulfillment vision begins on the 10^th day of the first month.

·        That is the day the Passover Lamb is chosen (Exodus 12:3).

·        Ezekiel is taken to a high mountain

·        Where he sees a city to the south

·        A divine being with a measuring stick prepares to take him around the temple to measure it (Ezekiel 40–42)

·                  They approach the temple through the “east gate.”

Then an awesome picture comes:

·        From that eastern gate

·        He sees “the glory of God” approaching from the east.

·        The glory of God enters the temple “by way of the eastern gate.”

This is a beautiful depiction of the Latter Rain entering the hearts of God’s people at the end of time.

Finally, on the Sabbath of the New Moon (Feast of Trumpets):

·        The eastern gate which had been closed for six days

·        Is to be opened

                  The Prince will enter there (Ezekiel 46:1-2)

To give inheritance (vss 16-18; 47:12; 48:29) to His people

The name of the city?

“The Lord is there” (Ezekiel 48:35).

Thus, east:

·        Is the direction of:

·        Hope

·        Restoration

·        Movement of God’s glory

·        “For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be” (Matthew 24:27).

·        In prophecy: east = deliverance.