Those of you who have visited Jerusalem, may perhaps be able to imagine in your mind’s eye, a gate opening to a magnificent palace, gardens and courtyard on the east side of Jerusalem. Cruden’s Concordance gives three references to the Horse Gate. All three give some information about it. The first, 2 Chronicles 23:15, (told before the de­struction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar,) identifies the Horse Gate entrance as being on the palace grounds. The gate would be situated near the stables of Solomon that housed some of his twelve thousand horses, the ones that he had with him in Jerusalem. (1 Kings 10:26.) In Nehemiah’s day the gate also led to the site of the King’s Garden and the tomb of David, the latter still existing in New Testament times (Acts 2:29), and to the tombs of his king-descendants. But there was now no king.

Neh.3:28 tells that above this gate, priests made the repairs. Nearby were built priests’ houses. Also, as the Water Gate was “toward the east”, this would suggest that the Horse Gate was also on the east. Jer. 31:38 confirms the east as the side where the gate was situated. This verse is a remarkable but enigmatic prophecy that the days are coming “when this city will be rebuilt for the Lord, from the Tower of Hananel (the second tower between the Sheep Gate and the Fish Gate)... The whole valley where dead bodies and ashes are thrown, out to the Kidron Valley on the east as far as the corner of the Horse Gate, will be will be holy to the Lord.”

The Gate of Royalty⤒🔗

Although no description is given, this was probably, like the palace, quite a magnifi­cent gate, a gate of pomp and ceremony. For the horse was a magnificent animal, highly valued. God gave it agility. Strength. Fearlessness. God ‘clothed its neck with a flowing mane.’ Powerful nouns, these, yet still more powerful are the descriptive verbs. Enjoy the leaping locust, pawing, rejoicing, laughing, eating up the ground, frenzied with excitement, snorting for the battle! God’s vivid portrait to Job (39:19) leaves us breathless. Historical books of the Bible reveal the horse as the animal of the kings of Israel and their allies, and of the kings of Israel and their enemies. Visualise under the Horse Gate archway, a stately march of royal processions, of merchants with goods for trading (horses, chariots, silver, spices, ce­dar wood from Lebanon – all are listed under Solomon’s trade transactions.) Eminent royal visitors – how many of these arrived here, to attend the royal household? The Queen of Sheba with her retinue, a very great caravan of camels carrying spices, large quantities of gold and precious stones, entering through this gate? Kings from the Palace, prepared to lead their troops into battle. The Monarch on his agile beast, triumphant after victory. And sometimes, after defeat or murder, the return of his body for a funeral. (See, e.g., 2 Kings 14:20)

Great gate of promise, if only Israel’s Kings had remained faithful.

Gate of the Meek and Lowly←⤒🔗

Was this the gate entered by another King, about 500 years after the time of Nehemiah? The Lord entered Jerusalem on what is now called Palm Sunday, not on a decorated horse of triumph, but on the lowliest member of the horse family, covered with the cloaks of his disciples – a donkey. Up to now he had avoided public acclamation of himself as King. Once the people had tried to take him by force and make him King, but the time was wrong. He withdrew into the hills by himself (John 6:15.) It was to be his tim­ing, not theirs. And now the time was ripe. Now he himself set out deliberately to make his claim. Any knowledgeable Jew would recognize this. The Pharisees and priests were scandalized. It was the entrance of the King of Zechariah 9: “Your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” The promise of an everlasting King had been made to David, not to this carpenter imposter.

Ah yes, but the crowd knew he was of the Royal House. “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they cried. The leaders were willfully blind.

So the gentle King entered the city, palm branches and street clothes under his feet. Word must have reached Pontius Pilate. A few days later they delivered him into Pilate’s hands. Did Pilate know the significance of his ride on a donkey a few days earlier? Was this first ‘Palm Sunday’ event the reason for the mockery, the purple robe, the crown of thorns, the altar-throne on which he was nailed?

“Are you a king?” asked Pilate.

“You say it,” was the reply. And Pilate had a notice hung over the King’s head, “This is Jesus the King of the Jews.” Was his notice served as a warning? Be careful – see what happens to anyone setting himself up as a rival to Caesar!

The Gate of the King of Kings←⤒🔗

But look at the next time we shall see Him. On a white horse! So without trying to put a contrived explanation to this gate, if we just take Scripture itself for the pictures the Horse Gate conjures up, we cannot go far wrong. The Prince of Peace entered Jerusalem as King, on an ass. The King, coming again for warfare, coming in victory, coming for judgement of mankind, will be on a white horse. He too has his retinue – the armies of heaven, also mounted on white horses. (Rev. 19:11-16.) Take your Bible and read the passage phrase by phrase, for yourself. Anything we could say about this is inadequate. For we enter the realms of eternity, where all is known and where our salvation was planned before time began. Let your mind dwell on the Glory of this King. Each phrase is an exquisite word picture of the One Who is coming. Then turn back to Hebrews 1, and meditate on verses 1-3. Finally, read again in Revelation 1:12-17. The indescribable, glorious Saviour, who once rode on a donkey.

This gate brings to mind nothing except the glorification of the Saviour. The lowly King on his way to save His people. The warrior King, to overcome His enemies and to be the just judge.

Man may rail against Him, but in these difficult days, the Horse Gate reminds us that He is on the throne, that before Him every knee shall bow. And a wedding procession will follow!

Then we may join with the great multitude that John heard shouting:

Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and
power belong to our God, for true
and just are His judgements ... Hal­lelujah!
For our Lord God Almighty reigns.
Let us rejoice and give Him glory.
For the wedding of the Lamb has come...
On His robe and on His thigh He has this Name written:
King of kings, and Lord of lords...
And He shall reign forever and ever.