The Promise of Palm Sunday

Christians will celebrate Palm Sunday this weekend, commemorating the one happy day in “Holy Week” when Jesus entered Jerusalem to much fanfare and glory, riding a baby donkey while people laid down palm branches and sang His praises. Palm Sunday always brings to mind the children of our church marching around the sanctuary waving palms and mugging for their parents while the congregation sang, “All Hail, King Jesus” or some version of “Hosanna.” 

It’s often noted that Jesus rode not just a donkey, but a baby donkey, a colt, to fulfill the prophesy of Zechariah:

Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion. 
Sing aloud, Daughter Jerusalem. 
Look, your king will come to you. 
He is righteous and victorious. 
He is humble and riding on an ass, 
on a colt, the offspring of a donkey. 

Zechariah 9:9

A cynic might say that Jesus could have manufactured this moment—he knew the scriptures. But I doubt he could have manufactured the spontaneous response of huge crowds flocking to him in reverent worship. Nor could he have manufactured the near-perfect timing of his entry, according to Daniel;

There will be seven weeks from the moment the word went out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until a leader is anointed. And for sixty-two weeks the city will be rebuilt with a courtyard and a moat. Daniel 9:25

Note that a “week” in the Bible refers to any collection of “sevens”—it was common practice to refer to a week as seven sets of seven years, or 49 years. Here is the timeline, as laid out by Chuck Missler in “An Unexpected King.”

This includes a mathematical prophecy. As we have noted in previous studies, the Jewish (and Babylonian) calendars used a 360-day year;4 69 weeks of 360-day years totals 173,880 days.

In effect, Gabriel told Daniel that the interval between the commandment to rebuild Jerusalem until the presentation of the Messiah as King would be 173,880 days. 

The commandment to restore and build Jerusalem was given by Artaxerxes Longimanus on March 14, 445 B.C.5 

But when did the Messiah present Himself as a king? During the ministry of Jesus Christ there were several occasions in which the people attempted to promote Him as king, but He carefully avoided it. “Mine hour is not yet come.”6

Then one day He meticulously arranges it.7 On this particular day he rode into the city of Jerusalem riding on a donkey…This is the only occasion that Jesus presented Himself as King. It occurred on April 6, 32 a.d.9 When we examine the period between March 14, 445 b.c. and April 6, 32 a.d., and correct for leap years, we discover that it is 173,880 days exactly, to the very day!

Cool, huh?

But the rest of Zechariah’s prophecy talks of a conquering king ruling the world “from sea to sea.” We know that didn’t happen. In fact, less than a week later, those same crowds that lauded Jesus were screaming, “Crucify Him!”

Prophecies can be tricky. There is a sense that they are “already and not yet,” as Michael Heiser would say. They can refer to near events and events far into the future at the same time. Part of the prophecy was fulfilled with Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, but what about the rest?

He will cut off the chariot from Ephraim 
and the warhorse from Jerusalem.
The bow used in battle will be cut off; 
he will speak peace to the nations. 
His rule will stretch from sea to sea, 
and from the river to the ends of the earth. 
Moreover, by the blood of your covenant, 
I will release your prisoners from the waterless pit. 
Return to the stronghold, prisoners of hope. 
Moreover, declare today that I will return double to you. 
Indeed, I myself will bend Judah as a bow; I will fill it with Ephraim. 
Zion, I will rouse your sons against your sons. 
Greece, I will make you like a warrior’s sword. 

The LORD will appear above them; 
his arrow will go forth like lightning. 
The LORD God will blow the horn; 
he will march forth on the stormy winds of the south.

The LORD of heavenly forces will protect them. 
They will devour and subdue like sling stones. 
They will drink, mumbling like one having wine. 
They will be filled like a bowl, like the corners of the altar.
 The LORD their God will deliver them on that day as the flock of his people;
they will be the jewels in a crown dotting his land.  

Zechariah 9:10-16

The short answer is—the rest is yet to come.

It is believed that Jesus entered Jerusalem through what is now known as the “Gate of Mercy,” the gate closest to the Mount of Olives, which leads directly to the Temple Mount. The original gate from Jesus’ time is now actually underneath the present gate, called the Golden Gate, which has been sealed up since the time of the Crusades. It’s the only impassable gate in the old city of Jerusalem. 

According to Revelation, when Jesus returns, he will come riding not on a lowly donkey, but on a magnificent white horse. He will appear on the Mount of Olives and he will enter through the very same gate he entered the first time. And the outcome will be very different.

Then I saw heaven opened, and there was a white horse. Its rider was called Faithful and True, and he judges and makes war justly. His eyes were like a fiery flame, and on his head were many royal crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He wore a robe dyed with blood, and his name was called the Word of God. Heaven’s armies, wearing fine linen that was white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword that he will use to strike down the nations. He is the one who will rule them with an iron rod. And he is the one who will trample the winepress of the Almighty God’s passionate anger. He has a name written on his robe and on his thigh: King of kings and Lord of lords.  Revelation 19:11-16

Then we will see the true completion of the prophecy of Zechariah—and won’t it be a thing to see! 

Jesus came the first time in humility, as a human, ready to die out of love for his people. He will return as a conquering divine king, ready to rule, out of that same love. And every knee will bow. 

Gina Detwiler is the author of several novels for teens and children, as well as the Ultimate Bible Character Guide and the Ultimate Bible Character Devotional.