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REBUILDING
THE JEWISH TEMPLE
A study by |
 Notice that the temple is in perfect alignment with the eastern gate. Click on the image to go to the article. |
Jerusalem has seen two temples built on the Temple Mount.
The first was built by King Solomon close to 3,000 years ago.
It was destroyed by the armies of Nebuchadnezzar in 586 B.C.
The second temple was built under Zerubbabel during the years 520-516 B.C.
This was destroyed by the Romans in 70 A.D.
Since that time there has been a deep desire among many observant
Jews both out in the Diaspora and back in Eretz Israel
to rebuild the Jewish Temple.
At the present time the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple is quite impossible from a political perspective. The Temple Mount area is under rather strict Islamic control. They give the permission for all and everything that goes on up on this the most prized real estate on the planet. But the prophetic scriptures indicate that the political equation will change at some point. And the Jewish Third Temple will indeed be rebuilt. We can only assume that those sad conditions we see and take for granted today will change quite dramatically as an outcome of some future history. It will of necessity have to be a major upheaval and a sudden turnaround in the political realities on the ground. At some point there will be a new peace on the Temple Mount. It will be brought in and brokered by powers that have taken on the Islamic powers and brought them down a notch or two.
What power will have come onto the scene to change the longstanding 'status quo' here? What national or international entity will have done this? Well at present we do not know. But one thing we can say with some assurance. At some future time the Temple Mount in Jerusalem will be secured. And Middle East peace will be guaranteed. This will be done by some very significant world power. And that power will most certainly not be an Islamic one.
AN HISTORIC FUTURE PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST WILL COME.
AND IT WILL PROBABLY COME IN THE AFTERMATH OF A FUTURE
VERY DESTRUCTIVE FUTURE WAR IN THE MIDDLE EAST.
So the question arises.
Just how will this future blockbuster Middle East peace be brokered?
It seems that this coming Peace Treaty will be a very solid one.
It will be the completion and ratification of the very same
"Peace Process" or "Roadmap to Peace"
we have been seeing develop in recent years.
Quite clearly the peace required for the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple
will finally be established in the city and more particularly up
on the Temple Mount. Daniel tells us that a seven year covenant involving the sovereign and holy land of Eretz Israel will be confirmed.
How will this have happened?
Well this is an interesting question. It is entirely possible that this future peace treaty will be brokered in the aftermath of a major future Middle East conflict. This coming war may turn out to be be a very destructive one. Could it be the war that Isaiah spoke about in Isaiah 17, the war that sees the destruction of Damascus?
History demonstrates a recurring pattern. Great treaties do not tend to happen just by diplomacy and in peacetime. A significant peace cannot be foisted upon unwilling contestants merely by the under the table monetary coaxings we see on White House lawns in peacetime. Superpowers and their international bankers can only do so much. And much of what is showcased in the way of "peace agreements" amount to little more than mere window dressing.
The League of Nations was a significant step toward peace. But it was
only brokered after World War 1 and the loss of 20 million lives.
And it only lasted a few short years.
The United Nation came out of World War 2 and after the sacrifice of 50 million lives.
The principle from history is simply this.
Big peace accords usually follow big wars.
The future war that leads to this Middle East peace
may surprise the world. It may shock us to the depths of our being.
Because this future conflict may see
the detonation of a nuclear device somewhere in the Middle East.
This would set the international community screaming,
"Somebody do something!"
Enter then the peacemaker, and the one who "confirms" the roadmap to peace.
Enter the "prince" of Daniel 9:26-27.
Just who he will turn out to be? We do not know.
How and where might this future war take place? Israel has recently expressed concern that terrorist cells of Hamas and Hezbollah are holed up in the nearby city of Damascus. It is very close to Jerusalem. Damascus is the oldest city in the world. It has a long history going back 4,000 years to the time of Abraham. See this map. Damascus has never been destroyed. But there is a prophecy awaiting fulfilment that very clearly predicts the destruction of Damascus. The prophet Isaiah spoke of this. He said that the city of Damascus would become a "heap of rubble". (Isa.17) That being the case, we might do well to keep an eye on this developing situation of terrorist cells operating out of Damascus in southern Syria.
One thing we can say with complete assurance. If the Jewish Temple is to be built then the balance of power will need to be changed, and changed in a dramatic sort of way. Something big will have to happen to break the present Islamic hold on the Temple Mount. We can say this with complete assurance. The status quo in Jerusalem with respect to how it is divided up was established a long time ago. The current divisions of Jerusalem into Jewish, Christian, and Armenian sectors was set forth by the Ottoman Turks half a millennia ago. Indeed this decreed sectioning of the Holy City was where the term "status quo" came into our language. So unless the current political 'status quo' is dramatically and decisively overturned there will be no rebuilding of the Jewish Temple.
BUILDING THE THIRD TEMPLE WILL REQUIRE PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST.
AND THAT PEACE, ALBEIT A TEMPORARY ONE, WILL PROBABLY FOLLOW A SIGNIFICANT FUTURE WAR.
THIS WILL GIVE BIRTH TO THE 7 YEAR PEACE COVENANT OF DAN. 9:27.
Just how will this Middle East peace
be achieved? What will have happened to suddenly
change the political equation and thus
open the way to allow the Rebuilding of the Jewish Temple?
There will be an upheaval of the present powers. A new "prince" will come onto the world scene. But who will this man be? And in whose name will he come? Will he turn out to be the peacemaker or power broker spoken of by the prophet Daniel? Will he be the long awaited 'prince' who brokers the peace treaty of Daniel 9:27? Shall we see the one who is prophesied to "confirm the covenant with many" for a period of seven years?
These are awesome issues to consider. The prophecy we are considering here is extremely important. Daniel 9:27 is the most significant prophecy yet to unfold. It is the next big event to explode into history. It will almost certainly be the event which marks the next feast on the Hebrew calendar to come up for fulfilment, the Feast of Trumpets.
The Feast of Trumpets, Rosh Hashanah, is the next feast awaiting fulfillment. This is the first of the Fall Feasts of Israel. And it is due to erupt into holy history on a Jewish New year in some epic future new moon in the month of Tishri in the autumn season.
This extraordinary future seven year peace accord must be signed and confirmed. It must be ratified by many nations, including Israel, for global rule. Some awful collusions and compromises will be made by God's covenant people as they go through the confirmation of this "peace process". In this "covenant with many" (Dan.9:27) or "covenant with death" the holy things of God, including God's Holy Land Eretz Israel, even Judea and Samaria, will be divided up, even by fences. God's sacred land will be sold down the river, for a price.
Moses warned the covenant people of God about this. He prophesied that they would come into a time of trouble and tribulation in the "latter days". God's people would end up getting themselves into some significant trouble. YHVH/God spoke through the prophet Hosea. He declared that His covenant people were as Hosea's wanton wife, lost Gomer. They would get themselves into mischief and into a world of trouble.
Jesus Himself said the very same thing. He said that His people would choose another 'prince' who would come not in the Father's name but in his own name. This would be Gomer's final fling. Her "prince" would turn out to be a beast. Enter the time of "Jacob's trouble", the Great Tribulation of the latter days. This will turn out to be the quintessential story of 'beauty and the beast'. (John 5:43)
THE 7 YEAR PEACE COVENANT OF DAN. 9:27, THE TERMINUS OF THE ROADMAP TO PEACE,
MAY TURN OUT TO BE THE FULFILLMENT OF THE NEXT FEAST, THE FEAST OF TRUMPETS
When that peace treaty is signed it will be an awesome day.
There is no other word to describe it.
The trumpets will be blowing in a great fanfare and in celebration of the event.
Other trumpets will be blowing in alarm and warning.
This will probably be the final epic fulfillment of the 5th feast
of Israel, the
Feast of Trumpets.
This is the very next Hebrew feast due to erupt into history.
As we shall discuss further on in this article, there is some good evidence that the peace covenant of Dan.9:27 will occur right on a future Jewish new year. If it is the 7 year peace covenant of Dan.9:27 then it would herald the re-opening or resumption of the Seventy Weeks Prophecy. Daniel's 70th Week will have begun. What a day that will be! The trumpets will be sounding. They will announce the soon coming of the Messiah and the opening of that time "cut out and set apart by God" for His determined dealings with His covenant people. This will involve the Jewish nation of Israel, the holy city of Jerusalem, and the covenant Congregation/Church of the God of Israel scattered throughout in the nations.
The seven year peace deal spoken of by Daniel in Dan.9:27
will be a mega event.
But there is more.
The future Jewish New Year that sees this
big blockbuster event will bring
the
Feast of Trumpets into its epic New Covenant fulfillment.
It seems that the yet to be fulfilled Fall Feasts are precisely time linked to the beginning and ending of the 70th Week of Daniel. They are in fact way points into and out of the final seven years of this age. This story has not yet been told.
Here it is in a nutshell. The Feast of Trumpets along with the Day of Atonement seven years, (86 moons) later in the 19 year Hebrew metatonic calendar cycle mark out a feast to feast timespan of 2550 days.
Now we shall hear "the rest of the story".
Daniel's 70th Week is a timespan of 1260 + 1260 = 2520 days.
Then there is the 30 day extension beyond the second 1260 days
taking history on to its terminus at 1290 days.
This message related to the 1290 days was given to the prophet Daniel
by the angel Gabriel. (Dan. 12:11)
So when we add our 1260 + 1260 + 30 days or
1260 + 1290 = 2550 days.
We get precisely 2550 days!
This is an exact fit!
Is this just a coincidence?
Probably not.
This epic future peace in the Middle East would certainly fit the spirit, nature, and purpose of this trumpet blowing scenario. The Feast of Trumpets is the first of the yet to be fulfilled Fall Feasts. These are the final three feasts of the Seven Feasts of Israel.
The Feast of Trumpets is characterized in Leviticus 23 as "a memorial day of blowing of trumpets, a holy, called out, assembly." (Lev.23:24) This just happens to be the very next feast to come to fulfillment. The trumpets will probably be blown by some in celebration and by others in alarm. (Joel 2) The watchmen of Israel will be sounding the trumpets of alarm and warning. They will be "calling out of everyone to a sacred assembly" before YHVH-God. This scenario fits the character and the drama of that awesome future day in which the seven year covenant of Dan.9:27 is confirmed. The scenario pictured for us in Joel chapter 2 fits the occasion very well indeed.
This blockbuster future Daniel 9:27 peace covenant will not be something done in secret. Nor will it merely be a photo-op with a handshake and something signed on a piece of paper. It will not be just political theatrics or a hyped up event with no meaningful subsequent execution. We saw a demonstration of this sort of empty political showcasing with the PLO peace agreement signed on the White House lawn. This treaty had no "bite" to it and no sovereignty surrendered. It was not worth the paper it was written on. Then later we saw the Oslo accords signed. But this too was much ado about nothing. Oslo failed to bring in the desired peace in the Middle East. In fact, as we saw, matters went from bad to worse. Oslo certainly did not provide the peace to allow the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple.
But this future seven year covenant will be different. It will be a major event. A significant level of peace will be achieved by it, - for a while at least. And 3.5 years will certainly be enough time to rebuild the Jewish Temple. And as for the Jewish sacrifices? Well they are ready for this right now. If the required permission is granted the Temple Mount Faithful could restart the Hebrew sacrifices up on the Temple Mount as early as tomorrow.
This seven year peace covenant involving handing over the sovereign God given holy, consecrated Land of Israel to a false messiah is the very next big threshold of holy history. Its importance cannot be overstated. Its reality and its significance will be proven by the extraordinary subsequent history that emerges from this peace treaty. When this covenant is signed and confirmed there will be huge consequences. Great and awesome events will start to happen. This is clearly laid out for us in both parts of Daniel 9:27 as well as numerous other passages in Daniel's prophecies and the book of Revelation.
THE PLACEMENT OF THE FUTURE TEMPLE ON THE TEMPLE MOUNT
As we consider the rebuilding of the Temple there is one more important question that must be addressed. Just where on the Temple Mount will the future Jewish Temple be built? Will the foundations be laid right in the middle of the Temple Mount as many suppose? This would necessitate the removal or destruction of the Dome of the Rock. Of course this would be an earthshaking turn of events.The Dome is a revered Islamic site.
Will the Dome of the Rock be destroyed?
And is its removal even necessary?
Just where did the original temple stand? Was it really in the center? Or was it situated to the north of the present location of the Dome of the Rock? Some Jewish authorities on the subject, such as Asher Kaufmann are saying precisely this.
This is very interesting. It opens up the very real possibility that the Third Jewish Temple will be constructed on the north side of the Mount. Could the Temple be rebuilt next to the Islamic Dome of the Rock? Could the Temple and its worshipers peacefully coexist with the Dome and their worshipers? This would be very politically favorable to world peace. If such a plan was acted upon then the Temple Mount would look something like we see in the picture up above.
As we have previously stated, it seems that the Jewish Temple can only be rebuilt under the covering of an all encompassing world peace. This peace will most certainly involve Israel and her neighbors. It is a peace that we have not seen yet. Quite obviously it is out there in the future. Because all attempts by the Jewish 'Temple Mount Faithful' to place a foundation stone for the temple on the temple mount have incited Islamic rioting. When Ariel Sharon decided to take a stroll on the Temple Mount some years ago the result was a huge hue and cry throughout the Islamic world. In fact it started off a wave of terrorism that came to be known as "the intifada".
So how will the peace necessary to allow this rebuilding of the Jewish Temple come about? Will it come after a future war? Will the radical fundamentalist Islamic powers currently ruling the Temple Mount be defeated by a combined Judeo-Christian (anti-terror) alliance? That would seem to be the pattern and the direction holy history is headed. Every Middle East war sees Israel get closer and closer to the Temple Mount.
During the 1967 Six Day War the Israeli army made
it as far as the Wailing Wall.
And that is where they stopped.
This was a pivotal moment in holy history.
At that awesome moment they blew the shofar.
The Temple Mount was just a few meters away.
They were so close.
How about next time?
Will the Israelis make it all the way to the top?
Will Jewish forces end up capturing the entire Temple Mount?
If the pattern continues it is highly likely that they will.
If they do then another question arises.
Just who will then step in as peacemaker?
Who will see that the spoils are divided in a way that is
considered equitable for that point in history?
Clearly the Jewish Temple rebuilding project,
and the world community at large,
is crying out for "peace and security" in the Middle East.
Peace on the Temple Mount will bring peace to Jerusalem.
Peace in Jerusalem will bring peace to the world.
And the Jewish Temple will be rebuilt.
Will this future peace come in by a peace treaty brokered by the prophesied global peacemaker of Dan.9:27? If such a man does arise on the world stage he will have to be a man of some stature and capability. He will need to be a convincing mega dealer and and a shrewd crisis manager. Will such a peacemaker arise in that future day? And just who will be the one who picks up the pieces after that future war?
The jigsaw puzzle of Bible prophecy is coming together in many areas. Yes, early on a "prince" will appear on the stage of history. At the beginning he will take the spotlight in his 'peacemaker' or "Mr. Niceguy" role. But this global power broker will not remain just as a peacemaker. He will have just secured for himself enormous international power. Perhaps sovereign power will be given him to disarm the world of weapons of mass destruction. What a hit that will be!
But the scriptures are clear on his future acts. He will go on later to break the covenant he has just made. Midway through the seven years Daniel tells us that he will be revealed as someone less than benevolent. (Dan.9:27 part B) He will turn out to be none other than the coming false Messiah or Antichrist of 666.
Moses gave a warning of this great latter day trial and tribulation for the covenant people of God. And Jesus Himself warned that His people would accept another "prince" who came not in the Father's name but "in his own name". (John 5:43)
A DIVIDED TEMPLE MOUNT?
BOTH A JEWISH TEMPLE AND AN ISLAMIC DOME SIDE BY SIDE?
Let us look further at the details concerning
the placement of that future temple
on the Temple Mount.
We have evidence that the
former Jewish temple was built north
of the site where the Dome of the Rock presently site.
The Dome of the Spirits, a small cupola, is said to be the location
of the Holy of Holies. This is well to the north and in direct
alignment with the Eastern Gate.
This fact along with some mounting archaeological evidence
would seem to indicate that the former (second) Temple
was situated not in the center of the temple mount
at all but rather on the north side of temple mount.
This is directly opposite the Eastern Gate.
This has been set forth by noted scholar Asher Kauffman.
This alignment of the future Jewish Temple with the Eastern Gate
would only be appropriate.
The architectural layout
of the temple would surely have been to allow the Messiah to come
"straight up" through the eastern gate and into His Temple.
He would enter the city and go straight
into the temple without doing any turning
left or "jigs" as he entered the temple mount on His way into the temple.
Here is the issue. If the temple was in the center of the Temple Mount then Messiah would have to turn left upon entering the city. Turning left is just not good form for a returning King. It is, in fact, unthinkable. Surely Zerubbabel, (and Solomon before him), were mindful of this when the temple was designed. It was a magnificent Temple. And we can be sure that it was meticulously and tastefully laid out. YHVH God Himself was the true divine Architect. He guided King David as the king prepared for his son Solomon to build the temple. We can well assume that the former two temples were faithfully constructed by the builders according to the blueprint of a holy and divine order. This would only be in keeping with the beauty our Messiah most assuredly deserves.
As it happens, this northern site is being looked at by one of several Jewish groups who are working towards the rebuilding of the Hebrew Temple. The last temple, the second temple built by Zerubbabel and embellished by Herod was destroyed by the Romans under Titus in 70 A.D..
As we look now at the present situation we see that the Dome of the Rock occupies the center of the Temple Mount. The future third temple could therefore be rebuilt to the north of the Dome and be on the same site as the former temple. There would be room to provide an acceptable easement between the two buildings. There would, in fact, be a clearance of 150 feet. This would allow the Dome to actually co-exist with the Third Jewish Temple provided the Temple is rebuilt to the north of the Dome of the Rock and straight opposite the Eastern Gate. According to scholars such as Asher Kauffman his would be the archaeologically correct position.
To the current international political players this arrangement would be quite acceptable as well. In fact it would be "politically correct".
The good news in all this, from a world peace perspective,
is that there is no necessity to destroy the
Islamic holy place, the Dome of the Rock.
It is entirely possible that the Dome covers the
site where Abraham was preparing to sacrifice
his son Isaac, but was stopped by God.
If we think about it for a moment the Temple of YHVH is not based on Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son. This act was a mirror of what God was doing on His side of the covenant. Abraham's willingness was indeed important. It was man's or Abraham's part of the Eternal Covenant. But it was not God's part of the Covenant. In the manner of covenants Abraham's part was an essential one. He showed a willingness to enter into a blood covenant with God. It was indeed essential for Abraham, as God's blood covenant partner, to be willing to sacrifice his son.
But there would be a greater reality. YHVH/God was Abraham's covenant partner. And He was taking the initiative in the covenant. He would provide a Lamb.
YHVH would do the same for the family of Abraham as Abraham had shown himself willing to do for YHVH God. He would "provide a sacrifice". YHVH God would offer up His only son. This would happen at Calvary 2,000 years later. At that time another son, like Isaac, carried the wood for the sacrifice up the hill. The Son of God, carried a wooden cross up the hill. That cross would be the altar upon which the final Sacrifice would be made for the sins of the world.
These issues of blood covenant are not well understood by modern Christians in the west today. Even evangelicals, for the most part, do not understand the necessity of blood covenant witness. They do not understand blood covenant Christianity as it relates to their own New Covenant. Blood covenant, and not contract law, is the basis for the relationship they presently have with Jesus Christ/Yeshua Hamashiach. They are in a blood covenant relationship. But we still do not understand what that means.
The binding of Isaac by our patriarch Abraham and his willingness to sacrifice His only true son was important. It was a reflection of Abraham's blood covenant commitment and lovingkindness. This willingness to sacrifice shown by Abraham, and the myriad company that would follow him was how the covenant was established. And it was the basis of many greater things that YHVH God was going to do for Israel and for all mankind in a future time.
Our God is not slack concerning His promises. He Himself would provide a sacrifice. Yes Abraham saw the ram caught by his horns, even with the thorns binding his head. Abraham then released his son. He turned to see the sacrifice lamb that God had provided.
So right there, on the temple mount, in the divine typology, was a picture of a promised future Sacrifice Lamb, the Holy One of Israel, the Meshiach ben Joseph or 'Suffering Servant' Isaiah spoke about. (Isa.53)
If the Dome of the Rock covers the ground where Abraham offered up Isaac then it should be remembered. It should be honored. Abraham's sacrifice, on man's side of the covenant surely deserves a place of prominence on the Temple Mount.
And the future Jewish Temple ought be rebuilt beside it. It should be built upon a greater reality, even the sure promise of a Sacrifice Lamb. In fact this is the first thing that confronts the visitor to the Temple, or the Tabernacle that preceded it. They see the brazen altar. And they see the lamb of sacrifice upon that altar.
The promised and Expected One will be lifted up in the days to come.
He will be seen by all
mankind. He is the Holy One of Israel.
And He will be a 'Light to the Gentiles'. (Isa.42:6, 49:6, & 60:3)
Surely the Anointed One, the Messiah, is that Sacrifice Lamb.
In His earlier priestly role we saw Him fulfill all three of the
earlier spring feasts. It was on
Passover that we saw Him as
the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
He was also the Suffering Servant Isaiah spoke about. (Isa.53)
He is our true High Priest who
brings the blood of a better sacrifice. (Heb.9:23-26)
He is the Stone that the builders rejected. (Mat.21:42)
And yet He remains the true Cornerstone.
Indeed He is the only sure foundation for the
rebuilding of the Jewish Temple.
We know this is true.
Because the Holy One of Israel declares,
"....I will shake all nations,
and the Desire of all nations shall come,
And I will fill this house with glory." (Hag.2:7)
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