1 Corinthians 3:16-17
THIRD JEWISH TEMPLE: Part One
WILL A TEMPLE BUILT WITH HUMAN HANDS BE CALLED THE TEMPLE OF GOD BY THE BIBLE?
“What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?”
–1 Corinthians 6:19
“And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”
–2 Corinthians 6:16
Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death; But found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses, And said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days.
–Matthew 26:59-61
Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
–2 Thessalonians 2:3-4
The Temple of God:
What is it?
Is the Temple of God an end times Third Jewish Temple rebuilt on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem?
What do Modern Prophecy Teachers say about the Temple of God?
What does the Bible say about the Temple of God?
A popular teaching that has taken hold in the end times church–especially in the English-speaking world–is that the Jews will rebuild their temple in Jerusalem. This Third Temple will to be rebuilt on the Temple Mount.
This “Third Temple” (it would more accurately should be called the Fourth Temple, but more on that later) is the subject of many words in many books, many charts and timelines, as well as the basis for much of the teachings that circulate in the Christian Church about the time immediately preceding the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
An entire eschatology has been erected around the appearance of this Third Temple–this temple of God–in the end times.
But, is this the case?
Where did this teaching originate?
What does the Bible teach about the temple of God?
If the Jews were to rebuild a temple in Jerusalem, would this be the temple of God?
More importantly, if a building were to be erected as a Third Jewish Temple, would the Word of God refer to such a building as the “temple of God?”
This article will attempt to answer these and other questions surrounding the topic of this end times temple of God spoken of by both Jesus and the apostle Paul.
WARNING: This article will ask a few questions concerning end times prophecy as is stated in the Bible. This is not the version of events laid out by the MODERN AMERICAN PROPHECY INDUSTRY.
If any readers have gone over to the doctrines of man, so that what the Bible clearly states is of none effect, you may want to stop reading now.
Remember: You have been warned.
The Temple of God: In the News
ON a regular basis, stories appear in the Corporate Media which speculate on the building of a third Jewish temple in Jerusalem. Here’s a few recent headlines.
From Haaretz: One third of Israeli Jews want Temple rebuilt in Jerusalem, poll finds
From Jweekly: Rebuilding Temple in Jerusalem: holy work or holy mess?
From Ynetdaily: Poll: Israel’s Jews abandoning Temple
From Utah’s Deseret News: Jewish organization opens Holy Temple Visitors’ Center in Jerusalem
There are more, but these are a recent sampling.
The problem with these teachings of the end times centered around a rebuilt Third Jewish Temple–which many teachers insist it “the temple of God”–is that these teachings (like many modern Christians who refer to the church as a building) wrongly identify the temple of God as a building.
“Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet,”
—Acts 7:48
“God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;”
—Acts 17:24
From Temple of God:
The presence of God is essentially that which defines the Temple.
Unless the glory of God “inhabits” the Temple (1K. 1K. 8:10-11; 2Chr. 2Chr. 7:1; Eze. Eze. 43:2-4; Eze. 44:1-2; Hag. Hag. 2:7-9; Mtt. Mat. 20:12) it is just a dead architectural edifice.
Would God refer to a building which tramples on the once and for all sacrifice of his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, as the “temple of God?”
From the Temple of God:
Conversely, in the history of the Temple, there are grave consequences when the Shekinah departs from the Temple, for it indicates God’s displeasure with those among whom He previously dwelt and the removal of His protection and blessing in His departure. The Temple, the house of Israel, is left desolate when the glory of God departs. In at least two occasions in history, the result has been the destruction of the Temple.
From the Temple of God:
In summary, the Shekinah is the visible representation of the localized presence of God. By God’s design, the Temple is the location where His abiding presence is intended to dwell and where He has put His name (Deu. Deu. 12:5, Deu. 12:11, Deu. 12:21; 2Chr. 2Chr. 6:20; 2Chr. 7:16; 2Chr. 20:19; Ezra Ezra 6:12; Ne. Ne. 1:9; Mtt. Mat. 21:13; Mark Mark 11:17; Luke Luke 19:46).
“For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”
–Matthew 18:20
“Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.”
–Ephesians 2:19-22
From the Haaretz article, One third of Israeli Jews want Temple rebuilt in Jerusalem, poll finds, we find that
“Among religious Jews questioned, 43 percent support construction on Temple Mount, compared with 31 percent among secular Jews.”
“There are currently dozens of movements working to change the status quo at the holy site. Some are reconstructing ceremonial objects used in the Temple in the past, while others are making practical preparations for its rebuilding, including a renewal of animal sacrifice. Others deal in political lobbying and in encouraging Jews to visit the Mount.”
Quotes from articles such as these get picked up and repeated in Christian, especially evangelical, circles.
A few interesting facts WHICH DON’T MAKE IT INTO CHRISTIAN DISCUSSIONS were also included in this article. Again, I’ll quote from the article.
“However, despite the changing attitude to the Mount, the Jewish public still considers the Western Wall to be the faith’s holiest site – 66 percent singled out the Kotel for this distinction, compared to 29 percent who chose the Temple Mount.”
So fully two-thirds of Jews consider the Western Wall to be Judaism’s holiest site. Not even one-third think the Temple Mount is.
NOW: How does this relate to what the Bible says is coming in the end times?
Most of the members of the MODERN AMERICAN PROPHECY INDUSTRY give their followers a sure timeline to follow.
This timeline is comforting to their followers because they believe that they know what to watch for to know when the 2nd coming of Jesus is very near. Some of these landmarks are:
* A war described in Psalm 83 between Israel and it’s neighbors.
* A war described in Ezekiel 38-39 (sometimes called the Gog-Magog war).
* A peace treaty signed by super-villain THE ANTICHRIST with Israel which will kick off a 7-year period of horrific events known as the Tribulation. Some writers divide up this 7-year period into (2) 3 ½ year periods called the Tribulation and the Great Tribulation.
* The rebuilding of a third Jewish temple which the AntiChrist will defile at the half-way mark of the Tribulation by what is called the Abomination of Desolations. This event will kick off that 2nd 3 ½ year period, as it comes in the middle of the Tribulation.
* Any other of a number of landmarks which I’ll not go into tonight because they are not central to the discussion of this Jewish temple.
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT THE REBUILDING OF A THIRD JEWISH TEMPLE?
Well, the Prophecy Industry people like to quote several passages to prove that there will be a third Jewish temple built. One is 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4. This reads
“Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.”
This is the main text used in order to “prove” that there will be a third Jewish temple built.
Let’s think about this for a moment.
Let’s suppose that the Jews build a Third Temple in Jerusalem. What would be their reason for rebuilding the temple?
Undoubtedly it would be so that they could offer sacrifice to God. Why offer such sacrifices? The Jews would tell you that this is how God forgives or covers their sins as a people.
NOW, would God accept such sacrifices? Would God accept anything that tramples on what the Bible calls “the once and for all” sacrifice of His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ? If you are a Christian and you know your Bible, you would have to answer “NO.”
Okay, then, here’s the BIG QUESTION: Would God call such a place that offers sacrifices he won’t accept “The Temple of God?”
Think about that for a moment. Who else in the Bible famously offered sacrifice that was not pleasing to God? In Genesis chapter 4 it says:
And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.
And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:
But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
God rejected the offering of Cain. God will reject the offering of any man-based sacrifice now that His Son, Jesus came to earth and died for our sins.
So back to our question: WOULD GOD CALL A THIRD JEWISH TEMPLE THE TEMPLE OF GOD?
If anyone had written such a thing (The Temple of God is the Third Jewish Temple) before the last 100-150 years, it would have been a concept FOREIGN to Christians.
It’s only in our time, the end times; the time of an apostate church where the pews are filled with people who self-label themselves as “Christians”; who don’t know their Bibles–could such a concept have arisen. And not only has the concept arose, it is embraced. And defended. And people get ANGRY if they are challenged. They don’t need to know anything except what they have decided is the TRUTH.
Here’s what some famous Bible commentaries in years past had to say about what the Temple of God Paul was referring to in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 really is. Notice that they will use other scripture to settle this question. This is what Christians believed for hundreds of years. Basically, until our own times.
This NOT The way of the Modern Prophecy teachers. They use one verse. Sometimes, they will use a couple that they have wrenched out of context to support their end times scenarios.
From the notes of the 1599 Geneva Bible: referring to the Temple of God.
He foretells that the antichrist (that is, whoever he is that will occupy that seat that falls away from God) will not reign outside of the Church, but in the very bosom of the Church.
Adam Clark, whose commentaries were a staple of Christianity for years wrote a commentary that took 40 years to complete.
Who opposeth and exalteth] He stands against and exalts himself above all Divine authority, and above every object of adoration, and every institution relative to Divine worship, sebasma, himself being the source, whence must originate all the doctrines of religion, and all its rites and ceremonies; so that sitting in the temple of God-having the highest place and authority in the Christian Church, he acts as Godtaking upon himself God’s titles and attributes, and arrogating to himself the authority that belongs to the Most High.
The apostle Paul mentioned the Temple of God many times in his epistles which constitute a good portion of the New Testament.
The body of the Believer is the temple of the Holy Spirit, Paul uses the Temple of God to refer to the CHURCH, the Christian Church on a number of occasions.
Do a search! Look them up!
AGAIN, this is what Christians believed for hundreds of years. Basically, until our own times.
So, the Temple of God is the Christian Church?
That’s what the Bible says.
Does this mean that the Jews will NOT build a third temple in Jerusalem?
NO. But the word of God will not refer to such a building–or any building offering another way to God outside of Jesus Christ–as the Temple of God.
Pay attention to the headlines.
Pay attention to the news.
There will be stories speculating about a Third Jewish Temple that may be built in Jerusalem. They will be breathlessly repeated among Christians.
Will this third Temple have anything to do with the end times?
Maybe.
But the Anti-Christ will not sit in it and blaspheme God. That’s not what the Bible says. The Bibles says that he will sit in the Temple of God, the Church and do his blaspheming.
That changes things a bit doesn’t it?
Here’s one last question:
Do any listeners expect the tightly-controlled, New World Order puppets in the Corporate Media to tell Christians the truth about a Third Jewish Temple?
Or do you expect them to try and deceive you?
In part 2, we’ll look at how the construction of a third Jewish temple–a concept foreign to Christianity before 1800–fits right in with the end times scenario erected by Satan and his ministers over the last 180 years–and believed by the vast majority of Americans sitting in Christian churches.
RESOURCES:
- http://www.bibleprobe.com/rebuildingthetemple.htm
- http://www.cogwriter.com/jewishtemple.htm
- http://www.letusreason.org/b.hinn13.htm
END TIMES: America in the End Times – A collection of 35+ ETPR articles on the end times and America. Is America in the Bible?
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by Jeremiah J. Jameson
–with Mondo Frazier
© Jeremiah J. Jameson and End Times Prophecy Report, 2012-13. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Jeremiah J. Jameson and End Times Prophecy Report with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
End Times Prophecy Report 
This is one of the most concise articles I have ever read on this subject. I am going to try and print it out to show to some Christians who constantly talk about the temple being rebuilt. I wonder if it will open their eyes. I hope so. Times are getting so bad and so hard. AJC
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