|
Should Christians be looking
for a Jewish temple?
Brian Hennessy
A recent poll in Israel showed nearly 50% of the citizenry of Israel
wants the Third Temple built, the Levitical priesthood established,
and animal sacrifice resumed. As amazing as that is considering the
high-degree of animal-rights sensitivity today, even more amazing (to
me) is how many sincere Christians I encounter who also are rooting
for this Temple to be built. Although their reasons are quite
different.
The Jews, of course, are looking at this future Temple as the site
where they can once again worship in the way God instructed them
through Moses on Mount Sinai. Ever since the Romans destroyed their
temple in 70 AD they’ve had to rely on the teaching of the rabbis to
theologically hold things together until the temple could be rebuilt.
So you can understand why after 2000 years they might be anxious to
get back to the ways things were supposed to be.
There’s even a Jewish group in Israel known as the Temple Mount
Faithful who are now preparing for the rebuilding of the Temple. They
have drafted architectural plans, built the appropriate furniture,
designed the priestly garments, prepared descendants of the tribe of
Levi for the duties of the priesthood, and even bred the required red
heifer. It seems everything is in place and ready to go. There’s only
one problem. The future site of the Third Temple in Jerusalem is
presently occupied by the Moslem shrines known as the Dome of the Rock
and the Al Aqsa Mosque. And any attempt by the Jews to build anything
anywhere in the vicinity of those well-guarded shrines will
precipitate WW III.
So the Jews must wait for God to make room for the Temple. (And the
concern is that some might not be that patient.)
On the other hand, most Christians who are looking for this Temple to
be built have a whole different mindset. They are not looking at this
Temple as a God-ordained place for His people to worship Him. Rather
they see it as a temporary edifice needed to fulfill a handful of
Scriptures that suggest a physical temple is needed in Israel in the
Last Days.
In other words, this temple will actually be a false temple. A place
where anti-Christ can “take his seat” and declare himself God.
Temple Inspection
So the question arises, is this Christian expectation valid? Does the
New Testament actually encourage us to believe a Third Temple will be
built? Or can the few Scriptures that speak of a temple being present
in the Last Days be understood in some other way?
Let me just state for the record that there is not a single Scripture
in the New Testament that specifically says such a temple will be
built. Or even should be built. In fact the entire thrust of the New
Testament, which was written before Herod’s temple was destroyed, is
that once Jesus came there would be no need for a physical temple ever
again. Which is why God allowed the former temple to be removed by the
Romans forty years later.
With the inauguration of the New Covenant by Jesus, God’s presence on
earth is now found within His people. We are now His only temple on
earth. “Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the
Spirit of God dwells in you?” (1 Cor. 3:16).
So if another temple of God were to be built, it most certainly would
be a false temple. It would be as much of a false sanctuary as the
man-made steepled churches we have erected and declared to be God’s
house. As Isaiah told us, “Heaven is My throne, and earth is My
footstool, where then is a house you could build for Me?” (Isa. 66:1).
But that still begs the question: Will God allow the Third Temple to
be rebuilt? Even a false, temporary one? Should Christians (or Jews)
expect to see it as one of the signs of the end-times?
My advice is to scratch that sign off your list. It’s not going to
happen. God won’t allow it. He can’t. Because if a bricks-and-mortar
Jewish temple were ever to be built again, it would be a denial that
Messiah has come and opened the way for us to worship Him in the true
tabernacle in heaven.
The author of Hebrews explains:
“The Holy Spirit is signifying this, that the way into the holy place
has not yet been disclosed while the outer tabernacle is still
standing, which is a symbol for the time then present, according to
which both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make the
worshipper perfect in conscience.” (Heb. 9:8,9)
In other words, the Mosaic Temple - whether in the form of the
Wilderness Tabernacle, Solomon’s grand edifice, or Herod’s - was a
constant visible testimony that God’s presence could not be accessed
directly. But only indirectly through the Levitical priesthood and the
blood of animals. When Jesus died on the cross, the need for that
system died with him. Access to God’s presence by “a new and living
way” (Heb. 10:20) was given to us, signaled by the supernatural
ripping of the curtain of the Holy of Holies from top to bottom at the
moment of Jesus death (see Matt. 27:51).
That’s why God allowed the entire Mosaic system to be dismantled a few
years later. And why He won’t allow it to come back. In fact, I
believe God permitted the Muslim shrines to be erected on that very
location at the end of the Seventh Century to block any attempts to
reconstruct a Jewish temple in our day. Or it would already be up.
But what about the New Testament Scriptures that do talk about a
temple? What do we do with them? There are really only three, so let’s
consider them.
Scripture #1
“Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ which was
spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let
the reader understand), then let those in Judea flee to the mountains”
(Matt. 24:15,16).
These words of Jesus, as recorded by Matthew, say an “abomination”
prophesied by Daniel will one day be “standing in the holy place.”
Seemingly that would imply one of the two inner rooms of the Temple,
either the “Holy Place” or the “Holy of Holies.” If so, a physical
temple indeed needs to be in existence. But two very strong arguments
can be made that something other than the Third Temple is being
inferred here.
First, Jesus could have been speaking of the Second Temple, i.e.
Herod’s temple, which was still standing. When the Roman’s finally did
destroy it, the presence of their eagle standard in the temple has
long been considered a type of “abomination of desolation.” Similar to
the desecration by Antiochus Epiphanes 200 years earlier. But both are
probably a physical shadow of a much worse spiritual desecration still
to come under Antichrist
This understanding gains merit when you read Luke’s version of the
same prophecy, which unlike Matthew’s account, concludes with the Jews
being “led captive into all the nations” (Luke 21:20-24). Something
that indeed did happen after the Romans pulverized Jerusalem, and is
said never to occur again.
The second reason Matt. 24 may not be speaking of the Third Temple (or
even the Second Temple) is the odd parenthetical expression tucked
into Matthew’s account that says, “let the reader understand.” That
signals us to look beyond the obvious. That the “holy place” may not
be the Jewish Holy Place. But maybe some other recognized ‘holy
place,’ like the Dome of the Rock, or St. Peter’s in Rome, or Ground
Zero in New York City. Or more likely, the body of Christ.
This understanding is further strengthened by Mark’s parallel account
that doesn’t even mention the words “holy place.” He records Jesus
words as saying: “But when you see the ‘abomination of desolation’
standing where it should not be” (Mark 13:14). So again we are left
with a slight mystery suggesting that whatever, or wherever, this
taboo location is, we will know it when we see it.
Scripture #2
“Let no one in any way deceive you, for it [the day of the Lord] will
not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness
is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself
above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his
seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.” (2 Thess.
2:3,4)
This second proof-text is found in Paul’s second letter to the
Thessalonian church. First, notice that the temple is described as
“the temple of God.” As I have already pointed out, there is only one
official temple of God on earth. Namely, the corporate body of
Messiah. So right away there is a problem. Because the Third Temple is
supposed to be a false temple. Which means unless Paul is playing
along with the ruse that “the true temple” is the false temple (wink,
wink), he must be speaking of the body of Christ. How can the “man of
lawlessness” take his seat in the Church? It’s happened before.
Remember Constantine? The Popes? Even some pastors? “Displaying
himself as being God,” could mean some man will declare himself the
head of the Church, displacing the headship of Jesus. Only time will
tell.
Another thing that reduces the certainty that Paul is speaking of an
actual physical building is that there was no seat in either the Holy
place or the Holy of Holies of the Jewish temple. Of course, the
expressions “takes his seat” could mean, and probably does, “the place
of honor.” But if you hang your hat on a literal interpretation. it
should remain literal throughout.
Either way you look at it, it is still a matter of speculation.
Scripture #3
“And there was given me a measuring rod like a staff; and someone
said, ’Rise and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and those
who worship in it. And leave out the court which is outside the
temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the nations;
and they will tread under foot the holy city for forty-two months.”
(Revelation 11:1,2)
Here we find a clear reference in John’s revelation to a temple being
present around the time of the Great Tribulation. But as anyone who
has read the Book of Revelation knows, it is very difficult to know
which parts should be taken literally, and which figuratively. And
once again, the temple is described as “the temple of God,” not a
false, temporary one. Indeed, a few verses later the temple is
identified as being in heaven, not on earth: “And the temple of God,
which is in heaven...” (Rev. 11:19). For me that settles it.
Therefore, I believe the temple mentioned in this verse must be
figurative. I believe it is a reference to the true worshippers who
“worship the Father in spirit and truth” (John 4: 23), implying that
they will be protected by the presence of God on earth during the
Tribulation (see Rev. 12:14,15). While the “outer court,” the Court of
the Gentiles, is the place where those who don’t walk the talk will
dwell during the time of Antichrist’s reign and be subject to the
pressures of his satanic system. These unprepared Christians are
represented by the five foolish virgins (see Matt. 25:1-13) who
weren’t ready at Christ’s return and suddenly found themselves locked
out from the wedding feast of the Lamb. But that is just my
understanding.
Aside from those three passages, I know of no other reference in the
New Testament to a possible physical temple being present just before
Jesus returns. And all three, as I have shown, are wide open for
interpretation.
Let’s look now at the Old Testament.
Old Testament Support
Arguments from the Old Testament supporting a physical temple in the
Last Days are taken mainly from the writings of Daniel and Ezekiel.
In Daniel, there are three references to an end-time temple. All are
connected to the reign of the false messiah and his setting up of “the
abomination of desolation,” which Jesus alluded to in Matthew 24.
In Daniel 9:27 we read that the evil one will “put a stop to sacrifice
and grain offering.” In 11:31 he will “desecrate the sanctuary
fortress and do away with the regular sacrifice.” And in 12:11 “the
regular sacrifice will be abolished.” All suggest the presence of a
temple because of the mention of sacrifices being stopped. But the
fact is sacrifices don’t automatically require a temple. Daily prayer
is often spoken of by the rabbis as the regular sacrifice. And in the
one reference that actually mentions a sanctuary it is described as a
“sanctuary fortress?” What is that? It could be the temple complex.
But again, it comes down to a matter of interpretation.
In Ezekiel, however, we find an entirely different kind of prophecy.
The prophet devotes the last eight chapters of his book to describe a
vision given to him in painful detail of a future end-time city and
temple. The temple closely resembles the original Mosaic pattern, but
has some significant departures. But whether it is symbolic or an
actual physical building is something that has puzzled Bible scholars
for centuries. The tendency is to think it is a real building because
of the precise measurements given by the angel (as John was told to do
in Rev. 11:1). For many that is sufficient for it to qualify as the
Third Temple.
But it is not that simple. Because this temple does not fit the role
of a false temple whose sole purpose is to act as a temporary prop for
Antichrist, and then probably be destroyed in the ensuing worldwide
destruction. This building is clearly described as a God-ordained
temple that will become Messiah’s true resting place, not only
throughout the Millennium, but for all eternity. “Son of man, this is
the place of My throne and the place of the soles of My feet, where I
will dwell among the sons of Israel forever” (Ezek. 43:7).
Aside from that major incongruity, I have two other big problems with
thinking Ezekiel’s temple is an actual building.
First, Ezekiel’s edifice includes altars and animal sacrifices (see
Ezek 43:18-27) as well as the reinstitution of other Mosaic practices.
From a New Covenant perspective that to me is a non-starter. Jesus’
sacrifice ended animal sacrifices for all time, which had never been
more than a type and shadow of His sacrifice to begin with. The
shedding of His blood is the only thing that can permanently cleanse
us from sin. And once we have that, there is no need for anything
more. “For by one offering he has perfected for all time those who
are sanctified” (Heb 10:14).
Therefore the vision Ezekiel was given has to be symbolic of a
spiritual reality, just as the actual physical Mosaic temple system
was.
Second, as I have argued from the start, there can only be one temple
of God on earth. And that now is the body of His people. Therefore
this temple, in spite of its many detailed measurements, is no doubt a
picture of Messiah’s people in which He will dwell for all eternity.
It can’t be a physical building because we know from John’s words that
there will be no physical temple in the new heaven and earth. “I saw
no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its
temple” (Rev. 21:22).
Conclusion
I would say Christians should not be looking for a Jewish temple to be
built ever again. In fact, if you love Israel and the Jewish people it
ought to be the last thing you would want to see, or contribute to, or
encourage in any way.
First, it seems a bit unethical to encourage Jews to build a temple we
know is false just to accommodate our understanding of prophecy.
But more importantly, for the last 2000 years religious Jews have been
fasting and praying on Yom Kippur – the Day of Atonement – in the
belief that by doing these good works and others, their sins will be
forgiven. That is the rabbinic teaching that was substituted for the
actual blood sacrifice when the temple system was destroyed.
If that system were brought back into operation Jews would be even
less inclined to trust in the blood of Messiah for their atonement.
They’d accept again that the blood of slain animals could cleanse them
of sin. But as we know, “It is impossible for the blood of bulls and
goats to take away sins” (Heb. 10:3).
Let’s remember, it is not the Jews - or the Antichrist - who will
build the Third Temple, but Messiah. As Zechariah prophesied, “Behold
a man whose name is branch, for He will branch out from where he is;
and he will build the temple of the Lord...and he will bear the honor
and sit and rule on his throne” (Zech. 6:12,13).
Therefore, the only Third Temple we should be looking for is the
completion of Messiah’s body, “in whom the whole building, being
fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom
you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the
Spirit” (Eph. 2:21,22).
Right now we are like the dusty Wilderness Tabernacle carrying around
God’s presence in this world inside these humble, decaying physical
bodies. But there is a time coming when all Israel will be saved and
assembled together, Jew and Gentile, and the temple will be completed
to become a grand edifice in the Lord. Then He will come to His temple
as a mighty rushing wind, and the glory of the Lord will fill these
mortal tabernacles and “transform the body of our humble state into
conformity with the body of His glory” (Phil 3:21). Just as Jesus was
transformed on the Mount of Transfiguration.
Then Haggai’s prophecy will be fulfilled: “The latter glory of this
house will be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts, and in
this place I will give peace, declares the Lord of hosts” (Hag 2:9).
September,
2010
www.bhennessy.com
|