A Tale of Two Temples
From where I sit, in 2022, there are going to be two more temples built in Jerusalem: One for display and battle; the other for family, justice, and honor.
- The first one is to be built under treaty with a conquering invader
(not a great plan). - The second is built by the first generation in eons to be free of tyranny and oppression… and Jesus, their newfound Messiah and King.
Historic Look Back
“From the time the daily sacrifice is stopped and the sacrilegious object that causes desecration is set up to be worshiped, there will be 1,290 days. And blessed are those who wait and remain until the end of the 1,335 days!
(Daniel 12:11-12, NLT)
There have already been two temples built there, you know. Well, the first one was so dilapidated that when it was restored (apparently) it was nearly a completely new temple when finished (and yes, that’s a thing with some people.)
To be clear, I count the next temple to be the third one (but you can call it #4 if you want, or #5 if you count the tabernacle too).
Either way, the real controversy is (or should be) over the location of the next temple. What we have today in Jerusalem that is called “The Temple Mount” is not actually the foundation for the historic, Jewish temple complex. It is the footprint of what was the Roman Fort Antonia (R.F.A.). (That appendage by the same name in the NW corner is named after it, I guess?) The actual temple footprint was south of the current R.F.A. footprint.
This flyer is going to quote and reference the scholarly work of the late Dr. Earnest L. Martin, PhD. He is the author of The Temples That Jerusalem Forgot. In his research, he learned that the temple was located directly over the Spring of Gihon. Torah references show that the temple was built over that spring. There is no spring at all, nor ever was, where the so-called Temple Mount (R.F.A.) ruins sit.
Ironically, if the stubborn Jews would simply acknowledge this, they could build their temple there tomorrow (in the City of David, across the street from the R.F.A. mount), right where it should be. Lord knows they’re ready! (They’ve got stuff.)
The Muslims can keep R.F.A. mount.
The Third Temple
So, do you see the Jews changing their minds on this anytime soon? Me either. But, with the right stimuli, like an all out invasion upon them and offer of truce and the temple to be rebuilt…
I don’t know where the next temple will be built: In its proper place, over Gihon; or in the place where Pontius Pilate washed his hands of the Savior’s blood (closer to the Dome of the Rock)? It can’t really matter, though. It will be one place or the other.
Now the Spirit of God is in His people, the saints; Jesus’ followers. We are and ever will be the Spirit’s temple.
The timing of the 3rd temple’s completion will be about 295 days after the antichrist invades and makes a treaty with Israel. Seriously. Here’s how I found it:
If we assume that Daniel 8:14’s happy event and Daniel 12:12’s blessing are the same event, and have to do with the temple being “made right again”, then we can do some arithmetic and have an approximate time for the temple’s construction.
We take 1,260 days (the time from the treaty until the temple being defiled), then add 1,335 days to get to the “right temple”, and then subtract 2,300 for the number of days to make the temple right again (counting back to when it was built), and we get 295.
That should be the difference between the day to start and the day to finish the build (assuming they start right away).
| Event | Days |
| From attack to the Temple Takeover | 1,260 |
| Blessing 1,335 days later | +1,335 |
| Total time until the blessing | = 2,595 |
| Remove the 2,300 days to get to when the temple was built | – 2300 |
| Estimated time to build temple | = 295 |
In all, the temple might stand for about 965 days or so before its destruction (if my numbers are anything like reality).
The World’s Stage
This temple isn’t really God’s house. It’s the people’s, who have shunned Him trying to get back their old-timey religion.
When completed, it will be a spectacle of Jewish customs to the world (can you imagine the animal rights demonstrations?), and then it will be overrun and violated and turned into a stage for the antichrist to spew his hatred for others, especially God and His people (both Jew and saint). Oh, and he’ll show off his love for himself as well.
His false prophet will set up a statue of the antichrist in the temple grounds and make people worship it and give gifts to it.
The Two Witnesses
Elijah and probably Enoch will be sent back to earth (since they never died) and be God’s two witnesses to the nations.
They will, no doubt, camp out in the temple grounds and be a real thorn in the side of the antichrist’s regime. I expect that they will warn about taking “the Mark of the Beast”, as well. (More in God’s Wrath.)
The Millennial Temple
When Jesus gets started setting up His kingdom, one of the first orders of business is going to be to build His new temple, so that He can get busy gathering the sheep and goats (mortals) for judgment.
That judgment will be to determine who will live on, in His millennial kingdom.
Ezekiel chapters 40 – 48 discuss the temple grounds, buildings, and practices in detail—enough detail to actually construct the thing.
This temple is most definitely in the millennial reign of Christ on this earth. It is also a square-mile-sized problem for the amillennial position. I mean, how do you spiritualize away the physicality of a building complex, which dimensions are defined explicitly, as if for construction? A cubit is a length of measure; not a spiritual truth. I did it in the Minecraft game.
Temples will continue to be a part of God’s relationship with the Jews. In the New Creation His temple will again be on earth in the New Jerusalem for all people to see.
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