Friday, September 12, 2014

A Third Temple Not Biblical

Recently someone in our Bible study brought up the idea people have that Temple in Jerusalem needs to be rebuilt before Christ returns and I wanted to study it more in-depth because there are so many people who believe this must come to pass. Why do they believe this, and how is it wrong? How is a belief in this- complete deception perpetuated by Satan? How is a belief in this popular misconception spiritually deadly? Let's find out more-

'In their book, Dr. LaHaye & J. Jenkins cited Daniel 9:27 and Daniel 11:31 presumably as proof that Jesus is somehow predicting the building of a third Jewish temple.

Let us quote both of those passages below:

27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. (Daniel 9:27)

31 And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate. (Daniel 11:31)


*******

Did this belief start with modern theologians? No.

It goes back to this man…Francisco Ribera, a 16th century Spanish Jesuit who under the command of the Roman Catholic church had to come up with a way to explain the prophecy that didn't point to the Church as the Little Horn Beast. Putting prophecy in the future like he did became known as Futurism and today many still are caught up in Futurism, deceived, Catholic and Protestant alike.

Let's take the time for a refresher on the 2300 year prophecy and how it dispels the false doctrine of a third temple HAVING to be rebuilt before Christ returns.

Daniel 8:14-

Dan 8:14  And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.

Daniel didn't understand what this prophecy meant and it wasn't until nine years later  that it was explained to Him.

Dan 9:21  Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation.
Dan 9:22  And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding.
Dan 9:23  At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision.
Dan 9:24  SEVENTY WEEKS are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
Dan 9:25  Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be SEVEN WEEKS, and THREESCORE and TWO WEEKS: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
Dan 9:26  And AFTER THREESCORE and TWO WEEKS SHALL MESSIAH BE CUT OFF, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
Dan 9:27  And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the MIDST OF THE WEEK he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

Remember earlier we read that the Third Temple Being Rebuilt believers use this verse Dan 9:27 to support their false beliefs.  They strip it out of context and away from the 70 weeks = 490 years and place it at the very last days, making that last week of the 70 weeks future NOT past.

When is the beginning of the 70 weeks (490 years) supposed to begin?

Dan 9:25  ...from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be ….

We need to understand that at the time of these visions of Daniel's Jerusalem had been destroyed, it didn't truly exist as it once had been and was in great need of restoration. Remember, Daniel himself was taken captive out of Jerusalem and brought to Babylon.

So when did the command to restore and rebuild take place?

Ezra 7: 1-27

Ezr 7:1  Now after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra the son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah,
Ezr 7:2  The son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub,
Ezr 7:3  The son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth,
Ezr 7:4  The son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki,
Ezr 7:5  The son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest:
Ezr 7:6  This Ezra went up from Babylon; and he was a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which the LORD God of Israel had given: and the king granted him all his request, according to the hand of the LORD his God upon him.
Ezr 7:7  And there went up some of the children of Israel, and of the priests, and the Levites, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nethinims, unto Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king.
Ezr 7:8  And he came to Jerusalem in the FIFTH MONTH, WHICH WAS IN THE SEVENTH YEAR OF THE KING.
Ezr 7:9  For upon the first day of the first month began he to go up from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month came he to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him.
Ezr 7:10  For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.
Ezr 7:11  Now this is the copy of the letter that the king Artaxerxes gave unto Ezra the priest, the scribe, even a scribe of the words of the commandments of the LORD, and of his statutes to Israel.
Ezr 7:12  Artaxerxes, king of kings, unto Ezra the priest, a scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect peace, and at such a time.
Ezr 7:13 I MAKE A DECREE, that all they of the people of Israel, and of his priests and Levites, in my realm, which are minded of their own freewill to go up to Jerusalem, go with thee.
Ezr 7:14  Forasmuch as thou art sent of the king, and of his seven counsellors, to enquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, according to the law of thy God which is in thine hand;
Ezr 7:15  And to carry the silver and gold, which the king and his counsellors have freely offered unto the God of Israel, whose habitation is in Jerusalem,
Ezr 7:16  And all the silver and gold that thou canst find in all the province of Babylon, with the freewill offering of the people, and of the priests, offering willingly for the house of their God which is in Jerusalem:
Ezr 7:17  That thou mayest buy speedily with this money bullocks, rams, lambs, with their meat offerings and their drink offerings, and offer them upon the altar of the house of your God which is in Jerusalem.
Ezr 7:18  And whatsoever shall seem good to thee, and to thy brethren, to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, that do after the will of your God.
Ezr 7:19  The vessels also that are given thee for the service of the house of thy God, those deliver thou before the God of Jerusalem.
Ezr 7:20  And whatsoever more shall be needful for the house of thy God, which thou shalt have occasion to bestow, bestow it out of the king's treasure house.
Ezr 7:21  And I, even I Artaxerxes the king, do make a decree to all the treasurers which are beyond the river, that whatsoever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, shall require of you, it be done speedily,
Ezr 7:22  Unto an hundred talents of silver, and to an hundred measures of wheat, and to an hundred baths of wine, and to an hundred baths of oil, and salt without prescribing how much.
Ezr 7:23  Whatsoever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be diligently done for the house of the God of heaven: for why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons?
Ezr 7:24  Also we certify you, that touching any of the priests and Levites, singers, porters, Nethinims, or ministers of this house of God, it shall not be lawful to impose toll, tribute, or custom, upon them.
Ezr 7:25  And thou, Ezra, after the wisdom of thy God, that is in thine hand, set magistrates and judges, which may judge all the people that are beyond the river, all such as know the laws of thy God; and teach ye them that know them not.
Ezr 7:26  And whosoever will not do the law of thy God, and the law of the king, let judgment be executed speedily upon him, whether it be unto death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment.
Ezr 7:27  Blessed be the LORD God of our fathers, which hath put such a thing as this in the king's heart, to beautify the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem

And this gives us the date to start from, an historical date-  457 BC.

The Seventy Weeks.
Seven times seventy- 490 days.
490 days = prophetic years.

If they began in 457 BC then they ended in 34 AD.  

And do you know how we KNOW this is the correct interpretation?  Because the prediction of the Messiah involved.

More on this tomorrow by the grace of our God.

Please Father, please let us know and comprehend Your truth, Your prophetic truth. We don't want to be among the deceived, please Father, bless us with comprehension and a heart to follow all Your truth no matter how much it rips away our cherished beliefs, we would have YOUR TRUTH, only YOUR TRUTH!

Keep us in YOU most Holy Wondrous Father in Heaven.

All in the name of Your Only Begotten Son- Jesus Christ!


Amen. 

No comments: