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.
