*** PORTIONS ***


Re: Temple Not Necessary (Ezra 3:3-6)

"And he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week. And in the
middle of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the offering to
cease.  And on a corner will be abominations that cause horror, even
until the end. And that which was decreed shall be poured out on the
desolate." (Dan9:27)

This is one of the pivotal verses that people look at with regards to
future prophecy. Jesus speaks of many things, and then says, "..when
you see these things happening, know that it is near; at the doors!"
(Mr13:29) And so, they carry that concept to Dan9:27, looking for
indications that this passage is "near". When they see "sacrifice and
offering", they automatically think in their minds, "Temple". So, they
keep watching for signs that the temple will be rebuild. If they see or
hear of events that might suggest that the Dome of the Rock is about to
be blown up, thus making way for the temple to be built there, they get
excited. If the Temple Mount & Faithful group makes plans, and shares
their desires to lay the corner stone, thus, ushering the possibility
of starting to rebuild the temple, people get excited. They are looking
for Christ's coming and the rapture, based on whatever 'progress' they
think they see regarding the rebuilding of-the-temple.

I was reminded of something we have addressed in the past, as I was 
working my way through Ezra recently. Some of the exiles have returned 
to Jerusalem from Babylon, and notice: "Though fear had come upon them 
because of the people of those lands, they set the altar on its bases; 
and they offered burnt offerings on it to Jehovah, both the morning and 
evening burnt offerings." (Ezra3:3)  Very similar circumstances which
Israel finds itself in today. The enemy surrounding them, continually
attacking them and making life miserable, so that the people were
afraid. But they were performing the "morning and evening burnt
offerings". That's the same offerings Dan9:27 indicates when it says,
"sacrifice" and "offering". This was the 'daily' set of offerings.  The
"continual burnt offering", "day-by-day", "one..in the morning", and
"the other..at twilight". (Ex29:38-42)

These exiles also, it goes on to say, kept the Feast of Booths, and did
all the other offerings, and new moons, etc. (vs4-6)  And then notice
what vs6 says, "..although the foundation of the temple of Jehovah had
not been laid."

Now, if the foundation hadn't yet been laid, obviously, the temple was 
not yet rebuilt, either.

Now, let's add to our proper prophetical understanding... "who" is
going to build the next temple? This, too, we have addressed in the
past: "Thus says Jehovah of Hosts, saying, Behold! The Man whose name
is THE BRANCH! And He shall spring up out of His place,  and He shall 
build the temple of Jehovah.  Even He shall build the temple of 
Jehovah; and He shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule on His
throne. And He shall be a priest on His throne; and the counsel of
peace shall be between the two of them." (Zech6:12-13)

No, the Temple Mount and Land of Israel Faithful group will not be
building it. No, we do not need to wait for the Al Aksa mosque to be
bombed. The temple will not be rebuilt until Christ comes to establish
His kingdom.

So, while we are busy -seeing- "all these things", in anticipation of
the Lord's coming for the resurrection and rapture of the Church, let's
be sure we are looking for the -right- things. If we continue on
through, on this earth, to the time we see the temple being rebuild, it
means we missed out. Such a person was not saved; was not a Christian.
The Christian will not see the building of the temple during this
'present' sojourn on this earth. We will be first meeting the Lord "in
the air" on the occasion of the "shouted command" and the "voice of the
archangel" and the "trumpet of God". (1Th4:16)

Amen!

Q/A -Man-of-sin in the Temple of God?

---