Old Testament scripture states that the Messiah will come before the second Temple of God is destroyed. The Temple was destroyed over 1900 years ago, however, the Jewish people are still waiting for the coming of the Messiah. They have rejected the coming of Jesus as the Messiah and believe he is yet to come. Let us examine the scriptures in the book of Daniel which prophesy about the Messiah arriving before the second Temple is destroyed.
Daniel 9:25-27 – “Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince, there shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublesome times.
The fulfilment of this prophecy can be found in the books of Nehemiah, Ezra and Haggai in which we read about the rebuilding of the second Temple, the city of Jerusalem and the city’s wall. By these scriptures we know that the Messiah must come after the second Temple is built and before it is destroyed.
Just as the prophet Daniel prophesied, the second Temple was rebuilt during difficult times and Jesus, the Messiah (Anointed One) came while the second Temple was still standing and functioning. The Temple stood throughout Jesus’ life from a baby to an adult.
Jesus As A Baby In The Temple:
Luke 2:22-28 – When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”, 24 and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”
25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:
“Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace.30 For my eyes have seen your salvation, 31 which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.”
Luke 2:37-38 – There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 38 Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.
Jesus As A Child In The Temple:
Luke 2:41-46 – Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. 42 When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom. 43 After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. 44 Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. 45 When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.
Jesus As An Adult In The Temple:
John 8:2 – At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them.
Mark 11:27 – They arrived again in Jerusalem, and while Jesus was walking in the temple courts, the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders came to him.
John 10:23 – and Jesus was in the temple courts walking in Solomon’s Colonnade.
Mark 12:35 – While Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, he asked, “Why do the teachers of the law say that the Messiah is the son of David?
John 18:20 – “I have spoken openly to the world,” Jesus replied. “I always taught in synagogues or at the temple, where all the Jews come together. I said nothing in secret.
Luke 22:53 – Every day I was with you in the temple courts, and you did not lay a hand on me. But this is your hour—when darkness reigns.”
John 7:14 – Not until halfway through the festival did Jesus go up to the temple courts and begin to teach.
Continued…Daniel 9:26 -“After this period of sixty-two sets of seven, the Anointed One will be killed, appearing to have accomplished nothing, and a ruler will arise whose armies will destroy the city and the Temple. The end will come with a flood, and war and its miseries are decreed from that time to the very end.
The scriptures clearly state that the Messiah (Anointed One) will be put to death. To the Jewish people, the Messiah would have “appeared” to have accomplished nothing, certainly not the forgiveness of sins and rebuilding the Temple (replacing the Temple with a spiritual Temple). After the Messiah’s death, the people of the ‘prince to come’ which is Islam, will destroy the city and the sanctuary.
Historically speaking, Titus the Roman and his military army, tore down the second Temple. But the reason why the sanctuary (the Temple of God) can never be rebuilt is due to the Islamic Dome of The Rock mosque being built in its place.
Continued…Daniel 9:27 He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation…
The term “one seven and in the middle of the ‘seven” is referring to spiritual timings that we are not meant to understand.
Acts 1:7 – He [Jesus] said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.
Muhammed is the ruler who confirmed promises that he believed were on behalf of God with the many Muslim people. The ‘abomination’ spoken of in verse 27 is referring to the Dome of the Rock mosque. It was built to commemorate Muhammed’s purported ascension to heaven from this location even though Muhammed had never physically visited Israel. According to the Qur’an, he only envisioned Israel in dreams and visions.
The Dome of The Rock is what has actually stopped the Temple from being rebuilt. It has stood on the Temple mount for 1400 years and will continue to stand until the end of time as prophesied by Daniel who is the authority on end time prophecy in the Old Testament.
Ezekiel 28:3 – You regard yourself as wiser than Daniel and think no secret is hidden from you.
Daniel does not mention the ‘abomination’ being torn down, nor does he mention the physical Temple being rebuilt at any time. Jesus himself referred only to the prophet Daniel when speaking of the end times.
Matthew 24:15 NIV – So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand.
Continuation of Daniel 9:27…until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.
The destruction of the ruler who ended the daily sacrifices by the building of the ‘abomination that causes desolation’ is referring to Muhammed. He is the reason why the Dome of the Rock mosque was built as he claimed to ascend to heaven in a vision from this location.
Revelation 20:10 – And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast [Islam] and the false prophet [Muhammed] had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
Daniel 7:11 – “Then I continued to watch because of the boastful words the horn [Muhammed] was speaking. I kept looking until the beast [Islam] was slain and its body destroyed and thrown into the blazing fire.
Revelation 16:13 – Then I saw three impure spirits that looked like frogs; they came out of the mouth of the dragon [Satan], out of the mouth of the beast [Islam] and out of the mouth of the false prophet [Muhammed].
Revelation 19:20 – But the beast [Islam] was captured, and with it the false prophet [Muhammed] who had performed the signs on its behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.
The book of Daniel, is the only book in the Bible that gives a clear timeline of end time prophecies. According to Daniel, the Messiah must come before the destruction of the second Temple. There is no mention of a third physical Temple ever being rebuilt.
Daniel 9:24 – “Seventy weeks are decreed for your people and your holy city to stop their transgression, to put an end to sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy Place.
This prophecy was accomplished through Jesus’ ministry. After Jesus’ death and resurrection, the physical, earthly Temple of God was allowed to remain for a time but then it was destroyed. The physical Temple was always meant to be a temporary dwelling place for God. The earthly sacrificial system of atonement was also temporary, meaning that it had to be continuously repeated year after year. Even if this earthly Temple was ever rebuilt, it would still be temporary because of the continuous requirement of atonement due to unknown sin.
Through Jesus’ message of truth, an era of everlasting righteousness has begun. Jesus’ righteous message makes atonement for us and has put an end to iniquity (unknown sin). His revelatory, uncompromising teachings provide us with eternal atonement for iniquity (unknown sin). We now have knowledge of all our unknown sin through Jesus’ teachings. Thus making the earthly physical temple system obsolete. Atoning for iniquity (unknown sin) was the main purpose and function of the Temple of God. Since through Jesus’ teachings, there is no longer such a thing as unknown sin (iniquity), there is no need for the Temple.
Hebrews 8:12-13 – And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.” 13 When God speaks of a “new” covenant, it means he has made the first one obsolete. It is now out of date and will soon disappear.
This is why God allowed the Temple to be destroyed; never to be physically rebuilt again. Through Jesus, iniquity has been eradicated for good. This is the sacrifice Jesus made for us; he spoke a pure, uncompromised message that ultimately led to his brutal death. He did this so that we could have the opportunity to hear the truth and be saved for eternity from our iniquity (unknown sin). This is how Jesus replaces the earthly Temple system thus, making it obsolete.
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Why Do Jews Believe There Will Be A Third Physical Temple Of God? Part 6
