When Will the Third Temple be Built or Will It and Why?
During the tribulation, unbelieving Jews will rebuild the temple (Isa. 66:1-6). Apparently as the result of a covenant made between the Jewish leadership and the Antichrist (Dan. 9:27a), this covenant will be broken by the Antichrist with the “ Abomination of Desolation ” (See Matthew 24:15).
The third temple of the tribulation period may be destroyed at the return of Christ when the Mount of Olives splits in half (Zech. 14:4), but it will certainly be removed to prepare for the Millennial New Jerusalem and its temple (Zech. 14:10; Isa. 2:2).
John declares that there is no temple in the New Jerusalem ( New Jerusalem; Rev. 21:2). Because “the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it” (Rev. 21:22). This Holy Temple, comprised of God Himself, will fulfill the Divine ideal that was begun but never realized, in the Garden of Eden, where God and man were to experience an intimate relationship (Gen. 3:8). As a result, the saints will serve God forever (Rev. 7:15; 21:3), in the New Jerusalem, which itself is an infinitely magnified Holy of Holies (Rev. 21:16; 1 Kings 6:20).
When Will the Temple Be Rebuilt: Anyone interested in end time events has his eyes on the temple project. Even though it is no longer necessary after the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, they don’t know that or don’t believe that. Ever since the Jews took temporary possession of the temple site after the Six Day War in 1967, there have been rumors that various groups have been working to prepare all the materials it needs.
Robes, 102 utensils needed for temple worship according to biblical and rabbinic standards, the training of qualified Levites, and research of the regulations. The corner stone (all 4-1/2 tons of it), is close by at the time of this writing (4/17/02). Actually, by the Shechem Gate. One of the most active individuals gathering materials for the temple has been Gershom Salomon of the Temple Mount Faithful. Reports I’ve read state it would only take 9 to 12 months to completely build the third Temple as most of it has already been fabricated.
The Temple could be rebuilt sometime between Russia’s attack on Israel and the beginning of the Tribulation, precisely when Russia and her Muslim allies will attack Israel is not possible to determine. It could happen just before the Rapture. Since the Jews will burn the remains of the war, described in (Ezek. 38-39), for seven winters (39:9). And because they will be driven out of the Holy Land by the Antichrist during the last three and a half years of the Tribulation, “the woman fled into the wilderness” The Woman Fled Into the Wilderness (Rev. 12:6), it would seem logical that the destruction of Russia and her allies will occur at least three and a half years prior to the Tribulation.
If that destruction is correct, there will be ample time for the Jews to rebuild their temple. In one moment God will have broken the back of the Muslim hordes that hate Israel so intensely, freeing Israel to rebuild her temple. This would be a drawing card to Jews around the world to return to the Holy land to worship in their temple.
Rebuilding the Temple is a Rejection of Christ: Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are not taught to build a temple; on the contrary, we are taught that God does not live in temples made with hands, but that the Holy Spirit uses the believer’s body as a tabernacle or dwelling place (1 Cor. 6:19-20).
The fact that Israel will rebuild the temple indicates that she has not received the Messiah. Therefore, we suggest the following chronology of events states Tim LaHaye. The act that will start the Tribulation period is the signing of the covenant with the Antichrist (Dan. 9:27), which will become an ungodly league with an evil power, indicating that Israel at the beginning of the Tribulation will not be predominately Christian.
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