Stirrings Towards Jerusalem Temple

The prophetic Word indicates that at the time of the end, during the period of Antichrist's power, there will be a Jewish Temple in Jerusalem, where Old Covenant sacrificial ritual will have been resumed (Dan. 9:27).

In 1 Thess. 5:34 it is revealed that Antichrist, alias "the man of sin", "the son of perdition", will himself sit in the temple of God, setting himself forth as God. This supreme act of sacrilege is referred to by the Lord Jesus in Matthew 24:15 as "the abomination of desolation".

Students of prophecy have watched with awe the fulfilment of the "Word of prophecy" in relation to the modern revival of the Israel nation. Against all political probability Israel's national independence was proclaimed in May 1948, and despite intense hostilities this status has been maintained. But the re-establishment of a Temple on the ancient Temple Mount has seemed impracticable. For with the exception of Mecca and Medina it has become the holiest site of Islam, and is occupied by the Al Aqsa Mosque and Dome of the Rock. The Moslem world would fanatically resist any suggestion to erect a Jewish Temple on the ancient Temple Mount.

Israel captured the Mount and the Old City in the Six Day War (1967);

but recognizing the intensity of Moslem feeling, the Israeli government has allowed them to retain administration of the Temple Mount. The Muslims forbid Jew or Christian even to pray openly on this sacred ground, let alone erect any church or synagogue.

On the Jewish side, Chief Rabbis of Israel have forbidden Jews to set foot on the Mount in case they should accidentally tread on the site of the ancient Holy of Holies. One former Chief Rabbi now claims that through research he has identified the exact location of this sacred plot, and therefore argues that Jews could now without sacrilege enter the Mount.

Different opinions are held among rabbis in Israel about the rebuilding of the Temple. One group believes that God does not intend a Temple to be rebuilt until Messiah appears. Others offer a spiritual interpretation - "We have all our spiritual centres within us. That is where the Temple should be built". However, tradition firmly holds that there is a Biblical obligation to rebuild the Temple if this is at all feasible. The issue is very much alive, and last October the Ministry of Religious Affairs organized a Conference of Temple Research to discuss whether rebuilding was indeed a responsibility of the present generation.

Minority groups have already convinced themselves of the necessity to rebuild the Temple, and are actively pursuing preparations of various kinds. One group called "The Temple Institute" is led by Rabbi Israel Ariel, one of the first paratroopers to reach the Temple Mount in the l967 War. The Institute's objective is "to advance the cause of the Temple and to prepare for its establishment, not just talk about it". Among other activities the Institute has researched details of ritual implements which would be needed if Temple services were restored. Thirty-eight items have been completed, and sixty-five more have been scheduled for processing. It is also preparing such instruments as trumpets and lyres. Vestments for the priests are being made from flax spun by hand into six threads, according to traditional precedent.

Anticipation of animal sacrifices is emphasized. Two Talmudic schools

near the "Wailing Wall" are reportedly training about two hundred students in the intricacies of Temple rituals. Others are investigating the ancestry of those claiming descent from priestly families authorized to engage in the sacrificial ritual and other Temple service. A special convention is planned for those who consider they have evidence of priestly descent.

Groups dedicated to these preparations profess that they do not wish to achieve their goal by force. In the immediate situation it would seem politically unrealistic to expect early success. But things can change very quickly in the Middle East, as events over the past four decades make abundantly clear. The Director of the Temple Institute recently acknowledged that the vision may not become reality for some time: "No one can say how, and no one wants to do it by force", he said. "But sooner or later... it will be done. And we will be ready for it. Every day's delay is a stain on the nation".

"Whoso is wise shall give heed to these things" (Ps. 107:43). For are they not significant "signs of the times"? (Mat. 16:3).

unknown | Feb 1990
Focus