A question on a rebuilt temple . . .

[Guest]

Good afternoon,

This is my first post to this forum.
A few weeks ago I finished listening to the 6 hour series on Israel by Steve. It was fantastic, and it did change my views on quite a few things.

A question that concerns a rebuilt temple if we are living in the end times today.
Dispinsationalists believe that the anti-christ will sit in the holy place in a re-built temple declaring himself to be God, and according to that teaching he just commited the abomination of desolation.

If Steve is right, and there are no ethnic, or a race of Jews today, and the orthodox Jews in Israel do rebuild a temple, (which would be again another rejection of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross) how could the anti-christ commit the so-called abomination of desolation if the temple is an abomination already in the eyes of God? If those who rejected Jesus the first time did not only build a new temple, and then started to have animal sacrifices again, isn't that an abomination to God?

Did that make sense?

Thanks for your answers.

Steve

By the way, for many years I never heard the view points that Steve Gregg has expounded on concerning Israel. Never! I was always told that if you believed that the church was Israel, you were wrong and possibly leaning towards anti-semitism. Thanks Steve for the well put together study. The teaching on Romans made much more sense.

[Guest]

Hi Steve,

I am not sure if this is the answer you are looking for, but...

Those who believe in a future antichrist do not believe that a rebuilt temple itself would be an abomination.

I think it would be, but dispensationalists don't.

Is that what you're asking?

Les

[Guest]

Following up on Les' point, many of us who think a rebuilt temple would be an abomination also don't believe in a future Antichrist.

Re-read Revelation and note how many times you see the word "Antichrist". But don't hold your breath.

Oh, and for more on this, check out Steve's "When Shall These Things Be" Eschatology series. It rocks.

[Guest]

Hi Steve,

I am not sure if this is the answer you are looking for, but...

Those who believe in a future antichrist do not believe that a rebuilt temple itself would be an abomination.

I think it would be, but dispensationalists don't.

Is that what you're asking?

Les

Thank you.
Yes, I guess that is what I am asking, but I should probably have asked this on a forum to those believe that a temple will be rebuilt.
And I realize that they believe that the desecration of the temple by the anti-christ would be the abomination. Thanks again.

Steve

[Guest]

Yes, I guess that is what I am asking, but I should probably have asked this on a forum to those believe that a temple will be rebuilt.

Steve, here are a couple of good ones:

http://www.bereancouncil.org/

http://p214.ezboard.com/bthechristiancafe

Also, check out the following site which should have some articles giving a premillennial anlge on the issue of the temple being re-built:
www.lasttrumpet.com

Ely

[Guest]

Thanks Ely.

[Guest]

This answer to my question was provided by someone from one of the forums that Ely gave to me. I really don't know how to respond. Is he right in that the apostles did involve themselves with animal sacrifice? That does not make sense. Doesn't the entire book of Hebrews clearly tell us that animal sacrifice not only did not remove sin, but is over for the believer, yet the answer I received says that the apostles still were involved with it. I just can't believe that.

My questions are in the quotes.

Quote:
Most students of prophecy believe, or at least I think they do, that a temple will be re-built in the end times, and animal sacrifices will begin again. Sometime during the tribulation, the one who is called the anti-christ, will present himself in the holy of holies, and declare himself to be God. When he does that, at least from what I understand, the abomination of desolation will have taken place. If I am wrong here, please correct me.

That is correctly stated. This event was declared by both Jesus and Paul to be a sign that the Day of the Lord was near.

Quote:
Those who rebuild the temple will be Jews who already reject the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. Since they continue to not believe in Jesus, which is the only way for one to be a child of God, how is it possible for an "abomination of desolation" to take place in the "temple of God since the new rebuilt temple itself is a repudiation of the cross of Jesus?
How can God be defamed in a building that is in fact defaming Him?

Since the Jews still don't believe in God's perfect provision for sin ,Why would God recognize this as an abomination if the temple itsef is an abomination?
Or, how could this temple be even considered to somehow be the house of God since our bodies happen to be the temple of God now?

For about 25 years this has always been a difficult issue for me. Can someone explain this?
Thanks.

Here is where I think you are making a mistake. You are assuming that God would consider any rebuilt temple to be an "abomination." But the Scripture does not say that.

The fact is, the last temple continued to stand for 40 years after the sacrifice of Jesus on Calvary. Now, if this temple was suddenly an abomination, then we have a real problem. The apostles and other first century Jewish believers continued to worship there up until it was destroyed in A.D. 70. And their worship included animal sacrifices.

Paul participated in animal sacrifices at the Temple in Acts 21. The Jewish church in Jerusalem, under the guidance of the Apostles, also continued to participate in the Jewish feasts at the Temple. This involved animal sacrifices.

This was not an abomination and it was not a repudiation of the sacrifice of Christ. It was an act of worship by people who clearly understood the significance of the sacrifice of Christ.

It is true that most of those who worship in the temple during the tribulation will be people who do not recognize the sacrifice of Christ. But it is not necessarily true that ALL of them will be unbeleivers. I think there will be many Jewish Christians who worship there and they will be uniquely qualified to explain the true meaning to their Jewish kinsmen in the process.

Paul said as much in 1 Corinthians 9.

18 What is my reward then? That when I preach the gospel, I may present the gospel of Christ without charge, that I may not abuse my authority in the gospel.
19 For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more;
20 and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law;
21 to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law;
22 to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.
23 Now this I do for the gospel's sake, that I may be partaker of it with you.

When Paul was among the Jews, he was observant of the Law, not because he considered himself to be bound by the Law, but voluntarily, so that he might win the Jews. And this included the sacrifices of the Jewish feasts. If it was not an abomination for Paul to do this, then it will not be an abomination for Jewish Christians during the Tribulation. In my opinion, the temple will be a powerful means of sharing the Gospel by those who comprehend its significance.

Furthermore, we also know that during the Millennium, there will be a temple in Jerusalem and that there will be sacrifices in the very presence of the Lord who will be reigning there. Obviously, this will not be an abomination. It will be a joyful act of worship.

Roger

[Guest]

Following up on Les' point, many of us who think a rebuilt temple would be an abomination also don't believe in a future Antichrist.

Re-read Revelation and note how many times you see the word "Antichrist". But don't hold your breath.

Oh, and for more on this, check out Steve's "When Shall These Things Be" Eschatology series. It rocks.

Thanks Seth. Right now I am going through Steve's study on "Toward a Radically Christian Counterculture."

[Guest]

The jews believe that when the Messiah returns he will rebuild the temple and the dispensationalists believe it will be Jesus and he will serve as high priest and the animal sacrifices will be a memorial type of event not for sin offerings. But i think Ezekial specifically says that the sacrifices will be for sin offerings in this new temple.
So there is a discrepiency.

[Guest]

Hey Stephen, I'm glad thos elinks have been of use. Concering the following:

This answer to my question was provided by someone from one of the forums that Ely gave to me. I really don't know how to respond. Is he right in that the apostles did involve themselves with animal sacrifice? That does not make sense. Doesn't the entire book of Hebrews clearly tell us that animal sacrifice not only did not remove sin, but is over for the believer, yet the answer I received says that the apostles still were involved with it. I just can't believe that.

Why not just check the scripture references which Roger gave and see for yourself! For a (much) more detailed look at this issue, I'd suggest reading round 3 of the following discussion between Tim Warner (a premillenialist) and Sam Frost (a full preterist) which touches on these issues in some depth: http://www.geocities.com/lasttrumpet_2000/debate3.html

I'd recommend it for you too Steve7150!

Ely