Lesson #31

REVELATION AND THE SECOND COMING
LESSON #31
THE TRIBULATION TEMPLE—REV 11:1-2

• MEMORY VERSE: 1SAM 15:22

• THIS CHAPTER IS A PART OF THE 6TH TRUMPET, THE SECOND WOE.

• READ REV 11:1-2
• THE TEMPLE
• THE WORD “TEMPLE” HERE REFERS ONLY TO THE “HOLY PLACE” WHERE ONLY THE PRIEST COULD GO.
• THE WORD “ALTAR” PROBABLY REFERS TO THE BRAZEN ALTAR WHERE ANIMAL SACRIFICE WAS DONE.
• THE MENTION OF THE TEMPLE AND ALTAR AT THIS POINT IN THE BOOK PRESUMES THAT A TEMPLE WILL BE BUILT BEFORE THE MIDDLE OF THE TRIBULATION, BUT NO SCRIPTURE INDICATES WHEN.
• THERE ARE 3 POSSIBLE OPINIONS:
• =1= PRIOR TO BEGINNING OF THE TRIBULATION PERIOD.
• =2= AFTER THE RUSSIAN WAR AT THE BEGINNING OF THE TRIBULATION PERIOD.
• ACCORDING TO JEWISH WRITINGS, THE JEWS BELIEVE THAT THE MESSIAH WILL RETURN TO BUILD A TEMPLE. BECAUSE THE ANTI-CHRIST WILL PROVIDE THE ACCESS AND OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD IT, THEY WILL BELIEVE THAT THE ANTI-CHRIST IS THEIR MESSIAH.
• =3= AT THE MIDDLE OF THE TRIBULATION PERIOD.
• HOWEVER, IT IS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TRIBULATION THAT THE ANTI-CHRIST PUTS HIS IMAGE IN THE TEMPLE FOR WORSHIP. THEREFORE, THE TEMPLE MUST ALREADY BE CONSTRUCTED BY THAT TIME.
• THE MEASURING STICK SIGNIFIES A LAYING OUT OF JUDGMENT ACCORDING TO GOD’S STANDARD. JUDGMENT IS TO COME UPON THE TEMPLE AND THE JEWS WHO HAVE REJECTED CHRIST’S SACRIFICE.
• THE TRIBULATION TEMPLE WILL NOT PLEASE GOD. INSTEAD GOD WILL JUDGE THIS JEWISH ATTEMPT TO REVIVE THE OLD TESTAMENT LAW OF ANIMAL SACRIFICE TO COVER THEIR SINS.
• JESUS CHRIST WAS THE FINAL SACRIFICE FOR SIN, YET THE JEWS REJECT HIM.
• ANIMAL SACRIFICE
• ANIMAL SACRIFICE MUST BE PERFORMED IN THE TEMPLE IN JERUSALEM ACCORDING TO JEWISH LAW.
• BECAUSE THE JEWS DON’T ACCEPT CHRIST’S FINAL SACRIFICE, THEY SEEK TO REINSTATE ANIMAL SACRIFICE UNDER THE PROTECTION OF THE ANTI-CHRIST’S PEACE TREATY AT THE BEGINNING OF THE TRIBULATION. (DAN 9:27)
• ANIMAL SACRIFICE WILL LAST ONLY 3 ½ YEARS UNTIL THE ANTI-CHRIST BREAKS HIS OWN PEACE TREATY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TRIBULATION PERIOD AND THEN BEGINS TO PERSECUTE THE JEWS.
• THE REQUIREMENTS FOR RE-BUILDING THE JEWISH TEMPLE:
• =1= THE JEWS FIRST MUST ESTABLISH THEIR RIGHT TO THE HOLY MOUNT AND HAVE RELIGIOUS ACCESS TO IT.
• SINCE 1967 NO WORSHIP BY JEWS OR CHRISTIAN HAS BEEN ALLOWED ON THE TEMPLE MOUNT.
• RELIGIOUS JEWS ARE BANNED ACCESS BY ISRAELI RABBIS AS BEING A SITE TOO HOLY TO WALK ON. JEWS BASE THEIR RIGHT TO THE TEMPLE MOUNT ON THE FACT THAT:
• =A= ABRAHAM MET THE PRIEST MELCHIZEDEK HERE IN GEN 14:18-20.
• =B= ISAAC WAS OFFERED AS AN OFFERING TO GOD ON MOUNT MORIAH, OF WHICH THE HIGHEST PEAK IS AT CALVARY.
• =C= DAVID MADE HIS CAPITAL HERE IN 1CHR 11:4-9.
• =D= THE 35 ACRE HOLY MOUNT WAS ORIGINALLY PURCHASED BY DAVID IN 2SAM 24:18-25.
• AFTER THE LOSS OF THE LAND IN 70 AD, ISRAEL GAINED ALL OF JERUSALEM IN THE 1967 SIX DAY WAR. HOWEVER, THE JEWS DID NOT MAINTAIN ACCESS TO THE HOLY MOUNT AT THAT TIME. WHY?
• MOSHE DAYAN WAS THE ISRAELI GENERAL IN THE SIX DAY WAR. HE CONQUERED JERUSALEM INCLUDING THE TEMPLE MOUNT. HE WAS A SECULAR JEW AND DID NOT THINK IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR ISRAEL TO HAVE CONTROL OVER THE TEMPLE MOUNT. HE THEREFORE, IMMEDIATELY GAVE AUTHORITY OVER THE TEMPLE MOUNT TO KING HUSSEIN OF JORDAN, A DESCENDANT OF MOHAMMED. JORDAN STILL HOLDS THAT AUTHORITY TODAY.
• LOCATED ON THE TEMPLE MOUNT IS THE EL AQSA MOSQUE AND THE DOME OF THE ROCK (WHAT MOSLEMS SAY IS THE PLACE WHERE MOHAMMED ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN).
• BEFORE 1967 THE AL AQSA MOSQUE BUILDING WAS THE CENTER OF THE MOSLEM INFLUENCE. AFTER 1967, MOSLEMS BEGAN TO CALL THE ENTIRE TEMPLE MOUNT BY THE NAME, AL AQSA, ANNEXING THE WHOLE TEMPLE MOUNT AREA.
• =2= THE JEWS NEED TO KNOW THE EXACT LOCATION OF THE ORIGINAL HOLY OF HOLIES WITHIN THE 35 ACRE SITE OF THE TEMPLE MOUNT IN ORDER TO ESTABLISH THE TEMPLE IN THE EXACT SAME LOCATION AS BEFORE.
• CRITICAL HISTORY OF THE TEMPLE MOUNT:
• WHEN THE ROMANS DESTROYED THE JEWISH TEMPLE IN 70 AD, THEY DID SUCH A COMPLETE JOB OF IT THAT IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO DETERMINE EXACTLY WHERE THE HOLY OF HOLIES HAD BEEN.
• MANY YEARS LATER, THE BYZANTINE CHRISTIANS BUILT A CHURCH ON THE TEMPLE MOUNT OVER WHAT THEY SUPPOSED WAS THE CORRECT SITE.
• THE FOUNDATION STONE FOR THAT CHURCH WAS PLACED DEAD CENTER ON THE TEMPLE MOUNT. IT WAS AN EIGHT-SIDED FOUNDATION. THE ARABS DESTROYED THE CHURCH IN 691 AD AND BUILT THE DOME OF THE ROCK OVER THE SAME EIGHT-SIDED FOUNDATION STONE. NO OTHER MOSLEM MOSQUE OR SHRINE HAS THIS EIGHT-SIDED SHAPE. FOR MANY YEARS JEWS AND CHRISTIANS THOUGHT THAT THE ORIGINAL JEWISH TEMPLE WAS LOCATED DEAD CENTER ON THE TEMPLE MOUNT, WHICH WOULD PUT IT NOW UNDER THE DOME OF THE ROCK.
• HOWEVER, IN MORE RECENT YEARS THERE IS SUBSTANTIAL DOCUMENTATION TO BELIEVE THAT THE ORIGINAL TEMPLE WAS LOCATED NORTH OF THE PRESENT DOME OF THE ROCK OPPOSITE THE SEALED EASTERN GATE. THIS WOULD PUT THE DOME OF THE ROCK IN WHAT WAS CALLED THE COURT OF THE GENTILES (REV 11:2).
• DOCUMENTATION EVIDENCE FOR THE NORTHERN LOCATION OF 330 FT. NORTHWEST OF THE DOME OF THE ROCK:
• THE JEWISH MISHNEH, THE MISHNEH TORAH, THE TALMUD, AND THE HISTORIAN JOSEPHUS ALL AGREE THAT THE 5 TEMPLE GATES LINED UP IN A STRAIGHT LINE OPPOSITE THE EASTERN GATE.
• IF THIS NORTHERN LOCATION IS CORRECT, A SMALL INSIGNIFICANT MOSLEM DOME IS PERHAPS THE EXACT LOCATION OF THE HOLY OF HOLIES. THIS DOME IS CALLED THE DOME OF THE SPIRITS OR DOME OF THE TABLETS. MOSES AND AARON ADDRESSED THE LORD AS “GOD OF THE SPIRITS OF ALL MANKIND” (NUM 16:22 NUM 27:16 EZE 37 JOB 23:10)
• IN THE ARK OF THE COVENANT THEY KEPT THE TABLES OF THE 10 COMMANDMENTS. PERHAPS THE NAME OF THE DOME PRESERVES THE ANCIENT LOCATION.
• THERE ARE SOME WHO SAY THE EXACT LOCATION IS UNDER THE DOME OF THE ROCK. HOWEVER, PREDOMINATE EVIDENCE IS TO THE NORTH.
• IN ORDER TO PROVE, WITHOUT A DOUBT, THE EXACT LOCATION, THE JEWS NEED ACCESS TO THE TUNNELS BENEATH THE TEMPLE MOUNT AS WELL AS A PROFESSIONAL SURVEY OF THE WHOLE TEMPLE MOUNT.
• =3= THE JEWS NEED TO PERFORM THE RITE OF PURIFICATION BY SACRIFICING A RED HEIFER TO CLEANSE THE TEMPLE MOUNT BEFORE CONSTRUCTION AND ANIMAL SACRIFICE CAN BEGIN. (NUM 19:1-22)
• THE ASHES OF THE NEW UNBLEMISHED RED HEIFER MUST BE MIXED WITH THE ASHES OF THE LAST RED HEIFER THAT WAS SACRIFICED. ACCORDING TO THE COPPER SCROLL FOUND WITH THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS, INDICATES THAT THE LAST SACRIFICE WAS DONE IN 68 AD, JUST BEFORE THE ROMAN DESTRUCTION OF THE TEMPLE IN 70 AD. THE COPPER SCROLL HAS A LIST OF LOCATIONS WHERE JEWISH TEMPLE TREASURES WERE BURIED JUST PRIOR TO 70 AD. AMONG THOSE TREASURES IS THE ASHES OF THE LAST RED HEIFER IN A CLAY VESSEL. ORTHODOX JEWS ARE PRESENTLY LOOKING FOR THESE TEMPLE TREASURES.
• CURRENTLY THE JEWS ARE BREEDING RED HEIFERS OF THIS SPECIAL EGYPTIAN BREED IN ORDER TO ARRIVE AT ONE HAVING NO WHITE HAIRS. THE FIRST SHIPMENT OF THESE SPECIAL HEIFERS WAS SENT TO ISRAEL IN 1994 FROM TEXAS. IN THE SPRING OF 1997, THE FIRST OFFSPRING WAS BORN (THOUGH IT WAS NOT COMPLETELY WITHOUT WHITE HAIRS). THE PERFECT RED HEIFER MUST BE 3 YEARS OLD BEFORE IT CAN BE SACRIFICED ON THE MOUNT OF OLIVES, MIXED WITH WATER FROM UNDER THE TEMPLE AREA, AND MIXED WITH THE OLD ASHES OF THE PREVIOUS RED HEIFER. THE OFFERING OF THE RED HEIFER OCCURRED ONLY 7 TIMES IN ALL OF ISRAEL’S PAST HISTORY.
• =4= SOME JEWS FEEL THEY MUST RECOVER THE ANCIENT ARK OF THE COVENANT BEFORE THEY CAN DO TEMPLE WORSHIP. THIS POINT IS DEBATABLE BECAUSE THE TEMPLE IN JESUS’ TIME DID NOT POSSESS THE ARK OF THE COVENANT AND YET THEY DID ANIMAL SACRIFICE THERE.
• SOME JEWISH SOURCES CLAIM THAT THE ARK OF THE COVENANT WILL BE RECOVERED BEFORE THE MESSIAH COMES.
• (JER 3:15-17) THERE ARE GROUPS LOOKING FOR IT TODAY. SOME THINK IT WAS HIDDEN UNDER THE TEMPLE MOUNT JUST BEFORE THE ROMAN DESTRUCTION OF THE TEMPLE IN 70 AD. SOME THINK IT WAS HIDDEN IN A CAVE OUTSIDE OF JERUSALEM LIKE THE CAVES OF THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS.
• A THIRD POSSIBILITY IS VERY INTRIGUING. AT THE TIME OF KING SOLOMON, THE QUEEN OF SHEBA CAME TO VISIT SOLOMON. HE MAY HAVE HAD A SON BY HER. WHEN THAT SON CAME OF AGE, SHEBA ASKED SOLOMON FOR A GIFT FOR HER SON. BECAUSE HE WAS A DEVOUT JEW, SOLOMON HAD A REPLICA OF THE ARK OF THE COVENANT MADE FOR THE BOY. HOWEVER, AS THE BOY WAS LEAVING JERUSALEM TO RETURN TO ETHIOPIA, HE STOLE THE ORIGINAL ARK AND PLACED THE FAKE ONE IN THE TEMPLE. THE FAKE ONE WAS EITHER DESTROYED BY THE BABYLONIANS OR IT WAS BURIED UNDER THE TEMPLE MOUNT ABOUT 586 BC. THE REAL ONE WAS TAKEN TO ETHIOPIA WHERE THE ETHIOPIANS CLAIM TO HAVE IT TODAY. ONE OF MUSSOLINI’S GOALS OF WORLD WAR 11 IN INVADING ETHIOPIA WAS TO OBTAIN THE ARK. ETHIOPIANS HAD SAID THEY WOULD RETURN IT TO JERUSALEM DURING THE CLOSING DAYS OF THE ETHIOPIAN CIVIL WAR WHEN 14,000 – 20,000 BLACK JEWS FLED TO ISRAEL IN 1991. IF SO, IT IS SECRETLY HIDDEN WAITING FOR THE NEW TEMPLE.
• HOW CLOSE ARE WE TO SEEING THE REBUILT JEWISH TEMPLE?
• THE TEMPLE INSTITUTE IN JERUSALEM HAS COMPLETED ALMOST ALL THE 103 REQUIRED UTENSILS FOR TEMPLE WORSHIP INCLUDING THE BREASTPLATE OF THE HIGH PRIEST, THE BLUE DYE FOR THE ROBES OF THE HIGH PRIEST, THE 7 BRANCHED CANDLESTICK, A 3-4 TON CARVED CORNERSTONE CUT WITHOUT METAL TOOLS (1KIN 6:16), ETC.
• THEY ARE TRAINING LEVITE MUSICIANS IN THE USE OF ANCIENT INSTRUMENTS INCLUDING SILVER TRUMPETS.
• THEY ARE TRAINING PRIEST IN THE LAW AND RITUAL OF ANIMAL SACRIFICE.
• THE FORMATION OF A NEW SANHEDRIN OCCURRED IN OCTOBER 2004. THEY HAD THEIR FIRST MEETING IN TIBERIAS. THIS WAS THE PLACE THEY LAST MET IN 400 AD. IN JUNE 2005 THEY ISSUED AN OFFICIAL CALL FOR PLANS TO REBUILD THE TEMPLE.
• GOD’S PERFECT TIMING FOR THE REBUILT TEMPLE:
• THERE HAVE BEEN HISTORICAL ATTEMPTS TO REBUILD THE TEMPLE BUT THEY HAVE FAILED BECAUSE IT WAS NOT GOD’S TIME.
• A WELL-KNOWN JEWISH MESSIAH FIGURE, SIMON BAR-KOCHBA (132-135 AD) ATTEMPTED TO REBUILD THE TEMPLE BUT THE ROMAN EMPEROR HADRIAN DESTROYED IT AND BUILT A TEMPLE DEDICATED TO JUPITER ON THE TEMPLE MOUNT. LATER EMPEROR CONSTANTINE DEMOLISHED THE TEMPLE OF JUPITER AND BUILT A CHURCH. (324-326AD)
• THE ROMAN, FLAVIUS CLAUDIUS JULIAN HATED CHRISTIANS AND GAVE PERMISSION TO THE JEWS TO REBUILD THE TEMPLE IN 363 AD. THE FOUNDATIONS WERE BARELY UNCOVERED WHEN A MASSIVE EARTHQUAKE CAUSED ALL CONSTRUCTION TO STOP.
• HISTORY OF THE DOME OF THE ROCK
• IN 638 AD ISLAM TOOK OVER JERUSALEM AND CALIPH OMAR BUILT A WOODEN MOSQUE ON THE TEMPLE MOUNT. EVEN THOUGH MOHAMMED IS SAID TO HAVE ASCENDED TO HEAVEN FROM THE TEMPLE MOUNT, HE NEVER CAME TO JERUSALEM EXCEPT IN A DREAM.
• THE DOME OF THE ROCK WAS BUILT IN 691 AD BY CALIPH ABD EL MALIK AS A DENIAL OF THE CLAIMS OF CHRIST AND THE BIBLE. ARABIC INSCRIPTIONS ON ITS WALLS ARE 734 FEET LONG. THEY ARE BLASPHEMOUS TO JESUS CHRIST, THE SON OF GOD, OF WHICH SOME ARE TRANSLATED FOR YOU HERE:
• THE SOUTH WALL In the name of allah the merciful the compassionate. There is no god but Allah alone; he has no co-partner. He is the kingship and his the praise. He giveth life and he causeth to die, and he hath power over everything.
• THE SOUTHEAST WALL: …the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, is but a messenger of Allah and his word which he cast upon Mary, and a spirit from him. So believe only in Allah and of his messenger, but do not say “three” (Trinity) and it will be better for you. Allah is only one God. Far be it from his glory that he should have a son.
• THE NORTH WALL TO THE NORTHWEST WALL: The Messiah will not deign to be in the service of Allah nor will the angels who stand in his presence. O Allah; pray upon thy messenger the servant Jesus, the son of Mary and peace be upon him the day of his birth, the day of his death, and the day of his being raised alive. That is Jesus, son of Mary, a statement which you are in doubt. It is not for allah to take for himself any offspring. Glory be to him.
• THE AL AQSA MOSQUE (709-715AD) IS THE THIRD HOLIEST ISLAM SITE AFTER MECCA AND MEDINA IN SAUDI ARABIA. IT STANDS OVER THE AREA OF SOLOMON’S PALACE. IN 1099 AD JERUSALEM WAS TAKEN FROM THE MOSLEMS BY THE CRUSADERS. THE DOME OF THE ROCK WAS MADE A CHRISTIAN CHURCH CALLED, TEMPLE OF OUR LORD. THE KNIGHTS OF THE TEMPLAR OCCUPIED THE AL AQSA MOSQUE. MOSLEM LEADER, SALADIN RETOOK JERUSALEM IN 1187 AD. THE OTTOMAN TURKS CONTROLLED JERUSALEM IN 1512 AD. THEIR RULE LASTED 400 YEARS. THEN BRITAIN TOOK JERUSALEM UNDER THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS MANDATE. THE TEMPLE MOUNT REVERTED TO THE MOSLEMS AFTER THE 1948 WAR AGAINST ISRAEL WHEN ISRAEL BECAME A NATION.
• THE TEMPLE MOUNT AND CURRENT POLITICS:
• ORTHODOX JEWS DESIRE A NEW TEMPLE, TEMPLE WORSHIP, AND ANIMAL SACRIFICE. THEY PRESSURE THE SECULAR GOVERNMENT OF ISRAEL AS FAR AS THEY CAN TO EXERT POWER AND AUTHORITY OVER THE TEMPLE MOUNT.
• SECULAR JEWS DESIRE PEACE AND WILL MAKE ANY CONCESSIONS NECESSARY REGARDING JERUSALEM AND THE TEMPLE MOUNT.
• THE ROYAL HUSSEIN FAMILY OF JORDAN, DESCENDED FROM MOHAMMED HOLD THE CUSTODIAL RIGHTS TO THE TEMPLE MOUNT. THEIR DESIRE IS TO PRESERVE THE MOSQUE AND THE DOME OF THE ROCK FOR ISLAM.
• SAUDI ARABIA CONTESTS HUSSEIN’S ANCESTRY FROM MOHAMMED AND DESIRES CONTROL OVER THE TEMPLE MOUNT AS ISLAM’S THIRD MOST IMPORTANT RELIGIOUS SITE.
• THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY DESIRES CONTROL OVER THE TEMPLE MOUNT AND OVER JERUSALEM IN ORDER TO MAKE IT THEIR CAPITAL OF A PALESTINIAN STATE.
• THE VATICAN IN ROME DESIRES CONTROL OVER THE TEMPLE MOUNT AND JERUSALEM TO MAKE THE CITY AN INTERNATIONAL CITY WITH THE VATICAN IN AUTHORITY IN ORDER TO PRESERVE CATHOLIC RELIGIOUS CHURCHES AND SITES AND TO PUT ALL RELIGIONS UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF THE POPE.
• THE EUROPEAN UNION (EU) AND THE UNITED NATIONS (UN) SEEK TO MAKE JERUSALEM AN INTERNATIONAL CITY UNDER THEIR CONTROL AND ADMINISTRATION TO ENFORCE PEACE.

HOMEWORK
REVELATION 11:3-13
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.

• APPLICATION OF REV 11:1-2
• AS YOU THINK ABOUT THE REBUILDING OF THE JEWISH TEMPLE, WHAT DOES ALL OF THIS HISTORY TELL YOU ABOUT THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD AND HIS TIMING?

• HOW DOES THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD AND HIS PERFECT TIMING RELATE TO YOUR OWN PERSONAL LIFE?

• PREPARATION FOR REV 11:3-13
• READ REV 11:3-13
• FOR BACKGROUND, READ THE FOLLOWING SCRIPTURES:
• GEN 5:23-24
• ZEC 4:1-14
• MAL 4:5-6
• MAT 17:1-13
• 1KIN 18:21
• EXO 5:1
• EXO 6:7-8

• WHAT IS THE IDENTITY OF THE TWO WITNESSES?

• WHAT IS THE MESSAGE OF THE TWO WITNESSES?

• MEMORY VERSE: REV 11:11