Will the PHYSICAL Jewish Temple Be Rebuilt During the Tribulation?

Theology and Politics from a Conservative, Biblical Perspective

As you can guess – and may even personally know – there are many different beliefs regarding aspects of the last days, the end times, and the eventual return of Jesus to this earth. For instance, there are folks who fully believe and are convinced that Jesus already “returned” – spiritually – to the earth in judgment in AD 70, when Roman armies surrounded and sacked Jerusalem. The physical Jewish Temple standing at the time was also destroyed. This belief is in spite of the Bible’s very clear words in Acts 1 told to disciples by angels themselves that Jesus – who had just ascended physically (not spiritually) into the clouds and was then taken out of sight – would return the exact same way (Acts 1:11). In spite of this very clear statement that Jesus would return physically to this earth, along with Jesus’ own statement in Luke 21:7 (cf. Matthew 24; Revelation 1:7), that all eyes would see Him return, there are those who take the very clear meaning and intent of Scripture and change it to mean something else. In spite of the biblical evidence presented to them that they are in error, they ignore it, continuing on with their errant belief system.

With so many different viewpoints regarding Eschatology (study of end times), it is no wonder people argue about it all the time. It takes a great amount of study and prayer. It also takes a great deal of humility for God to bless anyone seeking His truth, to be blessed with it. Too many people today have an air of godliness, but lack the fruit. They believe because they themselves are convinced that something is true, then it must be true. Anyone who doesn’t agree with them is then “deceived.” It couldn’t possibly be that they have misunderstood the Scriptures, could it?

Paul says that one day we will all come to fullness in the faith (Ephesians 4:13).

“…until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ…”

I have met people – and maybe you have as well – that fully believe they have arrived now. In essence, they are done learning. There is nothing you can tell them. In the above text, Paul was referring to a point after our death, when the sin nature will be fully and completely excised from us and we will no longer be able (or want) to sin and that this – and being in Christ’s physical/spiritual presence will bring us to that fullness of Christ. Paul’s words are what we can shoot for now, but we cannot attain that in this life because our sin nature is the biggest variable against it.

One particular person of late that I’ve had a few conversations with has it out for anyone who believes in the PreTrib Rapture. He is a dyed-in-the-wool PostTribber and like many PostTribbers, they have a special disdain for the PreTrib Rapture position, even though, according to them, every position except the PostTrib position is the correct one. For them, only the PreTrib Rapture position is born of deceit. The others are simply “wrong.”

As we tried to discuss aspects of things, we got into talking about the final “week” of Daniel 9:27, which begins with the “he” who confirms a covenant with the “many.” As I’ve already noted in other articles, the “he” there is the Antichrist and the “many” represent Israel’s leaders.

Our friend though fully believes that the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 represented the event in the middle of the “week” spoken of in Daniel 9:27. This would make Titus the Antichrist. There are a plethora of problems with this view that have been more than adequately addressed by scholars. I don’t need to repeat them here. Biblically, it makes as much sense as those who firmly believe that Nero was the Antichrist. These people are certainly “types” but not the real deal.

Regarding this position, I stated to him:

So when Jesus refers to the abomination that desolates referring to Daniel and ultimately Antiochus Epiphanes of Dan 8 & 11 as a type of Antichrist) in Matthew 24, I don’t recall Titus desolating the Temple as Antiochus had done in 168 BC and as Paul clearly says WILL happen during Antichrist (which you say was Titus, if we follow your “reasoning’.”

His response was rather interesting to say the least. It shows a marked inability to allow Scripture to interpret itself. Here is what he stated:

“I must be missing some Scripture somewhere: Where does Paul CLEARLY state that the antichrist will desolate a physical temple? Are you referring to 2 Thess. 2 where the anti-christ sits in the place of God declaring himself as such? I realize that many confuse the abomination of desolation (Titus) who decimated the temple with the anti-christ who sits in the place of God. Here the pretribber assume that the place of God is the temple. However, in this NEW dispensation, our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. It is our hearts that matter. If someone takes the mark of the beast, the spirit of anti-christ has been seated in their hearts, and they worship the beast. At NO TIME does the Scripture EVER indicate that the physical temple will be rebuilt. No doubt that is a ruse of the devil to get peoples eyes focused off the true prize, the temple of the Holy Spirit. THAT IS the place of GOD, not a futuristic building!“

I appreciated his admission that he must have missed something, but of course, he was being sarcastic. He actually does not believe he has missed anything, as we note in his comments following that opening barb. I’d also like to point out that Titus never replicated what Antiochus Epiphanes did when he entered the Jewish Temple in 168 BC and desecrated it.

When I responded to him, he either did not receive my reply or opted not to allow it to be posted on his blog (where our conversation had originally taken place). Instead, he used my “lack” of response as a means of trying to prove that I really don’t know what I was talking about and was unable to address his concerns. The problem though is that my response did make things very clear and proved he actually is “missing some Scripture somewhere.”

What I pointed out to him is that I agreed with him 100% that for CHRISTIANS, we are the Temple in whom resides the Holy Spirit. That is clearly the understanding that I gain from Scripture in Paul’s writings, especially. We are a spiritual building being FITTED together and the Holy Spirit resides in each person who receives salvation. Paul also tells us that we are sealed with the Holy Spirit unto the day of redemption. The obvious meaning is that what God seals, no one has the power to break…unless of course you believe that salvation can be lost, in which case you also believe that God via the Holy Spirit is powerless against your so-called free will.

But here is the real problem with our friend’s lack of understanding. What Paul is talking about applies to CHRISTIANS only, as noted. It does NOT apply to anyone who is not part of the Body of Christ, whether they are Jews or Gentiles. No one who is lost is part of the Body of Christ, therefore, those people do NOT have the Holy Spirit within them. That much is clear.

But our friend takes that position and applies it to UNSAVED Jewish people during the Tribulation period. This is a huge no-no and simply shows how he uses/twists Scripture to prop up his own false narratives, unfortunately.

When the Antichrist confirms a covenant with Israel’s leaders, he is a real, physical man at the time. Yes, the apostle John mentions a “spirit of antichrist” that is already in the world (1 John 4:3), but of course, behind that “spirit” is a real being. Satan lives in the spiritual realm and is a spiritual being. Yet, he can certainly take on elements of the physical, just as God’s angelic messengers can do the same. This “spirit of antichrist” that John speaks of is not some ethereal “idea” that floats through the air. It is backed by Satan himself. Our friend is clearly allegorizing Scripture to suit his own beliefs when there is absolutely no justifiable reason to do so. None.

Nonetheless, let’s move on. When the Antichrist confirms a covenant with Israel’s leaders (and again, our friend stated in his comments that this was accomplished by Titus in AD 70, which also means the Tribulation would have already taken place and would also mean that in roughly AD 66-67, Titus confirmed a “covenant” with the many, which did not happen), this event begins the 70th “week” (period of seven years) in Daniel’s 70 “weeks.” In the middle of that “week,” the physical man (aka Satan’s spiritual son, the man of lawlessness, cf. 2 Thessalonians 2), will go into the rebuilt Jewish Temple and do exactly what Antiochus Ephiphanes did in 168 BC! There, Antiochus slaughtered a pig, sprinkled its blood around the Holy of Holies and set up an image of Zeus, with some historians noting that Antiochus placed a mask of his own face over the statue’s face. Was this an actual historical and therefore physical event or was it a spiritual event?

This historical event is what caused the Maccabean Revolt in history. Jesus refers to this event in Matthew 24:15-16:

“Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 16 then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains.”

Jesus actually refers to Daniel the prophet here and, by implication, also refers to this historical event created by Antiochus. Jesus’ reference to something “standing in the holy place” is exactly what Antiochus Epiphanes did after Daniel had been written. This historical point of reference would have been known to every Jewish male at the time of Jesus (which is why the subtext “let the reader understand” exists). This was a physical event that had tremendous spiritual repercussions. Paul speaks of a man of lawlessness (not a spirit) who will do the same thing during the Tribulation (2 Thessalonians 2). This will also be a physical event that will have tremendous spiritual repercussions. In fact, once the Jews see this event actually happening, their eyes will be open and they will begin to understand that they have been completely duped. They will then run to the hills (as they did during the AD 70 tragedy) and God will take care of them for the remainder of the Tribulation period.

Please notice that Jesus says “when you see the abomination of desolation…” He is referring to a physical event – something that Jews living during the Tribulation will see. It will not be of the heart. It will be out in the open. The entire world will see the event and it will be after this that Antichrist makes receiving his mark – whatever it happens to be – mandatory so that without it a person cannot buy or sell. This would make absolutely no sense if it was a “spiritual” event. How can people who have not taken this mark be allowed to buy or sell if Antichrist is seated in their hearts? It is clearly going to be a visible and physical mark. Jesus says we will SEE this coming event that ends up desolating the Temple. There is NO reason to take His words allegorically and to do so is to change His intended meaning.

Because Jews today are not saved (unless they have actually received salvation), they act just like lost people, trying one way and then another to find ways to approach God. They fail continually, but orthodox Jews believe their salvation rests in the sacrificial system under Moses. It doesn’t. That system pointed ahead to Jesus, something they missed entirely. However, because of their continued blindness (Paul speaks about this throughout the book of Romans, that it is temporary from a national perspective), they look to the Mosaic Law and sacrificial system to save them.

Because of this, there will come a time (future) when the way will be open for them to rebuild the Jewish Temple. The Temple Mount group has already rebuilt everything that is to be fitted inside that coming Temple. A full-scale Temple has also been built near Jericho. Priests (from the priestly line) have been located and are currently being trained in all aspects of sacrifices and Mosaic Law. The Sanhedrin has also been restored only a few years ago.

Because they are lost, Jews keep going backwards to the sacrificial system. As much integrity as PM Netanyahu may appear to have, he is a lost individual who has no favor with God because of it. Any protection that comes to Israel is solely and only due to God helping for “the sake of His holy Name” as He states throughout the book of Ezekiel. It is not for Israel He will do these things, but for the sake of His holy Name! We would do well to remember that Jews today are just as lost as Gentiles who do not know Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. If we really want to “side” with Israel, we must be in prayer for Jews to receive Jesus as Savior and Lord!

Because the average Jew is lost today, those living in Israel want to see the Temple rebuilt. They believe – again, wrongly – that through the reestablished sacrificial system, they will once again be able to draw close to God. It will only be through that – building the Temple and establishing sacrifices again – that they will see how wrong they are, especially when the coming Antichrist goes into the Holy of Holies and literally sits down inside it declaring himself to BE God as Antiochus did in 168 BC. It will be the same mistake repeated! This is also the fulfillment of Satan’s five “I will” promises in Isaiah 14 as we’ve discussed in other articles. Satan, working through Antichrist, will RULE the world and will do his level best to make himself to appear to be LIKE God to humanity. Titus wasn’t even close to being the coming Antichrist. This future Antichrist will rise among the ten “kings” (Revelation 17) and once he does, will “uproot” three of them (by killing them) and will become ruler over them. But this cannot happen until the world becomes ONE under a new world order. We’re not there yet, though it’s coming rapidly.

The Tribulation is coming. The Jewish Temple will be rebuilt. The fact that it will be rebuilt has absolutely NOTHING to do with the fact that Paul teaches that all TRUE Christians (and ONLY true Christians) are part of the Body of Christ and are infilled and sealed with the Holy Spirit (cf. Ephesians 1:13; 2:6; ; 1 Corinthians 6:19; 2 Corinthians 1:22, etc., etc). This truth applies to NO ONE outside the true, invisible Church. Because of that, it has NOTHING to do with what lost/unsaved Jews will be doing during the Tribulation period. They are LOST and do not have the Holy Spirit. What has THAT got to do with the FACT that the Holy Spirit lives within each authentic Christian? Nothing, yet our friend uses it – ripping it completely out of its context – and applies it to such a situation. It makes no sense whatsoever, except in his confused mind.

Just consider the Northern Invasion noted in Ezekiel 38-39 (which has NOT yet happened in history ever) and the resultant earthquake that levels hills, destroys walls, and cities. Do you think this might be the very event that God uses to destroy the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa mosques? After this, Muslims may be very quick to want to “play” friendly with the Jews, allowing them to rebuilt their Temple on the Temple Mount. Let’s face it, after the Six Day War of 1967, Israel not only united Jerusalem in fulfillment of prophecy, but also gained control of the Temple Mount on paper. Their mistake was in continuing to allow Muslims/Arabs to be in direct control of it.

Would you please join me in praying for the individual I’ve mentioned in this blog? He is not rightly dividing God’s Word. He needs his eyes open and only God can do that. I can’t. You can’t. No one can because he has shut his ears.

Please pray that He does, for that young man’s sake and for God’s glory. Thank you.

Theology and Politics from a Conservative, Biblical Perspective