Paul Wong

The rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem is one of the most enigmatic controversies of our time. Those who are from Israel that favor its rebuilding present from the view of Judaism. They need the temple for worship and animal sacrifice. On the other hand some Christian writers from America present from the view of Bible prophecy. They think that the rebuilding of the temple would fulfill the prophecy of the Antichrist who will "sit as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God." (2 Thes. 2:4) They rationalize: "Surely the temple must be rebuilt so that the Antichrist can sit in it as God." This is circular reasoning and not a direct Bible prophecy.

The destruction of Herod's temple is a direct prophecy from our Lord Jesus Christ. "And Jesus said to them, 'Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down." (Mt. 24:2) He was talking about total destruction of the temple. Why is it important for us to read what the Lord said? Here is the reason. "God, who at sundry times and in different ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds." (Heb. 1:1-2) God had spoken through the prophets concerning the destruction and rebuilding of the First Temple. (Jer. 17:27; 2 Kn. 25:Zec. 4:6-8) Our Lord had prophesied the destruction of Herod's temple, but He had said nothing about its rebuilding. Don't you think that such an important matter deserves at least one sentence from the Lord? There is total silence from Jesus regarding the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem. However, our Lord did mention about His body being the temple. "Jesus answered and said to them, 'Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.' Then the Jews said, 'It has taken forty six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?' But He was speaking of the temple of His body." (Jn. 2:19-21) If the Lord knew that the temple in Jerusalem would be destroyed He would definitely know whether or not it would be rebuilt. He had said nothing about its rebuilding. He was certain that "the temple of His body" would be raised up in three days, but there is no basis for the theory on the rebuilding of the physical temple.

The apostle Paul also taught the believer's body is the temple of God. He wrote: "Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are." (1 Cor. 3:16-17) "Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you whom you have form God, and you are not your own?" (1 Cor. 6:19) This is the same Paul who preached to the Greeks on Mars Hill, Athens: "God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshiped with men's hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things." (Acts 17:24-25) From the teachings of Paul we can see his concept of the "temple of God" is not a physical building. The literal interpretation of the "temple of God" in 2 Thessalonians 2:4 as a physical edifice is inconsistent with Paul's theology. Can we interpret the "temple of God" in this context of 2 Thess. 2:4 that is consistent with Paul's concept? Certainly we can, if we apply his allegory of the body as the temple.

According to the apostle Paul the believer's body is the temple of God since the Holy Spirit dwells in it. Whether it is a single body or multiple bodies it is still the temple of God. The Church that is derived from the Greek "ekklesia" - God's called-out assembly, in a collecctive sense it is also the temple of God. Figuratively if the temple of God is the Church then we have to interpret 2 Thess. 2:4 accordingly. We have to interpret the Antichrist sitting in the Church showing himself that he is God. Is it too hard to accept the fact that the Antichrist can take control of the Church? Can it happen? There are two congregations in the Book of Revelation that can help us to understand this danger. The church in Smyrna has members "who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan." (Rev. 2:9) Then Jesus spoke to the church at Pergamos: "I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan's throne is." (Rev. 2:13) The Antichrist "sitting in the temple of God" does not mean sitting in the physical temple in Jerusalem. It means the antichrist has total control of the church. The synagogue of Satan means that the devil owns and controls that congregation. The church that has Satan sitting on the throne means that it is under Satan's control, power and authority.

The book of Daniel will help us to further understand how Satan can control the church: "Thus he said: The fourth beast shall be a fourth kingdom on earth, which shall be different for all other kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth. . . . He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, shall persecute the saints of the Most High, and shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand for a time and times and half a time." (Dan. 7:23-25) Now let us read Revelation and make some comparisons. "And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty two months. Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. And it was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue and nation. And all who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. If anyone has an ear, let him hear. " (Rev. 13:5-10) Daniel wrote: "Then the saints shall be given into his hand." And John wrote: "And it was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them." John continued: "And all who dwell on the earth will worship him." The inhabitants of the earth will worship the Antichrist as their god. This would definitely fulfill the prophecy of 2 Thess. 2:4 without having to rebuild the physical temple in Jerusalem. Praise and thank our Lord Jesus Christ there will be Christians whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life and these saints can overcome Satan "by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death." (Rev. 12:11)

If it is the physical temple in Jerusalem that Paul was writing about in 2 Thess. 2:4 then it will only effect the people in Jerusalem and Israel. The rest of the world can go on living without having to worship the Antichrist in the physical temple in Jerusalem. Daniel and John's prophecies concern the whole world, not just the geographical location of Jerusalem. It is only through the church that the Antichrist infiltrates that he can make war and overcome the saints. He has done that in the past. He is doing it now and he will do it in the future. The devil is the great deceiver. Christians fall into his trap when they focus on rebuilding the physical temple in Jerusalem, but fail to recognize they are the spiritual temple of God that really matters to Him. (Eph. 2:18-22)

Let us look at some of the facts concerning the temple in Jerusalem.

1. The plans of the temple were first given to King David through the Holy Spirit. (1 Chron. 28:12, 19)

2. It was given after David had secured peace by conquest of his enemies. (2 Sam. 7:1-12)

3. God would not allow King David to build the temple because he had shed too much blood. God had appointed his son Solomon to build the temple. (1 Chron. 22:6-11)

4. Solomon was a man of peace and his reign a period of prosperity and peace. (2 Sam. 7:9-13) The temple can only be built at a time of peace. (1 Kn. 5:2-5)

Now consider this about the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem. Is this a time of peace? Is there no bloodshed in Israel at this time? Can Israel make peace with the new Palestinian government that is controlled by the terrorist organization Hamas? What about the Islamic nations and Iran that wants to destroy Israel? The present peaceful condition in Israel is really an illusion.

5. The temple can only be built on the site that God showed. God commanded Abraham to "go to the land of Moriah, and offer him (Isaac) there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you." (Gen. 22:2-3) "And Abraham called the name of the place Yahweh Yireh - The LORD Will Provide; as it is said to this day, 'In the Mount of the LORD it shall be provided." (Gen. 22:14) "Now Solomon began to build the house of the LORD at Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the LORD had appeared to his father David, at the place that David had prepared on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite." (2 Chron. 3:1) After the 70 babylonian captivity God allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple that must be built over the original foundation. (Ezra 2:68; 4:12; Amos 9:11)

Here is a super-colossal problem. There is only one genuine and valid site for the temple - on Mount Moriah where Abraham had offered Isaac as an offering to God. In the Seventh Century when the Islamic forces occupied the land, Caliph Omar built the Dome of the Rock over the same site of Solomon's temple. This building is still standing there and has become one of the chief tourist attractions in Jerusalem. In order to rebuild the temple in its proper place the Dome of the Rock must be demolished. The temple site in Jerusalem is considered a holy place for the Islamic religion, second only to Mecca. How can the Dome of the Rock be removed without provoking all the Islamic nations of the world to anger and start a "Jihad - holy war?" Several suggestions have been made to choose an alternate site that is close to the Temple Mount, but so far none have been acceptable to the religious Jews.

6. In the fourth year of Solomon's reign (c. 960 B.C.) the temple began construction. It was completed in the eleventh year of Solomon's reign. It took seven and a half years to complete the construction of the First Temple. The Second Temple that was reconstructed by King Herod took much longer. Herod began his work in his eighteenth year (20-19 B.C.) When the Jews said to our Lord Jesus Christ that the temple had been under construction forty six years (Jn. 2:20); it was not until A.D.64 - more than thirty more years before it was finally completed. Why did it take so long? Those were large hewn stones and fine construction. How long do you think it will take modern technology to complete the temple if it were to be rebuilt today? It depends on the materials and the construction system. So, how long do you think it will take to rebuild and reconstruct the original temple that was destroyed in A.D.70? The length of construction time is not important!

We shall come back to this question - "Will the Temple in Jerusalem be Rebuilt?" All I can say is this - "God has not given us a clear and positive answer". Up till the present time I am not convinced the Temple in Jerusalem will ever be rebuilt.

May God bless you

Links to Related Topics

Please click on the Titles

The Temple of God

Titanic Truths about the Temple

The Struggle for the Temple Mount

The Man of sin is revealed in the Dome of the Rock

This Research Article is the presentation
of Paul Wong to the ARK Forum on June 5, 2006
For comments please write first to: arkpw@sbcglobal.net

Paul Wong is a Christian minister and the President of ARK International.
His ministry also serves as an architectural service company in Houston.
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