Titanic Truths about the Temple

 

(Taken from Chapter 9 of Steve Wohlberg's fast-selling book, Exploding the Israel Deception)

On April 15, 1912, the Titanic sank to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. There it remained, undiscovered for decades. In 1980, a rich oilman decided to fund a search for the lost ship. Two expeditions went out to sea, yet they found nothing. In 1985, another group of researchers set sail from France. They pinpointed a 12-mile area in which they thought the ship had rested. After two months of deep-sea surveying, their sophisticated ocean-scanning devices located a large object on the sea floor. As the outlines of a ship became clearer, the shout finally rang out: "This is it! We have found the Titanic!" The discovery was reported in newspapers around the world.

In this chapter, we will continue to survey the hidden depths of the Word of God. We do not need any sophisticated equipment, though—only open hearts. As we set sail into the following paragraphs, we will discover things more shocking than what those researchers uncovered in 1985. It's time to discover Titanic truths about the temple!

It is a fact that several Jewish organizations in Jerusalem are now preparing for the rebuilding of a third Jewish temple on the Temple Mount. A popular Christian book called The Edge of Time, by Peter and Patti Lalonde, gives the following report: "A model of the Third Temple has been constructed and sits on exhibit in old Jerusalem. Even a computerized list of candidates who fulfill the requirements of a Temple priest has been drawn up, and rabbinical students have been training for ancient Jewish temple rites and sacrifice." Many religious Jews want another Temple. Millions of Christians now believe the Bible definitely predicts on will be built. But does it really? Is it possible that the "third temple" theory is yet another grand delusion of the last days?

First of all, let's focus on what happened before the second temple was destroyed. When Jesus Christ died, "the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake." Matthew 27:51. By ripping the veil, God Almighty showed all mankind that the value of animal sacrifices was over. The earthly temple service was coming to an end. Why? Because the great Sacrifice had yet been offered! A few years later, Paul wrote in reference to the earthly temple, "Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away." Hebrews 8:13. In A.D. 70, the second temple was demolished by the Romans.

Now think for a moment. Would the providence of God ever lead the Jewish people to rebuild a third temple? Would the Father ever initiate the restarting of sacrifices that ended with the death of His Son? When Jesus cried out, "It is finished" (John 19:30), He abolished all sacrifices. He was the final Sacrifice! Therefore, would not the restarting of sacrifices be an open denial that Jesus Christ is the messiah? If Israel ever did rebuild a third temple and begin to offer sacrifices, would not this be another official, national rejection of the Saviour? What happened 2,000 years ago when the leaders of Israel officially rejected their Messiah? The result was disaster! More than a million Jews perished.

Three main sections of Scripture are being used today by Christians to support the "third temple" theory. They are Daniel 9:27, assorted "temple texts" in the book of Revelation, and 2 Thessalonians 2:4. Yet in all three of these sections, nothing is said about any temple being "rebuilt." In the Old Testament, major portions of Scripture are devoted to the building of the wilderness tabernacle, the first temple, and the second temple (Exodus chapter 35-40; 1 Kings chapter 6; Ezra chapters 3-6).  Yet as for the building of the third Jewish temple, we find nothing.

 

Argument 1—The use of Daniel 9:27

 

Popular prophecy scholars today argue that when Daniel 9:27 describes the coming of one who will "cause the sacrifice…to cease," this must refer to an end-time Antichrist who will stop the sacrifices of a rebuilt Jewish temple. Yet we proved in Chapter 5 of this book that it was Jesus Christ who already caused "the sacrifice…to cease" 2,000 years ago through His death on the cross. Matthew Henry faithfully declared that it was Jesus who would "cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease. By offering himself a sacrifice once and for all he shall put an end to all the Levitical sacrifices." Therefore, when people use Daniel 9:27 as a foundation text to support the idea of a "rebuilt third temple," they are actually trying to build a house on sand. Worse yet. They are building on top of a major earthquake fault line!

 

Argument 2—"Temple Texts" in the book of Revelation


These texts all concern the heavenly temple, not a rebuilt third temple on earth. Revelation 11:19 says, "The temple of God was opened in heaven." Revelation 14:17 says that "another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven." Revelation 15:5 declares that "the temple…in heaven was opened," and Revelation 16:17 says, "There came a great voice out of the temple of heaven." Thus there is a temple in heaven. And it is in this temple that Jesus Christ, our Great High Priest, now ministers His blood in our behalf (Hebrews 8:1, 2; 9:12, 14). It is also to this temple that Paul counsels Christians to look (Hebrews 10:19-22). We will study this subject more thoroughly in Chapter 12 of this book.

 

Argument 3—The use of 2 Thessalonians 2:4

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This is probably the most important passage used to support the "third temple" theory. Here Paul wrote that the Antichrist would sit "in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God." 2 Thessalonians 2:4. Hal Lindsey comments: "It is certain that the Temple will be rebuilt. Prophecy demands it …"[The Antichrist] takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God" (2 Thessalonians 2:4. …We must conclude that a third Temple will be rebuilt upon its ancient site in old Jerusalem."

2 Thessalonians 2:1-8 is one of the most controversial passages in the Bible. It is time to examine this section carefully. In this analysis, I will draw on the past insights of historic Protestants, which was commonly accepted doctrine in Europe, England, and America for over 300 years—since the time of the Reformation.

AN ANALYSIS OF 2 THESSALONIANS 2:1-8

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Verse 1—"Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering unto him," Jesus is "coming" to gather His children. The Greek word used here for "coming" is parousia, which clearly refers to the second coming of Jesus Christ (Matthew 24:27).

Verse 2—"That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at had." Here Paul warned the Thessalonians not to be troubled by anyone who would suggest that "the day of Christ" on which He would "gather" His children was "at hand" in the first century. No. Something big must happen first.

Verse 3—"Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day [when Jesus comes to gather His children] shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin [Antichrist] be revealed, the son of perdition." Here Paul is very clear. "That day" when Jesus comes to "gather" us shall not come until there is first "a falling away" and the Antichrist is revealed! Thus, contrary to popular opinion, Antichrist comes before Jesus comes to gather His people! Paul warned, "Let no man deceive you by any means" into believing anything else.

The phrase, "a falling away," is for the Greek word "apostasia," which means "a falling away" from the truth. Thus, there would be in the history of Christianity, as in the history of Israel, a major "falling away" from God’s Word that would result in the rise of Antichrist. Paul called this antichrist "that man of sin." These words actually point to an earlier prophecy found in Daniel chapter 7.

Daniel chapter 7 predicted the rise of a "little horn" with "eyes like the eyes of a man." Daniel 7:8. Daniel did not say the little horn would be a man, but that it would have "eyes like the eyes of a man." This horn would arise out of "the fourth beast," or "fourth kingdom" (verse 23), which was the Roman Empire. It would arise "among" the 10 horns in Europe (verse 8), would speak proud words against God (verses 8, 25) and would make "war with the saints" (verse 21) in Christian history.

Paul also called the Antichrist "the son of perdition," which is what Jesus Christ called Judas (John 17:12). Judas was an insider, an apostle, one of the twelve. Judas kissed Jesus, calling him "Master" (Mark 14:45). Yet it was a kiss of betrayal. By calling Antichrist "the son or perdition," Paul gives us a clue in that this deceiver would not be a pagan dictator like Adolf Hitler, but rather a professed apostle of Jesus Christ. Yet in reality, he would be a false apostle. (See 2 Corinthians 11:13.)

Verse 4—"Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God." Paul did not say, as so many believe, that Antichrist will walk into a temple and say, "I am God." Rather, he would sit "as God…shewing himself that he is God." The difference is subtle, yet very important. The Antichrist will not "say it," for this would be too obvious. Yet he will "show it" by his actions.

The Antichrist will "sit." This does not mean he will "sit down" on some chair. In the language of the Bible, to "sit" means to sit in a position of authority. Jesus Christ now "sits" at the right hand of God (Mark 16:19). He is our supreme authority, the only Mediator between God and men (1 Timothy 2:5). According to Paul, the Antichrist will also deceptively "sit" in a position of authority. Yet this "sitting will actually be in opposition to the supreme authority of Jesus Christ!

Antichrist will even "sit in the temple of God." Here is the key text! Millions of sincere Christians, like Hal Lindsey, apply this to a rebuilt third Jewish temple in Jerusalem. But is that right? Think about it. Let’s say that a group of Jewish people, who do not believe in the great sacrifice of Jesus Christ, were to rebuild a third temple on the Temple Mount. Could that temple ever really be called "the temple of God"? No! For that temple would be in itself a denial of Jesus Christ! Notice what the famous Christian commentator Adam Clarke had to say about Paul’s words: "By the temple of God the apostle could not well mean the temple of Jerusalem; because that, he knew, would be destroyed with a few years. After the death of Christ the temple of Jerusalem is never called by the apostles the temple of God."

The Greek word Paul used here for "temple" is "naos." One Titanic truth about the temple is that every time Paul used the word "naos" in his letters, he always applied it not to a building in Jerusalem, but to the Church! Paul wrote to "the Church of God which is at Corinth," saying, "Know ye not that ye are the temple ["naos"] of God?" 1 Corinthians 1:2; 3:16. (See also 2 Corinthians 6:16; Ephesians 2:19-22.) Thus, to Paul, "the temple of God" is the Christian Church! Again, Adam Clarke commented: "Under the gospel dispensation, the temple of God is the Church of Christ." And this is where Antichrist will sit! He will deceptively enter the Church, like Judas, who was one of the twelve! Then he will "sit" in a position of supreme, apparently infallible authority, which will ever so subtly counterfeit the supreme authority of Jesus Christ!

If you were the devil, wouldn’t you try to do the same thing? You wouldn’t spend most of your time hanging out in a bar. Your goal would be to try and deceive Christians! If you were Satan, wouldn’t you want to sneak into the Church, get behind the pulpit, and then preach a sermon? (See Acts 20:28-31; 1 Timothy 4:1; 2 Timothy 4:3, 4.) This is exactly what Paul says the Antichrist will do! He will cleverly enter the temple of God, which is the Christian Church, and then he will "sit" in a position of apparently supreme authority as he makes pronouncements on matters of Christian doctrine.

The world-famous Matthew Henry, whose roots were firmly planted in historic Protestantism, commented: "[Paul] speaks of some very great apostasy. …No sooner was Christianity planted and rooted in the world than there began to be a defection in the Christian church. …He is called the man of sin, …the son of perdition. …These names may properly be applied, for these reasons, to the papal state. …The bishops of Rome not only oppose God’s authority, …but have exalted themselves above God. …The antichrist here mentioned is some usurper of God’s authority in the Christian church, …and to whom can this better apply than to the bishops of Rome?"

The above view was shared by John Wycliffe, William Tyndale, Martin Luther, John Calvin, the translators of the King James Bible, John Wesley, Sir Isaac Newton, Charles Spurgeon, Bishop J.C. Ryle, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, and countless other Protestant reformers. Have we not just discovered a Titanic truth?

Verse 5, 6—"Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what witholdeth [restrains] that he might be revealed in his time." This is a very controversial sentence. Multitudes of prophecy scholars today believe that the Christian Church is the restrainer. They teach that when the Church is removed at the rapture, then the Antichrist will appear. They also teach that after this Antichrist shows up, he will then enter the rebuilt Jewish temple in Jerusalem and proclaim that he is God. This will supposedly happen during "the seven years of tribulation." Yet from what we have studied so far, can you not see that there is something wrong with this picture?

Paul did not specify in this letter "what" was restraining Antichrist. Yet the Thessalonians knew, for Paul said in verse 6 that he had previously "told" them. A study of the writings of the early Church fathers, who were Christian leaders living after the apostles, reveals exactly what the early church believed. "The early Church—from whom alone we can learn what Paul told them by word of mouth, but refrained from committing to writing—has left is on record that the Apostle had told them that this hindering power was the dominion of the Roman Caesars; that while they continued to reign at Rome, the development of the predicted power of evil was impossible. …While the Caesars reigned he [the Antichrist] could not appear, but when they passed away he would succeed them."

Based on historical research, Matthew Henry agreed. "This is supposed [believed] to be the power of the Roman empire, which the apostle did not think fit to mention more plainly at that time; and it is notorious that, while this power continued, it prevented the advances of the bishops of Rome to that height of tyranny to which soon afterwards they arrived." Thus, the force that "witholdeth," or restrains, was the imperial power of the Roman Empire ruled by the Caesars. It was only after Rome fell, in A.D. 476, that the popes were free to rule. This used to be a common interpretation among Lutheran, Baptist, Presbyterian, and Methodist scholars for 300 years after the Reformation. But times have changed. New scholars are here with new ideas.

Verse 7—"For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth [restrains] will let, until he be taken out of the way." In Paul’s day, because of the restraining power of the Roman empire, the Antichrist’s rise to power was being hindered. Yet Daniel’s previous prophecy predicted the eventual fall of the fourth beast (the Roman Empire), which would then allow the "little horn" (Antichrist) to fully spring into action (Daniel 7:7, 8). In his epistle to the Thessalonians, Paul did not specify in writing that the Roman Empire would eventually be "taken out of the way." The reason was because his letter might be discovered by Roman authorities, which might have resulted in more "persecutions and tribulations" against his converts for their perceived disloyalty to Caesar. (See 2 Thessalonians 1:4.) This view fits with prophecy and history. Not only that, it makes perfect sense!

In Paul’s day, the "mystery of iniquity" was already working. Yet it was largely hidden. It was not until the Roman Empire finally fell in A.D. 476 that this "mystery" was fully revealed for what it was to the eyes of the world. Then came the Dark Ages, when Europe was held in a grip of terror for almost 1,000 years. Historians estimate that the "Holy Office of the Inquisition" was responsible for the brutal torture and deaths of 50-100 million Christians. And this was done in the name of Jesus Christ! Surely Antichrist has entered the temple of God.

Verse 8—"And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming." Thus "the mystery of iniquity" would start in the days of Paul and would continue to the end. Then it would be destroyed by the "brightness of his coming." The Greek word for "coming" used in verse 8 is the same for "coming" used in verse 1. That word is parousia, which clearly refers to the second coming of Jesus Christ. Thus, according to verses 1 and 8, it is at the second coming, after Antichrist is revealed, that Jesus Christ will come to "gather" His children.

A SIMPLE SUMMARY OF 2 THESSALONIANS 2:1-8

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Verse 1—Jesus Christ is "coming" [the parousia] to "gather" His children.

Verse 2—Paul told the early Thessalonian believers not be "shaken" by false ideas that this "day of Christ" was "at hand" in the first century.

Verse 3—Before "the day of Christ" comes, "a falling away" must come first, and the prophesied "man of sin" must be revealed.

Verse 4—This "man of sin" will exalt himself and will even sit in "the temple of God," which is the church, "shewing himself that he is God."

Verse 5—Paul had previously warned the Thessalonians about this.

Verse 6—The Thessalonians knew "what" was then restraining the Antichrist.

Verse 7—The Antichrist was already working secretly in the first century. Soon the restraining power would be "taken out of the way."

Verse 8—Then the Antichrist would be fully "revealed." After his revelation, he would continue until the second coming of Jesus. Then he will be "destroyed" by the "brightness" of Christ’s "coming" [the parousia]. And it is at this second coming, at the parousia, after the Antichrist is revealed, that Jesus Christ will "gather" His children who have remained faithful to the truth!

So what have we discovered in the deep waters of the Bible? Something much bigger than what those researchers uncovered in 1985. We have discovered Titanic truths about the temple! We have learned that there is nothing in Scripture about the rebuilding of a third Jewish temple on the Temple Mount! When Revelation speaks of a temple, it is always referring to "the temple of heaven." Revelation 16:17. And when Paul wrote about the Antichrist entering the temple of God, he was talking about entering the Church! If certain people who reject the final sacrifice of Jesus Christ ever do rebuild a third temple on the Temple Mount inside Jerusalem, it definitely will not be "the temple of God"!

So don’t be fooled. Millions today are expecting some tricky Antichrist to show up after all the Christians are raptured away from this world. Books that teach this are best sellers. Videos that promote this are eagerly watched all over America. Few seriously question these ideas. Even less are looking for deception to occur inside the Church! Yet Paul was writing to us when he warned, "Let no man deceive you by any means." 2 Thessalonians 2:3, emphasis added. That word "you" means you and me! May God help us to stay close to Jesus Christ and to avoid the deceptions of those who have "fallen away" from the truth.