WILL A THIRD JEWISH TEMPLE BE CONSTRUCTED? August 5th on the Julian calendar was the 9th of Av on the Jewish calendar. This day has been a day of mourning for the Jewish people for three millennia. Three thousand years ago the first Jewish Temple was destroyed by Babylonian forces and in 70 A.D. the Roman General Titus destroyed the second Jewish Temple, built by King Herod. The Temple is of paramount importance to the Jewish faith. The dream of a third Jewish Temple holds great hope for many Jews. In Israel today there is an organization called The Temple Institute. The Institute was founded by Rabbi Yisrael Ariel in 1987. Ariel served in the paratrooper brigade during the Six Day War of 1967. He was one of the first soldiers to reach the Temple Mount, where today the Islamic Dome of the Rock is located. Although the Six Day War brought all of Jerusalem under Israeli control, the Temple Mount has been a constant source of antagonism between the Jews and the Islamic world. In a show of good will, the Jews left the Dome of the Rock for the followers of Islam and yet religious liberty seems to go only one way. The followers of Islam, strive to deny access to Jews and Christians. The recent conflict between Hamas and Israel didn’t deter the faithful from going to the Temple Mount on the 9th of Av. For the first time in three years the Temple Mount was opened to the Jews. When the Jewish faithful went to the Temple Mount on August 5 (the 9th of Av), masked Arabs also arrived and threw stones and Molotov cocktails at the Israeli security forces on the Temple Mount. Not surprisingly our mainstream media didn’t bother to report this. The Islamists call Jerusalem one of their holy sites, however the Koran does not mention the city of Jerusalem even once. On the other hand the Bible mentions Jerusalem over 800 times! As we keep our eye on Israel we wonder if the work of the Temple Institute will eventually bring division or unity in Israel. Jews all over the world seem to be divided over the rebuilding of the Temple. Some feel strongly that the coming of the Messiah will bring the Third Temple, while others like Rabbi Yisrael Ariel feel that they must make preparations now. Incredibly the Temple Institute has already made many of the holy vessels that they feel will go into the third and last Temple. They have an exhibition of these ‘sacred vessels’ for all to see. They are currently on display in Jerusalem’s Old City Jewish Quarter. From their website they say, “They are made according to the exact specifications of the Bible, and have been constructed from the original source materials, such as gold, copper, silver and wood.” The Temple Institute claims that they “have completed the three most important and central vessels of the Divine service: the seven-branched candelabra, or Menorah, made of pure gold; the golden Incense Altar, and the golden Table of the Showbread.” In addition to the aforementioned temple items they have also made the Breastplate and Ephod for the high priest. Those interested in this subject can go to their website: templeinstitute.org For the Jew and Christian, Jerusalem is front and center in the news. We know we are all connected in a unique way to the land. As the Jews are looking for the coming of a Messiah to deliver them from their enemies, we as Christians believe He has already come and will return a second time. Many Jews are learning that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Messiah and are turning to Him. For this we are thankful. The Jews believed that the glory of God filled the first and second Temples. Today we, who are Christians, believe His glory is still filling temples; the individual hearts of believers. Paul the Apostle said it this way, “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?” (I Corinthians 6:19-20) Today God dwells in the hearts of those who have put their trust in Him. We should shine with His glory. God’s Temple is not made with hands. He has come and now dwells in us. How much we should reflect His glory by living lives of purity and passion for Him. Our God is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Yes, one day there WILL be a Third Temple, a physical Temple. (Ezekiel 40) The Lord Jesus Christ, the true Messiah, will set up His kingdom in Jerusalem and all will worship Him as King of kings and Lord of lords.
Posted on: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 01:29:19 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015