Rebuilding the Temple

Dr Randall Price

Southern Baptist: Theologian, archaeologist (eg. Qumran caves), author (30 books), professor, director of Judaic studies, etc.

Rebuilding the Temple: Prophecy, Politics and the Future of Jerusalem

Why hasn’t the 3^rd temple happened?

The crocodile and the scorpion story to illustrate: Croc on the banks of the Nile, out of the desert came a scorpion. Scorpion said, “Friend croc, why don’t you let me on your back and we swim across the Nile?”

Croc said, “What if you sting me on the way?”

Scorpion said, “No, if I sting you we’d both die!”

Then in the middle of the river, the scorpion got very agitated and stung the croc.

The croc asked, “Why?”

The scorpion replied, “Because this is the Middle East!”

God’s presence was in the garden of Eden. There was the tree of life, and cherubim stood at the east to guard the holy entrance. The direction away from God was to the east. The direction towards God is west (atonement). Adam and Eve exiled.

Mt Sinai: God’s presence returned. The temple: bringing a bit of heaven onto earth. There was no holy place on earth left. The tabernacle mimics what’s in the garden. A mediator is needed though.

Shekinah: God’s presence, God tabernacled amongst us.

God had to take the form of man temporarily. Abraham had some sense of that when he was called. He used male sheep which represents the Messiah who was about to come.

The Lord has chosen Zion. He wants to come and dwell with us.

Current situation: Spiritual temple, body of Christ. When the third temple is rebuilt, there will be the 7 year tribulation, and Messiah’s second coming.

1 Kings 9:3. “I have consecrated this temple, which you have built, by putting my Name there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there.”

Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) Exodus 25:22. “There, above the cover between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the covenant law, I will meet with you and give you all my commands for the Israelites.” Another words, “You come, I’ll speak, and you will continue to live.” However, Israel failed, and God held its leaders accountable, and first temple destroyed.

Isaiah 58:12. “…you will rebuild the ancient ruins”. The temple is to be built where it was built.

2^nd temple missing the ark.

9^th of Av: 1^st and 2^nd temple destroyed. Further discipline for the Jewish nation. Until they say “blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”

This is still the time of the Gentiles. The Temple Mount: Islamic (Gentiles) hold authority over that site. God’s presence isn’t there yet, as the national hasn’t changed yet, because it hasn’t had that relationship with God yet.

Dung gate: Where the people carry dung in the past. Dung Gate is a main passage for vehicles coming out of the Old City and for buses headed to the Western Wall.

The debate about the site of ascension of Mohammad: The Al-Aqsa Mosque. There was no mosque in Jerusalem, The Muslims only arrived 500 years after Mohammad’s ascension. Strangely the Temple Mount becomes the place: mostly due to political reasons. In their prayer, Muslims turn towards Mecca, not the Dome of the Rock! Different from the Jews who pray towards the temple.

Excavations: to prove Jewish connection, that the first and second temples were under Temple Mount. The world is in “Temple Denial.” Let the stones speak for themselves!

1948, 1967: Politics that made people go into “Temple Denial.”

Isaiah 2:2-3. Nations will stream towards Jerusalem to worship.

Isaiah 27:13. Even the enemies/Gentiles will worship the Lord.

Ezekiel 47:8. The water coming out of the temple will turn the dead sea fresh!

This motivated the Orthodox Jews. Temple Institute. People performing the temple ceremonies now.

Zechariah 14:2. “I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it; the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city.”

Adonai Shema: “and the name of the city [of Jerusalem] from that day shall be, ‘The Lord is there.”

Jeremiah 9:11. Desolation and restoration. Desolation always comes with restoration.

The divine purpose will have come to a full circle.

For all the slides of that evening:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/nktHqEqWgkzDv9gb8

Israel 2018 Day 7, 10July

Temple Mount: Went on Temple Mount/Mount Moriah, to the Dome of the Rock. This place is one of the most debated religious controversies in the world. It is considered the holiest place in Judaism. It is believed that Mount Moriah is where Adam was made. It is also where Isaac was placed to be sacrificed. The Muslims believe the Dome of the Rock was built in the place where Mohammad ascended to the 7th level heaven. They think Jesus only ascended to the 6th level, other prophets to 3rd-4th, believers to 1st level! This site is not an easy site to get in. Women have to be very covered up to get through security. Although I was already wearing a skirt that falls below my knees, I added a scarf to cover all my legs just in case. Although I have a top that covered my elbows, I wore a jacket that covers my wrists just in case! Clothes cannot be too tight either, as the female figure has to be covered too! So if one’s too fat and the pants are too tight, that person won’t pass the test either! During my visit to Jerusalem in 2015, we couldn’t get in because there was unrest in the area. This time, we also saw a bit of drama. A group of Orthodox Jews pushed their way through security and began protesting outside the Temple Mount and got escorted away the armed officers. These Orthodox Jews wanted to tear down the Dome of the Rock and build their third temple there!

360o camera: Outside Temple Mount

https://youtu.be/FN_hIHOt6Ug

360o camera: Around Temple Mount

https://youtu.be/hiV1rpWUnB0

The Herodian Quarter: Where the houses of the priest who served in the Second Temple were discovered.

The City of David:

We walked in the wet section of Hezekiah’s/Siloam Tunnel, which is very dark and approximately half a kilometre and brings water from the Gihon Spring into the City of David. We viewed Melchizedek's altar before going into the waters. The deepest part of the water tunnel reached my upper thighs! I bought a torch to wear on my head and didn’t use my mobile phone torch because I was apprehensive about my mobile phone dropping into the water. When we came out, we saw the Pool of Siloam, which was discovered by our tour guide Eli’s archaeological excavation! There were many noisy school girls walking in the tunnel too, and when they came out they jumped into the Pool of Siloam, which was actually quite smelly! The Pool of Siloam was where the blind man got healed by Jesus (John 9:1-11).

I saw more shofars in the souvenir shop in the City of David, and blew them. They are really expensive, around $250 US dollars! But apparently they are all top quality ones, according to Eli, because this important tourist site has keep a good reputation. The souvenir shop also sells replicas of the “Golden Bell” which was discovered by Eli in his excavations.

360o camera: City of David

https://youtu.be/tJcfqkecqCE

Jerusalem Water Channel: Another archaeological discovery by Eli. This is the central drainage channel of Second Temple Jerusalem. We entered from the City of David and came out at the south-western corner of the Herodian Temple Mount. There are lots of papers that fell from the Wailing Wall into the channel. We looked at Robinson’s Arch, which has the ancient remains of three shops at the corner because many people pass here. On the wall, the smaller upper stones were built in Roman times. We also went to the Hulda Gates.

In the evening, Randall Price gave a talk about Rebuilding the Temple:

https://dryvonnewang.blogspot.com/2018/07/rebuilding-temple.html

https://photos.app.goo.gl/nktHqEqWgkzDv9gb8