“The Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to His temple," writes Malachi, the last prophet in the Old Testament. One of our readers called our attention to the headlines in one of the leading news magazines which read: "Time for a New Temple." A frequently recited Jewish prayer is: "May it be Thy will that the temple be speedily rebuilt in our day.”
If world news brings these things before us, what should we as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ be thinking about and be looking for? Certainly the Lord from heaven. Also it should stir us up as to what will soon take place concerning the temple.
This month's issue of the Christian Treasury contains much information about the three temples that are past and two more that are future.
About one hundred years ago Walter Scott wrote: "The Jews as a nation are restored in unbelief both on their part and on the part of a friendly nation which espouses their cause (Isa. 18). They then proceed to build their temple, and restore, as far as they can, the Mosaic ritual. God is not in this Gentile movement for Jewish restoration, which is undertaken for political ends and purposes." We now see how accurately the first part of this prophecy from Isa. 18 is fulfilled, therefore we can soon expect the rest of the prophecy to be completed.
An observation from W. Bothwell is this: "Prior to Ezekiel's temple, a holy place shall be set up in which the abomination which makes desolate shall be placed. (Dan. 9:27; 12:1127And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. (Daniel 9:27)
11And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. (Daniel 12:11); Matt. 24:1515When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) (Matthew 24:15)-a holy place; 2 Thess. 2:44Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. (2 Thessalonians 2:4)-the shrine, not necessarily a temple which would require years to build.)”
The Jerusalem Talmud indicates that the Jews may build an intermediate edifice before the era of their Messiah. Some esteemed biblical scholars have called this antichrist's temple. Surely it will be used early in the seven years of the tribulation period that follows the rapture of all believers when Christ comes for His Church.
The temple under consideration now is not Ezekiel's temple. We quote from J.N. Darby: "Ezekiel's temple is not the temple built by the Jews in unbelief. It is all by divine measurement, directions given how the prince is to come in when all is in order, connected with the permanent division of the land in its proper place in connection with the city. From that day the city is called, 'the Lord is there.' It is possible that they will try to imitate it in unbelief, but their temple will be destroyed and their service is rejected (Isa. 66). Still, even so, there will be a temple (v. 6).”
The five temples in historic order are:
1. Solomon's temple.
2. Ezra's or Zerubbabel's temple.
3. Herod's temple. These three are past and gone.
4. The Jews' or antichrist's temple.
5. Ezekiel's or Christ's millennial temple.
For our joy as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ in this age of grace, we state that during this present time God's dwelling is in the Church composed of living stones, and not as before or after in a temple made by hands, however grand. We quote from 2 Cor. 6:1616And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. (2 Corinthians 6:16): "Ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall by My people.”
A comparison that helps us to enjoy and to understand a little about the millennial kingdom followed by the day of God is this: the 1000-year kingdom is like a grand porch to a most magnificent palace. The porch is the entrance-the 1000 years. The day of God that follows is the magnificent palace and has no measurement or end. The future, how glorious!
Ed.