The Rebuilding of the Temple
By
Gary primo
July 26, 2014
Introduction
Are we living in the last days? Apparently so, according to all the internet gab. And, it would apparently seem so when considering what are hearing in the news today. Yet, I see that there is yet much Scriptural prophesy to occur yet before the end comes.
As I see it, One single event is paramount to the end time prophesies, which is the rebuilding of the Temple. Following that event will be the manifestation of the two end time witnesses – two prophets who will sent by Elohim to both warn and punish Mankind, in an effort to turn them back to our Creator. This event marks the first 3 ½ years of the Great Tribulation. They will be killed and will rise from the dead after 3 days. This will only mark the end of the “2nd woe”. The third will follow on its heels.
So, what I am telling you is that as desperate as world affairs are today, we have not yet enter the time of the end; nor have we begun the tribulation. All the internet hype is merely wishful thinking.
Please continue reading this study and see if you agree or not.
The Second Temple
Following 70 years in captivity in Babylon, a remarkable event occurred. Yahuwah turned the heart of Emperor Cyrus in favour to the Jews. He released a large number of Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple. He also returned all the articles of gold and silver that had been taken from the Temple and placed in the king’s treasury and offered to pay the costs of rebuilding the Temple from the king’s treasury.
Ezr. 1 - Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of Yahuwah by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, Yahuwah stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,
2 - Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, Yahuwah Elohim of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.
3 - Who is there among you of all his people? his Elohim be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of Yahuwah Elohim of Israel, (he is the Elohim,) which is in Jerusalem.
4 - And whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, beside the freewill offering for the house of Elohim that is in Jerusalem.
Cyrus attributed his decision directly to Yahuwah. What caused this newly coronated, pagan king to suddenly seek the favour of Yahuwah? No reason is given. Yet, he claims he was “charged” by Yahuwah to do this thing. How Yahuwah communicated His wishes to Cyrus is not revealed. Yet, this great man, unto whom Yahuwah had given charge over all the nations of the earth, who, himself, was worshiped as “god on earth”, bowed to the wishes of the One who was greater than all kings. Of course, this is not the first time that Yahuwah has humbled a human king and it likely won’t be the last.
What the rest of this study will address is the efforts made by the inhabitants of Israel, (not Jews) who resisted the building of the second Temple and compare that information with what is today transpiring in Israel.
As was the custom in those days, when a king removed one group of people from a land, they would move in another group. The group that moved into Israel following the Babylonian conquest was Sumerian. The Sumerians (at first) desired to help the Jews build their temple. However, the Jews knew that that would lead to inter marriages and a watering down of the faith. Therefore, they rejected their help. The Sumerians got jealous and angry and demanded that the king at that time (Artaxerxes) stop the Jews from building any further.
Artaxerxes acceded to their demands and issued a stop work order. The Jews abided by the Emperor’s ruling and construction stopped until the second year of King Darius. The Jews then asked that Darius check the records for the decree made by Cyrus to build the temple. He found the record and reversed Artaxerxes’ previous order. He also ordered those who had tried to stop the building to pay for the construction and supply all the animals for sacrifice.
Yahuwah does indeed work in mysterious ways.
In those days the Jews that returned to Israel were full of faith. They trusted in Yahuwah to open the doors for them that would enable them to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the city and Temple. They knew not how Yahuwah would help them – just that this was His wish and that He would somehow accomplish it. They did not wait for the king’s (Darius’) permission but started rebuilding the Temple on their own. The Sumerians quickly alerted Darius, but the Jews sent their own correspondence urging the king to look up the decree made by Cyrus. He did so and decided to honour that agreement.
This is but one of the marvelous ways Yahuwah works to protect His chosen ones. The secret is to fully trust in Yahuwah and not fear what men can do to us.
When the modern-day Jews returned to Israel, they had the same hope – of rebuilding the Temple. What happened to that hope? It has been 67 years since the nation of Israel was reestablished and as of yet they have not rebuilt the temple. Their main adversary in doing so is the Palestinians. The Palestinians, of course, are the descendants of the former Sumerians. They had already built a mosque on the site of the Temple and they would have been horrified to see their mosque replaced by a Jewish temple. Therefore, they have been the staunchest hindrance to such a project.
Where the ancient Israelites braved all obstacles and even challenged the Emperor’s direct command to stop construction, the modern-day Jews seem more reserved (less faithful) in carrying out Yahuwah’s directive. They do not seem to have the same faith as their ancient counterparts that Yahuwah will open similar doors for them. Then, of course, there is always the possibility that this is simply not Yahuwah’s will at this time.
Admittedly they have a huge problem of a Muslim mosque sitting on the site, the destruction of which would likely incite the entire Arab world against Israel, but they are already against Israel.
Yet, we all know that the building of a third Temple is prophesied. What is it that they are waiting for? Perhaps they are waiting for today’s ruling emperor (Vatican/U.S.) to give them “permission”.
Of course, I do not have an open window showing me what degree of faith anyone has; however, it would certainly seem that there is a lot less faith in Israel today than there was back in Ezra’s day. And yet, the rebuilding of the Temple is central to end-time prophesy. Therefore, we must assume that it is going to happen sooner or later. What will be the catalyst? Will it be the receipt of permission from this age’s emperor, or will it be some miraculous door that Yahuwah opens up for them on account of their faith? At the present, the latter seems highly unlikely. But no one knows when and if a spiritual revival will take place in Israel.
Recently, the Vatican made a deal with Israeli authorities to buy up a sizable portion of land in Old Jerusalem – including a number of properties of spiritual significance. Is this a prelude to the rebuilding of the Temple or some Roman Catholic temple of worship? My guess it is for the rebuilding of the Temple – which the RCC will take over once the King of the North invades Israel to “protect” them from the Muslim horde that tries to stop them.
As the Great Whore that rides on the back of the Beast, can the motives of the Vatican be trusted? I would say, no! Why? Because the Beast’s plans for a 3rd world war includes the wiping out of the three major religions (Christian, Jewish and Muslim) in favour of a global state religion, which will be a grossly perverted merger of the three. Therefore, I would say, that any attempt to rebuild the Temple would be met with fierce opposition from the Muslim world and even incite all the Muslim nations to converge on Jerusalem. Of course, the West will have to step in to contain the situation. That is when the abomination of desolation will be set up in the Temple and all hell will break loose.
Ezra 4:23 - Now when the copy of king Artaxerxes’ letter was read before Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they went up in haste to Jerusalem unto the Jews, and made them to cease by force and power.
24 - Then ceased the work of the house of Elohim which is at Jerusalem. So it ceased unto the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.
Was this act a demonstration of a lack of faith? I am not sure, but the Jews clearly obeyed the Babylonian King over Yahuwah. Should they have stepped out in faith and continued to build the Temple, trusting in Elohim to pave the way for them? It is difficult to judge without having all the facts. I wonder what miracles Yahuwah would have wrought if they had? Remember the great miracles Yahuwah preformed for the ancient Israelites during and following the exodus?
Right now, in Israel, world opinion strongly guides the actions of the Jews. Yet they wait patiently for Yahuwah to open the door to making the re-building of the Temple a reality. When finally given the green light, I am sure they will waste no time getting it under construction.
The Book of Revelation was written after the destruction of the second temple. John was shown, in a series of visions, what was to befall Jerusalem in the last days. For those that think they know all there is to know about Scriptural prophesy, the following is a piece of the puzzle that no man knows.
Rev. 10:1 - And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire:
2 - And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth,
3 - And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices.
4 - And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not.
What was it that Yahuwah did not want us to know and why? Was it something so terrible that it would even cause the most faithful to throw down the gauntlet and flee? Whatever it was, we have no idea, nor do we know how the events tie in with what was revealed. Therefore, we can only interpret prophesy with a certain degree of accuracy. We do not have a complete picture before us. Some of the pieces of the puzzle are missing. However, we do know that Yahuwah is going to punish mankind in the end times and that the punishment will bring us to the brink of total annihilation.
That being said, let’s move on with the study examining what we do know.
The Third Temple
Rev. 11:1 - And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of Elohim, and the altar, and them that worship therein.
2 - But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.
This passage is symbolic to a certain degree. The outside court was always open to Jewish proselytes (Gentiles). The obvious fact is that not enough took advantage of this open door. Yahushua also opened a door for us, and I continue to say that not enough are taking advantage of this opportunity.
This passage reads as if the military occupation will immediately follow the building of the Temple, though there can also be a time gap between the two. Whatever happens we can know for a fact that all hell is going to break loose when it happens.
So, before the end time truly arrives these things must be in place. The Temple must be rebuilt. The land of Israel must come under foreign occupation for 3 ½ years (42 months).
But wait, that is not all.
Rev. 11:3 - And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
4 - These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the Elohim of the earth.
5 - And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.
6 - These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.
7 - And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.
8 - And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Master was crucified.
9 - And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves.
10 - And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.
11- And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from Elohim entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.
12 - And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.
There can be no mistaking these clear and unmistakable events. The Temple has to be rebuilt. Jerusalem must come under foreign occupation or under siege. The two end-time witnesses must prophesy and torment the inhabitants of the earth for the first 3 ½ years of the occupation/siege. They must be killed at the end of the 3 ½ years, be resurrected and ascend to heaven.
Rev. 11:13 - And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.
14 - The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly.
This event commences immediately following the ascension of the two witnesses. But the end is not yet. This event marks the end of the 2nd woe and the beginning of the 3rd. So now we have 4 events that must precede the end of time and the return of Yahushua. The Temple must be rebuilt. The city of Jerusalem must come under foreign siege or occupation. The two end-time witnesses must make their appearance, prophesy for 3 ½ years, be killed and resurrected before all their enemies. A great earth quake will follow that destroys 1/10 of the city and kills 7,000 people. And the end is not in site yet for another 3 ½ years.
15 - And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Elohim, and of his Messiah; and he shall reign forever and ever.
16 - And the four and twenty elders, which sat before Elohim on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshiped Elohim,
17 - Saying, We give thee thanks, O Yahuwah Elohim Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.
This sounds like the coronation of Yahushua as the ruler of planet Earth. HaSatan’s rule is about to come to an end soon. He knows he has but a short time to try to gain victory. He is going to unleash all the weapons in his arsenal. He has but 3 1/2 years to unseat the incoming King.
This story is reminiscent of King David and his coronation over King Saul. Although David was coronated before the death of Saul, he had to wait till the death of the king before taking over the reins of power.
18 - And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou should give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and should destroy them which destroy the earth.
Instead of being repentant, the nations are angry that the prophesied end has indeed come. Like an animal fighting for its very survival they follow their natural instincts and fight against Yahushua.
Rev. 12:1 - And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:
2 - And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.
3 - And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.
4 - And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.
5 - And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto Elohim, and to his throne.
6 - And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of Elohim, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.
This astronomical alignment will occur on Sept. 23rd, 2017, on which date Rosh Hashanah occurs that year. The previous date that this sign appeared was Sept. 11, 3 BC (likely at the time of the birth of Yahushua). It; therefore, signifies both comings of the Messiah. But will the Messiah appear exactly on that date? We have less that 3 ½ years before it occurs. The Temple has not yet been built. The city of Jerusalem is not under siege or occupation. The two end-time witnesses have not made their début. The 3 ½ years of global drought has not begun. In other words, I cannot see it as marking the date of the Messiah’s return.
Perhaps this sign merely represents the beginning of the Tribulation, in which case the previous events do not begin until the appearance of this sign. It is all very confusing – and so it was meant to be, that no man should know the day or the hour of the Master’s coming. And yet, none of these events can begin to take place before the Temple is rebuilt.
And then there are the unknown pieces of the puzzle (Rev. 10:1-4). We cannot even begin to know what they entail. But clearly all these events must be preceded by the building of the Temple in Jerusalem.
Rev. 12:3 - And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.
4 - And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.
5 - And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto Elohim, and to his throne.
6 - And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of Elohim, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.
7 - And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
8 - And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
9 - And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
There is a reason that HaSatan is cast to earth with his demon followers. That reason is so that they can be destroyed by the baptism by fire. Remember, this spiritual fire that will cleanse the earth, will destroy everything that remains corruptible.
15 - Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.
16 - They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms;
17 - That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners?
18 - All the kings of the nations, even all of them, lie in glory, everyone in his own house.
19 - But thou art cast out of thy grave like an abominable branch, and as the raiment of those that are slain, thrust through with a sword, that go down to the stones of the pit; as a carcass trodden under feet.
20 - Thou shall not be joined with them in burial, because thou hast destroyed thy land, and slain thy people: the seed of evildoers shall never be renowned.
This is the manner in which HaSatan and his demons will be destroyed. They are not immortal as many assume. Perhaps Yahuwah will punish them by changing them to flesh and blood so they can be destroyed. The condition for attaining eternal life is incorruptibility. Since these angels sinned, they cannot possess eternal life. They are part of the corruptible creation. It is impossible for any of the creation to attain eternal life until they reach the state of incorruption. If Yahuwah can change his son to flesh and blood so that he could taste death, why couldn't he do that with the angels as well?
Many of us look forward to the end of the age and the return of Yahushua – and well we should. However, most assume that they are going to be spared the tribulation. If the Messiah himself could not escape his personal tribulation, how can we expect to escape ours? It is all part of the process. It is the ultimate test of our faith. As much as Yahuwah loves us all, He must be sure of our faith and incorruptibility before He can advance us to eternal life. The surest test is a blood sacrifice. As bitter as this medicine may be, we cannot run, nor can we hide. Just as Yahushua had to face his trial, so must we.
For those who are whisked away to a place of safety, that event will not take place until the middle of the tribulation – the last 3 ½ years. All will be made to suffer the first 3 ½ years of tribulation. And, no one knows precisely what manner that tribulation is going to take. So, I continue to advise everyone not to take anything for granted and prepare yourselves both physically and spiritually for the horrible events that are coming. For those who believe in the resurrection, the prospect of a physical death should hold no fear, except for those who are spiritually unprepared.
Again, the major events that must take place to mark the beginning of the tribulation are:
1 - The Temple must be rebuilt.
2 - The city of Jerusalem must come under foreign siege or occupation.
3 - The two end-time witnesses must make their appearance. The eyes of the world will be on these two witnesses, so there will be no doubt as to whom they are and when they make their appearance.
4 – Before anyone goes to the place of safety, these two witnesses must prophesy for 3 ½ years, be killed and resurrected before all their enemies. Immediately following that event, a great earth quake will destroy 1/10 of the city (Jerusalem) and kill 7,000 people.
The rebuilding of the temple is instrumental to the rest of the end-time prophesies. It must occur first. Even though the plans have been drawn up for years, there is as of yet no efforts being made to construct it. Yet, as we all know, things can change in a hurry.
The mosque that presently sits on the site must first be torn down. We can only imagine what must take place for that to happen. I do imagine that the Jews will have time to fully implement all the services of the temple before any invasion takes place.
There is yet one more event we haven’t discussed – the abomination of desolation.
Daniel 8:12 - And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practiced, and prospered.
13 - Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot?
14 - And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.
15 - And it came to pass, when I, even I Daniel, had seen the vision, and sought for the meaning, then, behold, there stood before me as the appearance of a man.
16 - And I heard a man’s voice between the banks of Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision.
17 - So he came near where I stood: and when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man: for at the time of the end shall be the vision.
This prophecy is twofold, of course, as many prophecies are. The first time this event occurred was during the final days of the Greek Empire under Antiochus Epiphanes who wished to substitute Zeus Olympius for Yahuwah at Jerusalem. This, of course, outraged the Jews who eventually rose up and took back the Temple and their land.
The second occurrence is yet in the future. This time it will be the King of the North (the Beast) who invades Israel. He also will set up an object of worship in the Temple in place of Yahuwah. As we will soon see, this event marks a starting point to count from (3 ½ years) till the end of abominations and the coronation of Yahushua as King of Kings. In fact it is the only clue given with a timeline.
Dan. 9:2 - In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of Yahuwah came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.
This is speaking of Israel’s 70 years of captivity in Babylon. The Jews began with great relish to rebuild Jerusalem and the Temple. But over the years things fell apart and the Jews, once again, fell out of favour with Yahuwah.
“The struggle of the Maccabees was a fruit of Daniel's prophecy (I Maccabees 2:59). He is the forerunner of the final Antichrist, standing in the same relation to the first advent of Christ that Antichrist does to His second coming. The sins in Israel which gave rise to the Greek Antichrist were that some Jews adopted Hellenic customs (compare Daniel 11:30 Daniel 11:32 ), erecting theaters, and regarding all religions alike, sacrificing to Jehovah, but at the same time sending money for sacrifices to Hercules.” (J. F. & B).
Today many are following the same pattern as these ancient Israelites. They represent the Laodicean Age – neither hot nor cold, but luke warm. In other words they are fence sitters, refusing to commit one way or another.
Dan. 9:24 - Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
Everyone has likely heard numerous interpretations of this passage. I do not pretend to know the precise interpretation, only what is generally understood. You can read the official interpretation according to J, F &B at:
http://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/jamieson-fausset-brown/daniel/daniel-9.html
What is clearly apparent here is the reason for the 70 weeks.
1 – to finish (or bring an end to) the transgression.
(J. F.& B)
finish--literally "shut up"; remove from God's sight, that is, abolish ( Psalms 51:9 ) [LENGKERKE]. The seventy years exile was a punishment, but not a full atonement, for the sin of the people; this would come only after seventy prophetic weeks, through Messiah.
This first 70 year prophesy pertains only to the captivity.
25 - Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: (69) the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
The following are two of the methods for calculating these dates. These come from:
http://www.lamblion.com/articles/articles_tribulation6.php
1 – The first person in modern history to calculate the 483 years to the "cutting off" of the Messiah was Sir Robert Anderson in his book, The Coming Prince (1894). Using the decree to Nehemiah issued in 445 B.C. as his starting point, and using what he called "the 360 day prophetic year," Anderson calculated that it was exactly 173,880 days or 483 lunar years from the day the edict was issued to the day Jesus made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem. His calculations placed the crucifixion in the spring of 32 A.D.
These calculations have remained almost sacred in Christian thinking for the past one hundred years. But they need to be examined carefully because the fact of the matter is that there are two serious problems with Anderson's calculations.
2 - I believe a better solution is to interpret Daniel's prophecy as speaking of lunar years adjusted periodically and thus amounting to regular years. I also believe that the best starting point for the prophecy is the decree issued to Ezra in 457 B.C.
I have already explained why I believe regular years should be used. Let me now explain why I think the decree issued to Ezra should be used as the starting point for the calculation of the first two periods totaling 483 years.
The decree given to Zerubbabel authorized the rebuilding of the Temple. The decree issued to Nehemiah concerned the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem. Ezra's decree was more general in nature, covering a variety of subjects. But we know from Scripture that he interpreted it to mean that the Jews were authorized to launch a general rebuilding campaign that included the temple, the city, and the walls. His interpretation is stated in Ezra 9:9 — "God has not forsaken us, but has extended loving kindness to us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us reviving to raise up the house of our God, to restore its ruins, and to give us a wall in Judah and Jerusalem" (Ezra 9:9).
Now, using Ezra's decree as the staring point (457 B.C.), if we count forward 483 years we will arrive at 27 A.D. (There is only one year between 1 B.C. and 1 A.D.) According to the translator of Josephus, the Jewish new year that began in the fall of 27 A.D. marked the beginning of the last Jubilee Year that the Jews enjoyed in the land before their worldwide dispersal by the Romans in 70 A.D. This is most likely the year that Jesus began His public ministry. This is hinted at in Luke 4 where it says that when Jesus launched His ministry at the synagogue in Nazareth, He did so by reading a passage from Isaiah 61 about the way in which the Messiah would fulfill the spiritual essence of the Jubilee. After finishing the reading, Jesus proclaimed, "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing" (Luke 4:21).
I would suppose that man will always be at odds concerning these calculations. The main point though is the revelation that Yahushua would come two times. The first was to qualify (via his sacrifice) as the heir of the universe. The second is to actually be anointed as King over his predecessor HaSatan and begin his rule over all of creation.
The second important factor to this study is that the temple would be rebuilt twice. The first was clearly in Ezra’s time. We all know that the Temple Ezra started was destroyed in 70 AD. Many have tried to use that date as a calculating point to predict the timing of the rebuilding of the next Temple and the return of Yahushua. Many of those dates have come and gone. Therefore, I believe as the Messiah stated that no man knows the day or hour of his return.
However, the rebuilding of the future Temple is the key to understanding end-time prophesies. It must occur before the end comes. All attempts to calculate a date before this event occurs are erroneous.
26 - And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
The prince spoken of here is the Antichrist He will come out of Rome (the Pope?). The term “a flood” is representative of a large invading army. Therefore, Jerusalem will be invaded by Western forces sometime following the rebuilding of the Temple. The city will be in a state of war until the Messiah returns.
27 - And 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.
Again this is talking of the Antichrist. He will confirm a seven year contract (peace treaty) with the people of Israel. During the first 3 ½ years he will slowly tighten the screws on the Jewish people; and at the end of the 3 ½ years he will desecrate the Temple. From that date, one can calculate 390 days till the return of the Messiah.
Dan. 12:1- And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which stands for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
Michael is the great archangel who I believe is second in command under Yahushua. Of all the angels, he seems to be the only one powerful enough to battle HaSatan.
The last 3 ½ years will be horrible beyond all imagination. The righteous whom Michael rescues at the end of the first 3 ½ years will be pursued into the wilderness, but the army that chases after them will be swallowed up by the earth, just as the Egyptian army was swallowed up by the Red Sea (perhaps in an earthquake?). Those who remain behind will need to have their robes washed clean – likely by martyrdom. At the end of the 7 years is when all Yahuwah’s people will be delivered via resurrection from the dead. A relatively few will be changed without having to experience death. These will be ones in whom Yahushua has no doubts as to their state of incorruptibility.
2 - And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
This, of course, is talking about the first resurrection – of all who confessed belief in the Messiah. Those who maintained a life of devotion and obedience to Yahushua will be raised to everlasting life. Those who at first believed and then fell away, or broke down and denied Yahushua under persecution, will be condemned to eternal death.
3 - And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever.
The wise are they that believe in and obey Yahuwah. Their (our) duty is to turn as many as they can to righteousness (incorruptibility). They will shine in righteousness as the stars – for all eternity.
11 - And 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.
This is about the only time frame given for the return of Yahushua. However, one cannot start the count until this event actually happens and no one knows when that will be.
12 - Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days.
What is going to happen during these 45 days? I imagine that this is the length of time it will take Yahushua to conquer all the rulers of Earth and establish his government on this planet.
Conclusion
Today the Temple MT. is the home of the Islamist “Dome of the Rock”. This in itself is a type of abomination of desolation. It has been sitting on this site since 691 B.C. However, none of the mathematical clues of Daniel’s prophesy seem to offer any significance to that date.
This Dome of the Rock will be the first and largest hurdle for the Jews to overcome. The Jews have long viewed this structure as an abomination to their Elohim. Why are they holding back on taking back the Temple Mt.? Likely because of the expected backlash from their Muslim neighbours (and the rest of the anti-Semitic world)! The Jews are likely awaiting assurances of support from the West.
Yet somehow, some time, the Temple will be rebuilt. But even then we do not know how long it will be from the completion of the Temple until the occupation of Jerusalem. Therefore, even the date of its completion bears little relevance to Daniel’s prophesy. The only date that does is when some form of abomination is set up within the completed Temple. And, that will not occur until we are half way through the Tribulation. That will also be when whoever who is deemed worthy will be taken to a place of safety.
This is bad news for those who believe they are going to escape the Tribulation altogether. Everyone is going to have to suffer through the first 3 ½ years of the Tribulation. And, as bad as that is going to be, the second half is going to be significantly worse than the first half. Therefore, it would be very wise to get our spiritual affairs in order before that date if we wish to be saved from the second 3 ½ years of tribulation.
There are likely other forces, also, behind the delay to build the Temple. There are the Western powers who have been trying to establish a lasting peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians. There is also the Vatican which is trying to relocate its headquarters to Jerusalem, and will most likely be the one to set up the abomination of desolation. There will also likely be the constant threat of sabotage by some Islamist extremist.
The construction of the first temple did not occur for quite some time following the conquest of the holy land. For years the Israelites worshiped in a temporary tabernacle. The first permanent temple was not constructed until during Solomon’s rule. King David wanted to build it, but was prevented by Yahuwah from doing so because of the blood on his hands. His son, Solomon was chosen in his place.
Even though we may grow impatient waiting for this event to take place, Yahuwah knows, in his ultimate wisdom when the best time is and will ensure that His will in this matter is carried out.
There is also the celestial even happening this year and in 2015 of two blood moons. Some have been referring to this occurrence as being significant to the return of the Messiah or to some big change happening in Israel. The later assumption just may have some relevance. There was a similar occurrence in 1949-1950. That is when Israel became a state. It occurred again in 1967-1968 marking the 6 day war.
Dates of Biblical prophecy Blood Moons in 2014 and 2015. These are the dates for the ongoing tetrad – four successive total lunar eclipses – in these years.
2014:
Total lunar eclipse: April 14-15
Total lunar eclipse: October 7-8
2015:
Total lunar eclipse: April 4
Total lunar eclipse: September 28
There are a total of 8 tetrads in the 21st century (2001 to 2100). But proponents of this Biblical prophecy regard the ongoing tetrad as especially significant because it coincides with two important Jewish holidays: Passover and Tabernacles.
The April 2014 and April 2015 total lunar eclipses align with the feast of Passover. The October 2014 and September 2015 total lunar eclipses align with the feast of Tabernacles.
The Jewish calendar is a lunar calendar. In any year, it’s inevitable that a full moon should fall on or near the feasts of Passover (15 Nissan) and Tabernacles (15 Tishri). Nissan and Tishri are the first and seventh months of the Jewish calendar, respectively.
It is somewhat ironic that three of these four lunar eclipses are not visible – even in part – from Israel. The only eclipse that can be seen at all from Israel is the tail end of the September 28, 2015 eclipse, which may be observable for a short while before sunrise.
How common is a tetrad of total lunar eclipses? Depending upon the century in which you live, a lunar tetrad (four consecutive total lunar eclipses, spaced at six lunar months apart from one another) may happen fairly frequently – or not at all.
For instance, in our 21st century (2001-2100), there are a total 8 tetrads, but in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, there were none at all. If we include all the centuries from the 1st century (AD 1-100) through the 21st century (2001-2100), inclusive, there are a total of 62 tetrads. The last one occurred in 2003-2004, and the next one after the 2014-2015 tetrad will happen in 2032-2033.
However, if we want to know which tetrads specifically fell on the Jewish feasts of Passover and Tabernacles, there appear to be a total of 8 in these 21 centuries:
1. 162-163 C.E. (Common Era)
2. 795-796 C.E.
3. 842-843 C.E.
4. 860-861 C.E.
5. 1493-1494 C.E.
6. 1949-1950 C.E.
7. 1967-1968 C.E.
8. 2014-2015 C.E.
Why is the term Blood Moon being used to mean a full moon of a lunar tetrad? We can’t really tell you why more and more people are using the term Blood Moon to describe the four full moons of a lunar tetrad. We don’t know why, exactly.
Here’s the definition of a lunar tetrad, again: four successive total lunar eclipses, with no partial eclipses in between, each of which is separated from the other by six lunar months (six full moons). There’s no obvious reason why Blood Moon should be associated with this term.
To the best of our knowledge, however, the use of the term Blood Moon to describe a lunar tetrad is of recent origin. It might have originated with John Hagee’s 2013 book.
We’re still not sure whether Blood Moon pertains to the full moon of any tetrad, or specifically to a tetrad that coincides with the feasts of Passover and Tabernacles.
Either way, I suspect the nouveau definition of Blood Moon will gain traction as we approach the tetrad, the four total lunar eclipses of 2014 and 2015.
As you can see, this phenomenon has happened in the past and I am sure that a number of believers felt they were living in the last days when they occurred.
The construction of the second Temple was long delayed also. That was because of objection by the other nationalities living in close proximity. It is quite likely that those objecting to the Jews rebuilding the third Temple today are the direct descendants of those who opposed the rebuilding of the second Temple.
The third Temple will be rebuilt, but in Yahuwah’s time, no one else’s. We can try to make end-time prophesies fit today’s events all we want, but until the Temple is rebuilt, we really have no basis upon which to base our predictions.
This is why, when people try to set dates for the Messiah’s return, I scoff. The latest date set by the false prophets is (I believe) 2017 (according to “Daniel’s Time-line”). They claim that the Tribulation started in 2010. I can see no evidence of that. The temple has to be reconstructed before the Tribulation begins. It has not. The two end-time witnesses have to make their debut at the beginning of the first 3 ½ years of the Tribulation; and the world will experience the prophesied plagues these witnesses will bring upon the earth. This has not occurred yet. These two witnesses will be killed half way through the tribulation. The whole world will rejoice over their deaths – until they arise from the dead 3 days later. According to the Daniel’s Time-line” theory, this should have occurred sometime in 2013, but that date has already come and gone. No Temple + no witnesses = no tribulation. It is as simple as that. This is what the Scriptures plainly state.
There is one more problem when trying to predict when the end-time events will begin. That problem is the difference between the Hebrew calendar and today’s common Gregorian calendar. According to the Gregorian calendar we have already surpassed man’s allotted six thousand years of self-rule. According to the Jewish calendar, this being the year 5774, we still have 226 years to go. Can we use the Gregorian Calendar in relation to Scriptural prophesy? Or, must we use the Hebrew Calendar? Since the prophesies were written to and for the Israelites, who were and still are using the Jewish Calendar, I would presume that the Hebrew Calendar is the only one that is relevant.
No one wants to believe more than I do that we are presently living in the end days and will soon witness the return of Yahushua. Yet, every generation of man since the resurrection of Yahushua, has believed they were living in the end days – beginning with the Apostles. So, there is the very real possibility that we will not see the Tribulation or the return of Yahushua in our day. According to the Hebrew Calendar, man’s 6,000 years will not be fulfilled until the Gregorian year 2240. Yet I would hesitate to even set that as the date of Yahushua’s return. Again, we must observe the 4 signs previously discussed to begin calculations.
Of course, it has been typical of man throughout his history to not believe Elohim and try to bring about his prophesies on their own. This, of course, has never worked. Man has created his own religions and churches, designed to fit man’s interpretation of Yahuwah’s will, but really are Satanic entities designed to lead the people away from Yahuwah, not to Him. All are guilty of the worship of men rather than Yahuwah.
We need to make up our minds whether we are going to believe Yahuwah or the false prophets.
My money is on Yahuwah.
Yahuwah Bless
G.P.