STAND FIRM: Prophecy Fulfilled Before Our Eyes (Part 1)

      I believe what the Bible says will happen will truly happen, but when those very events seem to come across the news, it is surreal. On my recent trip to Israel, as I had the chance to sit in front of inside experts and government officials who weren’t tracking with the Bible at all and hear what was really happening behind the scenes in Israel and the Middle East, I couldn’t believe my ears because it was as if they were reading directly from Bible prophecy. They weren’t, but the events they relayed were prophecies being fulfilled before our eyes. Of course, the fact that Jews are back in the land is already the fulfillment of prophecy, but on my trip, these prophetic events jumped out to me:

         The first prophetic event I felt was unfolding before my eyes came during a debriefing from a Messianic Jewish leader who had a direct contact and had recently attended a meeting where blueprints were discussed. Those blueprints were of a new temple.

      One of the major last days events prophesied in the Bible is that there would be a restarting of the daily sacrifices in the location of the former temples. Notice I didn’t say there is a prophecy that the temple will be rebuilt or that a new temple will be built. There’s not. Ezekiel tells of a temple that will be built in the Millennial Kingdom after Jesus returns, but there isn’t an explicit prophecy that a temple would be built before that. Yet, many related prophecies make it seem highly likely that there will be a new Temple.

      There are at least three times Daniel prophesies about the daily sacrifices, and, in those passages, he alludes to a new temple: “And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator (Dan. 9:27 ESV).

      This passage shows that the ruler to come (Antichrist) ends the daily sacrifices. If you read the passage in a different translation, it may say that he sets up an abomination at the temple or in a wing of the temple, but that passage is not clear in the original language. In Daniel 11, Daniel again tells of the sacrifices ending and seems to be more clear about the temple: “His armed forces will rise up to desecrate the temple fortress and will abolish the daily sacrifice. Then they will set up the abomination that causes desolation” (Dan. 11:31 NIV).

      Like in Daniel 9 and 11, Daniel 12 also tells of the ending of these daily sacrifices. Since Daniel wrote that the Antichrist would put an end to the daily sacrifice, it will happen, but for the daily sacrifice to end, it would have to start. Since the sacrifices will begin, we should also expect a new temple or at least a new tabernacle to be built. While on the ground in Israel, this was clearly happening.

      A group called the Temple Institute has been working toward that. The furnishings for a new temple have been built. I have had the chance to see the golden lampstand/menorah twice now. The Temple Institute Museum has the others on exhibit. Along with the furnishings, they have also identified descendants of the Levities to serve as priests. They have been trained and have the biblically prescribed clothes made. Everything is done except for two things — the construction of the temple and, in particular, the ashes to purify the priests.

      As I began, I can confirm from a trusted source who saw them that there are plans for that temple. That source didn’t confirm this, but I have heard that it is believed parts of the temple have already been prefabbed and will be put together modularly. I can’t confirm that with any confidence, but it would be consistent with the work done already. The seemingly tricky issue in the rebuilding of the temple is the location. Israel doesn’t have control of the Temple Mount — Jordan does. Also, on the perceived location of the temple sits the Muslim Dome of the Rock. This may not be as tricky as it seems, though. Some believe that a space on the Temple Mount next to the Dome of the Rock is the actual location of the original temple. This is possible, because the gates of the temple do not line up with the Dome, but instead align with the space next to it. The blueprints seen use that location.

      Still, with Muslim control of the Temple Mount, this seems impossible, but from the military debriefing we had, the ongoing recent Abraham Accords and the conversations that were happening with Saudi Arabia immediately before the 10/7 attacks were likely headed toward some type of compromise or partnership that would lead to access on the Temple Mount. According to military experts, this was a large part of the motivation of the Hamas attack. This is revealed through the name Hamas gave their own “operation,” which translates “Cleansing of the Al-Aqsa Mosque.” This mosque is on the Temple Mount. Hamas says they attacked over the possibility of Israel gaining access to the Temple Mount and moving on a new temple.

      The other factor that remains for building a new temple and beginning the sacrifices is the ashes of a red heifer. These ashes would purify the priest. Rabbinical tradition calls for these ashes to come from a pure red heifer. For 2,000 years there hasn’t been a certified red heifer. Now there is. Those heifers became mature in October 2023 and have until October/November 2024 to be sacrificed. The land has already been purchased on the Mount of Olives to perform the sacrifice ritual. While in Israel, we had the chance to see this plot of land. It was surreal. The sacrifice of these red heifers could happen any time. Any political movement in Israel could lead to the start of the temple or at least the sacrifices.

      Even more surreal is that the real reason for the Hamas attack appears to thwart the start of the temple and sacrifices. Not only is this truth realized in their own name for their attack, but the Hamas spokesman himself said, the aggression (of Israel leading to the attack) against “our path and Al-Aqsa” reached its peak with the “bringing of red cows.” Cleansing the Temple Mount and red cows are the reasons for the attack according to Hamas, all signs of the prophecy show the start of the daily sacrifices returning is close.

         — Jake is a state missionary and would love to share about the work in Northwest Arkansas and encourage your church to stand firm. (standfirmministries.com)