Future Headlines: Sacrifices Will Resume in Israel
When it comes to end-times geopolitics “data” in Scripture, there are two sets — prophecies about the Antichrist and prophecies about the Jewish people. In the last article, I shared one future headline would be that Jews would return to the land of Israel. Yet, on this side of 1948, it’s now a historic footnote, but there are more future headlines involving Israel. One of those future headlines is that the daily sacrifices will resume.
Scripture does not explicitly foretell this will happen, but in Daniel 12 it’s prophesied that the Antichrist will put an end to the daily sacrifice: “From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days” (Daniel 12:11 NIV). In Daniel 9, we also read the Antichrist will put an end to sacrifices: “He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him” (Daniel 9:27).
Both passages tell of the same time period. The “seven” in Daniel 9 is a jubilee cycle of seven years. Daniel is told and relays to us that the Antichrist will strengthen or make an agreement bringing peace to Israel. Then in three and half years, he will break that by committing the “abomination of desolation,” and he sets up an idol which likely an image of himself in the temple or temple location. Then he turns against the Jewish people. Along with desecrating the Jewish sacred site, he stops the daily sacrifices. Therefore, we can gather that the daily sacrifices will restart.
I’m not as familiar with the daily sacrifice ritual as the more familiar sacrifices like the Passover, sin sacrifices, the Day of Atonement sacrifice and freewill burnt offerings. In Numbers 28, we find the command of the daily sacrifice retold, as it first appears in Exodus and then Leviticus: “Each day offer two rams a year old as sacrifices to please me. The animals must have nothing wrong with them; one will be sacrificed in the morning, and the other in the evening. Along with each of them, one kilogram of your finest flour mixed with a liter of olive oil must be offered as a grain sacrifice” (Num. 28:3-5 CEV).
I mention these other sacrifices because they’re most likely to restart as well. The current push from orthodox Jewish leaders has been to restart the Passover sacrifice. As a Christ-follower, you’re likely asking, “Why do the sacrifices need to restart, didn’t Jesus sacrificial death on the cross put an end to them?” And in asking so, you’re exactly right. There is no need for these sacrifices. The ultimate Passover Lamb has been offered and our faithful following of Christ is the daily aroma of the daily burnt offerings. The resuming of these rituals isn’t pleasing to God. It’s a slap in the face. It’s the sealing of unbelief.
Though this is an act of rebellion rather than a return to truth, it is a future headline that we can bet everything on — it will come to pass. Expect to see future headlines like:
• “Jewish religious leaders have restored the furnishings of the former temple.”
• “In Jerusalem today, an altar was constructed at the most sacred site of the Jewish people, this is the first since 70 AD.”
• “For the first time in nearly 2,000 years, orthodox Jewish leaders will celebrate the Passover with the sacrificing of a lamb.”
• “After offering sacrifices on their holy days, Jewish religious leaders have begun to offer daily sacrifices.”
• “The powerful world leader who united the Arab world has strengthened an agreement with Israel and will allow the continuance of the archaic sacrificial rituals in Jerusalem.”
• “Today the powerful world leader who brought peace to the Middle East and united the Arab world has put an end to the daily sacrifice practice.”
• “The powerful world leader and head of the Islamic Caliphate, the revived Ottoman Empire, has now claimed the Jewish holy site to belong to Allah and has raised an image of himself.”
• “Jewish religious leaders claim decision from Islam’s long-awaited Mahidi and the high-sultan of the Caliphate has desecrated their most holy site.”
Jake is available for revivals and preaching learn more at standfirmministries.com.
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Jake McCandless
Jake McCandless authors a weekly column titled, Stand Firm and Live Epic, through which he seeks to encourage the modern church to not just survive, but thrive in current times. He also addresses many end-times topics.
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