Discover 5 amazing temples and how they fit with end-time prophecy …
In a recent study of Haggai, I discovered in the commentary an absolute gem that I want to share with you today!
There are a good number of temples referred to in Scripture – 8 in fact – and that all have their significance. But I am going to concentrate on the 5 that cover the Last Days. The Old Testament ones which I am not going to discuss are The Tabernacle (or “mobile” temple during the time of Moses, Solomon’s temple and Zerubbabel’s temple spoken of in Ezra particularly.
The 5 temples of the last days ….
Herod’s Temple
Most of us are familiar with this temple – it was Zerubbabel’s temple restored by Herod the Great (19 BC – 70 AD)
This is the temple where Jesus taught and where Zechariah saw the angel of the Lord who announced the birth of John the Baptist.
The same temple that Jesus spoke about the destruction of the temple in Mark 13:2 “And Jesus answered and said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone shall be left upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”
The Present Temple
Yes you read correctly! The Present Temple in this present age …
This temple is found in the heart of every true believer!
As God’s Word tells us in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, the body of the believer is the Lord’s only temple till He returns. “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” See also that beautiful passage in 2 Corinthians 6:16-18, especially verse 16b: “… For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people.”“
The Temple during the Tribulation Period
This temple will be built during the Tribulation period. We know that there has been much preparation for the building of this very temple as we speak, but from Daniel 9:27 we can see that the temple will be specifically for the Tribulation period. We read in Daniel the following: “The ruler (the Antichrist) will make a treaty with the people for a period of one set of seven, but after half this time, he will put an end to the sacrifices and offerings. And as a climax to all his terrible deeds, he will set up a sacrilegious object that causes desecration, until the fate decreed for this defiler is finally poured out on him.” (NLT) The Berean Standard Bible puts it like this “And he will confirm a covenant with many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of the temple will come the abomination that causes desolation, until the decreed destruction is poured out upon him.”
Speaking about the abomination of desolation, this refers to the actions of the Antichrist who, in the end times, will confirm a covenant with Israel for seven years and then break it half way through (after three and a half years). He will at that point set up this sacrilegious object which Daniel speaks about, “the abomination of desolation” which could be the “image of the beast” that the Antichrist’s right-hand man, the false prophet, will order to be set up and worshiped (Revelation 13:14).
The Millennial (Ezekiel’s) Temple
Ezekiel described his vision of the Temple area and the Temple in chapters 40:1 – 42:20 of the book bearing his name in the Old Testament. And then again a wonderful description in Zechariah 6:12-13 (Amplified Bible): “Then say to Joshua, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, “Behold (look, keep in sight, watch), a Man (Messiah) whose name is Branch, for He shall branch out from His place (Israel, the Davidic line); and He shall build the [ultimate] temple of the LORD. Yes, [you are to build a temple of the LORD, but] it is He who shall build the [ultimate] temple of the LORD, and He shall bear the honor and majesty [as the only begotten of the Father] and sit and rule on His throne. And He shall be a Priest on His throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between the two offices [Priest and King].”’
The Eternal Temple of His Presence
This will be in the Eternal Kingdom! This will be a spiritual temple and the greatest Temple of all!! Why? Because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its Temple! “I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty [the Omnipotent, the Ruler of all] and the Lamb are its temple.” Revelation 21:22 (Amplified Bible)
Please read Revelation 21:22-27 & 22:1-21 too.
What a glorious, glorious future the Lord has prepared for those who love Him and long for His appearing.
daysmeditations 