Unlearning Tradition, Relearning Scripture

Month: October 2021

  • Delusions of Rebuilding the Temple

    Disclaimer: This is not a photo of the destroyed Second Temple

    The pandemic triggered a lot of delusions from among the Futurist camp – the belief that Jesus is yet to return in the future. Yes, Jesus promised His disciples He was coming in their generation. See my previous blog “Confused Christianity” for a better perspective on the topic.

    Futurists believe the Second Coming of Jesus Christ would be preceded by a rebuilding of the Jewish Temple. Futurists are great storytellers on the said topic. Novels and movies have been made based on their narrative. However, there is no valid biblical passage to support such a claim. Nowhere in the Bible did Scripture promise the rebuilding of a Third Jewish Temple.

    On the contrary, Jesus Christ spoke of the destruction of the Second Jewish Temple (Herod’s temple), and it came to pass in 70 A.D. See Matthew 24:1-2.

    “Jesus left the temple and was going away, when His disciples came to point out to Him the buildings of the temple. But He answered them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.””

    Jesus actually first spoke of its destruction in Matthew 23:36-38.

    “Truly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation. “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! See, your house is left to you desolate.”

    By “this generation”, Jesus points to the Jewish generation who saw and crucified Him. See Isaiah 64:10-11 for clarity about the “house” in Matthew 23:38.

    Your holy cities have become a wilderness; Zion has become a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation. Our holy and beautiful house, where our fathers praised you, has been burned by fire, and all our pleasant places have become ruins.

    By “house”, Jesus Christ prophecied about the desolation of the temple. Hence, His mention of its destruction in Matthew 24:2 was to reiterate the fact that truly the temple would be destroyed for the second and final time.

    The disciples, having heard Jesus saying twice “the temple would be destroyed”, understood its implication, so they asked:

    “As He (Jesus Christ) sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”” (Mat 24:3)

    The disciples were able to connect the dots. Temple destruction means “The Return of Christ” and “The End of the Age”. Let me repeat: “IT’S THE END OF THE AGE, NOT THE WORLD.”

    The Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of the New Testament defined “age, aion” Greek #165 “an age or era”. In other words, it’s the end of an era – the Old Covenant Israel.

    It’s not only the apostles who understood that “temple destroyed = second coming = end of the age.” So do generations of Christians after the catastrophic event in Jerusalem. See the quotation about “Julian the Apostate’s attempt to rebuild the temple” below:

    The Church Fathers embellished the story in various ways adding that the Jews received Julian’s proposal enthusiastically, coming in thousands to the Temple Mount with stones in their hands, but when the first stones were laid the Jews were threatened by earthquakes and hurricanes, and finally driven off by a heavenly fire and specter of Christ (Gregory of Nazianz, Contra Julianum, Oratio, no. 4, 2:149–50; Socrates, Historia Ecclesiastica, 3:196; Sozomenus, Historia Ecclesiastica, 5:214–5). Two important facts may be gathered from these sources: (1) Julian wished to rebuild the Temple to strengthen paganism against Christianity (he saw Judaism and paganism as having sacrificial rites in common); (2) he wished to refute Jesus’ prophecy concerning the Temple (Luke 21:6; Matt. 24:2).

    Jewishvirtuallibrary.org

    If Julian the Apostate had succeeded in his effort to rebuild the Jewish temple, then Jesus would’ve failed to fulfill His promise of return. Jesus Christ, about His judgment against Old Covenant Israel, said:

    ““So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.” (Mat 24:15-21)

    One implied meaning was that the Jewish temple would never be rebuilt ‘cause its desolation wouldn’t be repeated. No surprise, the LORD spoke the same truth through Isaiah the prophet. See Isaiah 25:1-2.

    “O LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you; I will praise Your name, for You have done wonderful things, plans formed of old, faithful and sure. For You have made the city a heap, the fortified city a ruin; the foreigners’ palace is a city no more; it will never be rebuilt.”

    Remember that Scripture originally had no chapter or verse division. Hence, Isaiah 24 & 25 are in the same context. God was speaking of His judgment. For reference and clarity to the “city” mentioned in Isaiah 25:2, see Isaiah 24:5-12 below. Take note that “earth” should properly be translated as “land, Hebrew #776,” the land of Israel with whom God gave the Mosaic Law.

    “The earth lies defiled under its inhabitants; for they have transgressed the laws, violated the statutes, broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore a curse devours the earth, and its inhabitants suffer for their guilt; therefore the inhabitants of the earth are scorched, and few men are left. The wine mourns, the vine languishes, all the merry-hearted sigh. The mirth of the tambourines is stilled, the noise of the jubilant has ceased, the mirth of the lyre is stilled. No more do they drink wine with singing; strong drink is bitter to those who drink it. The wasted city is broken down; every house is shut up so that none can enter. There is an outcry in the streets for lack of wine; all joy has grown dark; the gladness of the earth is banished. Desolation is left in the city; the gates are battered into ruins.” (Isaiah 24:5-12)

    The Bible is unified in saying, “Old Covenant Jerusalem and its temple will be destroyed, and not be rebuilt.” Amazing to think: Julian the Apostate, despite his enormous power and authority as emperor of Rome, failed to rebuild a Third Jewish Temple. However, the Muslims successfully built the Dome of Rock on the precise site of the former temple.

    In conclusion, let us see John’s story concerning Jesus’ words about temple. See John 2:19-22.

    “Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?” But He was speaking about the temple of His body. When therefore He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.”

    There is no need for a rebuilt temple. The essence of the temple was to signify God’s presence with Israel. But with the New Covenant, God’s dwelling place is with His people. See 2 Corinthians 6:16.

    “What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we (Christians) are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” (2Co 6:16)

    See also 1 Peter 2:4-5.

    “As you come to Him (Jesus Christ), a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”

    It is our prayer that everyone would abide in the words of Christ, discerning truth from myths.

    “So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are truly My disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”” (Joh 8:31-32)

    Blessings!

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  • Confused Christianity

    Without a doubt, 21st-century Christianity comes in many shapes and forms. Christians differ in doctrines, but they seem to be unified in believing that the return of Jesus Christ is still in the future, though it has been millennia since Jesus promised His apostles that He would be coming in their generation. See Matthew 16:27-28.

    “For the Son of Man is going to come with His angels in the glory of His Father, and then He will repay each person according to what he has done. Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.””

    The synoptic Gospels – Matthew, Mark, & Luke – have the same assurance concerning the imminent return of Christ:

    “And He (Jesus Christ) said to them (apostles), “Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.”” (Mark 9:1)

    “For whoever is ashamed of Me (Jesus Christ) and of My words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when He comes in His glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.”” (Luke 9:26-27)

    Not only that, Jesus Christ sending out the twelve apostles, instructing them on His message, said, “And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’” (Matthew 10:7)

    “At hand” in the original Greek language means “near,” and near cannot by any means be thousands of years and continuing, as suggested by the Futurists. Jesus Christ did not just give them the message to proclaim, but He reinforced the message with the assurance that it was indeed occurring soon. See Matthew 10:23.

    “When they persecute you (the apostles) in one town, flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.”

    As I researched the validity of Jesus’ words, it’s sad, actually disgusting, to find known Bible scholars saying, “No, Jesus was confused or hallucinating when He uttered those words.” Some dismissed the passages saying, “There must be another meaning for that, but we just have to find out.”

    Funny that for as long as the passages or verses are convenient to their theological position, they adhere to the Words of Christ, but if it doesn’t, then it’s excuses after excuses. Scripture does not need affirmation from men; rather, the Bible is the dispenser of truth because it is the Word of God.

    One of the key disciplines in interpreting Scripture involves recognizing “time statements.” However, Futurists often overlook these time statements in the Bible, particularly in the New Testament, and instead suggest that they refer to the future. It’s important to remember that what the apostles considered “the future” is no longer future to us today.

    Hence, statements like “this generation” in Matthew 24:34 no longer make an impact on the readers, for time statements have been disregarded. See Matthew 24:29-34.

    “29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. 32 “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 So also, when you see all these things, you know that He is near, at the very gates. 34 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.

    So some have suggested “this generation” refers to the generation who saw the literal signs of Matthew 24:29-34. Yet, they miss out on John’s confession in Revelation that he was already in tribulation. See Revelation 1:9.

    “I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.”

    Scripture is a unity. The apostles’ writings cannot be different from the Words of Jesus found in the Gospels, the Book of Acts, or the Book of Revelation. Jesus’ words have their foundation in the Old Testament Scripture. The entire Bible is a cohesive revelation concerning the declaration and fulfillment of God’s words.

    See Luke 24:44.

    Then He (Jesus Christ) said to them (The disciples), “These are My words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”

    In recent years, we have witnessed the rise of fake news online. Most people now get their news from the web, particularly from platforms like Facebook and YouTube. Unfortunately, fake news spreads easily because many individuals click to watch or read without considering the source or the intent of the uploader or poster.

    Even if a Facebook post or YouTube video contains factual information, ignoring the date it was published can severely affect its relevance today. The same principle applies when reading and studying the Bible. It is essential to recognize the audience’s relevance, the timing of statements, and their historical accuracy. Failing to do so can lead to misinterpretations of Scripture, whether by inexperienced readers or poorly informed pastors.

    Jesus Christ warned, “Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit?” (Luke 6:39)

    Find someone who can teach you the disciplines of studying Scripture. Avoid using human-tailored Bible study materials, as they often reflect human influence. It’s important to recognize that even within different Bible translations, traces of human interpretation can be found. Let me be clear: the Bible itself is perfect, infallible, and without error; the issues arise with the translations.

    You don’t need to be a scholar of Greek, Hebrew, or Aramaic, but it is beneficial to read the Bible by comparing different translations. Additionally, learning to use language tools, such as lexicons, is essential for in-depth Bible study. There are many free lexicon tools available online or for download. You just need to find someone knowledgeable to guide you in using these tools effectively.

    It’s never too late to start studying Scripture and practicing proper exegesis. Ultimately, Scripture reveals truths about salvation that extend beyond our physical needs and concerns, addressing both our current lives and eternity. Don’t let yourself become part of confused Christianity.

    Peter, in the words of Acts 3:6, declared, “I possess neither silver nor gold, but in the name of Jesus Christ, I offer you what I have.” Share this article freely, for you freely receive. Take note, underlines and highlights are clickable links for definitions or Bible references. Stay updated by heading to our about page and subscribe directly to receive notifications in your inbox. Blessing!