On the Mount

So ended all the work that king Solomon made for the house of the Lord...And it came to pass, when the priests  were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the Lord.  1 Kings 7:51; 8:10  In your mind's eye you can visualize this beautiful temple built by Solomon with gold, silver and stone from his quarries outside of Jerusalem.  It was indeed a wonder of the world.  That temple was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BC.  The second temple was constructed during the time of Ezra and Nehemiah.  That temple was further expanded in a sixty year construction project undertaken by Herod the Great.  This magnificent temple was destroyed by Titus and the Roman legions in 70 AD not to be rebuilt.

Today Temple Mount, the site of the temple, is occupied by a number of Muslim structures including the Al Aqsa mosque and the Dome of the Rock from which site Islam says Muhammad ascended to heaven.  It is perhaps the third holiest site of Islam.  The history of Temple Mount is a paradox for it is also the holiest site of Judaism.

   The Al Aqsa Mosque                                                     The Dome of the Rock










Jump forward to 1948.  Israel is declared a nation after almost 2000 years following the diaspora (dispersion) of the Jewish people by the Roman empire.  The day following that declaration the surrounding Arab nations declared war on this fledgling state and stated their intent to drive the Jews into the sea.  But, God had other plans.  Israel fended off their enemies, but lost the eastern part of Jerusalem, including Temple Mount, and the "West Bank" (so named by King Hussein of Jordan) which is biblical Judea and Samaria to Jordan.  These areas remained under Arab control for the next nineteen years until the Six Day War in 1967.  Israel regained control of both Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria, but something amazing and inexplicable happened.  The government of Israel ceded control of Temple Mount to the Arabs.  Wow!  Why would they do that?  It doesn't make much sense until we look at Bible prophecy.

Daniel tells us that in the end times a man will come on the scene and bring a seven year peace between the Jews and their enemies and will provide for the rebuilding of their temple.  They will be able to reinstitute their sacrifices and they will believe he is their messiah.  You students of prophecy know that is not so because he is the one we know as Antichrist and he will turn on the Jewish people.

There is much discussion about where the future temple will be built.  There are several suggestions including the area of Solomon's stables and the current location of the Dome of the Rock.  However, there is another location just north of the Dome of the Rock.  There is a large area where a small cupola sits.  Here is a picture of the undeveloped area with cupola in the background and an enlargement of the structure also.

Some say that the Jews would never share the platform with another religion.  But, Ezekiel sees a wall constructed between the holy and the profane which would separate the two areas.  Jewish tradition tells us that the priest could stand in the temple and look out the doors through the Eastern Gate to the Mount of Olives.  We know that Jesus will come down on the Mount of Olives and then enter through the Eastern Gate, pictured to the left, on His way to take His rightful place in the temple.  When you stand at the cupola and look eastward you have a direct line of site through the Eastern Gate to the Mount of Olives.  It would seem that this is at least a possibility for the site of the future temple.  It is just something to think about.

These days are exciting and challenging for believers.  We need to live expectantly.  What do I mean by that?  John tells us that, ...every man that hath this hope in him, purifies himself....  1 John 3:3 What hope?  The hope of the soon coming of Yeshua.  We need to live expectantly folks.  It will make a difference in our lives.

Blessings to you from Jerusalem.  Come quickly Yeshua HaMashiach!