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Hasten The Day!
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. 11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. [See Table of Contents for all End-Time Prophecies covered here, best viewed on a big screen]
Future Prophesies - the Stage is Set (Can Happen Any Day)
3rd TEMPLE (ANTICHRIST TEMPLE)
Biblical References to 3rd Temple
Current Events Moving Towards the 3rd Temple
Want world peace? ‘Build 3rd Temple’
Saudis Say Temple Mount and Al Aqsa Not Important to Islam
Sanhedrin Begins to Prepare Oil to Anoint King Messiah
Once Lost Biblical Blue Dye Returns In Preparation For 3rd Temple
Ben Gurion Gearing Up to Bring All 70 Nations Straight from the Airport to Third Temple
Red Heifer (Links to Red Heifer)
The Third Temple and the Temple Institute
The Third Temple (Hebrew: בית המקדש השלישי, Romanized: Beit haMikdash haShlishi, lit. 'The House, the Holy, the Third') is used in reference to a hypothetical rebuilt third Temple in Jerusalem, which would succeed both the original Solomon's Temple (built under Solomon and destroyed in 587 BCE by the Neo-Babylonians) and the Second Temple (built under the Achaemenid Persian Empire and destroyed in 70 CE by the Romans). Although it remains unbuilt, the notion of and desire for a Third Temple in Jerusalem is sacred in Judaism, particularly Orthodox Judaism, and is anticipated as a place of worship. The prophets in the Hebrew Bible called for its construction to be fulfilled prior to, or in tandem with, the Messianic Age. The rebuilding of a Third Temple also plays a major role in some interpretations of Christian eschatology.
The notion of rebuilding a Third Temple atop the site of the first and second temples at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem has been espoused by many Israeli Jews and remains a key subject of tension between Muslims and Jews as part of the ongoing Israeli–Palestinian conflict and peace process. While Jerusalem in its entirety has been controlled by Israel since the Six-Day War of 1967, it is largely internationally recognized as disputed territory between Israel and the Palestinian Authority due to both entities proclaiming the undivided city as their capital (see status of Jerusalem).
Why do we know that a 3rd Jewish Temple will be built? The Bible says so!
Jeremiah 30:18-19 – Restoration of Israel and Judah
Jer 30:18 “Thus says the Lord:
‘Behold, I will bring back the captivity of Jacob’s tents, And have mercy on his dwelling places;
The city shall be built upon its own mound, And the palace shall remain according to its own plan.
19 Then out of them shall proceed thanksgiving And the voice of those who make merry;
I will multiply them, and they shall not diminish; I will also glorify them, and they shall not be small.
Revelation 11:1-2 – The Two Witnesses
Rev 11:1 Then I was given a reed like a measuring rod. And the angel stood, saying, “Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there. 2 But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months.
2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 – The Great Apostasy
2Th 2:3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.
Daniel 9:26-27 – The Seventy-Weeks Prophecy
Dan 9:26 “And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself;
And the people of the prince who is to come Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary.
The end of it shall be with a flood, And till the end of the war desolations are determined.
27 Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week;
But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering.
And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate,
Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate.”
Daniel 11:29-32 – The Northern King’s Blasphemies
Dan 11:29 “At the appointed time he shall return and go toward the south; but it shall not be like the former or the latter. 30 For ships from Cyprus shall come against him; therefore he shall be grieved, and return in rage against the holy covenant, and do damage. “So he shall return and show regard for those who forsake the holy covenant. 31 And forces shall be mustered by him, and they shall defile the sanctuary fortress; then they shall take away the daily sacrifices, and place there the abomination of desolation. 32 Those who do wickedly against the covenant he shall corrupt with flattery; but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits.
Daniel 12:9-12 – Prophecy of the End Time
Dan 12:9 And he said, “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. 10 Many shall be purified, made white, and refined, but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand. 11 “And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days. 12 Blessed is he who waits, and comes to the one thousand three hundred and thirty-five days.
Matthew 24:15-18 – The Great Tribulation
Mt 24:15 “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), 16 “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. 18 And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes
Lamb & Lion Ministries w/ Randall Price
The Jewish Temples in Prophecy
Lamb & Lion Ministries w/ Jeanne Nigro
The Jewish People, the Temple and Trump
BRMinistries w/ Billy Crone
The Tribulation Temple is Gaining Support
Rock Harbor Church Prophecy Update
Want world peace? ‘Build 3rd Temple’
https://www.timesofisrael.com/want-mideast-peace-build-the-3rd-temple/
Organization launches campaign to raise funds for draft plans of site, which, if built, it says, would ‘usher in universal harmony’
By BEN SALES
JTA — As Egypt, Qatar, the US and the UN write proposals for Israel-Hamas ceasefires, one organization based in Jerusalem’s Old City hopes to compose a peace plan of a different kind: a detailed architectural blueprint for the Third Jewish Temple on Jerusalem’s Temple Mount.
The Temple Institute, which has recreated 60 vessels to be used in a Third Temple and which sponsors educational programs about the temple worldwide, has created a $100,000 Indiegogo campaign to draft plans for a Third Temple.
Building the temple, says the Indiegogo campaign statement, would “usher in a new era of universal harmony and peace,” as prophesied in the Bible.
“It is not enough to wait and pray for the Third Temple,” the statement added. “It is a Biblical obligation to build it.”
According to Rabbi Chaim Richman, the institute’s international director, the temple would stand in the present location of the Dome of the Rock, a Muslim shrine. Muslims revere the mount as the Haram al-Sharif, or Noble Sanctuary.
But Richman did not set a target date for breaking ground for the construction project. The temple will be built, he told JTA, when “the world will want us to build the temple.”
“The Jewish people have a responsibility to all of humanity, including Islam,” Richman said. “I don’t expect it to come about through any sort of confrontation or any sort of military maneuver. The Jews have to represent good in the world, light in the world.”
The Indiegogo campaign is tied to the upcoming fast of Tisha b’Av, which mourns the First and Second Temples’ destruction. Richman quoted the verse in Isaiah calling the temple “a house of prayer for all nations.”
But recently, the Temple Mount has been the scene of confrontation.
Palestinian groups have repeatedly protested Jewish groups visiting the mount in recent weeks. Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld told JTA that on Saturday, a group of Palestinian rioters burned and heavily damaged the police stand on the mount.
Referring to these incidents, Richman said the mount “is overrun by terrorists. This is a tangible fact.” He said rebuilding the temple is the next step to Israel’s current military operation in the Gaza Strip.
“We cannot be the people we’re supposed to be without the Holy Temple,” he said. “So what if we root out the [Gaza] tunnels and missiles? Then what are we doing with our lives? The redemption of humanity is dependent on the Jewish people.”
Launched on July 27, the campaign has so far raised $3,991. It will run until Rosh Hashana, on Sept. 25.
Saudis Say Temple Mount and Al Aqsa Not Important to Islam
https://www.israeltoday.co.il/read/saudis-say-temple-mount-and-al-aqsa-not-important-to-islam/
In further departure from Palestinian narrative, Saudis recognize Jewish connection to the Temple Mount
Palestinian politicians, clerics and terrorist warlords tireless invoke the Temple Mount and Al Aqsa Mosque as a rallying cry to stir up pan-Muslim emotions against Israel. The Jews are threatening to “Judaize” this Islamic holy site, claim the Palestinians, even as they reject the biblical history of Mount Moriah.
But according to a bunch of Saudis and other Middle East Arabs on social media, the Temple Mount and even, gasp(!), Al Aqsa itself aren’t all that holy to them.
Last week on Twitter, Saudis conducted a campaign promoting Islam’s true holy sites, Mecca and Medina, while downplaying the importance of Jerusalem in their religion. (See: Islam’s Dome of the Rock in a Synagogue?)
One of the more viral tweets was posted by Saudi cartoonist Fahd al-Jabiri, who wrote that “the direction of the prayers of the Jews is not important to us, what is important to us is only our homeland.” By referencing the “direction of the prayers of the Jews,” al-Jabiri implicitly recognized the Jewish connection to the Temple Mount, thus contradicting the Palestinian narrative on the matter.
An English-language tweet from Morocco really got people heated by not only emphasizing that the Temple Mount is of no particular importance to Muslims, but also by expressing hope that the Third Jewish Temple will soon be built there.
Dear brothers and sisters, join the Saudi hashtag “قبلة_اليهود_لاتعني_لنا#”. This recent Saudi twitter movement believes that there is no importance of the temple mount to Muslims, and the waiting for the [Jewish] third temple.
A new era, one of peace????️????#قبلة_اليهود_لاتعني_لنا pic.twitter.com/6iY2hxpshD
— אבתיסאם ????????????️???????????? إبتسام Ibtissam Zeğiga (@IbtissamZegiga) March 4, 2021
There were a flood of tweets expressing support and even love for Israel. Most were in Arabic, but the few in English were no less heart-warming. One reacted to a previous tweet calling Jerusalem the “occupied” Palestinian capital. The Saudi corrected the original by noting that Jerusalem is actually the “eternal capital of the Jewish people.”
Hey look! It’s the eternal capital of the Jewish people!#قبلة_اليهود_لاتعني_لنا https://t.co/tu7nsTolsk
— Khalid Faisal Khalid Alakoor Al-Hudhayli Albogami (@fkjms73) March 7, 2021
Another express his deep desire for there to soon be peace between Israel and Saudi Arabia so he can visit Tel Aviv and meet “our cousins,” the Jews.
I hope there will be Saudi- Israel peace deal ????
I want to visit Tel Aviv so bad, and meet our cousins ???????? ❤️????????
#قبله_اليهود_لاتعني_لنا pic.twitter.com/szbguxx7Ip— Onyx ???? (@ionyx01) March 5, 2021
Tom Nissani, head of the Temple Heritage Foundation, told Arutz 7 that this is a golden opportunity.
“In the end, it is becoming increasingly clear that the main obstacle – the Temple Mount – is in our hands,” he said. “This is a historic opportunity to expel the hostile Waqf from the Temple Mount and transfer it to full Israeli management that will allow full freedom of access and religion to the mountain in cooperation with the Emirates, Saudis and Moroccans, Jews and non-Jews who will attain shared goals.”
When you see these things! (Hope for our Times)
Start at 2:20 - Saudis say that Temple Mount and Al Aqsa not important to Islam
SANHEDRIN BEGINS TO PREPARE OIL TO ANOINT KING MESSIAH/KOHEN GADOL
BY ADAM ELIYAHU BERKOWITZ | NOV 8, 2021 | BIBLICAL NEWS
Exodus 30:25 (The Israel Bible TM)
After an exhaustive study into the details surrounding the oil used to anoint the Kohen Gadol (High Priest) and kings of Israel, the Sanhedrin is moving forward to prepare enough to anoint the Messiah from the House of David who, when he returns, will rule over Israel in the Messianic era.
The anointing oil was described in the Bible to be used in the consecration of the Tabernacle:
Make of this a sacred anointing oil, a compound of ingredients expertly blended, to serve as sacred anointing oil. Exodus 30:25
Originally, the oil was used exclusively for the priests and the Tabernacle articles, but its use was later extended to include prophets and kings:
Shmuel took a flask of oil and poured some on Shaul‘s head and kissed him, and said, “Hashem herewith anoints you ruler over His own people. I Samuel 10:1
It is expressly forbidden by the Bible to recreate the oil for any other purpose, punishable by kareth, the most severe punishment described in the Bible. The ingredients as described in Exodus 30:23-25 are as follows:
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Pure myrrh, 500 shekels weight (about 6 kg)
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Sweet cinnamon, 250 shekels weight (about 3 kg)
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“fragrant cane” (sometimes translated as calamus) 250 shekels (about 3 kg)
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Cassia, 500 shekels (about 6 kg)
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Specially prepared olive oil, one hin (about 6 liters, or 5.35 kg)
All of the ingredients must be prepared in total purity. The Sanhedrin has already overseen the production of ritually pure olive oil suited for use in the Temple Menorah.
Normally, olive oil is made by crushing the olives and then pressing them. As per the Biblical commandment, olive oil for use in the Temple and for anointing is made by smashing the olives by hand and then allowing the oil to drip for several days.
You shall further instruct the Israelites to bring you clear oil of beaten olives for lighting, for kindling lamps regularly. Exodus 27:20
This produces a very small quantity of oil, only about two percent of the volume of the olives as compared to 20 percent by pressing. But the method described in the Bible produces oil that is vastly superior to that produced by any other method. The initial trial run by the United Temple Movement prepared about 450 pounds of olives, producing 25 quarts of oil. The husks are then pressed and the oil can be consumed or used for adding to grain offerings.
As much as possible, the ritual purity of the olives is preserved. As soon as the olives are pounded, they become open to impurity. They are therefore processed in an area open to the sky and the workers wear surgical masks, as saliva can transfer impurity. The hammers are made of plastic and the surface is marble, materials that cannot receive ritual impurity.
It is important to note that the oil was called in Hebrew שמן המשחה (shemen ha-mishchah), literally translated as oil of anointing. The Hebrew word for Messiah is משיח (Mashiach), literally the anointed one though this term is also used in the Bible for anyone who has been anointed.
Rabbi Hillel Weiss, the spokesman for the Sanhedrin, announced the beginning of the anointing oil project last week appropriately enough just before the holiday of Hannukah in a sermon he gave on the Temple Mount. Rabbi Weiss emphasized that a Kohen Gadol (High Priest) and Temple utensils will be anointed when the Temple service begins, which does not need an actual Temple structure, only an altar.
“The Temple and the Temple service benefit all the nations,” Rabbi Weiss explained. “For that reason, we made the announcement on the 27th of Cheshvan, the day that Noah exited the ark and made a sacrifice to God. At that time, God made a covenant with the entire world, promising never to bring another such catastrophic flood but also requiring that mankind perform the Seven Noahide Laws.”
Rabbi Weiss noted that this is also the end of the season for harvesting olives and the beginning of preparing the oil.
“In order for the Temple service to return, the nation of Israel must begin to observe the laws pertaining to the land which include the laws of ritual purity,” Rabbi Weiss said. “But in order for the nations to take part in this, they must observe the Seven Noahide Laws.”
“The nations must purify themselves,” Weiss explained to Israel365 News. “This is a process of purifying your thoughts from idolatry. It also includes removing the sin of murder from their midst, which is expressed today through abortion and euthanasia. This also includes sexual purity.”
“Christianity is especially susceptible to the impurity that is flourishing under the idolatry of liberalism. To their credit, they have a deep connection with chesed (loving kindness). Liberalism grew out of this. But chesed can be taken too far. Christianity must engage in justice which is one of the Noahide commandments. They must judge that some things are impure and unacceptable.”
“Today, a person can choose to do good or evil. But in the end-of-days, only those who choose to take part in the Temple will survive,” Rabbi Weiss said, quoting the Prophet Zechariah.
All who survive of all those nations that came up against Yerushalayim shall make a pilgrimage year by year to bow low to the King lord of Hosts and to observe the festival of Sukkot. Zechariah 14:16
“We are now entering the time when the preparations for the Temple are almost complete,” Rabbi Weiss said. “Now is the time for people to act, to show whether they will be part of the Temple or stand against the reappearance of God’s house in Jerusalem.”
PPOV 187 - Israel Prepares for Messiah - Start at beginning
Once Lost Biblical Blue Dye Returns In Preparation For 3rd Temple
After being lost for 1,600 years, the Biblical blue dye is returning in force. With over 270,000 sets of fringes being made to date, the factory that produces the pigment from the murex snail is gearing up to triple its production. But they know that the redemption is near and the Third Temple will need even more of the precious dye to start operations.
TECHELET
Ptil Tekhelet, a non-profit based in Kfar Adumim, produces the special Biblically mandated indigo dye made from the murex snail used in the mitzvah of tztitzit (fringes) that every Jewish man is commanded to wear on a four-cornered garment.
Techelet is a blue dye highly prized by ancient Mediterranean civilizations and mentioned 49 times in the Hebrew Bible. It was used in the clothing of the High Priest, the tapestries in the Tabernacle, and in tzitzit (ritual fringes worn by Jewish men).
The dye can be collected by crushing the snails, or by laboriously milking the snails and collecting the excretion. 12,000 snails might yield 1.4 grams of dye, which is only enough to color the trim of a single garment. Because of this, this Royal Blue or Royal Purple dye was very expensive, making it an almost exclusive sign of kingship and royalty.
Purple dye was considered a color of prestige during the Roman period so much so that at certain points in time the common masses were forbidden from wearing the color. Interestingly, the color of this dye becomes more vibrant when left in the sun, and it is possible that different versions of the color can be made by making the dye in the sun or in the shade.
PTIL TEKHELET: 270,000 SETS MADE, MUCH MORE TO COME
Baruch Sterman has spent more than 30 years working to revive this Biblical commandment. In 1988, he and a few others went on a diving expedition in search of Murex snails before going on to co-found the Ptil Tekhelet.
After years of research by various experts, the Ptil Tekhelet organization began making threads dyed in techelet in 1991, producing about 300 sets of four in the first year. According to their website, they have to date produced an astounding 270,000 sets of the holy threads
But even that astounding amount is not enough. The demand for the Biblical pigment is growing by leaps and bounds and the organization plans to triple its production over the next year.
"We took a hit during the pandemic but the demand is returning even stronger," Sterman said. "We need to meet this demand and prepare for what seems to be coming down the road. When a person begins to wear techelet, he will do so for the rest of his life, as will his children. Many of the people are new to techelet and a large percentage are newly religious. But more and more, we are seeing what would be considered mainstream Orthodox Jews."
Sterman has a powerful insight into the timely return of this mitzvah. He noted that the text in the Torah commanding Jews to wear techelet was always available and Jews continued to wear techelet even after the Temple was destroyed.
"We didn't forget the mitzvah. Techelet was taken away from us," Sterman said. "The Romans outlawed it for religious Jews, restricting it to only the elite, the royals, and for secular purposes. The production of techelet was highly lucrative. There was termendous oppression. Tecehelet identified the Jews. It was a source of national pride and national identity."
Soon after the Roman decrees, the details of its production including the identity of the dye's source were lost.
"The 7th century was the final destruction of the Jewish identity in the land of Israel. That is when techelet was finally lost," Sterman said. "Techelet is making a comeback now because we are returning to our national identity and pride. Israel never needed to invent a flag. The Israeli flag is modeled after the tallit and its colors, our national colors are techelet and white."
"When the Third Temple is built, we will need to increase our production even more," Sterman said. "The Temple requires a ton of techelet."
HEART OF STONE; HEART OF FLESH
Yosef Steinberg runs the organization Uzchartem (you will remember) which helps raise awareness of the mitzvah of techelet. He has helped influence at least 6,000 people over the last six years. Steinberg explained that his initiative was influence by Malcolm Gladwell's book, The Tipping Point, which examines how small and seemingly insignificant practical changes can influence large sociological phenomena.
"I feel that we are close to the tipping point now," Steinberg said. "Many people are wearing the techelet but I know of about 1,000 Haredi Jews in one community near Jerusalem who secretly wear the techelet under their clothes because it is not accepted in their communities. As soon as it becomes a little more mainstream, it will immediately be all over the place."
Steinberg understands the recent interest in this long-neglected mitzvah is due to the rapidly approaching geula. He cited a mishna that states that the morning Shema prayer can be said when it is light enough to differentiate between the techelet thread in the tzitzit garment and the white threads.
"This can be understood as a parable that techelet can only really be seen in the light of redemption," "Steinberg said. "Everyone knows that we are standing in front of the light of geula (redemption). The exile is all dark and when it starts to be light, when we are in a geula period of time we can see the techelet. We have to prepare for this. We don't really need techelet in the exile. The Temple is a big part of this process and we need techelet for the Temple."
"Every mitzvah corresponds to a part of the body," Steinberg said. "The tzitzit correspond to the heart and awaken the heart to serving God. The return of the mitzvah of techelet is returning our hearts to God, turning our hearts of stone to hearts of flesh," he added, paraphrasing Ezekiel 36:26.
RARE COLOR
Techelet was undoubtedly rare and mere hints have been found to date. The archeological dig in Tel Shikmona located south of Haifa revealed an Iron Age settlement that dates back to the 11th to 6th centuries BC century that researchers concluded hosted a factory for the production of the valuable dye. The Temple Mount Sifting Project (TMSP) uncovered more than 20 murex trunculus shells in dirt taken from the Temple Mount.
In 2014, The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) confirmed that a 2,000-year-old piece of fabric from the Wadi Murabba'at caves located south of Qumran was dyed using the extract from the murex snail. Archaeologists at Tel Aviv University (TAU) discovered reserved pieces of cloth from King David and King Solomon's time at ancient copper mines in the Timna Valley in Israel's southern Negev desert that had been colored with techelet.
BEN GURION GEARING UP TO BRING ALL 70 NATIONS STRAIGHT FROM THE AIRPORT TO THIRD TEMPLE
Israel is upgrading its already impressive international airport. The government is also working on a railway infrastructure that will bring international travelers directly from the airport to the Temple Mount. This will enable all 70 nations to come to worship God in Jerusalem’s House of prayer, a vision that the government has already hinted is their true intention.
The Director General of the Airports Authority, Hagai Topolansky, announced that in 2023, Ben Gurion International Airport will open a new mega-terminal.
“In the western part of Terminal 3 at Ben Gurion Airport, another advanced terminal will be built that will combine innovation and efficiency and expand the services available for passengers going abroad. Starting next year, Terminal 3 will go through a digitization process that will make it possible for passengers to manage their departures abroad easily and independently,” Topolansky said.
The new terminal will be 30 meters wide and 130 meters long, adding 22 check-in counters, a security check system, and conveyors connected to the HBS systems (hold baggage screening).
“Our main goal is to improve the services provided to passengers through a strategy based on investments, innovation, and long-term vision that digitalize and improve the airport and, thus, improve services at Ben Gurion Airport and the flight experience for passengers,” added Topolansky.
It was also announced that with the approval of the Authority’s board and management, the engineering division began to plan the construction of the fifth wing for aircraft parking in the airport, adding areas for checking passenger baggage, connecting baggage conveyors, establishing additional food complexes, and establishing additional VIP rooms.
Israel National News reported that two million passengers will pass through the airport during September. In October, approximately 2 million more passengers are expected to pass through on international flights. In 2019, Ben Gurion handled 24.8 million passengers. The airport is considered among the five best airports in the Middle East due to its passenger experience and high level of security.
Recently signed normalization agreements with neighboring Arab countries have increased air routes for Israel and opened up Israel to Arab tourists.
In 2020, Israel’s Transportation Ministry said that it would move ahead with plans to build an extension of the Tel Aviv-Jerusalem high-speed line that would directly connect Tel Aviv’s Ben-Gurion International Airport to the Western Wall in Jerusalem. A proposal was made to name the future Temple train station after Donald Trump.
The plan is experiencing stiff opposition from the Palestinian Authority, which wants Jerusalem as the capital of an Arab state inside Israel. The PA also denies that the Jewish Temples described in the Bible ever existed.
Transportation infrastructure will play an essential role in the Third Temple as a “House of Prayer for All Nations.” This was clearly in the minds of the Jerusalem municipality when they distributed brochures in the Ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods of Jerusalem in July to address concerns about increasing the light rail system. The brochures featured religious Jews riding the light rail to the Third Temple, bearing animal and vegetable sacrifices.
Rabbi Yekutiel Fish, who writes a geula and Kabbalah blog in Hebrew called Sod HaChashmal (the secret energy), explained:
“ Hashem (God, literally ‘the name) is preparing the way for the pilgrims to arrive at the Temple,” Rabbi Fish told Israel365 News. “Practically, a train is the best means since it can carry many more people without the dangers or traffic jams associated with highways.”
He related an anecdote in his blog about Rabbi Yehoshua Leib Diskin, a leading rabbi in Jerusalem, in the late 19th century. Fish related that Rabbi Diskin heard the whistle of the first train to arrive in Jerusalem in 1892 and said, “They are clearing the way for Moshiach (Messiah), and the geula (redemption) is on the way.”
Fish sees this pre-Messiah train phenomenon being played out to an even stronger degree with the new high-speed track that will bring travelers directly from Ben Gurion International Airport to the Western Wall in Jerusalem. The train is expected to begin service in April, just in time for the Passover holiday.
“A high-speed train is precisely what is needed for Passover, when all of Israel is required to bring their sacrifice to the Temple,” Fish told Breaking Israel News. “ Hashem (God, literally ‘the name) is preparing the way for the pilgrims to arrive at the Temple.”
Fish explained that a train has unique characteristics that make it the most fitting means of transport for pilgrimage.
“Practically, a train is the best means since it can carry many more people without the dangers or traffic jams associated with highways,” Fish said.
“In Gematria (Hebrew numerology), ‘rakevet’ equals 622, precisely the same as ‘har HaBayit’ (the Temple Mount)”,” Fish said.
Temple Institute
https://templeinstitute.org/
https://www.facebook.com/templeinstitute/
The Temple Institute, known in Hebrew as Machon HaMikdash (Hebrew: מכון המקדש), is an organization in Israel focusing on the endeavor of establishing the Third Temple. Its long-term aims are to build the third Jewish temple on the Temple Mount, on the site occupied by the Dome of the Rock, and to reinstate animal sacrificial worship. It aspires to reach this goal through the study of Temple construction and ritual and through the development of actual Temple ritual objects, garments, and building plans suitable for immediate use in the event conditions permit its reconstruction. It runs a museum in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem in Israel. It was founded and is headed by Rabbi Yisrael Ariel. Its current Director General is Dovid Shvartz, and the International Department is headed by Rabbi Chaim Richman. New York billionaire Henry Swieca has supported the institute. The Israeli government has also provided funding.
Building of Temple ritual items
As part of its ongoing effort to prepare for a future rebuilt Temple, the Temple Institute has been preparing ritual objects suitable for Temple use. Many of the over ninety ritual items to be used in the Temple have been made by the Temple Institute.
As of June 2008, a major project of the institute was the creation of the sacred uniform of the Kohen Gadol, the High Priest, and the ordinary priests. This project, the culmination of years of study and research, had already been underway for several years. The High Priest's Hoshen (breastplate) and Ephod have been completed. The Tzitz, the golden crown of the High Priest, was completed in 2007. The Temple Institute is designing the garments for the lay priests intended for purchase by Kohanim.
Education programs
The institute's educational efforts include raising public awareness about the Holy Temple, and the central role that it is believed to occupy in the spiritual life of mankind. These efforts include a full-time research staff (kollel), seminars, publications, and conferences, as well as the production of educational materials. Online educational tools include the Institute's website, educational videos and video conferencing.
Red heifer
The red heifer (Hebrew: פָּרָה אֲדֻמָּה; para adumma), a female bovine which has never been pregnant or milked or yoked, also known as the red cow, was a cow brought to the priests as a sacrifice according to the Torah, and its ashes were used for the ritual purification of Tum'at HaMet ("the impurity of the dead"), that is, an Israelite who had come into contact with a corpse.
In addition to a variety of items required for service within the Temple, the institute has attempted to locate a parah adumah (red heifer) consistent with the requirements of Numbers 19:1–22 and Mishnah Tractate Parah for purposes of taharah (purification) necessary to enter the Temple sanctuary proper in most circumstances. In recent years, the institute identified two candidates, one in 1997 and another in 2002. The Temple Institute had initially declared both kosher, but later found each to be unsuitable.
See Happening Now Prophecy: Red Heifer
There will never be a perfect red heifer - Jesus was our once-for-all perfect sacrifice!
The Temple Coin - King Cyrus and Donald Trump
Isaiah 44:24-28 – Judah Will Be Restored
Is 44 :24 Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, And He who formed you from the womb:
“I am the Lord, who makes all things, Who stretches out the heavens all alone, Who spreads abroad the earth by Myself;
25 Who frustrates the signs of the babblers, And drives diviners mad;
Who turns wise men backward, And makes their knowledge foolishness;
26 Who confirms the word of His servant, And performs the counsel of His messengers;
Who says to Jerusalem, ‘You shall be inhabited,’ To the cities of Judah, ‘You shall be built,’
And I will raise up her waste places;
27 Who says to the deep, ‘Be dry! And I will dry up your rivers’;
28 Who says of Cyrus, ‘He is My shepherd, And he shall perform all My pleasure,
Saying to Jerusalem, “You shall be built,” And to the temple, “Your foundation shall be laid.” ’
The Significance of the New Trump/Cyrus Shekel
The connection between King Cyrus of Persia in 536 BC in rebuilding the Jewish Temple and Donald Trump has been discussed well before this decision by the Sanhedrin to mint a half-shekel coin. For example, see 2016 Unsealed article here before Trump was elected, and Haaretz article here.
This is a significant event. King Cyrus brought the Jews into freedom and facilitated the rebuilding of the temple in 538 BC. Trump has recognised Jerusalem as capital on 6th Dec 2017.
On 15 Feb 2018, the recently-formed Sanhedrin (hasn't been active since about 425 AD and now re-formed in 2004) continues to set up the requirements for an eventual Temple-rebuild (the 3rd Temple). The "entry" is a half-shekel (Ex 30:13) and the decision has been made to recognise what they see as the significance of Trump as being aligned with that of King Cyrus.
The Third Temple and the Temple Institute
https://midnightcall.com/articles/messages/the-third-temple-and-the-temple-institute.html
The Temple Institute in Jerusalem investigates how the Temple was once constructed and how everything within it functioned back then. Does this mean there are concrete plans underway to rebuild the Temple?
Many Christians hold to the interpretation of Scriptural prophecies such as 2 Thessalonians 2:4 and others, that the Temple will have to be rebuilt. This brings to mind an important question: how real are such intentions on the part of Israeli and Jewish officials? Does the Temple Institute have the support of the religious establishment and the government? One can say that Orthodox Jews do not basically reject the building of a temple; however, they believe that the Third Temple may only be built by the Messiah Himself. Their thinking is founded in Zechariah 6:12-13: “…Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is THE BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD: Even he shall build the temple of the LORD; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.”
That this Scripture quotation is speaking of the Messiah is agreed upon by Jews as well as Christians. But exactly how the Temple construction will come about is a matter of diverse opinions among the Jews. The Temple Institute—directed by Orthodox Jews, who generally hold to the dictates of the religious leadership—maintains that only the Messiah is entitled to build the Temple when He comes. The research and planning activities of the Institute are carried out in preparation of the Messiah’s appearing, so that building of the Temple can begin immediately.
Of course, there are also some extreme elements that want to begin building the Temple now. But these are small minorities, who do not have the support of either the religious leadership or of any influential political party. Then there are others who believe that the future Temple will not be built according to any human planning and preparation, but that the Messiah will accomplish everything through divine inspiration and direction. Yet another view holds that the Third Temple will come down from heaven when the Messiah appears, and will not be constructed by human hands at all.
Meanwhile, What Happens Before the Messiah Comes?
Conflict about sovereignty over the Temple Mount not only exists between Jews and Muslims, but also, ironically, among Jews themselves—mainly between those who want to go up on the Temple Mount, and others who believe it is contrary to Jewish religious statutes (Halacha). To this day, at the start of the ascent to the Temple Mount, a sign proclaims an edict from the Chief Rabbinate of Israel, prohibiting Jews from setting foot on the Temple Mount. However, this is not a government regulation and, despite the warning, nobody who walks up the Temple Mount is penalized. In fact, according to government regulations, Jews are expressly invited to visit the Temple Mount. But one thing that is not allowed is prayer or any other kind of religious activity while there.
For a long time, religious Jews followed the mandate of the Chief Rabbinate. Yet for the past few years, there are more and more Jews—especially those of the national-religious faction—who still go up the Mount. Even Knesset representatives repeatedly join in these visits. However, they are strictly controlled and accompanied by Israeli Secret Service members, to prevent any friction with Muslims. They visit the Temple Mount despite the Jewish religious prohibition, although they do not go as far as the upper plateau where the Dome of the Rock stands, which is under the control of the Islamic Council (Waqf). They stay on the level below, which circles the highest point where once the Temple stood, enshrining the Holy of Holies.
After the takeover of East Jerusalem, it was Rabbi Shlomo Goren who was first to blow the shofar horn at the Wailing Wall. He asked Menachem Begin, the newly elected prime minister after the political turnaround of 1975, “Why are we Jews not allowed to pray on the Temple Mount?” The answer was: “Because the Rabbinate doesn’t approve.” The Chief Rabbinate did concern itself with questions regarding celebrations upon the liberation of Jerusalem or setting foot on the Temple Mount, but never, not even theoretically, with the building of the Temple. This shows that the topic was of no concern to the religious leadership.
Years ago, when activists of various Jewish religious groups began to encourage their followers to visit the lower plateau without advancing to the higher holy level, the Rabbinate reacted by pointing out that nothing had changed. Once again, Jews were forbidden from setting foot on any part of the Temple Mount terrain. And when a member of the Knesset started a debate about permitting Jews to pray on the Temple Mount, Prime Minister Netanyahu declared: “The government has no intention to change the policies regarding the Temple Mount.” The status quo was thus maintained.
Keeping all this in mind, the question arises: what kind of Messiah are the Jews expecting? Not surprisingly, the Jewish people do not have a clear or unified idea on this issue. Especially since the coming of Jesus and the spread of Christianity, the Jewish perspective regarding the Messiah has undergone fundamental change. According to the general understanding of today’s Jews, they are expecting a Messiah who will be a human being like all others. However, He must fulfill three things which will distinguish Him as the Messiah. First, He must bring back the Jewish people into the land of their fathers. Second, He must bring about peace. And third, He must rebuild the Temple. He who meets these three parameters should be the Messiah, according to the widely held opinion.
This theory, of course, contradicts the thinking that only the Messiah may build the Temple if, to be acknowledged as Messiah, He needs to have met these three identifying tests. This logically presumes that He would have to prove to be the Messiah before building the Temple. The final conclusion of all this? There is no clear or uniform idea about either the Messiah or the building of the Third Temple.
The Born-Again Christians (the Church) is the Temple of God
2 Corinthians 6:14-18 – Be Holy
2Co 6:14 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? 15 And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? 16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? 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.”
17 Therefore
“Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord.
Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.”
18 “I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the Lord Almighty.”
1 Corinthians 3:9-17 – Watering, Working, Warning
1Co 3:9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building. 10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. 11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. 14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. 16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17 If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.
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Note the word you is plural and temple is singular. This verse does not say that "you (individually) are God's temple." Nor does it say that "you (plural) are God's temples (plural)." It states that "you (collectively, meaning the church) are God's temple (singular)."
1 Corinthians 6:12-20 – Glorify God in Body and Spirit
1Co 6:12 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. 13 Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods, but God will destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 And God both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power. 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not! 16 Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For “the two,” He says, “shall become one flesh.” 17 But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.18 Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. 19 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? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.
Acts 17:24-28 – Addressing the Areopagus
Acts 17:24 God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. 25 Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. 26 And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, 27 so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; 28 for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.
Ephesians 2:19-22 – Christ Our Cornerstone
Ep 2:19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
John 2:18-22 – Jesus Cleanses the Temple
Jn 2:18 So the Jews answered and said to Him, “What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?”
19 Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
20 Then the Jews said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?”
21 But He was speaking of the temple of His body. 22 Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said.
https://www.bibletruths.org/who-is-the-temple-of-god/
Who is the temple of God?
Many religions of the world try to teach you how you can find God, how you can approach God in his temple, how you can please God with righteous works, so you can be accepted by God. That makes sense because, humanly speaking, we know we need God more than he needs us, so we should be the ones to seek him.
The Christianity of the Bible says this is wrong. You cannot find God, you cannot approach God, you cannot please God, so you cannot be accepted by God. He is too far away. He is too holy. You are not righteous enough. We join with Isaiah’s cry when he saw the Lord…
“Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” (Isaiah 6:5)
God cannot accept your sins. His eyes are too pure to look on evil; he cannot tolerate sin (Habakkuk 1:13). But, it is not hopeless. He paid the price. The message of the cross is the opposite of the religions of the world. He accepts you as his adopted child because he did all the work when he suffered and died for you, so now he can make his abode with you.
Did I use the wrong pronoun? Shouldn’t I have asked, “What is the temple of God?” No, the life-changing Bible truth is, when you accept Jesus Christ as your personal savior, he makes his abode with you, he comes and lives with you, he makes you his temple.
What temple?
In this study, the word used for “temple” isn’t just any ordinary building. This word refers to the holy of holies in the inner sanctuary behind the veil, where the glory of God dwelt between the Cherubim over the mercy seat. This was a special place in the earthly temple. It is a special place in God’s universe.
40 hágios
properly, different (unlike), other (“otherness“), holy; for the believer, 40 (hágios) means “likeness of nature with the Lord” because “different from the world.”
The fundamental (core) meaning of 40 (hágios) is “different” – thus a temple in the 1st century was hagios (“holy”) because different from other buildings (Wm. Barclay). In the NT, 40 /hágios (“holy”) has the “technical” meaning “different from the world” because “like the Lord.”
[40 (hágios) implies something “set apart” and therefore “different (distinguished/distinct)” – i.e. “other,” because special to the Lord.]–https://biblehub.com/greek/40.htm
3485 naós (from naiō, “to dwell”)
properly, a sanctuary (divine dwelling-place); a temple(sacred abode), the place of divine manifestation. 3485 (naós) refers to the sanctuary (the Jewish Temple proper), i.e. with just its two inner compartments (rooms). These consisted of:–https://biblehub.com/greek/3485.htm
The Earthly Tabernacle (Exodus 25:1-9; Exodus 40:1-33)
Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary[40 hagion]. For there was a tabernacle made; the first, wherein was the candlestick, and the table, and the shewbread; which is called the sanctuary[40 Hagia]. And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest[40 Hagia] of all[40 hagiōn]; Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant; And over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercyseat; of which we cannot now speak particularly. (Hebrews 9:1-5)
And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place: (for all the priests that were present were sanctified, and did not then wait by course: Also the Levites which were the singers, all of them of Asaph, of Heman, of Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, being arrayed in white linen, having cymbals and psalteries and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them an hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets:) It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of musick, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD; So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God. (2 Chronicles 5:11-14)
You are the temple of God, He is your God
God is a personal God. He walked with Adam and Eve in the garden. He spoke with Abraham. He talked face to face with Moses. He revealed himself to the Old Testament prophets. He was manifest in the flesh and walked among men in the Gospels. And now he wants to have a personal relationship with you. He wants to walk and talk with you.
And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple [3485 naō] of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. (2 Corinthians 6:16)
I will dwell in them, and walk in them.–The citation which follows is, like many others in St. Paul’s writings, a composite one: Leviticus 26:12 giving, “I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people;” and Exodus 29:45, “I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God.” The implied premise is that wherever God dwells there is His temple. The word indicates the “sanctuary,” or holiest part of the temple. (See Note on John 2:19.) –Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
as God hath said, Leviticus 26:11. I will dwell in them; not by his omnipresence, so he dwells everywhere; nor by his omnipotence, so he dwells in, and with all his creatures, supporting them by the word of his power; but by his Spirit and grace, or by his spiritual and gracious presence, which he favours his people with, in the use of ordinances, and where according to his promises they may expect it:
and walk in them. This denotes the communion God is pleased to afford his church and people, and that gracious presence of his with them, whilst they are sojourners here, and passing on to the heavenly glory; as God is said to “walk in a tent and tabernacle” with the “Israelites”, whilst they were travelling through the wilderness to Canaan; so he walks in his temple, and with his church and people, whilst they are travelling home to the heavenly Canaan; he walks in them, as in his court and palace, or as in his garden, where he takes much pleasure and delight, and great notice and care of them. R. Solomon Jarchi explains the phrase in Leviticus 26:12 “I will walk among you”, thus; I will walk with you in the garden of Eden, or paradise, as one of you, and ye shall not be afraid of me: but the passage regards the presence of God with his people here, and not hereafter:
and I will be their God; not as the God of nature and providence only, but as the God of all grace; as their covenant God and Father in Christ; which is the greatest happiness that can be enjoyed:
and they shall be my people: his special people, loved by him with a peculiar love, on whom he bestows peculiar blessings; and who are made a willing people, willing to be his people by powerful grace, and are formed for himself, his service, and glory: hence it follows, –Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
You are the temple of God, He dwells in you
When you accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal savior, God moves into your heart with you. He never leaves you lonely ever again. He did the work to redeem you and he will do the work to preserve you.
Know ye not that ye are the temple [3485 naos] of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple [3485 naon] of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple [3485 naos] of God is holy [40 hagios], which temple ye are. (1 Corinthians 3:16-17)
Know ye not. The phrase is used by St. Paul in this Epistle to emphasize important truths, as in 1 Corinthians 5:6; 1 Corinthians 6:2,.9, 15; 9:13, 24. Out of this Epistle it only occurs in Romans 6:16; Romans 11:2. – Pulpit Commentary
That ye are the temple of God. “Ye,” both collectively (Ephesians 2:21) and individually; “God’s shrine;” not built for men’s glory. The word “temple” in the Old Testament always means the material temple; in the Gospels our Lord “spake of the temple of his body;” in the rest of the New Testament the body of every baptized Christian is the temple of God (1 Corinthians 6:16), because “God dwelleth in him” (1 John 4:16; comp. John 14:23). In another aspect Christians can be regarded as “living stones in one spiritual house” (1 Peter 2:5). The temple; rather, the shrine (uses) wherein God dwells (naiei), and which is the holiest part of the temple (hieron). – Pulpit Commentary
You are the temple of God, He paid the price
God can dwell in your body as his temple because he has paid the price. He has paid the price for your sins with his own body on the cross. Now, he has the right to live with you unless you reject him.
What? know ye not that your body is the temple [3485 naos] of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
(1 Corinthians 6:19, 20) What? know ye not …?–These verses read better rendered thus: Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you? Which you have from God, and you are not your own. For you were bought with a price. Glorify God then in your body. –Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
not your own—The fornicator treats his body as if it were “his own,” to give to a harlot if he pleases (1Co 6:18; compare 1Co 6:20). But we have no right to alienate our body which is the Lord’s. In ancient servitude the person of the servant was wholly the property of the master, not his own. Purchase was one of the ways of acquiring a slave. Man has sold himself to sin (1Ki 21:20; Ro 7:14). Christ buys him to Himself, to serve Him (Ro 6:16-22). –Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
You are the temple of God, a part of the whole
And, you are never alone. God has designed the temple to be composed of living stones working together in love.
Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints [40 hagiōn], and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy [40 hagion] temple [3485 naon] in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. (Ephesians 2:19-22)
Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God. (Colossians 2:18-19)
Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Christ Himself, who is the head. (Ephesians 4:15)
so that, if I am delayed, you will know how each one must conduct himself in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth. (1 Timothy 3:15)
You are the temple of God, preserved in confident hope
After you accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal savior, you have been bought with a price and added as a living stone to the temple of God. You are not your own anymore. He has promised to keep you safe and secure forever.
But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.) And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God. The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you. (Romans 8:9-11 NLT)
Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house. For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house. For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God. And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after; But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end. (Hebrews 3:1-6)
I hope and pray that these are life-changing concepts. If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your personal savior, you are the temple of the Holy Spirit. God dwells within you. So, what are you doing with him? Are you walking as if God was inside you? Or, are you walking as if you are the boss? Are you dragging God through your mud in sins of outlandish pride, stubborn rebellion, wanton violence, putrid perversion, and drunken carousing. Or, are you worshipping God in your body?
According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. (1 Corinthians 3:10-15; Isaiah 28:14-22; 1 Peter 2:4-12)
I can picture a scene in heaven where we’re all pushing huge wheelbarrows full of the results of our labor. And, mine is piled high with wood, hay, and some stubble. We see a bright light up ahead as we inch forward in line. Then, word starts slowly passing down the line. Each person whispering to the next. Fire! They’re burning everything. You can only take whatever doesn’t burn. And, I look at my pitiful handful of gold, silver, and precious stones. Oh Lord, the tears you will need to wipe away. Stop sowing to the flesh. Start sowing to the spirit.