Temple – Past, Present, Future

Fred R. Coulter - November 10, 2001

Now I’m going to talk about the temple – past, present, and future. Let’s first look at past and future in Matthew 24. This is very interesting. And lots of times you read through things and it goes right over your head, or you’re so involved in it that you miss what it’s saying. Now have you ever done that with a letter or a contract or something? Now if you do it with a contract and then you have a complaint and you take it to the people you have the contract with, and they say, “Well did you read it?” “Yes, I read it.” “Well did you read this section here?” “No, I don’t remember that.” “Well it does say this.” Now it’s the same way in the scriptures.

Verse 1, this has to do with the temple. “And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and His disciples came to Him for to shew Him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? Verily I say unto you, there shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down” (Matt. 24:1-2). Now come over here and read verse 35. “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away.”

The stones had to be thrown down. Why do we have the Western Wailing Wall? Some have said those stones are yet to be thrown down. We will see something else. So this is going to be kind of a New Testament “Rest of the Story”, not a Paul Harvey version. Ok?

Now we come back here to verse 13, and let’s read this. First of all, He says it’s going to be not one stone left upon another. And we’re going to see that was a huge, gigantic project to do that. Verse 13, “But he that shall endure to the end,…” Now, here we go, clear forward to the end time, right? “…The same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for all witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” Now verse 15, this is still talking about the end. In the end, “When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place,…” What does this tell us? It’s going to be rebuilt. If it’s torn down, and there’s not one stone left upon another, how are you going to have a holy place in the temple when it’s destroyed, unless it be rebuilt? So this gives us a clue. It’s going to be rebuilt.

Notice the next statement there. And this was written by Matthew, or by the apostle John and the apostles who were still living at his time when they canonized the New Testament. Because in speaking, Jesus did not say, “…whoso readeth let him understand:)…” (vs. 15). You see, that’s why it’s in parentheses. It’s a parenthetical statement, which means, you’re going to have to think on this to understand it, and may God give you the understanding as you read it. And I think with this we understand a little bit more.

Now before we go any… well, let’s look at the abomination that makes desolate. Let’s come to 2 Thessalonians 2. Now there was a type of it with Antiochus Epihpanes, and he did take swine and offer it on the altar of God. No doubt about it. When we come to 2 Thessalonians 2, we are talking about the return of Christ. Which is when? At the end. Now let’s notice what he wrote here. Let’s begin right in verse 1. “Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto Him, that ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter…” And that means by spirit, being a demon; by word, that means by a message; or by letter, which means by epistle. That is the word in the Greek - epistle. “…As from us,…” So there were actually those then at that time sending out counterfeit epistles. Now you know why the apostles had to canonize it themselves. It wasn’t left three hundred or four hundred years later by oral tradition. Not on a bet.

“…As that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away [an apostasy] first,…” (2 Thes. 2:1-3). And this means an apostasy from everything that is God. Not just someone leaving the Church of God, not just Protestant churches falling away. But it means everything having to do with God. The whole world is going to apostatize from it. Because they are going to accept the Man of Sin, the son of perdition, as God. Now let’s read it here.

So first of all, there’s going to be the apostasy of everything away from God. That means all religions, period. Verse 3, “…And that man of sin be revealed…” So he’s going to be revealed. It’s not going to be a secret. It is going to be known. “…The son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God,…” Now we just read some of that back in Revelation 13 before we started the sermon here. “…Or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God” (vs. 3-4). Now that is the abomination that makes desolate. And Paul, when he wrote this, wrote “temple,” because the temple in Jerusalem had not yet been destroyed. So he means temple. So we see with this, there will be a temple built.

Now, we’ll get to Revelation a little later. Let’s go back and let’s look at some things, a little bit of the history of the temple and tabernacle, and what happened, and where it was built. Because we are going to find that the Western Wailing Wall and where the Dome of the Rock is, the Mosque of Omar is, is not where the temple was. So that answers the questions why those stones are still there. So we’ll get in a little more detail to it when we get there.

Let’s go back and let’s see in Genesis 14. Now, this is by Jewish tradition, so we will have to say that we don’t know whether this is entirely accurate or not, but it very well may be. Not all Jewish tradition falls into the category of being a fable. Now here we have Melchizedek. Genesis 14:18, “And Melchizedek king of Salem…” And when we go to Hebrews 7, we know that has to be Christ, the one Who was the Lord God of the Old Testament, and also in this case, the one Who was Melchizedek, king of Salem. “…Brought forth bread and wine…” So He was also a priest. Because it was sworn of Christ, that “You will be a priest after the order of Melchizedek forever,” (Hebrews 7:21, paraphrased).

He, “…brought forth bread and wine: and He was the priest of the Most High God. And He blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: and blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave Him tithes of all” (vs. 18-20). Now at that time, God did send them to fight. Since Christ, we don’t fight because the Kingdom is not of this world. Now the tradition is this: that where the temple was later built, that’s where Melchizedek met Abraham and gave him the bread and wine. Now that’s tradition. We don’t know whether that is absolutely true or not, but at least it gives us some background getting into the thing concerning the temple.

Now let’s come to Genesis 22, because here’s another thing in Jewish tradition which tells us that this was also at the place where the temple was later built. So let’s go there. Genesis 22, and let’s begin right here in verse one. I won’t go through the whole thing, You have the whole account there - we’ve gone through many times, and you can read of that in The Christian Passover book in great detail. Now verse 1, “And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt [test] Abraham,…” Or, prove him, or try him, because God tempts no man. “…And said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold here I am. And He said, Take now thy son, thy only son Isaac,…” And that’s the source of the problem with the Arabs, you know of course, don’t you. “…Whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of .”

So, one of the mountains of Moriah. Now we even have a song today, don’t we? “Moriah.” You know. They claimed that one of the mountains of Moriah was where the temple was later built. Could possibly be.

Now when God first called Israel out of Egypt - let’s go to Exodus 25 - He did not have them built Him a temple. And when you study the Bible, and when you look in history, and even in the history of the Church of God, whenever anybody gets into temple building business they get in trouble, don’t they? I mean, look at Solomon. Look at Rehoboam. Because God does not dwell in temples made with hands. Because everything you could build a temple with, He’s already created. So what big thing have you done for God? Nothing. That’s why He says He’ll look to someone who has a contrite spirit and a humble heart and trembles at His word, because that’s more valuable than any temple you could build for God. And besides, with the Holy Spirit today, we are the temple of God, spiritually speaking. And when they built the third temple in Jerusalem, guess what it’s going to do? It’s going to get them in trouble.

Now here is what God told them to do. To build a tabernacle. Let’s begin right here in verse 1. “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring Me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take My offering. And this is the offering which ye shall take of them;…” Now isn’t it interesting - God commands it, but He wants you to do it willingly. Does that sound familiar? Yes. “…Gold, and silver, and brass, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats’ hair, and rams’ skins dyed red, and badgers’ skins, and shittim wood, oil for the light, spices for anointing oil, and for sweet incense, onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod, and in the breastplate. And let them make Me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them” (Exodus 25:1-8). God wanted to dwell with His people.

Now I promised next year also the slides again of the tabernacle. I promised I’d do that every five years, so next year at the Feast of Tabernacles, the fifth year is coming on it. So I’ll do that. How many have seen that? All you haven’t seen it? Oh my. I will show it. It’s really quite amazing. There was a Levitical Jew who did a model of the tabernacle and all the implements, and all the robes and everything. It’s really quite a fantastic work.

But the point is, God wants to dwell with His people. But what happened with Israel? They said, “No, God, we don’t want You to dwell with us.” Nevertheless, He said that He would put His presence in the temple. Nevertheless, He said that they could go ahead and build the tabernacle. Now let’s see, let’s come to Exodus 40, and let’s see where the tabernacle was raised up. Let’s begin right here in verse 17. “And it came to pass in the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month, that the tabernacle was reared up.” And it gives all the instructions how Moses did it. After he got it done, let’s come down here to verse 33. “And he reared up the court round about the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the hanging of a court gate. So Moses finished the work.” Now obviously, Moses didn’t do this alone. Obviously the ones who were Levites helped him with it.

Verse 34, “Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.” So God made it evident to everyone that His presence was there, in the tabernacle. And wherever that tabernacle was, that’s where God put His presence. “And when the cloud that was over it was taken up from over the tabernacle, the children of Israel went onward in all their journeys: but if the cloud were not taken up, then they journeyed not until the day that it was taken up. For the cloud of the LORD was upon the tabernacle by day, and fire was on it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys” (vs. 34-38).

And yet they rebelled against God. I mean, you think about these three witnesses: 1) the manna, 2) the cloud, 3) the pillar of fire, and they still doubted that God was with them. It’s amazing isn’t it? Is human nature hard headed or not? Yes.

Ok. Well, let’s first of all go to Joshua. Then we’ll go to 1 Samuel. Joshua 18, so we can get a little history. Well, after they journeyed with the tabernacle, and you know what happened when Jericho fell. They sent the priest out ahead blowing the trumpets. Then on the seventh day all the people went out, gave a yell, the walls of Jericho fell in. Well, they used…God used the Ark of the Covenant when they went to battle to show that this was God’s battle. Now we’ll see how that was abused later during the days of Eli the priest and his two sons, Hophni and Phineas.

Now here in Joshua 18:10, “And Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the LORD: and there Joshua divided the land unto the children of Israel according to their divisions.” And that’s where they set up the tabernacle, in Shiloh. Let’s go back to verse one. Thank you. “And the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh, and set up the tabernacle of the congregation there.” Later, because of sin, God destroyed it. He destroyed the area. He didn’t destroy the tabernacle. But because of the sin of Eli and his two sons, Hophni and Phineas, the Ark of the Covenant was captured by the Philistines, and they took it and kept it. You know what happened there. God took care of them. You know, hemorrhoids and mice? You know? And that was before the days of Preparation H, so it was really bad news.

Finally they put it on a cart and sent it out. They learn the lesson from God. And it stayed Kirjath-Jearim. Then David wanted to bring the Ark up to Jerusalem. Well, the first time, he said, “Well, let’s get a cart and let’s do it.” And then Uzzah put his hand on the Ark of the Covenant, and he was stricken dead. And of course, David was upset because, why would God do that? A lot of people don't understand it. Uzzah was not a Levite, and God said that only the Levites should carry it, not put it in a cart.

So David lamented, and finally God revealed to him, “Get the Levites,” you know. Get the Levites. So they carried it in, and brought it in, and they brought it and put it in David’s house. And there he made a special tabernacle. Meanwhile, the rest of the tabernacle was up in Gibeon. And up in Gibeon is where they offered the burnt offerings and so forth, and sin offerings. Whereas, down at the tabernacle where the Ark of the Covenant was, David had - I forget which priest it was - I think it was Zadok. And they offered there incense offerings, and they didn’t have the full array of offerings like they had at the tabernacle. So here we have this period of separation during the reign of David.

Now let’s come to 2 Samuel 7:1, “And it came to pass, when the king sat in his house, and the LORD had given him rest round about from all his enemies; that the king said unto Nathan the prophet, See now, I dwell in an house of cedar,…” And this was the City of David. And the City of David was next to where the temple would be built. Now we’ll get into that in just a little bit. He said, “…See now, I dwell in an house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains.” So he had this little tent there. “…And Nathan said to the king, Go, do all that is in thine heart; for the LORD is with thee. And it came to pass that night,…” Now this is really a tremendous, tremendous prophecy when you read this and understand it. “…That the word of the LORD came unto Nathan, saying, Go and tell my servant David, Thus saith the LORD, Shalt thou build Me an house for Me to dwell in? Whereas I have not dwelt in any house since the time that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle. In all the places wherein I have walked with the children of Israel spake I a word with any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to feed My people Israel, saying, Why build ye not Me an house of cedar?” (2 Sam. 7:1-7).

“Now therefore so shalt thou say unto My servant David, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My people, over Israel: and I was with thee whithersoever thou wentest, and have cut off all thine enemies out of thy sight, and have made thee a great name, like unto the name of the great men that are in the earth. Moreover…” Verse 10 is a key verse, not for the tabernacle, but a key verse to understand something very profound. “Moreover I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and will plant them…” (vs. 8-10).

Now at the time this prophecy was given, all of the 12 tribes were united under the kingship of David and were in their inheritance. And remember, “Israel” refers to the 10 northern tribes. Because when David was first coronated king, he was coronated king over Judah, and was king over Judah for seven years. Then when he fought more of the enemy and put them to rout, then the elders of the 10 northern tribes came down to him and said, “We will be at one with you.” So they had another coronation, and David was king over all 12 tribes for 33 years, a total of 40, being seven in Hebron and 33 years in Jerusalem, or the City of David.

So when God says, “I will appoint a place for My people Israel,” (verse 10), this was a prophecy that they would be sent somewhere else at a later date. And this is a key thing to understand when we're talking about the United States and Britain in prophecy. We are in that place. We are the descendants of Israel. Now a lot of people don’t like that, the Jews especially, because they have taken to themselves the whole inheritance of all 12 tribes, which is not proper. They say that the 10 tribes were absorbed into the Gentiles, and God said he would pass them through many nations and not lose one seed. Ok, just in passing.

Verse 10, “…That they may dwell in a place of their own, and move no more; neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any more, as beforetime, and as since the time that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel, and have caused thee to rest from all thine enemies. Also the LORD telleth thee that He will make thee an house” (vs. 10-11). And then the rest of it is that Solomon would be the one who would build the house, because David was a bloody man.

Now, let’s come to 1 Chronicles 21. And here we see the selection of the temple site. And we’re going to see that it was selected after David repented of one of his most grievous sins. 1 Chronicles 21, let’s read verse 1, “And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.” Well the rest of the story is, that he said, “Joab, go number them.” He said, “No, you shouldn’t number them. God says don’t number them.” He said, “Joab, go do as I said.” “Nevertheless, God says don’t number them.” So he went out started numbering them, and he quit numbering them.

Now, verse 7, “And God was displeased with this thing; therefore He smote Israel. And David said unto God, I have sinned greatly, because I have done this thing: but now, I beseech Thee, do away the iniquity of Thy servant; for I have done very foolishly. And the LORD spake unto Gad, David’s seer, saying, Go and tell David,… [I offer you three things; choose which one of the three].” So he said, verse 12, “Either three years’ of famine; or three months to be destroyed before thy foes, while that the sword of thine enemies overtaketh thee; or else three days the sword of the LORD, even the pestilence, in the land, and the angel of the LORD destroying throughout all the coasts of Israel.” So David said, verse 13, unto God, “…I am in a great straight: let me now fall into the hand of the LORD; for great are His mercies: but let me not fall into the hand of man” (vs. 7-13).

So the pestilence came, the pestilence was stayed when David repented. Seventy thousand of the children of Israel died. A key lesson: When a leader sins, people suffer. David repented. Verse 18, “Then the angel of the LORD commanded Gad to say to David, that David should go up, and set up an altar unto the LORD in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.” That’s another name for Jerusalem. So he went up and he bought it. Verse 25, Ornan was willing to give it to him, but he refused to have it given to him. So he gave him 600 shekels of silver…of gold by weight.”

Verse 26, “And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called upon the name of the LORD; and He answered him from heaven by fire upon the altar of the burnt offering. And the LORD commanded the angel; and he put up his sword again into the sheath thereof. At that time when David saw that the LORD had answered him in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite, then he sacrificed there. For the tabernacle of the LORD, which Moses made in the wilderness, and the altar of the burnt offering, were at that season in the high place at Gibeon. But David could not go before it to inquire of God: for he was afraid because of the sword of the angel of the LORD” (vs. 26-30). So that’s quite a story, upon sin and repentance and God shows him the place where the temple would be built.

Then we have the story of his son Solomon, who was told to build the temple. Solomon built the temple. Quite a splendorous thing indeed. However, we will have to say this: God did give David all the plans. He gave the plans and a lot of gold and silver and iron and different things that he stored up for the building of the temple, and gave them to Solomon. And he said, “Be strong, be courageous, build the house of God, for God is with you.” And so Solomon built the temple.

Now, let’s come over to 2 Chronicles 5. So we see in Kings that the dedication of the temple was seven days, and that went from Trumpets through the seventh day, then they had three days off, leading up to Atonement, and then they had five more days before the Feast of Tabernacles. But let’s look at what happened on this Feast of Tabernacles here. Verse 2, “Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the chief of the fathers of the children of Israel, unto Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the city of David…” And then, of course, they brought the other things from Gibeon to be put into the storage there.

Verse 3, “Wherefore all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto the king in the feast which was in the seventh month. And all the elders of Israel came; and the Levites took up the ark. And they brought up the ark, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and all the holy vessels that were in the tabernacle, these did the priests and the Levites bring up. Also king Solomon, and all the congregation of Israel that were assembled unto him before the ark, sacrificed sheep and oxen, which could not be told nor numbered for multitude. And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the LORD unto His place, to the oracle of the house, the into the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubims: for the cherubims spread forth their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubims covered the ark and the staves thereof above” (vs.3-8).

Then they drew out the staves; they left it there. “There was nothing in the ark save the two tables which Moses put therein at Horeb, when the LORD made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of Egypt.” And of course, the rod that budded, that was of Aaron. Now verse 11, “And it came to pass,…” This is quite a ceremony. “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…” Then it lists all the families of them. “…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:)” (vs. 10-12). Fitting day for God coming, right, to His temple, Feast of Trumpets?

Verse 13, “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 music, 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” (vs. 13-14). Now, to show them that it was the same God who filled the tabernacle with His glory when the tabernacle was reared up. So there we have the temple.

Now then, they sinned. They were sent off into captivity. Nebuchadnezzar came and destroyed the temple. He did not take down every stone. He just destroyed the temple. When they came back out of the captivity, they were to rebuild the second temple. Now let’s come to the book of Haggai. You go back - Matthew, Malachi, Zechariah, Haggai. Here they are told to build the house. And we’re going to see that it was really kind of a small temple. Very small. That’s why later, in the days of Christ, Herod, who wanted to really get along with the Jews - he was half Jew and half Idumean. Herod the Great. He had this big building program for Jerusalem. And he got all the Levites to add to the temple, to put up a magnificent stones and things like that.

But when they rebuilt the second temple, God told them to rebuild it. Now let’s pick it up here in verse 12 of Haggai chapter one. “Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the LORD their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the LORD their God had sent him, and the people did fear before the LORD. Then spake Haggai the LORD’S messenger in the LORD’S message unto the people, saying, I am with you saith the LORD.” Now this also tells us another thing. They will not build the temple in Jerusalem until it’s time for God to let it be built. So then, Haggai, He said, “I am with you. And the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua at the son of Josedech, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and did work in the house of the LORD of hosts, their God, and the four and twentieth day of the six month, in the second year of Darius the king.” So they started. (Hag. 1:12-15).

Now notice chapter 2:1, “In the seventh month, in the one and twentieth day of the month,…” Now what day is that? Seventh month. The Last Great Day. “…Came the word of the LORD by the prophet Haggai, saying, Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and to the residue of the people, saying, Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory? And how do ye see it now? Is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing?” (Hag. 2:1-3). A very small one. So I think that what’s going to happen is that the temple that’s going to be built in Jerusalem, will not be a gigantic one. And if they build it in the right place, it won’t conflict with the Mosque of Omar, or the El Asqa Mosque.