Daniel 9:27 is one of the most critical verses referring to the covenant the Anti-Christ will make with the Jews to build a Jewish Temple in the Great Tribulation or the 70th week of Daniel. In this verse it first says he (the Anti-Christ or the Beast) probably with the help of the False Prophet or the Beast out of the Land will make a covenant with many meaning the Jewish people and nation of Israel for one week of 7 years. The verse then says that in the midst of the week the Anti-Christ will make the covenant and oblation to cease implying that they will be going for some time by then probably since the Anti-Christ made the covenant with the Jews three and a half years earlier at the beginning of the 7 year Tribulation or 70th week of Daniel.
The Anti-Christ will then cause an overspreading of abomination which in the New Testament is revealed to be the Anti-Christ ceasing the Jewish animal sacrifices and Temple worship and installing himself in the temple probably in the holy place and presenting himself as God and constraining all people Jews and people of the nations (Gentiles) to worship him. This scripture in Daniel 9 is a as follows:
And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. Daniel 9:27
In early December 2023 there started to appear some postings on social media and perhaps some other places advocating for more Jewish rights on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem or what Muslims call Al Aqsa Mosque or Haram Al-Sharif. This march was organized by religious or perhaps some national zionists who believe in more complete control of the Holy Land or Land of Israel by Jewish Israelites. This march occurred this year at an otherwise difficult time during the extended operation of Israel to dismantle the Islamic terrorist network Hamas and the associated Muslim terrorist group Islamic Jihad after their surprise terrorist invasion from the Gaza Strip on October 7th. That terrorist operation killed a couple hundred Israelis and foreign guests and took others captive from a music festival held in Israel near the Gaza Strip and the same Hamas led terrorist operation also invaded some Israeli settlements near the Gaza Strip such as one called Beeri and killed some Israelis by invading their homes and killing some in cold blood and kidnapping some others. As of the present date on December 11th there are still about 140 Israeli or foreign hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip or some of these hostages possibly already killed. However, Hamas has released about 100 of the hostages already but in exchange for Israel releasing about three times that many Palestinian Arab terrorist prisoners held by Israel most with Israeli blood on their hands. The Jewish zealous march with fervent Jewish nationalists as well as members of some Jewish Temple Mount group promoters is called March of the Maccabees partly because they, perhaps somewhat rightly, envision themselves as modern day Maccabees fighting for Jewish rights against assimilation by Gentile or non-Jewish powers especially against Jewish religious rights or traditions on the Jewish Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The march was held at 7:30 PM on Thursday December 7th which was on the 24th day of the Jewish month of Kislev which is the 9th month of the Jewish religious calendar. The Jewish religious calendar is the one used in God's word - the Holy Bible. The 24th day of Kislev or this year December 7th is the 1st day of the Jewish holiday of Hannukah. (The holiday of Hannukah is widely celebrated by Jewish people around the world for centuries since some zealous Jews led by the priestly Maccabbee family rose up against the occupying Syrian Greeks who were led by Antiochus Ephiphanes after he desecrated or defiled the altar of the Jewish Temple on the Temple Mount by having a pig which to the Jews is an unclean animal offered on the altar of the Jewish Temple standing on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem at that time. The Maccabbees liberated and cleansed the Jewish Temple at Gentile then Syrian Greek efforts to defile and discontinue or destroy its use as a worship centre to God that the Jews generally call HaShem these days.
The gathering or meeting place for this March of the Maccabees was Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) square or formerly Allenby Square according to the article Israel: Jewish activists to stage protest march through parts of Jerusalem during the evening of Dec. 7 at a global security web site called 24. This square is apparently just outside the walled Old City of Jerusalem near the Damascus Gate which is on the north or north east side of the Old City of Jerusalem. This gate leads to Damascus, Syria from Jerusalem. The march route was supposed to proceed through the Damascus Gate to the Western Wall plaza below the Temple Mount. Jerusalem police did permit this march to go ahead on a number of conditions including that there couldn't be excessively provocative to Arabs or Muslims signs or chants and that the march couldn't proceed past the Western Wall plaza through the Mughrabi gate that leads from the Western Wall plaza to go up to the platform of the Temple Mount. There was allowed up to 200 marchers in this march by the Israeli Jerusalem police. The goals of the marchers of the March of the Maccabees for one according to Beyadenu - Returning to the Temple Mount (one of the groups involved in organzing the march) was as follows: "This is not just another march, not just another protest! Kick out the (Jordanian Islamic) Waqf and restore full Jewish control over the Temple Mount!" Alternatively, on the promotion poster for the march in English the goals of the march are stated as: "Honor our Fallen! Restore Jewish Prayer! Remove the Waqf! Demand Equal Rights!" Although there was some concern and protest that the route would go through the Muslim quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem that is roughly the north east segment of Jerusalem, one more legitimate reason the organizers could have chosen the route for the march through the Damascus Gate is that the Damascus Gate is stated to be the location of the headquarters of the Islamic Waqf that carries out some of the day to day oversight for the Muslims of the Temple Mount and has since the Status Quo agreement was established with Jewish Israeli authorities in 1967 after Israel's victory in the Six Day War over Egypt, Syria and Jordan with the latter nation having authority over the Old City of Jerusalem including the Temple Mount since Israel's independence in 1948. There was no such thing as a state of Palestine referring to Arab land in the Middle East before the six day war in 1967. The PLO (Palestinian Liberation Organization) was established by Yasser Arafat in 1967 probably right after the Israeli victory in the Six Day war in June of that year on the western calendar. The main organizer of the march is a new zealous Jewish Temple Mount access support group called Sons of Mount Moriah founded three months ago or in September 2023 by David Ben Moriah according to the article Far right groups plan march through Jerusalem Old City's Muslim Quarter in the Times of Israel by Jeremy Sharon on December 6, 2023 at link https://www.timesofisrael.com/far-right-groups-plan-march-through-jerusalme-old-citys-muslim-quarter-thursday/ Mention of Sons of Mount Moriah as the main organizer of the March of the Maccabees was also on some other internet articles. (Mount Moriah is where God tested Jewish race founder Abraham to be willing to offer his son Isaac in Genesis 22 and much later on where King Solomon around 1000 BC built the 1st or Solomon's Temple and what became the Temple Mount in 2 Chronicles 3:1.)
A good video lasting about 7 minutes of the March of the Maccabees made by High on the Har that is supportive of the effort of Jewish people to get more rights on the Temple Mount on Youtube is the following: at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntVcHazyhss with name This is what really happened at the so-called ultra-nationalistic Maccabee March ... or at This is what really happened at the so-called ultra-nationalistic Maccabee March
There was some intense or spirited Muslim opposition to this March of the Maccabbees demanding more complete Jewish control over the Temple Mount (that the Muslims call Al Aqsa mosque or Haram Al-Sharif) from several sources. A main opponent of the march was the Islamic terrorist group Hamas. Among other things Hamas spoke concerning this march: a "dangerous attempt to impose Zionist control over Al-Aqsa Mosque" and called on Jerusalem "to take immediate and urgent action, and to assume their historical responsibilities towards what is happening in the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque" as reported in Jerusalem Post article on December 6th with title Temple Mount groups plan "March of the Maccabees" through Jerusalem's Old City. In another article on the then planned March of the Maccabbees that was posted on December 7, 2023 earlier in the day of the march on Israel 365 News they state: "Ahead of the march, Gaza's ruling Hamas terror group issued a statement calling on 'the Arab and Islamic nations and the brothers in the Kingdom of Jordan" to take action against what it described as an 'attempt to impose Zionist control over the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque'". The Israel 365 News article also quoted Hamas' reaction to the march as follows: "'Our people will not allow it - no matter the cost,' Hamas threated on Wednesday, 'We call on our Palestinian people in the West Ban, Jerusalem and the occupied interior (Israel) to mobilize.'" The title of this article was Hamas, PA call to prevent 'extremist' Jerusalem Hanukkah march and is at link" https://www.israel365news.com/380228/hamas-pa-call-to-prevent-extremist-jerusalem-hanukkah-march/. In the same Israel 365 news there is stated a response to the march by the Fatah faction leading the Paletinian Authority under long term leader Mahmoud Abbas as follows: "Meanwhile, the Palestinian Authority called for an 'urgent international and American intervention to stop the extreme right-wing march' and falsely claimed that 'extremist settlers' were planning to etner the mosque on Thursday." In this same Israel 365 news there was stated the reaction of the government of the nation of Jordan to the march as follows: "A spokeksperson for the Jordanian Foreign Ministry said Jerusalem's decision to allow the march to go ahead was an 'unacceptable and provocative step worthy of condemnation.'" Jordan also said in their response: "Amman (the capital city of Jordan) holds 'the Israeli occupation fully responsible for the consequences of this dangerous escalation that coincides with the Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip,' spokesman Sufian al-Qudah stated on Wednesday (December 6, 2023)." There was also some Muslim opposition to the March of the Maccabees in Jerusalem for December 7, 2023 the first day of Hannukah in 2023 as stated in an article with title "Against the background of the war: Police prepare for Maccabees march in Jerusaslem (from Israel Hayom)" in The Limited Times saying: "The march is causing a storm on Arabic social networks, which may lead to clashes between Muslims and the participants." Also in The Limited Times (Israel Hayom) article: "As reported by Israel Hayom, Arabic social networks called on young Muslims to defend the Al-Aqsa Mosque ahead of the Maccabeean March, which will take place this evening and is expected to pass through Damascus Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem. The social networds read in Arabic: 'Al-Aqsa's call is holy,' and 'Move toward your holy temple.'" The Limited Times (Israel Hayom) article also states: "The social networks also wrote in Arabic, referring to the march: 'Judaism at the gates o the Al-Aqsa Mosque, whose goal is to renew absolute Jewish control over Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa.'" An article on the global security web site 24 also stated: "Unconfirmed reports indicate that Palestinian groups may be planning to disrupt the event." and, Israeli "Authorities will undoubtedly deploy very heavy security in affected areas of Jerusalem, including in East Jerusalem, during the planned march. Given the contentious nature of the demonstration against the backdrop of increased tensions from the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, clashes between opposing activist groups are highly likely."
In the end the Jerusalem police did allow the zealous Jewish Temple restoration March of the Maccabees to proceed at the time planned at 7:30 PM Thursday, December 7th, 2023 but with heavy restrictions. The main restrictions to the marchers were that they couldn't proceed with their march up to the top of the Temple Mount and that they couldn't have what could be viewed as too provocative chants or slogans on signs against Arabs or Muslims. However, the march didn't go too far or last too long. There turned out to be about 100 zealous Jewish pro-Jewish Temple marchers. According to an article in the English version of El Pais that I believe is from Spain the article with title: Police break up Jewish ultranationalist march through Muslim quarter of Jerusalem's Old City with link: https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-12-08/police-break-up-jewish-ultranationalist-march-through-muslim-quarter-of-jerusalems-old-city.html it is stated that the march was only able to proceed about 50 metres or about 160 feet (that was probably just around the location of the Damascus Gate of the Old City of Jerusalem. Probably some of the signs of the marchers were too provocative against Arabs with some having slogans such as: "A bullet in the head of every terrorist" or another sign that had a large gold projectile or I think bullet. One of the protesters or marchers also said: "We have to kill all the Arabs." Although I, as a dispensational or bible believing Christian that supports the restoration of Israel or what some people would call a Christian Zionist don't support promotion of killing Arabs or anyone else but instead I believe we as Christians are not to seek revenge and to love those who hate you and pray for them (although I do support the state's rightful use of the death penalty based on Romans 13 and in 1 Peter as well as some Old Testament scriptures (the commandment thou shalt not kill in the 10 commandments mean not for an individual or group of people to take the law in their own hands and murder someone or more than one people but the state was allowed to have people put to death for some offences such as adultery or witchcraft in the statutes of the law in Exodus or Leviticus as in capital punishment by the government of ancient Israel.) However, I do support the Jews' demands to be allowed to rebuild their Jewish Temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. I am fully aware that this third temple will be authorized by the antichrist as in Daniel 9:27 and that he will confiscate this temple from the Jews or Israelites after 3 1/2 years and use it as an enforced worship centre of himself and probably Satan the devil as God in the second 3 1/2 years of the tribulation or 70th week of Daniel. However, I am also aware and in this case support efforts by the Jews to rebuild their Jewish Temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem as I believe it will prepare them to worship the true God Yahweh or God the Father and His true Messiah Jesus of Nazareth or Y'Shua after Jesus (Y'Shua) destroys the devil, Antichrist and present world system and worship of the Antichrist of the devil and beast or antichrist in the tribulation temple at Jesus' Second coming from heaven to earth to judge the world and establish the true God's visible Kingdom over all the Earth. From the beginning of God's visible and Messianic or Millennial Kingdom over all the Earth based in Jerusalem and restored Israel, the true Church and the saved of the nations Jesus (Y'Shua) will rule all the earth from His throne in the holy of holies of the then renovated Jewish temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem as in Zechariah 6:11-15, Zechariah 14, Ezekiel 40-48, Isaiah 2, Haggai 2, Amos 9, Acts 15, Micah 4, Matthew 23:37-39 etc. The El Pais article says that the Jerusalem police stopped the march and took away the signs of the March of the Maccabees marchers. The article went on to say: "There was a bit of a struggle, but no altercations." According to the El Pais article the protesters (marchers) were accused of police of "'violating' the agreement for the march with 'racist chants' and then trying to advance without permission, according to a statement." The El Pais article stated about one of the Temple restoration marchers: "'We are going to march, just as we marched 2,000 years ago,' said Yehuda Sherez, 63, at the rally, referring to the goal of recovering what Jews considr the Temple Mount, a place revered above the Wailing Wall in Judaism and which today holds the esplanade of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third-holist site for Muslims. 'Let them take everything to Mecca. We'll help them.' he said with a big smile through his long grey beard.'" The El Pais article also mentions two teenage Israeli Jewish girls who participated in the march and their comments as follows: "Sisters Atara, 16, Arial Servatien, 21 who are both originally from the United States, criticized the Israeli government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for not taking strong enough action against Arabs. 'They destroyed our temple, now let them decolonize it,' they said, while covered with Israeli flags. The sisters did not opposed the destruction of the mosques and the rest of the buildings on the esplanade." The El Pais article does sum up the gist of the goals of the marchers in the March of the Maccabees in a later paragraph of the same article as follows: "The goal of the Israeli extreme right groups was not only to take control over Muslim holy sites, but to put an end to the Jerusalem Waqf, a religious institution in the city that is an organ of the Jordanian monarchy (since the 1994 peace deal of Jordan with Israel). This Islamic religious trust maintains authority over the mosque esplanade, even though Israel has controlled the entire city since 1967. The day chosen for the so-called Maccabees March coincided with the start of Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of lights. The eight-day festival celebrates the Maccabeean Revolt, when the Jewish people regained their independence in the 2nd century BC (from the Syrian Greeks under their leader Antiochus Ephiphanes).
Although this March of the Maccabbees didn't achieve all that it was permitted to do (march to the western wall of the Temple Mount to the gate of the Temple Mount) and certainly didn't achieve as much as I'm sure most if not all the marchers wanted to achieve that is to certainly make their way to the top of The Temple Mount that the Jews call Har HaBayt or the Mount of the House (of the LORD, God or HaShem) if they weren't restricted by the Jerusalem police the marchers did make progress towards their goal of establishing a Jewish temple on the Temple Mount for the 1st time since the Romans destroyed the last Jewish Temple there under Roman general Titus in 70 AD. All that being said, I am confident with this march as part of a trend of increasing zeal of Jews, especially those in Israel, to achieve a more Jewish Israel including more Jewish access and control of the Temple Mount that we are getting quite close to the time or event of the realization of a false Middle East peace involving Israel and probably neighbouring Muslim states and world powers that will feature the permission to the Jews or Jewish Israelites to build their next or 3rd Jewish Temple on the Temple Mount as brokered by Satan the devil's counterfeit of God's Messiah Jesus of Nazareth especially in Jesus coming 2nd coming to Earth and Millennial or Messianic reign over all the Earth based in Jerusalem and the Messianic Kingdom Temple there. For instance the covenant or agreement of the Antichrist or false Christ or false Messiah to allow Israel to build the third or tribulation temple (that this recent March of the Maccabees further prepared the Israeli Jews and other people for) is mentioned in God's word the Holy Bible in the 70 weeks of Daniel, particularly in Daniel 9:27 for the last or 70th week (of seven years) as follows: "And he (the anti-Christ) shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overpreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate (or desolator (the anti-Christ)). The throne or power centre of the true God and true Messiah or Annointed of Israel and King of Kings and Lord of the Church in Jesus of Nazareth or Y'shua HaMashiach as well as the Shekinah glory of God the Father (especially the LORD or HaShem although that also includes Jesus God the Son and God the Holy Spirit) in the true Messianic Kingdom on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem after the consummation of Gentile or non-Jewish history and the full restoration of God's chosen earthly people Israel in their Kingdom blessing (with the saved of the nations and the true Church or true Christians) in Micah 4:1-3 is as follows: "But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house (Har HaBayt) of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it. And many nations shall come, and say, come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks; nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more." Although this March of the Maccabees didn't get substantial news coverage by the mass media or even by some other media, it nevertheless did occur and quite recently in Jerusalem. With that in mind and in view of many other critical events or situations often also of bible prophecy significance I would urge the reader, if you haven't done so alredy, to as soon as possible trust in the Lord Jesus Christ (Adonia Y'Shua HaMashiach) as your personal Lord and Saviour and come to know the true God the Father as your heavenly Father in a personal relationship through Jesus (Y'Shua). Trusting or believing in Jesus involves in our heart, not just our head, admitting we are sinners (not perfectly good all the time in thought, motives, words or actions according to God's Word - the Holy Bible) and then praying to and trusting in the true God the God of the Bible through receiving His Messiah or only begotten Son Jesus Christ as the One who came in the form of a sinless man through the virgin birth and then died on the cross for our sins and then rose again from the dead on the third day so we can be reconciled to God and have God's eternal life and an assured eternal home with God in heaven if we trust in Jesus. If you have in this New Testament or New Covenant way trusted in Jesus or if you do shortly you can join the rest of true Christians or the true Church (God's chosen heavenly or spiritual people through Jesus) to meet Jesus in the air and be taken with Him to our eternal heavenly homes in the (God the Father's house in heaven (John 14:1-3) at the rapture or catching up to heaven of the Church before the 7 year tribulation when Satan through his man the Antichrist, Beast or Man of Sin, he who causes desolation etc. rules the world as God allows and have to endure God's plagues of judgment for people on Earth then as in Revelation 6 to 18 and risk being brought down to hell at the end of the tribulation for those people who enter the tribulation on earth as non-Christians and don't become Christians in the tribulation as in 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12, Matthew 13:24-52. Therefore, I strongly urge the reader to use the recent March of the Maccabbees (and other recent revents in the Holy Land and other parts of the world) as a basis to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour as soon as possible so you can be under God's grace and love and not His wrath and anger if you haven't already.
In early October 2023, during the Feast of Tabernacles and in conjuction with the Water Libation ceremony part of it there was the public debut of the restored Levitical Choir associated with The Temple Institute. This performance took place somewhere in the Old City of Jerusalem, likely between the Pool of Siloam, that is south of the Temple Mount and the Temple Mount itself. I did watch the complete performance on the Youtube channel of The Temple Institute soon after the event happened. (As far as I know it was broadcast live as I did look at the time but couldn't find it. It started at 3:30 on that day probably Israeli time.) Anyway, I personally consider this restoration of the Levitical Choir, and the beginning of them being used in public performances as a personal answer to pray from God in Jesus' name at least in the area of getting more progress of Bible prophecy and the last days restoration of Israel (and I believe the rapture of the Church that will precede the Jews or Israelites actually getting permission to build their next Jewish TEmple on the TEmple Mount in Jerusalem by the Antichrist, false Messiah or the Beast or Man of sin as in Daniel 9:27. Since the prophecy to Daniel of the 70 weeks is given to him and his holy city the Israelites and Jerusalem we believe it implies the Church will be caught up and removed from Earth to heaven before the last week of years of this prophecy that is a reference to the tribulation in Daniel 9:27. Anyway, the actual performance of the Levites or other players such as some of the Jewish priests and some speeches including of the leader and founder of The Temple Institute Rabbi Yisrael Ariel and of a Jewish cantor or lead singer until about the 40 minute mark of the video. The singing and harmony in the singing of The Levitical Choir was generally quite good and they all were wearing white linen garments or robes but also with coloured vests and hats. However, in my opinion, there still needs to be a bit more progress to make their music more authentic in a biblical sense as they were using mostly more modern European musical instruments especially of Jewish klezmer music. I like that type of music fine personally but don't think it is as biblical or genuine for the Jewish Temple music as the instruments that were used before such as the harps, lyres, cymbals, perhaps two-mouthed flutes for the Levites and silver trumpets for Jewish priests who were part of the Levitical choir. There were however some Jewish priests in this ceremony who did have and blow silver trumpets. There was a makeshift altar of sacrifice with a ramp that some priests ascended to put a flask of water from the pool of Siloam (and another flask of red wine) that would be the drink offering of oblation (or perhaps libation) including in Daniel 9:27. Another scripture that mentions the restored Levitical worship in the 1st half of the tribulation in the tribulation temple before the Antichrist or Beast takes it over at the midpoint of the tribulation is Revelation 11:1-2. All of the members of this Levitical Choir are of genuine Levitical lineage and were living in Israel. The music and most of the presentation was in Hebrew and some of the songs of the Levites sang were those they were shown practicing earlier this year on the Facebook account of The Temple Institute such as of Psalms 113-118 that is sometimes called the Grand Hallel or Great Praise and are apparently especially sung at Jewish feasts like Passover (Pesach), Pentecost (Shavuot) and Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot).
Since also this aspect of Bible prophecy (the restoration of the Levitical Choir), seems to now have started in earnest and going forward in the last days restoration of Israel, I would urge the reader, if you haven't already done so to as soon as possible trust in God's Son the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour. (To trust in Jesus as your personal Lord and Saviour included to admit to God that you (as all of us humans are) a sinner in His sight and according to His word the Holy Bible by practice and nature (inheriting a sinful nature from our first parents Adam and Eve after they took of the forbidden fruit and caused the fall into sin and separation from God at the beginning of human history in Genesis 3) and to receive Jesus as your personal Lord and Saviour also means to trust in your heart in Jesus that He died on the cross for your (as each of our) sins and that He rose from the dead the third day to enable you to have God's resurrection, restored and eternal life and an eternal home in heaven. If you trust in the Lord Jesus as your personal Lord and Saviour before the rapture of the Church and immediately following beginning of the seven year tribulation you can also be part of the true Church and be raptured or caught up to heaven with Jesus and all the true Church in new spiritual, immortal or heavenly bodies and escape being on Earth during the plagues and Satanic dictatorial worldwide rule of the Antichrist or Beast but instead also come with Jesus at the end of the tribulation when He comes to judge the world and establish His and God the Father's and the HOly Spirit's visible rule and Kingdom over all the Earth based in earthly Jerusalem with restored Israel and the saved of the nations.
The video showing this first public performance of the Levitical Choir associated with the Temple Institute in the Old City of Jerusalem during the Feast of Tabernacles 2023 is at The Temple Institute Youtube channel with title: Water Libation Reenactment (Nisuch Hamayin) 5784/2023 at link:
Levitical Choir Public PerformanceI just found out recently that there was a French Jewish woman named Susan Haik Vantoura who likely discovered the music of the Psalms and the Levitical choir and wrote about it in her epic book Music of the Bible Revealed. She was an accomplished musician, especially in musical theory, and achieved some first class honours in the music conservatory in Paris France. She released her discovery around the 1970s to 1990s and passed away I believe in the year 2000. Even when she was younger during World War 2 she wasn't satisfied with the apparently usual explanation by Rabinic or mainstream Judaism that the extra marks besides those for vowels above and below the Hebrew letters in the main text of the Masoretic Hebrew Bible and just marks for the metre of the Psalms as claimed for centuries by the rabinic Jews including the cantors or singers at their synagogues. After she examined this text of the Hebrew Masoretic Bible more carefully for some time she announced her claim and support for it that these additional marks above and below the main lines of text in the Masoretic Hebrew Bible were instead actually the scale and particular notes for the melodies associated with the words of the Psalms as they were sung before and could be sung again by the Levitical choir in the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. She also said and showed that there are similiar marks above and below the main text of the Masoretic Bible for the scale and musical notes for all the rest of the Hebrew Bible or the Old Testament and that this notation could be read by some people besides the Levitical choir in Bible days going back to the time of Moses and that this enabled the Jews to pass down to future generations orally by singing not just speaking the words and scriptures of the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament. This was in addition to the use by the Levitical choir of these marks, especially in the book of Psalms and some other scriptures like the Aaron blessing in Numbers 6, to pass down and apply in the musical worship of the LORD in the Jewish Temple the melodies as well as the words of the these parts of the scriptures.
Although there are some people or associations that still dispute this interpretation by Susan Haik Vantoura and the marks besides those for vowels above or below the main text in the Hebrew Masoretic Bible text there are many who do support her interpretation also partly because the music produced this way usually matched the mood of the words in the Psalms such as whether it is a lamentation, rejoicing, just general statements or other mood in those scriptures. There are samples of application of her interpretation scheme, including Psalm 23, Psalm 148, 24, 150 and some others and of some other parts of the Old Testament or Hebrew scriptures available for the public to listen to on Youtube with or without singing on Youtube and other places on the internet. I am not an expert in Jewish or other music but I have some familiarity with Jewish and some other music and in listening to some samples on Youtube or elsewhere claimed to be based on Ms Vantoura's framework for interpreting this notation in the Hebrew Bible I can personally support the claim that this music does sound authentically like ancient Jewish music. It has been thought by many people and is still thought still by many but not quite as many people whether Jewish, Christian or other that the melodies or notation for the music of the Levitical choir was lost or destroyed when the armies of the Roman Empire destroyed the Second or Herod's Temple with Jerusalem by fire in 70 AD as they were probably stored in the Jewish Temple on the Temple Mount there at that time. But actually it seems to turn out that they were salvaged and not long after that destruction of Jerusalem written down in the Bible text of the Hebrew Bible in the Masoretic version.
Among other things this means that I or other people who support it likely don't have to worry about seeking where to find or worrying whether it could be found of the music or musical notation of the music in the Psalms for use by the Levitical choir for use in the musical worship in the first part of the Third or tribulation Temple or in the last part of the Third Temple or the Fourth Temple in the Messianic or Millennial Temple and that the progress in restoring the Levitical Choir such as by the new Levitical Choir Academy by The Temple Institute doesn't have to be hindred by lack of music of the melodies of the Psalms or other scriptures for use in musical worship of God in the soon to be rebuilt Jewish Temple of the Levitical choir on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. (However it is true that this Levitical choir and Levitical priesthood will be removed from service to God or the LORD from the tribulation or that part of the Third Temple at the midpoint of the 7 year tribulation by the Antichrist, Beast, Man of Sin or he who causes desolation when he takes over that temple for the worship of himself as God for the second half of the tribulation until He is defeated by the true Messiah of God Jesus of Nazareth at Jesus' second coming from heaven to earth at the end of the tribulation. Jesus' Second Coming in glory will bring about the judgment of the world including demons and the Antichrist and False Prophet as well as people still in their sins and the establishment over all the Earth of the visible Kingdom of God based in Jerusalem with restored Israel or the restored Jews, the saved of the nations and the true Church that latter of which will come with Jesus to Earth from heaven at His Second glorious coming at the end of the tribulation. This all according to the scriptures in Daniel 9:27, the first half of the tribulation temple in Revelation 11:1-2 and the second half of the tribulation temple in Matthew 24:15, 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4, Revelation 13, Daniel 12 etc.
Since these things are likely sooner to be set in motion with the Jews or Israelites already having the music for the soon to be restored Levitical choir in the musical system of Susan Haik Vantoura that could also be used in the musical worship of the LORD or HaShem in the 1st half of the tribulation as well as the Messianic or Millennial Kingdom I encourage the reader here to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as soon as possible as your personal Lord and Saviour if you haven't already done so. Trusting in Jesus especially involves admitting in your heart and to God in prayer in Jesus' name that you as well as myself and all other human beings are sinners or not perfectly good or righteous in His sight and according to His word the Holy Bible and that God sent His only begotten Son Jesus or Y'Shua to take on the nature of man but without sin from the virgin birth and then die as a sinless sacrifice on the cross for all our sins and then on the third day rise from the dead so we who trust in Jesus can also forevermore live in God's resurrection and restored eternal life and have a home with Him in heaven for the life to come. Trusting in Jesus by now or as soon as possible will also ensure a person can take part in the rapture or catching up to heaven to be with Jesus with the rest of the true Church as in John 14:1-3, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, 1 Corinthians 15:51-58, Philippians 3:20-21 just before the 7 year tribulation or 70th week of Daniel starts and not be left behind on earth to be forced to endure Earth's and humanity's worst time in history in the wrath and judgments of God and tyrannical rule of the devil's man the Antichrist or Beast during those seven years until Jesus on behalf of God the Father takes back this world and its rule at the end of the tribulation and shares that rule with His saints or restored people of all ages from the effects of sin and separation of human beings from God going back to man's first rebellion against God in taking the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden in Genesis 3.
Earlier in 2023 the Temple Institute in Israel that seeks to rebuild the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem and re-establish the Levitical worship there announced they had formed the beginning of a Levitical choir to have the musical worship in the soon to be rebuilt Jewish Temple. (As an evangelical and dispensastionalist Christian I overall see the restoration by the Jews of their temple worship as a good thing. I know there will be some very bad use of this temple (but not with genuine Jewish worship in the 2nd half of the 7 year tribulation or 2nd half of the 70th week of Daniel after the rapture of the true Church.) What The Temple Institute and this beginning of the Levitical choir are preparing for first will lead to an agreement between them and the rest of Israel and some of the nations with the Antichrist or false Messiah to start the tribulation to allow these Jewish Temple restoration seeking Jews or Israelites to rebuild their Jewish Temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem and restore the Temple service as in the first part of Daniel 9:27 and Revelation 11:1-2 including the musicial worship of the LORD by the Levitical choir.
However at the mid point of the tribulation they will be kicked out of that temple by the antichrist (he who causes abomination or the beast or man of sin as in Daniel 9:27, Matthew 24:15, 2 Thessalonians 2, Revelation 13). When the Antichrist or Man of Sin or Beast out of the Sea kicks these Jews including the restored Levitical choir off the Temple Mount the Antichrist and Satan through the Antichrist will take over the tribulation temple and the Antichrist will likely sit in the holy of holies and compel all people then on earth to worship him as God or go into hiding or be killed. This is the coming bad use of the desire by the Jews for a rebuilt temple but this will be put to an end by the coming of the true Messiah from heaven in the person of the Son of God Jesus of Nazareth the son of David.
Jesus will then be the visible King over all the Earth reigning from the then rebuilt Jewish temple around the Temple Mount in Jerusalem in a much grander temple probably in the holy of holies as in Ezekiel 40-48, Zechariah 14, Zechariah 6:11-15, Isaiah 2:1-4, Matthew 23:37-39, Psalm 118:19-26-27-29. This Messianic or Millennial Kingdom and Temple worship is why I and some other evangelical Christians and Messianic Jews still support the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple despite understanding that it will be defiled by the Antichrist forcing people to worship him there before the true Messiah of Israel and Saviour of the world Jesus of Nazareth comes from heaven with His true Church, defeats the Antichrist and Satan and the world system and Jesus becomes visible Saviour of the world and God incarnate in then also political victory over the world and reigns from the holy of holies of the Millennial or Messianic Kingdom in Jerusalem. (It's true that some references in the New Testament says there will be no more animal sacrifices to cover sins after Jesus died on the cross to take away our sins but some of these prophecies about a Messianic Kingdom Temple and animal sacrifices then and there have not been fulfilled but would still be consistent with memorials or object lessons for God's physical and earthly people the Jews or Israelites as well as the nations' peoples then to remind people or as a memorial of Jesus' once dying Himself on the cross almost two thousand years ago to take away our sins.) So, all that being said I see it as a good thing and progress in God fulfilling Bible prophecy and bringing the time of the pre-tribulation rapture, the tribulation or 70th week of Daniel, but also the Second Coming and Millennial and then eternal Kingdom of Jesus and God the Father and the Holy Spirit closer to fulfillment with progress of the Jews to prepare for their restored Levitical worship of God with the beginnings of a restored Levitical choir to perform in the 3rd Jewish temple. The Levitical choir or the chamber where their linen garments and probably musical instruments will be stored for the Messianic or Millennial Kingdom Temple worship of Adonai Y'Shua HaMashiach or the Lord Jesus Christ the true Messiah are mentioned specifically in Ezekiel 40:44.
All the above being said then, I see it as quite significant that a major Jewish Temple restoration group like The Temple Institute announced earlier this year that they scouted out Israel for Levitical background men who would be willing to form the beginning of a restored Levitical choir and succeeded in recruiting about 20 of them. They are their choir leader or chief musician can be seen practicing some of the Psalms in Hebrew, especially Psalm 114 to 118 the Grand Hallel that were performed at the Jewish festivals of Passover, Shavuot (Pentecost) and Succoth (Feast of Taberacles in Bible times). The Temple Institute announced on their Facebook page, where they also show practice sessions of the begun Levitical choir, that they are fitting members of this now begun to be restored Levitical choir for custom made white linen robes. They may also be training some of them or planning to train some of them to play the musical instruments of the biblical Levitical choir such as harps, lyres and brass cymbals but I haven't heard any mention of that yet. Most recently the Temple Institute on their Facebook web page announced that they plan to have this started to be restored Levitical choir to give its first public performance at Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem this year, likely in connection with The Temple Institute's drills for service of the animal sacrifices and blowing of the silver trumpets by some of the restored Levitical Jewish priests as they have done for several years now. The Levitical choir and more of the music worship of the LORD (the divine trinity but especially God the Father but also God the Son the Annointed one of the LORD - Jesus of Nazareth and the Holy Spirit is growing closer as well as the pre-tribulation rapture of all the true Church or true Christians or the Church Age phase of the Kingdom of God.
With all these things in mind, I urge the reader if you haven't already done so to as soon as possibly but sincerely with all your heart admit to the true God the God of the Bible that you are a sinner or not completely good (as I and all already true Christians have already done and regularly do) and receive the Lord Jesus Christ or Adonai Y'Shua HaMashiach in Hebrew as your personal Lord and Saviour and Messiah who died on the cross for our sins to take them away not just cover them and rose from the dead the third day bodily and after 40 days ascended to heaven, then sent His and God the Father's Holy Spirit and that this same Jesus will soon be coming back again first in the air to rapture or catch up His Church to our eternal homes in the Father's house John 14 and then to come with His Church as in Revelation 19 or Zechariah 14 or Acts 1 from heaven to earth to defeat the world system and set up the visible Kingdom of God over all the Earth based in Jerusalem through restored to God and more fully to their land Israel as well as the saved of the I believe 70 Noah nations of Genesis 10.
On Jerusalem Day, which is the anniversary of the Israeli Victory over the Arabs in the 1967 Six Day War, in 2023 there were some zealous or enthusiastic displays for dedication by some Jews and some Christians who supported them on the Temple Mount. (This year Jerusalem Day was on Thursday, May 18, 2023 which of course is not the same as the time of the Six Day war in the western calendar in 1967 when the war occured which was around June 6 or 7th the latter being the day that Israel captured the Old City including the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.) Three members of the Knesset (the national parliament of Israel) of the Likud Party (the party of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu) namely Dan Illouz, Ariel Kallner and Amit Halevi and former Likud member of the Knesset Shuli Moalem ascended to the Temple Mount to commemorate Jerusalem Day. I personally commend or compliment them and other Jews including some other members of the Knesset who went up or ascended to the Temple Mount this year as I as an evangelical Christian who reads all the Bible believe God gave all the land of Israel including the Temple Mount, the location of the former 1st (Solomon's) and 2nd (Zerubbabel's and Herod's) Temples stood on the Temple Mount or Mount Moriah (2 Chronicles 3) on what became the place that the LORD (God especially God the Father) chose to place His name there. One other Likud member of the Knesset (MK) David Bitan criticized the Likud members who went up to the Temple Mount by saying according to an article Likud MK attacks party members who visited Temple Mount - "They've become extremists" in Israel National News the following: "I see as inappropriate the fact that several Likud MKs visited the Temple Mount today,". He went on to say: "That's not what needs to be done. People have become extremists." According to the samed Israel National News article with link: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/371618 MK Illouz replied to his fellow MK and fellow Likud member Bitan as follows: "The Temple Mount is the holiest site for the Jewish people. This is not my first time here, and I'm always moved to visit the Mount. We can not accept the claim that Jewish presence in a certain place, especially not the holiest place to the nation of Israel, is an extreme act." Mr. Illouz continued: "As someone who immigrated to Israel from overseas, to the Jewish state, out of Zionism, I can not accept the claim that the very presence of Jews in a certain place is a provocation. It is unacceptable. I intend to ask G-d at this holy place to work for Jewish unity and the prosperity of the state of Israel." Fellow Likud MK Amit Halevy, who also visited the Temple Mount replied to Likud MK Bitan too by saying: "I'm sure that David Bitan, who I know for quite a few years, would also be moved if he would visit the Mount. This mountain needs to return to being the center of Israeli society." The three Likud Party MKs mentioned above who ascended to the Temple Mount on Jerusalem Day this year also sang the Israeli national anthem "HaTikva" or "the hope" while they were on the Temple Mount in Jerualem according to the article Jerusalem Day: In pictures on the web site www.israel365news.com at link: "https://www.israel365news.com/371407/jerusalem-day-in-pictures/ The religious Zionist Otzma Yehudit party also participated in having some of their MKs ascend the Temple Mount in the persons of MK Yitzhak Wasserlauf and Coalition National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir with his wife Ayala according to an article House of Prayer for All Nations Begins to Appear on Jerusalem Day at Israel 365 News at link: "https://www.israel365news.com/371457/house-of-prayer-for-all-nations-begins-to-appear-on-jerusalem-day-watch/.
The Palestinian Authority (PA) still led by Mahmoud Abbas, the Islamic terrorist group Hamas based in the Gaza Strip and the nation of Jordan (among some others) criticized Israel's Jerusalem Day Remembrance of the Six Day War including the Flag March through the Old City of Jerusalem and some Israeli or other Jews ascending up to the Temple Mount including some Jewish members of the Israeli government. Some of the Jews who went up to the Temple Mount, including some of the Israeli government members prayed to God, sang the Israeli national anthem HaTikva and unfurled the national anthem and they could have also recited some Bible verses. (I agree with the Jews or Israelites doing this including on the Temple Mount but also agree all people Jew or Gentile (non-Jew) need to trust in God's Son the Lord Jesus Christ (Y'Shua HaMashiach) to obtain eternal life and have all our sins forgiven and to become a spiritually and eternally restored child of God to make up for what our first parents lost when they disobeyed God and took of the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden.) In response to the above mentioned Jerusalem Day celebrations by Jewish and some Christian supporters from Israel and other nations the Palestinian and Jordanian spokespeople called these actions a "desperate attempt" that they say was meant to show that the city is under Israeli sovereignty. Before around Jerusalem Day some leaders and supporters requested Palestinian Arabs to gather at the Al-Aqsa Mosque shrine on the Temple Mount or other areas of the Old City of Jerusalem to "foil" the (Flag Day) march or Israelite visits to the Temple Mount. Spokespeople for the Palestinian Arabs reported Israeli police officers arrested Ahed Rished and Raed Hijazi who are in the senior ranks of the Palestinian group Fatah in east Jerusalem. In a Jerusalem Post article published on May 18, 2023 on Jerusalem Post with title Palestinians, Jordan slam "provocative" Jerusalem flag march at link http://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-743490 there are the following quotes from Palestinian or Jordanian spokespeople as follows: "PA Prime Minister Muhammad Shttayeh said that the flag march (and his likely considering Jewish visits to the Temple Mount on Jerusalem Day), which he denounced as 'absurd and provocative', is an attempt by Israel to 'impose false facts in Jerusalem'. The Palestinians will continue to 'make great sacrifices on behalf of the Arabs and Muslims to defend the Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem,". and also: "The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a strongly worded statement saying Israel "and its settler militias have no sovereignity over Jerusalem or its holy sites." It accused Israel of working to alter the demographic composition, historic, and legal status of Jerusalem."
In the same article Palestinians, Jordan slam "provocative" Jerusalem flag day march there is also a stated response by the Jerusalem Muslim leader and Muslim leader of the Al Aqsa mosque on the Temple Mount that they call Haram Al-Sharif as follows: "The Islamic Supreme Fatwa Council in east Jerusalem said the flag march aims to 'provoke the Palestinians and appease the extremist settlers, with the aim of consecrating a fake sovereignty over Jerusalem all alll the Palestinian areas." Council head (or Grand Mufti) Mufti Sheikh Mohammed Hussein also condemned Jewish tours of the Temple Mount, calling them 'an open defiance of Muslims in various parts of the world.'" and, "In Amman, the Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the 'storming' of the al-Aqsa Mosque by members of the Israeli government and 'extremist settlers'. It warned of an 'exacerbation of the situation in light of allowing the provocative and escalatory march in occupied Jerusalem.'" In another article on the same topic on May 16, 2023 in Israel National News called Hamas threatens Flag March again with link: https://israelnationalnews.com/news/371525 a response to the Israeli Flag March and ascending to the Temple Mount by Israeli on Jerusalem Day as follows: "Hamas spokesman Hazem Qasem further stated that "the so-called Zionist flag march is part of the religious war waged by the Israeli occupation against the blessed Al Aqsa Mosque and occupied Jerusalem's Arab identity." In one other article that was also on Israel National News on May 18 called Egypt condemns Israeli visits to Temple Mount with link https://www.israelnationalnews.com/flashes/607909 there is also a mention of response to the Israeli celebrations of Jerusalem Day by Egypt and some other Arab nations or their leaders as follows: "Along with Jordan and the United Arab Emirates, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned what it defines as 'the assault by members of settler groups on Al-Aqsa Mosque in combination with the Flag March and provovative actions that hurt the feelings of the Palestinian people" and they also said: "This is an irresponsible escalation that increases tensions on the ground."
In mid-July 2021, according to an article on Israel 365 News with title Israeli Lawmakers Discuss Preparation for Access to 3rd Temple, Knesset member Itamar Ben Gvir led a Knesset session of the condition of the Mughrabi bridge. The Mughrabi bridge or Hallel is a wooden bridge to the Mughrabi Gate and part of the only access way for Jews or Israelites and all other non-Muslims including Christian or other non-Muslim tourists to the Temple Mount (or what the Muslims call Haram al-Sharif or Al-Aqsa) in Jerusalem. The Temple Mount is located on the edge of the Old City of Jerusalem in part of what the modern international community calls East Jerusalem and wants to give the Palestinian Authority jurisdiction over and that was overseen by the nation of Jordan between 1948 and 1967. The same July Knesset meeting also discussed in general how Jewish visits to the Temple Mount could be promoted. Member of the Knesset (MK) Ben-Gvir said about the situation with the Mughrabi bridge and Jewish access to the Temple Mount in general in the Israel 365 News article: "The situation is very far from what it should be. ... On one hand, we should see the glass as half full. It's so great that we can go to the Temple Mount! But on the other hand, we need to improve. We're not satisfied with what we have. It's a good situation but it can be better." MK Itamar Ben Gvir is the head of the Religious Zionist Party and is a member of the Defence and Foreign Affairs Committee of the Knesset. Another Religious Zionist MK Simcha Rothman mentioned at the beginning of this meeting about the Mughrabi Gate: "Already for many years, it characterizes our connection to the land of Israel in many ways." He also said at the beginning of the meeting: "The issue of ascending to the Temple Mount has to be at the top of the priorities for the Nation of Israel."
MK Rothman referred to the matther of the Mughrabi bridge which has been viewed for many years at risk of collapse. He mentioned to the people at the meeting that it was then less than two months after a structural failure that led to 45 deaths of Israeli Jews at a pilgrimage place called Meron elsewhere in Israel during the Lag B'Omer festival. MK Rothman in the same Israel 365 News article said further about the Mughrabi bridge and its dangerous condition: "This is a safety issue but it is more than a safety issue. ... This is a national issue. We returned to our land. We returned with the famous expression (in 1967) The Temple Mount is in our Hands. Arriving at the Temple Mount must be central and not on the sidelines. This has to be an important aspect of our national infrastructure. (How can) the entrance to the Temple Mount (be) a temporary structure? We returned to our land. We need to think about how people will go the Temple Mount once the Temple is rebuilt. It may not be an immediate need since it will take a day to two to build it." He concluded his speaking by saying: "But in the short term, the entrance to the Temple Mount, the holiest site to the Jewish people, cannot be like this, temporary." In an article on August 13, 2021 from The Times of Israel with title Israel to partially renovate hazardous bridge to Temple Mount - TV it is stated that the risky state of this Mughrabi Bridge has led to concern of another disaster a couple months after a deadly crush at a religious festival (in Meron) in northern Israel in which 45 people lost their lives. A couple days after the Meron disaster a Jerusalem city engineer who was given work by the Jewish Western Wall Heritage Foundation examined the Mughrabi Bridge. Due to its bad condition he urged that it be replaced immediately and gave authority for its continued use until only September this year 2021. The Associated Press obtained a copy of a letter from that city engineer Ofer Cohen who said the quickly constructed bridge's wooden beams were "in a state of extreme dryness" and extremely cracked. He urged the state of Israel "to act immediately to replace the bridge in order to make safe its use." In answer to the city engineer's report the state of Israel said it would gradually replace the wooden beams that are in bad condition according Channel 13 news in Israel.
the Temple Mount must be central and not on the sidelines. This has to be an important aspectOn Monday, April 15th, 2019 in the week leading up to the Jewish Passover a Passover Re-Enactment and Preparation as in past Jewish Temple and preparing for the Third one was held. This cerememony was still held in the Old City of Jerusalem overlooking the Temple Mount but not as close to the Temple Mount as last year. According to Mordechai Persoff, leader of Mikdash (Temple) Educational Center who helped organize the event this year, according to the web site Breaking Israel News, the groups involved and the organizers of the Jewish Temple Passover Re-enactment encountered much more resistance from police and perhaps some other authorities this year than last year and perhaps previous years. This involved having to fill out multiple copies of official forms to gain approval to hold the event and being refused by police or other government authorities to be allowed to hold the event closer to the Temple Mount such as at the Davidson Centre at the foot of the south end of the Temple Mount where it was held last year. This resistance by the Jerusalem police and some government authorities to the holding or the nature of this authentic Jewish Temple and priesthood related version of Passover likely also compelled the organizers and some reporters of this event to instead bill it only as a re-enactment of the previous Temple Passovers instead of also a preparation for as soon as possible having authentic Passover observances in the next Jewish Temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The latter is an even greater reason why organizers and participants of this event are involved and support carrying out this ceremony and to what they believe to hasten the coming of the Jewish Messiah and the Messianic Kingdom and God's fuller blessing and protection of His chosen earthly nation and people of Israel.
There was again, however, authentic Jewish priests in the line of Aaron dressed in white linen garments, as instructed by God in Exodus 28 and 39 for them, carrying out the offering of the Passover lamb or goat on an Law of Moses consistent altar of sacrifice. These Levitical priests also used a laver to wash their hands and feet and lit a Menorah and blew silver trumpets at different times during the service to the LORD including at the actual offering of the Passover lamb or goat to the LORD as was also the tradition in Bible or Jewish Temple times. The priests also splashed some of the blood of the Passover lamb or goat against the side of a model altar. The Jewish priests have done this part of the ceremony at the side of a more authentic larger Jewish altar in previous ceremonies but could have been discouraged to do this this time also by the Jerusalem police or government authorities that apparently more this time consider those involved in these Jewish Temple restoration groups as political or religious extremists. There was still a significant crowd of supportive spectators despite heavy rain at the event this year which could be a deterrent since the event was mostly held in the open air. One particular good thing that was a sign of progress this year was that there was a band or choir of men with direct genetic links to the Levites and who are Temple service qualified Levites who gave the musical accompanyment to the service this year. They performed in a tan coloured tent just on the edge of the site where the Jewish temple related Passover ceremony was held in Jerusalem. This Levitical choir sang and played some instruments with Jewish music from the Hallel service according to the article Passover Sacrifice Reenactment: Success Despite Political Pushback by Breaking Israel News. The Hallel or Grand Hallel were the collective series of Psalms from Psalm 113 to 118 inclusive that were traditionally sung by the Levitical choir in the Temple during Temple or Bible days and by Jews in general in other places then and since that time apparently to the current day. Especially Psalm 118 among those Psalms includes a number of strong Messianic references. Although the participants of this musical group and perhaps the music they used as authentic for a Levitical choir in the Temple at Passover there were some elements that weren't as authentic and wouldn't yet be acceptable for their performing the worship music in an authentic or biblical way in the rebuilt Jewish temple in Jerusalem. This includes that the dress of the men was not in white linen robes with a sash but in a black suit jacket and pants and white shirt with tie and Jewish kippa on their heads and that they didn't play the traditional Levitical instruments of harps, lyres and cymbals but with western style keyboard and other modern western instruments including perhaps electronic synthesizer. In conclusion then, I was also disappointed that this year the Temple restoration groups including The Temple Institute and United Temple Mount Movement and others ran into more roadblocks than usual from Jerusalem police or other Israeli government officials towards holding this Jewish Temple service related Passover event including having to go through more red tape of signing forms, not getting to hold it as close as last time to the Temple Mount and perhaps having to downplay its preparation for the next temple I was glad they were able to hold it again and that some progress was made this year to being ready to hold it the rebuilt or Third Jewish Temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem with the participation of a Levitical choir.
In view that this quite authentic Jewish Passover service was held again in the Old City of Jerusalem not far from the Temple Mount and that it again involved actual offering of a Passover lamb or goat by biblically suitable dressed Jewish priests and that this year the service included at least some elements of a suitable Levitical choir these events are still a sign that the Third Temple in Jerusalem and the Divine service there will soon be restored. In view of this and that the confirmation and approval to let that service be restored will be by the Antichrist, Man of Sin, or he who causes abomination in his covenant with Israel and many (other nations) and that that will officially start the 7 year tribulation according to Daniel 9:27 I would encourage the reader to get ready for the true Messiah Jesus' soon return. This is because I and other Christians or Messianic Jews who take the Bible particularly literally and in context believe there will be a restoration of Israel including the Jews Who are God's chosen earthly nation and physical descendents of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Israel) in the last days. To make way for their fuller restoration God will remove His chosen heavenly people the Church when its main task of winning some people of all nations or ethnic groups to saving faith in God through His Son Jesus Christ and His death on the cross for our sins and rising from the dead to give us eternal life. Since this Great Commission is also nearing completion and since the above Temple groups are very supportive and already quite close to restoring physical worship of God in the rebuilt Jewish Temple in Jerusalem I would encourage you the reader, if you haven't already done so to personally wholeheartedly trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour so you can not only have forgiveness of all your sins in God's sight, salvation, eternal life, an eternal home in heaven and be a spiritually restored child of God but so you can also take part in the pre-tribulation rapture of taking to heaven of the true Church and avoid going through the 7 year tribulation on earth and experiencing the worldwide tyrannical rule of Satan's man the Antichrist or Beast and God's judgments and plagues on this world for sins and ungodliness. If you have already or if you trust in the Lord Jesus Christ at least before the rapture of the Church and immediately following tribulation on earth you can also be assured you will be part of the true Church, with some Old Testament saints and Holy Angels, and glory of God the Father that will be with the Lord Jesus Christ in His glorious Second Coming from heaven to earth at the end of the tribulation. At Jesus Second Coming He will judge the world and establish God's visible kingdom over all the earth based in Jerusalem and through spiritually and physically restored Israel and spiritually restored people of the nations with Jesus then on His throne of the holy of holies in the real Messianic Kingdom Temple or perhaps 4th Jewish Temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem as in Zechariah 14, Isaiah 2, Ezekiel 40-48, Matthew 23:37-39.
There is a small shrine on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem near the Golden Gate or Mercy Gate which is called Sha'ar HaRachamaim in Hebrew and Bab al-Rahma in Arabic. This gate is just above the East(ern) Gate that leads to the Mount of Olives to the East of the Old City and will be used by the Lord Jesus Christ and the Shekinah Glory of God the Father to enter Jerusalem to make it the capital of the earth after Jesus' second coming and to set up the Messianic or Millennial Kingdom. A scripture reference to this is in Ezekiel 43 and 44. According to reports in Israel National News and the Times of Israel as referenced by the Temple Institute in their Facebook web page this Temple Mount shrine was closed for use by anyone in 2003 when some Palestinian Arabs associated with the terrorist Islamic organization Hamas were using it and planning to destroy some Jewish architecture there that dates back at least to the 2nd or Herod's Temple about 2000 years ago. This year there was a attempt by radical Muslims to take and occupy this shrine by force which they succeeded in doing by some of the men kicking down some of the fences guarding it. This was after a couple failed attempts when they were turned away by force from this area by the Israeli Temple Police. Recently there has been a change in the Islamic trust, the Waqf, that oversees the daily operations in the Temple Mount which the Muslims call Haram al-Sharif or Noble Sanctuary from 11 members to 18 to allow for more Palestinian Arab members. These Palestinian Arab members are in addition to the Jordanian members of the Waqf that has traditionally, since 1967, been the main authority composing the Waqf. The Jordanian members of the Waqf have traditionally been close to the Jordanian king now King Abdullah. The Jordanians were given authority through the Waqf over much of the oversight of the Temple Mount as part of the 1994 peace agreement between Jordan and Israel.
As a result of the forced entry into the Temple Mount shrine by some Arab rioters organized and led by some members of the Waqf Israel through its courts and Temple police did give some response. Some of these more militant actions by the Arabs were likely organized by the increasingly militant composition of the Waqf since it expanded to include more militant Palestinian Arab members. Israel responded by arresting about 60 Arabs including some leaders of the Waqf who were involved in the forced occupation of the Temple Mount shrine near the Golden Gate. Some of these Waqf leaders were also forcibly barred from the Temple Mount for up to 40 days. As a result of this both the Palestinian Authority, Hamas and Jordan who all don't recognize Israeli court or police actions against the Waqf or Waqf initiated actions for greater Muslim control on the Temple Mount criticized the Israeli actions as heavy handed and illegitimate. Partly due to this the Israeli government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made some concessions to allow some continued access for the Arab Muslims such as allowing them to have meetings at this shrine twice per month. This decision to make concessions to the Muslims for their forced seizure of this part of the Temple Mount was critized by some more right wing or Zionist and loyal to the Jewish character of Israel including the Temple Mount members of the Knesset (Israeli Parliament). One such Israeli Knesset member who criticized Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's decision to allow the Muslims some continued access to this Temple Mount shrine due to their taking it by force is National Union or I think Jewish Home party leader Bezaled Smotrich. Mr. Smotrich took issue with Mr. Netanyahu's appeasement of the Muslims on the Temple Mount in this situation in a recent letter he wrote to Prime Minister Netanyahu saying in part: "Mr. Prime Minister, the fact that negotiations are held with criminals like him is a dangerous concession to violence. It is unthinkable that a sinner (some of the Arab Muslims especially the involved Muslim Waqf Temple Mount foundation leaders involved in this incident) should come out rewarded and the one-sided step the Waqf took in forcing its way into the compound should become an achievement. It is clear that slowly but surely the use of the (Temple Mount) compound will be expanded and within a short time the criminals and their emissaries will receive everything they desire."
Also related to this recent unrest around the shrine on the Temple Mount near the Golden Gate apparently the Muslims encouraged by the Islamic Waqf authority have been encouraging fundamentalist Muslims from other nations such as Wahhabi Muslims from the United Kingdom or fundamentalist Muslims from Turkey to visit the Temple Mount as tourists and do some of Waqf's dirty work and take outspoken words or actions on the Temple Mount against what sustained Israeli authority there is on the Temple Mount and demand more Muslim control there. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking especially to uphold the Status Quo internationally agreed guidelines for the Temple Mount which allows Muslims to go up there and worship including pray there and for Jews or other non-Muslims to visit the Temple Mount but not to pray or worship there and for Muslims not to intimidate Jews or other non-Muslims from visiting the Temple Mount in the allowing visiting times on the Temple Mount for Jews or non-Muslims. As a result of the decision of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to allow some Muslim access to the Temple Mount shrine near the Golden Gate, that is seen as a capitulation to the Muslims by some Israeli Jews, more Jews than usual were visiting the Temple Mount in early March to defend their continued access to the Temple Mount. Also MK (Member of the Knesset) Bezalel Smotrich and others called for the construction of a synagogue on the Temple Mount, especially at the location of the Golden Gate shrine so Jews could pray on the Temple Mount. One of the most recent developments in this matter is that Jordan's King Abdullah is planning to soon visit the United States and speak before the United States Congress in Washington DC and share the Jordanian view on authority and events on the Temple Mount and try to persuade US Congress members to more greatly support the Jordanian than the Israeli view on authority of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. King Abdullah could also seek to meet with US President Donald Trump or other White House officials when he is in Washington to share the Jordanian and Muslim position on the Temple Mount including the latest crisis centred on this Golden Gate Temple Mount shrine.
From a literal and dispensational Bible prophecy viewpoint such as I have, these recent events and conflict regarding Jewish or Muslim authority on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem likely means we are that much closer to the false Middle East peace by agreement of the Antichrist with Israel and other nations mentioned in Daniel 9:27 and elsewhere in the Bible. This covenant or peace agreement will include allowing Israel to rebuild their Jewish Temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem and use it for the Levitical sacrificial system as in Bible days for the first 3 1/2 year half of the tribulation. This temple would then by taken over by the Antichrist as tribulation period world leader to conduct forced worship of him sitting in that temple as God by the remaining inhabitants on earth. This forced worship of the devil's man the Antichrist or he who causes abomination or the beast out of the sea or man of sin will continue until the end of the seven year seventieth week of the prophecy in Daniel 9 with the defeat of the Antichrist and all people who are still following the world system by the Lord Jesus Christ when He comes from heaven at His glorious second coming to judge the world and set up God's Kingdom on earth. Since there are currently with this unrest on the Temple Mount including around the Golden Gate or East Gate in Jerusalem and this could likely mean it is that much closer to the revelation of the Antichrist to rule the world from Jerusalem in the 7 year tribulation and that the immediately preceding rapture or catching up to heaven of all true Christians or the true Church I would encourage the reader to take these recent events in Jerusalem as an incentive to immediately trust in Jesus. Trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ as one's personal Lord and Saviour who died on the cross for our sins and rose again the third day from the dead to offer God's eternal and resurrection life and restored relationship to Him through His Son the Lord Jesus Christ is not only the true God's only way of salvation but also His way of ensuring we who are or become part of His restored children are not left behind on earth during the tribulation but are caught to heaven beforehand to join Jesus and God the Father in heaven in our new eternal heavenly homes and that we will also be able to return at the end of the 7 year tribulation with Jesus from heaven to join Him in enjoying the blessings of His Messianic or Millennial Kingdom rule and true peace on and over all the Earth.
On December 2, 2018 which was the last day of Hannukah 2018 Jewish Temple activists from the Sanhedrin and the Temple Institute carried out a dedication of the altar of sacrifice ceremony. This ceremony took place in Jerusalem in the old city in a park near the Temple Mount. Although the Jerusalem Israel police gave permission for the Jewish Temple activists to offer the lamb animal sacrifice on this altar, that permission was denied by Jerusalem legal authorities. Therefore the Temple Insitute and Sanhedrin carried out the sacrifice in another location and brought the remains of the sacrificed lamb to the site of the dedication of the altar ceremony in Jerusalem not far from the Temple Mount. The Sanhedrin and Temple Institute also carried out a full re-enactment of the daily temple service in association with the dedication of the altar of sacrifice or brazen altar. This altar of sacrifice was made of stone with some wood on top and was about 9 feet by 9 feet square and five feet high with a stone ramp leading to the top of the altar so the Jewish priests could approach the top of the altar to offer the animal offerings. A Jewish priest ended up just bringing a leg of the lamb and offering that on the fire at the top of the altar. He or some other Jewish priest then offered grain or the meal or meat offering and wine or the drink offering or oblation on it. The Jewish priests also used a laver to wash their hands and feet before the service, lit a menorah and after they brought the animal sacrifice or offering on the altar of sacrifice brought some of the remains and some spices to the altar of incense. All these things were on a platform which could have been a flatbed truck that transported the altar of sacrifice and perhaps the other things there. At the end of the ceremony some Jewish priests blew some silver trumpets. Also present at the ceremony were Rabbi Hillel Weiss acting leader of the Sanhedrin or Jewish Council and Rabbi Yisrael Ariel who is a member of the Sanhedrin and founder and one of the leaders of The Temple Institute. The organizers of this ceremony said this ceremony, which included applying some blood of the lamb to this altar, dedicated this altar as ritually fit to be used for sacrifices in the Jewish Third Temple when it is built soon on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The Sanhedrin and Temple Institute spokesman said they could and would bring this altar on top of the Temple Mount tomorrow and start building the Third Temple if the Israeli authorities such as the Prime Minister, Temple police and Israeli supreme court gave permission for them to do so.
The significance of this action or event is that we are that much closer and that this was one of the last steps before the building of the Third Jewish Temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. This Third Temple will be authorized to be built after the rapture or catching up of all true Christians or the true Church to heaven with the Lord Jesus Christ takes place any time very soon. The authorization to build this Third Jewish Temple on the Temple Mount will be in an agreement or covenant between the Antichrist or Beast out of the Sea or Man of Sin or he who causes abomination and Israel. This agreement will be for one week of years or the 70th 7 year period mentioned in Daniel's prophecy of the 70 weeks. This covenant is mentioned specifically in Daniel 9:27. This covenant with the Antichrist and Israel to allow Israel to resume their Levitical worship on the Temple Mount including animal sacrifices and to allow them to start to build the 3rd Jewish Temple will start the 7 year tribulation or 70th week of years. This 3rd temple will on one hand have a bad effect especially on the Jews or Israelites to give them false confidence in the Antichrist to think he is the true Messiah of Israel until he breaks the covenant and clears the Jewish priests and Levites off the Temple Mount and from this rebuilt temple half way through the tribulation or 3 1/2 years after he agreed with the Jews to allow the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The other more positive significance of the rebuilding of the Jewish temple and resumption of the Levitical worship in the first half of the tribulation is that it will prepare them for their service in the true Messianic Kingdom Temple that could be called the 4th temple as mentioned in Ezekiel 40-48, Isaiah 2, Micah 4, Zechariah 14, Psalm 24, Haggai 2, Matthew 23:37-39, Amos 9 etc. in which the Lord Jesus Christ will be worshipped as King of the Jews and King of kings in his throne in the holy of holies in the 4th Temple in the extensively reconstructed Temple Mount in Jerusalem in the Messianic or Millennial Kingdom. The Jewish priests and Levites will offer animal sacrifices in this temple but not to take away sins but to cover them and as a memorial to Messiah Jesus' one sacrifice on the cross 2000 years ago to take away all our sins through His blood shed and body broken on the cross then followed by His resurrection from the dead. The Lord Jesus Christ will remove the Antichrist and everyone else who hasn't trusted in the true God and His Son Jesus Christ as personal Lord and Saviour by the time of Jesus' second coming from the earth to hell in His judging the world and then set up God's visible Kingdom on this earth for a thousand years. The Messianic Kingdom Temple and its holy of holies will be the centre of God and His Son Jesus Christ's rule on earth in the Messianic Kingdom. Following the Messianic Kingdom will be the eternal age as especially mentioned in Revelation 21-22 in which there will be no more Jewish or other material temples but God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ the Lamb of God will be among His people of all time as the Temple of God.
The recent dedication of the Jewish altar of sacrifice and associated daily divine or Tamid service for the temple by the Jewish priests means all these great bible prophecy events are that much sooner and very, very soon. I would therefore urge the reader, if you haven't already done so, to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour who died for all our sins on the cross and 3 hours of darkness then and to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as the source of God's eternal life and restored relationship with Him that was lost when our first parents Adam and Eve took of the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden and gave us all selfish and sinful natures. If we trust in the Lord Jesus Christ we get the new born again or in Christ natures with His resurrection life and power. I would urge you to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as soon as possible so you can be part of God's true Church and be taken to heaven soon at the rapture of the Church and not be left behind to face the worldwide tyrannical rule of the Antichrist and of God's judgments on earth and the people then and risk God's eternal judgment in the lake of fire for those people who die in their sins without trusting in His Son Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Saviour. In view of the now accomplished kosher dedication of the Jewish altar of sacrifice acceptable for use in the soon to be built Jewish temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem I urge you, if you haven't done so already to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour now and without delay.
Earlier in December the Temple Institute posted on their Facebook account a new video where one of their leaders, Rabbi Chaim Richman, was speaking to a group of Christian and Jewish supporters in Arkansas, United States. This video can still be found readily in The Temple Institute's YouTube account under the title Rabbi Chaim Richman: The Dedication of the Third Temple and was posted there on December 4, 2018. This was about the time of the Jewish holiday of Hannukah in 2018 with Hannukah celebrating the rededication of the Jewish Temple to God after it had been defiled by the Greeks under Antiochus Epiphanes around 165 BC. One thing I was particularly interested to learn from watching this video through is the affirmation by Rabbi Chaim Richman that The Temple Institute has by now completed the blueprints for The Third Temple. (The last I heard on this topic from them a couple years ago was that they had only raised about a third of then estimated $300,000 to completed these blueprints. So they must have by now raised the rest of the money and used it to complete the blueprints of The Third or Tribulation Temple.
The significance from a literal or dispensational perspective of Bible interpretation of the completion of the blueprints of the Third or Tribulation Temple is that this is one less thing to do and that we are that much closer in time to the building of the Third or Tribulation Temple. According to Daniel 9:27 the tribulation or 70th week of Daniel will begin when the Antichrist or Beast out of the Sea or Man of Sin or he that causes abomination publicly makes a covenant with Israel to allow Israel to build their next Jewish Temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. This Temple would allow Israel to resume the priestly and Levitical duties of leading worshipping God in the Temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem including the animal offering to God or the LORD that from the Christian perspective would be focused on God the Father as a Person of the Triune God. In Christianitiy Jesus would there be pictured as the high priest and the animal offerings to allow access to God as in the New Testament Book of Hebrews and some other New Testament scriptures. According to a literal or dispensational biblical perspective a pre-tribulation rapture of the Church would immediately precede this covenant of the Antichrist with Israel to start the tribulation so God could focus on restoring His chosen earthly people Israel both physically and spiritually to prepare His rule on Earth through them in the Messianic or Millennial Kingdom after Jesus second coming to Earth at the end of the tribulation or 70th week of Daniel. The true Church would be complete with some true Christians from every tribe, nation and language by the time of the rapture or catching up to heaven of the true Church just before the tribulation begins with the covenant with the Antichrist and Israel to allow Israel or/including the Jews to rebuild their Temple or House of the LORD on the Temple Mount in Jersualem. Of course the Jews or Israelites will be able to continue to carry out the animal offerings and the rest of the Levitical divine service to the LORD for the 3 1/2 year first half of the tribulation or 70th week of Daniel until the temple is forcibly seized by the Antichrist at the midpoint of the tribulation as in Daniel 9:27 where the Antichrist causes the sacrifice and oblation (such as drink or wine offering poured on the animal offerings) to cease. The first half of the tribulation where the Israelites can use this Temple to worship the LORD God is mentioned in Revelation 11:1-2. The third of tribulation Temple being defiled when it is used by the Antichrist to force people on Earth there to worship him as God is mentioned in such scriptures as 2 Thessalonians 2:4, Matthew 24:15 and Revelation 13.
The true God including the Son of God and God the Son and Saviour of the world the Lord Jesus Christ or Yeshua HaMashiach will lead the building of the true Messianic Kingdom Temple in Jerusalem after His second coming to Earth from heaven with the true Church and Israelite or Gentile saints or heart believers in the true God from tribulation martyrs or Old Testament saints or believers. In the true Messianic Kingdom Temple as mentioned as the most holy (place) in Daniel 9 and mentioned at length in Ezekiel 40-48, Zechariah 14, Isaiah 2, Psalm 24, the house of the LORD or the Father's house that will be restored when Israel turns back spiritually to God including their Messiah Jesus of Nazareth in Matthew 23:37-39 and other scriptures. A main significance of the Jews or Israelites through the Temple Institute completing the blueprints for the third or tribulation temple then is that we are very near and nearer than before to the end of this present Church Age or Dispensation or Age or Dispensation of Grace or of the Holy Spirit and just on the verge of God starting to fulfill in a much greater and quicker way the last days prophecies of His word especially related to the realization of the tribulation or 70th week of Daniel and then Messianic or Millenial Kingdom of Messiah Jesus on Earth and Jesus' intervening second coming in glory at the end of the Tribulation. Much of these tribulation and Messianic Kingdom events will involve the restoration of Israel as God's chosen earthly people and also of restoring the nations to God from the devil the god of this world (system). The true Church is God's heavenly or spiritual chosen people and is not the true or new Israel.
Since all these last days events are indicated to be that much closer to being fulfilled through the completion by The Temple Insitute of the blueprints for the Third or Tribulation Temple I would urge the reader, if you haven't already done so, to in your heart admit you are a sinner and place your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal LOrd and Saviour who died for all our sins on the cross and rose again from the dead to give us God's new life through prayer to God in Jesus' name. If you have done this or yet do this before the rapture of the Church and following tribulation you can be assured of being taken to heaven with the rest of the true Church or true Christians to be with God and His Son Jesus Christ in our eternal homes there and not have to go through the tribulation or 70th week of Daniel on Earth. If you trust in Jesus or have already you also don't have to worry about going to hell or the lake of fire at all since trusting in Jesus as our Lord and Saviour enables Jesus to take away all our sins when He died on the cross almost 2000 years ago. You can also be assured that you can be rewarded for whatever affliction you have for Jesus' sake in this life and age by being able to be with God and His people and to reign with and under Jesus in His Messianic or Millenial or then eternal Kingdom. So I would definitely encourage you to trust in Jesus as your personal Lord and Saviour right away if you haven't already as a result of the last days prophetic events being indicated as significantly nearer with the completion of the blueprints of the third temple as just announced by Rabbi Chaim Richman of The Temple Institue earlier in December 2018.
In October 2018 there was a news conference in Hebrew in Jerusalem with a panel organized by the Lobby to Strengthen Jewish Connection to the Temple Mount Jewish Temple Mount activist group. The group is led by Jewish Temple Mount activist Rabbi and Israeli Knesset member Yehuda Glick. A main speaker at the panel news conference was Israel Interior Minister Gilad Erdan. He is a member of the conservative Likud Party and of the governing coalition and is part of the same political party as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Mr Erdan has on a number of previous occasions voiced his support for more Jewish prayer and other Jewish rights on the Temple Mount. As Interior Minister he has second most authority over the Temple Mount to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Minister Erdan has direct authority over the police including in Jerusalem and the Temple Mount.
The news conference carried on Israel National News and perhaps other Israeli and maybe some other world media although none of the national ones on radio I listen to in Canada. At the news conference Minister Erdan clearly said that he was grateful for the constant work of the Lobby to Strengthen Jewish Connection to the Temple Mount and said without their constant support for Jewish rights on the Temple Mount modern Israel could have lost any authority on the Temple Mount (to the Muslims led by the Jerusalem Mufti or Islamic Waqf leader who has his office on the Temple Mount I think in the Al Aqsa mosque there.) Mr. Erdan mentioned at the press conference that the Temple Mount is the holiest place on earth to the Jews and only the third holist place on earth to Muslims (after Mecca and Medina both in Saudi Arabia). Mr. Erdan mentioned specfically that the Temple Mount or Mount Moriah is the place where God tested their father Abraham to see if he was willing to offer his son Isaac to God in a sacrifice to Him. Abraham did show his willingness to do this as recorded in Genesis 22 but God provided a ram in a thicket bush near that site on Mount Moriah and had a holy angel stop Abraham's hand with the knife at the last moment. (By Christians this is sometimes used as an analogy of God the Father providing His Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sins as the Lamb of God.) Mount Moriah is mentioned as the site of Solomon's Temple in 2 Chronicles 3.
Mr. Erdan said about Jewish rights on the Temple Mount in the article on the Temple Institute Facebook account: "Our enemies understand what sometimes is unclear in political discourse (including the Middle East peace process). The debate between us and our enemies has never been a territorial dispute, but between the Jewish People and radical Islam that doesn't accept our existence here. Therefore, because we're a Jewish state, this means first of all, Jews should have access to the holiest place for the Jewish People." Minister Erdan in the Temple Institute article then went on to say that even about fifty years after the 1967 Six Day Israeli Arab War the Muslims are still the only ones allowed to fully pray on the Temple Mount. He also did agree that it was important for Muslims to continue to be allowed to pray on the Temple Mount, as part of a democratic Israel, but rightly insisted that it was unacceptable that recently some Jews who made pilgrimage to the Temple Mount were attacked by radical Muslims on the Temple Mount and that was part of the reason he changed his policy. Mr. Erdan affirmed he supports Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount but qualified it by saying the ultimate authority for making that decision on a regular basis rests with Israeli Prime Minister currently Benjamin Netanyahu. Mr. Erdan noted that if Mr. Netanyahu or some other person who might soon be Prime Minister of Israel will not allow regular Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount there might be some other way to accomplish that authority such as the Israeli Supreme Court to whom a petition is being prepared by Jewish Temple activists for that goal. (The Israeli Supreme Court has ruled a number of times and still supports the position that Israel as a Jewish democratic society or nation should support the right of all the relevant religions and their followers Jews, Christians and Muslims to pray regularly on the Temple Mount.)
What makes this significant is that this is the first time to my knowledge that such a high and relevant authority Israeli political authority has spoken publicly and very definitly in favour of regular Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount. As I mentioned earlier the meeting was organized by the Jewish Temple Mount activist group Lobby to Strengthen Jewish Connection to the Temple Mount led by Temple Mount activist Rabbi and Likud Knesset member Yehuda Glick. He was part of the panel with Minister Erdan and a woman who I think is the leader of a group of Jewish women Temple Mount activists called Women in Green. From a biblical Christian viewpoint what this signifies, especially if it soon leads to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or some other new Israeli Prime Minister approving regular Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount, is that it could be very much closer to the day that the Jewish people rebuild their temple on the Temple Mount to worship God with the Levitical priesthood and the animal sacrifices as in the Books of Moses or the Jewish Torah. I believe this will happen very soon, although I can't say exactly when, because of many other Bible prophecy areas and current events moving in this direction. According to Bible prophecy this permission for the Jews to build their next Jewish Temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem will be by the Antichrist or he who causes abomination in Daniel 9:27 after he takes the Third Temple over from the Jews half way through the tribulation or 70th week of Daniel. The Antichrist will then use that Temple including the holy of holies where he will likely sit to force people on earth to worship him as God or be killed as in 2 Thessalonians 2, Matthew 24:15 and Revelation 11 and 13. Before that Middle East peace agreement by the Satanic Antichrist or Beast out of the Sea or Man of Sin is confirmed and he is revealed publicly on earth will be the rapture or catching away of all the true Christian Church of people Jew and Gentile of all nations who have trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Saviour who died on the cross for our sins and rose again to restore us to a relationship with our Creator God. The Lord Jesus Christ will come all the way to the surface of the Earth just about or a little more than seven years after the rapture to set up His and God the Father's Kingdom on Earth and judge the world including the then world leaders the Antichrist or Beast out of the Sea and False Prophet or Beast out of the Land as in Revelation 19. The true Church will come from heaven with Jesus to earth at His second coming to share in His reign on Earth then as will tribulation martyrs Jew and Gentile and Old Testament believers. God's Kingdom on Earth for a thousand years before eternity will be based in Jerusalem and restored Israel in the Messianic or Millennial Kingdom Temple mentioned in the Bible in Ezekiel 40-48, Zechariah 14, Isaiah 2, Psalm 24, Matthew 23:37-39 and elsewhere. The Millennial Kingdom will also be a time of blessing on this Earth for believers in God of the nations as well. Since current events continue to approach these critical prophetic events I would urge the reader if you haven't already done so to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ in your heart as your personal Lord and Saviour so when these prophetic events are realized soon they can be a blessing and not a curse for you personally.
On Wednesday, April 11, 2018 the Temple Institute in their Facebook account reported from a Hebrew Israeli source that the Grand Mufti (Islamic leader) of Jerusalem Sheikh Muhammed Hussein had visited a Hezbollah organized conference in Lebanon. Lebanon by now has become under strong control of the Jihadist and anti-Israel terrorist group Hezbollah through their strong representation in the Lebanese national parliament in the Lebanese capital Beirut. According to the Temple Institue Facebook article this Hezbollah organized Islamic terrorist conference was called the Global Campaign to Return to Palestine. According to this article by the Temple Institute Grand Mufti Hussein committed two offences for which he can be tried in Israel. One is for visiting a hostile or enemy state (which Lebanon is considered by Israel since Hezbollah secured considerable control over its national government and the other is to identify or meet and agree with a terrorist organization (that he went to the Hezbollah organized conference and acted in full agreement of their anti-Israel perspective). The Grand Mufti of Jerusalem as been the case for some time (I think at least since 1967 has his office on top of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem perhaps in the Muslim Al-Aqsa Mosque there. Among other things he is responsible for directly leading the Muslim Waqf (foundation) that is the Muslim group that overseas the day to day operations on the Temple Mount in co-operation with the Israeli Temple Mount police. He, as well as his preceding Grand Muftis of Jerusalem, has a history of anti-Israel activities and speaking. This anti-Israel speaking includes incitement or encouraging of Muslims to violence against Israel and Jews last year in the crisis involving Israel putting metal detectors at the gates used by Muslims to to the Temple Mount. The Israeli police believed putting these metal detectors at the gates of the Temple Mount was necessary because there had just been a crime previous to that in which some Muslim terrorists had gunned down a couple Israeli Temple policemen on the Temple Mount. At that time or just previous to it Muslim terrorists were also bringing powerful fireworks and knives to the Temple Mount to threaten Israeli Temple police and Jewish or other non-Muslim pilgrims to the Temple Mount. At this recent Hezbollah conference in Lebanon the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem Muhammed Hussein received an award by Hezbollah officials that convened the conference for his outstanding contribution to participating and contributing to anti-Israel sentiment or action through his frequent speeches involving much anti-Israel hate, provocation and fact-twisting that encourages more widespread action against Israel by Palestinian or other Arabs or Muslims including on the Temple Mount. It sounds like the Grand Mufti also spoke at least once himself at this recent Hezbollah organized conference consistent with the general anti-Israel focus of the conference. He was also praised at this conference for his anti-Israel work by such leading Islamic terrorists such as Hamas (leader or former leader) Khaled Mashaal and by Naim Qassem the current deputy secretary-general (probably deputy leader) of Hezbollah.
As a result of the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem Muhammed Hussein definitely committing the two serious anti-Israel offences of travelling to an enemy state and "identification with a terrorist organization" the pro-Israel Jewish legal group Legal Forum of Israel has brought charges against the Grand Mufti to the Israel national Attorney General Avihail Mandelblit. These charges were brought to the Attorney General by Legal Forum of Israel lawyer Yotam Eyal according to the article by The Temple Institute. As of this writing, it is April 21 about ten days later and I have not heard of any further developments in this regard but if they haven't already Attorney General Mandelblit and the Israeli Supreme Court will have to take some action regarding these charges against the Grand Mufti soon as they are serious charges and I think pro-Israel including pro-Jewish Temple Mount groups are probably not going to let up having this case decided on quickly and in their (and my own view) hopefully definitely against the Grand Mufti. Especially if the Attorney General, perhaps with the rest of the Supreme Court of Israel, decides to charge the Grand Mufti for anti-Israel treason through travelling to an enemy state and identifying with a terrorist group which there is clear evidence of this could put limitation for him and Muslim control on the Temple Mount. Among other evidence that this Legal Forum has to incriminate the Grand Mufti is a picture of him receiving the award for actions against Israel by a Hezbollah official that is contained in the Temple Institute Facebook article and probably in the earlier Hebrew language Israeli source they obtained the report from.
If Attorney General Mandleblit does rule against the Grand Mufti to convict him of anti-Israel activity (treason) on these points he and his office could have their authority and that of the Muslim Waqf they control more limited on the Temple Mount. This could allow freer Jewish and pro-Israel and other non-Muslim activity or access to the Temple Mount such as more freedom for Jews or Israelites to pray on the Temple Mount, to read from the Bible the true word of God, to worship God there in song etc. to display an Israeli flag there, to have more time for which they are allowed access to the Temple Mount or to have more gates to the Temple Mount through which they can enter the Temple Mount. Currently all these actions by Jews or Israelites and other non-Muslims on the Temple Mount are limited in significant part by pressure against these actions by the Muslim Grand Mufti Hussein and the Islamic Waqf which operates security on the Temple Mount and which he controls. If Israeli Attorney General Mandelblit rules very strongly against Grand Mufti Hussein and the Waqf for his anti-Israel actions in Lebanon, as the Legal Forum of Israel would wish, this could even make way for Israel to soon build their Third Jewish Temple on the Temple Mount. Muslims such as Grand Mufti Hussein want to prevent the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple on the Temple Mount at all costs with their insistance that the Temple Mount is only for Muslims but God's word the Holy Bible says that a Jewish Temple will most definetely be built again on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The Jewish Temple in Jerusalem will be built there on the Temple Mount first in the tribulation with an agreement with the anti-Christ or false Messiah with Israel to start the tribulation as in Daniel 9:27 and mentioned at least also in Revelation 11:1-2. This Temple will be used in the first half of the tribulation for restored divine service by a restored Jewish Levitical priesthood as in the Old Testament and most of the New Testament but which was destroyed by the armies of the Roman Empire until general Titus in 70 AD in the war Rome had with the Jews then. In the second half of the tribulation the Antichrist will kick the Jews off the Temple Mount and use it a centre for forces worship by Jews and the nations of himself falsely as God and connected with the dragon (Satan the devil). Some references to this in God's Word the Holy Bible are Matthew 24:15, the latter part of Daniel 9:27, Revelation 13 and 2 Thessalonians 2.
At the end of the tribulation Israel's Messiah and the Saviour of the world and the Son of God the Lord Jesus Christ will come to earth at His Second Coming to establish God's Kingdom visibly on Earth first for 1000 years and to judge the world including its rulers then led by the Antichrist and his associate the False Prophet. The centre for worship of the Lord Jesus Christ the true Messiah of Israel and God the Son as well as of God the Father (who is primarily referred to as LORD or Jehovah or Yahweh in the Old Testament as the God of Israel although Jesus God the Son and God the Holy Spirit also had divine roles over Israel then) will be the Millennial Temple. It is mentioned in such scriptures as Ezekiel 40-48, Zechariah 6, 14, Isaiah 2, Psalm 24, Haggai 2, Amos 9, Malachi 3, Daniel 9:24-25, Isaiah 56, Matthew 23:37-39, Psalm 118 etc.
Since this incident of the Grand Mufti participating in this anti-Israel conference in another nation shows the growing organization of anti-Israel actions in some nations, the overstepping of authority of Muslims controlling the Temple Mount and the backlash by pro-Israel people in the case brought against them the Legal Forum for Israel and the possible soon ruling against the Grand Mufti and the Islamist Waqf he controls and the possible greater freedom for Jews or Israelites for worship of the true God on the Temple Mount soon that indicates the first false peace by the Antichrist of Daniel 9:27 and the preceding rapture of the Church (for instance as mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, Revelation 3:10, 22:12-21, John 14:1-3 and I Corinthians 15:51-58) is near I would encourage the reader of this article to as soon as possible trust in the Lord Jesus Christ if you already done so. If you have trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ or do this as soon as possible before the rapture of the Church and public revelation of the Antichrist that is if you come to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ that He was God come in the flesh, lived a sinless life, died on the cross for our sins and to show God's love for each of us and His grace even though we have sinned against Him and aren't worthy of His love and forgiveness, was buried and rose again from the dead to provide us with God's eternal life and returned to heaven to receive Jesus as your personal Lord and Saviour you can be assured that you will not have to go through any of the tribulation or 70th week of Daniel or time of God's wrath for people left on earth then. This blessing of being assured you will miss being on earth during the reign of the antichrist (beast) if you trust in Jesus before the antichrist is revealed on earth would be in addition to the fact you would immediately enter into an eternal relationship with God, have an assured eternal home in heaven, have forgiveness of all your sins, have God's indwelling Holy Spirit and be received as a new brother or sister in God's family of this age the Church forever when we trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Saviour. As bible believing or born again Christians we can also look forward to rewards for faithful Christian service in this life after we trust in Jesus as Lord and Saviour including a part in reigning with Him on earth in the Millennial or Messianic Kingdom. So I would encourage you including in the light of these latest developments regarding the Temple Mount in Jerusalem to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour as these events and Bible prophesies are real and will effect everyone now on earth one way or another and are on the verge of being fulfilled in a lot greater way.
For a couple years now The Jewish Temple restoration promotion group The Temple Institute through its department Nezer HaKodesh Institute for Kohanic Studies has organized Passover and other Jewish feast re-enactment ceremonies. These ceremonies are conducted by authentic Jewish priests dressed in white linen garments as commanded by God in Exodus 28 and 39. They also have with them and sometimes sound the priests' silver trumpets. In these ceremonies one or more Passover lambs are brought and slaughtered and roasted on a halacha or faithful to the Law of Moses altar all as described in the Torah or Law of Moses and other Jewish texts. Then the priests and perhaps others enjoy the Passover meal including the altar roasted passover lamb.
What was different this year about this Passover re-enactment ceremony is that instead of it being in Israel outside Jerusalem it was not only in Jerusalem but in the Old City of Jerusalem adjacent to the Temple Mount. Of course on the Temple Mount in the 1st or 2nd Jewish Temples and before in the Tabernacle was where the Passover and other Jewish animal sacrifices took place in Bible days (both New and Old Testament). There were about 1500 people in attendance including several rabbis and media reporters according to the article by the Temple Institue on their Facebook web page. In that article a spokesperson for the Temple Institue said this location at the south end of the Temple Mount by what was called in the time of the 2nd or Herod's Temple the Hulda Gates was significant because it was through that gate at that time that many Jewish or Israelite pilgrims brought their passover lambs to be sacrificed up to the Temple and altar on top of the Temple Mount. There was however official statements of disapproval against Israeli authorities by both the Arab and mostly Muslim Palestinian Authority and King Abdullah the King of Jordan for allowing this ceremony to occur right next to the Temple Mount. They, not correctly, think the Temple Mount or even the whole city of Jerusalem should only be Muslim and were alarmed there could be a Jewish Passover re-enactment ceremony so close to the Temple Mount. They felt rightly that this could endanger in the near future their maintaining much control on Jewish worship on the Temple Mount.
The Bible prophecy significance of this development from a biblical Christian viewpoint is that this event makes it more likely that a Jewish Temple with the associated Levitical priesthood services will be restored in the very near future. This is what Temple groups like the Temple Institute and other Temple groups that now mostly work together are intending to achieve. However from a biblical Christian view there will first be a Jewish temple and temple services restored by the false peace or covenant with Israel by the Antichrist or false Messiah the beast out of the sea, man of sin or he who causes abomination. The main prophecy about this occurs in Daniel 9:27 as part of the description about the 70 weeks of years of Daniel. This prophecy covers the time from when God enabled Nehemiah as mentioned in Nehemiah 2 to secure permission from the then Persian king Artaxerxes to allow rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem to the time of the coming again of Israel's true Messiah and the Saviour of the world the Lord Jesus Christ to set up God's kingom on Earth. This covenant or agreement of the Antichrist with Israel as mentioned in Daniel 9:27 that will allow Israel to rebuild their Jewish Temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem and restored the Levitical priesthood services there will also mark the revelation of the antichrist and the start of the 7 year tribulation period or time of Jacob's trouble (Jeremiah 30). Since in the tribulation period God's focus will be on restoring His chosen earthly people Israel to Himself and since the true Church of all born again trusting in Jesus Christ and His shed blood for our sins and resurrection from dead for eternal life Christians is the object of God's grace the true Church will be removed from Earth before this false peace. This removal will be by the rapture or catching up to Heaven to be with our Lord Jesus Christ when all true Christians will be changed into our eternal spiritual bodies from these present natural bodies or the natural bodies that departed saints had when they lived on Earth. The rapture is mentioned for instance in 1 Thessalonians 4, 1 Corinthians 15, John 14 and 2 Thessalonians 2:1 as our gathering together unto Him (the Lord Jesus Christ) in the air. Since there is increasingly clear indication these major Bible events or times are very soon I would urge the reader, if you haven't done so, to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ alone as the way of salvation and eternal life from the only true God the God of the Bible. This involves admitting we are sinners according to God's definition of sinners in His word the Holy Bible and in prayer to God in Jesus' name asking that God would put the benefit of Jesus' shed blood on the cross for our sins and resurrection from the dead for our eternal life to our account in His sight and make the Lord Jesus Christ our personal Lord and Saviour. When we do this we can not only have eternal life and a restored relationship with God from that moment on and be assured we will not be endangered any more of going to hell or the lake of fire for our sins but that we can also be taken to heaven with Jesus and the rest of His true Church and be spared going through the tribulation which will the world time in human history right after the rapture.
I think in early September 2016, the nascent (preliminary) Sanhedrin chose Baruck Kahane as head of priests (Rosh Kohanin) as a temporary and preparatory position until the more long-term high priest is chosen when the government of Israel or, from a biblical Christian viewpoint, the Antichrist or false Messiah gives the go-ahead for Israel to build the third temple. Mr. Kahane made it clear he did not want to be the high priest or even called the provisional high priest so he is being called the head priest but this is still the temporary position being set up until the more permanent high priest is selected when the go-ahead is given to Israel to build their third temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Mr. Kahane has been a consistent and prominent participant in the temple service preparatory re-enactments and is familiar with how much of the temple or divine service was and should again be carried out. Rabbi Israel Ariel the founder of the Temple Institute said on this event that choosing a high priest and preparing for the temple service are not options for Jewish people but mitzvot or commandments in the Torah or Law of Moses or Pentateuch and that they should be whatever they can now to prepare for the third temple so they will be ready to start the divine temple service as quickly as possible when the opportunity to build the temple comes their way. Rabbi Kahane, when asked how long it would take to begin the Levitical sacrifices on the Temple Mount when it is allowed, said: "If the (Israeli) government decided to permit it, it would only take a few weeks to make preparations, even to do the Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) service." From a biblical Christian viewpoint this means that conditions are that much more ready for the Levitical temple service to resume right after permission is granted to Israel to start them at the beginning of the tribulation or time of God's wrath and 70th week of Daniel mentioned in Daniel 9:27 and that it is also very near to the rapture or catching up to heaven of the true Church right before that. Therefore I would encourage the reader, is you haven't done so already, to admit you are a sinner in God's sight and according to His word the Holy Bible, and trust in or seek to yield to God through His Son Jesus Christ and your personal Lord and Saviour who died on the cross for our sins and rose again to give us new life. Part of receiving the Lord Jesus Christ as one's personal Lord and Saviour is to call on God in Jesus' name in prayer and tell him that you admit you are a sinner in His sight and that you want to be a restored child of His and receive forgiveness for all your sins through the death of God's only begotten Son Jesus Christ's on the cross and His resurrection from the dead to give us God's eternal new life.
ThA couple times in the second week of August 2016 the Islamic Temple Mount Waqf Foundation attempted to carry out illegal work under the Dome of the Rock. This work was perhaps involving the floor of this site that many Orthodox Jews including major Temple restoration groups including the Temple Institute and Temple Mount Faithful regard as the site of the previous Solomon's or First Temple and Zerubbabel/Herod's or Second Temple and also where the third Jewish Temple should be built. This illegal work of the Waqf came to the attention of Israeli authorities and the Israeli Jerusalem or Temple police arrested four Waqf members and the worker employed by the Waqf to do this work. Some other Waqf members were taken from the Temple Mount and given restraining orders according to the report on the Facebook page of the Temple Institute. I am personally as a Bible believing Christian glad to see the Israeli authorities show more interest and concern to illegal and perhaps destructive work done by the Islamic Temple Mount Waqf on the Temple Mount, even though it might have taken work on the exact site of the former Jewish temples or even holy of holies to do this, since around 2000 the Israeli Antiquities Authority and the Israeli Temple police did little to stop the illegal work of the Waqf widening the entrance to the Solomon's Stables complex to make it a new Muslim mosque and destroying much Jewish Temple architecture in the process and around 2005 when the Waqf used bulldozers and other heavy equipment to remove some of the Temple Mount plaza stone tiles because they could have originated from the Jewish Herod's Temple. In this latter case the Israel Temple police and Israeli Antiquities Authority also did nothing to hinder the Muslim destructive work even though it was also quite blatant. Even though this latest incident was provoked by a further attempt by the Muslim Temple Mount Waqf to do illegal work including perhaps removing some Jewish Temple heritage from the site of the actual Temple building, it is good to see more concern and a more firm Israeli police response to stop the illegal Muslim work perhaps defacing the Temple Mount. That this contest for the heritage of the Temple Mount has now reached the possible site of the Jewish Temple building itself is likely an indication from God that the next phase in His prophetic program that will involve the Antichrist, or he that causes abomination, making a treaty or covenant with Israel and others to allow the Israelites or Jews to build their third temple on the temple Mount in Jerusalem. This will start the seven year tribulation or 70th week of Daniel and will be just after the quickly approaching rapture of the Church. I therefore encourage the reader, if you haven't done so already, to admit you are a sinner in God's sight and realize a restored relationship with Him through receiving His Son Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour who died on the cross for our sins and rose again from the dead to give us new life. Pray to God the Father in Jesus' name to say these things from your heart so you can not only have a relationship with God but also be taken to heaven at the rapture of the Church and not be left behind on earth for earth's darkest time of the tribulation and time of God's wrath.
In July and August 2016 The Temple Institute set up a new sub-institute of their work called the Nezer Hakodesh Institute for Kohanic Studies. This sub-institute will be primarliy and directly responsible for training Israelite priests for service in the soon-coming next Jewish Temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Although the Temple Institute had already recognized and started training some Levitical priests and fitted them with the biblical linen garments etc. this work was not as specifically focused as it now can be with a new sub-institute of The Temple Institute directly responsible for calling out and training Levitical priests for service to the LORD in the soon-to be rebuilt Jewish temple or Third Temple on the Temple Mount in Jerualem. However, from a biblical Christian viewpoint we think there will be a Millennial or Messianic literal Temple of God with the Messiah from the holy of holies in that Temple reigning over Israel and the world and being worshipped by them as mentioned in Ezekiel 40-48, Zechariah 14, 6, Isaiah 2, latter part of Psalm 24, some of Psalm 72 etc. after the tribulation temple. We think the tribulation temple is especially mentioned in Daniel 9:27 and Revelation 11:1-2 and it will be built by the false Messiah the Antichrist or man of sin, the beast out of the sea or little horn etc. at first by an agreement with the children of Israel (and other nations) that will allow the Jews to have their Levitical worship of the LORD for the first half of the tribulation. However we believe half way through the tribulation (or the midst of it) as in Daniel 9:27 the antichrist will stop the Levitical worship of the Lord, remove the Jewish priests or Levites etc. and take over the temple for himself and the worship of himself and of the devil through him (the man of sin). The antichrist or man of sin will probably seat himself in the holy of holies of the tribulation temple and this is probably what is meant by the abomination of desolation in the latter part of Daniel 9:27 and in Jesus Christ' reference to him in the tribulation in Matthew 24:15. The antichrist in this temple is also described in 2 Thessalonians 2 in the New Testament and Revelation 13. About the efforts of The Temple Institute to prepare the Levitical priests for the Third Temple which I and other bible believing Christians think will be the tribulation temple that the antichrist will defile I see the Temple Institute is making good progress in calling forth and training the Jewish priests to serve in that temple but I haven't seen too much recent progress on their part or of other temple groups in preparing the general Levites for serving God in the land of Israel including some with the Levitical priests for the rebuilt temple. This is even though there are some other groups that recently have made a committment to call forth and train the Levites but I haven't seen too much updates of their web sites for several years and the Temple Institute doesn't seem to be too focused on calling out and training the Levites in general as far as I can see. According to a biblical Christian or literal viewpoint it will be the second coming from heaven of the true Messiah the Lord Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth that among other things will defeat the Antichrist, the False Prophet and his evil world system and that of the devil that will be set up to give the worship of man to the devil and the antichrist or beast and son of perdition or man of sin instead of to God the Father and His co-divine Son Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit. In view that the Temple Institute is making significant progress in preparing articles and the Levitical Priests to lead the worship of God in the first half of the tribulation period Tribulation Temple and that other prophetic events will quickly follow after that, I encourage the reader if you haven't done so already to admit you are sinner in God's sight (as compared to Jesus and God's standards in His word the Holy Bible) and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ (Y'Shua HaMashiach) that He died on the cross for all our sins and rose again from the dead to give us eternal life and an eternal relationship with God and so you can also be assured that you will be taken to heaven in the rapture of the true Church and not left behind for the tribulation or 70th week of Daniel, time of God's wrath and rule of Satan's man the Antichrist over all the earth. If you trust in the Lord Jesus Christ now you can also look forward to reigning with Him and all the true Church and the restored to God including spiritually through Y'Shua of the believing remnant of God's chosen earthly people Israel and the restored of the nations in God's time of full visible rule on Earth first after Jesus' second coming in glory from heaven first in the 1000 year Messianic or Millennial Kingdom and then in His eternal Kingdom in the New Jerusalem, New Earth and New Heavens.
In mid April 2016 the United Nations educational and cultural organization UNESCO demonstrated their support of the previous Palestinian motion to it to have the Temple Mount and other holy sites in the holy land declared as Muslim holy sites only and not as Jewish holy sites. The most important site affected by this ruling was the Temple Mount or in Hebrew Har HaBayet or Mount of the House (probably from Micah 4 in the Old Testament) but which the Arabs and Muslims call Harem Al-Sharif or the Noble Sanctuary. There is abundant evidence in the Bible, extrabiblical history and still remaining in its architecture that the Temple Mount was the site of the previous Solomon's and Zerubbabel/Herod's Jewish Temple and that the Western Wall was the retaining wall of Solomon's Temple. Accurate history shows that Mohammed died in 632 in Median Arabia and didn't get to Israel in his lifetime and that for the first couple decades of Islam Mohammed's so-called night journey was more accurately generally thought of as to another mosque called Al-Aqsa in Mecca, Arabia. It was later changed by Muslims to refer to his going to heaven from the Temple Mount in Jerusalem some time after the Al-Aqsa mosque and Dome of the Rock or Mosque of Omar were built on the Temple Mount between 680 and 700 AD. Apparently it wasn't until the 1920s that some Muslims started saying Mohammed's horse was associated with the Western Wall and this is also not historically accurate but was just used to better claim the Temple Mount and Western Wall or deny Jewish claims to them. At least after hearing of this inaccurate and one-sided depiction and implication by the UN body UNESCO Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly objected to the UNESCO depiction of the Temple Mount as "This is yet another absurd UN decision". Netanyahu also rightly pointed out that UNESCO was ignoring the Jewish connection to the Temple Mount for 1000 years while they stood and another 2000 years where they continue to pray for looking to the building of the next Jewish Temple. Netanyahu also said about this UNESCO decision: "The UN is rewriting a basic part of human history and has again proven that there is no low to which it will not stoop." I personally agree that the UN has typically been quite anti-semitic and it is a historic fact that most of its condemning votes have been against Israel even though there are many Muslim and some other countries that have much worse human rights or other records. However I hope that Prime Minister Netanyahu will this time do more than make impressive words to combat measures by world powers or Muslims against it as this is what he has done in too many cases to Israel's detriment. A later part of the Israeli response to this UNESCO inaccurate, one-sided and anti-semitic depiction of the Temple Mount and Wailing Wall was by the Science Minister Ofir Akunis of the Likud Party in the current Israeli governing coalition. He condemned the UN body UNESCO for co-operating with the Palestinian Authority request not to use the Jewish term Temple Mount for the Temple Mount but only the Muslim term Harem Al-Sharif (Noble Sanctuary) or sometimes Al-Aqsa mosque and in this way seeking to separate the Temple Mount from its abundant Jewish historical connection and future prophetic significance. Mr. Akunis wrote to UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova in part: "I was sorry to read your decision according to which Jews have no connection to the Temple Mount and the Western Wall." Mr. Akunis went on to rightly accuse UNESCO of arrogance and historical ignorance of the Temple Mount situation. He then recommeneded to Ms. Bokova to personally visit Israel as the homeland of the Jewish people and see the association of the Jewish people and the land of Israel and its ongoing high technological level and contributions to world prosperity. Since the letter to the UNESCO Director by Member of the Knesset (MK)(the Israeli Parlimanet) by Mr. Akunis the Israeli Police Commissioner Roni Alscheich put forward a ban on both Jewish and Arab members of the Israeli Knesset from ascending up to the Temple Mount from now to after the Jewish feast of Passover and to sometime after that when he wants to lift the ban. He says he put the ban there now to ensure state security for Israel but I think he doesn't have much faith in the true God the LORD (Yahweh or Jehovah) including His Son Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit but that Mr. Alsheich is mostly thinking in human terms of many more Muslims in the world or the Middle East than Jews. Mr. Alsheich is however probably rightly thinking that the recent UNESCO decision and the weakness of Israeli leader Netanyahu in the Temple Mount camera issue among other things with the upcoming Jewish patriotic festival of Passover could encourage more Israeli Jewish MKs to go up to the Temple Mount. I believe from a Biblical Christian viewpoint that this all could be a continuation of the increasing tension between Israel and its supporters such as evangelical Christians and the Muslim world, world powers and some other anti-semitic people in the west or elsewhere and that this will probably lead very soon to the false peace of the Antichrist or Beast out of the Sea or Man of Sin with Israel as mentioned in Daniel 9:27 and implied elsewhere in the Bible in which the Antichrist will achieve a Middle East and possible world peace that will involve allowing Israel to build their next Jewish Temple on the Temple Mount to start the 70th week of Daniel and the tribulation or time of God's wrath. The Antichrist will allow the Jews to have their Old Testament service to the Lord under the Law of Moses with the Levitical priesthood in the first half of the tribulation but will then seize it from them mid way through the tribulation to use to get all people in the world to worship him and Satan the devil through him or be killed, imprisoned or forced into hiding. At the end of the tribulation the Lord Jesus Christ will come again as the true Messiah of Israel and King of kings and the Saviour of the world to defeat the Antichrist and visibly set up God's Kingdom on earth centred on the new Messianic Kingdom Temple in Jerusalem as Jesus' throne and through restored Israel and those who trust in the God of the Bible in the tribulation from the nations, and Old Testament saints and the true Church through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ that He died for our sins and rose again for people of all nations from this present age that started at Pentecost and will end very soon with the rapture or catching up to heaven of all true Christians who have believed in our heart that Jesus died for us and rose again so we have a relationship with God and will be spared by God's grace from the tribulation. I would therefore encourage the reader if you haven't already done so to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as soon as possible as these events in Israel especially on the Temple Mount and elsewhere in the world as exactly as God's word the Holy Bible predicted for the end of this current Church Age or Age of grace.
In July 2015 on the Ninth of Av (Tisha B'Av) the Temple Institute made available a new video clip for the third temple to be built on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem which I and other Bible believing Christians think will be used by agreement with the Antichrist the Beast out of the Sea with the Jews to allow the restoration of their Levitical (Old Testament) worship in the 1st half of the tribulation and then taken over by the antichrist for worship of himself in the second half of the tribulation. The Lord Jesus Christ will either totally replace this temple or incorporate it in the true Millennial Temple with the Lord Jesus Christ to have his throne in the holy of holies in the true Millennial Temple as mentioned in Zechariah 6 and that God will prepare the Jews for in their worship of God in the 1st half of the tribulation. In this new video there is some progress in design of the sanctuary and some of the halls that would join to it perhaps based on the new blueprints and there is some clearer indication of the blueprints of the third temple in the hall ways of the temple and the stairways that have a more modern look with significant use of glass while the designs of the 2nd Herod's and the 1st Solomon's Temple were probably almost all made of stone. However in the sanctuary in the previous temples there was also wood covered with gold. I don't know yet if these will be used in the upcoming third temple. This progress in the design at least partly based on new blueprints for the third temple is further indication of the shortness of the time before the building of the third temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem and the starting of the tribulation and 70th week of Daniel and the preceding rapture of the Church. Therefore I would urge the reader to as soon as possible if you haven't already to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and SAviour that Jesus died for our sins on the cross and rose from the dead to give us new life and so you can also be taken to heaven at the rapture of the Church and not left behind for God's judgment of the world in the tribulation and the world dictatorship of the Antichrist.
Currently in 2016 there continues to be an uneasy truce and default arrangement for the Temple Mount especially between the Jews and Muslims although Christian or other tourists are also affected. This so called status quo arrangement has lately been zealously upheld by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the pressure of the world powers such as the United States, the United Nations and the European Union. In this status quo arrangement for the Temple Mount Jews are allowed to visit the Temple Mount but only individually and in small groups and if they try to pray, or have some clear Jewish religious clothing like prayer shawls or if they try to read from God's word the Holy Bible or say or sing other devout Jewish religious or Israeli nationist songs or words such as the Israeli national anthem they can and often are arrested even though the Israeli supreme court has many times upheld religious freedom also for Jews and all people on the Temple Mount. Under this status quo arrangement Muslims are allowed not only to regularly go up to the Temple Mount but also to pray there in or out of the Dome on the Rock or the Al Aqsa mosque of some of the smaller Islamic shrines up there but they are not supposed to be violent or intimidating either to Christian or other tourists or Jews just visiting the Temple Mount and violent or provocative Muslims can and have been arrested for doing such things but sometimes the Israeli authorities have turned a blind eye to these things. The Israeli Prime Minister currently Benjamin Netanyahu through the Interior Minister and the Jerusalem chief of Police through the Israeli Temple Mount police on one side and the government of or King of Jordan through the Islamic Temple Mount the Waqf and the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem through the Waqf Temple Mount police are jointly responsible for maintaining law and order on the Temple Mount according to the 1994 peace agreement between Israel and Jordan.
I believe based on what is going on regarding the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple and the Temple Mount and other events in Jerusalem and elsewhere in Israel and the rest of the world that it is now very soon before the false peace of the Antichrist mentioned in Daniel 9:27 when the Antichrist will agree with Israel to allow them to build their third temple on at least a part of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem and there is the immediately preceding rapture or catching up to heaven to be with the Lord Jesus Christ and God the Father true Christians of all nations, tribes and languages. I think current events are getting ready for the tribulation first half arrangement for the Temple Mount and 3rd Temple on at least part of the Temple Mount when based on current events in Jerusalem and Bible verses relating to how the Temple Mount or previous or the future Millennial Temples had security and access maintained or overseen that in the first half of the tribulation God will allow the Antichrist to allow the Jews to at least contribute their part of manpower for guarding the Temple Mount from the priestly Israelite tribe of the Levites perhaps from the subgroup of them called the sons of Korah as in the time of the 1st or Solomon's Temple. Probably the Jews will share the Temple Mount with their rebuilt Jewish Temple to worship the true God Jehovah or Yahweh (the LORD) or what Christians call God the Father and Muslims will be allowed to worship their god Allah the moon god as indicated by the crescent moon above the Dome on the Rock and the Muslims might be allowed to contribute their part of Temple Mount guards from the Islamic Waqf authority as is done now.
This situation will likely be until the Jewish Third Temple is taken over by the Antichrist at the mid point of the tribulation and he defiles it by dedicating it to the worship of himself and Satan the devil and likely shuts down any Muslim mosques remaining on the Temple Mount until the mid point of the tribulation. At the end of the tribulation the Lord Jesus Christ will come with His Church, God the Father in His Shekinah glory, the holy angels, and Old Testament saints and tribulation martyrs to judge the world and set up God's Kingdom on this Earth for 1000 years including to remove the Antichrist and false prophet to the lake of fire and the devil to the bottomless pit. All the remaining structures at that time on the Temple Mount will likely be destroyed to make room for the Millennial Kingdom Temple mentioned in Ezekiel 40-48 and other scriptures where the true God of the Bible will be worshipped by restored to God Israel and the restored of the nations and the true Church might also observe this and give homage to Jesus who will often be in the holy of holies of this Temple as His then earthly throne but the Church will not be required to make animal sacrifices in this temple to God. God the Father's glory will likely be above the Temple complex.
The first organized worship place of God by His chosen earthly people the Jews or the children of Israel was the Tabernacle. After that, after the tabernacle was brought into the land of Israel and moved a couple times Solomon's Temple or the 1st Temple was set up on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem as the place that God dwelt among the Israelites and where their worship of Him was focused. In the Tabernacle the people chosen to guard the way to the Tabernacle were the sons of Korah who were a branch of the priestly tribe the Levites. They would have been in Moses' time the closest equivalent to the current Temple police and Waqf guards guarding the day to day operations of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The descendents in King David's time of the sons of Korah were chosen to be the porters or door keepers to Solomon's Temple by King David according to 1 Chronicles 9 and would have been the closest to the Temple police or Waqf guards guarding the Temple Mount in Jerusalem in our time. In the time of David worship of the one true God the God of the Bible Jehovah, Yahweh, the LORD or God the Father was already on the Temple Mount or Mount Moriah in Jerusalem. Although King David had the overall authority to select and oversee the porters of the Temple (Temple police) at that time, it is significant that Phinehas the High priest after Eleazar who was after Aaron, Moses' brother died, is mentioned as the one who had authority over them originally in the time of the tabernacle when the sons of Korah first had the duty of guarding the tabernacle. After the time of King David it was also often the King of Israel or after Solomon the king of Judah who had authority over the workers in the Temple including the temple porters. The scripture from 1 Chronicles 9 of the porters, police of the tabernacle or temple in Jerusalem on the Temple Mount to be the sons of Korah and to be usually overseen by the king of Israel/Judah is as follows:
And the porters were, Shallum, and Akkub, and Talmon, and Ahiman, and their brethren: Shallum was the chief; Who hitherto waited in the king's gate eastward: they were porters in the companies of the children of Levi. And Shallum the son of Kore (Korah), the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, and his brethren, of the house of his father, the Korahites, were over the work of the service, keepers of the gates of the tabernacle: and their fathers, being over the host of the LORD, were keepers of the entry. And Phinehas the son of Eleazar was the ruler over them in time past, and the LORD was with him. And Zechariah the son of Meshelmiah was porter of the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. All these which were chosen to be porters in the gates were two hundred and twelve. These were reckoned by their genealogy in their villages, whom David and Samuel the seer did ordain in their set office. So they and their children had the oversight of the gates of the house of the LORD (the Temple), namely, the house of the tabernacle, by wards. 1 Chronicles 9:17-23
After the apostles Peter and John had been put in prison in Jerusalem for previously preaching about salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ an angel of the Lord appeared to them in prison. The angel opened the prison doors and told them to preach about the Lord Jesus Christ and salvation through Him and do to so in the Temple courtyard again. These apostles and early Church leaders then went into the temple courtyard in the morning and taught the people there about the Lord Jesus Christ (Y'Shua HaMashiach) and salvation through Him. Word about this was eventually brought to the High Priest who personally came and some with him, probably other priests perhaps some chief priests or other members of the Sanhedrin and some officers of the temple. The high priest and some of the other priests of the Sanhedrin (council) called a meeting of the Sanhedrin on this issue and commanded that the apostles brought to the prison. The officers (I believe of the temple) then came to the prison and found the apostles were not in the prison. The officers of the temple then reported to the high priest and the Sanhedrin that they looked at the prison and found the prison secure and the guards rightly guarding the doors of the prison but they could not find Peter and John. When the high priest and the captain of the temple, who was just under the high priest and reported to him and who was directly responsible for maintaining order on the temple complex corresponding to the current positions of the Israeli Chief of Police and the Islamic Grand Mufti or Jerusalem who jointly currently oversee what goes on on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, heard about what had happened they didn't think this would lead to further problems. Then someone, who may have then been recently on the temple grounds, told them that Peter and John were again preaching in the Temple (Herod's or the 2nd (Jewish) Temple) probably the general courtyard the captain of the Temple decided to again take action. In verse 26 it is clear that the officers are the officers of the temple rather than officers of the prison as they act in this verse in full joint action and under the authority of the captain of the temple which wouldn't make sense if they were just officers of the prison where Peter and John were kept. These officers of the Temple would again correspond to the current Israeli Temple Mount police and Muslim Arab Waqf Temple Mount guards on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The captain of the temple and the officers of the temple then apprehended the apostles Peter and John and brought them off the Temple courtyard to the meeting of the Sanhedrin which I heard from the Temple Institute and other Jewish and Christian sources met on the Temple Mount to one side of the inner court of the Temple in an area called the Chamber of Hewn Stone so the captain of the temple and the officers of the temple would not have far to bring Peter and John before the Sanhedrin or council. Of course I as a Bible believing Christian believe the instruction from an angel of the LORD to the apostles Peter and John to preach about Jesus on the Temple Mount was of the true God, the LORD, Yahweh or HaShem and that Jesus is the true Messiah but that He will fulfill many other scriptural prophecies of Him as Messiah at His second coming and the following Messianic or Millennial Kingdom. The apostles were again asked by the Sanhedrin why they were preaching about Jesus or Y'Shua and salvation through him in the temple courtyard to the people there. The scripture reference from Acts 5 about the officers of the temple under the captain of the temple arresting the apostles Peter and John to prevent them from preaching about the Lord Jesus Christ (Y'Shua HaMashiach) and salvation through HIm on the Temple grounds as an example in the New Testament and in the 2nd Temple of the action of the corresponding officers to the current Israeli Temple Mount police and the Islamic Waqf Temple Mount guards in maintaining order on the Temple Mount is as follows:
But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said, Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life. And when they heard that, they entered into the temple early in the morning, and taught. But the high priest came, and they that were with him, and called the council (Sanhedrin) together, and all the sentence of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought. But when the officers came, and found them not in the prison, they returned, and told, Saying, The prison truly found we shut with all safety, and the keepers standing without before the doors: but when we had opened, we found no man within. Now when the high priest and the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these things, they doubted of them whereunto this would grow. Then came one and told them, saying, Behold, the men whom ye put in prison are standing in the temple, and teaching the people. Then went the captain with the officers, and brought them without violence: for they feared the people, lest they should have been stoned. And when they had brought them, they sat them before the council: and the high priest asked them ... Acts 5:19-27
In the Millennial or Messianic Kingdom when the temple of God mentioned in Ezekiel (and Isaiah and Zechariah and Haggai etc. is built) there will be some differences with the tabernacle and previous Jewish temples of God in Jerusalem but there will also be similiarities. One similiarity is that the porters or gatekeepers of the temple to guard the temple and maintain law and order there will be the Levites the priestly tribe of the children of Israel. I do not know if they will be specifically from the sons of Korah part of the Levites or not as the Bible does not say as far as I know. These Levite porters will be parter under authority of the priests but overall they will be under authority of the prince who will correspond to the high priest in previous days for Israel when the tabernacle or temple was still standing and in operation as the prince will lead the worship of God, both the Father and His Son the Messiah Jesus of Nazareth in the Messianic Kingdom Temple especially described in Ezekiel. These Levites guarding the gates of the Messianic Kingdom Temple correspond to the Israeli Temple police and Muslim Arab Waqf officials jointly guarding the Temple Mount the site of the previous and future Jewish Temples in Jerusalem. Some scriptures that mention that the prince will be in charge of everything that goes on in the Messianic Kingdom Temple including the Levites that work there are Ezekiel 44:2-3, Ezekiel 46:1-15, 37:24-28. The scripture reference in Ezekiel 44 that mentions that the Levites, the priestly tribe of Israel, will be gatekeepers or porters in the Messianic or Millennial Kingdom Temple of God and then have the corresponding role as the Jewish Israeli Temple Mount police and Waqf Islamic Arab Temple Mount guards is as follows:
And the Levites that are gone away far from me, when Israel went astray, which went astray from me after their idols; they shall even bear their iniquity. Yet they shall be ministers in my sanctuary, having charge at the gates of the house, and ministering to the house: they shall slay the burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people, and they shall stand before them to minister unto them. Ezekiel 44:10-11
In December 2014 around the time of Hannukah the Temple Institute announced that they had succeeded in harvesting and producing pure olive oil ready to use in the temple in 2000 years. This is since the time of the 2nd or Herod's temple that was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD. Also around Hannukah the Temple Institute instructed some of the priests dressed in the priestly garments of white linen to pour some of the pure olive oil into the Menorah or Lampstand or Candlestick they have made for the Third Temple in a ceremony just near the Temple Mount by the western wall. The menorah fit for the temple was then lit with suitable olive oil for the first time in 2000 years since the 2nd or Herod's temple. (The menorah is the main means of providing light in the temple sanctuary after sunset as there are some windows in the temple structure that can provide some light in the temple sanctuary in the day time. The scripture reference from Exodus 27 of lighting the menorah for the tabernacle or temple with pure olive oil is the following:
And thou shalt command the children of Israel, that they bring thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamp to burn always. In the tabernacle of the congregation without the vail, which is before the testimony (ark of the covenant), Aaron and his sons shall order it from evening to morning before the LORD: it shall be a statute for ever unto their generations on the behalf of the children of Israel. Exodus 27:20-21
This month there was an article and some pictures on www.templeinstitute.org, the web site of The Temple Institute in Jerusalem, that Jewish priests have started training for the temple service in the soon to be rebuilt third Jewish Temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. These Jewish priests have, by DNA analysis, all been confirmed as being in the priestly line of the first Jewish high priest Aaron who was the brother of Moses living perhaps around 1450 BC. This ceremony was performed in the new and expanded visitor's centre of the Temple Institute in the Old City of Jerusalem near the western wall and Temple Mount. This exercise was led by Rabbi Yisrael Ariel the founder and still overall leader of the Temple Institute. A good portion of the priests were wearing the white linen garments specified for priests in Exodus 28 (and 39) that are continuing to be made by the Temple Institute. These priests can be seen doing priestly functions such as attending to the altar of incense, bringing some artificial coals with a shovel that was used in connection with the altar of sacrifice, going through the ritual of sacrifice with an artifical lamb and blowing silver trumpets ready for use in the third temple. A new institute has been set up by the Temple Institute to continue the training and outfitting of these priests for the day soon when they will be able to perform the temple servive in the soon to be rebuilt third temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. From a biblical Christian viewpoint this signifies that the covenant with the Antichrist to make a false peace deal in the Middle East with Israel and probably the ARabs and others that will involve allowing the Jews to rebuild their temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem is near. This will begin the seven year tribulation that will be ended by the second coming of the LOrd Jesus Christ who will defeat the antichrist and the world system and set up God's rule on earth. Before the covenant with the antichrist and Israel will be the rapture or catching up to heaven of all true Christians from all nations. I would therefore urge the reader if he or she hasn't done so already to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ that he died for our sins on the cross and rose again from the dead to give us new life so you will not only have eternal life and a relationship with God but be taken at the rapture to heaven and be spared the tribulation.
There have been reports especially on www.templeinstitute.org and www.jerusalempost.com about a developing controversy on the Temple Mount. This could have bibical consequences. What was found was that Arab Muslims have set up scaffolding and work equipment on the rock inside the Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount. The Orthodox Jews including several Temple groups like the Temple Institute and the Temple Mount Faithful consider this rock inside the Dome of the Rock the location of the First (Solomon's) and the Second (Herod's) Temple and also where the next third temple should be located. There biblical Jews consider part of that rock the Foundation Stone on which the Holy of Holies and Ark of the Covenant rested in bible times. Therefore they see it as the most holy location on earth and something not to be tampered with. There has already been alteration and elimation of Jewish artifacts and archaeology on the Temple Mount by Muslims through their agents the Waqf that oversees the Temple Mount for Muslims including the mosques there. In one of these articles the Israeli Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein said that Israeli law applies to all places on the Temple Mount including the Dome of the Rock but the Jews should be sensitive to the concerns of Muslims. One response about this has been from the Palestinian Authority that disputes that Israeli law applies there. In the terms of ending the Six Day War in 1967 the Jews gave back day to day operation of the Temple Mount to the Muslim Waqf with still some Jewish right of control on the condition that all holy sights and access by people of all faiths (Christians and Jews as well as Muslims) be respected. Jews desirous to build the temple insist that this work on the Dome of the Rock including the Foundation stone is disrespect for Jewish sites on the Temple Mount - the most holy site of all the location of the holy of holies of previous Jewish temples. (Although evangelical or other Christians have a variety of opinions where the Jewish temples were most say they were on the Temple Mount and if the temple is to be built again it should be on the temple mount although the Dome of the rock location is still a popular location of the Jewish Temples with evangelical Christians.) The Jewish Temple group the Temple MOUnt Faithful has appealed this work on the rock of the Dome of the Rock saying it interferes with and damages or defiles the Foundation Stone and other basis of location of the Jewish Temples. Most recent reports on the Jerusalem Post said this work was necessary to renovate and strengthen the roof of the Dome of the Rock and that the work should go ahead. This is unlikely to satisfy temple supporting Jewish groups although I haven't heard an official response from them yet. Especially if this controversy continues or escalates it could easily, from a biblical Christian perspective, lead to the false peace covenant of the antichrist with Israel to build their third temple on the temple mount in Jerusalem as mentioned in Daniel 9:27. This is because the backs of temple supporting or other Orthodox Jews will be more and more up against the wall as they will feel deeply abandoned by their own and other authorities and will be looking harder that ever of a political or religious ruler who will sympathize with them including their desire to build their third temple on the temple mount as soon as possible and bring it about where other Israeli or other leaders have failed for a long time with increasing Muslim encroachment and damage to Jewish heritage there. Seeing all these things are happening and lining up with the Bible from a literal perspective, I would urge the reader, if he or she hasn't already done so, to admit you are a sinner as I the writer of this article have already done, and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ that he died on the cross for all our sins and rose from the dead to give us God's new life and relationship with Him and to do this as soon as possible as God's salvation through Jesus won't be as easy or available when the tribulation happens after the catching up to heaven of all the true Christians from this age that started almost two thousand years ago at Pentecost in Jerusalem as mentioned in Acts 2 in the New Testament. God assures us we the true Christians through Jesus will also come back with him at the end of the tribulation as mentioned in Revelation 19 and reign with Jesus for a thousand years when God through Jesus will visibly rule the nations through restored IsraEL AND Jewish people.
In March 2011 on the Temple Institute Events page the Temple Institute put up a short video about the Red Heifer. This video had some general comments about the Red Heifer but also included an affirmation by Temple Institute spokesman Rabbi Chaim Richman that the Red Heifer is not something they or other Jews have to wait for to build the Temple but they have at least one qualified one right now. In this video they also showed some pictures of it and it was very red but it is so far only a calf and is possibly not more than one year old and it might have been born just before their initial announcement of it in March last year. There was also in the pictures an adult cow or ox that was probably its mother or maybe its father. This adult cow was more yellow orange and not red. The problem now is that some of the other candidates for red heifer were initially all red but then sprouted some white hairs or were otherwise disqualified before they were three years old and could be sacrificed or breeded. This means that Jews and Christians who are awaiting the temple to be rebuilt will have to wait almost two years to be sure this red heifer continues to be a legitimate red heifer but it is a good sign that after a year it still seems qualified as affirmed by Rabbi Chaim Richman and seems quite apparent from the pictures in the video. As well as Numbers 19 there is probably a reference to the sacrifice of the Red Heifer with the combination of the water of purification or separation in the beginning of Numbers 8 as well as other places in the Bible especially the Old Testament or Hebrew scriptures. Since these things are developing at this time and could this time continue until completion and in view of other prophetic events in the world such as the trend to world government, I urge the reader to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ that he died for our sins on the cross and rose again from the dead on the third day to give us new life if you haven't already so you will have eternal life and be ready for the Lord Jesus Christ when he comes to take his church to heaven and so you won't be left behind on earth for the judgment of God and the tyranny of the world dictator - the Antichrist or beast out of the sea or man of sin.
On Tuesday, March 2, 2010 the Temple Institute announced that as they put it there is now a red heifer alive and well in Israel. This announcement was made on Temple Talk which is their on-line radio program on www.israelnationalradio.com. The broadcast was titled: "Audio: A Red Heifer is Alive and Well in Israel". Rabbi Chaim Richman claims this quite clearly near the end of the second hour of the broadcast and calls it a bombshell announcement which it will be if this red heifer doesn't sprout any white hairs or otherwise become disqualified like some of the previous promising candidates. The Jews see the birth of a red heifer as a sign of the soon coming of the Messiah but myself and other bible believing Christians believe that instead this is a sign of the soon coming of the false messiah or antichrist the beast out of the sea who will immediately precede the coming of the true Messiah Jesus of Nazareth in his second coming in glory from heaven to judge the world and set up his kingdom on earth although the antichrist will be revealed immediately after the Lord Jesus Christ coming to the air or near outer space in what is called the rapture to catch up all true Christian to heaven before the tribulation. There are still some questions about this new red heifer such as when was it born, what does it look like, what is its name, where did it come from or what group has been responsible for its upbringing. I hope I can find out more of these details in the near future. But if this red heifer stays qualified (all red) this would definitely be a sign that this present church age is almost over and I would encourage everyone who hasn't done so already to trust with all your hearts in the Lord Jesus Christ that he died for your sins on the cross and rose from the dead to give you new life according to the scriptures and that you can't save yourself.
On the Ninth of Av which commemorates the destruction of the 1st and 2nd temples among other things and looks forward to the building of the third temple this year, 2011, the temple institute Rabbi Chaim Richman and other Orthodox Jews were able to go up to the Temple Mount. Although this alone was prohibited for Jews after the visit on the Temple Mount by former Israeli leader Ariel Sharon, when visits of Jews to the Temple Mount were again restored there were still prohibitions against their being too outwardly "religious" on the grounds it might offend Muslims especially those on the Temple Mount at the same time. According to the Temple Institute a reason for this severity despite Israeli constitution allowances for religious freedom is that the temple police had an unwritten understanding that they would only allow more freedom of religious expression for the Jews if they went to the Temple Mount in larger numbers. Although there were only about 500 religious Jews that went to the Temple Mount in the Ninth of AV in 2011 apparently these are larger numbers than before. As a result the temple police allowed these Jews to not only go up to the Temple Mount and spend about three hours there and protect the Jews' right to be up there from some Muslims that were there at the same time and were upset with sharing the Temple Mount with religious Jews but the Temple police also allowed these Jews including Temple Institute rabbi Chaim Richman to openly pray there and speak openly probably including from the Bible including calling for the rebuilding of the Jewish temple on the Temple Mount and no doubt affirming that the former Jewish temples were previously on the Temple Mount which most Muslims also deny. There has been a trend in the last year or so in major Jewish festivals of the Temple police in allowing religious Jews to more openly demonstrate their faith such as praying on the Temple Mount. As a Biblical Christian I would say this is an indication that it is very soon in God's plan that he will allow the covenant between the Antichrist or beast out of the sea and the Jewish people to permit the rebuilding of their temple on the temple mount somehow with the acceptance of the Muslims. This will begin the 70th week of Daniel and the 7 year tribulation according to Daniel 9:27 right after the rapture or catching up to heaven of all true Christians who have from our hearts admitted to God we are sinners and prayed in Jesus' name to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Saviour who died for our sins and rose again from the dead to give us new life. If you the reader haven't already done this I urge you to do this sincerely as soon as possible so you can also have an eternal relationship with the creator God and be spared the horror of going through the tribulation on earth or eternity in hell but look forward to the joys of heaven and the renewed then new earth instead.
I heard on July 29, 2009 that on July 30 the Temple Institute which is the main Jewish group that is preparing articles or parts of the Third Temple to resume worship of the LORD according to the Hebrew scriptures or Law of Moses will start work on the Altar of Sacrifice. This altar of sacrifice was used first in the Tabernacle in Moses' time and then with Solomon's and Herod's temple to have a service to the LORD and God of Israel and the Creator God through offering the blood and fat of animal sacrifices and as a place of God's chosen earthly people Israel to gather and in the tabernacle and 1st temple for a place for the one true God to dwell among his people in the holy of holies. This altar of sacrifice is being made of stone without iron tools in faithfulness to the biblical instructions and it will first be constructed near Jerusalem and it will be moved to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem when permission to move it there and start building the temple there is achieved by what the Jews will think is the Messiah but will first be the false Messiah or Antichrist who will make a covenant with them to allow them to build their temple there according to Daniel 9:27. This temple is referred to also in the New Testament in Revelation 11:1-2 and is still called the temple of God as it will be used for worshipping the one true God in the first half of the tribulation and it will prepare the Jews and people of other nations for worship of God including a memorial of Jesus' death on the cross in the true Messianic Kingdom temple that will be built in Jerusalem after Jesus' second coming as the true Messiah and his coming to rule and receive worship of the world in the Messianic Kingdom Temple in Jerusalem. However in the second half of the tribulation the tribulation temple will be intruded into by the antichrist who will portray himself as a counterfeit of the Messianic Kingdom Messiah or Christ Jesus and the antichrist will also use the tribulation temple as a centre of his world rule and compelled worship of himself in the second half of the tribulation until Jesus takes him to the lake of fire at Jesus' second coming at the end of the tribulation.
On Sunday, September 13, 2009 the Temple Institute announced that the Israeli supreme court decided that the Israeli temple police have indeed followed descriminatory practices against religious Jews who have attempted to visit the Temple Mount. These measures include requiring the religious Jews to complete much more paperwork and security clearance that Christians, secular people or non-religious Jews or of course Muslims to visit the Temple Mount. There have also been practices by the Temple police of insisting that any religious Jews who visit the Temple Mount have a Temple police escort to closely follow them that these Temple police don't insist on or practice for other people that visit the Temple Mount. Also the Temple police have made a practice of insisting only a limited number of religious Jews could visit the Temple Mount at once and that no more religious Jews could visit the Temple Mount until some other religious Jews already on the Temple Mount finish their visit. The Israeli supreme court said these and similiar descriminatory practices against religious Jews by the Temple police must stop immediately and if they don't and there are further complaints or descrimination by religious Jews more severe measures against the Temple police will be taken. This decision shows a number of things. Among them that Israel does indeed have at least some jurisdiction over the Temple Mount and not just the Western Wall although they haven't exercised this power much since 1967. This also shows the Jews have influenced centres of power in Israel to take notice more that people in Israel are waking up more to their heritage on the Temple Mount and their desire to build the Third Jewish Temple there as soon as possible. If this decision by the Israeli supreme court is honoured by the Temple police this will likely further revive the zeal of religious Jews to claim the Temple Mount and build the Third Temple there as soon as possible with their more frequent visits to the Temple Mount. There could be more Muslim opposition to this but that will probably also increase the feeling of the religious Jews that it is God's appointed time to build their Temple now. The Temple Institute said this was the most significant decision of the Israeli supreme court in favour of religious Jewish rights to the Temple Mount.
One thing I have been much in thought about for some time has been whether God would enable the Temple Institute to finish the garments of the high priest before the Tribulation or 70th week of Daniel and in the dispensational(literal) view regarding Israel and the Church before the preceding rapture of the Church. This day I found the answer although it is not entirely to my liking there are some good aspects of it. The answer from the Sanhedrin as I have summarized on the home page of my web site is that they have apparently decided the current garments of the high priest are just a preliminary version of the garments of the high priest and the garments of the high priest that will be fit to be worn in the temple worship of the Third Temple will be made and fitted to the candidate selected as the next high priest after he is selected after the dedication of the third temple. I am not sure yet if this dedication of the Third Temple will be before the start of its construction or after it is finished. However it will be at least after the rapture and after the Antichrist makes the covenant with Israel to allow the Jews to build their third temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. In the reply that can be seen at www.thesanhedrin.net and by choosing forums and then general discussion and doug for temple why aren't the garments of the high priest being completed you can see my question to the Sanhedrin and their reply including that the things mentioned above and the fact that the fitted garments of the ordinary priests that are now in the process of being made for qualified Jewish priests will also not be permissible to be worn in the temple service but will be the exact same dimensions and material as those that will as it is also thought the garments of the ordinary priests should just be made after the dedication of the third temple. From my view which is a dispensational Christian or pre-tribulation rapture and premillennial view of God's Kingdom on Earth in Jesus the Messiah this is very disappointing that all the work on the garments of the high priest and what is being done now on the garments of the high priest won't prepare the selected high priest and ordinary priest to function in the temple worship in the third temple on the Temple Mount and that it will take some time even after the rapture and the covenant of Israel with the Antichrist as in Daniel 9:27 to prepare these garments there is a further concern. From this perspective the duration of the Jewish Temple worship in their covenant with the Antichrist will only last for the first half of the tribulation of first half of the seven year seventieth week of Daniel or 3 1/2 years which will not give them much time I don't think to carry out the temple worship after the garments have been made but I guess God will work that out somehow as I think that will also be necessary to prepare the Jews for the Temple worship in the actual Messianic Kingdom Temple under the true Messiah Y'Shua or Jesus of Nazareth after his second coming after the end of the tribulation. The main good news of this revelation from the Sanhedrin in their reply to me is that I do not have to wait for the completion of the garments of the high priest or of progress in the garments of the ordinary priests before the rapture of the Church of all born again Christians including myself who have trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ that he died for our sins on the cross and rose again from the dead on the third day to give us new life when we acknowledge our sins to him in prayer and believe with all our hearts in his work for us. I urge the reader to trust in Jesus and become true Christians according to the scriptures in this way as well as this news about the garments of the high priest and ordinary priests means there are much less major developments that might have to happen before the rapture and that there could be all the more reason it could occur any time. I have now submitted a posting to the Sanhedrin about this as Rabbi Chaim Richman of the Temple Institute who is also a member of the Sanhedrin said in a video put on the Temple Institute web site on the Events page about the Bezichin or new frankincense vessel that the garments of the high priest the Temple Institute has made is fit for use in the Third Temple and their seems to be a significant disagreement here.
On the same video the Bezichin put on the Temple Institute on June 7, 2009, Rabbi Chaim Richman said at the beginning of it that the garments of the high priest have been completed. Although this is true according to the scripture in places like Exodus 28 and 39 where the garments of the high priest are described, most of the illustrations I have seen of the garments of the high priest include an additional rounded turban that is attached to the wound around mitre that is fitted on the head of the high priest. It is to this rounded turban that the illustrations show the golden crown of the high priest attached. However this rounded turban is not mentioned in the Bible as far I can find and it could have been added later such as in the Talmud but I am not sure where the idea of this rounded turban comes from or when it originated. However it would be consistant with the Bible for the Temple Institute to attach with a blue lace the golden crown to the wound around mitre that is also already completed and this wouldn't take much time, money or effort.
On the week of November 6, 2008 I heard the November 6, 2008 Light to the Nations broadcast "From the East Gate to the Mount of Olives" that focused on the red heifer. This broadcast can be accessed at www.templeinstitute.org then multimedia then Light to the Nations then look for the November 6, 2008 broadcast. On the broadcast Rabbi Chaim Richman confirmed that the temple institute has or knows of more than one qualified red heifers that could be offered to purify the temple and the Jewish priesthood to prepare for the resumption of the temple worship in the third Jewish temple. Unfortunately he did not give any details of their names or pictures or where they were born or where they were living or when they were born which I would like to know too. However some time ago I posted an article on the sanhedrin web site www.thesanhedrin.net entitled "Where is the Red Heifer" under my username Dougfortemple. This can be accessed or printed by going in from www.thesanhedrin.net to discussion forums then general discussion then my article "where is the red heifer". One of the main responses previously was by a man Benyomin who is the director of Friends of the Sanhedrin and he said that the proposed red heifers Molly around 1998 and Geula around 2003 were disqualified by sprouting some non red hairs which I agree with. However he said that there now no qualified red heifers which I went along with because I hadn't heard much publicity about them recently. However when I heard the above mentioned broadcast of Rabbi Chaim Richman (who is also a member of the Sanhedrin) I decided to add a further posting on my article on the red heifer. This man Benyomin has now replied again to this recent posting and said the Sanhedrin is primarily responsible for drafting Torah based law and that the Temple Institute would know better what is going on with respect to matters preparing for the third temple so I now definitely overall believe Rabbi Chaim Richman and the Temple Institute that they do have now some qualified red heifers. On the article about the red heifer on the temple institute web site under the section about the tenth red heifer the Temple INstitute have said for some time that they now have some qualified red heifers but because they didn't provide further details and that was some time ago I thought that might no longer be the case. However based on what Rabbi Chaim Richman recently said on the Light to the Nations program it seems that the Temple Institute still has access to some qualified red heifers as of November 2008 although I have not yet been successful in gettng further details about these red heifers from the temple institute. The ritual of the red heifer is primarily described in Numbers 19 in the Bible although it is referred to after that briefly in some other passages. There is also significant material about the Red Heifer in the Jewish writings of the Mishnah and probably the Talmud although I wouldn't say they are inspired of God on the same level as the Bible. What this all means if this is true is that this is one significant less thing to wait for before the tribulation and in a pre-trib view as I hold to to the rapture of the church. This is very important as the red heifer is something we have to trust in God for a miracle unlike the articles of the temple and garments of the priests or high priests that can be prepared by qualified Jewish craftspeople dedicated to preparing for the third temple so it probably won't be too long that we will have to wait for the end of this current age of grace and the rapture and following tribulation then Jesus the Messiah's second coming and the Messianic Kingdom or Millennial Kingdom and then eternity. I therefore urge the reader to trust in the Lord Jesus the Messiah (Christ) that he died for your sins and rose again from the dead to give you new life and receive him in prayer as your personal Lord and Saviour as soon as possible if you haven't done this already so you can be prepared for the rapture (catching up) of the Church to heaven to remove it from earth before the tribulation.
From late August 2007 there has begun a concerted and in the view of some like the Temple Institute a terminal effort by the Muslims led by the Muslim religious organization the Waqf that is responsible for overseeing day to day operations on the Temple Mount to eradicate any traces of Jewish archaeology or heritage on the Temple Mount. This is intended to prove that the Temple Mount was never a Jewish sight and not the site of the former 1st Solomon's Temple or 2nd Zerubbabel's or Herod's Temple so it can be claimed as a Muslim site even though this is blatantly untrue historically. The Muslims are using a backhoe to dig a trench about 1.5 metres deep and so far about 400 metres long along the surface of the Temple Mount. This is supposedly to bury some electrical cables for the Dome of the Rock or some of the Muslim mosques on the Temple Mount but based on the history of the militant Muslims and their agents the Waqf this clearly has the more profound purpose of destroying some of the Jewish heritage on the Temple Mount to more readily claim all the Temple Mount for Islam and discredit Jewish claims or access to it or access of other non-Muslims such as Christians. The Israeli organization the Israel Antiquities Authority that is reponsible for protecting Jewish ancient artifacts or archaeological sites or great historical importance has turned a blind eye or even colluded with the Muslims and the Waqf in this destruction of the Temple Mount and some of the Jewish heritage there as have the Israeli Temple Police and the Israelie government for the most part. Further reports and pictures of these events are available at the Temple Institute's web site at:
The Temple InstituteAlthough I do not know of the effect on the Jewish population of Jewish people outside Israel, the effect of this Muslim destruction of the Jewish heritage of the Temple Mount from August 2007 has been quite clear. Namely, this has been to unite Israeli Jews in a way unprecedented since some of the major wars of Israel with the Arabs in 1948, 1967 and 1973 and for the first time in regard to the Temple Mount in opposition to this Muslim destruction of the Jewish heritage on the Temple Mount. This opposition is not only directed at the militant Muslims especially the Muslim Temple Mount Waqf but also the Israeli Antiquities Authority, Israeli Temple Police and Israeli government for doing nothing to stop this destruction and if anything giving their permission. Their has also been an effect by this Muslim destruction of the Jewish heritage on the Temple Mount this August and into September 2007 or causing a groundswell across the Israeli Jewish political spectrum from left to right to build the Third Temple that has been unprecedented in modern times. What this is clearly leading to no matter how you view it prophetically is the increasing receptivity and search of Israeli Jews and probably other Jews worldwide for a leader who would challenge the Muslims destroying the Jewish heritage on the Temple Mount and complicit Israeli authorities for a Jewish leader who will stand up to these people and put a halt to this Temple Mount destruction and made an agreement with Israel to allow the building of their next or third Temple. Although Orthodox Jews and then probably Ultra-orthodox Jews and maybe some other Jews will think this man will be the Messiah the son of David, myself and other Bible believing Christians who take the Bible literally are more wary and think he will probably be the Antichrist or the Beast out of the Sea also mentioned in Daniel 9:27 and probably referred to in Israel's covenant with death in Isaiah 28. That these events on the Temple Mount show such an increased readiness on the Israeli Jewish population for such a person shows that the time is probably very short until this Antichrist or Beast out of the Sea or Man of Sin is revealed although I and other literal or dispensationalist Christians believe this revelation of this Antichrist or Beast out of the Sea who will probably present himself as a false Messiah will be preceded by the rapture or catching up of the Church of all born again Christians from Pentecost almost 2000 years ago to the rapture with our changed bodies to go with Jesus to heaven to be kept there while the tribulation occurs on earth for 7 years until we come back with Jesus at the end of the tribulation to set up God's Kingdom through Jesus the Messiah. True born again Christians are born again of the Holy Spirit when we admit we are sinners and can't save ourselves and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour who died for our sins on the cross and rose again from the dead on the third day to give us eternal and God's life. This apparent nearness of the tribulation and preceding rapture should cause great joy to the true and committed Christian as it will mean we will soon be going to heaven which will be much better than earth and will be with God and Jesus and will see some major fulfillments of God's word and His justice on earth and His sooner coming to reign on earth in the Messianic Kingdom Temple and then in eternity during both latter times we will reign with him.
Due to continued frustration of lack of access to the Temple Mount to build the Jewish Third Temple due among other things to cowardly attitude of the government and many people of Israel and Muslim opposition including repeating the historically untrue story that Mohammed ascended from there at the end of his life the Orthodox Jewish Temple groups have decided to go ahead in producing the stones for the third temple at another location. These stones would then be assembled on the Temple Mount to make the Third Temple when access is granted for the Jews to build their Third Temple on the Temple Mount. This will be immediately after the rapture at the beginning of the tribulation or 70th week of Daniel according to especially Daniel 9:27 but also consistant with Revelation 11:1-2. To read about this declaration of the Sanhedrin go to their web site at The Sanhedrinand probably the Hebrew version will come up. Unless you know Hebrew click on the word English at the top left corner to get the English version of their web site. Then go to the search feature and type in "prefabricated" and click on search. Alternatively to see the same announcement you can go to the Temple Institute web site at The Temple Institute and go right to the bottom of any of their web pages where you will come to their search feature. Then as with the Sanhedrin web site enter "prefabricated" and click search. The announcement that was made on 28 Iyar 5765 or in May 2005 should then come up. Some further details are available on the recent Winter 5767 (2007) issue of the Newsletter of The Temple Mount Faithful at Temple Mount Faithful. When you get to the home page of Temple Mount Faithful go down to Winter 5767 (2007) Newsletter and click on that. Then go to the second page which is the table of contents. From that as stated in the Table of Contents go to page 18 Work of the Faithful Movement on Architectural Plans and Stones for the Third Temple Continues. Although it is obviously true that work is proceeding on the Third Temple, I personally believe and believe it is supported by a literal interpretation of God's Word - the Holy Bible that the actual building of the Temple on the Temple Mount won't begin until after the rapture or catching up to Heaven of the Church of born again believers in Jesus Christ and then when the Antichrist or Beast of the Sea makes a covenant with the Jewish people to allow them to build their Third Temple on the Temple Mount at the beginning of the tribulation or 70th week of Daniel.
Recently in June 2008 I registered and became a member to take part on the forum of a group "Friends of the Sanhedrin" in Jerusalem that supports the reestablishment of the Sanhedrin as a Jewish or Torah based supreme court of Israel. This is in contrast to the current primary supreme court in Israel that is primarily secular. This group Friends of the Sanhedrin has a web site at www.thesanhedrin.net and includes a members discussion forum where issues related to establishing a more Jewish or Torah based society in Israel can be discussed. My first question entitled "Where is the Red Heifer?" was about the fate of the second recent Red Heifer that was alive in the earlier part of this decade and seemed to be a qualified Red Heifer in that it was completely red. For a long time I haven't heard anything about it even from the Sanhedrin and the primary Temple groups. A spokesman for the group supporting the Sanhedrin answered my posting and sorted it out for me. Apparently that Red Heifer called Geula which is Hebrew for redemption sprouted some non red hairs like the previous one Molly did around 1998. Unfortunately the suitable red heifer has to be and remain completely red so this second one has been disqualified too. There are apparently presently no suitable Red Heifers. The Red Heifers were used to cleanse people including those in the Jewish priesthood from defilement with dead bodies or graves which religious Jewish people think could be anywhere in Israel since they weren't marked for almost two thousand years when the Jews did not have authority over the Holy Land. The main scripture passage about the ceremony of the Red Heifer is in Numbers 19 near the beginning of the Old Testament or Hebrew scriptures in the books of Moses or what the Jews call the Torah. The Red Heifer was to be killed when it was three years old and its ashes mixed with water that then became the sanctifying water of separation or water of purification. It was to be applied with a hyssop branch. This is probably referred to in some other places of the scriptures including Psalm 51. This representative of the Sanhedrin informed me that though there are now no suitable red heifers, the temple can still be built without them although I don't know if the priesthood can be considered holy and suitable for functioning in the temple without the water of separation including the ashes of the red heifer being applied to them. I hope, Lord willing, to find an answer to this point soon as well.
The Ark of Hope is a pentagonal shaped box with scenes inscribed on it of aboriginal or first nations pagan art. It also has pagan symbols of different religions on its top. From Bible in the News November 2002 this Ark of Hope is the devil's and the Antichrist's counterfeit of God's Ark of the Covenant. Inside this Ark of Hope has been put the Earth Charter probably on clay or stone with a charter for earth with an environmental, pagan religion, humanistic justice new world order as opposed to the tables of the ten commandments in the Ark of the Covenant that summarized God's world order under the law that will yet be the case in the whole world in the Messianic Age and was God's constitution for Israel from Moses. This was especially until they lost their freedom when Nebuchadnezzar overthrew Judah, Jerusalem and the Temple. This Earth Charter has been developed by the new world order elite from all over the world including people like David Rockefeller and Mikhail Gorbachev. I had seen that much before but what was new was that I realized that this Ark of Hope will no doubt be placed in a prominent position of the Holy of holies in the Third or Tribulation Temple when the Antichrist or Beast out of the Sea takes it over half way through the tribulation. The Antichrist will probably then first take out and retrieve the Ark of the Covenant which the Jewish Temple group know the location of and want to bring out when they are able to build their temple. The Jewish temple groups will probably operate the Third Temple peacefully in the first half of the tribulation through a covenant with the Antichrist or Beast out of the Sea in Daniel 9:27 starting immediately after the rapture. I saw this article in the November 2002 issue of The Bible in the News from the ministry of South West Radio Church led by Noah Hutchings. It was on page 26 of that issue under World Rap. The article was earlier from Berit Kjos of Crossroads Communications in Toronto, Canada.
A pentagram is a very evil and occult form of the five pointed star with lines proceeding from the star points to trace a pentagon in the heart of the star. This symbol, the pentagram, is very evil and is used very much in the activities and rituals of witches, warlocks and Satanists and perhaps some New Age people and is probably mentioned generously in the Harry Potter series. Anyway in their visualization these people, some at least which know the shape of this Ark of Hope, might be trying to build up more Satanic power into this Ark of Hope in preparation for the time when it will be used by the Antichrist in the Third Temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. There could also be some connection with the unusual pentagon shape of the buildings of the United States defence and intelligence department although I haven't confirmed this last point but wouldn't be surprised if it is true or will be true in the tribulation.
Finally by God's grace I think there is also a parallel of God the Father or the LORD or Jehovah and his glory above the Mercy Seat above the Ark of the Covenant and his speaking his instructions to Israel from their from the holy of holies in the tabernacle as in Leviticus 1:1 and Judges 20:18, 23, 26-28 to the Image of the Beast above the Ark of Hope. Satan, unfortunately, likes to counterfeit all the good things of God and I think this won't be an exception in the tribulation with the Image of the Beast. I used to think it would be a hologram or something like that but I just noticed in Revelation 13 that the people on earth in the tribulation or 70th week of Daniel will make this image at the false prophet's instruction so it will probably be a material image or idol and the false prophet and the devil will give life to it so it can speak and probably move although it might stay set on top of the Ark of Hope. This will be in the holy place of the tribulation or third temple in Jerusalem in the second half of the tribulation. This Image of the Beast will probably be mostly speaking from on top of the Ark of Hope in the holy place to people on earth in the second half of the tribulation that they should worship the beast and his image or risk death at the hands of the forces of the Antichrist's or Beast's world government. This Image of the Beast will probably also tell people on earth then that they shouldn't trust Jesus Christ (Messiah) alone for salvation or believe in God or be faithful to his word - the Holy Bible. This Image of the Beast could also say that people should strive to uphold the values of the Earth Charter as God would say in Old Testament times that Israel should uphold His values of the Ten Commandments. Finally it should be noted that God spoke mostly to the high priest and other priests or to Moses who would then convey God's instructions to the people of Israel. However there will probably be internet, satellite, cable and other news sources wired up in the Third Temple to better or more openly convey the Antichrist's instruction through the Image of the Beast to the people of the world in the second half of the tribulation. These instructions will focus in urging peope to worship the beast and his image or take his mark in their forehead or right hand and that they shouldn't trust in, follow or worship God or His Son Jesus Christ (Messiah) or read or follow His Word - the Holy Bible.
After personally reading a new article on the Temple Institute web site on July 4, 2005, especially the last and current part about the 10th red heifer, I realized I was wrong in waiting with no sign of progress for the offering of the Red Heifer before the rapture. I was waiting for some clean children as in the requirements of Numbers 19 that they not have contact or be defiled by the dead including unknown graves would be old enough to offer the Red Heifer. Although there are still some qualified Red Heifers and some of these clean children I think it would still be a couple years before they would be old enough to perform this ceremony with I think a minimum age of 13 years. However on reading the new article by Temple Institute about the 10th Red Heifer especially the statement: "The Tenth Red Heifer Will by Prepared by the Messiah" after the statement by the great Jewish Rabbi Maimonides referring to the Mishnah " ... and the tenth red heifer will be accomplished by the king, the Messiah; may he be revealed speedily, Amen, May it be God's will." I realized that actually the Red Heifer will be prepared and offered by the person many Jews will think is their Messiah and who of course they will be considered a clean person and worthy of offering the Red Heifer. Unfortunately, especially for them and especially for those who don't come to realize it until it is too late, this "Messiah" will actually be the false Messiah or Antichrist. This false Messiah is also the one who the Bible also calls the Man of Sin and the Beast out of the Sea and the Abomination that causes desolation, although he will only show his true colours starting in the beginning of the second half of the tribulation as in Revelation 13. The Antichrist or false Messiah who will make a covenant with the Jews to start to build their Third Temple on the Temple Mount and resume their Temple worship I now believe will start this in his covenant he makes with the Jews for the week of 7 years or the period of the tribulation by personally offering the 10th Red Heifer and sanctifying the Temple Mount and the Jewish high priest and priesthood and others such as the Sanhedrin rabbis. Although the Jews led by the Orthodox Jews will think he is the true Messiah and quite clean or pure he will actually be the false Messiah and the Antichrist and be very unclean and even more so when he becomes totally possessed of the devil half way through the tribulation. The practical importance to this is that this is no longer something that I or any other believer needs to or should wait for in looking for signs before the rapture and tribulation. Also those who still haven't trusted in Jesus if that is still your case cannot count on waiting for a clean person to offer a red heifer to put off the day of the rapture and immediately following tribulation and which in either case means the rapture could happen any time. However I still can't say for sure but this before was one of the main reasons I wasn't too convinced the rapture would happen in 2005. Anyway the scripture reference of the covenant of the false Messiah or Antichrist or Beast out of the Sea with the people of Israel and probably the Palestinian and other Arab people and perhaps other groups like the Roman Catholic Church and professing Christian church as a whole, and perhaps also the UN, US, Russia, and EU in Daniel 9 in the 70th week of Daniel or the tribulation is as follows:
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