"Out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
(Isaiah 2:3) -
The Third Temple
Dear Friends, (First published August 2010)
Greetings! There has been much in the news concerning a peace treaty, (covenant Daniel 9:27) between Israel and the Palestinians some of which we have published on this web site. There has also been numerous articles dealing with the rebuilding of the third temple in Jerusalem, some of which have also appeared on this web site.
Those familiar with Bible prophecy will know the significance of these events,in that they herald the soon coming returning of Jesus Christ and His thousand year reign on earth,more commonly referred to as the "millennium".
We would like to give you some thoughts we have had on the third temple to let you draw your own conclusions. We found these points interesting and thought you may as well. If you have any feedback concerning these ideas we would be happy to hear from you.
Thoughts concerning the Third Temple.
"Revelation, Chapter 11, verses 1 and 2 say: "And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months".
This temple described here seems that it could only be the rebuilt Jewish temple from which the Anti-Christ will rule. Now the question that arises, is that in verse one it calls this temple 'the temple of God'. How can the rebuilt Jewish Temple from which the Antichrist rules be called the "Temple of God".
Also, Matthew 24:15 states, "When ye, therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
Again the Temple or at least the inner sanctuary, is referred to as the 'holy place'.
Daniel 8:11 and 12 says, "Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host,...And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of the transgression , and it cast down the truth to the ground;..."
We again see a reference to 'truth' in the temple and the prince.
One possible explanation may be that up until the time of the breaking of the covenant the religious Jews are actually allowed to worship in the temple. With today's technology, through lasers or other means a fake but very realistic God-like 'Shekaniah Glory' could be made to appear between the wings of the Cherubim.
This explanation, however, does not really answer the question as to why it is called "The Temple of God". We know from Romans 2:28, and 29: "For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God". The Scriptures show that God is no longer in Jewish ceremonial worship. When Jesus was crucified and the veil of the Temple rent, the Ark of the Covenant disappeared along with God's presence as manifested in the 'Shekaniah Glory'.
A possible clue could come from Isaiah 2:2-4: "And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.
And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem".
And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more".
We know that these verses refer to the "Thousand Year Reign" of Christ upon the earth. We also know that Jerusalem serves as the center of Christ's Kingdom on earth from where "...the law and the word of the Lord" go forth. (Even though in Revelation 11:8, it is referred to as 'Sodom' and 'Egypt'.)
Then in Revelation 20:7-9: " And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog, and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them."
Again 'the beloved city"'would seem to be referring to Jerusalem during the thousand year reign of Christ. Therefore Jerusalem seems to be of primary importance throughout the entire thousand year reign of Christ. Which brings us to a possible explanation poised at the beginning of this letter.
We cannot find in the Bible the fate of the Third Temple explained. In the past it was assumed it was destroyed during the Battle of Armageddon, but nowhere is that written, that we are aware of.
The third temple, from what we understand, is to be rebuilt and designed to the specifications of the earlier temples. If the Temple is not destroyed, what is to prevent Jesus from cleansing and sanctifying that Temple for His use, "..for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem" and making it his earthly headquarters during the millennium?
This could explain why Revelation 11:1, calls it "The Temple of God". Daniel 8:13 and 14 says; "Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot? And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed." Cleansed not destroyed!
We find there has been a precedent of such an event occurring before. The entire conquest of Canaan/Israel and Jerusalem. The land of Canaan was occupied by seven Canaanite tribes who dwelt in thirty one fortified cities which included amongst others Jericho and Jerusalem. Jerusalem before its conquest by the Israelites was called Jebus and inhabited by a sub grouping of Canaanites called Jebusites.
To give you some idea of Canaanite religious practices we will quote from Halley's Bible Handbook: "Baal was their principal god; Ashtoreth, Baal's wife, their principal goddess. She was the personification the reproductive principle in nature. Ishtar was her Babylonian name; Astarte her Greek and Roman name, Baalim, the plural of Baal, were images of Baal...In an excavation at Gezer, MacAlister of the Palestine Exploration Fund, 1904-1909, found, in the Canaanite stratum, which had preceded Israelite occupation, of about 1500 B.C. the ruins of a 'High Place,' which had been a temple in which they worshiped their god Baal and their goddess Asntoreth (Astarte).
Under the debris, in the 'High Place', McAllister found great numbers of jars containing the remains of children who had been sacrificed to Baal. The whole area proved to be a cemetery of new-born babes."
The very parcel of ground where Solomon's Temple was believed to have been built, and where the Mosque of Omar currently stands was bought by King David from a Jebusite named Araunah.
The point being made here with that refernece is that God took a Satanic strong hold and turned it into the place of His presence here on earth where He dwelt between the wings of the Cherubin represented as the 'Shekaniah Glory'.
If He could do that with a seat of Satan could He not do it with the rebuilt Temple from where Jesus will rule and reign for one thousand years after the battle of Armageddon!
In the Doway-Rheims version of the Bible in Jeremiah 38 it talks about a great destruction taking place in Jerusalem and the temple being saved. Jeremiah.30:18; "Thus saith the Lord: Behold I bring back the captivity of the pavilions of Jacob, and will have pity on his houses, and the city shall be built in her place, and the temple shall be found according to the order thereof." (Other versions of the Bible use the word palace instead of temple.)
This however raises another question concerning Ezekiel, chapters 40-48, which of course follow Ezekiel 38 and 39, the battle of Armageddon, and deals with the building of another temple, sometimes referred to as "Ezekiel's Temple". From what we understand this temple has never been built. There are also marked differences in the practices of this temple in that it does not exclude the gentiles. If according to Revelation 19:15 ...he (Jesus) shall rule them with a rod of iron:...why not ruling with something very similar to the Old Testament law.
There are also other important differences: A prince will enter through the eastern gate: "Then he brought me back the way of the gate of the outward sanctuary which looketh toward the east; and it was shut. Then said the LORD unto me; This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter in by it; because the LORD, the God of Israel, hath entered in by it, therefore it shall be shut. It is for the prince; the prince, he shall sit in it to eat bread before the LORD; he shall enter by the way of the porch of that gate, and shall go out by the way of the same."
In the previous two temples that were built, the high priests entered through the south gate. Also, from reading these scriptures, especially verse three, the prince and the Lord are two separate individuals.
Another thing different about this Temple is that, it is much bigger than the two temples proceeding it. There is, apparently, not enough room on the Temple Mount to build it, with all its courtyards etc.
One possible explanation for this is the geography of the area will be altered after Jesus returns, as explained in Zechariah 14:4: "And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south."
This restructuring of the land after the Mount of Olives is split could provide the area needed for the completion of Ezekiel's temple.
Zechariah 14:8 is very interesting: "And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be." This is very similar to Ezekiel 47: 1-12:
"Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under from the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar. Then brought he me out of the way of the gate northward, and led me about the way without unto the utter gate by the way that looketh eastward; and, behold, there ran out waters on the right side.
And when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ankles.
Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters; the waters were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through; the waters were to the loins.
Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass over, for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over. And he said unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen this? Then he brought me, and caused me to return to the brink of the river.
Now when I had returned, behold, at the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and on the other. Then said he unto me, These waters issue out toward the east country, and go down into the desert, and go into the sea: which being brought forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed.
And it shall come to pass, that every thing that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live: and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither: for they shall be healed; and every thing shall live whither the river cometh. And it shall come to pass, that the fishers shall stand upon it from Engedi even unto Eneglaim; they shall be a place to spread forth nets; their fish shall be according to their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many.
But the miry places thereof and the marshes thereof shall not be healed; they shall be given to salt. And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine."
Today the Brook Kidron flows very intermittently toward the Dead Sea, but with the advent of the Mount of Olives splitting, it could very well open up underground reservoirs that could turn the Brook Kidron into a river that flows into the Dead Sea and create another river that could flow into the great Mediterranean Sea.
In Ezekiel's Temple it even describes the Levites, (who worshiped idols), still having a place of service in the Temple. Ezekiel 44:10-14
"The Levites who went far from me when Israel went astray, and who wandered from me after their idols, must bear the consequences of their sin. They may serve in my sanctuary, having charge of the gates of the temple and serving in it; they may slaughter the burnt offerings and sacrifices for the people and stand before the people and serve them. But, because they served them in the presence of their idols and made the house of Israel fall into sin, therefore I have sworn with uplifted hand that they must bear the consequences of their sin, declares the Sovereign LORD.
They are not to come near to serve me as priests or come near any of my holy things or my most holy offerings; they must bear the shame of their detestable practices.
Yet, I will put them in charge of the duties of the temple and all the work that is to be done in it."
It seems pretty clear from Zechariah 14:2,3,8-10 that, once the Lord gathers the nations against Israel, He then turns around and defends them.
"For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.
In that day shall the LORD defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the LORD before them. And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn."
Almondtree Productions
"The earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea."
(Isaiah 11:9)
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Raiders New Network
Comments On Coast To Coast AM About The Arrival Of The Jewish Messiah In 2012
Tom Horn
NOVEMBER 27, 2009
This last Wednesday on Coast to Coast AM, people were particularly taken with comments I made about the 700-year old Zohar predicting the arrival of the Jewish Messiah in the year 2012.
I must give credit where credit is due.
I was in my office earlier this year when Dr. J.R. Church of Prophecy in the News called me about my latest research, asking if I was aware that ancient orthodox Jewish prophets in the Zohar had predicted the arrival of their Messiah in the year 2012. I was not, and given that the Zohar is widely regarded the most important work of Jewish Kabbalah, J.R. certainly had my attention. Our conversation lasted about an hour with exciting details I am hoping to write soon, but involved several startling observations including those by a rabbi named Simeon:
"When the sixtieth year shall have passed over the threshold of the sixth millennium, the God of heaven will visit the daughter of Jacob with a preliminary remembrance. Another six and a half years will then elapse, and there will be a full remembrance of her ..."
"This "sixtieth year" of the Jewish calendar, says J.R., passed over the "threshold of the sixth millennium" in the year 2000.
J.R. followed up in an email:
It was the Jewish year 5760. According to the 700 year-old prophecy, God will visit the "daughter" or remnant of Jacob with a "preliminary remembrance." Just what this preliminary remembrance should be is not clear. But what is clear, is that it is only preliminary. It is not the final arrival of the Messiah to establish the kingdom.
That this "remembrance" should occur around the year 2000 is quite interesting. The prophetic commentary continues by saying that the following "six and a half years" will conclude with a "full remembrance." The thirteenth-century rabbinical commentary continues:
"Then all the nations shall combine together against the daughter of Jacob in order to drive her from the world. It is of that time that it is written: "And it is a time of trouble unto Jacob, but out of it he shall be saved" (Jeremiah 30:7)."
This ancient rabbinical dissertation claims that Rome will be destroyed in the Jewish calendar year 5773, which, in our calendar begins with the new moon of September 2012 and concludes a year later:
"In the year seventy-three [2012 / 2013] the kings of the world will assemble in the great city of Rome, and the Holy One will shower on them fire and hail and meteoric stones until they are all destroyed, with the exception of those who will not yet have arrived there."
Besides the obvious revelations of the Zohar prophecies, another thing that immediately stood out to me was how among other scholars of the implications of the year 2012, a few have pointed to a prophecy by Malachy O'Morgair, or "St. Malachy" as he is known to Catholics, having to do with "the last pope." This prophecy, taken from St. Malachy's "Prophecy of the Popes," is among a list of verses predicting each of the Roman Catholic popes from Pope Celestine II to the final pope, "Peter the Roman," whose reign would end in the destruction of Rome. According to Malachy's prophecy, the next pope (following Benedict the 16th) is to be the final pontiff, Petrus Romanus, or "Peter the Roman." He will assume authority during a time of great tribulation, and then "the city of seven hills will be destroyed, and the terrible and fearsome Judge will judge his people."
So both the 700-year old prophecies of the Jewish Zohar and 870-year old prophecies of the Catholic St. Malachy focused on the timeframe 2012, with very similar predictions of the rise of a "Messiah" combined with the destruction of Rome.
theage.com.au
Faithful funds help museum prepare for the end
JASON KOUTSOUKIS, JERUSALEM.
November 14, 2009
Yehuda Glick, director of the Temple Institute in Jerusalem, is preparing for the arrival of the Messiah.
YEHUDA Glick is a 44-year-old US-born Jew who spends the greater part of every day preparing for the arrival of the Messiah in Jerusalem.
Since becoming executive director of the Temple Institute, Mr Glick's main task has been to supervise the manufacture of the utensils needed by the high priests when the day arrives.
Crowns and other instruments made of solid gold fill glass cases in the Temple Institute Museum in Jerusalem's Old City. There are trumpets made of silver and garments to be worn by the high priest woven from golden thread. Handmade harps and lyres lie ready for the Messiah's appearance.
Judaism holds that a third temple will be built upon the arrival of the Messiah. ''That is why we have engaged two architects,'' says Mr Glick. ''It will be a modern building, with car parks and elevators, but it will look very much like the second temple.''
©IsraelNN Syndications
Temple Institute to Build Sacrificial Altar on Tisha B'av
Av 10, 5769 / July 31, '09
Temple Altar Construction Begins on Day of Destruction
by Yehudah Lev Kay
(IsraelNN.com) The Temple Institute began work on the sacrificial altar Thursday, Tisha B'av, the day the Second Temple was destroyed almost 2,000 years ago. The Temple Institute has already built several of the Temple vessels and has now embarked on an ambitious project to build the altar, which will ultimately measure 3 meters wide by 3 meters long and 2 meters tall.
During Thursday's ceremony, which took place in Mitzpe Yericho just east of Jerusalem, the Temple Institute laid the cornerstone for the altar and demonstrated how tar will be used to cement the stones together. The Institute plans on bringing the altar to its proper place on the Temple Mount when the Temple is rebuilt.
The main force behind the construction of the altar, Yonaton Tzadok, was also on hand to explain why its stones were taken straight from the Dead Sea.
"The altar is supposed to represent going back to our roots, to the time of creation when everything was pure," he said. "We took rocks from the Dead Sea, where it is likely that they were never touched by human hands."
templemountfaithful.org
The 5770 Tisha B'av March of the Temple Mount and Land of Israel Faithful Movement
"We will call to the people and to the government of Israel to immediately build the end-time third Temple"
The Temple Mount and Land of Israel Faithful Movement will march to the Holy Temple Mount on Tisha B'Av 5770, Tuesday, 20 July 2010, calling to the people and to the government of Israel to immediately build the end-time Holy Third Temple. This important event will take place during a very special time in the history of the people of G-d. The Holy Tanakh (the Hebrew Bible) and Jewish tradition, particularly after the destruction of the Second Temple, have indicated that three events shall happen before the coming of Messiah Ben David:
the first event is the regathering of the Jewish people from all corners of the world back to the Promised Land of Israel;
the second event is the re-establishment of the sovereign Kingdom and State of Israel; and
the third event is the rebuilding of the Holy Temple of G-d on the Holy Temple Mount in Jerusalem.
The first two events have been fulfilled, and the Jewish people continue to be regathered to the Holy Land of Israel. Now is the time to bring to pass the third event, the rebuilding of the Holy Temple of G-d.
The Temple Mount and Land of Israel Faithful Movement will march on Tisha B'Av this year to the Holy Temple Mount with a resounding call to Israel: "Build the House of G-d immediately!" Only the dwelling of G-d in the midst of Israel on the Holy Temple Mount, and in the end-time Holy Temple of G-d in the midst of the lives of all the nations will bring peace to Israel and also to the entire world. The Temple Mount Faithful Movement will call to Israel on Tisha B'Av 5770 and to its government to immediately bring to pass the end-time vision of G-d given through His prophets Isaiah and Micah:
The Temple Mount and Land of Israel Faithful Movement will soon begin to prepare marble stones for the Holy Third Temple. We already have two cornerstones but we feel that we should continue to show everyone that our call is not mere words but also tangible action. Time is short and we want to be ready. Everyone is called to help us financially with this project, it needs abundant funding. At the same time everyone can have the opportunity and the special privilege to take part in this holy work and the rebuilding of Holy Third Temple.
In G-d we trust!!
At this special time the Faithful Movement is fulfilling an important part and role, which is in the midst of all these end-time events that are increasingly focused on the Temple Mount and Jerusalem. From this most holy place starts all the godly end-time events, and here they will soon be completed, when G-d will dwell in His rebuilt Temple among His people Israel and among all humanity. For this and for making Israel again a biblical nation with a biblical mission, the Faithful Movement is dedicated.
The Washington Post
A New Vision for God's Holy Mountain
By Ohr Margalit - Bar-Ilan University in Israel
June 10, 2009
As the Obama Administration pursues the latest peace initiative in the Mideast amid renewed world hopes, it will ultimately face once again the seemingly intractable issue of the future status of the Temple Mount (Al Haram Al Sharif in Arabic). Situated in the center of Jerusalem, it is the site of the Dome of the Rock and the Al Aqsa Mosque, sacred to Islam, and also the site of long-held aspirations by Jews for a rebuilt temple as expressed to this day in daily prayers.
Contention about this spot is incongruous given its shared spiritual significance for Jews, Muslims and Christians alike. The Dome stands at the place where all three religions believe that Abraham was prepared to sacrifice his son before an angel stayed his hand. The Jewish Temple, from the initial consecration address by King Solomon onwards, was always intended to manifest the One God for all, Jew and non-Jew alike, as well as the universal ideal of God's moral order reigning supreme. References in sacred Jewish texts and history to the role of non-Jews in the Temple are numerous and striking.
But this sanctified spot was subsequently tarnished by the destruction of the first and second temples, the latter by the Roman general Titus in the year 70 preceded by deadly infighting of Jew against Jew. In modern times, the Camp David negotiations of 2000 broke down in part over the issue of the Temple Mount, and the second intifada that followed was sparked by a violent incident there. Given the conventional assumption that Jewish law mandates the spot of the Dome as the site of a future rebuilt temple, avoidance of this topic by all mainstream religious bodies is understandable. But it remains a central, if unspoken, obstacle to a peace settlement.
A recent article published in the leading journal of religious law in Israel, Tehumin, however, opens the potential for restoring this now-contentious spot to its original sacred role as God's Holy Mountain, a house of prayer for all people (Isaiah 56:7). Although the arguments are detailed and technical, the main point is that Jewish doctrine regarding the rebuilding of the temple emphasizes the role of a prophet (one deemed authentic by contemporaneous sages) who would have extraordinary authority, including the discretion to specify the temple's precise location, regardless of any diverging Jewish traditions.
This article considers the scenario of a holy revelation given to an authentic prophet that the temple be rebuilt on the current or an extended Temple Mount in peaceful proximity to the Dome, Al Aqsa Mosque, and nearby Christian shrines. According to Jewish law, the article concludes, such a prophetic mandate would then be binding. It would also be in keeping with the words of the 12th Century Jewish sage Maimonides that Christianity and Islam are part of God's ultimate plan "to direct the entire world to worship God together." Interestingly, Theodore Herzl, the preeminent secular Zionist, detailed the same vision for a rebuilt temple in peaceful proximity to Islamic and Christian shrines on what he called "the holy region of mankind."
While compromise is admirable in the pursuit of peace, a rebuilt temple according to this vision would be nothing of the kind. It would be the radical fulfillment of God's original mandate to the Jewish people and of the original purpose of the Temple, to manifest the One God to the world. This would be more powerfully accomplished with Christian and Muslim shrines nearby along with the pilgrims that visit them. At the very same time, with a rebuilt Temple in peaceful proximity, Allah would be more powerfully manifested in the Dome and in the Al Aqsa Mosque, and likewise for God, the Prince of Peace, in surrounding churches. All would occur simultaneously because the world would then understand and embrace the prophecy of Zechariah 14:9, "On that day, God will be One and His Name One."
These initial findings and the painting of this vision will be presented at a launching event on June 18 in Jerusalem, sponsored by the Interfaith Encounter Association. This event will be preceded by a separaate panel discussion among distinguished rabbis, sheikhs and Christian clergy about this prophetic verse. We hope that among other potential ultimate developments, ensuing dialogue and study can further the understanding that Jews, Muslims and Christians were put together in the Mideast not to acquiesce in conflict instigated by tyrants throughout history but to fulfill the prophecy of Zechariah 14:9.
Ohr Margalit, Ph.D., teaches rabbinic studies at Bar-Ilan University in Israel, is a former Harry Starr fellow at Harvard, and directs the study project described here.
About The painting
It is a normal future day on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Jews, Muslims and Christians, entering through the Gate of Mercy, are waiting for services to begin, respectively, at the Temple, at the Dome of the Rock and the Al Aqsa Mosque, and at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Friends of all three religions and from around the world greet each other, and some gather around an informal group of musicians from the three faiths who are playing together. The Temple Mount has shed the remnants of destruction and conflict left by the Roman Empire and is once again is a joyous place, in which all worship in their respective holy buildings, but bearing witness to the same One God, creator of all.
Features of note in the painting.
Jews, Muslims, Christians, and others from around the world are entering the Temple Mount through the Gate of Mercy, which has special significance as a symbol of redemption in all three religions. The stream, shown running along the Temple, is as mentioned in a prophecy of Ezekiel, but also allows the possibility that the Temple is built on a possible extension of the Temple Mount, mentioned too in prophecies. The ambiguity concerning the stream is complemented by a deliberate ambiguity concerning the location of the Temple shown in the image. Key elements of the painting, including the Gate of Mercy, the Garden Tomb (a key Protestant shrine), and several recognizable buildings shown in the Jerusalem skyline, are all from different directions, North, South, East and West, to be clear that no particular orientation is being specified in the image.
Jews are shown entering the Gate of Mercy and turning left toward the Temple. Muslims are shown turning right from the Gate of Mercy toward the Dome of the Rock, while some Muslims are shown passing by the Dome of the Rock on their way to the Al Aqsa Mosque. Christians are shown coming from the right side of the painting towards the Church of Holy Sepulcher and also toward the Garden Tomb, which as noted above, is shown here in an anomalous position, however, some Christians enter the Temple Mount through the Gate of Mercy. Some Jews, Muslims, Christians and others as well divert from their groups walking toward their respective shines, to mix with friends of different faiths in various informal clusters scattered through the Temple Mount. One of these mixed clusters of people is shown in the foreground, gathered around a group of musicians.
The musicians shown consist of, left to right (standing) a Christian playing a tambourine, a Jew playing a violin, a Muslim playing a trumpet, and (sitting) a Jew playing a harp, and a Muslim playing a Qanun (a traditional Arabic instrument.) The thirteen people gathered around the musicians are meant to represent a mixture of Jews, Muslims, Christians and others from around the world, as are the six children dancing to the right. The number 13 is the numerical value of the word "one" (echad) in Hebrew, thus symbolizing their unity, and with the musicians they add up to 18 people, which is the numerical value of the word Chai in Hebrew, which means "living" or "life". Among the buildings shown in the skyline of Jerusalem, in anomalous locations, are the Supreme Court of Israel, the Hebrew University on Mount Scopus (top right), and buildings from the Technology Park from the south of the city.
The 4 1/2 ton cornerstone for the Third Temple lying in a circle in Jerusalem close to the Damascus Gate of the Old City. As it is waiting to be laid on the Temple Mount, it is glorified by the light falling from the heavens above Jerusalem.
The Cornerstone for the Third Temple in front of the southern wall of the Temple Mount during an event of the Faithful together with a priest, Gershon Salomon and others.
Third Temple Plans for Rebuilding in Jerusalem.
They could start building tomorrow. There are 12 groups that are in preparation. They've chosen the location, a computer registry of 300,000 of the sons of Aaron (the Levites), many robes are prepared, over 150 sacred vessels have already been restored, including some of the most difficult and complicated projects, such as the Menorah and the precious stones of the High Priest's breastplate. The architects are selected to rebuild with plans according to the bible.
Ynetnews.com
US official: We want full peace deal in 1 year
Aug 24, 2010
A partial peace deal between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, even if achieved within a year, will not satisfy Washington, a US official said Tuesday.
The American official told reporters in Jerusalem that the upcoming peace summitin Washington aims to strike a full peace agreement between the parties. The official rejected t he possibility of "only" a partial or interim peace deal within the timeframe set for the peace talks (Ynetnews.com).
US officials are sending the message that both Israel and the Palestinian Authority better come prepared to strike a full peace agreement within 12 months of the September 2nd start of direct peace talks.
Quartet Special envoy to the Middle East Tony Blair is calling on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Leader Mahmoud Abbas to bring some serious ideas, including ideas on solving final statue issues. "There will be no successful negotiations unless all the final status issues are on the table," he said. "Proposals on these issues will be a litmus test of seriousness (AP)." Those final status issues include borders of the new Palestinian state, fate of Palestinian refugees, and Jerusalem.
Both sides have complained that the others' pre-conditions have doomed talks from going forward. With that side, the upcoming direct talks will begin with no pre-conditions. However, issues such as Israeli security, the continuation of the settlement freeze, and Palestinian recognition of Israel as the Jewish homeland will be discussed. At this time, the US and Israel are in secret talks in an attempt to work out a compromise on continuing the building freeze with some limited settlement construction.
"We are very mindful of the moratorium and the fact that it comes up for reconsideration during September," State Department Spokesman PJ Crowley said Monday.
"We're very mindful of this. We're very mindful of the importance of the issue. It is within the -- within the negotiation. That's why we want to get the negotiation. None of these issues can be resolved outside of this negotiation," he said.
"The direct negotiation begins on September 2nd. And you can rest assured that this will be among the topics discussed early on.
“If
it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.”
(Matthew
24:24)