Israel Watch: The Coming Temple - Jim
Fletcher - http://www.raptureready.com/rap15.html
Every time I stand on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, I do what most Christians and Jews do in that spot: imagine where the Temple once stood. The exact location has been a source of mystery and controversy for years.
In AD 70, the 10th Roman Legion completely destroyed the Second Temple (the first having been leveled by the Babylonians some six centuries earlier). This of course had been predicted in the New Testament and now, a tourist/pilgrim can stand on the spot and see nothing but flat paving stones underneath. At the base of the Western Wall are huge stones from the Temple, still resting where Roman soldiers pushed them over the edge. So thorough was their destruction that at that time, the whole plaza was flat as a tabletop.
Now today, of course, the Muslim Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa Mosque occupy the site (there's the real "occupation"!). But in your mind's eye, the completeness of the prophecies that foretold a tragic siege is laid bare.
I've had the privilege of visiting with Temple scholars. A couple foundations in Israel are dedicated to rebuilding the Temple, spoken of in Ezekiel. On a broader level, even the prophesied Third Temple, the Messianic Temple, is a point of controversy among Christians. Students of Bible prophecy absolutely expect it to be rebuilt, and reports of vessels and other Temple necessities being prepared excite those of us who look for it.
Elsewhere, though, Ezekiel's prophecy (from the last nine chapters of his prophetic book) is thought to be symbolic, or a metaphor. A great many Christians today in America do not believe the Temple will be rebuilt, and there are all sorts of theological reasons to cause real infighting over this subject.
There is so much to learn about the subject.
So it is that a fabulous new book is out, by Chaim Clorfene: "The Messianic Temple-Understanding Ezekiel's Prophecy." I got my copy recently and have devoured it. This book has the whole package, as they say: fascinating information and rich photographs and illustrations that fully explain the Messianic Temple.
Note: this is not a book written by a Christian, but rather by Clorfene, a scholar who lives in Tzfat, Israel. He is an expert on the Third Temple, and the work he's done with "The Messianic Temple" is truly extraordinary. The book has more than 250 images, 200 of them in color, along with the history of the Temples, a verse-by-verse description of the physical design of the Temple, and an added neat feature: each verse is in Hebrew, followed by English translation, followed by descriptive text.
As a person who believes fully in the Temple being built in the Messianic Age, I find this book thrilling. And in our technological age, the book is available in a variety of formats: printed hardcover; Kindle; and for phone apps.
You can order through Amazon, or through the website: www.messianic-temple.com.
I get feedback all the time from readers who want to know what I think about the Third Temple: Will it be in our lifetime? Is it a literal description? What about the implications for Christians?
I can think of no better resource for learning about this subject than "The Messianic Temple-Understanding Ezekiel's Prophecy."
Not long ago, I stood in the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem's Old City, and gazed at the Temple Mount. Next to me was the spectacular, golden menorah, under glass...awaiting use in the Third Temple. My heart beat faster and I felt privileged to stand there, to reflect on what has been, and what is to come.
The detail in Clorfene's masterpiece book will stun you, and definitely add to your knowledge of the subject. In fact, you just might find yourself making a presentation to your Sunday school class or congregation.
Let us redeem the time, and study, to anticipate the soon-coming glories of the Lord.
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