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MATTHEW 24 AND THE JEWISH TEMPLE

“…Do You See All These?...” (Matt. 24:2a, Amplified Bible)

To properly understand the Lord’s question in verse 2 we must look at the context in which it was asked. Many of His disciples were from the region known as Galilee and, as such, were considered by the locals to be “country bumpkins” visiting the big city! They were awed by the magnificent Temple King Herod had built for the Jewish people (as a political ploy to gain their cooperation) and in their enthusiasm they wanted to call the Lord’s attention to it. In other words their naïve attitude was, “Hey, have You seen all the pretty buildings?” (I capitalize the word “You” in this case because Jesus Christ was, and still is, God incarnate).

What they obviously did not realize is that because of His deity the Lord knew the tragic fate that awaited those “pretty buildings” in the future. That is why He asked the rhetorical question, “Do you (really) see all these?” And then He then made this prophetical statement:

“Truly I tell you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down” Matthew 24:2 (Amplified Bible).

In A.D.70 the Roman general Titus besieged Jerusalem and once it fell he destroyed the city. It is said that during this rampage wood was stacked all around the Temple and set on fire. The heat became so intense that the building stones crumbled, the gold ornamentation melted and ran out on the ground—which was then picked up by the soldiers and carried away as part of the treasures looted from the city. But was this the utter and absolute destruction the Lord was talking about?

The following pictorial depiction and excerpt are from “Wikipedia the free encyclopedia,” on the Internet:

(Frontal view of the model of Herod's Temple currently in the Israel Museum)

“Herod's Temple in Jerusalem was a massive expansion of the Temple Mount and construction of a completely new and much larger Jewish Temple by King Herod the Great around 19 BCE. Although the Second Temple was completely removed and a new "third" temple was built to replace it, Herod's Temple is not commonly called the Third Temple, because sacrifices continued during the construction process.

The Temple was destroyed by Roman troops under Titus during the Siege of Jerusalem in 70 CE. The most complete ancient account of this event is The Jewish War by Flavius Josephus. Later Roman and Byzantine governors used the remains to build palaces, a Temple of Jupiter, and a Church. It was not until the Dome of the Rock was built between 687 and 691 that the last remnants of the Temple were taken down.

The Temple itself was probably located on the site of what today is the Dome of the Rock. The gates let out close to Al-Aqsa.” [End of quote, emphasis mine].

The statement concerning the “last remnants of the Temple” being taken down in A.D. 687-691 is emphasized because I am convinced the Lord’s comment “there shall not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down” anticipates a total fulfillment of which the destruction of A.D.70 was only a precursor! The reason I believe this is because the emphasis appears to be upon the place (“here”)—which of course is the Temple Mount—rather than the stones themselves. And since there were still portions of the Temple that had not been taken down until building began on the Dome of the Rock, for all practical purposes stones used for building purposes continued to be stacked “one upon another” on the Temple Mount—where they remain until this day.

However, at some point in the future Israel is going to build another Temple on that same site which, along with the city of Jerusalem, is going to be destroyed by a flood. And the incredible power contained within a torrent of water can easily sweep aside stones weighing many tons! Then after that takes place I believe the Lord’s prophecy concerning the building stones will be completely fulfilled:

“And after the sixty-two weeks [of years] shall the Anointed One be cut off or killed and shall have nothing [and no one] belonging to [and defending] Him. And the people of the [other] prince who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood; and even to the end there shall be war, and desolations are decreed” Daniel 9:26 (Amplified Bible, emphasis mine).

I realize that most commentaries attribute this destruction to the Roman general Titus in A.D.70, but the phrase “Its end shall come with a flood” appears to tie in with a similar statement in the Book of Revelation:

“But the woman was supplied with the two wings of a giant eagle, so that she might fly from the presence of the serpent into the desert (wilderness), to the retreat where she is to be kept safe and fed for a time, and times, and half a time (three and one-half years, or 1,260 days). ¹⁵ Then out of his mouth the serpent spouted forth water like a flood after the woman, that she might be carried off with the torrent. ¹⁶ But the earth came to the rescue of the woman, and the ground opened its mouth and swallowed up the stream of water which the dragon had spouted from his mouth” Revelation 12:14-16 (Amplified Bible, emphasis mine).

The “flood” of Daniel 9:26 could be a figurative description of the Roman army sweeping over Jerusalem (as is claimed by many), but I am convinced it refers to a literal flood of water that will destroy the Tribulation Temple.

That there will be a rebuilt Temple during the Tribulation Period is confirmed in the Books of 2 Thessalonians and Revelation:

“Let no one deceive or beguile you in any way, for that day will not come except the apostasy comes first [unless the predicted great falling away of those who have professed to be Christians has come], and the man of lawlessness (sin) is revealed, who is the son of doom (of perdition), ⁴ Who opposes and exalts himself so proudly and insolently against and over all that is called God or that is worshiped, [even to his actually] taking his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming that he himself is God” 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 (Amplified Bible, emphasis mine).

“A reed [as a measuring rod] was then given to me, [shaped] like a staff, and I was told: Rise up and measure the sanctuary of God and the altar [of incense], and [number] those who worship there” Revelation 11:1 (Amplified Bible).

But getting back to the subject of a flood destroying Jerusalem and the Temple, my first reaction was that of doubt because how could a flood destroy a city that is well over 2000 feet above sea level and has no appreciable body of water nearby? Of course Satan is capable of such destruction using supernatural means, but in an attempt to see if it was theoretically possible from a purely human perspective I did some research on the Internet and here is what I found:

The New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge, (http://www.ccel.org/s/schaff/encyc/encyc06/htm/TOC.htm ) has this to say about the topography of Jerusalem:

“The ground upon which Jerusalem stands is formed by a plateau extending southward from the Palestinian mountain range, and cut by valleys into several heights. The culmination of the range or watershed runs west of the city, and the surface on which the city is built slopes to the east and south, and on the south and southeast sinks abruptly into deep valleys. The watershed northwest and north of the city rises to a height of 2,675 feet above the Mediterranean; the lowest place in modern Jerusalem is 2,360 feet in elevation; while the whole city is situated at a lower elevation than the country round about…. The preceding description shows that the drainage of the region is from north to south or from northwest to southeast. While the watershed is at an elevation of 2,675 feet, the union of the Kidron and Hinnom valleys is only 2,065 feet above the Mediterranean; there is therefore no deadwater in the brooks which in the rainy season flow through these valleys. Part of the drainage is subterranean. The hill country of Palestine is poor in water, and such expressions as "the brook Kidron" may convey a false impression if it is not recalled that "brook" means no more than the Arabic "wadi," a natural channel of drainage for the flow of the rainy season, dry the rest of the year except near a spring. In the upper and lower parts the valleys are tilled; between the city and the Mount of Olives the floor of the valley is denuded of soil. In the Kidron water flows only during exceptional rainfall or when there is a quick melting of a heavy snowfall.” [End of quote, emphasis mine].

Then from the web site “Torah on the web” we have the following comments about the topography of the Kidron Valley:

The Israel Koschitzky Virtual Beit Midrash (http://vbm-torah.org/archive/yeru/13yeru.htm )

NACHAL KIDRON

A. Course

This valley emerges from the north of the Old City, in the region of the cave of Shimon ha-Tzaddik, and continues eastward and south-eastward, via Wadi Joz. From there it heads southward, between the Mount of Olives on the East and Mount Moriah on the West, and then eastward of the City of David and westward of the village of Silwan, and south-eastward via Ein Rogel, to the Dead Sea. [End of quote, emphasis mine].

Plus we find this description of the Kidron Valley in an article on the subject by Wikipedia:

“An ephemeral stream flows through it with occasional flash floods in the rainy winter months… The Kidron Valley runs along the eastern wall of The Old City of Jerusalem, separating the Temple Mount from the Mount of Olives…” (Emphasis mine).

So it is fairly reasonable to conclude that Jerusalem would be “in the crosshairs” if a massive flood were triggered by rainfall, snow melt, or a combination of both in the watershed elevations to the west and north of the city. And it is important to note that the water runoff would empty into the Dead Sea because the ancient city of Petra lies approximately 50 miles south of it and would be in line with the general path the “woman” (God’s elect among the people of Israel during the Tribulation Period) would take if she was desperately trying to get there—the place that many believe to be the retreat in the wilderness to which she will flee. And since the shores of the Dead Sea is the lowest elevation on earth (1378 feet below sea level), it could possibly be the “ground that opens its mouth to swallow up the stream of water.”

And I am of the opinion that all the events recorded in Matthew 24 and Luke 21 take place during the Tribulation Period—even though verses 4 through 7 of Matthew 24 and verses 8 through 11 of Luke 21 are clearly true of the days in which we now live. But all of them are the inevitable result of sinful human nature and will continue to exist after the Church is removed at the Rapture. Plus the Lord says of them that they are “the beginning of sorrows” (Matt.24:8). The Greek word translated “sorrows” is odin and can refer to the labor pains experienced by a woman giving birth. The pains begin slowly and then become more frequent and more painful in intensity as things progress. And we see the same type of frequency and intensity demonstrated in the Book of Revelation as God’s judgments are poured out upon the world.

Attributing at least some of Matthew 24, Luke 21, etc, to the times in which we now live has caused some doctrinal misinterpretations.

“But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved” Matthew 24:13 (KJV).

This refers to those who manage to survive the Tribulation Period and includes both saved and lost as evidenced by the fact that the Lord will separate the sheep from the goats prior to the Millennial Kingdom (Matt.25:33). But many have stumbled over this verse because they think they must “hold out until the end” to be sure of God’s salvation. Even though believers must persevere in the faith (and if they are genuine, they will), our salvation does not depend in any way upon our “holding on” to it. The Lord holds on to us and not vice versa!

“And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. Matthew 24:14 (KJV)

Some still take this to refer to the gospel of God’s grace that is being preached today, but such is not the case. Note that the Lord said “this gospel of the kingdom” will be preached. In other words it was the same gospel He and the disciples preached prior to His crucifixion and resurrection: “Repent ye for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” The Millennial Kingdom was being offered to Israel at that time and they refused it. But the same message will once again be preached during the Tribulation Period. In the meantime believers who are now living in the Church Age must preach the gospel of God’s grace, not the gospel of the kingdom being “at hand.”

“But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only” Matthew 24:36 (KJV).

People still interpret this verse to mean that no one can know the “day and hour” of the Rapture. But taken in context this is clearly a reference to the Second Coming of Christ. And the reason no one can know it is because God is going to shorten the last days of the Great Tribulation (Matt.24:22) and only He knows exactly how many days will be involved. Also the Jews will be so busy trying to run for their lives that they will not be expecting their Messiah to come:

“And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened” Matthew 24:22 (KJV).

“Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh” Matthew 24:44 (KJV).

Can believers know the “day and hour” (but maybe not the exact year) of the Rapture? You be the judge:

“But you are not in [given up to the power of] darkness, brethren, for that day to overtake you by surprise like a thief. 1 Thessalonians 5:4 (Amplified Bible).

Each year in September/October I really get excited as the Jewish festival of Rosh Hashanah—the “Feast of Trumpets”—approaches. Why? Because I am convinced that whenever the Rapture occurs, it will be on the last day of that celebration as Jewish Rabbis all over the world blow a final, long and distinctive blast on their “shofar” ram’s horn trumpets.

“Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, ⁵² In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 (KJV, emphasis mine).

And by the way—Rosh Hashanah falls on September 30^th this year. Will I “see you in the air” then? Oh I hope so!!!!

If you have been born again and received Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, but have been very lukewarm in your spiritual walk with Him, you need to immediately ask Him for forgiveness and for renewal. He will instantly forgive you, and fill your heart with the joy of the Holy Spirit. Then, you need to begin a daily walk of prayer and personal Bible Study.

If you have never placed your trust in Jesus Christ as your Savior, but have come to sense His reality and the approaching End of the Age, and want to receive His FREE Gift of Eternal Life, you can do so now, in the privacy of your home. Once you truly believe in Him as Lord and Savior, you are spiritually Born Again, and are as assured of Heaven as if you were already there. Then, you can rest assured that the Kingdom of Antichrist will not touch you spiritually. If you would like to become Born Again, turn to our Salvation Page now.

We hope you have been blessed by this ministry, which seeks to educate and warn people, so that they can see the coming New World Order Kingdom of Antichrist in their daily news.

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