Quote:
Why would the references to Antiochus defiling the temple be literal, yet the ones about the Antichrist doing so be figurative - when they are BOTH found in Daniel?
|
Isn't this a common pattern for prophecy? More than one fulfillment, and both don't have to be physical fulfillments. The Jews understood the kingdom to be brought in by the Messiah to be an earthly kingdom that would be over all earthly kingdoms, they weren't anticipating the Kingdom of God brought by Christ.
Anyway, as I said, in the time of Antiochus Christ had not yet come so the temple sacrifices were legitimate; after Christ they are not, they could only be a blasphemous usurpation of His once-for-all sacrifice. That doesn't mean a temple will not be built in Jerusalem though.
I don't know what it means, Jerry, I just know that the temple is no longer legitimate because of Christ, so I have to take that as a crucial condition for understanding references to the temple. In the New Testament the temple always refers to the body of believers; whether that is how to understand the temple Ezekiel measured or not I don't yet know.
Quote:
Have you read Ezekiel? Chapters 40 on describe the temple that will be built by the Lord or His people in the Millenium.
|
What is the Biblical basis for placing this temple in the "millennium" and if it is to be built by the Lord or His people why couldn't it be figurative of His people? As I say, I don't have a certain answer to this: ALL I know is that a literal temple after Christ has come would be blasphemy.
Quote:
This is God's inspired account. There is no way a Jewish temple in itself is evil - perhaps what is done in it might be.
|
OK, that's reasonable, but Christ DID destroy the temple itself so rebuilding it is sort of like rebuilding Jericho after God destroyed it. In any case, your interpretation of the Antichrist's role has him stopping the sacrifices so sacrifices are expected to be occurring.
Quote:
Revelation 11:1-2 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. Why would God tell John to measure the Tribulational temple, if there were no literal temple?
|
I don't know the answer to that. All I know is what I've been saying, that after Christ has died for our sins it is no longer needed.
Quote:
And you keep making statements about how could that temple be holy? Who said it was - not the Bible.
|
The idea is that if Antichrist can defile it as Antiochus's pig sacrifice did, then it is being treated as a legitimate temple and the temple was the center of Jewish life and its functions holy. If it can be defiled then it must be holy is the idea.
Quote:
The holy place and holy of holies refer to places within the temple, not necessarily to its state.
|
OK, but the point was that if it can be "defiled" then it is being treated as legitimate or even holy somehow or other, and it is certainly UNholy because it usurps the place of Christ, that's my only point.
Have you done the studies about how the tabernacle was a type of Christ? The temple design was based on the tabernacle. It is symbolic. The veil to the holy of holies was rent when Jesus died, symbolizing our access to God made possible through His death. I don't know why the temple is being so literally measured in Ezekiel and in Revelation, but given its function as a type of Christ I suppose this measuring also has a symbolic meaning although I don't know what that is.
Quote:
Obviously when a temple is defiled, it is no more holy. That is why Daniel refers to the Jews cleansing the temple after Antiochus' defiling of it. There is no reference to the temple being cleansed after the Antichrist defiles it - which could indicate the rebuilding of it prior to the return of Christ is not endorsed by God. However, God doesn't have to approve of it to foretell it happening.
|
I agree, it may be built and its rebuilding is being planned in Israel even now.