Episode 51: Paul and the Rebuilt Temple

Bible Prophecy Under the Microscope-Episode 51

Gary answers a commenter who claims that 2 Thessalonians 2 refers to the need for a rebuilt (third) temple in our future.

God’s presence was a sign of blessing because of Israel’s special covenantal status (Isa. 55:3; Jer. 1:19) and His departure was a sign of judgment, neither of which were physical. For the nations, God’s presence was a sign of judgment because of their wickedness. Because of Israel’s abominations, God’s presence left the temple (Ezek. 5-11). Israel was then treated like the nations and would hide from and lament His presence in the future.

In similar fashion, because of Israel’s rejection of the Messiah and the persecution of His church, Christ’s bride, God would make His presence known to Israel in the form of judgment. God rejected His once-covenanted people and their temple of stone because of the nation’s rejection of the promised Son of Man (Matt. 23:38; 24:1). Like Ezekiel (Ezek. 8), Jesus inspected the temple, found it filled with abominations (Matt. 21:12-13), and left it desolate (23:38). He returned in A.D. 70 to inspect the temple for a final time and found it full of abominations. His presence now abides with a new people of God constructed as a “spiritual house,” the true temple of God (1 Peter 2:4-10; cf. 2 Cor. 6:14-18).

In effect, Christ’s parousia in 2 Thessalonians 2:1 is the fulfillment of the promise that the presence of Christ will reside with the true Israel forever (Rom. 2:28-29; 9:6; 10:12; Gal. 6:15-16; Phil. 3:3; Col. 3:11; Heb. 8:8, 10). Remember, during His earthly ministry Jesus “came out from the temple” (Matt. 24:1), foretold its destruction (24:15-34), and returned in A.D. 70 to destroy it (22:7). A new covenant nation arose from the ashes of the temple: “Therefore I say to you [speaking to the chief priests and the elders], the kingdom of God will be taken from you, and be given to a nation producing the fruit of it. And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust” (21:43-44).

There is no doubt that Jesus’ “coming” in 2 Thessalonians 2:1 should be attributed to the first century since the time indicators (“has come,” “now,” “already”) leave no room in this passage for a coming in the distant future (e.g., Matt. 16:27-28; 24:29-31; 26:64; Heb. 10:37; James 5:7-8; Rev. 2:5, 16; 3:11). Jesus’ coming in A.D. 70 was a coming in judgment upon an apostate nation.

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Gary answers a commenter who claims that 2 Thessalonians 2 refers to the need for a rebuilt (third) temple in our future. Regular listeners will immediately recognize the lack of first century context in the claim (when a rebuilt temple was actually standing) and basically requires all of the elements of the first century to be reinstituted and remade.

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