A Future Temple and the End of Days

The next sign given regarding the soon coming of Jesus to earth as King of kings is the “abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet.” Jesus is referencing a specific prophecy recorded by the prophet Daniel,

Daniel 12:11 And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.

This prophecy requires that there be a functioning temple in Jerusalem at which sacrifices are made. It also requires this event to be future to the time Jesus is teaching His disciples. In context there is reference to a specific timeframe between the abomination and “the end of days,” the end of Satan’s rule and the beginning of Messiah’s Kingdom. That refutes the notion that many have of this prophecy referring to the destruction of the temple by Titus and his armies. This event is yet future and corresponds to events in Revelation 13 that describe the beast gaining complete control on earth for 42 months after Satan is thrown out of heaven (Revelation 12) and an image is erected that men will be forced to worship. This image will probably sit in the temple in fulfillment of this prophecy. If my understanding is correct, there will be a temple built in Jerusalem in the not too distant future and the priesthood and sacrificial system will once again become functional.

Jesus makes the point that this future desecration of the temple will usher in a time of great tribulation on planet earth that is far worse than any time previous in the history of the world. Neither will there be a time like it ever again in the future. Point is also made that this is the time of God’s vengeance that will fulfill the message of the prophets of old. God is very clear throughout His word that every word of scripture will be completely fulfilled. This time references the 42 months that Satan will rule planet earth in the person of the Antichrist, the last 3.5 years before Jesus establishes Himself on the throne of David to rule for 1000 years before defeating Satan and rebellious humanity one final time. This last 3.5 years will complete the times of the Gentiles. During the Messiah’s Kingdom, the Jews in Israel will be the most honored among the nations. Jesus declared that had the Lord not intervened to cut this time short, all flesh on earth would be destroyed.

Frankly, that last statement is one of the main reasons I believe we are so close to this time. The ability for man to destroy himself is fast becoming more of a probability than a possibility. Add that to the rebirth of Israel as a nation, continual wars and rumors of wars, the increase in earthquake frequency and intensity, and the alignment of the nations as predicted in Ezekiel 38-39 (which will be addressed in future posts), it’s hard to understand how everyone doesn’t see the handwriting on the wall.