Grandpa's Heart The Temple Institute of Jerusalem

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

During our three days in Jerusalem, we rushed through as many historical sites as possible. At some sites, just a quick look was enough, and of course we had to pass by other locations for lack of time. There are several places I hope to revisit, and the Temple Institute (templeinstitute.org) is high on the list. The Institute welcomes anyone who prays for the fulfillment of the Biblical prophecies related to the reestablishment of the Holy Temple.

The Institute is located across the plaza from the Temple Mount's Western Wall. It is dedicated to every aspect of the Holy Temple, and the central role it fulfilled, and will fulfill, in the spiritual well-being of Israel and all the nations.

The Institute's work involves the Temple's past, present, and the Divine future, its activities include education, research, and development. The Institute's ultimate goal is to see Israel rebuild the Holy Temple in accord with the Biblical commandments. The Institute's scholars have dedicated their lives to raising public awareness of the Temple's importance to all mankind. "The Institute seeks to disseminate this knowledge, rekindle the desire and yearning for the rebuilding of the Holy Temple, and help to prepare as much as possible for the actual rebuilding."

The Institute's primary job is to educate the public about the only site in the world considered holy by the Jewish people.

Their craftsmen have researched and accurately reproduced "The Treasures of the Temple," everything needed to furnish a restored Temple.

They have duplicated the Temple's furniture, vessels, and priests' garments, etc. according to the exact Biblical requirements. They eagerly await the day when the "treasures" will be called into Divine service. Our tour group inspected the 'treasures' and studied the models and paintings of previous Temples created to illustrate the Temple's history according to Scripture and Jewish tradition.

We had a question and answer secession with a knowledgeable staff member. She answered several questions, but when asked about the Messiah, she confirmed that like her ancestors in Jesus' time, they were expecting a Jewish king who would restore heaven on earth. We responded that we were expecting the same Messiah who will be King of kings reigning from Jerusalem. However, we emphasized that He had come once before as the suffering Savior ( God's Passover Lamb) predicted by Isaiah and other prophets to pay the penalty for our sins. It was a positive encounter since many of the children of Israel are realizing that today's Biblebelieving Christians are grafted-in into Jewish roots.

Another group, the Temple Mount Faithful (templemount.org), is dedicated to the liberation of the Temple Mount from Arab occupation so they can build the third Temple inaccordance with the Word of God. They have prefabricated the Temple and plan to assemble it on the Temple Mount.

From Perry Stone's book, "Unusual Prophecies Being Fulfilled," we learn that, "More and more Jews are sensing that the time is soon coming when a Temple will be built, and if that is so, then the coming of the Messiah can't be far behind. It is clear that there will be a Jewish Temple during the Great Tribulation."

One more indication that the Temple may soon be built is that, after being absent for centuries, a group of Rabbis reorganized the 71-member Sanhedrin. They are essentially the Jewish Supreme Court, and their leader is often the High Priest. They are ready to serve in the new Temple.

The Moslems are also pushing events toward an end-time scenario by planning to remove Israel from the map.

We've seen over and over during our tour of Israel that God is fulfilling prophecy after 2000 years: The Hebrews have returned to the land God gave them. They became a nation in 1948. They united Jerusalem in 1967. The long-dead Hebrew language is reborn. The oncebarren land now is the most productive in the world. God is working among the Jews; since 1967, Jews have accepted Jesus as Messiah in great numbers.

Here's another interesting story related to prophecy. The colors blue and purple are required in priestly garments.

The pigment for the colors comes from a Mediterranean snail. When the Romans outlawed Judaism, they required that the blue and purple dyesbe reserved for Roman royalty.

With that edict, the snails mysteriously disappeared. However, 2,000 years later, when the Jews began making plans to rebuild the Temple, the snails miraculously returned, so the dye is available for priestly garments. God is in the details!

Many rabbis believe that: "The building of the Holy Temple is a commandment that is binding upon all of Israel to fulfill, in every generation." There are numerous theories about how the Temple may be built on the disputed Mount Moriah. Here are a few ideas: Perhaps something will happen to the mosques that are presently on the Temple Mount; Iran is giving the Palestinians longer range rockets to fire into Israel, wouldn't it be interesting if one of their rockets hit the mosques? In a coming war, Israel could annihilate the Moslems and be free to remove the mosques. A peace treaty may allow the Temple to be built adjacent to the mosques. Or God may work in some other mysterious way.

Scripture indicates that: There will be an end-time Temple, where an anti-Christ will stop the sacrifices and proclaim himself to be god. All nations will fight against Jerusalem. During a time of great trouble, the Children of Israel and some left-behind Gentiles will recognize Jesus as Messiah. Jesus will return to Jerusalem and set up His Millennial Kingdom.

Next time, we'll learn about the Temple Menorah, the Hanukah Menorah, the modern seal of Israel, and their relationship to Christians.

Shalom.

Opinion, Pages 4 on 08/12/2009