WILL THE TEMPLE IN JERUSALEM BE REBUILT

Will the Temple in Jerusalem be rebuilt this one of the great questions to answered in 2024.

Hi I’m Rod Anderson, over the last 180 years within Christianity there has been a growing belief, that the Jewish nation still retains the epithet of God’s most favoured nation status. Including all the blessings and benefits that it attracts – as per the promises found in the Old Testament.  Pursuant to this belief is the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem, culminating in the Jews taking the gospel to the world! But where did this teaching come from?  Is it Biblical?

 The term used to encompass the Messianic revival among the Jews, the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple, and Israel’s evangelistic work to the world is called Dispensationalism.  But it’s eschatology is much broader than the Jews and the Temple. Its beginnings are usually associated with the Plymouth Brethren movement in the United Kingdom, and the teachings of John Nelson Darby in the 1820’ and 1830s.

 This new teaching spread in America through prophecy conferences such as the Niagara Bible Conferences of 1883-1897. Interestingly, this teaching would have died a natural undignified death, except for a man by the name of Cyrus Scofield. He was a committed devotee and he more than anyone else gave dispensationalism a second life.

In the late 1800’s Cyrus Scofield began work on a Bible commentary that was to popularize dispensationalism in the United States. In fact when first published in 1909, it immediately found its way into the libraries and curriculum of many theological seminaries in the United States.

In 1917, Cyrus Scofield republished his work with a number of changes, and was heralded with rapturous applause.  Even today, Oxford Press still prints the 1917 edition of the Scofield Study Bible.  It is still one of the preferred study Bibles within Theological Seminaries today, not only in the United States, but England and Australia. 

 One writer has said, “the Scofield study bible has done more to Zion-ise Christian America than any other thing.”

 What does this mean? Well simply the eschatological emphasis upon the Jews, Israel and Jewish Temple being rebuilt which permeates Christendom today. Though it has zero support in the Bible, it is the influence of the Scofield study BIBLE and evangelical seminaries which have embraced it, which keeps the teaching alive.

 Furthermore, another element found in Dispensationalism, Pentecostals, evangelicals and the like have abbreviated an integral part of the dispensationalist doctrine as the pretribrap.  THE PRETRIBULATION RAPTURE, falsely declaring that the righteous are raptured away before the great tribulation. However we have already learnt in the previous episodes, that this teaching has absolutely no Biblical foundation.

 But central to this miasma of falsehoods, is the belief that after the righteous are raptured away secretly, the nation of Israel will rise, the Jews will rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem during a seven year period of tribulation, and take the gospel to the world, which will eventually usher in one thousand years of peace.

 However it is contrary to reason, when an individual or denomination instigates or ratifies a doctrine the foundation of which is erroneous, the end result will be truth. That is absurd, and any teaching built upon error, will also be false, and the Dispensationalist doctrine fits the bill. The New Testament is very clear regarding the Jews, and the Temple in Jerusalem, after Israel’s rejection of Jesus Christ.  In Mark 1:15 we read these words of Jesus,

 The time is fulfilled and the kingdom is at hand. 

To get the full transcipt of this episode go to http://theorchardmelbourne.org.au.

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