Lindsey og Temple Mount Faithful
Lederen af Temple Mount Faithful, Gershon Salomon, er et eksempel på, at Lindseys model for apokalypsens begivenheder har vundet tilslutning også uden for de dispensationelle kristne zionisters rækker, hvad dette interview fra juli 1997 viser.
Teksten er taget fra den messianske kristne hjemmeside: www.levitt.com/essays/temple.html.
[…]
Gershon is not only well-versed in the Rabbinic views about the Temple, but he is also conversant with the evangelical biblical interpretations concerning the Tribulation, the Antichrist, the Tribulation Temple, and the Second Coming of the Messiah – Christ Jesus. Our conversation not only went into prophecy about the Temple, but also dveled into the heart of the Gospel of Christ and the need that both Jews and Gentiles have for the atonement that He alone provides. The restoration of the nation of Israel is not the only great prophetic development of our time. The restoration of the Israeli church, represented by numerous Messianic congregations throughout modern Israel, is also a fulfillment of Scripture.
Most Israelis, of course, do not believe in Yeshua, or, for that matter, even have a strong belief in God. Only 10% of Israelis would call themselves »religious«. This means that some 90% of the Jewish population of Israel is not moored in faith, and is therefore open to the prophetic developments that will cause Israel, along with the rest of the world, to come under the sway of the Antichrist.
An important part of the coming Tribulation has to do with the rebuilding of the Jerusalem Temple and its desecration by the Antichrist:
When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains. (Matthew 24:15–16)
In this famous sermon, called the Olivet Discourse, Christ has already explained that the Temple He and His disciples were then viewing would be destroyed. In the portion of the sermon quoted above, He looks down the prophetic road to the time when another »Holy Place«, or Temple, would be built in Jerusalem, and then desecrated by the Antichrist.
The question arises as to when the Tribulation Temple will be rebuilt. All we know for sure is that it must be in place by the middle of the Tribulation. It is not clear how much before that time it will be built. It may be constructed during the first half of the Tribulation; however, there is no reason why it could not be built before the beginning of the Tribulation, or, indeed, before the Rapture of the Church! After all, the Second Temple stood for a generation after the beginning of the Church Age before it was destroyed; it may be that the Third Temple will exist during the final years of the Church Age. Our Lord may return to accomplish the Rapture at any time. We should not be surprised if efforts to build the Tribulation Temple intensify in the days ahead.
According to the Scriptures, there are actually two future Jerusalem Temples: the Tribulation Temple and the Millennial Temple. The latter will be built by Christ Himself when He returns to Israel to reign over the earth for a thousand years.
The members of the Temple Mount Faithful appear to be preparing the way for the construction of the Temple that will be used during the Tribulation. As we parted, I told Gershon, »Zola and I wrote about you over twenty years ago, but we didn’t know your name«. He seemed to genuinely appreciate our conversation, as did I and the tour staff. When Zola and I wrote Satan in the Sanctuary, we knew that in time, and in order for the Scriptures to be fulfilled, there would have to arise zealous Israelis who would be dedicated to rebuilding the Temple.
Gershon and his Temple Mount Faithful have stepped into that role, along with other groups such as the Temple Institute in Jerusalem. The fulfillment of biblical prophecy marches onward, moving inexorably toward the Second Coming of the Messiah, both because of and in spite of the views and attitudes of the Israelis and the other peoples of the world.
