Reasons for the literality of the reference to the Jerusalem Temple in 2
Thess.2.4.
'The fact that we do not
have the Temple is a sign of God’s judgment against us.'
'When the
Temple returns, in fulfillment of God’s promise, the loyal Jew will
not miss a beat in bringing the sacrificial system back to life.' Yisroel
Blumenthal, 2010 'The Holy Temple is the
central, integral, intrinsic, vital and necessary component of
exercising sovereignty' Chaim Richman, 2nd September,
2011
For the first, but
certainly not the last time, in Israel's history a
member of the Knesset proposes legislation to hasten a 4th Temple Zevulun Orlev, 30th July 2012,
in Olam
Katan (Heb.) as reported in
Israel Times
'Who opposeth and exalteth
himself above all that is called God, or
that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God,
shewing himself that he is God.
Remember ye not, that, when I was
yet with you, I told you these things?'
Items already prepared for the 4th temple.
The Temple was still standing at the
time of inspiration and it would have been the obvious and natural
meaning to the readers.
The reference to sitting is
apparently literal, the allusion to showing himself seems to suggest
the support his need for a specific physical location to gain assurance
about his status.
Let there be no doubt of the growing and
ostensibly highly legitimate, but nevertheless spiritually disastrous,
Rabbinic Jewish determination to
rebuild the temple (as evidenced by the first Jewish marriage
there in 2 millennia, reported on 19/11/2010). See this poll
in Israel National News' website and this of Israel's public
in July
2010. The red
heifer, long considered a major stumbling block to regaining ritual
purity, is
now ready, March 2011. Members
of the Knesset begin to campaign for the seemingly innocuous
and perfectly proper right for Jews to pray in Judaism's holiest site -
which will meet massive Muslim resistance. The carpet baggers
are already ready, even before the Temple is rebuilt.
The Temple
Institute claims: (though I suspect these
restrictions are also though less rigorously applied to Christians too)
Popular songs abound with a reflection of the growing expectation of
the restoration of the Jerusalem Temple
A flavour of growing Rabbinic Jewish sentiment
Incidentally the cherubim are so close in the T.I.'s logo at the end there's no seat for God! Ps.99.1
Although rebuilding the Temple would be the fruit of extraordinary
forbearance, given its theological
roots it can only end in tears.
A short glimpse at the feedbacks
at the bottom of this page shows how pervasive opinion in favour of
reconstructing the Temple has become in English speaking national
religious circles. There is also continuing Muslim paranoia and incitement
of anxiety and aggression over the issue. Why should the
Muslim Brotherhood desire Jerusalem
not Mecca as its capital?
Reasons why
the reference in 2 Thessalonians to the Temple is literal
A reference to the church would have
seemed forced, since there is no indication of simile or metaphor,
unlike other NT uses of the Temple as a figure.
Daniel alludes to a desolating abomination, a
common term for a seductive idol, (Deut.
7.25, 27.15,
1
Ki. 11.5,7,
2
Ki. 23.13, Isa.
44.19, Ez.
18.12, Luk.
16.15, Rev. 21.8,
27),
associated
with the cessation of daily temple sacrifice in four places (Dan.
12.11, 11.31,
9.27,
8.13).
This strongly suggests an association between this event and the
literal temple, where daily sacrifice was alone legitimate (Deut.
12.11). The
timing of the cessation in Daniel
8.14 (2,300 days, over 5 years), does not match the three
years from 15th Chisleu 167 (1 Macc.1.53) to 25th
Chisleu 164 BC (1
Macc.4.51), when
Antiochus Epiphanes profaned the Temple, though this event like that of
later Roman Emperors prefigure an ultimate desolation. Matthew Poole,
for example, gives 5 quite different attempts at reconciling the timing
with Antiochus, none are satisfactory. (NB: The writings
of the Maccabees are noteworthy but not inspired by the Holy Spirit,
and versification is inconsistent between translations.)
Antiochus Epiphanes and coins of his realm (Courtesy of
Wiki)
The Lord Jesus Christ cites Daniel's
Abomination 'standing where it ought not', then exhorts the reader In
Judaea to flee, and to pray that his flight not be on a Sabbath. In
Matthew He makes it explicit that this refers to 'the holy place', the
sanctuary (Matt.
24.15).
The power of the false prophet is
described in Rev.
13.15, in that he 'had power to give life unto the image of
the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause
that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be
killed.'
Could the placing of this image in
the Temple represent the Abomination that desolates, perhaps at the
time identified in Dan.
11.45 the heart idol of all the world that defiles
and destroys the world?
Early writers: second
century AD. 'But
when this Antichrist shall have devastated all things in this world, he
will reign for three years and six months, and sit in the temple at
Jerusalem; and then the Lord will come from heaven in the clouds, in
the glory of the Father, sending this man and those who follow him into
the lake of fire; but bringing in for the righteous the times of the
kingdom, that is, the rest, the hallowed seventh day; and restoring to
Abraham the promised inheritance, in which kingdom the Lord declared,
that “many coming from the east and from the west should sit down with
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” ' Irenaeus 'Against Heresies', Book V, Chapter 30, Paragraph 4.
'Christ is a king, so
Antichrist is also a king. The Saviour was manifested as a lamb; so he
too, in like manner, will appear as a lamb, though within he is a
wolf. The Saviour came into the world in the circumcision,
and he will come in the same manner. The Lord sent apostles among all
the nations, and he in like manner will send false apostles. The
Saviour gathered together the sheep that were scattered abroad, and he
in like manner will bring together a people that is scattered abroad.
... The Saviour raised up and showed His holy flesh like a temple, and
he will raise a temple of stone in Jerusalem.' Hippolytus,
Treatise on Christ and Antichrist, Pt.2. Sn.6.
The real test of the true Temple is found in this text:
'And the nations shall know that I the LORD do sanctify Israel,
when my Sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore.' Ezek.
37.28 Will it bring inward
holiness of character?