The War That Builds The Temple

Edward F. Lundwall, Jr.

What a joy the people of Israel will have when God defeats the hordes of Israel's enemies drawn up against them. There'll be a time of rejoicing much like when God destroyed the Egyptian armies trying to recapture them. For the first time in hundreds of years they will have no fear of taking down the Mosque of Omar on the Temple Mount. For their enemies have no strength left against them.

As Moses and Miriam led the people of Israel in rejoicing over the greatness of their deliverance from the Egyptian armies (Exodus 51:1-21), so shall the whole nation of Israel rejoice as they contemplate how great a deliverance the Lord has given them. As they bury the enemy bodies with praise, they will build the Temple with joy. They will lay a stone with praise and place each timber and curtain with wonder. As they install the brazen altar and the brazen laver, they will do it with a mixture of remorse for their sins and enjoy the sense of forgiveness. As they place the Ark of the Covenant into the Holy of Holiest, a great sense of awe and holiness will come upon them. They will pray for God's holiness to fill the Temple. Then as they install the furniture of the holy place, they will relish the thought of a mosaic system of worship about to be restored to them as in the days of old.

Leaders need to have a great need to add a great note of caution to the people. For throughout the history of Israel, after great events have happened to Israel, two things regularly happened:

1. They forgot the dedication to the Law and Prophets because they did not keep them in mind to govern their lives; 

 
2. Their enemies led by Satan would attack them again.

For in Daniel 9:25, 26, God reveals a prophetic time of 70 weeks of years ". . to bring in everlasting righteousness, . . " (Dan 9:24). These weeks of years are divided into several periods of time. Each set of weeks will have its own events. The first period of time will be concerning the rebuilding of the Temple under Ezra and Nehemiah. The second period deals with the coming and death of Messiah (Dan 9:26a), the third period deals with an evil prince who will cause the oblation and sacrifices to cease and the destruction of Jerusalem (Dan 9:26b, 27). 

In Jeremiah 30:7, the Lord speaks of a future time of Jacob's trouble of extreme difficulty that will precede the eternal state of blessedness. This is also spoken of Zechariah 13 and in chapter 14, the LORD's final deliverance and establishment of the Kingdom age. 

 
Alleluia!!