There is a Temple on Earth just Prior to Christs Return
There are some that say that there will be no Third Temple in Jerusalem prior to Jesus Christs Return, they have many reasons to suggest what they believe BUT we MUST base what we believe on the Word of God alone!
The clearest place in Gods Word that supports that there will be a Temple on Earth is Revelation 11:1-5
John is given a measuring rod and the Angel of God commands John to go and measure the Temple of God and the Altar and those that Worship inside the Temple area.
Rev 11:1 And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.
Rev 11:2 But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.
This Temple is the Temple that will exist on Earth at the time of the Two Witnesses and during the Last Days, especially a Period of 3 ½ Years.
There are some that try and dispute where this Temple is that John is told to Measure, some say that it is the Temple in Heaven, I do not agree with these people that say that it is in Heaven.
Yes! The Temple is on Earth and I will explain why!
In Revelation 10 John sees an Angel on earth with one foot on the sea and the other on the earth.
Rev 10:1 And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire:
Rev 10:2 And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth,
John saw the Angel lifting his hand up to Heaven from the Earth.
Rev 10:5 And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven.
John hears the Voice from Heaven say go to the Angel and take the book.
Rev 10:8 And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said, Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth.
Rev 10:9 And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey.
John is clearly on the Earth at this time and at the end of Chapter 10 John is told that he must Prophesy again before peoples.
Rev 10:11 And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.
The exact same Angel standing on Earth then declares to John to Measure the Temple and the Altar BUT he is clearly told to NOT measure the Area outside of the Temple and the Altar.
That Area is called the Court, most Maps reveal that the Court Yard was outside of the Temple area and it was the place that the Gentiles could walk.
Rev 11:1 And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.
Rev 11:2 But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.
In Verse 2 John is told clearly that the Court Yard Area will be Trampled by the Gentiles and the Holy City SHALL be tread under foot for 42 Months which is equivalent to 3 ½ Years or 1260 Days.
This Holy City where the Temple is located is on earth and not in Heaven.
There is no way that the Holy City in Heaven will be trampled underfoot!
This Temple and Holy City is on earth as we read in the following verses.
Rev 11:3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
Rev 11:4 These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.
Yes! The Two Witnesses shall be Prophesying on Earth in the Holy City, they will have amazing powers given by God and they will kill those that will challenge them. They will have power on Earth to smite the Earth. They will also be killed on earth and will lie in the Great Holy City where Jesus was Crucified.
Rev 11:5 And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.
Rev 11:6 These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.
Rev 11:7 And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.
Rev 11:8 And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.
God makes it very clear in Revelation 11 that this Temple, the Altar, the people worshipping in the Temple, the Court Area,the Holy City, the Gentiles and the Two Witnesses are on earth.
It is clear that the Judgements are on earth and the Killings take place on Earth.
This View of the Temple of God being on earth before the Return of Jesus Christ is in Harmony with 2 Thessalonians 2 where Paul again talks about the Temple that must exist before Jesus will come and gather us together to Himself.
Paul is very clear in his description.
This is what Paul says must happen, ((my words in Brackets)).
2Th 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day of ((CHRISTS COMING AND GATHERING US TOGETHER TO HIMSELF ))shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
2Th 2:4 Whoopposeth 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.
2Th 2:5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
Paul has Prophesied that this Man of Sin MUST be revealed before Jesus Christ will Return and Gather us Together to Himself, Paul also Prophesied that this man will sit in the Temple of God and exalt himself above God and all that is called God.
I can guarantee that this Temple of God is not the Temple in Heaven.
No! There is NO way that God would allow an evil man of Sin to enter the Temple of God in Heaven and sit on the Throne of God in Heaven.
Yes! The Temple of God is on Earth and that Evil man will sit in that Temple as though he was God.
That Temple will be in Jerusalem in that Holy City as Prophesied in Revelation 11, that Evil Man will Commit what is Called the Abomination of Desolation as spoken of by Jesus Christ Himself and Daniel.
There has to be a Temple of God on earth that is Holy for the Abomination of Desolation to take place, look at what Jesus said.
Mat 24:15 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:)
Mat 24:16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:
Mat 24:21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
Jesus makes it clear that there will be an Abomination of Desolation and even commands us to read Daniel so that we may understand, it clearly relates to the area in Judea.
Yes! Jesus even Prophesied that the Abomination of Desolation will take place in the Holy Place.
The Holy Place Jesus is referring to is that Temple of God or Sanctuary as we read so many times in the Old Testament and New Testament.
Let us do what Jesus said and go to Daniel and look at the Abomination of Desolation that takes place in the Holy Place.
There are several verses in Daniel where the Phrase “Abomination of Desolation “is found as follows:
Dan 9:27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
Dan 11:31 And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate.
Dan 12:11 And from the time thatthe daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.
The word or term “Sanctuary” is used in regards to the area of Gods Temple, in some places in the Old Testament it is referred to a Temple and in other places as Sanctuary.
We see this in Daniel 9:17 when Daniel was praying for God to once again shine His face upon the Sanctuary of God that was desolate in Jerusalem. The Holy City and the Sanctuary had been desolate for over 70 Years since King Nebuchadnezzar had destroyed Jerusalem.
Dan_9:17 Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant, and his supplications, and cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord's sake.
Daniel actually had a Vision prior to Daniel 9 where he saw the Daily Sacrifice being taken away and the Place of Gods Sanctuary being cast down, you read of this vision in Chapter 8 in Daniel.
Dan_8:11 Yea, he magnified himselfeven to the prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down.
Dan 8:12 And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised, and prospered.
Dan_8:13 Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot?
Yes! There will be a Temple that will exist on earth at the End of Days just as Daniel declares, just as Jesus confirms and just as God declared to John in Revelation.
There will be a Period of 3 ½ Years at the End of Days where the City of Jerusalem will be trampled for 3 ½ Years, where the Two Witnesses will Prophesy for 3 ½ Years.
This is the same time when the Dragon (Satan) is cast to the Earth and the woman is protected for 3 ½ Years in the Wilderness.
Rev 12:13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.
Rev 12:14 And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.
This is the same Dragon (Satan) that gives Power to the Beast for the same 42 Months or 3 ½ Years.
Rev 13:4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?
Rev 13:5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.
Rev 13:6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.
This Period of 3 ½ Years is very significant as it all happens just prior to the Return of Jesus Christ.
Yes! The Temple will be in Existence just prior to Christs Return!