That Third Temple (Part C)

We know from Josephus and other historians that, that legion in Jerusalem was a city almost. It had granaries, bakeries, restaurants, brothels. It had to support the 6000 plus troops and it took several thousand people to do it. So it was very conservative guess.

The Antonio Fortress housed conservative 10,000 people. But for now, let's join Pastor Rick in the book of Mark chapter 13 with part three of his study called, That Third Temple. There are some essentials they've got to get in place before they do this. One is, or probably the key, is the Aaronic line. They've got to identify Jews who are from Aaron's line, descendants from Aaron, Moses' brother, and their records are lost. How are they going to do this? Well, there's enough grave sites in Israel, ancient grave sites, and they're still finding things, amazing things in Israel, and there's still so much untouched, and I'm going to get to some of that, that they'll find a grave that will say something like, you know, a high priest of descendants of Aaron, and they'll find enough DNA and they'll be able to match.

That's going to happen. That's why we get to 144,000. There's 12,000 from each tribe and it's listed in the revelation which tribes they're coming from because the technology will be there.

So evil will be using technology and so will righteousness, and that is just quite amazing, and we see this happening today when DNA was, you know, codified and put together, okay, we understand DNA. That was just another step towards fulfillment of prophecy, and there's more. I may leave out some stuff, just not enough time, but they also have to have, as I mentioned, the articles to minister as priests and Levites, because they plan to bring livestock there and slaughter them at the altar and offer them, just as it was in the days of David and Moses, a red heifer.

They have to find a red heifer. That's critical to the purification process. They won't be able to open the temple up until they purify the temple.

Once it's built, okay, now let's purify it ceremonially, and they're working on that too, and this is probably even more important than the other two. The precise location of the Holy of Holies. Where did the Ark of the Covenant sit? The Ark that was a chest that had the word of God in it, the tablets that Moses received from God, the remade tablets, because Moses, he dropped the others. Okay, he threw them down in anger.

There's no dropping. Anyway, God redid that. Incidentally, when God gave them those tablets, they were on tablets that Moses was able to carry, both of them, which is symbolic. God's word is something we can carry. We can carry it up a mountain if we are so ordered to, and we can bring it back down without throwing it. Anyway, Moses, I feel like, is my buddy in many ways because I just sympathize. You know, I've said this quite a few times. When God called him, he said, can you get somebody else?

I just love it. It's so human, the whole story. Anyway, the precise location, where did that Ark sit? Where was the Holy of Holies?

Only the high priest could go in at the Day of Atonement on behalf of the people. Well, I have found some things that I'm not ready to share, but I'm going to share them. That means I can share them. I just maybe don't know if I should, but I have to.

They are going to change, possibly change my study notes, 30 years of study notes. If you could stack that up, you'd have a tower. Everywhere the temple is mentioned in the Old and New Testament now is, hmm, I wonder if there is the traditional location of the temple. Now, there are those archaeologists in Israel that consider this fringe thinking, but we've got the facts, and almost all the archaeologists are abject atheists, and they are not honest with each other. I mean, look what they did with Jericho.

You know, Jericho is this, find out whether it's actually that. I mean, don't go thinking of the archaeologists as the way, the truth, and the life, because they're not, but they're very helpful, very useful, and they've done some wonderful things for us, but the traditional location. So here's the temple that once stood, Solomon's Temple. Right now, they think on what is now the Temple Mount, where the Dome of the Rock is, and just to the west of that temple is a wall that is believed to be the only real leftover, it's a retention wall for the earth, for the structure, to keep it in. And it's believed to be what was part of the second temple. Well, if you look at that wall, it's got different layers of stone on it from different ages of different people adding different things. You've got things from Herod's time, the Romans have put, the Muslims have put, I mean, you've got these layers there, but the Jews really believe this is the closest structure to where the temple stood, and that's why it is so important to them.

It's called a wailing wall. The Jews today aren't even interested in entertaining that it might not be there. New research has discovered that that entire Temple Mount was likely the Antonia fortress and not the temple.

This again, gasp time. So the Romans had the 10th Legion there to keep the Jews in line. How many troops would you need in Jerusalem to keep the Jews in line? A Legion is about 6,000 men. We know from Josephus and other historians that that Legion in Jerusalem was a city almost. It had granaries, bakeries, restaurants, brothels. It had to support the 6,000 plus troops and it took several thousand people to do it.

So it was a very conservative guess. The Antonia fortress housed, conservative, 10,000 people. Well, if you go to the Jewish Museum, the Israeli Museum in Jerusalem, they have a whole layout of Jerusalem to scale. The temple and the Antonia fortress, the City of David, and the city sprawled out.

They had the Kidron Valley, the Valley of Hinnom, the Tarofian Valley, they've got it all. It's just wrong. Gasp again. It's okay.

No. Because this, what I'm saying, is borderline blasphemous to the Jew that goes to the Western Wall believing this was his temple. But I still have to back a lot of this up and I intend to do that. So this huge fortress, 36 acres. Now we just were talking about this in our Sunday study and in our midweek in Samuel. David just conquered Jerusalem and went up and I discussed Mount Zion versus Mount Moriah. But my research is now leaning more and more towards Zion, the City of David, is where Mount Moriah is and not the traditional site of the Temple Mount. I don't know if I've lost you, but I'm all around Jerusalem myself right now.

And you go to Jerusalem, you can't figure out where you are. It's such a complex city and the archaeological digs are astounding. The construction, I'm from a background of heavy construction and they have enormous construction beneath the city where all the ruins are. They've got windows, you can walk up to some and look down.

Okay, I'm digressing. Let's go back to, so the traditional site of where the temple is may have actually been all the Roman fortress. The Dome of the Rock is there. If you've ever seen a picture of the Dome of the Rock, you have to say that's one ugly rock.

I mean really, it's not just because it's the Muslims attacking them with this statement. I am saying it's not a smooth, flat rock. Well now we've got a problem. Because you see, that's supposed to be the threshing floor of Arunah, who sold the Temple Mount where Mount Moriah is, where Abraham was told to offer Isaac, where Melchizedek met Abraham.

Not at the same time of those events. If that's a threshing floor, it's impossible. It's too lumpy. Too many holes and craters in it. Nobody could thrash wheat on that rock.

It is not possible. Now we're getting into a process of elimination. So then what is that rock? The Praetorium of Pilate is a very good candidate for this. Where the Romans, inside the fortress of Antonia, judged criminals standing on that rock. John's Gospel, chapter 19, verse 13. When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus out and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement. The Greek word? The stone.

It's a 65 foot diameter. But in Hebrew, Gabatha. What is that? The knoll. What is a knoll? A knoll is that rock. That's what the Jews called it. That thing's a knoll. It's just stone.

It's just sticking up. It is an exact representation of what is going on there. Therefore, if this assumption is right, that the traditional ground for the Temple, and this is important. Why is this important? Because if the Temple is going to get built, how are you going to get the Muslims out of the way if you're going to build it where Solomon had his Temple?

See, this is a big thing. There's some space up there to say, well, it could be over this way a little bit and the Antichrist is going to negotiate that. Yeah, that's possible but not likely because Revelation 11, 2 says, leave the outer court for the Gentiles in the building of the Temple.

But back to this. So, eliminating that as the rock or establishing that at the Dome of the Rock, the Muslims are wrong and at the Western Wall, the Jews are wrong. So, the Jews are facing the Western Wall, which is towards the Dome of the Rock, a little adjacent but in that direction.

They're facing the wrong way from where the Temple was and not only that, they're facing the direction of that spot where Christ was judged by the world and rejected on behalf of sinners. The Muslims are maintaining that spot. That's where they worship. That's their mosque.

Non-Muslims are not allowed in there. And so, they've built this structure around this bumpy rock that is the place where the Creator of life, where the Savior of the world stood before man and was judged and sentenced to crucifixion. Both of them have the wrong direction.

One has the wrong rock and the other has the wrong wall. Then where's the Second Temple? Where can it go? Well, as I mentioned, there is some space and years ago there were these Christian archaeologists sneaking up to the Temple Mount with probes looking for cavities beneath the surface to say, well, the Ark was on an arc way and if we could find that arc way, that's probably where the Temple originally stood. But that doesn't really work too well because again, you go to the Temple Mount, you can't do anything up there. It's so locked down by the Muslims. You can't pray up there. If you're caught praying, you'll be arrested. If you look like you're praying, you're going to get into trouble. You can't have any Bible studies there.

It's not a friendly place. Anyway, the Second Temple, I believe those who have promoting this, and this is a very small group now, and then to be accepted is almost impossible. But anyway, just to the south of what is now the Temple Mount, the traditional location of the Temple, but really was the Antonia Fortress, is the City of David, about 600 feet. Okay, that's the City of David. What's so significant about the Temple being there? Well, the Spring Gihon. The Gihon Spring, there's no water, natural water, coming into Jerusalem for five miles.

Nowhere. And David, as we discussed, took the city by Joab, his commander, climbing up the well and getting into the city and letting his men with him, and that's how they took over Jebus when it became Jerusalem. Water is everything. The Jews will say, hey, you can keep your oil. We got the water to the surrounding nations where they are. Water is key. And so the pilgrims would come to the Temple, Hezekiah channeled from the Gihon Spring, which is a gusher originally. I mean, it's just an unlimited source of water, fresh water, drinkable water.

Things have changed since an earthquake in 1099. There's been some changes to this where the water is not produced as it once was, but it still flows, and you can walk through that Hezekiah's tunnel, and when you come out, you're at the Pool of Siloam, where the pilgrims cleansed themselves. Purification for the Temple.

Not to walk way up to where the Antonia Fortress is, the traditional site, but a short distance to the hill in Zion, the Ophel, where the Temple sat. This is remarkable news. It doesn't affect any of our doctrine. It does enhance our understanding. For example, maps. I heard a pastor years ago saying, I believe the Bible from Genesis to maps. Well, I don't. Maps are problems.

They're not always accurate. In fact, some of the maps have two sites for where Christ was crucified. The traditional Roman Catholic site, and then Gordon's site, and I believe Gordon's site is it. Anyway, so what I hope I have been saying to you is that Mount Zion, where there is no Islamic influence, is where the Third Temple can be built and very quickly. You don't have to go through the Muslims.

You don't have to go through the United Nations. The Jews can start building this today. In fact, they probably already have a site plan ready to go. It doesn't have to be huge.

It has to be sufficient. Very exciting when Jesus says, now Matthew and Mark add this note, one copying the other, let the reader understand. That's not the Lord saying that. As he says this abomination is coming, let the reader understand.

Understand what? What is Matthew and Mark saying we need to understand? Daniel's prophecy that the Lord has highlighted for us. There will be a third temple, and it will be defiled, and that will signal the three and a half years of the wrath of the Great Tribulation that will be poured out in Israel. I still have a few more things to say prophetically. We're not going to get to chapter, verse 15.

It is an existential impossibility. Anyway, you may say, no, I still like the traditional one. Well, you're going to line up with those people who don't believe in the rapture of the church and all those other wrong ideas, and that's fine. I'm being humorous or attempting to be, and you were supposed to chuckle, chuckle, chuckle. Chuckles and gas. What did you do in church today? We had a few gas. No, and a few chuckles. Anyway, there was no scripture, New Testament scripture at the time Jesus said these words.

Not for another two and a half, two, three decades. The Gospels were not around, so when we read, let the reader understand, there was nothing to read when Jesus spoke this, so it's a reference to when they published this, when they put this account together, the apostles inserted, don't you miss this point. We were there. We saw it.

We heard, we saw him speak it. Mark not, but Peter, yes, Matthew was there, and this indicates that Jesus is not issuing a warning to those listening, but those who will listen in the future, the end time readers, and the earth is saturated with printed and digital Bibles. There will be a lot of reading material for them to understand in the tribulation period.

I won't get to why I believe that if you've heard the Gospel after the rapture, you don't have a second shot. If I'm wrong, good. If I'm right, then it needs to be said. I know it's a very emotional thing.

We want to believe that. Well, we don't have the luxury of emotional theology. We have to go by what is written, and Paul says because they did not receive the love of the truth, that's it, and so I think it's a safer way to approach it, and if knowing the mercy and goodness of God, you know, that's in his hands, we're good with that, so don't be too upset because you want it to be like in the movie, what was that movie, Left Behind, and then all these people are, oh, now I get it. It doesn't seem to be biblical, but it would be nice nonetheless. Please no hate mail over that because then it makes me feel nice.

You know I love them. Anyway, then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, Jews mainly. Revelation 12, verse 6, then the woman fled into the wilderness where she has a place prepared by God that they should feed her there 1260 days, three and a half years. This on the heels of the church being born from this woman and the Antichrist looking to destroy her. He tried to destroy the child.

He failed. He's going to try to destroy the woman. This is Revelation 12, 6 when Jesus says let those in Judea flee to the mountains here in verse 14.

They will have time, some of them. Jesus has already laid down a big hint in advance before the abomination of desolation. He has put this hint in there. You'll know it's coming by this.

I'll get to that in a moment. There will be others that don't take that hint and then at the last minute when they announce it on the radio in Israel, the Antichrist has just committed the abomination. When they find that information, they are to leave instantly. They're not to go home from work.

They're not to go from their patio or their deck or their porch into the house. At that point, roadblocks will be put in place. Antichrist troops will be monitoring exits and highways and airports.

To get out of the city, you're going to need your smartphone to find a way out probably towards Jordan. But here's the hint and it's in Luke's Gospel, chapter 21. Jesus speaking about these things, Luke gives us this. But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let those who are in the midst of her depart.

And let not those who are in the country enter her. What is Luke talking about? Jesus said, and Luke records, when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, wait a minute. Why is Jerusalem going to be surrounded by armies? Because Antichrist, I believe Ezekiel 38 is at the beginning, not Ezekiel 39. Ezekiel 38 is this fierce war between Antichrist and a Russian Islamic alliance.

If you go by the text and the country's name there and the people's name there, that's the conclusion that I come to and others do too. That's how he comes into such power. He has to fight for his power. And he uses the Jews. So those armies are there.

He is going to leave them there. For three and a half years, he's got this window of peace. And early on in that three and a half years, he comes into power, he rides in carrying a bow, which is carrying a weapon. Don't worry, he's got the arrows for it. When we say to somebody who's carrying a gun, we don't say, are there bullets with it?

Of course there are. If he's a warrior. So we don't say, oh, he's got a bow, does he have arrows?

Of course he's got arrows if he's got a bow and he's a warrior. And he rides onto the scene as this great maker of peace on the white horse. And then what follows?

Death, destruction, and mayhem. So, he has his armies there for the safety of Israel. He's going to turn those armies on Israel. Jesus says, when you see Jerusalem surrounded, you say, wait a minute, but that's what happened with the destruction of the first temple.

Not really. The Romans were in their fortress, Antonio fortress, maintaining order. The Jews revolted. And then the troops were released. They were beaten out of Jerusalem. And then Titus had to regroup.

His father Vespasian started it, but he went to Rome and became emperor. And then he has to send the 5th, the 12th, the 15th, and the 10th legions with all their mercenaries to put down that first Jewish revolt. So Jerusalem was not surrounded by armies initially when the second temple was destroyed. They became surrounded after the revolt started. But then it was too late.

They couldn't get out of the city because the zealots wouldn't let them. And the Romans crucified as many Jews as escaped the city of Jerusalem during the siege of Jerusalem in that revolt. So this is eliminating all these counterarguments and makes me right. And I like being right so much.

I just can't stand it when I'm wrong. So, the near fulfillment, 70 AD, but the final one remains for that third temple. Well, that's all I've got to say about this. We will resume and color in much more as we move. I warned you we'd probably be in Matthew, Mark 13 a while. We'll color in a lot more that he has to say about these end time things.

And I hope it will be exciting. Thanks for tuning in to Cross Reference Radio for this study in the book of Mark. Cross Reference Radio is the teaching ministry of Pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville in Virginia. To learn more information about this ministry, visit our website, crossreferenceradio.com. Once you're there, you'll find additional teachings from Pastor Rick. We encourage you to subscribe to our podcast. When you subscribe, you'll be notified of each new edition of Cross Reference Radio. You can search for Cross Reference Radio on your favorite podcast app. That's all we have time for today, but we hope you'll join us next time as Pastor Rick continues to teach through the book of Mark, right here on Cross Reference Radio.