Half the Israeli Public Wants to See Holy Temple Rebuilt

Half the Israeli Public Wants to See Holy Temple Rebuilt Written: 07-18-2010 Rapture Forum Staff: Chris Sometimes while viewing the vast landscape of the current news and events in the world, you see an article that really stands out screaming that Bible prophecy is lining up as the Bible foretold. Today while searching the news headlines I came across one such news article that seemed to do that. This article was a news report from the Israel National Newswebsite that indicates that half the Israeli public wants to see the Third Jewish Temple built. The INN article reports: Half the Israeli public wants the Holy Temple (Beit HaMikdash) to be rebuilt. This is the main finding of a poll commissioned by the Knesset Television Channel and carried out by the Panels Institute. The poll was taken in advance of this Tuesday’s national day of mourning, known as Tisha B’Av, on which the two Holy Temples in Jerusalem were destroyed, 2,000 and 2,500 years ago, respectively. The article went on to break down the statistics of the polls which showed: Forty nine percent said they want the rebuilding of the Holy Temple, while 23% said they do not. The remainder said they were unsure. The public is about evenly split on whether they believe it will happen, with a slight edge – 42% to 39% – to those who believe the Third Holy Temple will be rebuilt. Should the State of Israel take active steps towards the reconstruction? Forty-eight percent said no, while 27% said yes. The poll has some very interesting results that show that the majority of Israelis are in favor of building the Third Temple, but for one reason or another do not think time is right for following through on the construction of it. While we know that many preparations for the building of the Temple itself and the construction of the ancient temple vessels have been ongoing in recent years by the Temple Institute and Temple Mount Faithful, the fact remains that that the Jewish people have decided that time is not right to build the Third Temple but it does appear that it could be close at hand. I believe that students of Bible prophecy should be able to see a subtle shift in Jewish thinking about the Third Temple. It seems to me that as Israel finds itself up against the wall in the international community as well as being surrounded by hostile enemies, that the spiritual side of the Jewish people is beginning to awaken and look towards God more. However, I believe this "awakening" is in the early stage and will fully manifest itself when the Israelis win convincing future conflicts with their enemies in the prophecies concerning Psalm 83, Isaiah 17, and Ezekiel 38-39. I believe that this spiritual awakening is what will cause the Jewish people to demand that a Third Temple be built and that a return to Old Testament style worship will be reinstated. We are told in the Book of Daniel that there will be a Third Temple during the end times in which the future Antichrist will erect his abomination of desolation and declare himself to be god on earth. This abomination of desolation will eventually lead to the cutting off of Old Testament style animal sacrifices and as a result will start the time known as the "great tribulation". The Bible warns the Jewish people to flee to the mountains (Petra) to the place God has prepared for them so they can wait out the final half of the seven year tribulation period. But before these things happen, Israel must be spiritually awakened and demand a Third Temple in order to resume their Old Testament style worship. The Bible tells that when the Ezekiel 38-39 war occurs that the Jewish people and the entire world will know that the Lord saved them and as a result will have their spiritual flame lit again. Eze 38:23 Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I [am] the LORD. Eze 39:7 So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not [let them] pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I [am] the LORD, the Holy One in Israel. Eze 39:23 And the heathen shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity: because they trespassed against me, therefore hid I my face from them, and gave them into the hand of their enemies: so fell they all by the sword. Currently Israel is approximately 90% secular, with only about 10% being religious. This imbalance will need to change drastically in order for a Third Temple to be built in Jerusalem and I believe that the event that will do it is the Ezekiel 38-39 war of Gog and Magog, when the Russians lead a moslem coalition on an invasion of Israel from the north. Right now the Middle East news is dominated by the soured relationship between Israel and Turkey. This relationship has been going downhill for a while now but recently hit rock bottom with the May Gaza flotilla crisis. I believe that we are seeing the setup for Turkey to fall into the hands of the Gog and Magog coalition, if they have not already done so by now. For a long time Turkey cooperated with Israel on the economic and military fronts, but since the inception of the radical Islamic led government of Turkish PM Erdogan, Turkey has been on the fast track to cutting ties with Israel. They have for a long time been the only Islamic country to hold close ties with Israel. But all of this is changing and pretty fast might I add. This is why students of Bible prophecy will need to remain fixated on the Middle East region as things continue to grow tense with each passing day. With time running out to stop the Iranian nuclear program, Israel faces threats on all sides as well as from afar. This is a time in history when the friends of Israel need to support her more than ever. Please continue to join with me in praying for Israel and for the peace of Jerusalem. Until next time, stay tuned!! God bless.