Chapter 12: Tribulation and the Third Temple

Accusations come in hot and heavy diatribe that those who hold to a literal interpretation of Bible prophecy want a Third Temple built on Moriah to bring on Armageddon and the return of Christ. This, of course, is nonsense. No true students of biblical eschatology from the literalist viewpoint have any these ambitions. Those who hold such a prophetic worldview simply watch with studied interest the developments leading toward Christ’s Second Advent. They understand that what has been given by the Old Testament and New Testament prophets will come to pass. The question is only when.

There is no wish on the part of these observers for suffering to begin and Armageddon to come. But, it will all happen exactly as God’s prophetic Word has foretold. The faithful Bible student’s heavenly firective is to faithfully and accurately do his or her best to discern the signs of the times during these—as the late Dr. Chuck Missler once put it—“times of the signs.”

Nevertheless, the truth of God’s Word cannot be changed. The Third Temple will be the edifice the most despicable tyrant of history—Antichrist—will invade and desecrate as he declares himself to be God. This will begin the most terrible time in Jewish—and human—history, according to Jeremiah the prophet (Jeremiah 30:7) and the Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 24:21).

It is the Christian’s purpose to lift the holy name of Jesus Christ so that men, women, and children of all races will be drawn to him by the Holy Spirit for salvation. This must never be lost on us while things prophesied unfold during these times so near Christ’s return to make all things right on Planet Earth. The Tribulation is something all Christians should warn the world against being a part of, regardless of whether Gentile or Jew. As has clearly been established, the Tribulation—the last seven years of human history also known as “Daniel’s seventieth week”—is prophesied to be the most terrible time that human beings will ever endure. The event is based on the prophet Daniel’s prophecy of 490 years that will culminate with Christ’s Second Advent (Second Coming). Israel (the remaining Israelites who believe in Messiah, Jesus Christ), will then enter the Millennial Kingdom and a thousand-year period of rest and plenty.

The seventy weeks are actually based upon 490 years divided by seventy. Each of the seventy weeks contains seven 360-day Jewish calendar years. The last seven years are a time of unprecedented trouble.

Dr. Thomas Ice writes the following:

We know from the beginning of chapter 9 (verse 2) that Daniel had read about “the number of years which was revealed as the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet for the completion of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years.” The two passages which Daniel surely studied were Jeremiah 25:11–12 and 29:10–14. Both texts clearly speak of Israel’s Babylonian captivity as limited to a 70-year period. Both passages also blend into their texts, statements that look forward to a time of ultimate fulfillment and blessing for the nation of Israel. This is why Daniel appears to think that when the nation returns to their land, then ultimate blessing (the millennial kingdom) will coincide with their return.

Ice goes on to write that Daniel’s error was pointed out to the prophet.

“Daniel appears to think that when the nation returns to their land, then ultimate blessing (the millennial kingdom) will coincide with their return. Daniel’s errant thinking about the timing of God’s plan for Israel occasioned the Lord’s sending of Gabriel “to give you insight with understanding” (Dan. 9:22).

God was not yet ready to bring history to its destined final climax. Thus, He told Daniel that He was going to stretch out history by seventy times seven years (i.e., 490 years).

Study, and history proves to those who believe in these judgments as literal, and accept God’s dealing dispensationally with Israel, in particular, and with mankind in general, that 69 of the prophetic weeks (483 years) have been fulfilled. The last week of 7 years will begin…with the confirming of the covenant by “the prince that shall come” (Dan. 9: 27). [124]