This Article: (4 Pages)
- 1. House of prayer for all nations
- 2. Why Herod's Greco- Roman style... Temple is unlikely
- 3. Palm trees
- 4. The significance of the palm
1) House of prayer for all nations
Many Jews may expect that Solomon's temple might be re-built again. Some might expect that the temple might look like it did in the days of Herod.
There are specific prophecies about a future temple.
Thus speaks the LORD of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD: Even he shall build the temple of the LORD; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both. (Zechariah 6:12-13)
This is backed by another promise of a king-priest,
The LORD has sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek. (Psalm 110:4)
One of the most clear references to a great temple for all the nations at Jerusalem is this prophecy,
And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles. And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain. (Zech 14:16-17)
Isaiah also speaks directly of a 'house of prayer' for all people, which in context implies others are added to Israel,
Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the LORD, to serve him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be his servants, every one that keeps the sabbath from polluting it, and takes hold of my covenant; Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people. The Lord GOD which gathers the outcasts of Israel saith, Yet will I gather others to him, beside those that are gathered unto him. (Isaiah 56:6-8)
The context is that this occurs when Israel is re-gathered. It did not occur when the temple was re-built in the time of Ezra and Nehemiah as this same passage in Isaiah is quoted as a sure future event by Christ in the New Testament,
He taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? (Mark 11:17)
However the most weight of evidence for a future temple at Jerusalem is a significant amount of text at the end of the book of Ezekiel from chapter 40 devoted entirely to a detailed account of a massive building. This building is set in a context of a nation of Israel with significantly extended borders: from Egypt to the Euphrates.
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As the world becomes focussed on Israel and Jerusalem, with even nations leaders who remote from Israel having an opinion, we might consider that it is said that those who touch Jerusalem, touch God's eye.
There is some debate about whether Russia is named in the Bible. Many nations that exist today were named in prophecy. There is some eviednce that Russia is named, actually taking on a name that was given to them before they themselves chose it.
People have heard of the God of Israel being described as Jealous, they have read that his voice may thunder, but it seems people may miss that Yahweh Elohim loves quiet in his dwelling.
This day the Ninth of Av (30 July 2009) is not a memorial given by God. It is a Jewish day for mourning the evil of the sudden absence of God that came with the destruction of the Temple (twice, on the same date, the Ninth of Av, 660 years apart), and 65 years later on the same date, in 135AD the destruction of the last Jewish fortress of the Bar Kochba revolt from Rome, after 3 years of Jewish independence in the Holy Land.
