And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple:
and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.
And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you,
There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
— Matthew 24:1-2 —
I had a Bible atlas
that had an aerial view of the temple mount today and a drawing of the temple mount
the way it was in Bible times.
I could overlay the images
and see that the location of the temple was to the north of the Dome of the Rock
and in line with the golden gate.
There was never any need to remove the mosque to build the temple;
which is why John in Revelation was told to measure the temple,
but not to measure the outer court because it was given to the gentiles.
The temple itself will be an abomination.
When Jesus told the Jews to stop making his Father's house a den of thieves,
He wasn't talking about the building.
That the building even existed was an abomination to God.
Herod didn't build a temple to God. His temple was an abomination.
It was stealing from God.
No one can reinstate a covenant that God Himself cancelled nearly three thousand years ago.
Israel broke the covenant, God cancelled it.
God never told Israel to build a temple.
He told Moses to build a tabernacle (tent).
When He told David that his son would build a temple,
he wasn't talking about Solomon. He was talking about Jesus.
Not even Solomon's temple was ordained by God.
The temples were all instigated by Satan.
Acts 17:24 God that made the world and all things therein,
seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;
Exodus 20:24-25 An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me,
and shalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt offerings, and thy peace offerings, thy sheep,
and thine oxen: in all places where I record my name I will come unto thee,
and I will bless thee.
And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone:
for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it.
Isaiah 66:1-2 Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne,
and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me?
and where is the place of my rest? For all those things hath mine hand made,
and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look,
even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word
Acts 17:29-30 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God,
we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone,
graven by art and man's device. And the times of this ignorance God winked at;
but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
John 4:23-24 But the hour cometh, and now is,
when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth:
for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit:
and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
John 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth;
the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit,
and they are life.
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him:
for he that cometh to God must believe that he is,
and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Johnn 6:29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God,
that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
God didn't command Solomon's temple.
He allowed Solomon's temple, He winked at it.
But the people never understood, as most don't still today with their stained glass windows
and fancy buildings. Herod's temple was never God's temple.
God doesn't dwell in temples made with hands.
Luke 21:5-6 And as some spake of the temple,
how it was adorned with goodly stones and gifts, he said, As for these things which ye behold,
the days will come, in the which there shall not be left one stone upon another,
that shall not be thrown down.
Matthew 16:15 He saith unto them,
But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said,
thou art the Christ, the Son of the living GOD. And Jesus answered and said unto him,
Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee,
but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter,
and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Luke 20:17-18 And he beheld them, and said,
What is this then that is written, The stone which the builders rejected,
the same is become the head of the corner? Whosoever shall fall upon that stone shall be broken;
but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.
Ephesians 2:19-22 Now therefore ye are no more strangers
and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets,
Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
1 Corinthians 3:11-17 For other foundation
can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it,
because it shall be revealed by fire;
and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.
If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved;
yet so as by fire. Know ye not that ye are the temple of God,
and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God,
him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
The temple didn't need to be literally torn down to fulfill the prophecy.
The temple was destroyed by Jesus' very existence. Ultimately, when Jesus returns,
all man made temples will be torn down, including "churches and Vatican".
