One of the most respected prophetic voices coming out of Israel is Reuven Doron. As an
Israeli himself, he has a unique perspective and a special word to the Church in this
hour--especially for those in the Lord's Church who have such a romantic view of Israel
that they are sending money to help prepare the 3rd Temple to be rebuilt. You will be
educated and challenged by this very insightful, if not prophetic Word from the Lord about
the events in Jerusalem.
-- Steve Shultz, THE ELIJAH LIST (8B00325N@MyInJesus.com)
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"WE DO NOT EVEN PRAY FOR THE REBUILDING OF THE PHYSICAL TEMPLE IN
JERUSALEM"--Reuven Doron
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PRAYER FOCUS FROM JERUSALEM
8-25-2001
Reuven Doron
EMAIL: prayerfocus@embraceisrael.org
Shalom, dear praying friend.
As the trap of violent actions and counter actions continues to tighten its merciless jaws
upon both Jew and Arab in the Middle East, God is working "behind the scenes,"
saving souls, tenderizing hearts, and preparing the parched ground for His reviving rains.
Don't be lost in-between the waves of bad news, my friend, and don't lose heart at the
duration and intensity of the battle. God's word is forever established in the heavenlies,
and He Himself is diligently watching over it to fulfill all His great and precious
promises. Our position is to watch with Him, work His works, and pray His prayers.
IS IT POSSIBLE TO BE BOTH GLAD AND SAD OVER FATE OF JERUSALEM?
You may ask: is it possible to be simultaneously glad and sad over the fate of Jerusalem,
weeping over her present suffering and rejoicing for her future glory? Of course it is, as
Isaiah prophesied, saying, "Be joyful with Jerusalem and rejoice for her, all you who
love her; be exceedingly glad with her, all you who mourn over her, that you may nurse and
be satisfied with her comforting breasts, that you may suck and be delighted with her
bountiful bosom." (Isaiah 66:10-11 NASB)
Thank you for standing with us in prayer during our recent annual Embrace Israel
conference. We experienced heights of worship, depths of revelation, and such consistency
of grace and joy that it was evident that the Lord was not only accepting our offering of
worship and intercession, but was Himself enjoying the celebration with His children. For
video or audio recordings please see our web site.
A THIRD TEMPLE IN OUR DAY?
In the prophetic frenzy surrounding end time events, one of the most misunderstood and
abused items is that of the rebuilding of the third Temple in Jerusalem. Both Old and New
Testament scriptures point to the validity of such a Temple, yet its nature, function, and
precise timing are still not fully understood but only given us in figurative and
prophetic language.
Obviously, God reserves the right to bring this mystery to full light in His own way and
in His own time. Yet, powerful forces are literally "pushing" in this direction,
aggressively attempting to fulfill these
prophecies by the strength of man. Some are doing so ignorantly, others sincerely trying
to thus "expedite" the Lord's return. They are moving ahead in their
preparations and are attracting some well meaning, though misguided, Christian support and
funding.
For the sake of the elect, in light of the powerful deceptions that are present in our
generation, and in order to help the Bride of Messiah focus on the only One who deserves
our complete attention and devotion, I will shortly address this often misunderstood
issue. Remember that what I write is but a partial revelation in itself, and that more
understanding and insight will undoubtedly be added from others in the coming days.
WHO IS THE CORNERSTONE?
On July 29, 2001, the notorious ninth day of the month of Av according to the Hebrew
calendar, the very date on which both Temples in Jerusalem were violently destroyed by
pagan powers nearly five hundred years apart, a group of well meaning zealots carried out
a symbolic ceremony of cornerstone laying in a parking lot next to the Western Wall in
Jerusalem.
That four and a half ton marble stone was to symbolize the beginning of the third Temple
construction and prophetically point in its direction. Fortunately, the Israeli government
did not permit this ceremony to take place on top of Temple Mt. as was originally
requested by the sponsors,
thus avoiding an all out eruption of violent sentiments throughout the Muslim world.
"ARE THESE JEWISH AND CHRISTIAN ZEALOTS IN THE RIGHT SPIRIT?"
Much effort, sacrifice, and funding are invested in these, and other related labors, all
pointing toward the rebuilding of a third Jewish Temple on Mt. Moriah instead of, or next
to, the Islamic shrines and the Dome of the Rock. One does not need to be an expert on
Middle East affairs to imagine the uncontrollable Islamic rage that such an act would stir
in the present explosive atmosphere. Are these Jewish and Christian zealots in the right
theology? The right spirit? The right time?
From my perspective, the only cornerstone that could be laid that would make a positive
difference today for Israel and for the nations is Jesus, the Messiah Himself. Any other
emphasis will only lead to
confusion and possibly deception. Worse yet, mere human attempts to have the physical
Temple rebuilt in Jerusalem prior to the Lord's second coming are in dangerous proximity
to the spirit and agenda of the anti-Christ.
The fact is that the first Temple was built by divine initiative according to a heavenly
design, and was erected by carefully chosen vessels under highly anointed conditions.
Likewise, the second Temple,
which was actually a restoration of the first, was repaired and reinstated again by select
and anointed individuals whose credentials and labors are recorded in scripture. Is the
modern day initiative we
witness today able to stand these criteria as its proponents seek to build God's third
Temple in His City?
TRUE WORSHIP AND ACCEPTABLE SACRIFICES
For one reason, such a temple, if rebuilt, could in fact keep seeking Jewish souls from
placing their hopes for redemption on the Messiah alone by drawing their attention and
devotion to a resurrected religious system. Even traditional Jewry recognizes that the
Temple can potentially be "antichristos" (replacing the true Christ / Messiah),
and that an empty religious system of works is an abomination to the Lord.
"I HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF BURNT OFFERINGS . . . "
Such anti-religious divine intolerance is revealed in Isaiah's cry, saying, "'What
are your multiplied sacrifices to me?' Says the Lord. 'I have had enough of burnt
offerings of rams, and the fat of fed cattle. And I take no pleasure in the blood of
bulls, lambs, or goats... Bring your worthless offerings no longer, incense is an
abomination to Me... I hate your new moon festivals and your appointed feasts, they have
become a burden to Me...
So when you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you... Wash
yourselves, make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from my sight. Cease to
do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, reprove the ruthless; defend the orphan, plead
for the widow.'" (Isaiah 1: 11-17 NASB)
And David, in his heart-rending cry for cleansing and renewal from his sin, reached deep
into the heart of God when he prayed, "For Thou dost not delight in sacrifice,
otherwise I would give it; Thou art not pleased with burnt offering. The sacrifices of God
are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise."
(Psalms 51:16, 17 NASB) In other words, spiritual life is not the product of religious
works or temple sacrifices, no matter how profound and impressive; rather true holiness
and righteousness are the fruit of a humble, crucified life which drinks deeply from the
fountain of the Son of God Himself.
And as much as hastening the Lord's return, for New Testament believers, Peter said,
"Repent therefore and return, that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times
of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; and that He may send Jesus, the
Christ appointed for you, whom
heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by
the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time." (Acts 3:19-21 NASB)
How do we hasten the Lord's return then? By repentance; a genuine return to God, His word,
and His plan.
TEMPLE VERSUS JESUS
It was the Temple issue that ultimately pushed Stephen's hearers to the point of murdering
the first martyr of the Faith. Enduring Stephen's entire discourse, which was built around
the theme of God's dwelling place among His people Israel, it was his final quote from
Isaiah which they could not bear as the prophetic rebuke hit home.
"Thus says the Lord, 'heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool. Where then
is a house you could build for Me? And where is a place that I may rest? For My hand made
all these things, thus all these things came into being,' declares the Lord." (Isaiah
66:1-2 NASB)
THE RELIGIOUS AND RITUALISTIC CHARACTER OF ISRAEL'S TEMPLE WORSHIP AT
THAT TIME
The point was driven hard with penetrating conviction, exposing the religious and
ritualistic character of Israel's Temple worship at that time. All they had was an empty
and glorious shrine filled with the
works of men; a Temple which embodied Israel's entire hope, joy, identity, and pride, but
had no life within itself.
Stephen did not even finish quoting the entire passage which concluded, saying, "'But
to this one I will look, to him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at
My word" (Isaiah 66:2 NASB) when the first stone struck him. Silence the messenger,
says the flesh, and you can silence the message.
In the same way, it was the Temple issue that came up with decisive force during the
Lord's mock trial. "Now the chief priests and the whole Council kept trying to obtain
false testimony against Jesus, in order that they might put Him to death; and they did not
find any, even though many false witnesses came forward. But later on two came forward,
and said, 'this man stated, 'I am able to destroy the temple of God and to rebuild it in
three days.''" (Matthew 26:59-61 NASB)
THE JESUS VS. THE TEMPLE CASE
This was the real issue! The danger which Jesus' life and words brought against the
religious system with the Temple in its heart gave judicial opening to the final blow:
"...tell us whether you are the Christ, the Son of God." (Matthew 26:63 NASB) It
was the "Jesus versus Temple" case that brought the Son of God to stand accused
before a human court; and it was the question of His divine life in contrast to the
Temple's emptiness which drove Him to the cross.
Paul warned us of such an empty religious system of works, identifying its ministers as
"holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; and AVOID such
men as these." (2 Timothy 3:5 NASB, emphasis mine)
THRONE OF ULTIMATE WICKEDNESS
For Israel's and for the elect's sake, when the anti-Christ manifests himself fully on
earth, it is my prayer that he not find a place to "enthrone" himself in
Jerusalem, but rather will have to seek for it
elsewhere, possibly in some apostate hard-hearted segment of Christendom which loves not
the Lord, His Bride, His people Israel, and His soon appearing.
ANTI-CHRIST ENTHRONED IN JERUSALEM?
The following scriptural warnings provide some of the support for the view that the
anti-Christ will be enthroned in Jerusalem: First, the Lord Jesus Himself, in Matthew
24:15, cautioned, "Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation which was
spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader
understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains..." While this
warning may have future implications (I do not know), it is viewed by many Messianic
believers today as having been primarily fulfilled in the believing community's first
century flight from Jerusalem during the Roman siege and ultimate defilement of the
Temple.
THE MAN OF LAWLESSNESS
Secondly, Paul, in 2-Thessalonians 2:3,4, warned of great evil that will flood the earth,
saying that when "...the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who
opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, ...he (will)
takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God."
Whatever future fulfillment this warning still carries in its mysterious folds, the fact
is that numerous times throughout Israel's turbulent history the Holy Place was already
desecrated and taken over by pagan powers and false messiahs who sought world domination.
From Greek idols in the sanctuary during the Inter Testamental period, to Roman swine
offered on the alter following the Lord's death and resurrection, to modern day Islamic
worship on Temple Mt., world powers and principalities have done their best to nullify and
"replace" the testimony and reality of the God of Israel.
HITLER NEVER REACHED JERUSALEM
However, Hitler, our most recent candidate for the office of the antichrist who created
Nazism (which was a spiritually motivated political movement deeply embedded in a so
called "Christian" culture), never reached Jerusalem. Employing powerful
spiritual principles to bind Germany to himself in blood covenants and almost taking over
the entire world through deception and violence, Hitler established a priesthood,
religious ceremonies, a holy place, even presented himself as a messiah
with a global mission. Yet, he was "enthroned" on a demonic throne in Europe,
far away from Jerusalem, and only for a short time.
OCCUPYING THE HOLY PLACE
So, Jerusalem may not necessarily be in Paul's prophecy from 2-Thessalonians 2:3,4. All
that the word indicates, according to the quotations above, is that the antichrist will
occupy the holy place, or
the temple of God, having no clear location given. And that, as we know from basic New
Testament theology, can just as well be viewed as the heart of man individually (I
Corinthians 6:19), or the entire church body corporately. (I Corinthians 3:16,17)
However and until these apocalyptic mysteries are fulfilled and come to pass, we ought to
be very cautious of all branches of dispensational theology, or we may find ourselves
misinterpreting events in the Middle East and inadvertently misguiding the flock of God.
Even if the antichrist's final advance on earth will reach Jerusalem, Christians and
Messianic Jewish disciples should have nothing to do with it.
OUR STAND -- "WE DO NOT EVEN PRAY FOR THE REBUILDING OF THE PHYSICAL
TEMPLE"
Our passion is to be like Jesus and to present to God the temple of our bodies as a place
for His dwelling. Our mission is to express His Spirit, His divine life, and His eternal
interests on earth though the corporate temple of His worldwide Body, the "One New
Man," His Bride. We do not even pray for the rebuilding of the physical Temple in
Jerusalem, nor are we looking forward toward it until after the Lord Jesus returns to
earth in power and with His Kingdom. He alone is worthy to sit upon
that throne!
I pray that Israel, though in deep travail and mortal danger, may become a refuge for the
people of God, rather than the headquarters for the enemy's end time activity. Such
eventuality, no matter how
"prophetically thrilling" to some, will be catastrophic for the Jewish nation
and counterproductive to the revival orientation of God's end time promises to them.
THIRD TEMPLE ISSUE A MAJOR CONCERN FOR THE CHURCH
I hope that the reader can take these matters into serious consideration and earnest
prayer, since, in my estimation, this third temple issue is a major concern which affects
various doctrines and practices in the Church. We know that a great conflict between good
and evil will come upon the earth before the end, but to Zion and to the household of
faith the Lord's command is to "Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory
of the Lord has risen upon you. For behold, darkness will cover the earth, and deep
darkness the peoples; but the Lord will rise upon you, and His glory will appear upon
you." (Isaiah 60:1,2 NASB)
In other words, we have to question anything that adversely influences us toward an
"anti-revival" direction and away from the redemptive move of God on earth.
Knowing that this view is in contradiction to popular teachings by reputable and respected
modern day church fathers, I
nevertheless present it here to encourage an alternative, preemptive, and "counter
disastrous" prayer among the intercessors.
CONTRIBUTIONS TOWARD ISRAEL SHOULD BE TO BUILD UP THE LOCAL MESSIANIC BODY
I maintain that all the funds and contributions toward Israel which stem from benevolent
Christian sources today should focus on the building up of the local Messianic Body in the
land. This is the only Temple at present in which acceptable sacrifices are daily offered,
and from which arises effectual intercession for the salvation of the nation and for her
rescue from the enemy's murderous plans.
As the Apostle instructed, "...while we have opportunity, let us do good to all men,
and especially to those who are of the household of the faith." (Galatians 6:10 NASB)
And more, "...if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his
household, he has denied the faith, and is worse than an unbeliever." (1 Timothy 5:8
NASB) It is time for the church in the nations to discern the Body of Messiah in the land
of Israel as their own household.
It was God Himself who affirmed, "On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have appointed
watchmen; all day and all night they will never keep silent. You who remind the Lord, take
no rest for yourselves; and give Him no rest until He establishes and makes Jerusalem a
praise in the earth." (Isaiah 62:6,7 NASB)
Pray boldly, my friends, with living faith and complete confidence,
allowing nothing to sway you, rather investing wholeheartedly in God's word until He
fulfills all His great and precious promises for His Bride, for Israel, for the nations,
and for His creation.
Grace and peace to you,
Reuven Doron
Embrace Israel Ministries
PO Box 10077
Cedar Rapids, IA 52410-0077
USA
Voice: (319) 393-1096 /
Fax: (319) 393-2912
E-Mail: mailbox@embraceisrael.org Internet site: www.embraceisrael.org
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