Will the Jews Ever Build a Temple?

In this regular feature Dave and Tom respond to questions from listeners and readers of The Berean Call.  Here is this week’s question: Dear Dave and Tom, I was told by a friend that during the millennial reign of Jesus a temple will be built in Jerusalem and that sacrifices will take place.That doesn’t make sense to me since Hebrews tells us there is no longer a need for sacrifices.Also, can you give me some idea how the church will rule and reign with Christ?

Tom:

Well Dave there are a number of verses in the Old Testament talking about the millennial temple.If you go to Ezekiel 40-46 deal with that.There are a number of verses and I’ll read some a little later.But also in Hebrews:10:8Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law;
See All..., “Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law….”A couple of other ones: Hebrews:10:12But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;
See All..., “But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, [talking about Jesus] sat down on the right hand of God;…” and Hebrews:10:18Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.
See All..., “Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.”So the question is: If it’s been taken care of, why sacrifices and offerings throughout the millennium?

Dave:

Well, let’s establish thoroughly what you just read from the Bible.There is no more sacrifice for sin.That’s it.Period.If you went back to 9:26b-28, it says, “…but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.”Going on to the end of the chapter, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.”That teaching of course is denied, rejected by the Roman Catholic Church which in fact, claims that it is perpetually offering Christ on its altars and that the Mass is called the Sacrifice of the Mass.No, Christ was offered once and Hebrew 10 begins a little earlier than the verses you read.It begins with comparing the Old Testament sacrifices that had to be repeated daily—

Tom:

Yes, continually.

Dave:

Right, and pointing out that the very fact that they had to be repeated proved that they couldn’t take away sin.And then it says, “But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever,…”(Hebrews:10:12But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;
See All...a).So there is no more sacrifice for sin.Then what could the sacrifices be in the temple that will be rebuilt?

Tom:

Well Dave, before we get to that, the sacrifices prior to Christ’s death on the cross, they were types.They pointed to what was to come.

Dave:

That’s right.They looked forward to that.

Tom:

They were not efficacious in themselves.

Dave:

No, absolutely not.

Tom:

It was only by faith.

Dave:

Right, they looked forward to Christ the Lamb of God who would indeed bear away the sins of the world.Now that this temple will be rebuilt, there’s no doubt about it.2 Thessalonians:2:4Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
See All... of the Antichrist it says he will sit in the temple of God declaring that he is God.And Daniel:9:27And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
See All... tells us that he will enforce a covenant for one week of years, that is for seven years upon the world and—

Tom:

Dave, let me interject—

Dave:

Alright.

Tom:

Dave, you are talking about the temple that the Antichrist is going to be in.Do you think that is going to be the same temple as the millennial temple or will the millennial temple be different?

Dave:

I think the millennial temple will be different but I’m just saying that the temple will be rebuilt on the Temple Mount.Now what alterations will be done to that, I don’t know.You’ve got the dimensions and everything in Ezekiel.It’s a little bit hard to fathom.But what would be the purpose?Paul went in to the temple.He even brought sacrifices.For example, we have Messianic fellowships today and they keep the Seder and they keep the Passover and so forth and they’re trying to encourage Gentiles to do that sort of thing.No, it is not at all meaningful for me to keep the Passover.I’m a Gentile.But for a Jew it would be, because this is part of their history.So I can see the sacrifices in the millennial temple having this very same purpose.We take the bread and the cup in remembrance of Christ’s death.They could offer these sacrifices as a memorial, in remembrance of the tabernacle, of the Levitical Law, of the sacrifices that were commanded under the law.But they would not be efficacious—

Tom:

But Dave, it seems to me from the scriptures that the Gentiles will be taking part in this millennial temple.

Dave:

Well, it could be, I don’t know.But let’s have a scripture to prove that.

Tom:

Okay.Isaiah:56:6-7 [6] 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 keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant; [7] 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.
See All..., “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 keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it, and taketh 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.”

Dave:

Well I’m not sure whether that’s speaking spiritually or not and I don’t want to play that game which some people do.

Tom:

Yes, let me run something by you and we’ve only got about a minute and a half here.

Dave:

Yes.

Tom:

Could it be that during the millennium there will be people who, I mean people are going to sin, right?And this is a type as it were, Christ is going to be in Jerusalem, these things may have to do with sin in maybe the same vein as it did in the Old Testament?What do you think?

Dave:

No.

Tom:

Okay.

Dave:

It could only be a memorial of the Old Testament sacrifices; a remembrance of something, but it could—

Tom:

But wouldn’t it bring conviction?That’s what I’m asking.

Dave:

It could bring conviction?

Tom:

Yes.

Dave:

I don’t think that sort of thing would bring conviction.We need the conviction of the Holy Spirit in our hearts, but Tom it could have nothing to do with covering sin, forgiving sin, nothing, that’s all through the sacrifice of Christ.

Tom:

Absolutely.

Dave:

It’s one of those many things that we don’t understand very well Tom.“Now we see through a glass darkly….”But we do know that Christ paid the penalty for our sins.We do know there is no more sacrifice; he paid it once and for all.There is no Sacrifice of the Mass.It is not and cannot be a sacrifice and yet we are anathematized if we do not accept it as a propitiatory sacrifice to be offered for the sins of the living and the dead as you well know.Now the Jewish people imagine they are going to reinstall this and they will.But it will not be efficacious, because Christ has come and he has fulfilled the Old Testament.