The Coming Great Altar / September 2009

The Coming Great Altar

Contents

• The Coming Great Altar

Tisha B’av, or the 9th of Av, took place in early August and is also referred to as “the fast of the fifth month.” Let’s examine what happened last month. A group of religious Jews from the Temple Institute went to the Dead Sea area and began carefully gathering natural stones; that is, stones that only God made that have never been chiseled or worked by man. They did this on the 9th of Av and they were rejoicing! They were gathering stones for the great altar they want to construct when they rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. You have to go back more than 2,000 years to be a part of what happened.

Traditionally, this is the date that commemorates the children of Israel crying in their tents saying, “The Lord hates us,” when the spies came back and discouraged them from following the Lord and Moses into the Promised Land. They complained further and said that it would be better for them to die in the wilderness than go into the Promised Land.

As you know, God obliged them and caused all of that generation from 20 years old and up to spend 40 years in the wilderness until their children matured and could go in and take the land. Since those days, each generation has marked this event with a fast – the fast of the fifth month. Historically, Israel has seen many other bad things befall them reminding them of this time in their history. Part of it has to do with crying with no reason to cry. According to the sages, we cried without a reason, and God has given us a reason to cry on that date throughout our generations.

As a consequence, since that time God has used this date allowing the Babylonians to destroy Solomon’s temple, the Romans to destroy the rebuilt temple again in 70 AD, and other tragic events as well, maybe not as dramatic, but we have had reasons to cry and remember the event in the wilderness of rejecting the Promised Land.

Interestingly enough, the prophet Zechariah speaks of a distant future when all of the fasts to the Lord, including the fast of the fifth month will become a time of rejoicing.

Thus says the Lord of hosts, “The fast of the fourth, the fast of the fifth, the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth months will become joy, gladness, and cheerful feasts for the house of Judah; so love truth and peace.”

Zechariah 8:19

Now before we go further, let’s deal with the obvious. The temple mount is held by the Palestinians and the famous “Dome of the Rock” sits atop it. Additionally, a large Mosque is also on the south end of the mount. The government of Israel has no say over this terrain and the Temple Institute, despite its desire, cannot build an altar or temple on the temple mount. What in the world were they doing gathering stones? They are preparing to build a great altar to support the rebuilding of the temple!

Since 1967 when Israel gained control over Jerusalem and the old city, certain religious Jews have sought to raise interest and support for the rebuilding of the temple. Two organizations have emerged working toward the goal of a new temple. The first is the “Temple Mount Faithful.” For many years since 1967 this group has taken a 5-ton rock (calling it the cornerstone) around to various locations and then attempted to take it to the temple mount. It has served as a public relations event to raise awareness and interest in the temple and the temple mount. Of course, the police stop them as they arrive at the temple mount and they sadly retreat. They have made speeches with this stone. They have taken it to the pool of Siloam (most southern part of the old city) and poured the “waters of Salvation” upon it, simulating the water libation ceremony that was done at the Feast of Tabernacles when the temple stood. They have anointed it with oil and even placed it in the intersection outside the Damascus gate. That was a little disturbing as that is the predominant gate for the Palestinians. As I understand it, some Palestinians then stole it and it was eventually recovered; so now it is guarded in various places.

The other group, the Temple Institute, has taken a slightly different approach to raising awareness and support for the rebuilding of the temple. They have been constructing one by one the elements for the new temple, including the priestly garments and temple implements such as the gold and silver pitchers, the copper kettle, meat forks and hooks, and the menorah (it is on display in the Cardo in Jerusalem). Now, they have gathered the stones for a great earthen altar.

According to press reports, they are gathering the materials to construct an altar that will stand 6 meters square at a height of 4 meters. It will have a ramp extending some 36 feet. In imperial measurements this altar will rise more than 12 feet in the air and sit on a base nearly 20 feet by 20 feet. Any altar greater than 15 feet square qualifies as a Great Altar of the type that King David erected on the temple mount. However, the stones of the altar are also very important. They cannot have been hewn by man. They must be made by God. After the altar is dedicated for seven days with a bull and goat, then on the eighth day the evening and morning lambs will be offered and it becomes an altar to the God of Israel.

Let me also say a quick word about basic temple construction and how it has been done in the past. First they must set a cornerstone. Then they measure the courts of the temple. The first actual construction of any temple is the great altar. The altar must be operating while the rest of the sanctuary and walls are being constructed. This is the way the first and second temples were built. Those temples took many years to construct, but in both instances, the altar was operating first.

Following is part of the construction process as described in the book of Revelation with reference to the Great Tribulation.

And there was given me a measuring rod like a staff; and someone said, “Rise and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and those who worship in it. And leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the nations; and they will tread underfoot the holy city for forty-two months. And I will grant authority to My two witnesses, and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.”

Revelation 11:1-2

A measurement is done for the temple (courts) using the cornerstone as the reference. Then an altar is measured (constructed). Then we, the people of God, are measured. It is from this location that the two witnesses in the Great Tribulation will perform their ministry for 1260 days (during the days of the Great Tribulation).

I would remind everyone of the starting event of the Great Tribulation. It is called the Abomination of Desolation and it involves forcibly halting the sacrifices being performed on the great altar on the temple mount. That is, the daily sacrifice of the evening and morning lambs (a requirement to sustain the altar) is suddenly stopped. At that moment the altar no longer is acceptable to the Lord. The stones must be removed and a new altar must be built to re-establish the temple service.

This is the prophecy of Daniel and cited by Yeshua specifically when He answered the disciples’ question about the end of the age and His return. This event is to occur in a future winter time frame resulting in the three and a half year Great Tribulation concluding in a summer with the Messiah’s return at the Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, and Feast of Tabernacles all in the month of Tishri.

Many end-time believers, including me, are looking expectantly to these events happening in this generation, but let us be real about these prophecies. If an Abomination of Desolation is to occur in our future, then there must be a functioning altar. For that to happen the stones must be gathered and there must be a majority of Israel’s citizens who want the altar and the temple. By the way, the political landscape must dramatically change with the Palestinians no longer in charge of the temple mount.

Maybe you didn’t know this about the conflict in the Middle East. The News Media and the western governments (including Israel) involved in the Middle East don’t understand this issue, but let me assure you that the Palestinian leadership understands this issue well.

When the Palestinian Liberation Organization was formed by Yasser Arafat many years ago, they had one goal – to defeat the Jews and throw them out of the land into the Mediterranean Sea. Later, he adopted the idea of forming a Palestinian state. For many years, he used terrorism to raise awareness to his cause, hijacking airplanes, blowing up buildings, killing indiscriminately. Simply said, they were murderers and terrorists. He also stirred up Muslim passions claiming that Jerusalem and the Dome were holy places of Islam and that he was the guardian of that place. Any time he could get an audience he instructed that the Jews were desecrating holy ground of Islam. Israel responded the best they could to defend themselves. Israel argued that they supported religious rights of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. But then in 1993, Yasser Arafat came to the White House as a guest of former President Clinton and “renounced violence and terrorism to recognize the state of Israel” so that a Middle East Peace Agreement could be made. Somehow, Clinton got Yitzak Rabin, the Prime Minister of Israel, to shake Arafat’s hand. At the time no one mentioned Jerusalem and the temple mount. Then in 1995, the very man who had renounced terrorism gave the “green light” to use human suicide bombers to blow up buses full of people in Jerusalem. Since then, suicide bombers, including female bombers, have succeeded in murdering many men, women, children, as well as soldiers. World pressure finally came against the Palestinians and Yassar Arafat in the late 1990's. Other agreements followed. So what did Arafat do to maintain interest in the Arab world for his cause? He reverted back to the subject of Jerusalem with a new twist.

Yassar Arafat would call for emergency meetings of the Arab League and present his argument in almost hysterical terms flashing an old picture of Solomon’s temple from a history book. He would passionately declare that the Dome of the Rock and the Mosque were in imminent danger because there were Jews in Jerusalem who were wanting to set the cornerstone and rebuild the temple. Every press release of the Temple Mount Faithful and the Temple Institute were cannon fodder for his concern. His mantra went something like this, “The Jews want to rebuild the temple and destroy the Dome and the Mosque! We must stop them! We need your help to save Jerusalem!” He went even further. He heard about some Evangelical Christians who were writing prophecy books about the Middle East and he heard that the Christians were interested in the temple being rebuilt so the antichrist could come to Israel. At that point, he knew the Christians were never going to side with him against the Jews.

There was a defining moment late in President Clinton’s efforts to secure the Middle East Peace Agreement. Yassar Arafat and Ehud Barak (the then Prime Minister of Israel) were invited to Camp David to finally sit down and make the agreement. There was one final point: the Temple Mount and Old City of Jerusalem. Apparently, the negotiations with the President went something like this:

Palestinian Negotiator: Mr. President, I believe that you have fallen prey to this Jewish propaganda that there was a Jewish temple up there before the Palestinian people.

President Clinton stood and retrieved a book from the book shelf. Opening it, he showed a picture of Solomon’s temple to the Negotiator.

Palestinian Negotiator: This is another example of Jewish propaganda. There never was a Jewish temple there!

President Clinton: This is a book of Roman history. The Romans claim to have destroyed this temple in 70 A.D. In fact, it is the Romans who named the land you claim – Palestine. You were named by the same Romans.

At that point, the Negotiator retreated to Yassar Arafat. The negotiations ended and Arafat and his entourage left. Shortly thereafter, on September 13, 2000 (seven years to the date of the famous handshake) Ariel Sharon went to the temple mount to prove that Jews must have access to the temple mount. Yassar Arafat immediately initiated the second intifada uprising.

The prophecy says that Jerusalem will be problematic for all the nations in the final days and the bull’s-eye of that problem is the temple mount in Jerusalem.

Behold, I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that causes reeling to all the peoples around; and when the siege is against Jerusalem, it will also be against Judah. And it will come about in that day that I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples; all who lift it will be severely injured. And all the nations of the earth will be gathered against it.

Zechariah 12:2-3

As an observer of the Middle East for many years, I have asserted that eventually the events in Israel will come around to the words of the ancient prophecies. The very idea of this happening seems absurd to world leaders and “experts” in world affairs. However, it is just history repeating itself when it comes to the affairs of men and the living God. Men see their destinies in immediate terms, which they think they control; God sees men from generation to generation and continues to work His plan.

What does the temple mount and gathering stones for an altar have to do with us? It is only in this generation that this issue has arisen. These are the issues spoken of in the ancient prophecies for the last generation – the generation that Yeshua spoke of to His disciples who would see the Abomination of Desolation.

Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.

Matthew 24:34

I am a member of the Baby Boom Generation. I was born in 1949 at the conclusion of the war of independence for Israel. Next May, Israel will commemorate 62 years of modern statehood. Those 62 years have been filled with war and struggle. To date, the world is still wondering if the state of Israel will last. In all of those years, the people of Israel have tried to be a good democratic nation appealing to the post World War II nations. Unfortunately, nations forget the past and now most western nations view Israel as a nagging problem.

With President Obama at the helm of the United States and Hillary Clinton, the wife of the former President, as Secretary of State, our government has decided to move in a different direction in the Middle East. Instead of favoring the plight of the survivors of the Holocaust and supporting a nation for them to live safely, the effects of terrorism and conflict have made them weary. They just want the problem to go away. There are many Arab nations but only one Jewish nation. They are now arguing that Israel cannot be called a Jewish nation. This too is part of the ancient prophecy. Zechariah said it very clearly and it rings true today in the affairs of state – And all the nations of the earth will be gathered against it.

Just as there must be a nation of Israel to meet the prophecies of the last generation, so too there must be a conflict of all nations coming against that state. Just as there must be an altar shut down to start the Great Tribulation, there must also be stones gathered to build that altar to begin with. There must be a desire on the part of the people of Israel to draw near to God and want to have a temple for Him. Interestingly enough, a poll was taken as the stones of the altar were being gathered and for the first time in the modern state of Israel, a clear two-thirds majority voiced their opinion that they favored the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem. As the nations begin to isolate Israel in this world of conflict, the Israeli people will see they cannot depend on anyone and be forced to look up and appeal to the God of Israel for their help. These are all things that the ancient prophecies speak of happening in the last days and these are things we are observing today.

Let’s fast forward based on these present trends and events. What should we expect as the conflict centers on Jerusalem and the people of Israel grow in unity for the God of Israel? We should expect the conflict to continue and increase. The efforts of the United States government will not be successful. They don’t understand the problem. It’s not about economics or democracy. It’s not about terror and tactics. It is about whose God is bigger! The last thing the nations of the world want to acknowledge is a religious war.

Allah Akbar is the chant of fanatical Muslims, particularly when they speak against their enemies. Allah Akbar means Allah is greater. They speak this against all people but in particular against Israel and the God of Israel. Oh, by the way, this includes Christians, since Jesus is the King of Kings. They believe that by chanting this expression we will all be frozen in place and retreat in fear. I can assure you that the Muslim world knows they are in a religious war with the West, and Israel in particular.

To date, we have seen God do gracious and wonderful things for Israel, but this generation has not seen the warrior side of God, save in the performance of the IDF. The prophet Zechariah speaks of what we have seen in this way.

Then the clans of Judah will say in their hearts, “A strong support for us are the inhabitants of Jerusalem through the Lord of hosts, their God.” In that day I will make the clans of Judah like a firepot among pieces of wood and a flaming torch among sheaves, so they will consume on the right hand and on the left all the surrounding peoples, while the inhabitants of Jerusalem again dwell on their own sites in Jerusalem. The Lord also will save the tents of Judah first in order that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem may not be magnified above Judah.

Zechariah 12:5-7

God has greater plans for the land of Israel than just being a haven for Jews. He intends to establish His kingdom and to return to Jerusalem personally. That is part of the prophecy of the last generation. God Himself is going to become directly involved with the situation in the Middle East. God will soon fight the battle Himself. The prophet Joel speaks of the reasons and results of God’s direct intervention.

For behold, in those days and at that time, When I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all the nations, and bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat. Then I will enter into judgment with them there on behalf of My people and My inheritance, Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations; and they have divided up My land.

Joel 3:1-2

I am sure you are aware that the proposed two-state solution is about dividing the land of Israel, which is the reason why God will directly involve Himself. Do I think that a two-state solution will be enacted? It appears so according to the prophecy. Then God gets very involved. When He does get involved, incredible things will happen to us and other things will happen to the enemies of Israel. Joel explained that a bit earlier.

Thus you will know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the Lord your God and there is no other; and My people will never be put to shame. And it will come about after this that I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; and your sons and daughters will prophesy, Your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. And even on the male and female servants I will pour out My Spirit in those days. And I will display wonders in the sky and on the earth, Blood, fire, and columns of smoke.

Joel 2:27-30

The prophet Ezekiel is even more specific about these events. God repeats the statement through Joel and says that Israel will be burying their enemies for seven months and cleaning the battlefield—a reflection of how horrific the defeat will be for the enemies.

And My holy name I shall make known in the midst of My people Israel; and I shall not let My holy name be profaned anymore. And the nations will know that I am the Lord, the Holy One in Israel.

Ezekiel 39:7

This is a direct statement about “Allah Akbar.” The world will not be chanting as the Muslims do. Instead, they will stand in awe of the God of Israel.

For seven months the house of Israel will be burying them in order to cleanse the land.

Ezekiel 39:12

The political landscape of Israel will change dramatically after their enemies are defeated. I believe the face of the temple will change also.

The Jews will want to set the cornerstone, build the altar, and work toward a temple, but that is when the most significant events will take place. That is when God will do His measuring that is described in Revelation chapter 11.

When the altar is being constructed, the real conflict in this world will center stage for all world leaders and “experts.” Every believer will be confronted as well. I’m not talking about the Middle East conflict anymore. I am talking about which God really is greater. Is it man or God? Is it HaSatan or the God of Creation?

The altar is not just a place for animal sacrifice; it is God’s ownership symbol for the whole Earth! Let’s examine a future complaint that will be coming from Christian leaders when the altar is reconstructed and dedicated. I’m sure that you have heard this before: “Jesus was the FINAL sacrifice and we should no longer make animal sacrifices and be part of an altar in Jerusalem with THOSE Jews.” Orthodox Christian theology, replacement theology in particular, will take issue with the construction of the altar. I am certain that they will proclaim that any agreement with the altar by Christians will merit the loss of salvation and eternal judgment.

It is important to realize God will be measuring His people. Those who stand with the altar will stand with Him in the days of the Great Tribulation. Those believers who oppose the altar will not have to worry about the Great Tribulation since they probably won’t be with us. They will be judged at the very beginning of the Great Tribulation.

Ezekiel also speaks of the abominations that lead to destruction. He speaks of the last abomination when even members of the household of faith will be judged during the Great Tribulation. Ezekiel says that the angel Gabriel will be the angel with the inkhorn sealing the 144,000 with a mark in the forehead (Rev 7). But Gabriel is followed immediately by six other angels with shattering weapons to judge all those of the house of faith who participated in the abomination against the altar. Remember, the antimessiah will come against the altar. If you join with him, then you have made a very bad choice before God. There is a striking parallel to when the children of Israel rose up to play and chose to sacrifice to a golden calf while Moses received the first set of tablets.

Quite honestly, if you speak against God’s ownership symbol of the Earth, then He is not going to allow you to be in the camp of the righteous when the battle rages in the Great Tribulation. If you can’t get the ownership symbol straight, then you will be opening the door for death to enter the camp. Do you remember what God did with the 3,000 who quickly turned to the golden calf? The Levites took up swords and purged the camp. It is as Ezekiel says.

Then He cried out in my hearing with a loud voice saying, “Draw near, O executioners of the city, each with his destroying weapon in his hand.” And behold, six men came from the direction of the upper gate which faces north, each with his shattering weapon in his hand; and among them was a certain man clothed in linen with a writing case at his loins. And they went in and stood beside the bronze altar [the same as the great altar]. Then the glory of the God of Israel went up from the cherub on which it had been, to the threshold of the temple. And He called to the man clothed in linen at whose loins was the writing case. And the Lord said to him, “Go through the midst of the city, even through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations which are being committed in its midst [the sealing of the 144,000]. But to the others He said in my hearing, ‘Go through the city after him and strike; do not let your eye have pity, and do not spare. Utterly slay old men, young men, maidens, little children, and women, but do not touch any man on whom is the mark; and you shall start from My sanctuary’” So they started with the elders who were before the temple. And He said to them, “Defile the temple and fill the courts with the slain. Go out!” Thus they went out and struck down the people in the city. Then it came about as they were striking and I alone was left, that I fell on my face and cried out saying, “Alas, Lord God! Art Thou destroying the whole remnant of Israel by pouring out Thy wrath on Jerusalem?” Then He said to me, “The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is very, very great, and the land is filled with blood, and the city is full of perversion; for they say, ‘The Lord has forsaken the land, and the Lord does not see!’ But as for Me, My eye will have no pity nor shall I spare, but I shall bring their conduct upon their heads.”

Ezekiel 9:1-10

This is the first judgment of the Great Tribulation. It is not upon God’s enemies per se but upon the household of God. Peter said, “Judgment comes first to the household of God.” God is going to clean His house before He cleans up the world.

The altar is the centerpiece of this judgment. The shutting down of the altar precludes the Great Tribulation. From the beginning God’s relationship with man has revolved around various altars, such as Cain and Abel’s dispute about acceptable sacrifices on altars, Noah sacrificed clean animals that made it through the flood to get the Earth going again, Abram’s journeys through the Promised Land were punctuated by three altars, Jacob built altars, Moses built altars and brought about the brazen altar, King David started the city of Jerusalem and the permanent place for God’s name by building the great altar on the temple mount, and King Solomon, dedicated the temple in Jerusalem. The Feast of Dedication (Hanukkah) is about dedicating the replacement altar after the first one was desecrated. It is has always been about altars. God does business with man at the altar. The future Great Tribulation is about a Great Altar that will be built soon in our days.

I advise brethren at every opportunity not to speak against this soon coming altar. Regardless of your theology at this moment, do no blaspheme the altar that is coming. Instead, be neutral and watch how God uses this to fulfill His prophetic word.

The antimessiah will lead the world against the great altar that is coming. He will do so in an effort to steal the world from God. It won’t work. He will cause the altar to stop functioning but he will not stop these words, “The Earth is the Lord’s and fullness thereof.” These are the words of Psalm 24 spoken over the altar on the first day of every week. These are words known in Heaven that will not be surrendered.

At present, the hearts of the Jewish people are turning to the God of Israel to build again the courts of Israel, the altar, and the temple sanctuary. The nations of the world are turning to complete opposition of Israel. They actually seem to be parallel processes. The surrounding enemies of Israel will soon enter into battle resulting in defeat at the hand of God. The altar will be built. The daily sacrifice will begin again. God’s people will be measured. The antimessiah will call for the altar’s cessation to the cheers of the world and then he will rise to power. The Great Tribulation will begin with judgment upon God’s house. Then judgment will begin upon the world with two witnesses on either side of the cold altar announcing God’s judgments upon the world. The Great Tribulation will conclude three and a half years later. The Messiah will establish His kingdom by building His altar and temple here on the Earth.

In that day, we will gather around His altar and say, “The Earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof.” We will also feast with the Lord with Him serving as the High Priest of that altar and temple.

The altar is coming soon. They have gathered the stones. The kingdom is coming soon. The precious stones of the saints are being gathered as well. Keep watching! There is much more to come and I believe that you will see it soon.

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