It's very important to understand that there is an old Jerusalem and a new Jerusalem. And when I say new Jerusalem, I'm not talking about the one mentioned in Revelation as coming down from God out of heaven after the thousand years are finished. I'm talking about the new Jerusalem that was established in 1860. It was a new section of town that was built outside the walls of Old Jerusalem.
Today, new Jerusalem is in the hands of the Jews, but old Jerusalem is in the hands of the Muslims. And it has been, off and on, for many centuries.
Since the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D., the one overpowering object of the Jews has been to take control of old Jerusalem once again, to rebuild the temple, and to reestablish their ancient worship service.
For almost 2,000 years every truehearted Jew has prayed: "Next year in Jerusalem." But after 1967, they no longer had to pray that prayer-they were there! Because in that very year the Israeli's gained military control over Jerusalem during the six-day war. But as soon as they took the region, in order to pacify the 1 billion Muslims around the world who reverence the temple mount as the third holiest place in the world, they immediately gave back control of the temple mount to the Arabs or Muslims.
Newsweek, July 24, 2000 - "When Israel captured these holy places in 1967, an Israeli flag was hoisted atop the Dome of the Rock. But Moshe Dayan, the Defense minister and architect of Israel's victory, ordered that the flag immediately be removed. . . Understanding that the area was a powder keg, Dayan returned control of the site to the Muslim Administration, or Waqf."
And so, since 1967 till now, the prayer of the true-hearted Jew has not been; "next year in Jerusalem." But "Next year in the temple mount," as soon as they can figure out how to do it without raising the ire of the whole Islamic world, which would bring devastating results to both sides.
You see, the Muslims have a Mosque on the temple mount today call the "Dome of the Rock." It was built by a Turkish Sultan in the 7th century. It's called "Dome of the Rock" because under the dome is a massive rock that was used as the altar of sacrifice in Old Testament times.
Muslims believe that Mohammed, after praying at that rock, was carried to heaven by the angel Gabriel.
And so, there are three world religions today that consider old Jerusalem to be a "holy" city.
To most Christians it's sacred because Jesus walked its streets; and because they believe it still holds significance regarding unfulfilled prophecy. For the Jews it's holy because it's the last place the Shekinah glory dwelt, and which they believe will dwell again. And for Muslims it's holy for the reasons already mentioned.
But make no mistake - the Jews want control of the temple mount! The question is, will they ever achieve their goal? And if they do or do not, how will that agree or disagree with what God has said?
Let me ask you a couple questions at this point. Do you believe the Jews will occupy the temple mount once again before Jesus comes, build their temple, and reinstate the sacrificial worship service? Or do you believe the Jews will not occupy the temple mount again, will not build their temple and will not reinstate the sacrificial service, not even for a short period?
Let me ask you another question. Do the Jews still consider themselves God's chosen people? Without a doubt! And more importantly, do most Christians today also believe that the Jews are still blessed and chosen of God? Unfortunately, yes, they do!
And because of this misunderstanding it has led to all kinds of false conclusions, with a lot of dollars and a lot of energy being focused in the wrong direction. And many souls being eternally lost as a result.
Because many important events of the past are connected to old Jerusalem, and especially the temple mount, many Christians today believe that it is still a holy land and that God is going to do a special work to save the Jews before Jesus comes for His church.
And there is one verse of scripture that is especially seized upon in an effort to support their erroneous views about the "holy land" and the Jews as God's special object of mercy: Luke 21:24 "And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled."
The popular interpretation of this verse is that sometime in the near future, after God has done everything He can to save all Gentiles who are ready, that the Jews will have another opportunity to accept Christ.
Here's how the sequence of events go according to the popular view. We are now living in the church age, soon to be followed by the secret rapture. Then come seven years of tribulation for those who weren't ready for the rapture. During the tribulation the seven seals of Revelation will be opened, the seven trumpets will sound, the seven last plagues will fall, and 144,000 Jewish evangelists will receive the latter rain and convert more souls than in all previous history combined. This is the teaching that is being spread all across this country and the world today; through movies, books, videos, and thousands of churches across the land.
Have you heard of a recent movie at the theater called "Left Behind"? On book store shelves all across America, there are numerous books written by Tim Lahaye & Jerry Jenkins. They have written no less than 16 books within the last 6 years on the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation and last day events. And their false doctrine is sweeping the whole Christian world today.
This one verse of scripture in Luke 21:24, rightly understood, will forever put to rest the false notion that the Jews will have another opportunity to take the gospel to the world, because that's really what it would be if you think it through.
In this verse, Jesus was speaking of the future destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. He said "And they (the Jews) shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nation." Were Jesus' words fulfilled? To the letter! Josephus, the Jewish historian says approximately 1,100,000 Jews lost their lives during the siege of Jerusalem and those left were dispersed through out all nations.
Was Israel warned, long before Jesus spoke these words, that this would be their fate if they continued to rebel against God's authority? Without a doubt!
Jer. 9:16 - "I will scatter them also among the heathen, whom neither they nor their fathers have known: and I will send a sword after them, till I have consumed them."
Hosea 9:17 - "My God will cast them away, because they did not hearken unto him: and they shall be wanderers among the nations."
Ezek. 4:13 - "And the LORD said, Even thus shall the children of Israel eat their defiled bread among the Gentiles, whither I will drive them."
Ezek. 20:23 - "I lifted up mine hand unto them also in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the heathen, and disperse them through the countries;"
Ezek. 36:19 - "And I scattered them among the heathen, and they were dispersed through the countries: according to their way and according to their doings I judged them."
In the last half of Luke 21:24 Jesus continued by saying, "and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled."
Let's define a few of the key words in the last half of this verse.
Trodden - "To trample (lit. or fig):--tread (down, underfoot)."
Gentiles - "non-Jewish."
Times-"an occasion, i.e. a set or proper time."
Fulfill - "accomplish, complete, end, expire."
(All definitions taken from Strong's Concordance.)
We could paraphrase like this: "Old Jerusalem (which includes the temple mount), will literally be walked on by non-Jews until a set time is completed."
Has that time been reached? Obviously not, because people from all nationalities continue to walk upon the temple mount today.
If you had the money and the desire, you could buy a plane ticket today and be there in a few days, and be walking all over the temple mount as a tourist. And so, the question is - when will the "times of the Gentiles be fulfilled"? When will non-Jews no longer be able to walk on the temple mount?
In Ezek. 21:25-27, God gives a prophecy that helps to explain and substantiate Luke 21:24. "And thou, profane wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come, when iniquity shall have an end, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Remove the diadem, and take off the crown: this shall not be the same: exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high. I will overturn, overturn, overturn, it: and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it him."
Education, page 179 says, "The final overthrow of all earthly dominions is plainly foretold in the word of truth. In the prophecy uttered when sentence from God was pronounced upon the last king of Israel is given the message:
" 'Thus saith the Lord God; Remove the diadem, and take off the crown: . . . exalt him
that is low, and abase him that is high. I will overturn, overturn, overturn, it: and it
shall be no more, until He come whose right it is; and I will give it Him.' Ezekiel
21:26, 27.
"The crown removed from Israel passed successively to the kingdoms of Babylon, Medo-
Persia, Greece, and Rome. God says, "It shall be no more, until He come whose right it
is; and I will give it Him."
This was the beginning of the end for Israel as a nation to rule themselves. Now the heathen would begin to rule over God's professed people rather than their king.
But later on, God in his mercy would give them another chance. However, they would allow this opportunity to slip through their fingers also, until no more opportunities remained.
When all was said and done the Jews would never again rule their own land. Never again would they rebuild their temple. Never again would they offer up animal sacrifice upon the temple mount. Why? Because when Jesus died "the veil of the temple was rent in twain from top to bottom," bringing an end to the Old Testament sacrificial system.
By the way! Do you know why the Jews refuse to offer animal sacrifice today according to God's directions? This is what a Christian Bible teacher said after his visit to a Jewish synagogue 40 years ago:
"While there I asked the rabbi why the Jews do not sacrifice the lamb at Passover and the goat on the Day of Atonement. In pained solemnity, the rabbi replied that the Jewish people could never again sacrifice the lamb and the goat at their annual services, until they had returned to Jerusalem and rebuilt the temple on the temple mount."
You see, the Jews understand that the temple mount was the place that was dedicated and blessed of God centuries ago-and no other place will suffice!
Even though the Jews have returned to Jerusalem, they haven't really returned to Jerusalem until they are in possession once again of the temple mount. And that will never happen, because God has spoken!
Bible prophecy declares that they will remain scattered among the heathen through all future time. And so it will remain until Jesus comes.
Notice what it says once again in Ezek. 21:27: "I will overturn, overturn, overturn, it: and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it him."
Jerusalem was besieged and conquered several times in the past, and the Jews always managed to return to reinstitute their sacred worship service. But when Rome destroyed it in A.D. 70, they have been unable to recover from the last "overturning" - and they will never worship on the holy mount again.
As a nation, God gave them many opportunities to get it right. But the last time they really blew it by crucifying the Son of God. Because of this God removed from them forever, the privilege of worshipping in the temple mount. That does not mean that individual Jews cannot be saved! But their national structure was forever swept away.
Jesus predicted that the Jews would not return to the temple mount until Gentiles stopped walking on it. And it's clear that that will not happen until Jesus comes. Then after a thousand years He'll come the third time to level old Jerusalem to make a place for the New Jerusalem. That's the Jerusalem that will never be trodden down of another Gentile because all the worshippers there will be of the "seed of faithful Abraham and heirs according to the promise." Spiritual Israelites only!
Early Writings, pages 75 & 76 "Then I was pointed to some who are in the great error of believing that it is their duty to go to Old Jerusalem, and think they have a work to do there before the Lord comes. Such a view is calculated to take the mind and interest from the present work of the Lord, under the message of the third angel; for those who think that they are yet to go to Jerusalem will have their minds there, and their means will be withheld from the cause of present truth to get themselves and others there. I saw that such a mission would accomplish no real good, that it would take a long while to make a very few of the Jews believe even in the first advent of Christ, much more to believe in His second advent. I saw that Satan had greatly deceived some in this thing and that souls all around them in this land could be helped by them and led to keep the commandments of God, but they were leaving them to perish. I also saw that Old Jerusalem never would be built up; and that Satan was doing his utmost to lead the minds of the children of the Lord into these things now, in the gathering time, to keep them from throwing their whole interest into the present work of the Lord, and to cause them to neglect the necessary preparation for the day of the Lord."
Don't worry about what's going on in the Middle East! The literal descendants of Isaac
and Ishmael will be fighting over an unholy temple mount until they all cry for the
rocks and mountains to fall on them. At this time, we must not allow what is happening
in apostate Protestantism and the news media to direct our attention from proclaiming
the third angel's message, or from making the necessary character preparation for the
coming of the Lord.