#2 Common Arguments For and Against a Future Temple



Some arguments in support for a physical future temple:

1. 2 Thess. 2:4 speaks of the "man of lawlessness" sitting in the temple of God declaring himself above ever other so-called god. This never happened during the days of the temple when the disciples were preaching.

2. Rev. 11:1-2 speaks of a temple standing. Revelation was written after the destruction of the temple in AD 70 (according to early church fathers) and therefore it must be speaking of a future temple.

3. The passage in Dan. 9:24-27 poses an Antichrist who will set up the "abomination of desolation" and "put an end to sacrifice and offering". If the Antichrist is still future then so are these sacrifices which he must end.

4. The Shekinah (Presence) of God did not dwell in the 2nd temple which Ezekiel 43 prophesies would be in the future temple, a temple which would stand forever.

5. Ezekiel 40-48 speaks of a literal temple so massive and glorious that the 2nd temple could not have been the one he prophesied about. It also has a stream flowing from it that turns the Dead Sea into fresh water, an event that has never taken place in history.

6. A future temple would include the worship of Jews and Christians together thereby fulfilling our destiny to become "one new man" according to Ephesians 2.

7. The 12 tribes of Israel were not unified as they were in King David's time, therefore we must be waiting for a future temple where the tribes are again because that was not accomplished in the past.

8. Jesus must reign from a temple during the Millennium.

9. Future temple sacrifices are only memorial not efficacious with regard to sin (meaning they take away sin). Therefore, there should be no reason that temple passages should not be future.

10. Haggai 2:9 says "the latter glory of the house[the temple] will be greater than the former". The 2nd temple was not greater in glory than the 1st temple so then this must be speaking of a 3rd future temple.

11. Paul offered sacrifice at the temple even after Jesus' death, resurrection, and ascension. This indicates that sacrifices were not done away with at the cross.

12. Many Old Testament passages speak of a future temple with sacrifices. (Zech. 6:11-13, Mal. 3:1, Zech. 14:16-20, Jer. 31:38-40)

Some arguments against a physical future temple:

1. If Jesus was the last sacrifice, than there is no need for sacrifice in the future.

2. The book of Hebrews speaks of the existence of the temple as fading away, growing old, and becoming obsolete (8:13). It also states that there is no longer a sacrifice where forgiveness has been given (10:18).

3. All prophecies connected to the temple were fulfilled in Christ or before His time.

4. Ezekiel's temple (Ezek. 40-48) is figurative of Christ and His church, not a literal temple. Another view holds that Ezekiel's temple was the 2nd temple.

5. Acts 7:48-50 and 17:24 imply that God is not served in temples made by human hands

6. John 4:21-23, Heb. 13:10, 13-14, and Rev. 18:21 states that worship in Jerusalem is no longer necessary. True worship was to be in a New Jerusalem above (Gal. 4:21-31, Heb. 12:18-25, Rev. 21)

7. Paul states to both Timothy and Titus that genealogy is no longer important (1 Tim. 1:4, Titus 3:9) therefore no legitimate priesthood can be established for a future temple.

8. The New Testament never speaks of rebuilding the temple but repeatedly tells us that we, believers in Jesus, are the true temple.

9. The entire sacrificial system only lasted about 1,500 years and has now come to an end. Since then we have thrived almost 2,000 years without it only possessing the gospel of Christ to build a true spiritual temple, what would be the reason for a physical temple now?

10. Jesus is our great high priest, therefore we do not need a priesthood to be established with its sacrificial system again.

11. The permanent destruction of the temple in Jerusalem is proof that Christianity is true and surpassed all that Judaism once was.

12. Rebuilding the temple is against the gospel because it will be built by unbelieving Jews who will reinstate the sacrificial system in rejection of Messiah's finished atonement.

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