Christ said the Temple would remain desolate until His Second Coming

[Alfred Persson]

Everyone waiting for a Temple to be rebuilt in Jerusalem wait in vain. Its not gonna happen.

36 "Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.
37 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!
38 "See! Your house is left to you desolate;
39 "for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say,`Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!'"
NKJ Matthew 24:1 Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple.
2 And Jesus said to them, "Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down."
3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?" (Matt. 23:36-24:3 NKJ)

Christ's words about the Temple ("your house, vs. Matt. 23:38; 21:13; 24:1–3, 15; 1 Kings 9:7–8; Isa. 64:10–11; Jer. 26:6) shook the disciples. Both Mark 13:1-4 and Luke 21:5 depicts they were still leaving the temple area, but eyewitness Matthew is more precise. They were far enough away to look at the other buildings.

Jesus told them the Temple would be left desolate UNTIL His second coming when they look upon Him whom they pierced (Zec. 12:10; Rev. 1:7) and proclaim "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!'"

Therefore, the Temple of God the Antichrist Son of Destruction sits in (2 Thess. 2:3-4), is the Church (1 Cor. 3:16-17; 6:19; 2 Cor. 6:16; Eph. 2:21). After Paul's conversion the NT never shows Paul calling a Christ rejecting Jewish Temple the "Sanctuary of God", only the Church has the presence of God and therefore is the "Temple of God". God left the Jewish Temple when Christ was crucified (Matt. 27:51).

When Christ said the abomination of desolation would stand up in a holy place, The Holy Spirit cautions the reader to understand He is not talking about the literal temple. This happens AFTER the gospel is preached worldwide, long after the Jewish Temple was destroyed:

14 "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.
15 "Therefore when you see the`abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place " (whoever reads, let him understand), (Matt. 24:14-15 NKJ)

The Greek and Hebrew in Daniel, whose words are sealed until the end time, has details showing the abomination of desolation is not Antiochus and his image. The Daily Sacrifice, now that the New Covenant in Christ's blood is revealed, has unsealed the words, the "daily" is taking up the cross of Christ daily by the priests in the NT Church.

The Desolator is the Abomination of Desolation | End Time News

The Abomination of Desolation: But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, [1] spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not[2], (let him that readeth understand,) [3] then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains: (Mar 13:14 KJV) Our translations obscure the...

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In Revelation 11:1 John measures the temple of God, but this is symbolic of measuring the true church, distinguishing the "Israel of God" from the apostates outside:

NKJ Revelation 11:1 Then I was given a reed like a measuring rod. And the angel stood, saying, "Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there.
2 "But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months. (Rev. 11:1-2 NKJ)

There is no Temple in New Jerusalem:

22 But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.
23 The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light. (Rev. 21:22-23 NKJ)

All those who predicted a pre-trib rapture and third temple, are wrong and as people realize that it will be one of the reasons why there will be a great apostasy in the Church (1 Thess. 2:3). That plus Ancient Alien Theory will seem proved when a fleet of UFO ships arrive, after Michael and his angels cast Satan and his angels out of the dimension of heaven:

7 And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought,
8 but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer.
9 So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
10 Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, "Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.
11 "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.
12 "Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time."
(Rev. 12:7-12 NKJ)

 

[Alfred Persson]

The belief in pre-trib rapture and third temple nonsense contributes to the end time apostasy. Peter says these mockers "willfully forgot" meaning, they once knew...were former believers:

2 that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior,
3 knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts,
4 and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation."
5 For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, (2 Pet. 3:2-5 NKJ)
When the antichrist comes and no rapture happened, it will cause many to become scoffers.

It was very clear the gathering rapture wouldn' happen, until after the Man of Sin comes:

1 Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you,
2 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come.
3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition,
4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. (2 Thess. 2:1-4 NKJ)


They just wouldn't believe scripture.

 

[Alfred Persson]

37 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!
38 "See! Your house is left to you desolate;
39 "for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say,`Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!'" (Matt. 23:37-39 NKJ)


38 Jerusalem’s failure to respond is to have drastic consequences. “Your house,” especially when spoken in the temple courtyard, naturally refers to the temple building which would be visible from there, and the more explicit prediction of 24:2 confirms this reference. In that case there is a sad irony in that what was described in 21:13 as God’s house is now “your house,” and it has been left “to you,” because God has abandoned it, as Jesus himself is about to do in 24:1; see comments there on the echo of Ezekiel’s vision of God leaving the temple. There is a special poignancy in the juxtaposition of “house” (a place meant to be lived in) and erēmos, “uninhabited,” which describes not so much its physical dissolution as its being deserted; its consequent destruction will merely complete the process. The desolation of God’s house was predicted in similar terms by Jeremiah (Jer 12:7; cf. 26:6), and erēmos here perhaps echoes the LXX erēmōsis in Jer 22:59 (cf. 24:15 with its echo of similar erēmōsis language from Daniel). See the comments on 16:14 for Jesus’ echoing of Jeremiah’s prophecies of disaster on Jerusalem. For the theological background to this theme see 1Kgs 9:6–9: when God’s people forsake God’s way, the “house” will be “cast out of my sight” and ruined.

39 The gar, “for,” which links this saying with v. 38 suggests that Jesus here speaks of the only condition on which the desertion of the house can be reversed or averted. It is significant that he speaks of seeing “me” (not God, whose house it was) again. As we have noted before (see on 3:3, 11; 11:10, 14; 21:16, 44, and pp. 784–85), for Matthew the presence of Jesus is the presence of God. Once Jesus has physically left the temple (24:1), “from now on,” his only connection with it will be to announce and explain its coming destruction (24:2, 4ff), but he himself will have abandoned it. This act of judgment can only be averted if the people of Jerusalem are prepared to follow the lead given by the Galilean pilgrims in 21:9 (the acclamation from Ps 118:26 is here given in the same words) and welcome Jesus as their Messiah.-France, R. T. (2007). The Gospel of Matthew (pp. 883–884). Wm. B. Eerdmans Publication Co.

 

[Alfred Persson]

"Therefore when you see the`abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place " (whoever reads, let him understand), (Matt. 24:15 NKJ)

Normally "holy place" would refer to the Temple area, that's how Daniel would have understood it (Dan. 11:31). But Christ is speaking about a future event, and Daniel didn't understand the prophecy as it applied to the end times because the words were "sealed":

7 Then I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever, that it shall be for a time, times, and half a time; and when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered, all these things shall be finished.
8 Although I heard, I did not understand. Then I said, "My lord, what shall be the end of these things?"
9 And he said, "Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. (Dan. 12:7-9 NKJ)

The natural reason for words that describe the end time to be sealed is because they refer to different things in the end time. Christ's sacrifice changed everything, the Temple of God became the Church. If Daniel had a vision of a NT church while hearing the words, he would be totally confused. To him the words were "sealed".

Notice the Holy Spirit cautions the reader right after the words "holy place", "let him understand." We in the End Time are to understand the "Holy Place" is NOT the literal temple, its the new place where God's Spirit indwells, the Church.

Therefore, the following is sound:

1. Redefinition of the Holy Place in the New Testament​

Under the Old Covenant, the τόπος ἅγιος (holy place) was primarily associated with the physical temple in Jerusalem, the locus of God’s presence. However, the New Testament frequently redefines "holy" spaces and practices in spiritual terms:

• Believers as God’s Temple:
  • "Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?" (1 Corinthians 3:16, NKJV).
  • "You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ."(1 Peter 2:5, NKJV).
    • The shift from physical temple to spiritual community means that references to holy places can now be applied to the gathered Church, which is where God’s Spirit dwells.
• Jesus’ Redefinition of Worship:
  • "The hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father... God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."(John 4:21, 24, NKJV).
    • Jesus eliminates the necessity of physical locations like the temple, further supporting a spiritual understanding of the holy place.

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2. Matthew’s Use of Symbolism​

Matthew often employs symbols and typological language to connect the Old Testament with its fulfillment in Christ and His Church:

• The Abomination of Desolation in Daniel:
  • In Daniel 9:27, 11:31, and 12:11, the abomination refers to sacrilegious acts desecrating sacred spaces. Historically, this included Antiochus IV Epiphanes’ desecration of the temple. However, in Matthew 24:15, Jesus points forward to events beyond the physical temple, as evidenced by His broader eschatological discourse.
  • Matthew 24 addresses the end times, suggesting that the "holy place" could symbolize the spiritual domain of God’s people, not merely a geographic location.

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3. Paul’s Parallel in 2 Thessalonians 2​

Paul’s discussion of the "man of sin" provides a framework for interpreting Matthew 24:15:

• "Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God."(2 Thessalonians 2:3-4, NKJV).
  • Paul refers to the "temple of God," but in the New Testament, this phrase often denotes the Church rather than a physical temple. For example:
    • "For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are." (1 Corinthians 3:17, NKJV).
  • The "man of sin" sitting in the temple symbolizes a spiritual corruption or apostasy within the Church, aligning with the broader New Testament theology.

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4. The Church as the Covenant Community​

In the New Covenant, the Church replaces the physical temple as the locus of God’s presence:

• "You are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord." (Ephesians 2:19-21, NKJV).
• This new identity of the Church as God’s holy temple suggests that references to the "holy place" may also apply to the collective body of believers.

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5. Spiritual Desecration in the Church​

The concept of the abomination standing in the holy place is consistent with warnings about apostasy and corruption within the Church:

• "For false Christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect."(Matthew 24:24, NKJV).
  • Spiritual defilement occurs when false teachings and leaders usurp the authority of Christ within the Church, metaphorically standing in the "holy place."
• This aligns with warnings in Revelation about the infiltration of evil within the community of believers (Revelation 13:6-8).

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6. Historical and Eschatological Applications​

While Matthew 24:15 may have had a historical fulfillment in events like the destruction of the Jerusalem temple in A.D. 70, its eschatological dimension points to broader spiritual realities:

• Just as the temple represented God’s presence in the Old Covenant, the Church represents His presence in the New Covenant. Thus, desecration of the "holy place" refers to the spiritual corruption of God’s people, consistent with the broader New Testament understanding.

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Conclusion​

The phrase τόπῳ ἁγίῳ in Matthew 24:15 can refer to the Church, understood as the spiritual temple of God under the New Covenant. This interpretation is supported by:

1. The New Testament’s redefinition of holy places.
2. Matthew’s use of symbolic language.
3. Paul’s parallel reference to the "temple of God" in 2 Thessalonians 2.
4. The Church’s identity as the locus of God’s presence.

This perspective shifts the focus from a physical temple to the spiritual community of believers, emphasizing the New Covenant’s theological framework.

 

[Alfred Persson]

"Will a New Jewish Temple Mark the End of Days?"

For many, a future Jewish temple is central to their understanding of Bible prophecy. They rightly recognize that Israel's rebirth was necessary for the fulfilment of end-time prophecies. By the same logic, the temple must also be rebuilt, as passages in Daniel, Matthew, and Revelation appear to require it.

What if these prophecies have been misinterpreted? Daniel, though familiar with the concepts of the abomination of desolation and the removal of the daily sacrifice, admitted he didn’t understand their meaning:

“I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things?
And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.” (Dan. 12:8–9 KJV)

If today's interpreters use the same method that left Daniel confused, the meaning remains sealed. Viewing the "abomination of desolation" and "daily sacrifice" as an idolatrous image and temple sacrifice leaves the true meaning just as hidden today as it was for Daniel.

If the phrases "abomination of desolation" and "daily sacrifice" are to be understood in the context of the end times, what might they signify? The Holy Spirit provides a significant clue in the Gospel of Matthew:

“Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand) (Matt. 24:15, NKJV).

For Daniel, the phrase "abomination of desolation standing in the holy place" likely referred to an image or idol set up in the Temple. However, since the meaning was said to be "closed up and sealed" until the end times, the Holy Spirit encourages discernment. In the end time, we are called to seek a situation or event to which these words could apply, something relevant to the end time.

Under the Old Covenant, the τόπος ἅγιος (holy place) was primarily the physical temple as it was the locus of God’s presence. However, in the New Covenant God's presence is in the Church:

“Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16, NKJV).

Both Paul and Peter transfer Temple imagery, its priesthood and the Daily Sacrifice to the church. The Church is the Temple of God (1 Cor. 3:16-17; 6:19; 2 Cor. 6:16; Eph. 2:21), its members are Temple priests (1 Pet. 2:5). Christians offer up "the Daily Sacrifice" (1 Pet. 2:5; Rom. 12:1; Lk. 9:23; Heb. 13:15).

Therefore, the "abomination of desolation" would be the Antichrist "Man of Sin Son of Perdition" standing up in the Church claiming to be God:

Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. (2 Thess. 2:3-4 NKJ)

And when the "fallen away" church accepts his claim, it removes the daily sacrifice of taking up the cross for the real Jesus Christ.

In the NT the apostle Paul never calls the Christ rejecting Temple in Jerusalem the "Temple of God?" because God's presence left during Christ's crucifixion (Matt. 27:51) and then resided only in the Church.

In similar fashion, the "sacrifice ( זֶבַח zebach) and offering ( מִנְחָה minchah)" the Prince ends after 3.5 years in Daniel 9:27 are not "the Daily ( תָּמִיד tamiyd) offered by the Jews, but those given worldwide to "all that is called God" (2 Thess. 2:4). The Antichrist breaks his covenant with all the religious people of the world when he demands everyone worship him.

So also Revelation 11:1, the Church of God is the Temple being measured, the wheat at the altar are true worshippers and their being measured is symbolic of divine protection away from the tares trampling the courtyard outside of God's presence:

Then I was given a reed like a measuring rod. And the angel stood, saying, "Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there. "But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months. (Rev. 11:1-2 NKJ)

The Temple's desolation remains permanent until Israel acknowledges Christ. In Matthew 24, Jesus links the Temple's destruction to end-time events, continuing until the sign of His coming:

“Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said to them, 'Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.' Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, 'Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?'” (Matt. 24:1–3 NKJ)

God destroyed the Temple because Israel rejected Christ. Allowing another temple to be rebuilt before Israel accepts Him would contradict that message.

Therefore, all waiting for a future Temple in Jerusalem as a sign of the end should reconsider. If the building of a Temple does begin, it won't have any real connection to Bible prophecy and therefore would signify nothing.

 

[Alfred Persson]