Yes, and
WHAT, or
WHO IS
THE TEMPLE?!
- 1 Corinthians 3:16 "Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
1 Corinthians 3:17 If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are."
- 2 Corinthians 6:16 "And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God."
- 1 Peter 2:5 "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."
- Acts 7:47-48 "But Solomon built Him a house. However, the Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands."
- 1 Corinthians 3:11 "For NO OTHER FOUNDATION CAN ANYONE LAY than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ."
- 1 Corinthians 3:9 "For we are God's fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building."
- Hebrews 8:4-5 "For if He were on earth, He would not be a priest, since there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law; who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle."
- Revelation 3:12 "He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God."
The man of sin
"exalts himself above all...so that he AS GOD sits IN THE TEMPLE OF GOD" (2 Thessalonians 2:4)
Every reference that Paul made to the
"temple of God" reveals that he NEVER applied this term to the Jewish temple! When the Bible speaks of the
"literal temple," the Greek word
"hieron" is used. This word is used
71 times in the New Testament in reference to the temple at Jerusalem.
On the other hand, the word that Paul used for temple is
"naos" which refers
not to the literal temple made with bricks and stone, but to the
Holy Place.
"NAOS" is
THE DWELLING PLACE OF GOD. And the dwelling place of God is now
HIS MANY MEMBERED BODY.
The "
MAN OF SIN" takes the seat of God in the temple of God
"...which YOU ARE..." and usurps the leading of the Holy Spirit and
"opposes and exalts HIMSELF above all that is called God, so that HE AS GOD sits in the temple of God, showing HIMSELF that HE is God."
The deception, or as you say,
"the false messiah" is
WITHIN YOU!
We are THE TEMPLE! So anyone who SITS IN THE TEMPLE (which
YOU ARE) must be within
US!
This is why John said there were
MANY ANTICHRISTS in HIS DAY:
1 John 2:18 "Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour."
Let's look at the scripture and evaluate your perception.
3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and
that man of sin be 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.
The "he" in verse 4 is
that man of sin. A flesh and blood person.
If the "temple" is the body of Christ (The Church), the dwelling place of God as you say, then explain how
a man can occupy another person let alone the entire church.
The man of sin would have to be omniscient, which only God is.
Sorry brother, your theory
just doesn't work!
The flesh and blood [natural] man of sin sits in a natural temple,
showing himself, that he is God, by false signs and lying wonders that he works from the temple, claiming to be the Messiah.
On the other hand, the word that Paul used for temple is "naos" which refers not to the literal temple made with bricks and stone, but to the Holy Place.
Jesus said -
He who swears by the
temple [naos], swears by it and by Him who dwells in it.
naos - temple - #3485
Definition -
used of the temple at Jerusalem, but only of the sacred edifice (or sanctuary) itself,
consisting of the Holy place and the Holy of Holies (in classical Greek it is used of the sanctuary or cell of the temple, where the image of gold was placed which is distinguished from the whole enclosure)
By Paul using
naos here he is quoting
Daniel and referring to
Jesus words in Matthew 24:15 -
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),
Daniel 11:35-36
35 And some of those of understanding shall fall, to refine them, purify them, and make them white,
until the time of the end; because it is still for the appointed time. 36 "Then the king shall do according to his own will:
he shall exalt and magnify himself above every god, shall speak blasphemies against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the wrath has been accomplished; for what has been determined shall be done.
Sorry man, even your simple word definitions are "out of line".
It's almost as if
you would say just about anything or twist the meanings of words to try and disprove the true meaning of what the scripture says.
A man occupying the entire Church [Temple of God] all at the same time, WOW!
That's sad.
JLB