News and Prophecy July 9, 2009

Jews, Arabs and Christians:In Harmony on the Temple Mount?

A young Jewish scholar recently suggested a way for Jews to have a temple on the Temple Mount, while Arabs maintain their holy places. His theory, insinuating that a “true prophet” could redirect the location of a future temple, goes against traditional thinking which requires the temple to sit on the site where the Muslim Dome of the Rock now stands.

A Jewish interfaith initiative was recently launched to promote this idea. Its director then commented, “This vision of religious shrines in peaceful proximity can transform the Temple Mount from a place of contention to its original sacred role as a place of worship shared by Jews, Muslims and Christians” (Jerusalem Post, June 21, 2009).

As bizarre as this idea sounds—of multiple faiths worshiping on the Temple Mount in peace—it is not far-fetched from a biblical standpoint. God prophesied through Daniel that a time would come when temple sacrifices would resume, and then be terminated, all within seven years of the return of Jesus Christ (Daniel 9:26-27; 12:11).

Exactly how, and whether there will be a physical temple or just an altar for sacrifice, remains to be seen.