Much of Old Testament prophecy was fulfilled by the coming and death of the Lord Jesus Christ, but much remains to be fulfilled at His second coming. As saints of God our calling is heavenly, and we are not waiting for blessing upon earth, but “we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ; who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like to His glorious body” (Phil. 3:20-21), so that with the saints now sleeping we shall enter into our heavenly and eternal blessing in company with our Lord and Master (1 Thess. 4:13–18).
Although our future belongs to heaven, we are surely interested in the blessing of God’s ancient people Israel, who will yet be blessed on earth under the new covenant, so that events on earth that concern Israel are of real interest to those who know that the time is drawing near when the Lord will intervene in the affairs of men to give Israel the land He promised them, and to which He brought them, but which they lost, first, on account of their rebellion and idolatry, then because of their rejection of their Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
What the Lord Jesus prophesied concerning the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple (Luke 19:41–44; Matt. 24:1-2) has already been fulfilled, but there are things that He spoke, and that His apostles spoke by the Holy Spirit that await fulfilment. In Matthew 25, as in other Scriptures, we read of the Lord speaking of His return, and this second coming includes His coming to rapture the saints to heaven and to bring salvation to His earthly people Israel.
There is little doubt that the re-establishment of Israel in their own land, after the second world war, through the promise given by Great Britain, the mandatory power, fulfilled the opening verses of Isaiah 18. The inhabitants of the world, and the “dwellers on the earth” saw the uplifting of Israel’s ensign on the mountains of Israel, and they heard the blowing of the trumpet when Israel’s forces wrested from the Arabs the land they now possess.
Before the coming of the Lord to establish His kingdom on earth, two things were to take place, first, there would come “a falling away,” secondly, the man of sin must be revealed, and he would sit in the temple of God, “showing himself that he is God” (2 Thess. 2:1–4). The Lord had alluded to the same thing, or to what is closely allied to it, in Matthew 24:15, in quoting from Daniel the prophet. These Scriptures plainly show that before the Lord comes to judge this world the temple must be rebuilt in Jerusalem.
There is no need for the temple to be rebuilt before the Lord comes to rapture the saints to heaven, this can take place at any time, not being part of the time-table of prophecy, but the temple must be rebuilt before the Lord comes to deliver Israel from their enemies, and bring blessing to the earth. Still, it is possible that the temple could be rebuilt before the Lord raptures His own to heaven, and if it was so, it would but show how very near the coming of the Lord is, to take us to heaven, then to fulfil what is spoken of in many of the prophecies of the Old Testament, and in the Book of Revelation.
When the Israelis were established in the land, the city of Jerusalem was divided, the Arabs of Jordan taking possession of the old city, where the temple had stood, and this prevented the rebuilding to which the Jews looked forward, for it seems certain that they want to rebuild on the old site, which is now occupied by the Mosque of Omar.
The recent military success of Israel’s arms, with the recapture of the old city, has paved the way for the temple to be rebuilt, and the only obstacle seems to be the Mosque of Omar. It is not difficult to foresee that ways and means will be taken, sooner or later, to remove the obstacle.
It may quite well be that Israel will be able to keep their enemies, which surround them, at bay until the temple is built, and until the appearing of the antichrist, the man of sin; but the time of God’s judgment of Israel and the nations will surely come, and then God “will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken” (Zech. 14:2). After the judgments, the Lord will bless His people under the new covenant, and the Lord will set up His kingdom.
R. 22.1.68