New Call to Rebuild Solomon's Temple

[Matthew]

Jonathan is right to exercise caution. On the other hand, the Holy Fathers say that when the Antichrist does finally appear and set up the New One World Government, he will enter into the temple in Jerusalem and hold some special service where he is worshipped as both King and God, and we Orthodox have been given the tradition that the false leaders of the Church will all be gathered there to anoint him King of the World. This prophecy by the Orthodox saints shows that the Jerusalem Temple will be used for ecumenical joint services and ceremonies--all authorised religious leaders will be expected to participate. When these conditions finally will happen, Only God Knows! However, this newspaper article (by "some fringe Turkish journalist") was nonetheless published in one the world's largest and premier official Jewish News publications. This is looking like a step towards the very ecumenical Jerusalem-based climate that we observe in the prophecies of the Holy Fathers. So, yes let's be cautious, but also alert lest we be taken unawares.

[Maria]

Jonathan is right to exercise caution. On the other hand, the Holy Fathers say that when the Antichrist does finally appear and set up the New One World Government, he will enter into the temple in Jerusalem and hold some special service where he is worshipped as both King and God, and we Orthodox have been given the tradition that the false leaders of the Church will all be gathered there to anoint him King of the World. This prophecy by the Orthodox saints shows that the Jerusalem Temple will be used for ecumenical joint services and ceremonies--all authorised religious leaders will be expected to participate. When these conditions finally will happen, Only God Knows! However, this newspaper article (by "some fringe Turkish journalist") was nonetheless published in one the world's largest and premier official Jewish News publications. This is looking like a step towards the very ecumenical Jerusalem-based climate that we observe in the prophecies of the Holy Fathers. So, yes let's be cautious, but also alert lest we be taken unawares.

Yes, we must exercise caution.

The article by the Muslim female journalist uses an emotional appeal to address ecumenists in all world religions. That is why I wrote that it was "well written" as it would also appeal to the uneducated masses who are easily deceived.

Frankly, having such a temple where both Jews and Muslims could worship together in "brotherhood" in the same space would not work. This Temple at Jerusalem could only be rebuilt by politicians who really have no faith whatsoever as "devout" Jews and Muslims are bound to resist such blatant ecumenism. Indeed, many Orthodox Jews continue to resist zionism. Likewise, they oppose the State of Israel considering it to be an invalid government.

However, ecumenists such as "non-Trinitarian" Messianic Jews, Messianic Jews, and "Christians" from Pentecostal, Fundamental, and Charismatic Catholic Churches are apparently already involved in fund raising to rebuild such a Temple. These so-called Christians hope to have a space in the temple allocated to them. I have received junk mail seeking contributions from these groups, and yes, these appeals could very well be a scam.

[jgress]

Are these "prophecies" really that specific? I know there are references to Antichrist being seated in Jerusalem, but we don't know to what extent this is symbolic or how similar this will be to the ecumenical services we are familiar with. I keep seeing this tendency to read our own pet theories into these vague prognostications.

Maybe some new Judeo-Islamic syncretism is around the corner, but apart from this article, there certainly is little evidence for it. Israelis are getting more and more right-wing, and Arabs more and more Islamist. I really see little evidence that they are suddenly going to join hands and sing Kumbaya in some New Age Temple reconstruction.

But I'm happy to be the contrarian here.

[Maria]

Are these "prophecies" really that specific? I know there are references to Antichrist being seated in Jerusalem, but we don't know to what extent this is symbolic or how similar this will be to the ecumenical services we are familiar with. I keep seeing this tendency to read our own pet theories into these vague prognostications.

Maybe some new Judeo-Islamic syncretism is around the corner, but apart from this article, there certainly is little evidence for it. Israelis are getting more and more right-wing, and Arabs more and more Islamist. I really see little evidence that they are suddenly going to join hands and sing Kumbaya in some New Age Temple reconstruction.

But I'm happy to be the contrarian here.

Yes, I am skeptical also. It would take an extremely charismatic leader who would gather the necessary funds and cooperation to build such a temple.

[Matthew]

I believe that the prophetic traditions of the Church on this indicate that the world will accept this kind of union and surrender their independence and religious exclusivism only after they have been worn down and also terrified by a global catastrophe on many fronts (military, economic, religio-political, environmental etc), and after that truly GREAT Tribulation, then they will be much more amenable to "singing kumbaya" together with AC and the fake leaders from all major world religions. I do believe we are approaching this point, but it could be decades or a even centuries away. It all depends just how quickly people can be brought to their knees for this kind of thing.

[Lydia]

Would this new Temple be used as the old ones were? Will the tribe of Levi reinstate animal sacrifices, etc?
If so, I am sure many Protestants would oppose this as they believe it is a repudiation of the Sacrifice of Our Saviour.
As for Jews and Muslims worshiping together: there are some temples that double as mosques. They don't pray at the same time but they use the same space.

[Matthew]

Would this new Temple be used as the old ones were? Will the tribe of Levi reinstate animal sacrifices, etc?
If so, I am sure many Protestants would oppose this as they believe it is a repudiation of the Sacrifice of Our Saviour.
As for Jews and Muslims worshiping together: there are some temples that double as mosques. They don't pray at the same time but they use the same space.

My best guess is that they would reinstate the old sacrificial practices. However, AC might put a stop to it once he declares himself God and demands worship as such. Protestants have proven themselves incredibly flexible. For example, here in Canada, had you told ministers 100 years ago in the Anglican and United Churches (the two larges Prot denominations in Canada) that they would be not only performing homosexual and lesbian marriages, but also having openly homosexual and lesbian bishops and blessing baby adoptions for these "couples", they would absolutely never have believed it. To me, it is a much smaller step to see Evangelicals accept the fact that Jews want to do animal sacrifices in their own temple in an ecumenical setting. After all, they will simply say it is part of the smorgasbord of faith that makes our world so colourful! Isn't "Unity in Diversity" great?!!

The New Calendar Orthodox church I used to go to had been planning the purchase of land and of designing and building of a joint Catholic-Orthodox parish building with another RC parish in the city. There were to be two sanctuaries but everthing else was to be shared (bathrooms, foyer, kitchen, community centre, etc.) Then the local OCA parish and bishop got wind of it and raised up such a controversy that our priest had to abandon the idea.