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Is It a Symbol, or a Reality?

The Tabernacle of David

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- '::"';:- ====~-L In March 1983, Israeli archeologist Asher Kaufman suggested that this cupola stands over the bedrock where Solomon's

Temple once stood. Our tour group Is pictured standing here at the " Dome of the Tablets," as it is called today. Note that it stands to the west of the Mosque of Omar, and could be the place where the next Temple will be constructed .

By Gary Stearman

Recent events in the Middle East have b","ght prophetic Scripture to

the foreground . World­NelDaily featured an art icle on Ihe 8th of June that openly presented a subject that is practically taboo in Israel: rebuild­ing the Temple.

Recalling that the Sanhedrin was recently

reborn afler a l 600-year lapse, it head­lined their current plans to do just that.

Assembl ing architects and engineers, the Sanhedrin has ini tiated plans that are sure to elevate tensions among members of the Arab Waqf and the Palestinian Authority. More than that, the implications of this move are prophetically electrifying.

The article states, "The group, which calls itself the Sanhedrin, is call ing on the Jewish people to contribute toward the acquisition of materials for the purpose of rebuilding the Temple - including the gathering and preparation of prefabricated, disassembled portions to be stored and ready fo r rapid assembly, 'in the manner of King David. '"

Thi s last phrase is taken from a leller signed by two of the Sanhedrin's spokes­men, Professor Hillel Weiss and Rabbi Chaim Richman, leader of the Jerusalem Temple Institute. The letter is dated 28 Iyar, 5765 (June 6, 2005),

"The Sanhedrin call s upon all groups who work in the area of Temple and Temple Mount-related research and activity, to be­gin to prepare detailed architectural plans for the construction of the Holy Temple, towards the goal of its establishment in its proper place.

"The Sanhedrin will establi sh a forum of architects and engineers whose goal will be

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to implement this decision, so that detailed working plans are effectively brought to an operational stage.

"The Sanhedrin calls upon th e Jewish people to contribute towards the acquisition of materia ls for the purpose of rebuild­ing the Holy Temple; the gathering and preparation of prefabricated, disassembled portions of this building to bc stored and ready fo r rapid assembly, in the manner of King David. These contributions will be considered "chulin," i.e., non-sacred, for the purpose of the planning and construc­tion of the Temple."

What a bold and visionary plan! It comes at a time when rabbis are not even allowed on the Temple Mount , except in small groups, for a limited time. Yet they are now making plans to place a building there!

Bible-be lieving Christians have long spoken of the fact that just such a Temple must be erected, ill order that the 'Day C!f the Lord ·' prophec ies might be fulfill ed. For example, Paul writes that a future '·man of sin" will declare himselfas the ruler of the world from within the Temple precincts:

··Who opposeth and (!Xaltelh himself above all that is called God. or that is worshipped; so Ihat he as God sineth in the temple a/God. shewing himselj't/wt he is God" ( II Thes. 2:4).

A temple of some sort must be presen! in order for this prophecy 10 be fi.lfilled. Many have reasoned that it must be some sort of temporary structure, exact ly as the one envisioned by the Sanhedrin .

Perhaps a Temple Mounl presence will come in two stages, since Scripture plainly tells us Ihat in the monumental struggle to reestablish the Kingdom , Israel will re­cover, repair and set up David's Tabernacle. Even in David's day, it was considered a temporary rent, to be used only until a Temple could be built. It has been hidden since the days of the Babylonian Captivity. As we sha ll see, its recovery will signal the dawn of a new day.

Bul some say Ihat the Tabemacle of Da­vid is only a spirinml symbol. They interpret it as a metaphor for a latter-day revival of the church, saying that it should not be taken litera lly. They asse rt that discovering and repairing a three-1.housand-year-old tent is neither scri pturally validated nor believable.

How do we then reconcile the Bible's prophetic view of future events with current Israeli plans? In this study, we shall begin in first-century Jerusalem, at a conference called 10 determine the direction of the early church.

A fler Jesus' ascension, II is disciples were faced with the daunting cha llenge offound-

SUPERIMPOSED ON TEMPLE MaUNr

I'LATIOIUA

Asher Kaufman believes that Solomon'S Temple stood directly west of the Eastern Gate, and north of the area where the Dome of the Rock is located. Above, is a layout of Solomon 's Temple with the " Dome of the Tablets" in the Holy of holies.

ing and disseminating the new institution - the called-out body of Christ - known to the world simply as the church. Its members were faced with many external obstacles.

The G raeco-Roman cult ure , with its Babylonian baggage of pagan gods, stood squarely in the path of the Gospel. The cu lt of the Caesars saw the church as encroach­ing upon its realm of power. Tribal pagans dwelling in the swamps, plains, foreslS and j ungles greeted Christianity with suspicion, if not outright hostility.

But ill the beginning, the internal ob­stacles were just as overwhelming as the externa l ones. The Gospel came to the Jew first, and there, it encountered enormous

barriers of legalism. To the Jew, the Law was everything. It was the source of bless­ing to those who kept it. It was a curse to those who trampled upon its precepts.

In Acts 15, Paul and company had just returned from their first missionary journey, coming back to their de parture point, An­tioch of Syria. There, they were greeted by a Jewish council with a harsh and critical message, ··Except ye be circumcised after lhe manner 0/ Moses, ye clll1nOI be saved ·' (Acts 15: 1).

III the wake of this opposition to the Gospel of Grace. there followed, "/fosmall dissen.~ioll and disputation , . (Acts 15:2). In modern English, this means spirited and

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emotional debate, no doubt ranging at times into shouting argument.

At this poinl, the historica l record shows Peter standing up to argue for the basic Christian teaching of salvation through grace. Paul and Barnabas then testified of the many miracles wrought on their long journey.

Listcners, stunned by their amazing report. fell silent, contemplating the enor­mous change that was now sweeping their world. AI this dramatic moment, one stood in their midst to uller a prophecy that in­spires us to this day:

"And after Ihey had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken IInto me:

"SimeOIl hath declared how God 01 the first did visil the Genli/es, to lake out of them a people for his name.

"And to this agree the words of the proph­ets; as it is written,

"After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is f allen down; alld I wi/{ build again the mins thereof, alld I will sel ilIlP:

"That the residue oj men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, IIpon whom my name is called, sai:h Ihe Lard, who doeth all lhese Ihings.

"Known 1In10 Godare all his worksfrom the beginlling oflhe world.

"Where/ore my sentence is, that we trem­ble not Ihem, which from among the Gentiles are lurned 10 God" (Acts 15: 13-19).

Is the Tabernacle Only a Symbol?

Taken at face value. James' words are di ­rect and plain. In complete agreement with Peter, Paul and Barnabas, he rises to enunci­ate the plan of God to those present. That plan is still in effect to this day. Its intention is nOI to establ ish a global kingdom, but to take from among the Gentiles a people fo r His name. James emphatically stresses that God wns not, at that time, bringing in His Kingdom.

He does this by noting an order of events: Firsr, He is working among the Genti les. After this, He will re tum and rebuild the Tabemacle of David. He will do this in order that a "residue" - remnanl - ofmankind cun have the opportunity 10 seek the Lord. This remnant wil l begin with the twelve tribes of Israel (Revelation 7),and expand to include an enornlOUS !lumber of Gentiles.

James conc luded by saying that the Genti h:s should !luI ue yoked wi th the Law. Hi s words seem clea r enough to those who understand the dispensat iona l nature of Gad's work of grace in the era of the church. But they are often the source of much dissension and discussion among modem Christians. Namely, arc they to be

taken literally, or not? How shal l we in terpret these words,

spoken by James during the early formative years of the church? Are they a metaphoric expression, or do they refer to an actual event of the future?

As earlier mention ed , some say that James' words don't refer to the literal Taber­nacle of David at all, but simply foreshadow a reawakening of God's Spirit. Such is the view of those who believe that tbe church has replaced national Israel.

They claim that the Tabernacle of David is simply un expression for the church and its various ministries. There are many examples of such doctrine. One such, publ ished by the International HOllse of Prayer, presents a good cross-section of this belief. Its spokesman, Mike Bickle, likens the restoration of David's Tabemacle 10 a worldwide prayer movemcnt:

" .. . the three dimensions to this restora­lion. A priestly dimension - focused on 24 hour a day worship and intercession that fol· lows the Davidic order of worship. A pro­phetic dimension - focused on the release of the prophetic ministry in the church of Jesus Christ - Acts 2: 17. A kingly dimell­sion - focused on the apostolic ministry that accomplishes the tasks of the kingdom with power, fulfilli ng the Great Comm ission - cVllIlge1i.'1nl , community and equipping. The Tabernacle of David in all three dimen­sions had its beginn ing of restoration in the New Testament church.

"However, the completion of these three dimensions have not yet been fully restored that the nations might know God. The Tab­ernacle of David is essential in the comple­tion of the grent harvest of souls promised to the church at the end of the age. We believe that city wide prayer ministries will fill the earth before the Lord returns."

Let me repeat that this statement refl ects, not our vicw, but the view of those who be lieve that the church has replaced na­tional lsrael, and will bring in God's earthly kingdom. Note that it spiritualizes David 's Tabernacle, by making it a fonn of worship, rather than an actual, physical structure that today, is lying somewhere in stordge at an undisclosed location.

This belief is echoed many times in the modem church. Another writer, Haro ld Hopper, in an article called "Restoration afthe Tabernacle of David, "likens its re­building to the singing of powerfu l songs of devotion. Writing about James' speech in Acts 15, he says:

"God speaks in this Scripture (wh ich references Amos 9: I I) that He wi ll restore the Tabernacle of David. Most of us agree that we are in the last days. We need to

find out what the Tabernacle of David is ail about because God said He wou ld restore it. We need to be able to recognize it and embrace it. When God is doing something, we shou ld be part of it. Rjght?

"The fi rst question that comes to my mind is why does He intend to restore David 's Tabernacl e? From the verse above it is clear that He wants the rest of mankind to seek Him. The restoration of the Tabemacle of David is evangehstic 'so the rest of mankind may seek the Lord.' Take a look at Psalms 40: 3:

"He hath pili a new song in my mOllth, even p raise 111110 aliI' God: many shall see ii, and fear. and shallirusl in Ihe Lord. "

He continues, "What is the new song?" He answers this questIon by saying, "What we see here is that many will see the new song and it will cause a reverence or fear of the Lord and they will go to Him quickly for refuge. This is evangelism. This then, is one ofthe primary reasons God is restoring the Tabemacle of David: Evangel ism."

Hopper 's view is that the Tabernacle symbolizes an evangelistic outreacb . He sees the slmclure as God's current act of empowering the church.

Both of these men are espousing a notion that is currently very popular. rt is dedicated to the idea that world evangelism, or the harvest of souls is what is meant by the rebuilding of the Tabernacle of David. Their sentiments are representati ve of a large cross-section oftoday's church.

Put another way, the building of the Tabernacle of David will be realized in the church, itself. The more "spiritual" it becomes, the more is it said to embody the elements of David's Tabernacle, which be­comes a metaphor for the faith of the saints and the restoration of worship and praise in the present church.

Is the Tabernacle a Future Reality?

However, there is another view of David's Tabernacle, held by those of us who see the era of the church as a filli te dispensation that lies between the dispensation of the Law and the Messianic Kingdom. It proceeds upon the basis that the tent erected by David was a real structure, wilh a real history, and that this history is not yet complete. Strange as it may sound, afterthrec thousand years, this tent still exists and one day wi ll be brought out of storage.

After the Israelites crossed the Jordan, they brought the Mosaic Tabernacle to Gilgal, where it remained for a time. Then it was moved to Shiloh, where it became a permanent sanctuary, until the time o f Philistine domination. In the days of the prophet Samuel, the ISr'clclites felt that their

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Ark ofthe Covenant should be moved to a safer place. Tragically, the Philistines had captured the Ark and defeated the armics ofIsrae!'

After the Ark was recovered, Moses ' Tabernacle was moved to Nob,then finally to Gibeon. This location was less than ten miles northwest of the rortress of Jebus, which was captured by David, and devel­oped as his city, Zion. In Oibeon, the wilder­ness Tabernacle remained in use fora time, then faded into the mists or history, now replaced by a tent commissioned by King David . Subsequently, on what would later become the Temple Mount, David pitched a different tent for the Ark of the Covenant. With great ceremony, it was brought there, and installed as the place where the priests could resume their sacred rituals.

At this point, there were (wo Tabernacles - one in Gibeon and the other in Jerusalem. III fact, both continued in usc for a short time. Then David 's son, Solomon, complet­ed his magnificent Temple. The Tabernacle with all its equipment was transferred to the new Temple, where it began to be used by the priests:

'Then Solomon assembled the elders oj Israel, alld all the heads oj the tribes, the chief offhe fafhers of the children oflsrael, IInto king Solomon in Jerusalem, thaf fhey might bring up Ihe ark of Ihe covenanI of the LORD 0111 of the city of David, which is Zion.

"And all the men of lsrael assembled themselves IInto king Solomon af the Jeast ill the month Ethanim, which i~' the seventh month.

"And all the elders of Israel came, and the priests took up the ark.

"And they brollght 1Ip the ark oj the LORD, alld the tabernacle of the congrega­tion, and aI/the holy vessels lhal were in the tabernacle, even those did the priests and Ihe Levites bring lip.

"And king Solomon, and all the congre­gation of Israel, that were assembled un/o him, weir:' with him before the ark, sacrific­ing sheep and oxen, that could lIot be told nor nllmbered jor lIIultiwde.

"And the priests blVlIght in the ark of the cowmant of the LORD unto his place, into (he oracle of Ihe house, to the mosl holy place, even under the wings of the cherubims.

"For (he cherubims spread forth Iheir two wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim.I' covelr:'d the ark alld Ihe staves thereof above.

"And they drew oul the staves, that the ends of the staves were seen out in the holy place before the oracle, and they were 1101

seen withollt: and there they are /Into this

day"( J Kings8: J-8). It is unclcar whether the wilderness Tab­

ernacle was placed into storage at this time. But, it is quite clear that David's Tabemacle and the Ark of the Covenant were preserved as sacred relics. In particular, the Tahemacle of David was given special treatment.

The account above, in I Kings, is hcld in Jewish tradition to have been written by the prophet Jeremiah. Ifso, it was probably penned aroutld the time of the Babylonian captivilY, between 610 and 600 B.C. This would have been about 300 years after Solomon initiated Temple worship! The staves of the Ark were still visible even in Jeremi~th 's day!

Jeremiah 's Amazing Trek This brings us to a truly fascinating

account in the long epic of David's Taber­nacle. As recorded in II Maccabees, chapter 2, we find a historical foomoTe that hclps us to understand the long prophetic scope of tbe Tabernaele. At the time of the Babylo­nian captivity, the Temple 's instruments of sacrifice were earned into the wilderness, where (hey were hidden:

"The records show that it was the prophet Jeremiah who ordered the exiles to hide the fire, as has been mentioned; also that, having given them the law, he charged them not to neglect the ordinBnces of the Lord, Or be led as tTay by the sight of images of gold and si lver with all their finery. In similar words be appealed to them not to abandon the law. Further, this document records that, prompwd by a divine message, the prophet gave orders that the Tent of Meeting and the Ark should go with him. Then he went away to the mountain from the top ofwhich Moses saw God's promised land. When he reached the mountain, Jeremiah found a cave-dwelling; he carried the tent, the Ark, and the incense-altar into it, then blocked up the entrance. Some of his companions came to mark out the way, but were unable to find it. When Jeremiah learnt of this he reprimanded them. ·The place shall remain unknowll,' he said, 'until God finally gath­ers his people IOgetherand shows mcrcy to them. Then the Lord will bring these things to light again, and the glory ofthe Lord will appear w ith the cloud, as it was seen both in tbe time of Moses and when Solomon prayed that the shrine might be worthily consecrated" ( II Maccabees 2: 1-8, NEB).

One's first thought is that if this account is true, tben these artifacts are sti ll hidden to this day. They are not symbols but real objects .. , relics beyond price! And Jer­em iah stated that they would be revealed at the time of the Lord 's return to restore "his people together and show mercy to them."

The mountain where the Lord took Moses is well documented in Scripture:

"And the LORD spake IInto Moses Ihat selfsame day, saying,

"Get thee up into this mountain Abal'im, unto mount Nebo, which is ill the land of Moab, that is over against Jericho; and be­hold the land of Canaan, which I give umo the children of Israel for a possession:

"And die in the mOllnt whilher (hou goest lip, Gild be gathered Ifnto thy people; as Aaron thy brother died in mounl Hor. and was gath­ered un/o his people" (Deut. 32:48-50).

Note that in this passage, we find the lenn, "Abarim. ,. It is the Hebrew ex pres­sion for "the regions beyond," and it refers to the lands east of the Jordan River. The mountain range of the Abarim overlook the Dead Sea to the west Nebo, the high­est point in the region, is about 4,000 feet above the surface of the Dead Sea.

Of Moses' trip. Flavius Josephus writes, "Now as soon as they were come to the mountain called Abarim, (which is a very high mountain, situate over against Jericho, and one that affords, to such as are upon it, a prospect of the greatest part of the excellent land of Canaan) .....

Nebo stands rwenty miles east-southeast of Jericho, and only sixty miles from the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The ac­count of Jeremiah's trip makes it clear that he was divinely led on his secret mission. Those who later tried 10 blaze the Irail to his hiding place were completely confused; they couldn't fllld the way.

Today, some are saying that these im­portant artifacts aren't even on Nebo at all, but rather, on the way to Nebo. The IGII King James Version's Apocrypha renders U Maccabees 2:5 as follows:

"And when Jeremie came thither, he found an hollow cave wherein he laid the Tabernacle, and the Arke, and the altar of incense, & so stopped the doore."

It is possible to interpret the first phrase as, .. ... and as Jeremiah journeyed there "' , " or "while he was on his way." It is most fascinating that the famous archeolo­gist Vendyl Jones is working in the Wad i Sekhakha, which lies just above Qumran, si te of the famous Dead Sea Scrolls di s­covery. There, he claims that he is about to find the hidden treasures of the Temple - including the Tabernacle.

If one draws a straight line from Jerusalem to Nebo, it crosses Qumran. In other words, Jeremiah's trip from Jerusalem to N(:bo would have taken him right past this legend­ary site. Did he hide them there on his trip to and from Nebo? Jones thcori7.es that this is, in fact, Ihe case. He bases this belief on his translation of the famous Copper Scroll,

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discovered in 1952 in a cave that lies just northwest of the northern end of the Dead Sea. Its origin and provenance are unclear, but ilS age has been documented as far back as the sixth century, B.C., to the time of Jeremiah, himself.

Jones' reading of the enigmatic scroll has led him to believe that the ashes of the red heifer (in a container called the kalll{) and other treasures were buried above the Wadi Sekhakha in the Cave of the Column, where he has been digging for many years. His reading of the Copper Scroll suggests that Jeremiah's treasure may also be there:

"According to the Copper Scroll, Column 5, Line 12-14 and Column 6, Line 1 says:

[5: 12] In the tomb which is in (at) the River of the Dome

l5:13] In the coming (way) from Jeri· cho 10 Succacah, dig 1 cubits, like this) {-squiggle sign-I.

[6:1] XXX (beside the?) Cave of the Column with two openings

[6:2] entrances viewing East [6:3] in the North opening viewing

Eastward [6:3] In the hidden opening dig [6:4] 3 cubits and there is the kalal [6:5 J underneath it (the kalal) is one book

lpossibly the Silver Scroll). To the East dig in the opening likc th is

f·-squiggle sign-} [6: 10] 7 cubils [6: II J in(side is Ihe )complete Tabernacle

on the side Wcstward. Dig cubits [6: 131 seventeen [6: 14-15} in the arch (whieh is the) cham·

ber of the High priest ... " The scroll also contains a description of

the Tabernacle 's location within the cave: "[ I :5] Here is theTllbcrnacle, on Ihe third

level, and all the pieces of ... gold ... " (A Door of Hope, pp. 72, 74 Vendyl

Jones, Lightealcher Productions, 2005), Over the years, thc world has foJ1owoo

Jones' work, as he and a forceofvolllnteers have unearthed what he believes 10 be a sample of the Temple's holy anointing oiL A bit later, he discovered hundreds of pounds ofa material thai, when analyzed, seems to follow the fonnula for the Temple incensc.

These tantalizing finds have convinced him that Jeremiah 's hidden treasure is about to be brought to light in the Cave ofthc Col· umn. Nothing could bc more exciting than to unearth the Tabemacle of David. In and of itself, it would be one of the mosl sensa­tional archeological discoveries of all time. That, of course, is practically insignificant, compared with its prophetic potential.

This brings us full circle back to James, as he speaks to the Jerusalem counciL In Acts IS, he quoles the prophet Amos, as

a way of saying that David's Tabernacle would figure strongly in the epoch-making changes that would come with the Day of the Lord and the coming of the Messianic Kingdom.

Amos wrote that David's Tabcrnacle would one day be brought out and repaired. It is important to remember that he wrote in abO lL t 755 B.C. This would place his prophecy a full hundred and scvcnty·five years before Jeremiah hid the Tabernacle! Before it hud even been hidden, he foretold its rediscovery in the far futu re:

''1n Ihllt day willI raise lip the tabernacle of David thor is fallen, and close lip the breache.~ thereat alld I will raise lip his /"/1-

ins. and I will build ir as in the days of old: 'That rhey may possess Jhe remnanJ of

Edam, alld of all the heathen, which are coiled by my name, ul;/h Jhe LORD rhal doeth this" (Amos 9: 11, 12).

The closing chaplers of Amos' revclation are specifically "Day oflhe Lord" prophe· cies. They re rer to the judgments that will mark the conclusion ofGentite world rule. His use orthe term, "in Ihal day," specifi. cally selS the time of thc prophecy. Whcn James quoted Amos, he modifie(1the phrase slightly, to "afte,.,his. " meaning after the ealling·out ora people for His name.

This fits perfectly with the dispensational view, which holds IhM nner The hocly of Chrisl is completed and caught up, the Kingdom of David will be estnblished through a calaclysmic order of events that unseals the Gentile world powers.

This sl ight alternlion of wording between Amos and James doesn't change the tim­ing in the least. In either case, il is after the called-oLlt body of believers reaches completion that the Day of the Lord will commence.

Amos lreat"lhe subject of the Tabernacle as a real object. in the Hebrew of the Old Testamelll. he describes the process by which the rips in its fabric will be repaired

patched, if you wi ll. This language strongly suggests thaI a litera l, rather than symbolic, reading is dcmandcd. Led by lhe Spirit of the Lord, Amos is referring to a real tent - called in th is text, the sukkot of David. This is the word for a temporary lent, as opposcd 10 the Tabernacle of Moses, to be used unti l lhe Temple is rebuilt.

\Vlul(' About the Ark"

This brings us to the actual use of DlIvid 's restored Tabemacle. The first time it was em­ployed, it was set up on the mount that David had purchased as a place for the priests to min ister. Then, with great ceremony and much rejoicing, the Ark of the Covenant was brought up and pUI in place:

"So they brought the ark of God. and set it ill the midst of Jhe tent thor David hlld pitched fo,. it: and they offered burnt sacrifices alld peace qfferings be/ore God.

"And when Dlivid had made an end of offe,.ing the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed Ihe people ill the /lame of the LORD.

"And he deall to evely olle of Israel, bolh man and womlln, /0 evel:!, one a loaf of bread, and a good piece of flesh, and a jfagon of wine" (I Chronicles 16: 1·3).

Unli ke the original Tabemaele of Moses, David's tent is said to have had only one eompanmem. It had no inner court, with the trad itional menorah, altar of incense and tab le or showbrc:ad. Instead, it was specifically designed to house thc Ark of the Covenant. Scripture makes it clear that even David considered his lent only a tem­porary measure, pending the constmction or a tme Temple.

Shortly after the Ark was inaugurated, he began to express his disappointmem over the matter:

"And i/ came 10 pass, when 'he king sat in his house. alld Ihe LORD had given him resl round aboll/fmm all his ellemies;

'7hal Ihe king said unlO Nathan the prophet, See now, I dwell in {III house of cedar. hili the ark of God dwellerh wi,hin curillin.,· " (II Samuel 7: I ,2).

The word of the Lord eame to Nathan, and David WIIS told that his son would build the Tcmple. First, there was to be a tempo­rary tent, then a pennanent building.

Currently, the thinking oftbe Sanhedrin reflects precisely this order of events - a temporary bui lding of some son, to be fol­lowed at the appropriate time by a perma­nent one. For whatever reason, they now believe that the time is right.

Currently, they plan II prefabricaled stnte­Nrc. But, if David's actual Tabernacle were found, they would quickly seize upon the opportunity to use it.

As detailed in last month's Prophecy in rhe News. but worth rcpeating in the context of Ih is sttldy, Vendyl Jones now believes that his time has come. A rccent release from Israel National News - A rulz Shevll, dated May 18,2005, opened as follows:

"An unnamed Kabbalist has granted bless­ing to famed archeologist Dr. Vendyl Jones to uncover the Holy Ark of The. Covenant. Jones plans to excavate the Lost Ark by the Tisha B 'Av [9th of Av] Fast Ih is summer."

As this is wrillcn, tll is date is practically lipan liS: August 14, 2005! Bear in mind that Vcndyl Jones has consistently limited his excavation to the Cavc of the Column, which he says is designated by the Copper Scroll as the location of the Temple treasure

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... and David's Tabernacle. However, nowhere does the Copper

Scroll say Ihal the Ark of the Covenant is buried there. The article continues:

"The Talmud says the Ark is hidden in a secret passage under the Temple Mount. Jones says thai the numel actually continues 18 miles southward, and that tbe Ark was brought through the tunnel to its current rest­ing place in tbe Judean Desert.Throughout the many years of his quest, Jones has been in close contact and under the tutelage of numerous Rabbis and Kabbalists. Extremely knowledgeable in Torah, Talmlld and Kab­balah sources dealing with Holy Temple issues, Jones has now received pennission from both known and secret Kabbalists to finally uncover the Lost Ark."

Reportedly, the rabbi scnt a message to Jones on May 12,2005, saying, "The time is right." With this blessing, Jones is now moving to discover the treasures by the 9th of Av, the anniversary of the dcstruction of both the firs t and second Temples.

Fitting the Pieces Together Prophetically speaking, the mind reels

at the present confluence of events. The Sanhedrin had no sooner been instituted, than it began to make serious plans for the rebuilding of the Temple ... a prefabricated Tt;mpk, no less!

At the same time, Palestirtian Authori ty President Mahmoud Abbas and U.S. for­eign policy authorities are pressuring Ariel Sharon to vacate the territories and return to Israel's 1949 boundaries! These boundaries didn't even grant the newly-formed Israel complete control of Jemsalcm.

Nor did the border allow Lsrael access to the Temple Mount and, of course, that is key to any activity that might lead to restoring worship on Mount Zion. Whether Tabernacle or prefabricated Temple. it is certain that both the Palestinians and lhc U.S. State Department will try to disallow any constmction there.

Yet, somehow, it's going 10 happen. Scripture seems to predict both a tempo­rary Tabernacle and a Tribulation Temple 011 the Holy Mountain. Even the book of Revelation mentions that the beast that rises from Ihe sea will detest the presence orthe Tabernacle:

"And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they wor­shipped the beast, saying, Who is like IInto lite beast? who is able 10 make war with him?

"And there was given unto him a mOllth speaking grea/things and blasphemies: and power IVas given lin/a him /0 con/inueforty and (wo monfhs.

"A nd he opel1ed his //Iouth ill blasphemy

against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them lhat dIVell in heaven" (Revclation 13:4-6).

Apparently, the Tabernacle will be pres­ent at that time. That being the case, it would certainly be an objecl of scom and hatred. Many will doubt its very authentic­ity, probably accusing the Jews offabricat­ing a fraudulent tabernacle for political pUllJoses.

A Final Question This raises another question. Assuming

that the Tabernacle is discovered and plans are made to set it up, just where on the mountain would it be placed? First, there is an archeological argument about the lo­cation of the Temple. Differing authorities place it in either ofMo locations.

This dilemma has been complicated by the fact that since the 1970s, the Arab Waqf has busied itself in a series of building projects around the Temple Mount. Each ofthese has obfuscated foundation markers that could give archeological authorities solid points from which to measure. Clearly, the Arabs have pursued the long-teml goal of removing any legitimate historical con­nection that modem Israelis might claim.

Decades ago, Dr. Asher Kaufman had the opportunity to observe certain fearures on the northern end oftht; Mount, before they had been covered by Arab constmction. From thesc points, he measured southward to a point aligned with the Golden Gate.

His calculations placed the Holy of holies directly west of the present Golden Gate, at the site ofa visible feature called the "Dome of the Spirits." Placed here, a Temple would clcar the north side of the present Dome of the Rock by almost 18 Meters (26 feet).

Another proposal was later forwarded by the husband-and-wife archeological team of Kathleen and Leen Ritmeyer. In the late I 980s, they published findings that placed the Holy ofl-lolie5 directly under the center of the Dome of the Rock. Placing a Tab­emacle or Temple here would require the destruction oflhe Mosque ofOrnar, and the overthrow of the present-day politics that control this volatil e site.

h is safe to say that even if the Dome of the Rock were physically removed, Arabs wouldn't allow a Jewish building there. Millions of Moslems regard this spot as their third holiest religious site . Some sort of agrcement must then, be reached.

That agreement will be forged by the man whom Daniel called "the prince that shall come, " He is the Antichrist, who will confirm the inramous seven-year covenant w ith the region's leaders. Only his super-

natural leadet1lhip will overcome the bad blood that currently clouds any conceivable tmce between Jews and Arabs.

A Myste.-ious "WaU" Following the Asher Kaufman model,

however, a compromise might be reached. Rccall that his placement of the Temple leaves a space between it and the Dome. BOlh buildings might co-exiSt for a time. It may not be the ultimate and correct loca­tion, but at least it would ailow the presence ofa Temple.

For many years, it has been noted that the concluding chapters of Ezekiel speak of an Interim Temple period, in which a wall of separation IS erected between a Temple and the existing Muslim mosques already on the Mount. One verse is round in Ezekiel 42:20:

"He measured it by theJollr sides: if had a waif round about. five hundred reeds long, and five hundred broad, to make a separation between the sanctumy and Ihe profane place. "

Here, a rectangle is measured fo r the Temple. Its centcrline is given in the preced­ing verse 15, as "the gate whose prospect is tOlt'ard the east. "This would correspond wilh Asher Kaufman's proposal, thaI the Temple is aligned with the Golden Gale.

NOlice that a wall is present, sepa rat­ing the Temple from another place - a "profalle" placc that is described as being dcfiled.

Then , in Ezekiel 43:8, we arc given a prospect of the Temple at a time somewhat later, when the Lord "s Shechinah C/OJ)' retU11lS to the Temple.

The Lord announces to Ezekiel that He will, at that time, occupy the Temple forev­ennore. Never aga in, He says, will Mount Zion be defiled. Then, He makes another statement that includes a rererenc(.' to the mysterious "wall:"

'·In Iheir setting of their threshold by my thresholds, lllld their post by my posts, and the lVall be/ween me and them. they have eve/J defiled my holy name by their abominations (hat (hey have COli/milled: wherefore 1 have consumed them in mine anger" (Ezekiel 43:8).

We can't be celtain about the nature of this wall, buL it certainly seems to suggest an alien presence on thc Tcmple Mount. Thi s would explain how the Tribulation Temple could coexist with tht: Islamic shrines thaI are already there.

Given the Sanhedrin 's active plan, and the current rabbinic excitement about the prospect of discovering the Tabemacle and the Ark, all Ihis may soon come to pass.

Keep your eyes on Mount Zion! •

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