Restoration of the Jewish temple is tough to imagine. Sacred to Jews, Muslims, and Christians, the site of Herod's ancient sanctuary stirs up conflicting claims and heated emotions. At present, Al-Aqsa Mosque occupies the Temple Mount. Israel's Foreign Minister and Alternate Prime Minister, Yair Lapid, has vowed to maintain the status quo, saying, "Muslims pray on the Temple Mount, non-Muslims can only visit. There is no change, and there will be no change."¹

But according to Scripture, the temple will be rebuilt by the middle of the Tribulation. Paul foresaw a day when the Antichrist will sit "as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God" (2 Thessalonians 2:4). In the Olivet Discourse, Jesus referred to the restored temple and its desecration: "When you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place... then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.... For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be" (Matthew 24:15-16, 21).

The temple will be rebuilt by the middle of the Tribulation.

Rebuilding the temple is not the only unfulfilled prophecy regarding Israel. The Jewish nation does not occupy all the territory of the Promised Land. If Israelis were occupying all the land God gave them, they would control all the holdings of present-day Israel, Lebanon, and the West Bank of Jordan, along with substantial portions of Syria, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia. Prior to 1948, the Jews had not ruled the land since A.D. 70, when the Romans drove them out and made the land uninhabitable. Israel fulfilled numerous prophecies when it returned to its homeland in 1948, but to this day, its boundaries do not reach the full extent of the Promised Land.

The Bible also says Israel will sign a peace treaty and take down its defenses in the Last Days. If you visit Israel today, you will see people with guns slung over their shoulders everywhere you go. They are always on alert because they know their neighbors could attack them at any moment. Ezekiel 38:11 describes a markedly different Israel, "[Gog] will go up against a land of unwalled villages; [Gog] will go to a peaceful people, who dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, having neither bars no gates." An army will overrun Israel during the End Times because the nation will be disarmed! That isn't easy to imagine.

Modern Israel's ability to maintain independence and prosperity amid constant threats highlights God's sovereignty over world affairs. Nothing can disrupt His plan. I do not doubt that a fully operational temple will be present during the Tribulation. Even now, devout Jews are working on reproducing sacred temple vessels according to the Old Testament requirements. A breeding program aims to produce an unblemished red heifer that meets the requirements for purification of the temple (Numbers 19:2). It gives me chills to hear how the groundwork is being laid for the End Times!

Even now, devout Jews are working on reproducing sacred temple vessels according to the Old Testament requirements.

The next event on God's prophetic timeline is the Rapture of the Church. It could happen at any time and without warning. Jesus said, "Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect" (Matthew 24:44). In Matthew 24, He outlined several signs that would precede the Second Coming, including the temple's restoration. As pieces of the end-time puzzle come together, we will see more and more evidence of Jesus' predictions at work in our world, but these things do not have to happen before the Rapture.

God has taken great care to communicate prophetic signs in a way we can understand. When Israel achieved statehood in 1948, I was seven years old. I now believe this event marks the most significant prophetic event in my lifetime. More than anything else, the prophetic future of Israel answers the question, "Is this the end?"

¹"Israel 'committed' to status quo on Temple Mount – Yair Lapid," April 24, 2022, <https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/israel/diplomacy/1650810149-israel-committed-to-status-quo-on-temple-mount-yair-lapid>, accessed on April 26, 2022.