Antichrist and the 3rd Temple

 Last Monday, as the nation of Israel, at least those among us who are religious, started the fast and prayer remembering the destruction of the two temples, our Zichron Yaacov homegroup met in Tiberius at the home of a couple that participates in our fellowship.  In the course of the evening, after some worship and prayer, we discussed the reasons for the tragedy surrounding the destruction of the two edifices.  It was noted that the reason YHVH destroyed the first temple (and had the people deported) was idolatry, especially Baal worship and murdering YHVH’s prophets, while the second temple and the city's destruction (and ensuing exile) happened because of internal strife, envy, jealousy, and hatred.

As the rest were discussing these issues, the Spirit dropped a thought into my mind about the third temple and what may bring about its ruin, assuming that the third temple is in the process of being built with us being the living stones, “And coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected by men, but choice and precious in the sight of Elohim, you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house” (1^st Peter 2:4-5). “For do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from Elohim, and that you are not your own?”1^st Corinthians 6:9). Together, we are also being built into a city, the New Jerusalem, the bride (see Revelation 21). This city has for its foundations the twelve apostles of the Lamb and its gates are the twelve tribes of Israel (vs. 14, 12). It is also the place which our father Abraham is said to have looked toward: “By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance… for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is Elohim” (Hebrews 11:8,10). According to the Revelation 21 text, the city is the temple of Elohim. 

What is the danger we face while this 'temple' is still under construction? Is it not the spirit of the “antichrist”?  John describes this spirit: “By this you know the Spirit of Elohim: every spirit that confesses that Yeshua the Messiah has come in the flesh is from Elohim; and every spirit that does not confess Yeshua is not from Elohim; and this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world” (1^st John 4:2-3).  John will go on to explain more about this spirit, which would have us question our belief in Yeshua's presence in us through the Holy Spirit.

Many are taught that this above scripture refers to Yeshua’s flesh body from two thousand years ago. But if that were the case, then why did John go on to say the following: ^“You are from Elohim, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world”? (1^st John 4:4).  John is pointing to Yeshua’s presence in us, the body of Messiah. Paul also exhorts us to “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Yeshua the Messiah is in you-- unless indeed you fail the test?” (2^nd Corinthians 13:5 emphasis added).

In a previous chapter of 1^st John, the apostle explains more about the antichrist spirit: “Who is the liar but the one who denies that Yeshua is the Messiah? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son” (1^st John 2:22). This all 'boils down' to the antichrist spirit of today, which is the same as it was two thousand years ago.  Its purpose, working through the power of sin in our flesh, is to draw our attention away from the reality of Messiah’s (the Father and the Son’s) presence in us through the indwelling Holy Spirit.

The antichrist spirit is the reason many will fall from the faith, as it desires to prove the gospel to be false.  Without the Father, one cannot have the Son and vice versa (see 1^st John 2:22-24).  Be careful of those who only teach the Father and leave out the Son, or those who only teach Yeshua (Jesus) without the Father. The antichrist (Satan) wants to establish Himself as god in this third temple.

“As for you, let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father” (1^st John 2:24). “By this the love of Elohim was manifested in us, that Elohim has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him” (1^st John 4:9 emphases added).  How can we "live through Him" if He is not in us?

Paul’s approach to this antichrist spirit, even though he doesn’t mention the word, is seen in the following verse: “For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another” (Galatians 5:17).   The driving force that is operating in our “flesh” is the “power of sin” (see Romans 7:20), which is the vessel of the spirit of antichrist. There is only one way to overcome this spirit: “Thanks be to Elohim through Yeshua the Messiah our Lord” (Romans 7:25)! "And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even to death” (Revelation 12:11).