Christians, is PASSOVER important to you? It should be.

Dear friends and readers,

Peace and grace to all of you in Jesus name.

First, thanks to a rapidly growing number of you readers in 34 countries.  We are going to continue  writing interesting articles with Biblical themes but will also soon expand into a You Tube channel.  We will let you know as that happens.

Today's article is about the ancient practice of celebrating PASSOVER.  You probably know that Jews all over the world will be celebrating this feast beginning Monday April 10, 2017.   What many of you may not realize is that Passover is also an extremely important time for Christians.  And is celebrated by increasing numbers of followers of Christ worldwide.

Over the centuries there has been an ever increasing split between Judaism and Christianity which I do not believe was ever intended.  The long history of this split will be explained in another article but   it is extremely unfortunate and has ripped off both Jewish people and Christians alike.  For our Jewish brethren, this split has amplified an already tragic misunderstanding of the identity of their Messiah.  For Christians, this split has drawn us away from an extremely rich heritage and an understanding of the tremendous importance of what we have come to know as the Old Testament.

Allow me to illustrate;  If some giant was to come along and remove the foundation from your house, how long do you think your house would continue to stand?  The same holds true for our Bibles.  The Old Testament from Genesis to the prophet Malachi is the foundation for the remainder of the book, Matthew to Revelation.  It is in fact one book and all of it is important and relevant.  But the misunderstanding continues.  For example, in some churches today the book of Revelation is not taught because "it is full of incredible imagery that we are simply not capable of understanding".

The truth is that if we study and understand the ancient Hebrew Biblical prophets, a window opens to us that does allow understanding of a very complex book, Revelation.  And that book of Revelation along with incredible important issues like the Rapture of the church and the second coming of the Jewish Messiah, Jesus Christ, are all future events that impact both Jew and Gentile believers alike.

So many times in my ministry years,  Christians (not all but frankly most) have expressed absolutely zero interest in learning anything about Israel, the ancient Biblical prophets or the feast days that were set in motion eons ago by the Creator of the Universe.

On the Jewish side, many have come to believe that we Christians worship three gods because we speak of the Trinity (a Biblical doctrine that is slowly being rejected by a few apostate church leaders as well).  In reality the Trinity of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit are ONE GOD, expressing Himself in three different personalities so our finite little human brains can at least begin to fathom the immensity of who and what God really is.  Also, the Bible expresses the Messiah as coming in two different forms.  First as the suffering servant (Isaiah chapter 53), the lamb of God.  Then He also comes a second time as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah.  As the lamb of God the Messiah gave Himself to be tortured and killed on the cross of Calvary to provide a one time sacrifice of His blood which atones for the sins of all mankind.

As the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, He comes again to stop the end times battle of Armageddon (Revelation chapter 19), judge his enemies and set up a 1000 year Reign as King of the world.  Also for our Jewish brethren there is another very difficult hurdle to cross because unfortunately the early Biblical translators chose the words OLD TESTAMENT and NEW TESTAMENT.  Innocently they merely meant that there was a 400 year period of time between the book of Malachi, the last of the B.C. (Before Christ) prophets and the beginning the first, physical walk upon this earth (A.D.) by the Messiah.  But again unfortunately to some people, the term "OLD" equates to DONE AWAY WITH or NO LONGER RELEVANT.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  It is one book, cover to cover and in fact the  NEW TESTAMENT was written to Jews, by Jews who were speaking in large part about the Jewish Messiah, Jesus Christ.

Actually there are official Hebrew names for these books;  The first five books of the Bible are Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. Factually these are the "TORAH", or the Law.

The entire "OLD TESTAMENT" is in reality the "TANAKH" and the "NEW TESTAMENT" in the Hebrew language is the "BRIT CHADASHA" (pronounced Hadasha).

For Christians there is an extremely unfortunate belief among many that "the Jews killed Jesus".  That in itself is a huge barrier for many to deal with.  But although Jewish religious leadership and some Jews we're involved, this is what Jesus Himself said in the book of John chapter 10 verse 18 "No man takes my life from me, I lay it down that I may take it again" referring to His Resurrection from the dead.

One last point to make for anti Trinity people;  Isaiah chapter 9 verses 6-7;  "Unto us (the Jewish people) a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given;  And the government will be upon His shoulder.  And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, MIGHTY GOD, EVERLASTING FATHER, Prince of Peace".

One God displaying Himself as  1), Father, Creator of the Universe.  2). Son, Jesus Christ, The Word of God, Savior and redeemer of all mankind who will place their faith in Him.  3). Holy Spirit, (Among roughly 50 other job titles), John 16:8 convicts believers and the entire world of sin.

Regarding Passover, it is a feast day commemorating the time in which Moses was about to lead the nascent nation of Israel out of bondage in Egypt.  10 plagues were given by God against Pharaoh (King of Egypt) to get his attention so he would allow the Jewish people to leave his bondage.  The last plague (Exodus chapters 7-12) was a decreed death of the first born of each family including both humans and animals.  Pharaoh was not convinced and as a result, his first born son died along with everyone else's who were Egyptians.  God Instructed Moses to have all the Hebrew families  slay a spotless lamb and spread the blood across the top and sides of their household doors.  When the death angel swept through Egypt and PASSED OVER the blood of the innocent lambs, the Hebrew children were spared.

P.S. folks, this is not just some Sunday school story.  It really happened.

Fast forward to Jesus time on this earth, God had decreed that ALL generations of His people should celebrate Passover.  Jesus celebrated a Passover meal on the night before He went to the cross.  He did so with His Apostles.  This was not a 15 minute quickie.  This was a full blown meal describing the events of the original Passover and most likely was at least three hours long.  In today's churches worldwide we still celebrate a Passover meal but it is about 15 minutes long and we call it "The Lords table" Communion or the Lords supper.  In the Catholic church it is called the "EUCHARIST". It is described in the Bible in 1 Corinthians chapter 11 verse 23-26.

What relevance does PASSOVER hold for Christians today?  1). Jesus is described in Revelation chapter 5 as the LAMB SLAIN and that we are redeemed (from sin) by His blood.  Also in John 1:29  2). We still celebrate a Passover meal each and every time we take communion in our churches today.  3). Jesus died EXACTLY ON PASSOVER!

So,  how is that important? A little known fact by many in the church today is that God decreed 7 Biblically appointed times (6 feasts and one day of repentance).  He did this is Leviticus chapter 23 verse 4.  "These are the appointed times of the Lord, Holy convocations which you shall proclaim at the time appointed for them".  The Hebrew words "HOLY CONVOCATIONS" can mean REHEARSALS.  In other words they are to be rehearsed without stop until perfectly done which in my opinion will be at the second coming of Christ.

A special word to my Christian brethren;  These special days are not old antiquated Jewish anything.   They are days given by God and yes He did entrust them to the Hebrew people but each and everyone is fully relevant to the church today.

These days are as follows;  In the Spring of the year  1). PASSOVER  2). UNLEAVENED BREAD  3). FIRST FRUITS  4). SHAVUOT (PENTECOST).

No directed feast days in the summer.

In the Fall of the year:  5). "TRUMPETS" (ROSH HASHANAH)  6). "DAY OF ATONEMENT" (YOM KIPPUR)  7). "TABERNACLES" (SUKKOT).

As you know by now I write about fulfilled Biblical prophecy among other things.  One of the most important is the connection between Jesus walk and the feast days.  Did you know that our Savior Jesus Christ perfectly fulfilled the first 4 of these Biblically appointed times at the event of His death and Resurrection?

He died exactly on PASSOVER.  He was buried exactly on UNLEAVENED BREAD.  He was resurrected from the grave exactly on FIRST FRUITS.  And then 50 days later the Holy Spirit was given to the followers of Christ exactly on PENTECOST, which in effect began the church.  It might be noted here that it is believed that the 10 Commandments were probably given to Moses on Mount Sinai on the very same day of PENTECOST which was known as SHAVUOT at that time.

Here is the big question?  If Jesus chose to perfectly fulfill the first 4 Biblically appointed times exactly on each of the Spring feast days, do you think it possible, even likely that He will also in some future year choose to fulfill the Fall Biblically appointed times?

Is it possible to equate TRUMPETS to the Rapture of the church 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 verses 13-18 ?

Is it possible to equate the second coming of Christ to the Day of Atonement Revelation chapter 19 ?

Could we venture to think that Christ will choose to begin His Millennial Reign on Tabernacles Revelation chapter 20 verse 4 ?  And by the way, do you love Christmas?  Me too but that was not the date Christ was born.   In fact it is extremely possible that He was actually born in the Fall of the year on Tabernacles. A word that means  "The Word became flesh and Tabernacled (lived) with us".

My friends, we as Christians are saved by the Grace of the Lamb of God who shed His blood for you and I that we might be forgiven our sins and enjoy all of Eternity with Him.  Our Salvation is a free gift of God that not everyone accepts.  The church is made up of both Jew and Gentile believers who have placed our faith in Jesus Christ (Y'Shua HaMashiac) as the Messiah of Israel.  If you choose not to take the Biblically appointed times seriously it will not affect your salvation.   But I encourage you to take another look at what God has done and will continue to do through these most important of Biblical days and events.

Passover season this year begins at sundown this coming  Monday evening April 10 and runs through sundown Monday April 17.  Look around in your area for a church advertising a "SEDER". That is the observance of a Passover meal and should place a spot light on Jesus walk in connection to this most important time.

God bless you all,
Pastor Rance.

Jubilee ... is it 2017?

Dear friends and readers,

This article is very in depth so grab a cup a coffee and put your feet up for what I hope you will think is a good read.

My article this week has to do with Israel''s Jubilee year.  There are lot's and lots of articles claiming to know exactly when the Jubilee years fall on the calendar but the truth is that although we can come reasonably close, no one really knows for sure.

The subject of Biblical prophecy, whether past fulfillment or future expectation is one that unfortunately too often falls prey to "Expert" statements of fact that are in reality nothing more than guesswork and opinion.   No matter who is writing, unless a prophecy has already happened, what we are left with is pure unadulterated conjecture about the exact time of future fulfillment.

People are hungry to know about the Biblical future and I write about it as well.  My particular writing style leaves opinion to the reader.  Oh, I do give my opinion but always identify it as such and  recommend that readers study the scriptures for themselves to form their own opinions.

Having said that one of the "biggies" being discussed and written about today is whether or not the year 2017 will be a  Jubilee year?  So, although there are some intriguing indications, I will tell you up front that no one knows for certain.  I cannot tell you how many folks are attempting to connect Israel's 70th anniversary (begins this year of  2017), to a "factual" Jubilee year.  And then comes the big leap---this must be the year the Messiah will come.  Really?

A bit of explanation; There is some confusion about the 70th anniversary of Israel. Some say 69 this year and others 70. The truth is that the United Nations voted ( Resolution 181) in 1947 to partition the Holy land which led to the declaration of independence by Israel on May 14, 1948.Therefore it was roughly 70 years ago that the U.N. acted. However the 69th year since the declaration of independence by Israel is completed on May 14 2017. In that case the 70th year from Israels stand point begins this year on May 15 and will be completed on that same date in 2018.

The numbers 7 and 70 are  consistent themes throughout scripture. And they generally signify completion of some kind. The question is, will anything prophetically happen in the 70th year of Israels rebirth and if so, would it happen at the beginning or end of the 70th year?  People are going crazy trying to figure this out.

Personally I am content to wait and see what God will do about this, if anything.

 Frankly I too wish that some of these people are right  and Messiah will come.  But, although I suppose it could happen,  the evidence to support that  as a FACT, is pure guess work and circumstantial at best. I encourage Christians everywhere to be patient, keep on being witnesses for Christ and endure to the end.  And for heavens sake, do not be led astray like some believers back in the 1980s and pack suit cases, move to the roof of your houses waiting for the Rapture to happen, or do other silly stuff!

The actual subject of the Jubilee and Sabbatical years (Shimitah) are complicated so I am only going to cover the highlights.   Recent books have been written that claim to have all the answers but do they?    I am going to lay out the evidence as I see it and then as always you study the subject and  form your own opinion.

A system of 7 year periods was set into the law of Moses so that the completion of each 7 year period  was a sabbatical year (also referred to as the "Shimitah" year).  Leviticus 25 specifies that in the 7th year the land must be allowed to rest (no crops being planted or vineyards pruned in the 7th year).  Also, every 7th sabbatical year cycle (50 years) shall be a Jubilee year in which all debts were to be forgiven and indentured servants released and so forth.  If you had sold your property to another Jewish person during those years you were allowed to redeem your property in the Jubilee year. It is extremely difficult to imagine that happening in Israel today but who knows what might happen in the future?

The Torah (first 5 books of Bible--Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy) set forth specific regulations to the Jewish people for many things including the regulations for Sabbaths and Jubilee.  Accordingly, some folks  understanding of God's original intent was that  Jubilee was to be observed when all the Israelite people were living in the promised land BY TRIBE.  Unfortunately this is somewhat of a leap in understanding because although scripture  in Leviticus 25:10  says "You shall consecrate the 50th year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land to all its inhabitants", the specific wording "BY TRIBE" is missing.

It has been understood by many over the centuries to mean that ALL the 12 tribes had  to have entered the promised land.  If all 12 tribes had not entered  then Jubilee could not have been proclaimed---by the way, proclamation was done by blowing of the trumpet, specifically on the Day of Atonement which happens in the fall of the year and is called Yom Kippur today. But all 12 tribes did not enter the promised land.

TILT.

The dates of the Exodus of Israel from Egypt are yet another example of qualified guesswork but many scholars think it may have happened around  1446 to 1400 B.C. Sometime after that the tribes of Reuben, Gad and 1/2 the tribe of Manasseh, decided to stay on the East side of the Jordan River.  In other words they said adios to the rest of Israel who were still on the way to entering the promised land.  This created a very big split in the nascent Nation of Israel.  In fact fighting over this issue nearly ensued but it was finally decided that these two and 1/2 tribes could do as they pleased.  This decision did not turn out well for those who chose to stay behind but that is another story altogether.

Accordingly, if our understanding is correct, it would not be possible to count the Sabbatical year cycles to  determine correctly the Jubilee years because not all of Israel entered the promised land.  Or so the argument goes.  Others argue that only a remnant of each tribe must be in the land in order to determine the Jubilee.

Special note:  The laws of Sabbatical cycles (Shemittah) are observed in Israel today but Jubilee is not designated or specifically observed.

Fast forward to today;  Lots of years later, in fact centuries later, people are trying desperately to determine the next correct  Jubilee year.  Our Jewish brethren are trying to do so along with everything else needed to prepare for the construction of the third Temple.  As you know, two Holy Temples have already been built and destroyed. The first was destroyed by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon in 587 B.C.   The second by General Titus of Rome in 70 A.D. A siege of Jerusalem was begun on the 14th of April during Passover and the Temple finally set fire on the 10th of August of that year. As a result the Jewish people have been without a Temple---a place to offer sacrifice for their sins in 1,947 years.

As a side note;  Many well meaning Christians are financially  helping in the effort to build the third Temple. Unfortunately some  of them are doing so with the mistaken belief that building the third Temple will somehow FORCE Messiah to come back .

If you are among those who think Messiah can be forced to come back at mankind's whim and call, I have news for you. Not going to happen.  Messiah, Jesus Christ cannot be forced to do anything.  He will come back for the Rapture of the church when he is good and ready, not before.  The very same thing holds true for the second coming.  Dismal as it may seem, God does not jump to the tune of His creation.  In fact it is quite the other way around.  If you are a Christian and want to help build the third Temple, please do so for the right reason. Just cause cuz!

I did run across some interesting information about a German scholar who discovered  prophecies written by a Rabbi by the name of Judah Ben Samuel in 1217 A.D.  I realize that some of my Christians friends  will be shaking their heads at this moment and saying, why should we believe some ancient Jewish rabbinic writing?  Well for starters we should remember that guys like Jeremiah, Nehemiah, Amos, Isaiah, Daniel, Ezekiel and several other Biblical prophets were also ancient Jewish writers and Jesus Himself was called a Rabbi.  

There are  those within the church who believe there are no Prophets in today's world and have not been since the last Apostle.  The problem with that is  Ephesians chapter 4 verses 11-13 says that "He Himself (Jesus Christ) gave some to be Apostles, some Prophets, some Evangelists, and some Pastors and Teachers" and then goes on to say why He did this. He did so nearly 1,200 years before Rabbi  Ben Samuel walked the earth.   So unless we all decide to rip these scriptures from the Holy texts, who is to say that Rabbi  Ben Samuel was not also one of God's appointed prophets?  I am not prepared to confirm or deny this either way but let's take a look at what the man had to say shall we?

You get my point ?  Sometimes we Christians have a tendency to throw stones in glass houses. 

Apparently Rabbi Ben Samuel was famous back in the day because  he was a founder of the Chassidic Ashkenazi Jews who  sprang from the area of Germany.  He was founder of a  Jewish school of learning called a Yeshiva.  Reportedly he performed some miracles ( a valid gift in 1 Corinthians chapter 12 verse 10) although we do not know much about them.  It is believed he was given a prophecy by God that predicted the circumstances surrounding the rebirth of Israel on May 14, 1948.  This would have been about 731 years before the fact.  Impressive. The man certainly had the creds!

Supposedly this gentleman's prophecies also involved the Jubilee cycles of 50 years each and he claimed that 1217 was a Jubilee year.  Counting forward, that would make the year the Turks (Ottoman Empire) who conquered  Jerusalem in 1517, also a Jubilee year.   Prior to his death, he also prophesied that the Ottoman Turks would rule Jerusalem for 8 periods of Jubilee which would be 400 years.  The Turks captured Jerusalem in 1517 (300 years after Ben Samuel's death) and 400 years after this take over, the Ottoman Turks lost Jerusalem to English General George Allenby in 1917.  Once again a Jubilee year, or so sayeth the good Rabbi.

Fast forward again;  Ben Samuel prophesied that Jerusalem would be a sort of no mans land in the 9th Jubilee cycle.  Remember that the Turks were in control for 8 Jubilee cycles and in the 9th, the English took over.  But between 1917 and 1967, because of the British Mandate, the Holy land really belonged to no specific people group or nation due to the League of Nations actions (the League of Nations was the pre cursor of the United Nations).   Therefore in the 9th Jubilee cycle according to this ancient Rabbi,  Israel really was a no mans land of sorts.

So, are any ones eyes spinning in circles and have a headache by now? I did while researching this. Well, don''t give up just yet, it gets more interesting.

Even though Israel became a Nation once again in 1948, it was not until the war of 1967 that East Jerusalem and the West Bank (Judea and Samaria, including East Jerusalem) were captured from Jordan by Israel. 

If these ancient prophecies are true then 1967 was also a Biblical Jubilee year.  Add 50 years to that and what do we come up with?  2017.

So lets sweeten the pot just a bit.  The historical ruling religious body of Israel (including during Jesus time) was called the Sanhedrin.  That name literally meant "sitting together" during assembly or council.  The Sanhedrin was headed up by the  High Priest and was comprised of up to 71 men who represented each and every city in Israel. Among other things they disciplined mal contents , decided matters of religion,  interpreted Torah and ruled over the Temple of God.  Next to the King they were literally the ruling body of Israel but were also subservient to the Roman Governor in attendance at the time.

The three main parties of these powerful men were comprised of  1).  The Pharisees  2).  the Sadducee's  3).  The Scribes. Originally the scribes were exactly that, they recorded  meetings and decrees for the Sanhedrin and were also in charge of transcribing the original Biblical  manuscripts as needed.  Eventually they achieved a great level of authority in and of themselves because they knew the scriptures better than anyone else and acted as legal advisers for the Sanhedrin, something like today's attorneys. 

These groups were also much like political parties today.  They basically hated each other and seldom agreed upon anything.

The Temple of God was destroyed in 70 A.D. by the Roman General Titus who later became one of the Caesars. After the Temple was destroyed the Sanhedrin moved around from place to place and finally settled in the Galilee City of Tiberius. This was  after the Bar Kochkba revolt against Rome.  The years were between 132 and 135 A.D. But  in 425 A.D. the Sanhedrin was finally dissolved for good.

Well, perhaps maybe not! 

After more than 1600 years, a brand new Sanhedrin was established in the very same city in which it was disbanded, Tiberius on January 20, 2005. Obviously there is still no Temple for them to be in charge of but still this is remarkable in the fact that this nascent body really is the highest legal religious tribunal in Israel today. Of course not all Jewish people accept their authority but neither did all Jewish people do so back when there was a Temple.

After a full year of deliberation, the Sanhedrin has announced that 2017 is a Jubilee year.  This may not seem like a big deal but it really is if you consider the political landscape of the current Middle East.  Everyone from the Palestinian authority to Hamas to the United Nations and Iran are trying to deny Israel the land that God promised them and also even deny their long historical connections to the Holy land and Jerusalem. The proclamation of Jubilee was not an arbitrary decision and it announced to the world that the Sanhedrin now intends to oversee the physical requirements of Torah for the land of Israel.

Rabbi Hillel Weiss, secretary of the Sanhedrin explains that the correct conditions now exist for the observance of Jubilee.  Simply put, they have determined that Jews are returning to Israel ( making Aliya) for the purpose of inheriting the land, not just as individuals who want to live in a  Jewish State.

 By and large Israel today is a secular State and the state owns the land or a great deal of it.   In order for Jubilee to actually mean something it will require the Jewish people to embrace the Biblical practice of counting the Sabbaths to establish Jubilee and for the State to return the public lands to the control of the tribes themselves as dictated by Torah law. Can that happen? Maybe but something big will be required in order for that to occur.

When Israel once again emerged from the dust heap of history (the only extinct nation ever to do so), in 1948, they effectively proclaimed to the  world that Israel as a geo political State was once again alive and renewing her history by occupying (part of) the land God had allotted for her centuries before.  The Kingdom was back.

Now 70 years later, the Sanhedrin has effectively proclaimed  that spiritual, religious Israel is now reinstated and that for the very first time in centuries, Jubilee should  be observed. This is nothing short of remarkable.

What is the number one goal of the Sanhedrin?  To oversee the Temple of God which must stand upon the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Scripture tells us that one day the antichrist will defile the Temple of God but obviously before that can happen it must once again be built.

Did you know that there is a vibrant quickly growing movement (including many Christians) who want the temple to be built NOW?

Or that the Temple Institute in Jerusalem along with the Third Temple Academy are currently training this generation of Kohanim?  Literally the descendants of the first High Priest Aaron the brother of Moses from the line of Levi?  DNA testing has developed to the point that the actual DNA of the original Aaronic line  and the Levitical priesthood is now known?

Or that an actual corner stone of the next Temple is now in existence?  Or that uncut stones were gathered  from the area of the Dead Sea in 2010 for the eventual construction the third Temple altar?

Or that the third Temple implements really are  being created and are now on public display at the Temple Institute in the old city of Jerusalem?  Including the golden menorah and High Priests garb?

And finally that a full on worldwide search is being undertaken to find a pure red heifer for Temple sacrifice?

What can we as Christians draw from all this? Is there an application for us in all of this preparation?  Certainly the possible inclusion of this level of activity could be considered as signs of the end times ages and that may well turn out to be the case.  For me, I do not discount what our brethren the Jewish people are doing to prepare for their third Temple or their expectation that these things may soon usher in the event of Messiah. On the other hand I also do not hang my theological hat on anything other than what the Bible tells me about the rapture and second coming of Christ. The Bible says what it means and means what it says. When teaching from my pulpit I teach only what the Bible says not what it does not say.

While writing my blogs I do discuss current trends and possibilities along with some historical data but Christians should always beware and not align themselves with date setters.  

Having said that, when you couple all of this information with the rebirth of Israel in 1948,  Jesus words in Matthew chapter 24 and the obvious rapid disintegration of worldly events and moral standards surrounding us all today???  Perhaps It'''s time to rethink our lives and future. Perhaps it is time for every Christian to get serious about their walk with the Lord. Perhaps we should all ask ourselves some very introspective questions.

Will Jesus find faith when He returns?  (Luke 18:8)

Will He find the church ready (Revelation 19:7)?  Will He find you and I ready (2 Timothy 4:2-4)?  Will He find us accomplishing His Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20)?

Or, will he find us sacrificing Biblical truth at the altar of political correctness?

Should we be concerned NOW?  Are the signs here? What do you think?

God bless you all,

Pastor Rance.

P.S. One day soon I will write an article about why I do not think the Muslim Dome of the Rock is sitting over the original site of the second Temple.  Why I think the Dome of the Rock is actually situated in the court of the gentiles.  Why it will not be necessary for the Jews to tear down the Dome of the Rock in order to build the third Temple and why after the signing of a 7 year peace accord instigated by the antichrist, the Temple will be able to coexist with the Muslim shrine.