Temple, Israel & Rapture Luke 21 – New Testament in a Year

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In Luke 21:5-24 Jesus prophecies the destruction of the Temple and the trampling of Jerusalem by the Gentiles. He doesn’t prophecy here or anywhere else that the physical Temple will be rebuilt. The temple and Jerusalem were indeed trampled in AD 70 under Emporer Titus. There’s no need for a physical temple anymore – Jesus came and “tabernacled amongst us” John 1:14. He was the place of God’s presence, the Temple – that’s why in John 2:19 He said destroy this templeand I will rebuild it in three days. He was talking of himself, dying and rising again as the place of God’s presence – God himself come in flesh. Now we are the place of God’s presence, Temples of the Holy Spirit, bring God’s presence and kingdom rule wherever we tread. N.T. Wright puts it like this “God’s house in Jerusalem was meant to be a ‘place of prayer for all the nations’ (Isaiah 56:7; Mark 11:17); but God would now achieve this through the new temple, which was Jesus himself and his people”

In v25-28 Jesus continues with his prophetic telescope – to prophecy events that haven’t happened yet. Jesus will come again once, very visibly – in a cloud with power and great glory. To think that He will come again secretly to rapture away Christians from suffering so they can sit in their lazy-boy armchairs in heaven is fictious, best-selling nonsense!

In v32 we are joining the generation that will not pass away until the end comes. So don’t get weighed down with life, with drunkenness – you won’t be ready.

Never be lacking in zeal – keep your spiritual fervour, “take the opportunities to bear witness” v13. The 70AD Christians needed to endure, so do we in the power of the Holy Spirit and full of the grace of God.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR - ANDY MOYLE

Andy planted the Gateway Church in Sept 2007. He and Janet love to gather different nations together to grow in Christ while eating good food! He also helps to shape and serve a couple of Relational Mission's church plants in mainland Europe. Andy and Janet run regularly, largely to offset the hospitality eating! He also runs a popular WordPress plugin Church Admin