Can We Bring the Messiah Back?
Why do we have so many differing beliefs of the same Bible? There are many different interpretations of the Bible by well-intentioned, scholarly theologians. Devout believers with good hearts disagree over the understanding of many passages. If the Bible is clear and unchanging then why do so many of us Christians disagree?
The answer to this age-old question is simple. We all tend to interpret the Bible through a theological system. Every theologian I know defends his system as the correct and only method of interpreting the Bible. Every theological system I know has flaws. They have passages of scripture that cannot make sense in their system of beliefs. To me, this is an indicator that something is wrong with that theology.
How do we resolve this conflict of differing interpretations? I believe the best place to look is archaeology. Let’s look at what the believers whom Christ personally taught believed. If any group of believers had a correct interpretation of the Bible it had to be those whom Christ taught in person.
What we know as the Lord’s Prayer has two key phrases. It says, “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth as it is in Heaven.” What does it mean, “Thy Kingdom come”? We should be praying that the Messiah returns to this earth and sets up His kingdom. This will happen when the Temple in Jerusalem is rebuilt.
What is God’s will? The Greek word (theleima) refers to God’s plan for creation since the beginning. God’s plan is well defined in scriptures. God has not deviated from this plan or changed it. Most modern theologies view the church as God’s new plan since His old plan failed. The church is not the result of failure. The church is one step in God’s plan. It is one step closer to the return of the Messiah.
One of the passages that I have struggled with for many years is II Peter 3:12. It says the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night. What manner of people should we be in light of this truth? We should be “looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God.” I understand how we can look for the Messiah’s return, but how can we hasten it?
The Greek word for “hasten” (speudo) means “to cause to happen soon.”
How can we cause the return of the Messiah to happen soon?
Most theological systems teach that believers need to sit back and wait for the Messiah to return. It is a magical thing that will happen at a time only God knows. It is true no man knows the day or hour when the Messiah will return. But God says that His children can know the times (events) and seasons (a time marked by circumstances) when He will return. We know that certain events will have to happen before the Messiah returns. When we see those events happen, we know His return is imminent.
One of the events that has to happen before the Messiah’s return is the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem. Who will rebuild the Temple? It will have to be God’s children. We know that the anti-Christ will desecrate it and sit on God’s throne for a short period of time but the Temple has to be rebuilt.
Now I am going to make a bold statement that does not fit in most modern theological systems of belief.
It is our responsibility to rebuild the Temple.
God’s children will rebuild the Temple! No one else will do it. Christians are God’s children. We must do it. Many say, “The Jews will rebuild the Temple.” The believing Jews will rebuild the Temple. According to Romans 11 gentile believers are grafted into the Jews so Christians are Jews too. How do we “hasten” the day of the Lord? We should be actively involved in the movement to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem.
Is this what the Early Church believed? Absolutely! The two 24K gold tablets that I have written about well demonstrate that the Early Church lived to see the Temple rebuilt. They understood that once the Temple was rebuilt in Jerusalem, the Messiah would come. Many things have to happen in order for the Temple to be rebuilt on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The biggest obstacle is world approval. Israel has the physical and legal ability to rebuild the Temple today. What is holding them back? World support. Without major support from across the world, rebuilding the Temple will be near impossible. The world will come against Israel and the new Temple will be destroyed before it can be finished. It is not Israel’s intent to create world war. The Temple must be rebuilt in a peaceful manner.
The church is still the largest group of people on earth. If the church would realize that the Temple must be rebuilt before the Messiah returns and it is our responsibility to do it, then we could provide the world support necessary “hasten the day of God.” Let’s support Israel and the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem. Get involved today. Let’s hasten the return of the Messiah!
© Dr. Steven L Smith 2016
The answer to this age-old question is simple. We all tend to interpret the Bible through a theological system. Every theologian I know defends his system as the correct and only method of interpreting the Bible. Every theological system I know has flaws. They have passages of scripture that cannot make sense in their system of beliefs. To me, this is an indicator that something is wrong with that theology.
How do we resolve this conflict of differing interpretations? I believe the best place to look is archaeology. Let’s look at what the believers whom Christ personally taught believed. If any group of believers had a correct interpretation of the Bible it had to be those whom Christ taught in person.
What we know as the Lord’s Prayer has two key phrases. It says, “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth as it is in Heaven.” What does it mean, “Thy Kingdom come”? We should be praying that the Messiah returns to this earth and sets up His kingdom. This will happen when the Temple in Jerusalem is rebuilt.
What is God’s will? The Greek word (theleima) refers to God’s plan for creation since the beginning. God’s plan is well defined in scriptures. God has not deviated from this plan or changed it. Most modern theologies view the church as God’s new plan since His old plan failed. The church is not the result of failure. The church is one step in God’s plan. It is one step closer to the return of the Messiah.
One of the passages that I have struggled with for many years is II Peter 3:12. It says the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night. What manner of people should we be in light of this truth? We should be “looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God.” I understand how we can look for the Messiah’s return, but how can we hasten it?
The Greek word for “hasten” (speudo) means “to cause to happen soon.”
How can we cause the return of the Messiah to happen soon?
Most theological systems teach that believers need to sit back and wait for the Messiah to return. It is a magical thing that will happen at a time only God knows. It is true no man knows the day or hour when the Messiah will return. But God says that His children can know the times (events) and seasons (a time marked by circumstances) when He will return. We know that certain events will have to happen before the Messiah returns. When we see those events happen, we know His return is imminent.
One of the events that has to happen before the Messiah’s return is the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem. Who will rebuild the Temple? It will have to be God’s children. We know that the anti-Christ will desecrate it and sit on God’s throne for a short period of time but the Temple has to be rebuilt.
Now I am going to make a bold statement that does not fit in most modern theological systems of belief.
It is our responsibility to rebuild the Temple.
God’s children will rebuild the Temple! No one else will do it. Christians are God’s children. We must do it. Many say, “The Jews will rebuild the Temple.” The believing Jews will rebuild the Temple. According to Romans 11 gentile believers are grafted into the Jews so Christians are Jews too. How do we “hasten” the day of the Lord? We should be actively involved in the movement to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem.
Is this what the Early Church believed? Absolutely! The two 24K gold tablets that I have written about well demonstrate that the Early Church lived to see the Temple rebuilt. They understood that once the Temple was rebuilt in Jerusalem, the Messiah would come. Many things have to happen in order for the Temple to be rebuilt on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The biggest obstacle is world approval. Israel has the physical and legal ability to rebuild the Temple today. What is holding them back? World support. Without major support from across the world, rebuilding the Temple will be near impossible. The world will come against Israel and the new Temple will be destroyed before it can be finished. It is not Israel’s intent to create world war. The Temple must be rebuilt in a peaceful manner.
The church is still the largest group of people on earth. If the church would realize that the Temple must be rebuilt before the Messiah returns and it is our responsibility to do it, then we could provide the world support necessary “hasten the day of God.” Let’s support Israel and the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem. Get involved today. Let’s hasten the return of the Messiah!
© Dr. Steven L Smith 2016