[2ndDivisionVet]

Daniel C. Peterson, professor of Islamic studies and Arabic at BYU, is editor-in-chief of the Middle Eastern Texts Initiative and a blogger for Patheos. William Hamblin is a professor of history at BYU and co-author of “Solomon's Temple: Myth and History.” Their views do not necessarily represent those of BYU.

[elcid1970]

Been hearing rumors about Israelis stockpiling materials to rebuild the Temple since late 1967 after they captured east Jerusalem.

Ain’t gonna happen. The Temple Mount is under Muslim control (voluntarily ceded by Israel) and the Dome of the Rock plus the Al-Aqsa mosque would have to be razed to make room for the new Temple.

Sorry, folks.

[Prospero]

Where the God of Abraham, his friend, makes a stand count on the "world" to immediately camp out all over the top of it.

However patient the present landowner may be, there is a lien on the Title granting a kind of perpetual easement. Those parties are both capable and righteous in taking possession at any time.

Those anxious about rebuilding fail to see their resemblance to Abraham "working out God's will" in a tent with his wife's slave girl. Ultimately, God does not need any of our help in defending his claims or reputation.

When Jesus prophesied the destruction of Jerusalem he was quite specific. "No one stone," he said of Herod's "improvements" on Nehemiah's "Second Temple."

"As for these things which ye behold, the days will come, in the which there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down." - Luke 21:6

Last time I looked, and that was just yesterday, interestingly enough, the Wailing Wall, including the incredibly heavy "Western Stone" was still standing.

I sometimes wonder how many Christians' of nominal faith would melt away if (or when) God "watching over his word to perform it" does not fulfill in a manner consistent with what they've been taught.

[iowamark]

Don’t rely on Mormonism for Biblical history.

[Monkey Face]

Very interesting. I believe the Third Temple will be built but the rest of the thought, I will keep to myself.

History has a way of validating the Biblical prophecies.

Thanks for the ping, SC.

[ckilmer]

Sometime in the second half of this century — the first of many many large scale off world migrations will begin. (ie it might be nearer to 2050 and it might be nearer to 2090. Right now we are in the midst of accelerating technological development so there is a time compression currently extant for events. The more and longer this compression extends — the sooner starts the migrations.)

To many eyes these migrations will look as star tingly like signs of the world’s end as did 60 years ago —the birth of Israel. That is, these migrations will look like something they might have read from the Left Behind series. Or if they’d read the bible — something out of the book of Revelations.

I don’t know that this will be true. The same sort of mystery of those leaving and those staying behind has been felt by all peoples around the world going back five centuries between those who have come to the New World and those who stayed home.

There will be the same great break between those who stay on earth and those who go into space.

Life is a journey. Its commonly pointed out these days that Abraham begins the specifically Jewish part of Genesis when he is called to a westward migration by God.

There are parts of Abraham’s journey —including faith in things unseen— there are very much like the stories of people coming to america several hundred years ago.

(these day people who migrate to the new world —have seen pictures and movies and videos offline online in detail. So its not the same.)