Will the ritual of daily animal sacrifices begin once more in Israel?
Yes, the practice of daily sacrifices will once again be seen in modern-day Israel. I’ll lightly brush over the gruesome nature of the ritual. I am an animal lover and don’t like the idea of killing innocent animals. But the sacrificing of animals began with God when Adam and Eve first sinned in the Garden of Eden.
Genesis 3:21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.
Since the bible tells us that ‘God made coats of skins,’ we can logically conclude that more than one animal was killed in order to make this clothing. The Bible doesn’t give us an answer but we can also assume that Adam and Eve knew that innocent animals died because of their sin. So, the practice of animal sacrifice began then. And from then on, many tens of thousands of innocent animals have died for the sins of the human race.
But is by God’s design.
See this important teaching from Joel Richardson.
Sin is the crime. The penalty is death. Thus sacrifices
Death was–and still is–the penalty for sin. Those who commit sins are guilty of the crime. And by God’s grace, he allowed for a sacrifice of innocent blood for the guilty sinners. The Lord instituted this righteous standard in which he would allow the blood of an innocent animal for the “Temporary covering” of the guilty parties. And today, most Christians understand those initial sacrifices pointed to the eventual death of Jesus on the Cross. The idea is repulsive to most people. An innocent person or animal shouldn’t have to die so a guilty person can escape the penalty of their crime.
But it’s the standard of righteousness that the Lord established. And it all pointed to the Heavenly Father turning his face away as His beloved Son died on that cruel cross. The sacrifice of the innocent “Lamb of God” is sufficient. Anyone guilty of sins can have their guilt cleansed by accepting the “Lamb of God’s” sacrifice.
But:
Many have refused the gift and offering of God’s Chosen One. There is a lot of unfinished work in God’s plan and it includes the Jewish people. They rejected Jesus. The Old Testament prophets overwhelmingly tell us the Jews will suffer horrible tragedies at the end of days. Their suffering will cause them to turn to Jesus for help.
And a future temple in Israel is part of God’s plan for that. Once the temple is rebuilt and the sacrifices begin, the Jewish people will start to seek the Lord again. But their faith will remain shallow and incomplete. The daily sacrifices will begin to stir a righteous hunger in them. And then two witnesses will appear in the temple courts and begin to preach.
The Two Witnesses: Revelation chapter eleven
11:1 And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.
11:2 But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.
11:3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
11:4 These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.
Side note: Israeli priests are making preparations to restore the temple rituals. See the article here.
Let’s back up to the time shortly after Jesus returned to heaven.
The Romans stopped the daily sacrifices
In the first century, the Roman-led armies laid siege to Jerusalem. They ravaged the country of Israel, tore down the Temple of God, stole many of the temple relics, and left the country in ruin. As centuries passed, predominant biblical teachers and schools of thought came to the conclusion that many prophecies concerning a revived Israel were only allegorical.
But in 1948, a sea-change of prophetic interpretation swept across the biblical landscape. For centuries, Bible scholars assumed that Jews would never regain their right to their original homeland. They were wrong. Most Jews currently living in Israel do not accept Jesus as their Messiah. But many practicing Jews long for a rebuilt temple and the restoration of sacrifices. Many of them believe their Messiah will arrive and build the temple for them. But the Antichrist will arrive as a deceiver. It’s possible that whoever this dark figure is will involve himself in the rebuilding of the temple. The Antichrist has a significant role to play in this future temple.
Let’s look at some other key passages.
Matthew 24:15
Therefore when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand).
In the above verse, Jesus said the “Abomination of Desolation will “stand in the holy place.” The holy place is a reference to one of two inner chambers in God’s Temple. Jesus’ used the words of Daniel to teach a key fact about the Abomination. And the phrase Jesus used is important to take note of. Someone will stand in the Holy Place. So a temple with a Holy Place is necessary.
Daniel 9:27
And he will confirm a covenant with many for one week, but in the middle of the week, he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of the temple will come the abomination that causes desolation, until the decreed destruction is poured out upon him.”
Daniel 11:36
And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvelous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
Daniel’s words were dictated to him by one of God’s angels. The angel told him that a person, “he” will confirm a covenant with many. We don’t know who the “many” are but after the confirmation of the covenant, three and a half years will pass. During that time, animal sacrifices will take place in God’s temple. Many biblical interpreters insist that the message was intended to indicate the time when the Romans destroyed the temple.
But the prophecy doesn’t fit that interpretation. During the Roman destruction, there wasn’t one person who confirmed a covenant with many people or nations. And during that Roman siege, there wasn’t one person who stood inside the Holy Place as Jesus mentioned and committed the Abomination. And those are just two of scores of reasons why the interpretation is an example of poor scholarly work.
Now let’s look at the Apostle Paul’s words that give us much more clarity about this event.
Paul described a man of sin in God’s Temple
2 Thessalonians chapter: The Man of Sin
2:1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him. (This is a reference to the rapture.)
2:2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means. For that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition. (This is the Antichrist.)
2:4 Who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped? So that he as God sits in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. (This will happen.)
2:5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
2:6 And now ye know what withholds that he might be revealed in his time. (The revelation of the Antichrist comes before the return of Jesus Christ.)
2:7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work. Only he who now lets will let until he be taken out of the way.
2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed. Whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming. (Jesus will destroy the Antichrist.)
2:9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders.
2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish, because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie.
2:12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Four Witnesses
So, we have four powerful witnesses, the Apostles John and Paul, Daniel the prophet, and the Lord himself. Their words point to the need for a temple and animal sacrifices in Israel during the last days. A man of sin, the Antichrist, will stand inside the temple and claim deity. Jesus will destroy the man and the armies that followed him.
All the prophets pointed to specific signs we should look for as the return of Christ draws near.
A future temple and the restart of animal sacrifices are two of the key signs we should expect in the future.
Another great video from the Bible Project.
Explore more articles about the future temple in Israel.
What should we make of the current discussion between Israel and the U.S?
Jesus said, “Not one stone would be left upon another?”
Let me know what you think.