Okey dokey,
I admit to not having read every reply here but one thing I do not recall seeing in this debate of will there or wont
there be a 3rd temple is where "The AntiChrist".... The bad endtimes one will sit.....
There has been a lot of suggestion that he will sit in Rome because Rome is on 7 hills.... But there has more recently been more discussion of
him sitting in the 3rd temple........
I have been looking into this and it seems there are 2 Christian Interpretations of “Where Antichrist Sits”
The first being the FUTURIST interpretation which is considered a 'modern' popular view....
This is the view taught in many evangelical and prophecy-focused circles based on 3 biblical passages.
They connect three passages:
2 Thes 2:3-4
3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for
that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition,
4who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.
This being interpreted as a
future rebuilt Jewish temple in Jerusalem, not the church.
Because of Dan 9:27
Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate.”
Futurists believe “the abomination of desolation” will occur in a rebuilt temple.
AND see Matt 24:15
“Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand),
Jesus references Daniel’s “abomination,” which makes some think a physical temple must exist again.
ERGO
There must be a literal 3rd Temple.
The Antichrist will sit in that temple.
Thus, this eliminates ROME as a possibility.
This view only became widely popular in the last 150–200 years (through Darby, Scofield, and modern prophecy teachers).
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The other view is the Historic Christian interpretation ... "early Protestant and many church fathers
It seems for most of history, Christians believed:
The “temple of God” = the Church, not a building
This is based on:
1 Corinthians 3:16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and
that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
Ephesians 2:21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord,
Before I go on I need to comment here.... I do not feel strongly one way or the other on any view of this... other then to say
that I, personally, from everything I have read or heard believed that this referenced temple of God was in Rome... on the 7 hills....
That is because it certainly is the classic Protestant historicist interpretation that was extremely common from the Reformation until the early 20th century:
The Antichrist = a final Roman pope.... And He will sit in St. Peter’s Basilica (the “temple of God”) in Vatican City→ Vatican City is inside Rome, the city on seven hills and Thus he fulfills “sitting in the temple of God” (2 Thess 2) while the woman sits on seven hills (Rev 17).
Even though the “story” isn’t directly stated in one place in the Bible, it’s a synthesis of 2 Thessalonians 2 + Revelation 17 + the historical identification of Rome as the seven-hilled city.
So while the idea of the Antichrist "sitting in the house of God" (or "the temple of God") on a city with seven hills comes primarily from two passages in the New Testament, combined with centuries of Christian interpretation, prophecy speculation, and (especially in Protestant circles) anti-Catholic polemics.
However.....
The belief that the Antichrist will “sit in the house of God on the seven hills” is a historic Protestant interpretation that identifies:
The “temple of God” = the greatest church in Christendom (St. Peter’s in Rome)
The “city on seven hills” = Rome/Vatican
The man who sits there claiming divine honors = the Pope (or a future Pope)
We almost never pay any attention to......
The Temple Mount is a hill in the Old City of Jerusalem. Once the site of two successive Temples in Jerusalem,
AND
Jerusalem is often described as being surrounded by seven hills, but the Temple Mount itself is not located on a hill; it is a raised platform within the city.
Yet while Jerusalem is often described as being situated on hills, it is specifically built on two main hills: the eastern hill and the western hill. The Temple Mount, which is a significant religious site, is located on the western hill.
The Seven Hills Concept
While Jerusalem is not traditionally referred to as the "City of Seven Hills," it is surrounded by several peaks. The concept of seven hills is more commonly associated with Rome.
However, some references suggest that Jerusalem can be viewed as being surrounded by seven notable peaks, which include:
- Mount Scopus
- Mount of Olives
- Mount Corruption
- Mount Ophel
- Temple Mount (Mount Moriah)
- New Mount Zion
- The peak of the Roman Antonia Fortress
So due to the lack of specifics regarding the location that the Antichrist will sit.......
It seems that there could be considered two possibilities for this and one would need to have a rebuilt temple.