The Temple Mount
“Do not keep silent, O God! Do not hold Your peace, And do not be still, O God! For behold, Your enemies make a tumult; And those who hate You have lifted up their head. They have taken crafty counsel against Your people, And consulted together against Your sheltered ones. They have said, ‘Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation, That the name of Israel may be remembered no more’” (Psalm 83:1-4).
Recep Erdogan has done everything in his power to revive the fallen Ottoman Empire. He wants to make a unified Islamic country; and being in Syria, he’s headed towards that goal.
Damascus will be the spark that sets the Middle East on Fire. If Israel attacks Damascus, and I think they will, then Russia, along with Iran and Turkey, will in turn attack Israel.
Jesus warns those living in Judea and Samaria to run for their lives; this means this attack is going to happen quickly. Why is it going to happen so suddenly? Because they are going to be living amongst their enemy. The Israeli Jews will be neighbors with a couple million Palestinians in the newly created state of “Palestine.”
I believe the Psalm 83 war is not so much of an invasion, but an attack from within, led by the Antichrist. In fact, it makes sense that his standing in the temple is what begins the surprise attack on the Jews. The countries that invade Jerusalem include the “inner circle” of countries that border Israel, mainly Palestinians from Gaza, Lebanon and Jordan. The Jews will be outnumbered and surrounded by the Palestinians.
“Therefore when you see ‘the abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place’ (whoever reads, let him understand), ‘then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains” (Matthew 24:15-16).
The Jewish people still refer to East Jerusalem by their ancient biblical names of Judea and Samaria, proving once more that the land historically belongs to them. Why did he specifically mention Judea and Samaria? Because tens of thousands of Jewish citizens live there and will remain there after the peace deal is signed.
A former Palestinian leader has already suggested that if and when a sovereign Palestinian state is created, the Jews will not have to leave their homes. There are roughly 1.5 million Arabs living within Israel, so why couldn’t the Jews stay in a Palestinian state?
Israel’s Population Registry released January 2019 shows the number of Jews in Judea and Samaria is 435,159. There are also roughly 315,000 Jews who live in the eastern neighborhoods of Jerusalem, which is technically the “West Bank.” Living among them are estimates of 2.5 million Palestinians.
With the coming peace deal, the Palestinians will gain statehood. They will also most likely gain East Jerusalem. The Jews and Muslims, however, will share the Temple Mount. The peace proposal will allow the rebuilding of the temple right next to the Al Aqsa mosque, where Jews and Muslims will worship together. For three and a half years they will worship peacefully, and then sudden destruction comes.
The Temple Mount is in East Jerusalem, so the Jewish people will travel there freely from Israel to worship in their Temple. Three and a half years after this sharing arrangement is agreed to, the Palestinians are going to change their mind. They no longer want to share the Temple Mount.
The Palestinians will also have more weight with the world in their argument that the Temple Mount is all theirs. Why? They will have had their own state for a few years, and the Temple Mount is within their border. The UN nations would like nothing more than to take all of Jerusalem from the Jews.
“And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days. Blessed is he who waits, and comes to the one thousand three hundred and thirty-five days” (Daniel 12:11-12).
The Jews living within those borders will suddenly see a man walk into their Temple and proclaim himself God and speak blasphemies. The Jews will be shopping, worshipping, and strolling in the park; and suddenly thousands and thousands of Palestinians begin attacking them.
“They have taken crafty counsel against Your people, And consulted together against Your sheltered ones. They have said, ‘Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation, That the name of Israel may be remembered no more.’”
The Jewish women, young and old, will be raped and lead away to be sold, just as Muslims are currently doing in Syria and Iraq. The children will be murdered in front of their parents. The men will be murdered in the streets; their desire to fight back and defend their families and neighbors will not be enough. The attack is such an unexpected surprise that Jesus warns those who are in the fields or even running errands not to return home. Just RUN! There will be many Jewish people taken captive, as in the days of Egyptian captivity, once again.
“Therefore when you see ‘the abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place’ (whoever reads, let him understand), ‘then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes” (Matthew 24:15-17).
I’ve said many times before in previous articles that the Jewish people will flee and run towards Jordan, but they will be cut off. They will run to their brother, Esau, but he will join against them. This is why the Bible says that Ammon, Moab and Edom will not be attacked by the Antichrist; they escape this attack because they forsake the covenant. These nations are in modern-day Jordan. They do not want the Jewish people to have anything to do with Jerusalem, and it’s all going to come to a head, and soon. They also currently control the Temple Mount.
“For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people. And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled” (Luke 21:23-24).
The nations listed in Psalm 83 are also listed in Daniel, where the Antichrist makes his appearance in the Temple. His abomination of desolation will cause chaos on the Temple Mount. It will embolden the Palestinians and Jordanians. We don’t know exactly what this desolation will be, but I’m leaning towards the Muslims turning the Temple into a mosque. This is something they have done to churches and synagogues throughout history. I can easily see this happening, with the call to prayer on the temple and all.
In Psalm 83 it says the neighbors of Israel will make a tumult. A tumult is a violent uprising.
“He shall also enter the Glorious Land, and many countries shall be overthrown; but these shall escape from his hand: Edom, Moab, and the prominent people of Ammon” (Daniel 11:41).
“They have said, ‘Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation, That the name of Israel may be remembered no more.’ For they have consulted together with one consent; They form a confederacy against You: The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites; Moab and the Hagrites; Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek; Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre; Assyria also has joined with them; They have helped the children of Lot” (Psalm 83:4-8).
Hagar was an Egyptian-born woman who migrated out of her homeland. In the 10th century B.C., Asaph, the author of Psalm 83, calls for vengeance on these surrounding nations. The Hagarenes were a people who lived in the region of northern Jordan, east of Gilead.
“Now in the days of Saul they made war with the Hagrites, who fell by their hand; and they dwelt in their tents throughout the entire area east of Gilead” (1 Chronicles 5:10).
Psalm 83 also lists Amalek as one of the invading nations.
“Therefore, when Hashem your God grants you safety from all your enemies around you, in the land that Hashem your God is giving you as a hereditary portion, you shall blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven. Do not forget!” (Deuteronomy 25:19).
Bible scholars will use the ancestral bloodline to identify Edom as being the modern-day Palestinians; but they will also use the geographic location they lived in to include Jordan, making the modern-day Edomites today’s Palestinians and Jordanians. But with the Ishmaelites, scholars don’t use the bloodline method. Instead, the identification of the Ishmaelites is limited to modern-day Saudi Arabia through geographic location. But the Ishmaelites are tied to the Edomites through Esau. Esau married one of Ishmael’s daughters, forever linking the two.
This brings the Ishmaelites to the Jordanian areas.
The Palestinians are the descendants of the Amalekites. Amalek is the grandson of Esau (Genesis 36:12). Esau ties together the Amalekites, Edomites and Ishmaelites to the Palestinian and Jordanian areas, the same nations listed in Daniel.
The Amalekites became one of Israel’s greatest enemies. A prophecy about Amalek foretold endless war between Israel and Amalek “from generation to generation.”
“And Moses built an altar and called its name, The-Lord-Is-My-Banner; for he said, ‘Because the Lord has sworn: the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation’” (Exodus 17:15-16).
The Bible traces the roots of the blood feud between Israel and the Palestinians to the Patriarchs. There were two sibling rivalries of the past that impact the Jewish people and Israel to this day. These rivalries were between Abraham’s sons Ishmael and Isaac (Genesis 16–17, 21) and between Isaac’s sons Esau and Jacob (Genesis 25, 27–28). Ishmael was the father of many of the Arabs, who today are Islamic and want Jerusalem as their own, while through Jacob came the Israelite tribes.
In the Bible, we learn that Edom (Esau) refused to allow Israel free passage to the Holy Land.
“Then Edom said to him, ‘You shall not pass through my land, lest I come out against you with the sword’” (Numbers 20:18).
Saul warred with the Edomites and Amalekites during his reign.
“So Saul established his sovereignty over Israel, and fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, against the people of Ammon, against Edom, against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines. Wherever he turned, he harassed them. And he gathered an army and attacked the Amalekites, and delivered Israel from the hands of them that spoiled them” (1 Samuel 14:47-48).
During David’s reign, he conquered them, then Jehoshaphat did as well (2 Chronicles 20), and Ahaz (2 Chronicles 28:17). The book of Malachi shows the hatred the Amalekites had for Israel (Malachi 1:2-5).
Psalm 83:12 says that the Arab/Edomite union wants to destroy Israel in order to take over the Promised Land. The prophecy clearly mentions Edom and Amalek (Psalm 83:6-8).
To the Palestinians and Jordanians (Edomites through Esau), God said to them:
“The house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau stubble; they shall burn them and consume them, and there shall be no survivor for the house of Esau, for the LORD has spoken” (Obadiah 1:18).
The Philistines were enemies of the ancient Israelites. After the second temple was destroyed, Jerusalem still had a small, wavering population – some Jews, but mostly Romans.
In 135 AD, Hadrian, Roman Emperor, changed the name of Jerusalem to “Palestine.” It is a derivative of Philistine. He did this to insult the Jews while intending to erase them from history. There was never a Palestinian people, and the Philistines never possessed Jerusalem. This is a myth. The Palestinian people are Jordanian, both descendants of Esau. The Palestinian people were invented in the sixties, with Arafat leading the effort. The “Palestinian” people were victims of the Trans-Jordan annexation. They have been used for fifty years as a means to attack Israel.
King Abdullah in 1948 said “Palestine and Jordan are one.”
King Hussein of Jordan said in 1981, “The truth is that Jordan is Palestine and Palestine is Jordan.”
Prince Hassan of the Jordanian National Assembly was quoted as saying on February 2, 1970, “Palestine is Jordan and Jordan is Palestine; there is only one land, with one history and one and the same fate.”
Abdul Hamid Sharif, Prime Minister of Jordan, declared in 1980, “The Palestinians and Jordanians do not belong to different nationalities. They hold the same Jordanian passports, are Arabs and have the same Jordanian culture.”
The ancient Philistines occupied southern Canaan and controlled five major cities. This included Gaza, Askelon and Ashdod. Geographically, this would be the Gaza Strip.
The use of the name “Palestine” is biblically inaccurate; but more importantly than that, it’s been used as a tool to persecute the Jews for the last seventy years. Even prior to Israel becoming a nation, the name “Palestine” has been broadly used to disassociate the Jews from Israel. Even those in the church use the term Palestine. The term “Palestine” has been used as a political propaganda machine in the U.N. and across the world.
The name Palestine is rarely used in the Old Testament. In the Bible it refers to the southwestern coastal area of Israel that was occupied by the Philistines. It is a translation of the Hebrew word “Pelesheth.” Palestine was never used to reference the whole land of Israel. In the New Testament, “Palestine” is never used.
The Church began using the term Palestine in literature and in maps to refer to Israel in 300 AD. The Crusaders that were fighting to liberate Jerusalem called Israel “Kingdom of Jerusalem.”
The Antichrist is going to be welcomed by both Jews and Muslims when he first arrives. He will flatter many; he will even flatter Israel for three and a half years, putting the Israeli people in a vulnerable position because they will not be expecting this coming attack. Jerusalem will become a tourist haven during this time. There will be “peace,” and Jerusalem will be the focal point for visitors all over the world – Christian, Muslim and Jewish.
“So he shall return and show regard for those who forsake the holy covenant. And forces shall be mustered by him, and they shall defile the sanctuary fortress; then they shall take away the daily sacrifices, and place there the abomination of desolation.”
The Antichrist musters forces, and they defile the sanctuary, bringing the abomination of desolation. Thousands of Palestinian Muslims are near the Temple on a daily basis. They will agree to share, but this doesn’t mean they suddenly love Jacob, their brother.
In a previous article, I went into detail on why Gog of Russia CANNOT be the Antichrist. The Gog war and the Antichrist appearing are two completely separate events, but I’m convinced the Psalm 83 attack will come three and a half years after the peace deal is signed. His appearance and ultimate betrayal will lead the surrounding Palestinians to attack.
The coming peace deal will be between many, but the major players are the Palestinians/Jordan and Israel. It makes perfect sense that the same people who signed the covenant will be the people to break the covenant.
The feud between Jacob and Esau, and Isaac and Jacob has brought us to the boiling point the area has reached today.
As Christians, we watch all of these amazing prophecies unfold, and we know what it means; we know our Lord and Savior is at the door. He’s coming back for what’s His.
The Jewish people are about to make a fatal error in the opening of their temple. They not only have gone against God’s word, which was to destroy any and all idols or false places of worship, but now the newly created Sanhedrin have invited Muslims to the opening, when it opens.
Currently, Jews are allowed on the Temple Mount, God’s mountain, on a very limited and strict basis. They are not allowed to pray, sing or worship. They can’t bring any religious symbols; this goes for Christians too. If you break these rules, you will be detained by the police.
The Sanhedrin has already made the preparations for temple worship. They have sent out invitations across the world, even to Muslims who blaspheme his name. They are urging support for the temple and fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy.
During Hanukkah there was a temple service reenactment, with the stones to the tabernacle that will be used in the newly rebuilt temple.
In 2016, a prominent Rabbi and Jewish scholar in Jerusalem, Rabbi Baruch Kahane, asked how long it would take to begin Temple sacrifices if the situation suddenly changed. He stated, “If the government decided to permit it, it would only take a few weeks to make preparations, even to do the Yom Kippur service.”
According to Jewish tradition, the tabernacle and Aaron the high Priest were consecrated for temple worship on the last day of Hanukkah.
In December 2018, the Sanhedrin held a temple worship reenactment to consecrate the altar for the Third Temple. A full-dress reenactment was held, but local authorities would not permit a sheep to be slaughtered; so one was slaughtered at another location. The meat was arranged on a ramp leading up to the altar in the ritually prescribed manner. One piece was thrown into the fire on the altar, then burned completely.
The building of the temple is near; everything is ready. The recognition of Jerusalem by the U.S. was a huge stepping stone towards this path.
The ambassador to Guatemala attended and said, “This is a truly historic moment. My government is pleased to be partners with the Sanhedrin and with Israel in bringing the Messiah.”
Remember, the Jews are not seeking a Jesus-like figure as a Messiah. They are simply seeking a man that will bring peace and the building of their temple – a political figure that will bring peace to Jerusalem. President Trump may have the “deal of a century” in his peace proposal, but without someone like Recep Tayyip Erdogan to help introduce it and approve of it, it will go nowhere.
He has the very people that come against Jerusalem already treating him like a Messiah figure. He has embroiled himself in the Palestinian cause, throwing his very vocal support behind the Palestinians becoming a state and has insisted the Palestinians keep East Jerusalem in any peace deal. Why East Jerusalem? Remember, the Temple Mount is in East Jerusalem. The Ottoman Empire conquered Jerusalem before, and they will do it again.
Erdogan has thrown his full support for the terror organization Hamas. There are Turkish flags flying publicly around East Jerusalem. Many of the streets outside the Old City Wall have Turkish flags flying on every corner; this includes the entrances to the Temple Mount. Often, pro-Turkish demonstrations take place on the Temple Mount itself. Tens of thousands of Turkish citizens have gone on pilgrimages to Israeli-controlled Jerusalem to prevent its “Judaization.”
Erdogan is one of the few Middle Eastern leaders that still champion the Palestinian cause. Many others have grown tired of it and have recently grown closer to Israel in their mutual distrust and dislike of Iran. Saudi Arabia, for instance, has grown much closer to Israel. The Saudis have Mecca, but Erdogan wants Jerusalem.
Erdogan has even restored the Islamic crescent to the Dome of the Rock’s gold cap, which dominates Jerusalem’s skyline.
One shocking Turkish influence in East Jerusalem is the number of Turkish restaurants that have become havens for reminiscing Muslims over the Ottoman Empire. There are signs celebrating Islamization and the Islamic conquests. Muslim worshipers raise Erdogan’s picture in Friday prayers. The Ottoman Empire was not some ancient Empire. It hasn’t even been one hundred years since it ended.
Arab fashion stores have also changed recently as they’ve slowly started to sell more modest Islamic clothing for women, but in a Turkish style.
A Turkish cultural center recently opened, which offers courses in Turkish. There are Turkish musical concerts, and scholars who are building up the connection between the Palestinians of East Jerusalem and Turkish culture.
Turkey is gaining control of the mosques on the Temple Mount by having extensive religious tourism from Turkey. Turkish tourists have even confronted Orthodox Jews on the Temple Mount.
Erdogan has taken every measure to distance Turkey from any sort of diplomatic relationship with Israel in recent years. He has regarded himself as a champion of the Palestinians, and led the international outcry against the Trump administration for moving its embassy, as well as its stance on the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.
Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the Palestinian Authority have all warned Israel that they are concerned about Turkey’s growing presence in eastern Jerusalem. All three governments agree that the purpose of the Turkish presence in East Jerusalem is to give Erdogan control over the Temple Mount. Not to mention he wants to become sole custodian of East Jerusalem and leader of the Muslim world.
Jordan has accused Israel of sleeping at the wheel with regard to Erdogan. But, Jordan’s concerns about Turkey’s activities are due to its own standing as the guardian of Islam’s holy sites in Jerusalem. Jordanian officials told Israeli officials that they suspect Erdogan is trying to undercut that position. The Bible says that Jordan escapes wrath or punishment from the Antichrist because they forsake the covenant, meaning they do not acknowledge Jewish ties to Jerusalem.
The Palestinian Authority’s main concern is Turkey’s support in boosting Islamist groups that oppose them, like Hamas in Gaza. Turkey and Hamas are both closer ideologically and politically as well. Erdogan can control those attacking Israel the most in order to bring this peace deal. Two things to note: Turkey is the only other nation from Psalm 83 that is also in Ezekiel 38, and many Middle Eastern countries are in agreement with Israel on Iran. The majority of Middle Eastern countries want Iran stopped.
Not long ago, Turkey was becoming a more relaxed, secular nation, trying to build diplomacy with Europe through diplomatic ties. The same can be said of Iran and Egypt; they also were moving towards secularism.
The fact that they didn’t, and just as quickly returned to Sharia-controlled governments, proves once again that the West and Middle East CANNOT COEXIST.
Only time will tell which biblical war is next on the horizon. We can only pray, study and speculate. One thing is certain though; no matter which war comes first, or if Erdogan comes and goes, the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, is coming soon. Jerusalem is HIS, and he’s coming back to take what’s his and to judge the nations. Are you ready?
Ezekiel 25:15-17 “This is what the Sovereign LORD says: ‘Because the Philistines acted in vengeance and took revenge with malice in their hearts, and with ancient hostility sought to destroy Judah, Behold, I will stretch out My hand against the Philistines, even cut off the Cherethites and destroy the remnant of the seacoast. I will execute great vengeance on them with wrathful rebukes; and they will know that I am the LORD when I lay My vengeance on them.’”
Vanessa P.