General Articles

Temple Transitions :: By Dave Cogburn

Published on: by RR10

John 2:18-19 “The Jews then responded to Him, ‘What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this’? Jesus answered them, ‘Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days'” (NIV).

John 2 is talking about when Jesus was running all of the money changers and others out of the temple for turning it into a “den of thieves,” and the Pharisees want to know what authority He has for doing so.

Obviously, the Pharisees had no clue as to what Jesus was talking about. They asked Him how he could raise up a beautiful grand temple in three days that had taken 46 years to build.

Let’s talk about God’s temple. What is the temple, and why is it necessary? A temple revolves around only one thing – a personal relationship with God. When God has a personal relationship with “anyone,” whether it be individuals or a nation like Israel, He leaves heaven and comes to earth to be with them for that personal relationship.

This began with Adam and Eve when God left heaven to have a personal relationship with them on earth. Their sin broke that relationship, and God went back to heaven. Later, God decided He wanted to create a “nation” to have a personal relationship with, which began with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. When God establishes a personal relationship with ANYONE, one of the first things He does is deal with the sin problem since He does not have a personal relationship with anyone or any nation that has unresolved sin.

With Israel, He had them build a temple building because He was coming back to earth to have a relationship with them. The purpose of the temple was to, one, be a PLACE where God would dwell with His people, and two, be a place where the Israelites could present all of their ANIMAL SACRIFICES to God. Both of these needed to occur in the temple. God’s temple is ALWAYS about where He is “dwelling” and where atonement “sacrifices occur.” God begins what I will call His “Temple relationship program” with the nation of Israel. He did not need it with Adam and Eve because there was NO sin with them until they committed it.

His Temple relationship program with Israel lasted 2,000 years. God dwelt in the temple, and all atonement sacrifices occurred there. The purpose of this article is not to focus on temple history but only on what its purpose is. During the 2,000-year Temple relationship program with Israel, the temple was destroyed and rebuilt and was about completed when Jesus arrived on the scene.

The only thing the Israelites understood was God had commanded them to always HAVE a temple for Him to have a place to dwell and in order to maintain a relationship with God through animal sacrifices. When Jesus is telling the Pharisees that if they destroy the temple, He will rebuild it in three days, they had no way of knowing that God’s Temple relationship program had transitioned from a building to a Man.

Remember, the PURPOSE of a temple is so God can have a personal relationship with someone by having a place to dwell and a place to handle atonement sacrifices.

Back to ancient Israel, Jesus IS God, and He is “now” Israel’s NEW Temple relationship program. He is now “living” with them, and He is going to be the final atonement “sacrifice” to pay the price of not only Israel’s sins but for everyone on the planet to be able to “have” a personal relationship with the Holy Trinity God through Himself.

So Jesus, the new transitioned Temple relationship program of the Jews, is standing in front of them, telling them that if they destroy their “new human Temple,” He will raise it up in three days. Remember, the temple is where God dwells and handles the atonement sacrifices. Jesus IS God, and Jesus is the FINAL atonement sacrifice, and He is standing in front of them.

They do kill Him, and just like with Adam and Eve, God Jesus goes back to heaven because God’s first Temple relationship program with Israel has changed and is now broken again. There is a huge difference between Adam and Eve and Israel. Again, the temple is about TWO things – where God dwells and sacrifices. God dwelt with Adam and Eve, and there was NO sin to be dealt with until they committed it.

Jesus, in John 14:16-30, told His disciples, “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper to be with you forever. The Helper is the Spirit of truth. The people of the world cannot accept Him because they don’t see Him or know Him. But you know Him. He lives with you, and He will be in you. I will not leave you all alone like orphans. I will come back to you.”

Remember what I said at the beginning. When God wants to have a personal relationship with “anyone,” He comes back to earth to be with them. God’s Temple relationship program went back to heaven following Jesus’ resurrection. God’s Temple relationship program began with Israel and then transitioned to the God-Man Jesus and then moved to heaven when the Jews broke that relationship by crucifying Jesus.

Then God gets ready to transition His Temple relationship program a third time, and this time is very different concerning the “sacrificial” part of it. God begins the new age of GRACE called the church age. In this new church age, God/Jesus has already paid the final atonement sacrifice price Himself. Again, God’s Temple relationship program “always” has to have a “PLACE” for God to DWELL. In phase one, God dwelt in the physical building that the Israelites built for Him. In phase two, God dwelt in Himself when God/Jesus came to earth. Phase three is God coming back to earth to have a personal relationship with everyone who falls in love with Jesus, repents, and invites Him into their lives to be their personal Savior and Lord.

So, where will He dwell now? I hope this is a rhetorical question, but as was quoted in John 14 above, God dwells “IN US” (Christians) since God’s Helper is Holy Spirit God coming to be with us by living IN US. The best news is Jesus already paid the ultimate price for our sins, and we do not need to deal with atonement sacrifices ever again.

Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 3:16, “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” (ESV). We should “all” know that we are God’s temple since the Bible clearly tells us so, but this article’s purpose is to show how God’s Temple relationship program has transitioned from the beginning to now.

Let me add one more interesting thing to think about. Everything that is “visible” in this physical universe is dying and is temporary. That is because of SIN. Everything with God is invisible, Spiritual, and eternal with NO sin. Colossians 1:16 says, “For by Him all things were created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities; all things were created through Him and for Him.” The Him is referring to Jesus, of course.

Notice how the first temple the Israelites built for God was a “visible” physical building inside a physical universe, which meant it would be temporary and die due to SIN. The next Temple relationship transition moved from a physical, temporary building to God/Jesus Himself who created everything, as pointed out by Col 1:16 above. After Temple Jesus goes back to heaven, the third Temple relationship program transition moves to “INSIDE” born-again believers. It is no longer physically visible and temporary but is now invisible, internal, and eternal. We are now “connected to and are a part of God.” It is by far the “greatest” thing God has ever done and probably will ever do in all of eternity. Try to think of anything God could “ever do” that would be greater than sharing Himself with a bunch of physical sinners!

Some of you might take issue when I say God is sharing Himself with a bunch of sinners. As long as we are human beings, we will “always” be sinners. Why? Because we STILL have a sin nature. Jesus gives us eternal life through our spirit. God looks at us “spiritually” when we die, and, of course, we are NOT sinners “spiritually.” We are sinners only in our sin-natured physical bodies until we transition to our holy spiritual bodies when we enter heaven with our new resurrection body with NO sin.

I recently wrote a book that goes into more detail named God’s Plan for Heaven, Eternity and the Universe Explained. If you desire to check into it, go to Amazon and/or Barnes & Noble and type in my name, David Cogburn, or the name of the book, and you can see what it is about in the description. Here are 2 links:

Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Gods-Heaven-Eternity-Universe-Explained/dp/B0BKHS6T7C/ref=sr_1_1?crid=15BTR3HYX06EJ&keywords=gods+plan+david+cogburn&qid=1672257433&sprefix=%2Caps%2C83&sr=8-1

Barnes & Noble link: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/gods-plan-for-heaven-eternity-and-the-universe-explained-david-m-cogburn/1142564419?ean=9798985517378

Blessings and Maranatha,

David Cogburn

dcogburn789@gmail.com

In Christ Alone :: By Daymond Duck

Published on: by RR10

This message is shorter than usual.

I have been blessed to have several members of my family visiting for Christmas.

Some live several hundred miles away, and I do not see them very often.

I tried to spend most of my time with them.

Concerning the New Year, the great Hal Lindsey wrote, “Christians can look forward to 2023 with renewed hope, but not because the world is getting better. It is not. More than ever before, it should be obvious that our hope is not in the mechanisms and programs of this world. It is in Christ alone.”

One, concerning the division of Israel: on Dec. 21, 2022, it was reported that a group of former Israeli military, security, and police officers warned that the EU is clandestinely collaborating with the Palestinian Authority (PA) to take over Judea and Samaria and merge it with other areas to make it part of a future Palestinian state.

The group warned that most of Judea and Samaria is strategic territory that is critical to the defense of Israel, and turning it over to the PA would threaten the security of Israel.

(Note: There will be Jews in Judea at the middle of the Tribulation Period. The Antichrist will defile the Temple at that time, and Jesus said, “Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains” (Matt. 24:16).

(My opinion: Satan wants to give Judea to the PA who would drive the Jews out if they could. That would prevent the fulfillment of prophecy, but God’s Word must be fulfilled.)

Two, concerning the division of Israel: on Dec. 22, 2022, it was reported that the EU has confirmed that it is actively working with and for the PA to protect the rights of the Palestinians and to ensure that Judea and Samaria are part of a future Palestinian state.

Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Israel has clearly notified all EU officials at every level of service in Israel that what the EU is doing is unacceptable.

(Note: Jewish annexation of most or all of Judea and Samaria will lead to an increase in violence and war.)

Three, concerning the Israeli government, dividing the land of Israel, Judea, and Samaria: on Dec. 22, 2022, Benjamin Netanyahu officially informed Israeli Pres. Herzog that he has put together a new government with 64 partners.

It will be the most religious government since Israel became a nation.

This is because Netanyahu agreed to make Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria part of the nation of Israel (called the Sovereignty Plan) to get the religious parties to join his government.

Netanyahu took office on Dec. 29, 2022, and world leaders (the EU, the PA, Iran, and others) are already denouncing his government.

(Note: This is why the Jews in Judea need to flee into the wilderness when the Antichrist defiles the Temple. The Antichrist will be from the EU, and he will try to kill the Jews in Judea. God will supernaturally protect those that flee, and they will be part of the terminal generation that will not pass away until everything is fulfilled. They will also be among the people with natural bodies that will repopulate the earth during the Millennium.)

Four, concerning the Israeli government, dividing the land of Israel, Judea and Samaria: on Dec. 24, 2022, it was reported that Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the U.S. are talking, and Netanyahu said he would suspend his annexation policies in Judea and Samaria for a normalization agreement with Saudi Arabia.

Netanyahu said, “If we have peace with Saudi Arabia, we are effectively going to bring an end to the Arab-Israeli conflict.”

Five, concerning the Israeli government, dividing the land of Israel, Judea: on Dec. 24, 2022, it was reported that Netanyahu reached an agreement with the religious parties that want him to annex Judea and Samaria, and they will not obstruct his efforts to reach a normalization agreement with Saudi Arabia.

It is important to remember that on Dec. 8, 2022, Danny Danon, Israel’s former ambassador to the UN, said: “I expect we’ll see an agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia this year (in 2023).”

He based this upon information that he could not reveal.

(My opinion: It is obvious that things are changing almost daily, and we should know that at some point, there will be an agreement. After that, the Antichrist will confirm it, but Christians will not be here, and then the Temple will be rebuilt. Reports such as Netanyahu seeking a peace agreement with Saudi Arabia could indicate that the world is being prepared for the Tribulation Period. People need to make their salvation sure.)

Six, concerning violence: Netanyahu’s agreement with the religious parties includes the passage of a law to execute terrorists that harm the nation of Israel and its people.

The execution of Muslim terrorists will cause Muslim radicals and many world leaders to harm Israel any way they can.

Seven, concerning rain returning to Israel and the desert blooming at the end of the age: it has been a very dry year in Israel, but at least some meteorologists are saying that heavy rain is on the way.

Having said that, the Mediterranean Sea is on Israel’s west; the Red Sea is on Israel’s south; Israel has built desalination plants at Ashkelon (2005), Palmachim (2007), Hadera (2009), Sorek (2013), Ashkelon (2015), and two more are on the way (for a total of 7), so Israel has not hurt for water like other nations have in the Middle East.

Eight, concerning the Battle of Gog and Magog: God said Russia and her allies (Iran, etc.) will cover the land of Israel like a cloud (Ezek. 38:9).

Earlier this year (spring of 2022), Iran sent pilots to Russia to learn how to fly Russian Su-35 fighter jets.

In Sept. 2022, Israel said Iran’s purchase of the Su-35 is on the agenda.

On Dec. 9, 2022, it was reported that Iran is supplying drones to Russia for her war with Ukraine, and Russia has increased her supply of military equipment to Iran.

(My opinion: This growing partnership between Russia and Iran may indicate that the Battle of Gog and Magog is approaching, but no weapon formed against Israel will prosper.)

Nine, at the end of the age, God will cause Jews to return to Israel from all over the world.

On Dec. 23, 2022, it was reported that about 70,000 Jews returned to Israel from 95 nations in the first 11 months of 2022 (Jan. 1-Dec. 1, 2022).

Ten, concerning natural disasters: according to AccuWeather, on Dec. 21, 2022, the temperature in Cheyenne, Wyoming dropped 40 degrees in 30 minutes.

This was a national record.

Eleven, concerning natural disasters: on Dec. 23, 2022 (2 days before Christmas), Buffalo, NY received 1.98 in. of rain before it started snowing; AccuWeather predicted 4-6 feet of snow with wind gusts approaching 74 mph or greater by Christmas, visibility was zero for 16 hours, drifts were enormous, and there were many places that first responders could not get to.

This is record-breaking.

(Note: On Dec. 25, 2022, it was reported that the storm had killed at least 34 people in the U.S., millions of people were without natural gas and electricity, and almost 2 million travelers were stranded.)

(More: On Dec. 19, 2022, a town in Japan got 43.3 inches of snow in 24 hours.)

Twelve, the end of the age will be like the days of Noah when the wickedness of man was great.

On Dec. 25, 2022, it was reported that 135 businesses and property owners in the Tenderloin district of San Francisco have notified the mayor that they want a full and complete refund of all sales and property taxes because the city has abandoned its responsibility to keep the city safe.

Thirteen, concerning corruption in the FBI and the coverup of the Hunter Biden scandal: Special Counsel John Durham is in the final stages of preparing a report.

On Dec. 26, 2022, it was reported that a former Obama spokesperson, Matthew Miller, came out against releasing the entire report because it may unfairly tarnish some members of the FBI.

From the article, I got the impression that the report will go Merrick Garland and the DOJ where findings that the Biden administration does not want the public to know can be redacted.

Put another way, it looks like the Durham investigation is going to be turned into a waste of time and taxpayer money.

Fourteen, concerning corruption in the FBI: on Dec. 27, 2022, it was reported that released Twitter files clearly confirm that the FBI and others were actively aiding and abetting executives at Twitter during and since the 2020 election.

(Note: A different report, dated Dec. 26, 2022, notes that Klaus Schwab’s World Economic Forum (WEF) is now recommending that interested people keep up with WEF activities on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, WeChat, and Weibo. It looks like Twitter is now being censored by people that are stealing elections to gain control of governments and establish a world government.)

Fifteen, concerning wickedness, deceit, and population reduction: on Dec. 27, 2022, it was reported that since the Covid vaccination campaign began 2 years ago, 1,011 athletes that took the jab have suddenly died, and many officials and commentators believe the number is much higher than reported.

(Special note: I wish everyone a blessed, happy, and prosperous New Year. I also wish that everyone that has not truly accepted Jesus as their Saviour will do so immediately, but know that salvation is in Christ alone.)

Finally, are you Rapture Ready?

If you want to be rapture ready and go to heaven, you must be born again (John 3:3). God loves you, and if you have not done so, sincerely admit that you are a sinner; believe that Jesus is the virgin-born, sinless Son of God who died for the sins of the world, was buried, and raised from the dead; ask Him to forgive your sins, cleanse you, come into your heart and be your Saviour; then tell someone that you have done this.

duck_daymond@yahoo.com