Boruch Fishman Hoping to Sacrifice in Jerusalem in April 2011

The Ark of the Covenant

A few hours ago, I received the following email from Boruch Fishman:

Hi
I received permission from Rav Ariel, Director of the Temple Institute, to request permission from the Jerusalem Police to bring the Pesach offering this year. I will be going to the Police the last week before the Jewish month of Nissan. This week I will be writing to King Abdullah of Jordan via his web site to let him know of our plans and to request his special support for bring the knife onto the Temple Mount, which will be the most difficult part of our request.

The alter will be a special temporary alter, and after arranging the wood we will wait a certain amount of time for fire to descend from Heaven, as it did in first Temple times. If we are unworthy of that we will light the fire with a match.

I had contacted Boruch Fishman before (last time in 4 December 2010) as I heard he was thinking about doing something like this. (Note: I have never met Boruch Fishman and since he obviously is not part of the COG, do not endorse many religious views he likely holds.) So, it appears that he just got religious permission and hopes to go forward this April.

Whether or not he will be allowed to do so is less than certain. There does not appear to be official government approval for this project (as they expect to ask) to actually formally start sacrifices. The idea to do sacrifices with governmental sanction seems remote (though still possible). Historically, the courts in Israel have tended to confirm that Jews have the right to sacrifice in the Temple Mount area, but because of political tensions, Jews must wait until a later time (and this happens pretty much every time permission is asked for). Also, during this time of crisis in Jordan it seems almost impossible that the King of Jordan would take any risk by allowing the Jews to do anything that they are not already doing, as that would likely stir up even more protests.

Of course, the Bible is clear that sacrifices will start in the area of Jerusalem as well as be stopped (Daniel 9:27; 11:31). Jesus indicated that the actions associated with stopping them (by putting up the abomination) would signal that it is time for His most faithful to flee (Matthew 24:15-20).

So, the sequence is that sometime after the sacrifices begin (cf. Daniel 9:27), the gospel will have been preached enough to the world as a witness for the end to come (Matthew 24:14), Jewish sacrifices will be stopped (Daniel 9:27), the abomination will then be set up (Daniel 9:27; 11:31), a decree is issued (Zephaniah 2:1), then the most faithful (Philadelphians) will flee per Jesus’ statements in Matthew 24:15-19 and the Great Tribulation will begin (Matthew 24:21).

As the Europeans and Americans are now working on a peace plan for the Middle East it may be possible that a peace plan could allow for some type of temple activities (cf. Daniel 9:26-27). But even that would seem to be highly questionable at this stage until at least the Fall of 2011 (and probably later than that).

Either way, it should be pointed out that a temple in Jerusalem is NOT required for Jews perform sacrifices according to the Bible (Ezra 3:6) and certain Jewish sources (like the current Sanhedrin and Boruch Fishman). Bible prophecies related to sacrifices can be fulfilled even if no third temple is built during this age.

The fact that even in the 21st century, Jews are still interested in sacrificing, should show any who want to listen that Bible prophecy can be trusted. Thousands of years ago, Daniel wrote that there would be daily sacrifices happening in the area of Jerusalem at the time of the end. If no one cared what about sacrificing that could get some to discount the Bible. But the fact in this age there still are many Jews who are serious about sacrificing is additional proof that Bible prophecy will come to pass.

An article of related interest would be:

Why is a Jewish Temple in Jerusalem Not Required? Although people like Timothy LaHaye teach a third Jewish temple is required for end-time prophecies to be fulfilled, who is ‘the temple of God” in the New Testament? What does the Bible teach about the temple in the end-times? The Bible teaches that the sacrifices will be stopped (Daniel 9:27; 11:31), but do Jewish sources or the Bible mandate a completed temple for those sacrifices? What did Ezra do when there was no temple?
Can the Great Tribulation Begin in 2011, 2012, or 2013? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before the Great Tribulation in the “beginning of sorrows”? What happens in the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord? Is this the time of the Gentiles? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord?
There is a Place of Safety for the Philadelphians. Why it May Be Petra This article discusses a biblical ‘place of safety’ and includes quotes from the Bible and Herbert W. Armstrong on this subject–thus, there is a biblically supported alternative to the rapture theory.