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Is Israel waiting for the discovery of the Ark, so they can rebuild the Temple; or are they
waiting for the time when they can freely rebuild their Temple, so they can retrieve the Ark and
place it in the Holy of Holies? There are some who share the suspicion, that Israel already knows
where the Ark is, but also know that the political climate of their homeland is too volatile to take
a chance on revealing its location until the right time.
Unlike the Temple, the Ark is not mentioned in Biblical prophecy. As we have discovered,
the Ark was not in the second Temple, so the existence of the Ark is not necessary for the
Temple to be rebuilt. However, if you turn on the 6 o’clock news, and you see that Israel is
announcing the discovery of the Ark of the Covenant, this certainly will have a bearing on the
prophetic timetable.
REBUILDING THE JEWISH TEMPLE
There is a school of thought that believes that only the Messiah can rebuild the Temple,
because He would be the only one who knows the actual location of its foundation. This
sentiment is the official position of the Israeli government. However, there is some evidence that
seems to indicate that the Temple will be rebuilt prior to the return of Jesus.
The Antichrist will sign a seven-year protectionary treaty with Israel (and perhaps other
nations), but will break it halfway through when he causes the sacrifices to be discontinued (Dan.
9:27, Dan. 12:11), so that he will be able to take “his seat in the Temple of God, displaying
himself as being God (2 Thessalonians 2:4, see also Rev. 11:1).” Matthew 24:15 refers to this
area as the ‘holy place.’ This seems to indicate that the Temple will already be in existence by
this time.
Moses prophesied that Israel would be punished twice. The first was 430 years of captivity in
Egypt, and the second was 70 years of slavery under the Babylonians. After that, three things
were foretold: the Jewish nation would be reborn in Palestine, they would repossess old
Jerusalem, and they would rebuild their ancient Temple on its original site. In 1948, the nation of
Israel was established; in 1967, they took complete control of the city of Jerusalem; which leaves
only one prophecy unfulfilled, and that is the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple. Amos 9:11 says:
“In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches
thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old...”
Prior to the construction of the Temple, God made His divine presence known in a miqdash
(‘holy place’), which was a temporary structure known as the Tabernacle, that was erected in
various locations around Israel, such as Shiloh, Bethel, Dan, Gilgal, Mizpah, and Hebron. This
continued until the Israelites became united, both politically and spiritually, which took place
when David conquered Jerusalem, thus creating a central location for their civil government and
religious worship. When David realized the big difference between his own house, and the fact
that the Ark was protected only by a tent (2 Sam. 7:12), he knew that he had to build a house of
God, which according to the Davidic Covenant (2 Sam. 7:4-17), seems to indicate that the site
chosen would be a permanent location.
In the 24th chapter of 2 Samuel, it is recorded how David counted his men to see if his army
was going to be of sufficient military strength. Because he didn’t trust God for his victory, so the
Lord sent a destroying angel that brought a plague against the people of Jerusalem. David built
an altar and made peace offerings to the Lord. This area on Mount Moriah (Mount Zion), was the
site where God tested Abraham’s faith by commanding him to sacrifice his son Isaac, and was