Temple Mount Tensions

March 24, 2016

Photo: Rabbi Yehudah Glick pictured with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

The Terror Attack Which Galvanised the Temple Mount Movement

October 29th, 2014 was just another day in the life of Temple Mount Activist Yehudah Glick. The soft spoken red-headed Rabbi was packing his bags into the boot of his car when suddenly a man on a motorcycle pulled up. With anger rising in his voice the man said in broken Hebrew “I am terribly sorry, but you are an enemy of al-Aqsa”. With that he pulled a gun and fired four rapid shots at point blank rage into Yehudah’s unprotected chest.

We will hear more of what happened to Rabbi Glick later in this article. While this attack was intended to spell the end for the Temple restoration movement, we will see how it actually ended up galvanising the movement across Israel.

A Dream of the Minority

A few years ago, I attended a lecture by a practicing Jewish leader. After the lecture, a keen Christian asked him about his thoughts on rebuilding the Temple. His response —which took several of us Christians by surprise—was to explain that he was not at all interested in the rebuilding of the Temple.

While many Christian students of Bible Prophecy are very excited about the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple as setting the stage for End Time events, so far only a minority of Religious Jews share this interest. After the destruction of the second temple by the Romans, Judaism adapted itself to a religion no longer dependent upon sacrifices. While the site of the ancient Temple remains revered, the concept of rebuilding the Temple now remains a controversial dream of a small minority.

Fears of an International Backlash

In addition, the Temple Mount is today occupied by the third holiest site in Islam, namely the ‘Al Aqsa Mosque’ and the picturesque Dome of the Rock. Any action that appears to threaten the sanctity of these sites will draw the immediate wrath of the Islamic world and could instantly spark World War III.

With the Islamic world united against any strengthened Jewish presence on the Temple Mount, the dream of a rebuilt Jewish Temple has seemed both irresponsible and impossible.

“With anger rising in his voice [he] said in broken Hebrew ‘I am terribly sorry, but you are an enemy of al-Aqsa’. With that he pulled a gun and fired four rapid shots…”

However, God will have the last word as many Bible prophecies about the End of Days assume the presence of the Temple. For example, Jesus (Mt. 24:15) and Paul (2 Thes. 2:3-4) prophesied an End Time defilement of the Temple. Although some may argue that this refers to a ‘spiritual temple’ (i.e the church), it is clear that these predictions would have been understood by their original listeners as referring to the literal building itself.

God is well able to ensure the rebuilding of the Temple despite the seemingly impossible odds and it seems that through the story of Yehudah Glick, God might well be prying open these previously closed doors.

Rabbi Yehudi Glick at Temple Mount in Jerusalem

Rabbi Yehudah Glick pictured overlooking the Temple Mount

Returning to Yehudah Glick

Many prayers were being lifted up for Rabbi Glick as he was rushed off to hospital. The doctors who operated on him amazingly reported that none of the four bullets left serious lasting damage—one bullet hit his spine without touching the spinal cord, while another bullet went through his neck passing within millimetres of a major artery.

Being released from hospital less than a month later, a pale looking Yehudah Glick held a press conference where he praised ‘the God who raises the dead’.

The Revitalised Movement

The months after the assassination attempt have been busy for Yehudah as his name has now become a household name throughout Israel and many new supporters have joined the cause.

Within four months of the attack, a general election was held in Israel and Rabbi Glick ran for election as a candidate for PM Netanyahu’s party. Although he did not succeed in entering the Knesset, Yehudah’s profile has continued to rise since then and recent reports indicate that he is well placed to enter the Knesset at the next election. In August, Yehudah was granted his first one-on-one audience with Netanyahu in which the PM reportedly expressed warmth, understanding and sympathy for Glick’s cause. Meanwhile the Temple Mount Institute is continuing preparations training young priests in performing the ancient sacrifices and preparing the holy vessels for the day when the Temple is rebuilt.

It appears that the terror attack that was meant for evil has strengthened the Temple Mount movement and may indeed be a sign that we are getting closer to the End Times and ultimately to the Coming of Our Lord.

In addition, there are significant inter-faith developments taking place. Despite his controversial views regarding the Temple Mount, Yehudah Glick has been actively involved in interfaith dialogue and believes that the Temple should be a ‘house of prayer for all nations’. Barely 8 months after the attempt on his life, Glick was invited to Turkey to be the guest of honour at a Ramadan celebration attended by 1000 Muslim Clerics. The event was arranged by popular Turkish Muslim writer Adnan Oktar, who has publically called for the rebuilding of the Jewish temple. It is interesting in this context that Revelation 11:1-2 describe the outer court of the Temple as being ‘given to the gentiles’, perhaps indicating some kind of shared arrangements on the Temple Mount as envisaged by Glick and certain Muslim leaders.

Summary

Despite the progress made so far, the majority of religious Jews and the majority of the Islamic world are still strongly opposed to the rebuilding of the Temple. It would require nothing short of a miracle for these sentiments to shift enough to allow for the rebuilding of the Temple.

However, just as the restoration of the nation of Israel seemed unlikely during her 1900 years of exile, so God has a way of fulfilling what He has repeatedly promised throughout the Scriptures. Our God is in complete control of world events and we as believers can be assured that He is working to set the stage for the End Time events and for the return of Jesus to rule from The Throne of David in Jerusalem.


 

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Enoch Lavender

Enoch is based at Eastern Chinese Christian Church in Mt. Waverley, Melbourne and involved in the leadership of Shalom Israel. Shalom Israel organises regular teaching seminars on Israel and Bible Prophecy in Melbourne and beyond.

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