In this daily Bible reading God continues to describe in detail the structure of the Temple and also the structure of the land of Israel when the Lord is ruling from Jerusalem. I have heard respected Bible commentators say that the Temple described here is not a future temple. Rather it is the Second Temple during the time when Jesus was born. However, their viewpoint is not supported by the Bible’s description of this Temple.
In this description, a river is described which originates from beneath the Temple and flows eastward. It empties into what is now called the Dead Sea. The Bible says that this river will make the Dead Sea into a freshwater sea with abundant fish. Also, there will be many trees growing along the river. This has not happened yet. First of all, such a river would have to flow uphill out of Jerusalem to the east if it existed today.
The Bible says that just prior to the return of Jesus there will be a great earthquake that will split the Mount of Olives to the east of Jerusalem. I believe this divide will accommodate the flow of the river out of Jerusalem to the east. These passages indeed do describe the Temple which will be created just prior to Jesus’s return to the Earth.
The Bible says that Jesus will rule the world from this Temple for 1000 years. The Bible also says that those who believed in Jesus will be raised from the dead as Jesus was raised from the dead. These people will serve in Jesus’ new government. They will not be subject to God’s final judgment after the 1000 years are done.
