The following "Question" was asked by a member of the congregation at Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, and "Answered" by their pastor, John MacArthur Jr. It was transcribed from the tape, GC 1301-J, titled "Bible Questions and Answers Part 12."  A copy of the tape can be obtained by writing, Word of Grace, P.O. Box 4000, Panorama City, CA 91412 or by dialing toll free 1-800-55-GRACE. ©1980. All Rights Reserved.

Question

I was under the impression that the temple had to be rebuilt before the rapture would occur?

Answer

Well, the Bible doesn’t say that. The Bible says that—and we’ll get into this this Sunday night—the Bible says that during the middle of the Tribulation the temple will be desecrated. So all that simply means is that there would need to be a temple in the Tribulation. But that could be built after the rapture. It could be built before; the Bible doesn’t really say. But there will be, and by the way, if they ever get the right, and they will, to the temple ground, they’ll slap up a temple in about two days. So it isn’t any time problem.

They can build things over there; they’ve got prefabricated housing. I remember when I was speaking at Palm Springs one time, I met a very interesting man who flew down for the series. I did a series down there on Israel, in the Palm Springs Community Church, before they pulled out of the presbytery several years back. We had a packed out place every night, you know you get a bunch of Presbyterians in on prophecy and you know, it’s all new to them. So anyway, we were having a ball in this thing. And this guy would fly down in his jet from up in San Francisco every night, you know to hear this deal. And he was a builder in Israel. And he said that they have already—he was talking to me about the fact that they have already developed the prefabrication system so well and guys had already laid out plans for the temple, because the minute they get that deal, they’re going to get that temple up fast. So, it really isn’t necessary that it be built before the Tribulation.

Added to Bible Bulletin Board's "MacArthur’s Questions and Answers" by:

Tony Capoccia
Bible Bulletin Board
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