Part 11 – The Gospel of Jesus Christ as HE Taught When He Was on the Earth –Temples

April 20, 2026 | www.gospelofjesuschrist.blog | River Wilde

(The views expressed here are my personal beliefs, shaped by extensive study of the Gospel of Jesus Christ as recorded in the Bible. I have prayerfully sought God’s guidance throughout my research to remain focused on truth. I do not speak on behalf of any religious organization.)

Driving past a temple today, you see the vast amount of expense that a religion has put into building this temple. They must be important, right? Why would a church spend Billions of dollars building temples throughout the world if they weren’t important?

What is the purpose of a temple? What is the spiritual history of temples? Did Jesus and His disciples teach about any temple ceremonies? Why did Jesus STOP all ceremonies?  When you study the FACTS, you will be surprised, and possibly see something totally different than what you currently believe.

Temples in the Old Testament

In the Old Testament, the temple was established as the central place where God chose to dwell among His people. Under the Law given through Moses, first the tabernacle and later the temple in Jerusalem became the sacred location for worship, sacrifice, and communion with God.

It was there that priests offered burnt offerings, sin offerings, and atonement sacrifices according to God’s commandments (Leviticus 1–7 KJV). The temple symbolized God’s holiness and the separation between Him and sinful man, shown most clearly by the veil that divided the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. In the temple, only the High Priest was allowed once each year beyond the veil in the temple. This is where he would communicate with God on the behalf of all mankind. (Exodus 26:33; Leviticus 16 KJV).

The purpose of the temple was not only for ritual, but to point forward to something greater. It served as a constant reminder that sin required atonement and that access to God was limited under the Law. Yet these sacrifices were a shadow of what was to come through Jesus Christ, who would fulfill the Law and become the final and perfect sacrifice (Hebrews 10:1–10 KJV). Temples served as bot a place for sacrifices, as well as a place for the High Priest to communicate with God. It was seen as a physical place that God would come and dwell.

Thus, the temple in the Old Testament ultimately testified of Christ, teaching the people about holiness, repentance, sacrifice, and the need for redemption through a Savior.

Temples when Christ was Upon the Earth

When Jesus Christ came, He fulfilled what the temple system was foreshadowing. He declared,

“Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up,” speaking of His own body (John 2:19–21, KJV).

This is a MONUMENTAL change, resulting in NO NEED for a temple ever again!

When Jesus Christ came to the earth and performed the atonement, HE was the sacrifice that was required for everyone’s sins, and the ONLY way that we could be forgiven of those sins, just as the teachings and temples of the Old Testament had fulfilled through their teachings and demonstrations.

Hebrews 10:10–12

“By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:
But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;”

2. Hebrews 9:12

“Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.”

Additionally, Christ fulfilled yet another teaching from the Old Testament. It no longer required a High Priest to go beyond the veil of the temple to communicate with God for mankind. Each and every person could now communicate with God directly…THROUGH JESUS CHRIST.

The veil being torn (the event itself):

Matthew 27:50–51

“Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.
And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;”

Mark 15:37–38

“And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost.
And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.”

Luke 23:45–46

“And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst.
And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit…”

 What it means — direct access to God through Christ:

Hebrews 10:19–22

“Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;
And having an high priest over the house of God;
Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith…”

Because of this, access to God is no longer through a temple or priesthood system, but directly through Jesus Christ. At the moment of His death, the veil of the temple was torn in two symbolizing that the barrier between God and man had been removed.

Believers are now described as the “temple of God” because the Holy Spirit dwells within them (1 Corinthians 3:16, KJV).

“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?”

This means God’s presence is no longer confined to a building made with hands, but lives within those who have faith in Christ.

Acts 7:48–49 (KJV)

“Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet,
Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord…”

Acts 17:24–25 (KJV)

“God that made the world and all things therein… dwelleth not in temples made with hands;
Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing…”

Isaiah 66:1 (KJV) (the prophecy Stephen quoted)

“Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me?”

These passages build a consistent teaching:

God is too great to be contained in any physical structure made by human hands. In the New Testament, this truth connects to believers themselves becoming the dwelling place of God:

The temple was a shadow—but Christ is the reality. Therefore, physical temples are no longer needed, because Jesus Himself is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6, KJV), and through Him we have direct access to the Father.

But the New Testament makes a decisive shift. It teaches that Jesus Christ fulfilled and replaced the entire temple system:

After Christ’s resurrection, you do not see the apostles teaching:

• temple endowments
• secret signs or tokens
• proxy ordinances for the dead performed in temples
• eternal marriage ceremonies in temple settings

None of this is taught anywhere in the bible; Not in the Old Testament, nor in the New Testament… NOTHING about this is EVER taught.

So where did current temples and ordinances and rituals actually come from?

The specific LDS temple ceremonies, including symbolic clothing, signs, and covenants, are not found in biblical descriptions of either the tabernacle or temple worship.

Historically, many scholars note that Joseph Smith developed these ordinances after his involvement with Freemasonry in 1842, and there are recognizable parallels in structure, symbols, and presentation between early Mormon temple rites and Masonic ceremonies.

The true gospel of Jesus Christ, as taught in the KJV, does not contain any teaching that is hidden, secretive, or reserved for a select few—it is openly declared to all people. Jesus Himself made this very clear when He said,

“I spake openly to the world… and in secret have I said nothing” (John 18:20, KJV).

His ministry was public—He taught in synagogues, in the temple, on mountains, and in the streets—inviting anyone to hear, believe, and follow Him. There were no secret rituals, hidden knowledge, or private ordinances required for salvation. Instead, the message was simple and proclaimed boldly:

“Repent ye, and believe the gospel” (Mark 1:15).

The apostles continued this same pattern after Christ’s resurrection. The gospel was preached plainly, not concealed. Paul wrote,

“But we have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty… but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God” (2 Corinthians 4:2, KJV).

Salvation is not found in secrecy, but in truth revealed openly through Jesus Christ. As it says in Romans 10:9,

“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”

The true gospel invites all into the light—nothing is hidden, nothing is withheld—because God desires all men to come to the knowledge of the truth.

When a ceremony includes elements not found anywhere in scripture—especially secret signs, tokens, and covenants required for exaltation—it should raise serious concern, because Galatians 1:8–9 warns:

“But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.”

 Any “gospel” different from the one already delivered by Jesus Christ and His apostles is to be rejected, even if delivered by and angel. As seen in this scripture, even an angel of God does not have the authority to change the gospel as taught in the teachings of Jesus and His apostles, recorded in the Bible.

When Jesus Christ fulfilled His mission upon the earth, there was no longer a need for a temple anymore. Its purpose has been fulfilled.

Do the scriptures talk about any temple to be built in the “end times?” The answer is YES, but not a place where God will dwell. This temple discussed in scripture will be the exact opposite, involving the Antichrist…NOT God.

The New Jewish Temple Built in Israel – End Times

One of the clearest passages about the “temple” in the last days and the Antichrist is found in 2 Thessalonians 2:3–4. It says,

“that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God… so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.”

This describes a future figure, the antichrist, who exalts himself against God and takes a place of authority in what is called “the temple of God.” This new temple will be built by the Jewish people, for they see that a new temple is necessary to bring the Messiah to the earth.

Animal sacrifices have not been done by the Jewish people since the destruction of Solomons Temple, at the time of Christ, 2000 years ago. These sacrifices must begin again to fulfill what they see as current prophecy, relating it to the Old Testament teachings. They have been waiting for this to happen for 2,000 years, and know that the Messiah will come in the last days.

They have current plans to build this temple upon the “Temple Mount” location in Jerusalem, where Solomons temple once stood and now has the “Dome of the Rock” building located in that same spot.

If you are studying end times prophecy written by the prophets of the bible, you can see how all of this end times prophecy is being fulfilled RIGHT NOW.

The “antichrist” will sign a 7-year peace agreement with Israel which will begin the 7-year Tribulation Period. This agreement will likely allow this new temple to be built by the Jewish people upon this holy spot.

We know through scripture that this temple must be built in the end times to allow the antichrist to enter 3.5 years into the Tribulation period, sit upon the throne of the temple, and declare himself to be God. This event is known as the “Abomination of Desolation,” as taught in the scriptures of the Bible.

Abomination of Desolation

The “abomination of desolation” is a key prophetic sign mentioned in the KJV Bible, connected to a future time of great tribulation. Jesus Himself refers to it in Matthew 24:15, saying,

“When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place… then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains.”

This points back to Daniel’s prophecy (Daniel 9:27; Daniel 11:31; Daniel 12:11), where a ruler (antichrist) breaks a covenant and defiles the sanctuary. In a future fulfillment view, this is often understood as a rebuilt temple in Jerusalem during the end times, where a world leader—commonly called the Antichrist—will enter and desecrate it.

In this interpretation, the tribulation is divided into two halves of about 3.5 years each (often linked to “a time, times, and half a time” in Daniel 7:25 and Revelation 13:5).

The abomination of desolation is typically placed at the midpoint, around 3.5 years in, when the Antichrist stops any form of worship in the temple and sets himself up as God. This connects with 2 Thessalonians 2:3–4, which says the “man of sin” will “sit in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.” At that point, persecution intensifies and Jesus warns it begins a period of unprecedented distress, “such as was not since the beginning of the world” (Matthew 24:21).

Interesting to note here: The Christians, Jews as well as the Muslims are all looking for the same event to occur in the end times…HOWEVER, they all three have different interpretations as to show the “characters” will be.

The Jewish people waiting for the messiah, are anxiously waiting to build the temple, knowing that it will bring him to the earth. In reality, it will be the Antichrist who shows up who they will think is the messiah. They will realize this when the “Abomination of Desolation” occurs in the temple that they will soon build.

Matthew 24:15–16

“When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:”

Jesus continues the urgency in the next verses:

Matthew 24:17–18

“Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:
Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.”

Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out…”

Can you see how everything fits together?

God has a rescue plan for followers of Christ (Rapture). The righteous Jewish people will not be included in the rapture, why? Because they are not yet “in Christ”. However, it is clearly written in these scriptures that God still plans on rescuing them as well. He is telling them through these writings, that when they discover that the antichrist is NOT the messiah, they are instructed to flee into the mountains. And, as we have learned through other examples listed in the scriptures, it is there that God will protect them.

Tomorrow, I have some comforting news for everyone. Since temples no longer serve a purpose in modern days, can families still be together in heaven.  The answer: ABSOLUTELY! Stop in at www.gospelofjesuschrist.blog to read all about this important gospel teaching from Jesus Christ.