Page 176 - Eschatology - Masters revised
P. 176

The current nation of Israel is committed to build a temple in order to worship God and begin sacrifices.
               They are convinced it is God’s will for them to build a new temple in Jerusalem as soon as possible.

               The “Temple Institute” in Jerusalem has been working for over twenty-five years to make the necessary
               preparations. This involves scholars who research ancient Jewish documents in order to discover every
               detail about past temple worship. This institute also includes craftsmen skilled in remaking all the
               needed items.

               The large Menorah that will light the Holy Place is already completed, and the public can view it. Utensils
               to be involved in sacrifices are already made. Israel believes they have everything completed in order to
               carry out their worship as God as ordained under the Mosaic law.

               Israel has also been choosing and preparing priests. Several years ago, they set up a yeshiva, a priest
               training school.

               According to the Old Testament, the priests have to be from the tribe of Levi and biological descendants
               of Aaron. Up until 1999, the way they would choose a man to train for the priesthood was to look at his
               family name.  The Hebrew word for priest is “cohane” (Plural coney).  So, if a Jewish man has a family
               name of “Cowan” that comes from the word for priest, this is a pretty good indication that he
               descended from the priestly line. Even though not all Levites were priests, if a man had a family name of
               “Levi” or “levy” it was a pretty good indication he was from the tribe of Levi. These men have also been
               trained.

               However, in the Oct, 1999 of National Geographic magazine, there was an article on DNA genetic code
               research.  World class genetic code researchers have found that Jewish men who are biological
               descendants of Aaron have a unique marking on the Y chromosome of their genetic code that no other
               man on the face of the earth has.

               Now it is a simple task to rub a cotton swab in the inside of a Jewish man’s cheek and test it for the
               whole genetic code.  National Geographic magazine had photographs of Jewish men at the Western wall
               saying, “Am I one of them?  Give me a cotton swab.”

               Now they know precisely who are the literal biological descendants of Aaron in the priestly line and who
               therefore qualify for the new priesthood at their future temple.

               Later on, a Jewish publication came out explaining in more detail as to how this was discovered. They
               claim that a unique genetic marking like this one can be traced back to see how far back it goes. These
               researchers say it goes back to the era of Moses and Aaron.  They claim that unique genetic markings
               like this can sometimes be obliterated down through the generations.  But this one has survived.  Why?
               They have come to the conclusion that the regulations that God put upon the priests of Israel have
               protected this marking.  They were given strict marriage regulations that other Jewish men were not
               given.  They had to marry a wife from their tribe of Levi. They had to marry a wife who was a virgin, not
               divorced.  Apparently, this has been passed down traditionally, generation after generation and the
               descendants of the priests have followed that pretty well.  Because of these practices, this genetic
               marking has been preserved down through the centuries of time.

               They now know accurately who qualifies to be a priest and these men are being trained and prepared.

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