Page 21 - Advanced Life of Christ - Student Textbook

Now that Israel is once again back in their land and reestablished as a nation, their thoughts are now
turning to reinstituting the full worship practices of Judaism as prescribed in the Old Testament. In 2004,
this growing religious movement in Israel resulted in the reestablishment of a new Sanhedrin counsel.
Their website states, “The Sanhedrin is the name given in the Mishna to the council of seventy-one
Jewish sages who constituted the supreme court and legislative body in Judea during the Roman
period.” They were the supreme religious governing body to the Jews in Israel, even when they were
under foreign control and governorship by major empires.

The Sanhedrin’s reestablishment in our day is another sign that the prophecies of the End Times are
being fulfilled. The organization actually calls itself the nascent Sanhedrin, because it is developing and
awaiting official integration into the Israeli government as the highest level of authority, similar to the
way it existed in New Testament times. The Sanhedrin envisions itself to be an upper house or Senate of
the Knesset and also to function as the equivalent of the Supreme Court in Israel. As might be expected,
the secular forces still in control in Israel reject this move toward a theocracy, but the Sanhedrin has
broad appeal among the religious community, particularly the orthodox Gedolim and Rosh Yeshivas
groups.

The current Sanhedrin is composed of over 70 rabbis, just as it was in first century times. They are
focused on reestablishing the Jewish state as it functioned during the second Temple era. This will
primarily relate to a transformation of Israel into more of a religious state instead of primarily being a
secular one. Another important part of this focus is the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem, which will
be the true focal point for the worship and sacrifices as ordained in the Torah. The High Priest who
presided over the Sanhedrin also was the chief minister in the Temple and was the overseer of all the
Levites.

The events surrounding the reestablishment of the Sanhedrin and the movement to rebuild the Temple
further prepare the nation of Israel for the fulfillment of End Times prophecy. A functioning Levitical
priesthood and the rebuilding of the Temple are both required to fulfill many of the key events
predicted for the Last Days (https://endtimestruth.com/the-new-sanhedrin/).

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For more information about the modern day movement to rebuilt the 3 temple
in Jerusalem, go to: https://templeinstitute.org/about-us/

The Reign of Herod the Great
Herod the Great was designated as the “King of the Jews” or tetrarch of Galilee
by Rome in 40BC. Herod was not a Jew, so this appointment caused a lot of
resentment among the Jews. He was from Idumea and the Jews looked at the
Idumeans as racially impure. Worse, Herod had an Arab mother and Jews
considered a person Jewish only if they were born of a Jewish mother. In spite
of Jewish opposition, Herod began various building programs to soften their
opposition toward him. He built new walls around Jerusalem and constructed
Fort Antonia (named after Mark Antony) which guarded the Temple.

Herod had two important attributes that characterized his life: loyalty to Rome
and an extraordinary political prowess to rise to great power. He exercised his
great power by eliminating all signs of opposition, even within his own family. He did not hesitate to
execute several of his own sons whom he suspected of plotting against him, as well as his favorite and

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