Page 30 - Satan in the Sanctuary

32 Satan in the Sanctuary

by while their shrine is removed. And the Jews will not dis-
turb it on principle; it is an Israeli law not to disturb any
site sacred to any religion.
The Jews know best of any people how tragic it is to
have the symbols of faith desecrated.
The Dome of the Rock, as the shrine is called, and the
nearby El Aksa Mosque, stand squarely on the site. The
Dome is no late-comer among religious shrines, having
been completed by the Mohammedans in A.D. 691. They
cared for it respectfully, doing extensive repairs and resto-
rations over the centuries. During the Crusades they met
the hordes of Europe in horribly bloody battles over the
site, losing their shrine for a century on one occasion. The
Christian invaders used the Dome of the Rock as a Chris-
tian church for this time, but the Mohammedans retook it
and have maintained it ever since.
It is fair to say that in struggle and longevity, the Dome
of the Rock compares favorably with the two Jewish Tem-
ples. And the Arabs have at least as much determination
as the Jews to hold onto the same piece of ground.
The Arab world went into a frenzy in 1969 when an
Australian Christian set fire to the El Aksa Mosque in
an attempt to help God fulfill His prophecies. Things would
be quite a bit smoother if the Jews built their new Temple
across town, but unfortunately the law is very clear. Deu-
teronomy 12:10-14 and 2 Samuel 24:16-19 ("a place
which the LORD your God shall choose") leave no doubt
that God is sensitive to the exact location of the Temple
and will have it where it stood before.

WHAT THE CHRISTIANS SAY
Another obstacle to the rebuilding comes from Christian
sources. Some Christians object to the idea of a new Tern-