“The remarkable alliance between Israel and the United States has always been above politics. It must always remain above politics. Because America and Israel, we share a common destiny, the destiny of promised lands that cherish freedom and offer hope. Israel is grateful for the support of American — of America’s people…” Benjamin Netanyahu’s Speech to U.S. Congress MARCH 3, 2015
“Moshe replied, We will all go, young and old: we will go with our sons and daughters, our flocks and herds; for we must observe Hashem’s festival.” (Meaning, Rosh Hashanah/Yom Teruah. The High Holy Day of Sounding the Shofar, or the ram’s horn). Exodus 10:9 (Hebrew Bible) “And Moses said, We will go with our young and with our old, with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our herds will we go; for we must hold a feast unto the Lord.” Exodus 10:9 (LDS Bible)
Nephites First Temple
Of course the Nephites practiced the Law of Moses for 600 years in the Old and New World so they would have kept Hashem’s Festival. Nephi wanted his temple to be like Solomon’s, not in size, but in functionality. To perform the rituals prescribed by the Law of Moses his people would need a temple parallel to Solomon’s in rooms and relics. The workmanship of the temple as Nephi stated was “exceedingly fine”, and likely required organized building plans, using measuring rods, a line of flax, and other mathematical tools. Ezekiel 40:2-3. Nephi may have written these plans on parchment. 2 Tim. 4:13. Over 85% of the Dead Sea Scrolls were written on calf skin parchment known as vellum, so it’s easy to imagine that the Nephite culture used similar material. Nephi may have used black inks like those found on the Dead Sea Scrolls that are made up of carbon soot mixed with olive oil, honey, or water, to thin the ink to a proper consistency for writing. In order to apply the ink to scrolls or parchment, its writers used “reed pens” by sharpening a reed straw, piece of bamboo or other wood.
One of Lehi’s contemporaries was Jeremiah. “Some of Jeremiah’s prophecies were contained in the brass plates of Laban secured by Nephi.” LDS Bible Dictionary; Jeremiah. Another contemporary of Lehi’s was the Prophet Ezekiel who prophesied from c.608-570 BC, about a messenger showing him the specific steps in building a temple. It seems possible those instructions to Ezekiel, may have been on the plates of brass or shared with Lehi. (See the 2nd painting below as Nephi is reading the last part of the Brass Plates which could be the book of Ezekiel).
The Nephites surely had tabernacles in the wilderness as Moses did to offer sacrifices, so why did the Nephites need temples? The brief account in Alma 10 about Aminadi, who interpreted the writing on the wall of the temple, which was written by the finger of God, may help us understand. It wasn’t about sacrifice, but about the revelation of higher knowledge and how to come into the presence of God, accessing knowledge from Him and becoming more like Him. The temple then was a place for the revelation of higher truths that could only be understood through wisdom given by God’s Spirit.
The temple would be built on the highest point of the Nephite settlement. (Painting represents Lookout Mountain above Moccasin Bend on the Tennessee River). It should be facing directly east symbolic of The Savior’s coming. It was to be built like Solomon’s. The altars of the temple were made of stacked stone, not hewn stone. “The word in Exodus 20:25 which is translated as ‘tool’ is the Hebrew חרב which most literally means ‘sword’. There explains that a sword is designed to shorten life, while an altar is designed to lengthen life by being used to achieve atonement. It makes sense, therefore, that one should not be used in the formation of the other.” Rashi, Medieval French Rabbi.
In reference to Solomon’s Temple, the LDS Bible Dictionary says; “The temple walls were composed of hewn stone made ready at the quarry. The roof was of cedar and the walls were paneled with it. The cedar was carved with figures (cherubim, palm trees, and flowers) and was overlaid with gold fitted to the carving. All the materials for the house were prepared before they were brought to the site… There were two temple courts. The inner court was surrounded by a wall consisting of three rows of hewn stone and a row of cedar beams.” 1 Kgs. 6:36. “And Solomon’s builders and Hiram’s builders did hew them, and the stonesquarers: so they prepared timber and stones to build the house.” 1 Kings 5:18. “Pillars of Solomon’s temple (1 Kgs. 7:21; 2 Chr. 3:17); the names denote “He will establish” [Jachin] and “In Him is strength” [Boaz]. The pillars, which stood on the south and north sides of the porch, were probably ornamental and not intended to support any part of the weight of the building.” LDS Bible Dictionary.
Remember in the Book of Mormon it also says, 2 Nephi 5:16 “And I, Nephi, did build a temple; and I did construct it after the manner of the temple of Solomon save it were not built of so many precious things; for they were not to be found upon the land, wherefore, it could not be built like unto Solomon’s temple. But the manner of the construction was like unto the temple of Solomon; and the workmanship thereof was exceedingly fine.” To me that may mean that the Nephite Temple would not require three rows of hewn stone like in Jerusalem, but maybe just a wood earth, and cement stricture. As Exodus says, “And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone.”
Amberli Nelson
“Based on the latest archeological findings, it can now be irrefutably shown that the Heartland of North America is the only location in the Western Hemisphere where all ten of the essential items were found anciently including; lambs, oxen, goats, doves, barley, wheat, grapes, and altars made of stacked, unhewn stones. These aforementioned items have not been found in the archaeological record of the pre-Columbian peoples of Mesoamerica.
An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me… in all places where I record my name I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee. And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it. Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar…” Exodus 20:24 – 26” Amberli Nelson MBA Hebrew/Jewish Symbology Expert
“The outside of the temple may have been finished with a mortar cement made out of limestone which was prevalent in the Promised Land of North America. We also find mention of cement houses in the Book of Mormon. Heleman 3:7. “Lime mortar is a type of mortar composed of lime and an aggregate such as sand, mixed with water. It is one of the oldest known types of mortar, dating back to the 4th century BC and widely used in Ancient Rome and Greece.” Lucas, A. 2003 Ancient Egyptian Materials and Industries. After processing, products derived from limestone have the unique ability to return fairly quickly to their original chemical form.
Nephi’s building of the temple was to bless the lives of his people. Elder Maxwell explained the significance of temple worship in our day when he said, “The real act of personal sacrifice is not now nor ever has been placing an animal on the altar. Instead, it is a willingness to put the animal that is in us upon the altar—then willingly watching it be consumed! Such is the ‘sacrifice unto [the Lord of] a broken heart and a contrite spirit.’ (3 Nephi 9:20).” Neal A Maxwell, Meek and Lowly 1987. Joseph Smith during Zion’s Camp, stopped some men from killing rattlesnakes and then said, “…Let man first get rid of his destructive propensities and then we may look for a change in the serpents’ disposition.” The Prophet Joseph Smith also taught us about faith and sacrifice saying, “A religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things never has power sufficient to produce the faith necessary unto life and salvation; for, from the first existence of man, the faith necessary unto the enjoyment of life and salvation never could be obtained without the sacrifice of all earthly things.” Joseph Smith Jr. Lectures on Faith. President Ezra Taft Benson succinctly restated the message of Abraham 3:25 when he said: “The great test of life is obedience to God… We are not here to test or “prove” God, but to be tested and proved ourselves. We are on trial, not God.” Ensign,May 1988.
Nephi ordained his brother Jacob and others to teach in the temple. Jacob 1:17. Nephi knew his people needed the greater light that a temple would provide. Nephi’s faith is a great example to us all of passing this important test of life, and the building of the first Nephite temple was a sign to all, of his devotion to the Great Jehovah.” Rian Nelson
A big thanks to a good friend from Ohio named Pamela Stanfield who sent this article below to me. She always has great questions and loves the Book of Mormon so much.
Thanks to Trump: Pascal Lamb could be Sacrificed on Temple Mount for first Time in 2,000 Years
Moshe replied, “We will all go, young and old: we will go with our sons and daughters, our flocks and herds; for we must observe Hashem’s festival.” Exodus 10:9 (The Israel Bible™)
Rehearsal of pascal sacrifice adjacent to Temple Mount (courtesy: Sanhedrin) FacebookTwitterEmailWhatsAppPrintShare112.3k
As per Trump’s Deal of the Century, the Sanhedrin petitioned the Israeli government, filing to receive permits that would allow priests to perform the ritual of the Pesach (Passover) sacrifice temporary altar that will be transported to the temple mount and removed immediately after the ceremony. If the government grants the permits, as it should, based on Israeli and international law, this will be the first time since the destruction of the Second Temple that an altar has stood in its proper place on Judaism’s holiest site: the threshing floor purchased by King David.
For the past eight years, the Sanhedrin has been conducting reenactments of the Temple service as a means of preparing for the actual reinstating of the service. These reenactments are held before each of the Biblically mandated feasts by kohanim (Jewish men descended for Aaron the high priests) dressed in the proper Temple garb.
The reenactment of the Pesach offering has special significance as the commandment has great import. There are only two mitzvot (Biblical commandments) for which non-compliance receives the most severe punishment mandated by the Torah, karet (being cut off from the community, or excommunicated): brit milah (circumcision) and the korban Pesach (Passover sacrifice).
“Despite various issues of Jewish law, such as ritual impurity and lack of a high priest, Jews are still required and technically able to bring the sacrifice,” Rabbi Hillel Weiss, the spokesman for the Sanhedrin told Breaking Israel News. “The only thing preventing the Jewish People from performing the Passover sacrifice is the Israeli government.”
The Sanhedrin recently performed an intense study concerning the current status of the Passover offering and concluded that at this juncture, one sacrifice made at the Temple Mount brought in the name of the entire Jewish people would suffice. The Sanhedrin held a special meeting on Wednesday to discuss the Pesach offering reenactment as well as contingency plans should the government permit the actual ritual to be performed on the Temple Mount at the proper time.
As they do every year, the Sanhedrin submitted requests for permits to perform the reenactment to be held on the Temple Mount three days before the holiday. They also submitted a separate request for the actual sacrifice to be held on the Temple Mount on the holiday. Included in this request is the plan to bring a stone altar to the Temple Mount.
The Passover sacrifice can only be offered in one place; on the Temple Mount. The sacrifice does not require an actual Temple structure but it does require an altar that is built to adhere to the Biblical requirements. Such an altar was constructed last year and stands ready.
The square altar is nine feet square and five feet high and is constructed of aerated concrete. The material was ruled to be fit for use in the Temple. In the Talmud, it is explained that steel may not be used to cut the stones of the altar since the Temple Service brings life into the world and steel, as it is used in war, takes life. Stones for the altar may not be cut using steel since the Temple service brings life into the world and steel though not ideal, it is light and easily transported and sized to be loaded onto a truck. The altar was constructed on a metal frame designed also for purposes of transportability. The intent was to create an altar that could be taken to the Temple Mount at a moment’s notice should the need arise.
Should the request to bring the sacrifice be granted, this would mark the first time an altar has stood on the Temple Mount in its proper place since the Second Temple was destroyed in 70 CE.
The Sanhedrin emphasized that the plan to bring the altar to the Temple Mount was entirely consistent with President Trump’s recently released Deal of the Century which recognized Israel’s full sovereignty over the site.
“People of every faith should be permitted to pray on the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif, in a manner that is fully respectful to their religion, taking into account the times of each religion’s prayers and holidays, as well as other religious factors” the text of the deal reads.
“Just like King Cyrus, this declaration by Donald Trump opens the door for the Jews to build the Temple. It is now up to us to take the next step forward. This is a watershed point in history. Once we bring the altar to the Temple Mount, even for the sacrifice of one lamb, there is no turning back. The prophesied next step is inevitable.”
“This may have sounded drastic not so long ago but today, when faced with the coronavirus, climate change, and rogue nations, people of faith are certainly praying for the Temple service to begin immediately,” Rabbi Meir Halevi Hakaadded.
“According to Midrash (homiletic teachings), the Exodus from Egypt was for the sake of the entire world,” Rabbi Yoel Schwarts, the head of the Noahide court said. “God told the Children of Israel, ‘It is not for your sake that I am taking you out of Egypt. It is only so that you can tell of the Exodus and teach my Torah to all the nations.’”
Rabbi Shwartz cited another Midrash which explained the three times oaths are mentioned in Song of Songs.
“According to the Midrash, the first oath refers to the First Temple which Solomon built,” Rabbi Schwartz explained. “The second oath is the Second Temple that was built on Cyrus’ merit. The Third oath is the Third Temple whose construction will be initiated by the nations, after which the Jews will join in.”
If the Jerusalem municipality does not grant permission to bring the altar to the Temple Mount, an additional request was file to bring the altar to Jerusalem for the reenactment.
“Plurality in the form of 70 nations is a Biblical requirement for the Temple to be a House of Prayer for All Nations,” Rabbi Weiss said. “Western liberal values and international law demand the equality of religions. We are proposing bringing a temporary altar for one day to sacrifice one lamb for the entire Jewish nation. The Samarians sacrifice hundreds of lambs every year. Any objection to this can only be based in racism and hatred.”
“We have been preparing, faithfully performing whatever we can to bring perform God’s will,” Rabbi Weiss said. “Now it is in God’s hands to take it to its prophetic conclusion; the Pesach sacrifice on the Temple Mount. All of the inhabitants of the world need to place God’s will as it is expressed in the Bible foremost in their consciousness.”
Every year, more people attend and the ceremony itself develops in complexity, becoming more like the actual ceremony in the Temple. The Sanhedrin also made a ruling regarding the participation of non-Jews in the ceremony and its funding. Non-Jews are expressly forbidden by the Torah from partaking of the sacrifice. They are also not permitted to participate in funding communal sacrifices. The Sanhedrin noted that non-Jews did observe the Pesach sacrifice as it was brought in the Temple and such areas should be set aside for this purpose at the reenactment. Non-Jews would be permitted to donate money towards the reenactment and fund necessary elements surrounding the reinstatement of the Temple service but no funds from non-Jews would be permitted to be used for sanctified purposes.
“The Temples were and will always be for the good of the entire world and the nations are intended to help us towards this end,” Rabbi Meir Halevi Hakaadded said. “This is especially true today when we are faced with global threats that affect every individual and every nation. And, indeed, there are many nations and individuals, including Muslims and Arabs, that understand this and are willing to take their place in this effort.”
“Now, at this point in time, it is essential that the nations make their desire known for the return of the Temple service.”
A headstart project to fund the Pesach reenactment will be launched in the near future.
Last year, the ceremony was supposed to take place at the Davidson Center, an archaeological park at the foot of the stairs where individuals walked up to bring their sacrifices to the Temple. All of the permits were acquired but at the last moment, the police officer overseeing security demanded that the original copy of the permit for slaughtering the lamb be produced in place of a faxed copy. It was later revealed that the police wanted the venue changed in order to prevent a violent Palestinian reaction to the Jewish ritual, the police ordered the Sanhedrin to change the venue.
Such important Jewish rituals are often repressed by Israeli security forces and every year, several Jews are arrested while attempting to bring a lamb to the Temple Mount.
The reenactment was accompanied by blasts from silver horns. A band played songs based on the Hallel service, a prayer service composed of verses from Psalms, that was sung in the Temple while the Passover sacrifice was being prepared.
The lamb must be checked for blemishes before being slaughtered. As in the Temple, the priests arranged themselves in a line stretching from the courtyard in which the lamb was slaughtered stretching all the way to the altar. The blood from the lamb was collected in a vessel and then passed from one priest to another, hand over hand, until it arrived at the altar upon which it was poured.
The animal is skinned and the inner parts are separated. The goat was prepared roasted whole on a long pomegranate branch in the manner described in the Torah and served to the Jews gathered to witness the reenactment.
When the Temple stood, all of the Jewish people came to Jerusalem and organized into groups to celebrate the Passover seder. Each group sent a representative to the Temple to bring a lamb that would be ritually prepared by the priests and its blood sprinkled on the altar. The lamb would then be taken home to be cooked and eaten.
Netanyahu Considers Pascal Lamb Sacrifice on Temple Mount for First time in 2,000 Years
“You shall say, ‘It is the Pesach sacrifice to Hashem, because He passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt when He smote the Egyptians, but saved our houses.’” Exodus 12:27 (The Israel Bible™)
Netanyahu during a Menorah lighting ceremony and a lamb
The Sanhedrin tasked Shimshon Elboim, head of the Temple Mount Organizations, with submitting a letter to Prime Minister Netanyahu to perform the ritual korban Pesach (Passover sacrifice) in its proper place, the Temple Mount, and in its Biblically mandated time, Wednesday afternoon, the eve of the Passover feast.
“God forbid we should allow the coronavirus to strike His children with rising up to bring about the solution given in the Torah for epidemics,” the letter read.
The request comes in the wake of the government rejecting requests to perform a reenactment of the korban Pesach. The full-dress reenactment has taken place for the past nine years, drawing large crowds of the devoted, but this year, the request to hold the event was denied due to Health Ministry restrictions.
“The project is of the utmost importance for all of mankind,” Rabbi Hillel Weiss, spokesman for the Sanhedrin told Breaking Israel News. He noted that the original Passover sacrifice offered in Egypt on the night before the Exodus was intended to stop the final plague which was described as a נֶגֶף (negef: disease). In addition, King David purchased the Temple Mount, built and altar, and offered a sacrifice to stop a plague.
The ritual will include burning the incense that is prepared for the exclusive use by the Kohanim in the Temple Service. The incense is considered an essential element in ending epidemics.
Every year, the Israeli police stop several people attempting to bring sheep onto the Temple Mount for the purposes of personal sacrifices. Also, requests to perform the ceremony in the proper place and at the proper time have always been rejected. But the request from the Sanhedrin received an unexpectedly different response this year.
“Usually, this type of request is rejected out of hand,” Elboim told Breaking Israel News. “We were pleasantly surprised when we were informed that the request was forwarded to Gilad Erdan, the Internal Security Minister in charge of what happens on the Temple Mount.”
Even if the request is denied, the non-rejection signals a change of heart for the prime minister who stated one month ago that he rejected an agreement with the right-wing Otzma Yehudit party that would have permitted Jews to pray on the Temple Mount. Netanyahu admitted that he preferred to lose the election rather than give his permission to Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount.
But it is not only Netanyahu who is having a change of heart about the renewal of Torah rituals. The Hebrew language ultra-Orthodox news site, Kikar Shabbat, reported that a Haredi organization named Torat HaKedoshim is now calling for the renewal of the korban Pesach as a solution for the coronavirus. This is surprising since most ultra-Orthodox leaders have instructed their followers to avoid ascending to the Temple Mount despite an exponential growth in Jews appearing at their holiest site in recent years. This announcement in Kikar Shabbat is believed to be the first time any self-identified ultra-Orthodox group has made such a move.
“The success or failure of the Jewish return to its holiest site and to the Biblically mandated commandments is entirely dependent on the public and not on the government,” Elboim said. “Since we do not have a king, the government, after all, serves at the will of the people. We do not want a conflict with the government but at the same time, if the majority of the Jewish people demand equal rights on the Temple Mount, the government will have to listen, especially at a time when no side has a clear mandate.”
In addition to permission to perform the ritual on the Temple Mount, Elboim filed for permits to transport the altar from where it is being stored in Elkana in Samaria to Jerusalem. The Passover sacrifice can only be offered in one place; on the Temple Mount. The sacrifice does not require an actual Temple structure but it does require an altar that is built to adhere to the Biblical requirements. Such an altar was constructed last year and stands ready.
The square altar is nine feet square and five feet high and is constructed of aerated concrete. The material was ruled to be fit for use in the Temple. In the Talmud, it is explained that steel may not be used to cut the stones of the altar since the Temple Service brings life into the world and steel, as it is used in war, takes life. Stones for the altar may not be cut using steel since the Temple service brings life into the world and steel though not ideal, it is light and easily transported and sized to be loaded onto a truck. The altar was constructed on a metal frame designed also for purposes of transportability. The intent was to create an altar that could be taken to the Temple Mount at a moment’s notice should the need arise.
The Pesach offering has special significance as there are only two mitzvot (Biblical commandments) for which non-compliance receives the most severe punishment mandated by the Torah, karet (being cut off from the community, or excommunicated): brit milah (circumcision) and the korban Pesach .
All of the elements stand ready. The vessels have been prepared and merely need to be immersed in a ritual bath to be purified. Kohanim (Jewish men descended from Aaron the priest) are registered for service and their Biblically mandated clothes are ready. Wine and oil, prepared to the strictest requirements, are ready. A red heifer is being raised but lacking one, the halacha (Torah law) permits time-bound public sacrifices like the Korban Pesach and the Korban Tamid (twice daily offering) to be brought in impurity.
The Sanhedrin recently performed an intense study concerning the current status of the Passover offering and concluded that at this juncture, one sacrifice made at the Temple Mount brought in the name of the entire Jewish people would suffice.
“Despite various issues of Jewish law, such as ritual impurity and lack of a high priest, Jews are still required and technically able to bring the sacrifice,” Rabbi Weiss said. “The only thing preventing the Jewish People from performing the Passover sacrifice is the Israeli government.”
In the letter to Netanyahu, the organizations emphasized that they were requesting the government enforce equal freedom to all religions on the Temple Mount as legislated by Israeli and international law. Muslims are currently afforded free and unlimited access to the Temple Mount. Small groups of Jews are only permitted to enter the compound during restricted hours via one gate, and only after rigorous background and security checks. Once in the compound, Jews must follow a set route and are only permitted to stand in place for a few minutes at a time. Jews are not permitted to eat or drink and the water fountains at the site are for the exclusive use of Muslims.
The Sanhedrin emphasized that the plan to bring the altar to the Temple Mount was entirely consistent with President Trump’s recently released Deal of the Century which recognized Israel’s full sovereignty over the site.
“People of every faith should be permitted to pray on the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif, in a manner that is fully respectful to their religion, taking into account the times of each religion’s prayers and holidays, as well as other religious factors” the text of the deal reads.
Acknowledging the President’s role in helping the Jewish people move towards renewing the Temple, Rabbi Dov Stein wrote him a letter one month ago, asking for his intervention in allowing the korban Pesach to take place for the sake of healing the world.
No matter what the response from the Israeli government, a lamb has already been acquired for the sacrifice and stands ready.” Source
Video: Temple Myth Busters Below
The virtue of the plague – the sacrifice of a Passover sacrifice
An ultra-Orthodox organization that introduces the study of saints, in the form of a *halachic study, embarked on a campaign to sacrifice a Passover sacrifice and build the Temple. He claims that the epidemic came about because the people of Israel do not build the (ultra-Orthodox) court.
The Corona here and large, the great men of Israel are doing everything they can to instruct the public to hear the Ministry of Health’s order for the remnant of refugees who have gathered in the Holy Land to remain in exile and not be destroyed by the terrible epidemic that has plagued the lives of tens of thousands around the world.
At the same time, the great awe and morals gave spiritual reasons for the great storm, and what the plague was about. Read more here
*Halakha is based on biblical commandments (mitzvot), subsequent Talmudic and rabbinic law, and the customs and traditions compiled in the many books such as the Shulchan Aruch. … Halakha guides not only religious practices and beliefs, but also numerous aspects of day-to-day life.
