Did the "Dig" TV Show Get it Right? - Tunnels Under the Temple Mount in Bible Prophecy

"Dig Panel at Comic-Con 2014" by chrisjortiz - IMG_9185. 
Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons  

In the previous post, Did the "Dig" TV Show Get it Right? – Training Temple Priests in Israel to Fulfill Bible Prophecy, I gave an introduction to the TV show Dig and some of the little known pieces of information about Bible prophecy portrayed in the show. (Tweet that!)

Another tidbit of information is about the extensive network of tunnels that exist under the Temple Mount. (Tweet that!) Some of the scenes in the show take place in these tunnels.

I wrote an article about the Temple Mount tunnels previously on this blog here:

A Unique Glimpse: Tunnels Under the Temple Mount (May 27, 2014)

One very interesting belief about these tunnels is that this may be where the currently-missing Ark of the Covenant is located. (Tweet that!) Here is a portion of an article on the Temple Institute's site titled "Israeli Institute Prepares Priests for Jerusalem's Third Temple" (April 9, 2014):

Everything is ready, then, except two additional, small matters. The easy one, you'd be surprised, is the Ark of the Covenant. "The Second Temple didn't have an ark, either," Segel reminds me, and Friedman adds, "There are 10 studies about the location of the Ark of the Covenant. We read them and studied all of them, and reached the conclusion that the right answer is that it's buried in the tunnels under the Temple Mount. When the day comes, we will get to it."

(Tweet that!)

Image from IMDb.com 

I haven't been able to determine if the scenes portrayed in the tunnels were actually filmed in the tunnels under Jerusalem's Temple Mount (Tweet that!), but if so, it was very fun and intriguing to see some of these tunnels.

Related Article:

• Did the "Dig" TV Show Get it Right? – Training Temple Priests in Israel to Fulfill Bible Prophecy

Did the "Dig" TV Show Get it Right? – Training Temple Priests in Israel to Fulfill Bible Prophecy

"Dig Panel at Comic-Con 2014" by chrisjortiz - IMG_9185. 
Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons  

Have you been watching the new TV show Dig? It airs on the USA Network and the first episode ran March 5, 2015.

I was incredibly intrigued because the previews showed glimpses of Old Jerusalem.  So of course I had to watch and check it out.

Here is the recap of what the show is about from IMDb.com:

Peter, an FBI agent stationed in Jerusalem who, while investigating a murder of a young female archaeologist, uncovers a conspiracy 2000 years in the making.

I can't figure out why the United States Federal Bureau of Investigations, which I though investigated federal crimes here on U.S. soil, would have an agent or an office in Jerusalem, Israel. Don't think he'd have any jurisdiction in real life. Don't think he'd actually be "stationed" there in real life. But anyway, here at my house we watched the first episodes – I believe it was two and a half episodes.*

The opening of the pilot had me thrilled because the show started with what I thought might be little-known facts about the Bible even among Christians (Tweet that!), interesting tidbits that I've run across in my studies. For example these three items were portrayed:

• The training of priests from boyhood in a special location and their feet are not allowed to touch the ground. Ever.

• The extensive tunnels beneath the Temple Mount.

• And the red heifer.

These are things that I believe most people don't know about (especially #1 and #3). I think even most Christians who study the Bible faithfully may not know much about these details. (Tweet that!) So it caused me to wonder who is behind this TV show? It made me want to research that, which I haven't done yet. But I thought it would be interesting to talk a bit about these three items here on the blog, so we're doing that this week in this post and the next two.

I was amazed that the creators of the show had in place the training of a special priest who has been raised from birth to perform a certain function (not yet revealed on the show).  I had heard years ago that there is a school in Jerusalem that is training young boys to be priests and perform all the duties of the Jewish Temple (Tweet that!), should it be rebuilt or when it is rebuilt.

As you can imagine, a lot of training that would need to be done in order to properly perform all the sacrifices and ceremonies properly. These are jobs that have not been performed since 70 A.D. when the Herod's Temple (the Second Temple) was destroyed. (Tweet that!)

I also heard at that time years ago that for at least some of these young boys, and I'm not clear if this was all of them or just certain positions such as, perhaps, the High Priest, that these boys were never to allow their feet to touch the ground. They were to keep themselves that holy. I remember finding and reading an article about it at the time which I wanted to share with you here, but I was unable to find it. Perhaps that is now controversial as it is made to be considered abusive as it is portrayed in the TV show.

As a matter of fact, in the first episode one of the boys so longed to be outside and to walk on grass that he did, and then this young child was ruthlessly shot in the head by the weird, cult-ish, evil, homicidal "Christians." It was extremely sick how Christians are portrayed on the show, which unfortunately is not unusual for Hollywood. But no worries, they have another boy to take the first one’s place – an identical boy, no doubt a clone.

Anyway, back to real life: Here is one article I found about the training of priests to serve in the rebuilt Temple. (It does not mention the restriction from touching the ground though.)

• Hanukkah at Temple Institute: Working to Rebuild the Temple (Nov 25, 2013)

Image from IMDb.com 

At any rate, whoever is behind this TV show has done some deep research which I find fascinating. It's just too bad they are doing so much ugly with it.

*As I said, we watched two and half episodes. I'm pretty sure it was the third episode that opened with a sex scene (not the first one in the series) that was more graphic than we care to watch – between the main character/FBI Agent (Jason Isaacs) and his boss (Anne Heche). We sat through that reluctantly, but later in the same episode there was a short scene in a gay bar (yeah, in Jerusalem) followed by a scene where two men were ripping their clothes off and we didn't stick around to watch any more of that.

So we're done with the TV show Dig at my house and I can't recommend that you watch it. But it opened up a good opportunity to discuss some little known information about Bible prophecy of the rebuilt Temple. (Tweet that!) We'll talk about it more in the next post.

Will the “Framework Agreement” with Iran be the False Peace Treaty in Bible Prophecy?

"Negotiations about Iranian Nuclear Program - 
the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Other Officials 
of the P5+1 and Ministers of Foreign Affairs 
of Iran and EU in Lausanne" 
by United States Department of State
Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

I had a friend ask me the other day if the "framework for a deal with Iran," which seems to be coming to be known as the "Framework Agreement," which the Obama Administration has worked out via Secretary of State John Kerry could be the "false peace treaty" in Bible prophecy. (Tweet that!) I had to admit I was kicking myself that I had not thought of that possibility.

Let me explain what my friend was referring to. The Bible speaks of "weeks" which we understand to be "weeks of years," in other words 7-year segments of time. In Daniel 9:20-27 the prophet Daniel saw a vision of the angel Gabriel, whom Daniel had seen and met with before. This time, Gabriel gave Daniel insight and instruction about "seventy sevens." We understand these to be 70 weeks of years.

Then in Daniel 9:25 Gabriel speaks of "seven 'sevens,' and sixty-two 'sevens.'" That totals 69 sevens. Which means there is one more "seven" left: the 70^th seven, or one more "week of years," a 7-year period.

There are, of course, different ideas about this, but many (if not most?) scholars believe there was an indeterminate gap of time between the 69^th week in Daniel and the 70^th week. And this final 70^th week of 7 years will be the final 7 years of history on earth as we know it now.

Then Daniel says this about that 70^th week of years:

"He [that is the Antichrist] will confirm a covenant with many for one 'seven.' In the middle of the 'seven' he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing of the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him." (Daniel 9:27, NIV 1985)

As you can see, there is a covenant with "many." I believe most scholars think this is the Jewish people. I wonder if it isn't the majority of people on the earth?

This covenant is for one seven-year period. But in the middle of this seven – in other words, at the 3½ year point – the Antichrist breaks the covenant. (Tweet that!) This means the Antichrist never really meant for there to be lasting peace and so it was a "false peace." (Tweet that!)

We know the Jewish Temple has been rebuilt on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem at this point because sacrifices are going on, and that is the only place Jewish sacrifices can take place. (Tweet that!)

Then, in the middle of this seven-year so-called peace deal, the Antichrist puts an end to sacrifice, meaning he stops the Jewish sacrifices going on at the Temple.

When he, the Antichrist, breaks that covenant at the half-way point through the seven years, all hell breaks loose quite literally. The Antichrist sets himself up as God in the Jewish Temple or "on a wing of the temple" and this attempt to usurp God's rightful place as King of kings and Lord of lords is the last straw: the abomination that causes desolation.

So, for prophecy watchers, we are watching for these two things:

• the Temple to be rebuilt on the Temple Mount where sacrifices resume for the first time since 70 A.D., and

• the start of a “peace” deal which we know will be killed after 3½ years.

So the question is, could this so-called deal with Iran that the United States and other nations are painfully claiming to be negotiating with Iran be that Biblically prophesied false peace deal? And furthermore, considering the previous post, I’m wondering might this "peace deal" be made on the 9^th of Av? (Tweet that!) It's something to watch.

Related Article:

• Previous post: Can this Date be Biblically Prophetic? Important Events in Jewish History on the 9th of Av

Can this Date be Biblically Prophetic? Important Events in Jewish History on the 9th of Av

"Negotiations about Iranian Nuclear Program -
the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Other Officials
of the P5+1 and Ministers of Foreign Affairs
of Iran and EU in Lausanne"
by United States Department of State
Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

In the previous post we looked at the date when Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, spoke to the joint session of the United States Congress. He gave this speech, which was against the deal the U.S. is working out with Iran to allow Iran to create nuclear weapons, on the eve of Purim. Mr. Netanyahu is concern Iran will use their nuclear weapons against Israel and it's a certainty that they will because they have said as much and there is no reason to disbelieve they will do exactly as they threaten. 

I believe it's significant that Mr. Netanyahu's speech was given on the eve of Purim. (Tweet that!) The One True God reveals His wisdom and speaks to us in patterns. (Tweet that!) And as we've watched the past three "Blood Moons" on important Jewish Feast days occur over the past year, we can notice, if we're paying attention, that the Lord God has planned and timed these events to coincide with what He foreknew would be occurring on earth. (Tweet that!) 

Purim was when the enemies of Israel plotted to wipe Israel off the face of the earth in the time of Queen Esther, 474 B.C. The Prime Minister's speech to the U.S. about the U.S.'s coming nuclear agreements with Iran was on the eve of Purim (Tweet that!) and I believe also on the eve of significant worldwide events occurring concerning Iran attempting to carry out its threats against Israel with the cooperation of the United States. (Tweet that!)

If dates are in fact prophetic, meaning we can see a pattern in history of important events occurring on the same date (on the Jewish calendar), then my question is, can we take an educated guess that something significant might occur on this date in the future? (Tweet that!)

Here are three examples: (Tweet that!)

The Total Lunar "Blood Moon" Eclipses On Jewish Holy Days

If you've been following this blog or the series of four "Blood Moons" you know we are experiencing a series of four total lunar eclipses on significant dates on the Jewish calendar. Those dates are the first and last of the seven annual feasts – Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles – in both 2014 and 2015. In the past, significant events occurred in Israel's history around those times. Learn more here:

• "Tetrad" of Four Lunar Eclipses on Jewish Feast Days in the Past 

• The Prophetic Significance of the Feasts of the LORD 

• To learn more about the next total lunar eclipse, get reminders, and stay up to date, please click "Going" at this Facebook Event: #Lunar Eclipse Watch Party! - 4th of the 4 #Blood Moons

The Financial Happenings on Past Shemitahs

If you've been following this blog, then you also know about the Shemitah that comes every seven years, which we will talk about more as it approaches on September 13, 2015. (Tweet that!) Major financial falls have occurred in the United States which rippled worldwide on the previous two Shemitahs in 2001, just after the attacks of 9/11, and again in 2008. Some are already speculating what may occur this coming fall. Learn more here:

• To learn more about the Shemitah, get reminders, and stay up to date, please click "Going" at this Facebook Event: #Shemitah and Partial Solar Eclipse (#Black Sun) Watch Party

The 9th of Av

"Av" is the fifth month on the Jewish religious calendar and matches up approximately with July/August on our calendar. On the 9th day of Av, significant occurrences have taken place in Israel's history including the following. (Tweet that!):

• According to Jewish history, it was on the 9th of Av that the ten spies, not counting Joshua and Caleb, which Moses sent to search out the Promised Land gave their bad report to Moses which caused the Israelites to refuse to enter the land God promised to them, resulting in them wandering the wilderness for forty years until that generation died off before entering the Land under Joshua's leadership.

• It was on the 9th of Av that the first Jewish Temple, that is Solomon's Temple, was looted and burned by the king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar. (Note my Bible says, "On the seventh day of the fifth month…" (2 Kings 24:8). That was August 14, 586 B.C. Jeremiah 52:12 records it as "the tenth day of the fifth month…" A note in the NIV Study Bible explains the difference this way: "The parallel in 2 Ki 25:8 reads 'seventh day'; one of the numbers is a copyist's error, but we cannot tell which." See 2 Chronicles 36:15-21, 2 Kings 25:1-21, Jeremiah 52:4-27.) 

• Significantly, the second Temple was also destroyed on the 9th of Av in 70 A.D. by the Romans under Titus. This occurred some 40 years after Jesus' death and resurrection and fulfilled the Bible prophecy spoken by Jesus himself in Matthew 24:2.

• King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella expelled the Jews from Spain on the 9th of Av in 1492.

So my question is, Could something prophetically significant happen to Israel on the 9th of Av in soon-coming years? Even in 2015? (Tweet that!) On our calendar, the 9th of Av in 2015 takes place from the evening of July 24 to the evening of July 25, 2015.

Was the date Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to Joint Session of U.S. Congress - the Eve of Purim - Prophetic?

"Benjamin Netanjahu 2" by
MRECIC ARG -
Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
via Wikimedia Commons

I have to admit this would have slipped past me if someone had not told me. Did you know that the day the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, addressed the joint session of Congress of the United States was the eve of the Jewish holiday of Purim? (Tweet that!)

If you listened carefully to the Prime Minister’s speech, you heard him talk about Purim. To see the importance you need to know that Purim commemorates the attempted annihilation of the all persons of Israeli descent in the days of Queen Esther in 474 B.C.  (Tweet that!)

It seems to me that God is speaking to us through events today occurring on important dates to the Jewish people, whether in history or in the holy days God gave the Jewish people.  (Tweet that!) For example, three days ago we witnessed the third total lunar eclipse falling on the first or last of the 7 annual Jewish Feasts – the second year in a row that we had a totally eclipsed moon on Passover.

It was John Boehner who invited Benjamin Netanyahu to speak to Congress. Interestingly he invited to speak on February 11, 2015. You can see Mr. Boehner’s original invitation here to Mr. Netanyahu here. 

I don’t know who changed that date or how that came about, but I find it very interesting that it was changed to the eve of Purim. (Tweet that!) I believe that was a change orchestrated by God because I believe that timing is a message from God. (Tweet that!) 

What is that message? It is a warning and a promise. Just as evil regimes in the time of Queen Esther tried to annihilate the Jews, evil regimes are about to try again in our near future. (Tweet that!)

But their evil plan did not succeed then and it will not succeed in our time. (Tweet that!)

Don’t believe me? Come back for the next post and we’ll look at another important date in Jewish history on which several similar events have occurred.

Here is a brief portion of Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech, from The Washington Post.com, that referenced Purim:

My friends, I've come here today because, as prime minister of Israel, I feel a profound obligation to speak to you about an issue that could well threaten the survival of my country and the future of my people: Iran's quest for nuclear weapons. 

We're an ancient people. In our nearly 4,000 years of history, many have tried repeatedly to destroy the Jewish people. Tomorrow night, on the Jewish holiday of Purim, we'll read the Book of Esther. We'll read of a powerful Persian viceroy named Haman, who plotted to destroy the Jewish people some 2,500 years ago. But a courageous Jewish woman, Queen Esther, exposed the plot and gave for the Jewish people the right to defend themselves against their enemies. 

The plot was foiled. Our people were saved. 

(APPLAUSE) 

Today the Jewish people face another attempt by yet another Persian potentate to destroy us. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei spews the oldest hatred, the oldest hatred of anti-Semitism with the newest technology. He tweets that Israel must be annihilated -- he tweets. You know, in Iran, there isn't exactly free Internet. But he tweets in English that Israel must be destroyed.  

For those who believe that Iran threatens the Jewish state, but not the Jewish people, listen to Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, Iran's chief terrorist proxy. He said: If all the Jews gather in Israel, it will save us the trouble of chasing them down around the world.  

But Iran's regime is not merely a Jewish problem, any more than the Nazi regime was merely a Jewish problem. The 6 million Jews murdered by the Nazis were but a fraction of the 60 million people killed in World War II. So, too, Iran's regime poses a grave threat, not only to Israel, but also the peace of the entire world. To understand just how dangerous Iran would be with nuclear weapons, we must fully understand the nature of the regime... 

I’m reminded again how important it is to have a Jewish/Hebrew calendar and to keep it handy and reference it often, if not every day. I should not have missed this. I’m pleased the Lord, through a friend, brought it to my attention.

Thoughts Following Blood Moon #3 -- Plus Easter Moments Countdown Day 1

Dates of Four Total Lunar Eclipses
plus the central Solar Eclipse
of 2014 and 2015

Early this morning the earth is witnessing the 3rd of the four total lunar eclipses which have been "nicknamed" or called the Blood Moons. I hope you were able to see it wherever you are.

I'm writing this post in advance so it will post early in the morning, actually even before the end of the eclipse, although for many of us the moon will set behind the horizon before it's over so we can't see the end of the eclipse.

My prayer is that this has been a beautiful event for you, spiritually significant and personally memorable. (Tweet that!)

As you know, today is Passover, a significant holiday for the Jewish people. I wish you a blessed Passover.

For Christians, yesterday was "Good Friday," when the Christian church remembers the crucifixion of Jesus the Christ. Tomorrow is Easter Sunday. This "Blood Moon" is sandwiched in between those two important dates on the Christian calendar. (Tweet that!) I wish you a blessed Easter.

God is as work. He is working in this world and in each of our lives, calling us to recognize His sovereignty, to remember Him, to call upon Him, to thank Him for His mercy, grace, and work on our behalf. (Tweet that!)

Some additional resources you may enjoy:

Here is information about the next total lunar eclipse coming our way. This will be the 4th and final eclipse of the current tetrad. (Tweet that!)

• 2015 Amazing Worldwide Event #4 Linked to Bible Prophecy: The Coming Fourth Lunar Eclipse in September

As you can guess, I'll be talking about the fourth and final total lunar eclipse of this tetrad here. And I've already created a Facebook Event for this eclipse coming next September 28, 2015. Please join this event now so you won't miss anything or forget. Simply click this link and then choose "Going."

•  #Lunar Eclipse Watch Party! - 4th of the 4 #Blood Moons

This is an article I wrote earlier on my thoughts about what might happen on the Shemitah later this year and what life might be like afterwards:

• What will Life be Like After the 4th Lunar Eclipse? - Amazing Worldwide Event #4 in 2015 Linked to Bible Prophecy

I've also already created a Facebook Event for the coming Shemitah. You can learn all about what that is at this event. (Also through articles I've already posted on this blog. Please do a search for that word if you're interested in learning more now.) This event occurs BEFORE the next lunar eclipse -- only about two weeks before. Please also join the Shemitah Watch event by clicking this link and then choosing "Going."

• #Shemitah and Partial Solar Eclipse (#BlackSun) Watch Party

Again, here is my informational brochure for you to print and share, or share electronically by posting it on your social media sites:

• The 7 Feasts of the LORD and the 4 Blood Moons informational PDF brochure 

Have a very happy Easter. He is alive! Celebrate! I'll see you next week when we'll talk more about what's going on in the world and how we might be seeing Bible prophecies fulfilled right before our very eyes. 

Easter Moments:

• Countdown Day 1: Jesus fulfills the Feast of Unleavened Bread

(Tweet that!)

Natural Phenomena that Cause the Moon to Appear Red and Tips for Viewing the 3rd Blood Moon Lunar Eclipse -- Plus Easter Moments Countdown Days 3 & 2

Dates of Four Total Lunar Eclipses
plus the central Solar Eclipse
of 2014 and 2015

Since we've been observing this series of four (tetrad) total lunar eclipses, I've heard some people saying these cannot be the "blood moons" mentioned in the Bible because the moon is appearing red under natural circumstances. (Tweet that!) They say that the Biblically prophesied "blood moons" will be something miraculous from the hand of God. I say that's a bunch of hooey. (Tweet that!) Why couldn't the blood moons in the Bible be caused by natural circumstances? (Tweet that!) I see no reason why they couldn't be red moons caused by natural reasons.

Clearly the Lord God who created the heavens and the earth, Who set the moon in the sky and Who set the times and knew with perfect foreknowledge when lunar eclipses would occur because He set up the whole system, could have and did know these lunar eclipses would be occurring on these dates in our lifetimes. (Tweet that!) This is not a problem for Him.

He is also the One Who mandated when the Feasts of the LORD would be -- on what dates on the Jewish calendar. (Tweet that!) He also foreknew with perfect foresight that those total lunar eclipses on His Feasts of the LORD would coincide with happenings on the earth in our day. (Tweet that!) This is not a problem for Him.

So some people using the fact that this is a "natural" way the moon turns red as evidence that this is not the hand of God nor the Biblically prophesied "blood moons" that are to come before the day of the Lord (the Lord Jesus' return) simply is not convincing me.  (Tweet that!)

What do you think?

The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. Joel 2:31

Here are some trivia questions:  

How many natural causes are there for the moon to appear red? (Tweet that!)

What are the causes in nature that make the moon appear red? (Tweet that!)

You can find the answers in this post:

• What Causes the Moon to Turn Red Like Blood? 

Tips for Viewing this Total Lunar Eclipse:

I learned a few things while viewing the first of these four total lunar eclipses last April. I wrote about what I learned and gave some tips before the second eclipse last October. Here are those tips for you to review. I'm going to review them also so I don't forget what I learned! (Tweet that!)

• Tips for Viewing the Lunar Eclipse

Final Reminder:

This Saturday's Total Lunar Eclipse -- Blood Moon #3 -- will occur in the early morning hours of Saturday, April 4th. Don't miss it! You'll have to get up early to see it. (Tweet that!)

If you haven't yet, please join my Event on Facebook for more reminders, discussion, links to articles and information, and more:

#Lunar Eclipse Watch Party! - 3rd of the 4 #Blood Moons

I'll look forward to seeing you again on Saturday after this 3rd of the four "Blood Moons" for some followup thoughts. Enjoy the view! Bask in the knowledge you are witnessing history. Make it memorable with those you care about. (Tweet that!)

As you're looking into the heavens after midnight Friday evening / early Saturday morning, think about the Lord God and what you and your life looks like to Him from His point of view. (Tweet that!) It's a good think to contemplate.

Easter Moments:

• Countdown Day 3: The Prophecy of the Potter’s Field

• Countdown Day 2: Jesus was Sacrificed on Passover

(Tweet that!)