The End Time Church: From the Cathedrals to the Catacombs

By Dan L. White

Copyright 2021 by Dan L. White, all rights reserved.

Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible (WEB) which is in the public domain.

Chapter 96

Temple Jumping

Have you heard of bungee jumping?

Jeremy Markovich, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0&gt;, via Wikimedia Commons

Wikipedia, the wicked encyclopedia, says that ”Bungee jumping is an activity that involves a person jumping from a great height while connected to a large elastic cord. The launching pad is usually erected on a tall structure such as a building or crane, a bridge across a deep ravine, or on a natural geographic feature such as a cliff.”

A number of people have died bungee jumping. Sometimes the bungee broke. At other times the stretch of the bungee was miscalculated, allowing the bungee and the jumper to fall too far.

Have you heard of bridge jumping?

Jeremy Markovich, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0&gt;, via Wikimedia Commons

officialbridgeday.com says:

“Held annually every third Saturday in October on the New River Gorge Bridge in Fayette County, West Virginia, this is the only day each year thousands of spectators can walk across the bridge and watch as serious BASE jumpers get their chance to fly 876 feet into the Gorge below.”

Bridge jumpers use parachutes instead of bungees, and most of the time, they do open.

Why do people bungee jump, and risk a broken bungee and a broken head? Why do people jump off a bridge 876 feet high, into the dangerous New River?

They get a thrill by tempting fate, as it’s called.

Have you heard of Temple jumping?

Satan tempted Christ by daring Him to Temple jump.

By Jaakov Shoham, self-photographed, public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1894992

The southwestern corner of the Temple Mount today is a high point. It might possibly be the spot where Satan dared Yeshua to jump. A broken stone was found tumbled below that spot, which said, “the place of the trumpeting.” That was where a priest would blow a trumpet to announce events. So if this high spot was used for trumpeting because of its height, then perhaps…?

Matt 4
5) Then the devil took him into the holy city. He set him on the pinnacle of the temple,
6) and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, ‘He will put his angels in charge of you.’ and, ‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you don’t dash your foot against a stone.’”

Satan quoted scripture.

Ps 91:9-12 (WEB)
9) Because you have made Yahweh your refuge, and the Most High your dwelling place,
10) no evil shall happen to you, neither shall any plague come near your dwelling.
11) For he will put his angels in charge of you, to guard you in all your ways.
12) They will bear you up in their hands, so that you won’t dash your foot against a stone.

Notice how Satan approaches these temptations of Christ. In this one, Satan quotes scripture.

That’s right. Satan came on like Billy Graham.

The quote is correct. The application is twisted.

Nearly a century ago women were discouraged from cutting or bobbing their hair. There was even a hit song about it, “Why Do You Bob Your Hair, Girls?” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bg1TvrZkfEU

This modesty about hair could also apply to wearing the hair down instead of up, as in a bun or top knot on top of the head. An old story, and that’s probably all it is, says that a preacher railed against top knots by quoting this verse from the Bible –

“Top knot come down!”

But the cited verse actually says:

Matt 24:16-17 (KJV)
16) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:
17) Let him which is on the house top not come down to take any thing out of his house:

If that really happened, Satan could have been really proud of that twisting.

Here’s another example of twisting.

Matt 5:17 (WEB)
17) “Don’t think that I came to destroy the law or the prophets. I didn’t come to destroy, but to fulfill.

Even though Yeshua plainly said that He did not come to destroy the law, that verse is cited to show that Christ destroyed the law, because He fulfilled it. But when Christ said He didn’t come to destroy but to fulfill, fulfill has to be the opposite of destroy. So Christ did not come to destroy the Commandments and to say He did is a tornadic twisting.

Peter mentioned Christian scripture twisting.

2Pet 3:15-17 (WEB)
15) Regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also, according to the wisdom given to him, wrote to you;
16) as also in all of his letters, speaking in them of these things. In those, there are some things that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unsettled twist, as they also do to the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.
17) You therefore, beloved, knowing these things beforehand, beware, lest being carried away with the error of the wicked, you fall from your own steadfastness.

The Greek word “athezmos,” translated there in the World English Bible as ‘wicked,’ actually means ‘lawless,’ as the International Standard Version has it.

2Pet 3:17 (ISV)
17) And so, dear friends, since you already know these things, continually be on your guard not to be carried away by the deception of lawless people. Otherwise, you may fall from your secure position.

The English Standard, Lexham, Smith, The Scriptures Bible versions, among others, also render “athezmos” as lawless – breaking the law.

If Peter was warning against the twisting of Paul’s writings by the deception of lawless people, then what was the twisting?

It was lawlessness.

Christian twisters were saying that Paul had done away with the law.

Paul himself wrote about that twisting.

Rom 3
8) Why not (as we are slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say), “Let us do evil, that good may come?” Those who say so are justly condemned.

31) Do we then nullify the law through faith? May it never be! No, we establish the law.

That twisting – that Paul said that Christians should “do evil,” that is, break the Ten Commandments – is still going on today.

Wonder who’s behind that twisting?

Saying that Christ’s flock should do evil so that good may come of it when God forgives the evil is the same principle as snake handling and Temple jumping. It means to purposely sin and then expect God to forgive us. Basically this is the modern Christian doctrine of grace, license from God to break God’s Commandments.

That is Satan’s twisting and the devil did the same thing with Yeshua. Satan quoted the Psalm about the angels bearing Christ so He wouldn’t dash His foot and then dared Him to jump off a Temple wall. The devil tried to get Yeshua to flaunt who He was by Temple jumping, just to show off.

“Hey, look at me. I’m Superman! Whee!”

I lived right across the holler from snake handlers. My dad said they met in a house there, but we never went over across the creek to check it out. According to Wikipedia, there is still a snake handling congregation in the town where I went to school, and a small number of snake handling groups are still spread throughout those Appalachian Mountains. These congregations do lose some people to snakebites and for some reason, they don’t attract a whole lot of new converts.

Snake handlers twist scripture. At some time, somebody in the Appalachian Mountains got the idea that the Bible tells us to pick up snakes and parade around with them just to show that God will protect us. This verse was the basis of their thinking.

Mark 16:17-18 (WEB)
17) These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new languages;
18) they will take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it will in no way hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

A video tells of a gospel singing group who discovered – mid-service! – they were in a snake handling church. Their biggest complaint? The church didn’t have enough doors! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FE4z60a_lew

Paul was bitten by a serpent on the island of Malta, but Paul didn’t pick up the snake and parade it around. Paul was bitten when he gathered firewood, but then he just shook the snake off into the fire. Paul was not harmed. The snake was. That is the meaning of Mark 16:18.

Satan dared Christ to be like the snake handlers, to put Himself in danger like bungee jumpers and bridge jumpers, just to show off. Such acts are not done to be exalted in the eyes of God, but just to be exalted in the eyes of others.

Satan’s first temptation for Yeshua was at the human drive to stay alive, when Satan dared Christ to turn rocks into bread. Satan’s second attack was at the human drive to exalt itself.

We have to eat food to stay physically alive. We don’t need to exalt ourselves to live, but all who live want to.

Hezekiah was a good king, and because of that he was blessed. And because he was blessed, his heart was lifted up.

2Chr 32:24-26 (WEB)
24) In those days Hezekiah was sick even to death: and he prayed to Yahweh; and he spoke to him, and gave him a sign.
25) But Hezekiah didn’t render again according to the benefit done to him; for his heart was lifted up: therefore there was wrath on him, and on Judah and Jerusalem.
26) Notwithstanding Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of Yahweh didn’t come on them in the days of Hezekiah.

Hezekiah’s drive to exalt himself showed up when the Babylonians showed up.

Isa 39
1) At that time, Merodach Baladan the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah; for he heard that he had been sick, and had recovered.

Notice the situation. The Babylonians had heard – from far away! – that Hezekiah had been healed, and they came to visit the king who had received that miracle. What a fantastic opportunity for Hezekiah, who had been healed, to publicly praise Yahweh Rapha, Yahweh our healer, who had healed him!

But what happened?

2Kgs 20
13) Hezekiah listened to them, and showed them all the house of his precious things, the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious oil, and the house of his armor, and all that was found in his treasures: there was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah didn’t show them.
14) Then Isaiah the prophet came to king Hezekiah, and said to him, “What did these men say? From where did they come to you?” Hezekiah said, “They have come from a far country, even from Babylon.”
15) He said, “What have they seen in your house?” Hezekiah answered, “They have seen all that is in my house. There is nothing among my treasures that I have not shown them.”
16) Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of Yahweh.
17) ‘Behold, the days come, that all that is in your house, and that which your fathers have laid up in store to this day, shall be carried to Babylon. Nothing shall be left,’ says Yahweh.

Hezekiah was king of Judah. He was already looked up to by all the people in his kingdom, and apparently many outside his kingdom. But he felt compelled to exalt himself before the Babylonians, too.

What good did that do him?

Nothing. But good king Hezekiah succumbed to the temptation to exalt himself.

King Saul was picked by Yahweh as king, and Saul looked more kingly than any other man in the kingdom.

1Sam 9:2 (WEB)
2) [Kish] had a son, whose name was Saul, an impressive young man; and there was not among the children of Israel a better person than he. From his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people.

Saul looked good. And apparently looking good was really important to King Saul.

After Saul had been king for some years, Samuel told Saul that Yahweh had rejected him as king. Yet Saul was still worried about how he looked before the people!

Right after Saul had been told that Yahweh had rejected him as king –

1Sam 15:24-31 (WEB)
24) Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned; for I have transgressed the commandment of Yahweh, and your words, because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.
25) Now therefore, please pardon my sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship Yahweh.”
26) Samuel said to Saul, “I will not return with you; for you have rejected the word of Yahweh, and Yahweh has rejected you from being king over Israel.”
27) As Samuel turned about to go away, Saul grabbed the skirt of his robe, and it tore.
28) Samuel said to him, “Yahweh has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day, and has given it to a neighbor of yours who is better than you.
29) Also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent; for he is not a man, that he should repent.”
30) Then he said, “I have sinned: yet please honor me now before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and come back with me, that I may worship Yahweh your God.”
31) So Samuel went back with Saul; and Saul worshiped Yahweh.

That was truly astounding. Saul had just been put on death row, yet he wanted to make sure he looked good before the elders as he went.

Saul could have repented as Hezekiah did, or humbled himself as even wicked Ahab did. But no! Saul still wanted to be the most exalted man in Israel.

Ananias and Sapphira were part of the First Flock, those who became followers of Christ around the time of Pentecost in 30 CE. They had seen miracles taking place left and right around them. They had seen how the spirit had changed the Christianos.

Acts 4:33-37 (WEB)
33) With great power, the apostles gave their testimony of the resurrection of the Lord Yeshua. Great grace [favor] was on them all.
34) For neither was there among them any who lacked, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold,
35) and laid them at the apostles’ feet, and distribution was made to each, according as anyone had need.
36) Joseph, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas (which is, being interpreted, Son of Encouragement), a Levite, a man of Cyprus by race,
37) having a field, sold it, and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.

That act by Barnabas was significant enough to be included in the Bible and he later worked beside Paul. Ananias and Sapphira saw that humble deed by Barnabas. But instead of being humble like him, they reversed that and tried to exalt themselves before the First Flock.

Acts 5
1) But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira, his wife, sold a possession,
2) and kept back part of the price, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
3) But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit, and to keep back part of the price of the land?
4) While you kept it, didn’t it remain your own? After it was sold, wasn’t it in your power? How is it that you have conceived this thing in your heart? You haven’t lied to men, but to God.”
5) Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and died. Great fear came on all who heard these things.
6) The young men arose and wrapped him up, and they carried him out and buried him.
7) About three hours later, his wife, not knowing what had happened, came in.
8) Peter answered her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much.” She said, “Yes, for so much.”
9) But Peter asked her, “How is it that you have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.”
10) She fell down immediately at his feet, and died. The young men came in and found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her by her husband.

Why did Ananias and Sapphira do that?

Just to be exalted in the eyes of people –

People who did not believe in exalting themselves!

Ananias and Sapphira agreed together to tempt the spirit of the Lord. And that’s just what Satan tried to get Yeshua to do.

“If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down…”

Christ answered the devil, as He did with the first temptation, by again quoting from Deuteronomy.

Matt 4:7 (WEB)
7) Yeshua said to him, “Again, it is written, ‘You shall not test the Lord, your God.’”

In Deuteronomy, Moses restated Israel’s history in the wilderness and in that retelling, Moses included this.

Deut 6:16 (WEB)
16) You shall not tempt Yahweh your God, as you tempted him in Massah.

Massah means “testing.”

Exod 17
1) All the congregation of the children of Israel traveled from the wilderness of Sin, by their journeys, according to Yahweh’s commandment, and encamped in Rephidim; but there was no water for the people to drink.
2) Therefore the people quarreled with Moses, and said, “Give us water to drink.” Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test Yahweh?”
3) The people were thirsty for water there; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us, our children, and our livestock with thirst?”
4) Moses cried to Yahweh, saying, “What shall I do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me.”
5) Yahweh said to Moses, “Walk on before the people, and take the elders of Israel with you, and take the rod in your hand with which you struck the Nile, and go.
6) Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb. You shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.” Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.
7) He called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because the children of Israel quarreled, and because they tested Yahweh, saying, “Is Yahweh among us, or not?”

Yahweh had promised Israel that He would take care of them and take them to the Promised Land. But Israel murmured. Actually they griped, groaned, murmured and moaned – that Yahweh was going to kill them.

They were saying that Yahweh is a liar.

…to kill us, our children, and our livestock with thirst?”

“Is Yahweh among us, or not?”

They tested Yahweh by saying He was a liar and would not keep His promise to carry them safely to the Promised Land.

And Satan tried to get Yeshua to do the same thing that Israel did.

Yahweh had promised, as Satan quoted, “‘He will put his angels in charge of you.’ and, ‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you don’t dash your foot against a stone.’”

So for Yeshua to Temple jump and test Yahweh on that is to imply that Yahweh might be a liar.

Rom 3
4) May it never be! Yes, let God be found true, but every man a liar…

The ultimate self-exaltation is to call God a liar – let God be found true, but every man a liar!

Who can judge God?

Job 38:19-29 (WEB)
19) “What is the way to the dwelling of light? As for darkness, where is its place,
20) that you should take it to its bound, that you should discern the paths to its house?
21) Surely you know, for you were born then, and the number of your days is great!
22) Have you entered the treasuries of the snow, or have you seen the treasures of the hail,
23) which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?
24) By what way is the lightning distributed, or the east wind scattered on the earth?
25) Who has cut a channel for the flood water, or the path for the thunderstorm;
26) To cause it to rain on a land where no man is; on the wilderness, in which there is no man;
27) to satisfy the waste and desolate ground, to cause the tender grass to spring forth?
28) Does the rain have a father? Or who fathers the drops of dew?
29) Out of whose womb came the ice? The gray frost of the sky, who has given birth to it?

Job 40
1) Moreover Yahweh answered Job,
2) “Shall he who argues contend with the Almighty? He who argues with God, let him answer it.”
3) Then Job answered Yahweh,
4) “Behold, I am of small account. What shall I answer you? I lay my hand on my mouth.
5) I have spoken once, and I will not answer; Yes, twice, but I will proceed no further.”
6) Then Yahweh answered Job out of the whirlwind,
7) “Now brace yourself like a man. I will question you, and you will answer me.
8) Will you even annul my judgment? Will you condemn me, that you may be justified?

Satan tried that. Repeatedly. How arrogant and self-exalting Satan is, to repeatedly call God a liar!

Satan’s world today is filled with that attitude – self-exaltation.

The constant message of Satan’s media is –

Exalt yourself, exalt yourself, exalt yourself!

Cars, houses, clothing, jewelry – all sold with the purpose of self-exaltation.

The current dominant political message in America is – exalt yourself above all others. Blacks, Asians, Hispanics – always the message is for each group to exalt itself above all other groups. Envision division, with each group struggling to lift itself above all others. Women against men, wives against husbands, mothers against fathers and children –

“Women shouldn’t feel like second-class citizens!”

All that is the epitome of Satan’s mind.

Satan dared Yeshua to jump off a Temple wall just to exalt Himself and test to see if Yahweh is a liar. But Satan is the liar.

John 8
44) You are of your father, the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and doesn’t stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks on his own; for he is a liar, and its father.

The world today is full of Satan’s lies. Think evolution, which directly calls God a liar. Think global warming, an existential threat to humanity. Think Star Wars and aliens from outer space. All Satan’s lies.

So Satan called God a liar and dared Yeshua to do the same thing. The devil quoted scripture close enough, but then twisted its meaning. The fake angel of light has done a lot of scripture twisting throughout church history. Should we not expect to see it again?

Yeshua did not take Satan’s dare and did not exalt Himself. He did not come for His own glory. The human drive to exalt itself is deep in the human spirit. The drive to eat is understandable. The drive for self-preservation is understandable. But this drive to exalt ourselves above all others – what do we get from that? When a wife puts a husband down, or vice versa, why does that make them feel good? When people get personally offended with each other, does that help them or harm them? Why did Julius Caesar, Napoleon and Hitler try to conquer the peoples around them? Why did Alexander cry when he could conquer no more? Was he weird or something?

No. He and they just had the human drive to exalt itself.

That is what the Messiah overcame! All praise to Him!

As we now near the end of this age, the Jews are back in the Promised Land. They have the Temple Mount. They plan to build a new temple to welcome a new messiah.

And the messiah the world is looking for is –

A puffed up messiah, supremely self-exalted, to lord it over all others in the whole world.

A Temple jumper.