In regards to prophetic timing recorded in the Bible, we know that there are promises made and events that will take place, but in our fear of waiting on God we then attempt to segment, dissect, and misplace portions of Biblical events into the narrative that we live. However, certain events become a benchmark in time for those on the earth, such as the World Trade Centers collapsing, the bombing of Hiroshima, or the attack on Pearl Harbor. We bookmark these dates as a point in time. Jesus’ death and resurrection and ascension is also a bookmark for us. Paul tells us that the creation is groaning and travailing; and we, the believers in Jesus as Messiah, are moaning and agonizing while we wait for our release by ransom.
The earth is in distress and physically shakes and quakes. We have a tendency to become superstitious over storms or when the crust of the earth starts moving. While there are specific times and instances where an earth event was related to someone’s specific sin that is not the case in our time period.
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There is no earthly Hebraic temple today, there is no way to be cleansed from sin except by the blood of Jesus. Even if man built a temple, it does not guarantee the presence of God would fill the temple as in the old times. That is because Jesus fulfilled the old covenant and today believers in Christ are the temple. Therefore, while we are on the earth we anguish, awaiting the time we meet with Jesus.
But there was an incident in Solomon’s temple that did cause an earthquake which became a benchmark in history. We need to explore this incident because we will see the significance of the events and better understand future events. Amos uses this earthquake as a marker in time.
Amos 1:1 (KJV) The words of Amos, who was among the herdmen of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.
Zechariah uses this event as a comparison to a future event.
Zechariah 14:5 (KJV) And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.
Uzziah became king at sixteen years old and was relatively successful until the disease of success poisoned him. Lets try to fix a point of reference regarding the time that these events take place. During the lives of Amaziah, Uzziah’s father, the prophet Jonah was speaking in the northern kingdom. Jonah took a trip in the belly of a big fish, and then prophesied in Nineveh. Amos was also a prophet at this time, as well as Isaiah.
Isaiah 1:1 (KJV) The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
One point of difficulty that we may have when reviewing this is that Uzziah was also called Azariah and Ozias. There were many people called Azariah, so it seems that for clarity sake, calling this king Uzziah makes the text understandable. Ozias is used by Matthew and in the Septuagint.
2 Kings 14:21-22 (KJV) And all the people of Judah took Azariah, which was sixteen years old, and made him king instead of his father Amaziah.
22 He built Elath, and restored it to Judah, after that the king slept with his fathers.
Matthew 1:8-9 (KJV) And Asa begat Josaphat; and Josaphat begat Joram; and Joram begat Ozias;
9 And Ozias begat Joatham; and Joatham begat Achaz; and Achaz begat Ezekias;
Let’s look at this interesting King and this point in history. Uzziah was smart. He had a good military sense, and developed weaponry. He also liked to farm and conversely build towers.
2 Chronicles 26:1-23 (KJV) Then all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in the room of his father Amaziah.
2 He built Eloth, and restored it to Judah, after that the king slept with his fathers.
3 Sixteen years old was Uzziah when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty and two years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Jecoliah of Jerusalem.
4 And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah did.
5 And he sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God: and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him to prosper.
In the days of Joash a prophet/priest Zechariah, son of Jehoiada, rose up and prophesied. Joash killed him in the courts of the temple. Joash was Uzziah’s grandfather. This Zechariah noted in verse 5 was probably the son of Asaph, a Levite during the time of Hezekiah. He was Hezekiah’s father in law as well. This Zechariah had understanding in the visions of God. Zechariah is a popular name during this time as we know of another Zechariah, the author of the book that bears his name, who wrote during Darius’ reign in captivity. It is his future prophecy we will look at shortly.
2 Chronicles 26:6 And he went forth and warred against the Philistines, and brake down the wall of Gath, and the wall of Jabneh, and the wall of Ashdod, and built cities about Ashdod, and among the Philistines.
Remember that the word Philistines means “mixed tribes”. They were a mixed group of large people who resided together and were not eradicated from the region when Joshua led the people into the land. These were the heirs of the Nephilim who banded together in this coastal region. Uzziah took over the land of the mixed giants at this time.
2 Chronicles 26:7 And God helped him against the Philistines, and against the Arabians that dwelt in Gurbaal, and the Mehunims.
8 And the Ammonites gave gifts to Uzziah: and his name spread abroad even to the entering in of Egypt; for he strengthened himself exceedingly.
9 Moreover Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the corner gate, and at the valley gate, and at the turning of the wall, and fortified them.
Uzziah must have liked towers.
2 Chronicles 26:10 Also he built towers in the desert, and digged many wells: for he had much cattle, both in the low country, and in the plains: husbandmen also, and vine dressers in the mountains, and in Carmel: for he loved husbandry.
11 Moreover Uzziah had an host of fighting men, that went out to war by bands, according to the number of their account by the hand of Jeiel the scribe and Maaseiah the ruler, under the hand of Hananiah, one of the king's captains.
12 The whole number of the chief of the fathers of the mighty men of valour were two thousand and six hundred.
13 And under their hand was an army, three hundred thousand and seven thousand and five hundred, that made war with mighty power, to help the king against the enemy.
14 And Uzziah prepared for them throughout all the host shields, and spears, and helmets, and habergeons, and bows, and slings to cast stones.
15 And he made in Jerusalem engines, invented by cunning men, to be on the towers and upon the bulwarks, to shoot arrows and great stones withal. And his name spread far abroad; for he was marvellously helped, till he was strong.
Look at that last phrase, “he was marvelously helped, till he was strong”. Isn’t that interesting? He was helped to do all the wonderful things he did until he became strong. Uzziah fortified Jerusalem and the region. He seems to be making the city strong. However, doing this on his own strength made him prideful. And like his father and grandfather, success was his downfall. It is for many people.
2 Chronicles 26:16 But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction: for he transgressed against the LORD his God, and went into the temple of the LORD to burn incense upon the altar of incense.
17 And Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him fourscore priests of the LORD, that were valiant men:
18 And they withstood Uzziah the king, and said unto him, It appertaineth not unto thee, Uzziah, to burn incense unto the LORD, but to the priests the sons of Aaron, that are consecrated to burn incense: go out of the sanctuary; for thou hast trespassed; neither shall it be for thine honour from the LORD God.
This is where the recorder of Chronicles leaves out the detail regarding the earthquake. At this point, Josephus writes about an earthquake that Amos and Zechariah note as a point in time. But let’s finish Chronicles before we get to Josephus.
2 Chronicles 26:19 Then Uzziah was wroth, and had a censer in his hand to burn incense: and while he was wroth with the priests, the leprosy even rose up in his forehead before the priests in the house of the LORD, from beside the incense altar.
20 And Azariah the chief priest, and all the priests, looked upon him, and, behold, he was leprous in his forehead, and they thrust him out from thence; yea, himself hasted also to go out, because the LORD had smitten him.
21 And Uzziah the king was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a several house, being a leper; for he was cut off from the house of the LORD: and Jotham his son was over the king's house, judging the people of the land.
A several house is a house for sickness, like a hospital. That is where Uzziah lived after he thought he could burn incense to Yahweh. We just studied a few weeks ago what the son of perdition does in the temple during the tribulation. He sits in the Holy of Holies and does not die. This is how the son of perdition can declare himself god. Here Uzziah enters the Holy Place and turns into a leper. But there is more.
2 Chronicles 26:22 Now the rest of the acts of Uzziah, first and last, did Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, write.
23 So Uzziah slept with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the field of the burial which belonged to the kings; for they said, He is a leper: and Jotham his son reigned in his stead.
Here is Josephus’ account of Uzziah's very bad day. It was success that corrupted Uzziah’s mind. His downfall came during a festival, when he put on a holy garment and attempted to offer incense to Yahweh. We can suppose he thought he was worthy to do this because he recognized Yahweh was with him. However just because he was marvelously helped, it wasn’t all about him. Uzziah started to become self centered. He seemed to think that all his achievements were about him, not the people. In fact, it doesn’t matter who the king is, Yahweh is interested in the prosperity and safety and health of His own people. Remember there were many prophets guiding the actions of the kings and the people during these years.
Now in the temple there were eighty priests with Azariah at the time. Azariah was another popular name in this time period and there seems to be several Azariah’s who were affiliated with the temple. This Azariah was the High Priest at the time of the earthquake.
Josephus - Antiquities 9:10:4. While Uzziah was in this state, and making preparation [for futurity], he was corrupted in his mind by pride, and became insolent, and this on account of that abundance which he had of things that will soon perish, and despised that power which is of eternal duration (which consisted in piety towards God, and in the observation of the laws); so he fell by occasion of the good success of his affairs, and was carried headlong into those sins of his father, which the splendor of that prosperity he enjoyed, and the glorious actions he had done, led him into, while he was not able to govern himself well about them. Accordingly, when a remarkable day was come, and a general festival was to be celebrated, he put on the holy garment, and went into the temple to offer incense to God upon the golden altar, which he was prohibited to do by Azariah the high priest, who had fourscore priests with him, and who told him that it was not lawful for him to offer sacrifice, and that "none besides the posterity of Aaron were permitted so to do."
I want to point this out because we know that at a future time Jonathan (Apphus) Maccabee was made High Priest by Antiochus, but he did not have Aaronic lineage. This is what caused the split of the prophets from the temple, leaving behind those who later became known as Pharisees. The prophets left for several outlying communities and also a new community was established for the prophets and the holy people in Damascus. This is where later Paul intended to kill Christians, but instead he came to the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Yet we know that Jonathan did not die going into the temple. We also know that the presence of God left the temple in the time of Ezekiel. This is important to put in perspective. A non Aaronic High Priest in the temple, not dying, or causing some type of sickness, should have been a clue to the people who intentionally decided to stay in temple service as opposed to leaving the region. So that if the presence of God had left, then what the people were doing in temple service was dead works.
Josephus cont. And when they cried out that he must go out of the temple, and not transgress against God, he was wroth at them, and threatened to kill them, unless they would hold their peace. In the mean time a great earthquake shook the ground and a rent was made in the temple, and the bright rays of the sun shone through it, and fell upon the king's face, insomuch that the leprosy seized upon him immediately.
There was a break in the temple so that the sun shone thought the crack. This is a significant enough event that scared a lot of people. Zechariah mentions that at the time people ran scared. This is why it is used as a point in time as a marker. But that is not all. The earthquake was a lot bigger than affecting just the temple, a mountain broke and rolled half a mile.
Josephus cont. And before the city, at a place called Eroge {Azal aka Jasol aka Wadi Yasul, Silwan Valley}, half the mountain broke off from the rest on the west, and rolled itself four furlongs, and stood still at the east mountain, till the roads, as well as the king's gardens, were spoiled by the obstruction. Now, as soon as the priests saw that the king's face was infected with the leprosy, they told him of the calamity he was under, and commanded that he should go out of the city as a polluted person. Hereupon he was so confounded at the sad distemper, and sensible that he was not at liberty to contradict, that he did as he was commanded, and underwent this miserable and terrible punishment for an intention beyond what befitted a man to have, and for that impiety against God which was implied therein. So he abode out of the city for some time, and lived a private life, while his son Jotham took the government; after which he died with grief and anxiety at what had happened to him, when he had lived sixty-eight years, and reigned of them fifty-two; and was buried by himself in his own gardens.
The Works of Flavius Josephus.
There was another time in history that these same mountains experienced an earthquake, but that time, the graves which were caves or sepulchers in the mountains opened and the dead walked out of the graves.
Matthew 27:50-54 (KJV) Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.
51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;
52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,
53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.
54 Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.
To the centurion and those in Jerusalem who saw this event, it was a benchmark in time, a bookmark of that day. Isn’t it interesting that in the same place that the mountain broke apart and fell a half mile during Uzziah’s time, created the caves in the hillside in the Silwan Valley which opened via earthquake at Jesus’ death. This is the same area that will split in two as we will read shortly. This is the eastern slope of the Kidron Valley, above the outlet of the Gihon Springs, opposite the City of David, the location of the original temple. The Gihon springs was the living water used in the temple.
What a sad end to a king who was marvelously helped until he became strong. Not recognizing his spiritual limitations, Uzziah caused an event in time that many would use as a marker. Political leaders were not spiritual leaders, and political leaders did not have privileges in the temple or temple service. That is what makes the son of perdition a problem that people should recognize before he enters the temple.
2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 (KJV) Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
How can this political leader claim to be god? Because he does not die in the temple when he enters the Holy of Holies, and again, keep in mind that the presence of God left the temple at the time of Ezekiel. Just because a temple is built does not mean the presence of God can be manipulated into returning. We are the temple of the Living God.
2 Corinthians 6:16-18 (KJV) And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
This is also why we who are the temple of the Living God are not on the earth when the temple is built in Jerusalem. Jesus tore open the veil so that all who believe on Jesus as Christ can enter in. We don’t need a building. We are the habitation of God and we have access to the Father through the Holy Spirit.
Ephesians 2:18-22 (KJV) For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
We are built upon the foundation of the prophets and apostles, not the kings or the buildings they built. We are built on the foundation of the prophets; those from the line of Enoch and the school of Shem who instructed people and prophesied near future and far future events. We are living through the events the prophets prophesied. Remember what John told us?
Revelation 8:1-6 (KJV) And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.
2 And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets.
3 And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.
4 And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand.
5 And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.
6 And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.
In the future, the prayers of the saints will be offered on the golden altar. Where are the saints? In and around the heavenly temple. What is happening on the earth? The seals have been opened and it is the start of the trumpet judgements. This is not yet the halfway point of the tribulation. After the trumpet judgments the first three and one half years is up. What has happened to the son of perdition? The one who will claim to be god is at first a political leader. He will make it look like the end of the time of desolations as he causes Israel to grow geographically and in military strength. At the half-way mark, the three and one half year point, the son of perdition then begins to kill those who do not believe he is god and those who refuse to follow him. Will this son of perdition look a bit like Uzziah? Yes.
Uzziah is a great example of what the future anti-christ political leader will look like. In short, he will claim military victories for Israel over Israel’s enemies. He will confirm the covenant. Let’s look at Daniel’s prophecy.
Daniel 9:24 Seventy weeks have been determined upon thy people, and upon the holy city, for:
- sin to be ended, and to
- seal up transgressions, and to
- blot out the iniquities, and to
- make atonement for iniquities, and to
- bring in everlasting righteousness, and to
- seal the vision and the prophet, and to
- anoint the Most Holy.
This is the scope and sequence of the seventy weeks of years. Jesus fulfilled numbers one through six so far, we are awaiting the anointing of the Most Holy, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the earth.
Daniel 9:25 And thou shalt know and understand, that from the going forth of the command for the answer and for the building of Jerusalem until Christ the prince there shall be seven weeks, and sixty-two weeks; and then the time shall return, and the street shall be built, and the wall, and the times shall be exhausted.
Four hundred and eighty three years, from Daniel to Christ, 173,880 days, of a three hundred and sixty day calendar. The calendar was to be on a solar cycle, as Jubilees/Moses told us via the angel. Yet by this time, the Israelites changed to a lunar calendar. The prophecy given to Moses was to stay on a solar cycle or the people would not keep the appointed holy days at the correct time. The reason is that the other sons of God celebrate on certain days and times and Israel was to celebrate on those days as well. The Essenes, Nazarenes, Therapeutaes, the Damascus Community, and Prophets all kept a solar calendar of 360 days.
Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey April 6th, 32CE. Then Jesus was executed.
Daniel 9:26 after the sixty-two weeks, the anointed one shall be destroyed, and there is no judgment in him: and he shall destroy the city and the sanctuary with the prince that is coming:
This took place in 70CE and continues until the appointed desolations are fulfilled.
Daniel 9:26 they shall be cut off with a flood, and to the end of the war which is rapidly completed he shall appoint the city to desolations.
Jerusalem was cut off like a flood at the time of the civil war between the zealots and the people of Jerusalem. The zealots called in the Idumeans who were deceived into fighting against the people of Jerusalem. Finally the Romans stepped in and destroyed the temple, and then banned the Jews from Jerusalem. This forced the Jews to relocate all over the region. Some set up a school, a yeshiva, near what is known today as Tel Aviv. Since Jews were not allowed to live in Jerusalem, they simply went elsewhere.
We can see in hindsight that the desolations are winding down. In the last 100 years, from 1917 to today (2017), Israel has changed and prospered dramatically. But there is still a bit more prosperity and growth in store for Israel.
Daniel 9:27 And one week shall establish the covenant with many:
Once the determined desolations are close to being complete, the process or rebuilding and re-populating Israel begins. That has now been happening for seventy years. At the end of this time a new leader rises up. He establishes a seven year covenant, and halfway through the seven years (three and one half years), he breaks this covenant. So today, there is no temple, there is no leader establishing a covenant, there is no military expansion of Israel’s territory. In fact, it seems that today Israel is continually pressured to decrease settlements instead of increase. These points tell us where we are in time. We may be close in the realm of 6000 years of satan’s rule ending, but as far as the tribulation, it won’t be tomorrow.
Daniel 9:27 and in the midst of the week my sacrifice and drink-offering shall be taken away: and on the temple shall be the abomination of desolations; and at the end of time an end shall be put to the desolation.
And finally, at the end of time, the end of the six thousand year reign of the prince of this world, the one who blinds the minds of the children of disobedience, the prince of the power of the air, there will be a final desolation.
Now we come back to Zechariah, the one in captivity at the time of this writing, during the second year of Darius. Zechariah gives us a long term prophecy, just like Daniel and others; but Zechariah tells us what the very end of the last seven years will look like. This time period is the Day of the Lord. We have confusion regarding that phrase with it’s timing. The Day of the Lord comes after the events of Daniel, at the end of the seven years. The Day of the Lord starts after the bowl judgments when Jesus comes back to the earth. Jesus comes with His saints. But first he has to be crowned. Then satan is thrown to earth, expelled from the upper heavens. But the time for humans on earth will be harsh as Zechariah tells us.
Zechariah 14:1-9 (KJV) Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee.
2 For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.
After the appointed desolations, there has to be a time of rebuilding so that there can be a final desolation. We can see that the prosperity of Jerusalem will be divided. The nations will come against Jerusalem, the city will be taken, and houses will be ransacked. The women, and probably children, will be raped. Half of Jerusalem will go into captivity. These are the things that happen during the second half of the seven years. The saints have been taken off the earth for about seven years and the Lord is about to return with them.
Zechariah 14:3 Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.
4 And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.
Here is the same place that the earthquake occurred in Uzziah’s time, and the location of another earthquake at Jesus’ execution. Now Jesus returns with the saints and there is a bigger earthquake. It is interesting that this place has undergone so many names to cause confusion, but it is the place that Jesus will return on the Day of the Lord. Think about this for a moment. It wasn’t bloodshed in the temple that caused an earthquake, as Zechariah the prophet was killed by Uzziah’s grandfather. It was the obstinance of Uzziah the king that caused the mountain to fall, and at this time it is the obstinance of satan that causes the earthquake on the Day of the Lord.
Zechariah 14:5 And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.
Zechariah tells us that there is confusion during this time. People running and fleeing. If we look at this region today, there are so many homes very close together; both neighborhoods of Palestinians and Jews. There are up to 50,000 Palestinians and nearly 3,000 Jews living in this area and the region is a contentious one with Jews wishing to eradicate the Palestinians. Are the events Zechariah is describing imaginable now? Yes.
Zechariah 14:6 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark:
7 But it shall be one day which shall be known to the LORD, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light.
8 And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be.
9 And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.
Not only will Jesus’ arrival on the Day of the Lord cause a split in the mountains, the Gihon Springs will now be a major water source of living waters extending outward to the seas. The Day of the Lord will be one long day, until all is accomplished.
Looking at Uzziah and the son of perdition, we can see that they both have a lot in common. Uzziah is a type of this future leader. Both are good leaders, building up Jerusalem, increasing it’s borders, and militarily strengthening the country. They have large armies and several divisions under their command. They both have innovative military weapons. They both build infrastructure/towers as well as increase the food supply. With both men, their fame becomes known in other countries.
It seems like in the future, possibly the Psalm 83 war, the son of perdition will be lifted up in pride, just as Uzziah was. Maybe it will be that Israel will be celebrating their victories, like Uzziah’s festival, and this son of perdition will put on some holy garments and enter the temple. This time however, the unclean political leader does not die or become a leper. That will be the time many will realize that they have been fooled, and recognize this leader has turned evil. Is it the success of this leader that causes his fall into evil?
The trumpet judgments start with the earthquake of the prayers of the saints being thrown to earth. At the end of the seven year period, the Lord comes again causing another earthquake in the same region, and this time splitting the Gihon Springs as a living water source from Jerusalem to the eastern and western seas. This is when Jesus will take his place as King of kings and Lord of lords on the earth for one thousand years.
While we are temples of the Living God, we are the ones with access to the Father through the Holy Spirit. Since there is no earthly temple today, we are the ones praying in His presence for all of creation which is groaning and travailing along with the saints who are moaning in anguish waiting for the day that we are released by ransom. We are the substitution for the earthly temple. We are also the ones watching and waiting for the prophecies to come to pass. We are the ones who can teach and explain the timing of events so that we are not fooled or misled. A future Uzziah will rise up as a political leader, it may be that he is already on the earth today.
