Why won't God be in the temple religion during the first three and a half years?
God will not be in the temple religion during the first three and a half years because, while rituals, priests, and sacrifices continue, the people are still denying the Christ who died for them. As in the earlier temple when the Shekinah glory and Ark were gone, God is absent despite outward religion.
Les explains that they will have the temple, the priests, and the sacrifices, but God will not be in it, just as the Shekinah glory was gone and the Ark of the Covenant had been long gone while they were still practicing a religion. Les says it will be again in those first three and a half years, much the same as at the time of Christ: they will go through all the rituals and have all the religion aspects, but God won't be in it because they are still denying the Christ who has died for them. Later, the Antichrist will destroy this great world religious system so that he himself can have full and complete control.