Israel's Third Temple
Written by Darrell D. Genzlinger in January 2006Israel has had two temples in the past. Will they have a third temple sometime in the future?
Israel’s First Temple was initially started under King Solomon, son of King David, in 969 B.C. The First Temple existed for 383 years. It was destroyed by King Nebuchadnezzar of the Babylonian Empire in 586 B.C. Nebuchadnezzar took most of the remaining Jews and exiled them to Babylon along with the Jews King Jehoiachin. The Jews were in exile for 70 years. The 70 years were prophesied in Jer. 25:11-12. During this 70-year period the Medo-Persians defeated the Babylonian Empire. King Cyrus of the Medo-Persian Empire freed the Jews and allowed them to return to their own land in c.536 B.C. Cyrus freeing the Jews was also prophesied in Isaiah 44:24 to 45:2.
The Second Temple was begun under Governor Zerubbabel of Judah in 520 B.C. and was dedicated in 516 B.C. This is the temple that existed when Jesus was born and all the while God was with us. It was sometimes referred to as King Herod’s Temple because he remodeled it and made it so much more elaborate than when first constructed under Zerubbabel. This temple was destroyed by General Titus of the Roman Empire in A.D. 70 when the Jews rebelled. The destruction of this temple was also prophesied by Matthew 24:2.
Will there be a Third Temple? Yes, and again I say yes. And maybe even a fourth temple.
When will it be constructed? I don’t know. But for sure, there will be a temple during the great tribulation and Christ’s millennial reign.
How do I know? The Bible tells me so. In Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians the Bible says that there will be a temple in which the son of perdition will exalt himself during the tribulation. In chapters 40 through 44 of Ezekiel it tells us of the architectural floor plan of the temple existing during millennial age.
Is it possible that a temple could be built today? Yes, it is possible but I don’t think so. If the Jews were to start to build a temple today it wouldn’t be God’s Holy Place of worship since the non Messianic, i.e., non Christian, Jews do not believe in the Triune God; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
If the ‘Third Temple’, the ‘Tribulation Temple’, and the ‘Millennial Temple’ are one and the same, it will probably be constructed after the Church is raptured out of the world and before the great tribulation begins. I believe that there will be repentant Jews who will finally come to their senses after the Christians are taken out of the world. The Jews will sign a peace agreement talked about in Daniel 9 and the temple will be constructed. "Then he (the Antichrist) shall confirm a covenant with many for one week", or for approximately a seven-year period. (NKJV; Dan. 9:27a). [For the definition of ‘week’ see Dating Christ’s Death.]
The Bible suggests to us in Matthew 24:15 & 21 that a temple exists before the great tribulation period. “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (verse 15). “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.” (verse 21). In II Thessalonians chapter 2 the Bible tells us of a temple during the great tribulation period. "Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin (the Antichrist) is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God." (II Thess. 2:3-4).
Jesus Christ will return to earth at the end of the great tribulation and slay all those people who do not believe in Him (Rev. 19:11-21). Jesus Christ will have all the saints in heaven with Him (I Thess. 3:13 and Rev. 19:11). [This is Christ’s Second Coming. He does not touch down when He comes for the Church.] Jesus will capture the Antichrist and the False Prophet and will throw them alive into the Lake of Fire. Christ will also bind up Satan with chains and throw him into hell for one thousand years.
If the tribulation temple is the millennial temple I believe that this temple will be cleansed at this point. The cleansing of the tribulation temple will be necessary to make it the house of God talked about in Ezekiel 40 through 44 and Zechariah 14:16-21.
How will this cleansing of the temple come about? I don’t know, but here is something to think about. Could the cleansing of the temple have something to do with the original seven (Lev. 23), or now eight, Jewish Festivals? The Feasts of Lights, or Hanukkah, is the eighth feast. It was instituted when the Israelites under the Maccabeans took back and cleansed the temple in 164 B.C.
In Daniel, the Bible tells us that God’s people will be blessed after the abomination of desolation is set up. Could this be the cleansing of the temple after the Antichrist profanes the temple by sitting in the temple and calling himself God? “And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days. Blessed is he who waits, and comes to one thousand three hundred and thirty-five days." (Dan. 12:11-12.) The length of time between the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles and the Feast of Lights (Hanukkah) is 75 days = 1335 days – 1260 days. The beginning of the great tribulation is the start of this period, i.e., when the daily sacrifices are taken away. So, maybe there will be a Christ associated historical event with the last four Jewish Festivals (Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Tabernacles, Hanukkah) as there were with the first four Jewish Festivals (Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, Pentecost).
If the tribulation temple is destroyed in the great tribulation or if the temple is not built to the correct architectural specifications then it can’t be the millennial temple as I proposed above. Then I believe the millennial temple of Ezekiel will be built in Jerusalem by the Master Architect of the World, Jesus Christ.