By, Randall E. Pickens, Sr.
In this article we will consider some common questions regarding the reality of a 3rd Temple in the time of the Tribulation period. Many questions arise from Christians and Jews alike but the answers will be skewed by their religious or secular perspective. Some will even question whether the 3rd Temple will actually ever be built at all or is it just symbolic?
Christians will answer this question based on their knowledge of Old and New Testament prophetic expectations where the Jews will answer based on Torah, Mishnah, Talmud and the Prophets. Some Jews just see it as a traditional desire to reestablish a nationalistic identity. There are also some Jews who don’t want the 3rd Temple to ever be built and see it only as a risk to the stability and peace of their society. As I have researched the subject, I can see some merit in all of these perspectives. I don’t think there is any doubt that the 3rd Temple will be extremely controversial. It already is...
The next question for me would be; why will it be built? As a Christian the 3rd Temple is frankly of no value whatsoever other than a prophetic sign of the times. The 3rd Temple is a Jewish thing! It has no significance to me. Jesus presented himself as the true tabernacle and sacrifice for All sin and made it clear; He did so once for ALL! I personally shutter to think of the animal sacrifices to be resumed! Not just for the sake of the animals but more so the insult to my Lord Jesus who suffered and died for my sins and the sins of all mankind.
With that being said, I do believe the 3rd Temple will be rebuilt. God will use it to fulfill his promise of salvation to the Jews who must come to know Jesus as the Messiah in the Tribulation period. The Temple will be used by God as an object lesson to prove this to the Jew of the day.
The next time you read the book of Hebrews, keep this thought in mind as you will note the narrative could be the script used by the Two Witnesses and the 144,000 during the first 3 1/2 years of the tribulation in their evangelical work. The book of Hebrews is a challenge to all major tenets of Judaism and specifically of the Temple worship periods. The High Priesthood, Temple, and processes are all challenged and all exposed to be wanting! Jesus (Yeshua) is the Temple, the High Priest and the Sacrifice. The Jew must acknowledge that Yeshua is and was the Messiah they rejected.
There is a lot of talk nowadays about rebuilding the 3rd Temple in Jerusalem. It’s more than talk, there is an organization solely committed to all things 3rd Temple. The Temple Institute, which has reproduced the ritual vessels necessary for the resumed function of the Temple worship and they are training priests for this future work. They have traced the Levite linage in order to identify candidates for the 3rd Temple High Priest and priesthood. They claim the “red heifer” required to purify these priests for their duties has been found. The only thing needed now is the Temple facilities. I say only but that is no small task since Muslims are in control of Temple Mount and not expected to relinquish their control anytime soon or at least without a fight!
Oh! Wait a minute; what about the Ark of the Covenant? Well apparently, that no longer matters since it has been missing since the destruction of the 1st Temple by Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians. I find this to be an interesting point that gets overlooked too often when discussing the merits of Temple worship. The Ark of the Covenant was never part of the 2nd Temple period.
When Jesus visited Temple Mount, the Holy of Holies was EMPTY! Yep, the High Priest, Caiaphas was a fraud and so were his processes. Caiaphas and his father-in-law, Annas, were appointed by Roman governors contrary to Mosaic law. The Sanhedrin, (71) Jewish leaders, “council of the elders” were supposed to appoint the High Priest. The veil of the Holy of Holies hid the reality of an empty Holy of Holies from the common priest and Jewish public. The High Priest really had nothing to fear from entering into the Holy of Holies because it was empty! They were just pretending!
The presence of God’s (shekinah glory) was not present in the 2nd Temple and hadn’t been since the destruction of the 1st Temple in 586 BC! To date, 2540 years have passed since a Holy of Holies existed in Israel. Talk about deception, now that is huge! What is worse is they seem to be committed to repeating this deception for another 3 ½ years during the Tribulation period. The 3rd Temple will represent the return of Israel to the land and actually the return to the point of their departure. God will use this to reestablish Israel and to bring them forward to the realization of the true Messiah and all He represents.
I have no doubt the 3rd Temple will be built and it will also be destroyed again, for sure! That is prophesied by the Prophets of old and new. The question is why, what’s the point? We will try to explain this and other questions in this article. I believe it is clear that God can not allow this or any other deception to compete with the truth.
Christian Perspective:
Before we get deep into the prophetic significance of the 3rd Temple, we should first point out that Jesus addressed these questions directly when he visited the Temple mount and he exposed the existing fraud. Neither the priest, elders nor his disciples initially understood. Jesus prophesied both the destruction of the Herodian Temple as well as the “real” Temple which was his body! He said that he would be crucified and then rise three days later. He also prophesied that the Herodian temple would be destroyed. He said “not one stone would remain upon another” and of course we all know both of these prophecies were fulfilled .
John 2:19 Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Matt 24:2 And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. Mark 13:2 And Jesus answering said unto him, Seest thou these great buildings? there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. Luke 21:6 As for these things which ye behold, the days will come, in the which there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. Luke 21:6 As for these things which ye behold, the days will come, in the which there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. Mark 14:58 We heard him say, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands. Rev 21:3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. Rev 21:22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.
Jewish Perspective:
Jewish history confirms the importance of the Temple to the Jewish people and their national identity. Two Temple periods serve as historical markers of distinction. The High Priest entered the Holy of Holies once a year on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, to burn incense and sprinkle sacrificial animal blood to expiate (atone for) his own sins first and then those of the people of Israel. This means the High Priest was well aware that the Shekinah Glory of God no longer truly existed in the Holy Of Holies and yet willfully propagated this great deception. Jer. 3:16 says it would never be fashioned or made again! I can’t imagine the purpose for this prophecy unless it was to confirm that the Ark of the Covenant disappeared when Jerusalem was destroyed in 586 BC. It is not specifically mentioned again until Rev 11:19 when it is seen in the Heavenly Temple.
This is what the High Priest wanted the Jew to envision on Yom Kippur. The truth was, the Holy of Holies was EMPTY! The High Priest and his offering was illegitimate. Frankly nothing has changed and the Tribulation 3rd Temple will be no less a charade!
Regardless of one’s personal perspective as to the value of a 3rd Temple there should be no question that it will be a pivotal prophetic event and a point of contention in the Tribulation period. God and Satan both see it as a challenge to their Kingdom authority. It will be destroyed again! Rev 11 speaks of it’s destruction as well as the reality the true Temple is in heaven! Note also that the Ark of the Testament is mentioned as being in the Heavenly temple.
The Seventh Trumpet
Rev 11:15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. Rev 11:16 And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshiped God, Rev 11:17 Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned. Rev 11:18 And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth. Rev 11:19 And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.
I will not address the Millennial Temple in this article. Our focus here is on the 3rd Temple of the Tribulation period. I will leave you with this scripture where it is revealed that there is a time when there will be NO physical temple in Heaven!
Rev_21:22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.
Selah!
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