Will there be a Third Temple? It is a good question that believers who study end time scriptures end up pondering. There are prophesies which seem to say that, before the Messiah’s return, a third Temple will be built and ritual sacrifices will be reinstated which the Antichrist will encourage and then put a stop to (Daniel 9, Ezekiel 40-48, Matthew 24, 2 Thessalonians 2). Adding to the obvious interest in the subject is the fact that certain Orthodox Jewish groups are actively making plans to build the Temple and are soliciting support from evangelicals whom they know to be interested and supportive of such a move—albeit for different reasons. With this article, we seek to address some of the main bible passages which speak to this issue and, with God’s grace, hope to shed some light on some possible answers. Also, there are several critical issues in relation to this issue which all believers need to be aware of.
The Abomination of Desolation
In perhaps His most famous end-time discourse, Yeshua speaks of an event which is closely related to the great tribulation of the end times and the activity of the antichrist:
Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (whoever reads, let him understand) then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. ~Matthew 24:15-16
The book of Daniel, particularly chapter 11, gives details to this seemingly opaque reference:
His armed forces will rise up to desecrate the temple fortress and will abolish the daily sacrifice. Then they will set up the abomination that causes desolation. With flattery he will corrupt those who have violated the covenant, but the people who know their God will firmly resist him. ~Daniel 11:31-32
The prophecies of Daniel which speak of a future king who would desecrate the Temple, stop the sacrifices, and draw the people of God away from the truth were fulfilled by Antiochus IV Epiphanes, a Hellenistic (Greek) King who in 167 BC, after having desecrated the temple and outlawed the Jewish faith, erected a statue of Zeus in the Holy Temple. Many Jews at that time had adopted the Greek culture and world view. However, the outrages that Antiochus committed caused the devout Jews in the Land to rise up against the Greek rule, and a small but devoted band of Jews, led by Judah the Maccabee, succeeded in defeating one of the mightiest armies on earth and rededicating the Temple to the service of God.
So, if this prophecy was already fulfilled in 167 BC, why does Yeshua quote this prophecy in relation to end time events? Many biblical events and prophecies have implications beyond their literal fulfillment in history, just as Yeshua spoke about the time of His second coming as being like the days of Noah (Matthew 24:37) So, in relation to the unfolding of end time events, it’s clear that Antiochus IV was a type of antichrist.
Where is the Holy Place?
In Matthew 24, Yeshua prophesied that the Temple would be destroyed, which it was in 70 AD. His prophecy about the “abomination that causes desolation” has caused many, if not most, to conclude that a third temple must be built for the antichrist to be able to perform his abomination there literally, just as Antiochus IV did. However, the Matthew 24 prophesy which speaks about an “abomination that causes desolation” makes an appeal to readers to understand what the prophesy is talking about—in particular what is meant by holy place.
If we consider that Yeshua was referring to the Temple in Matthew 24 as the holy place, then we run into the problem of the fact that a Temple built by Orthodox Jews who reject Yeshua as Messiah will not be a holy place because the Holy Spirit will not dwell there. Yeshua’s sacrifice was once and for all, and no other sacrifice can be made for sanctification (Hebrews 10). On the other hand, the New Testament clearly states that redeemed believers in Yeshua are the Temple of the Holy Spirit:
Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? ~ I Cor. 3:16
One could argue then that the “Third Temple” could actually be the collective redeemed body of Messiah.
The Great Falling Away and The Abomination that Causes Desolation
How then are we to understand this “abomination that causes desolation” if the holy place Yeshua refers to is not actually a physical rebuilt temple in Jerusalem? Daniel 11:32 gives us a clue:
With flattery he will corrupt those who have violated the covenant, but the people who know their God will firmly resist him.
Just as many Jews during the second century BC had allowed themselves to adopt the culture, world view and ways of the Greeks and even welcomed the Greek takeover of Jerusalem, the Bible tells us that there will be a time when many believers who have adopted the culture and values of the secular, humanistic world around them, those who even deny certain clear truths about the bible (which is already happening today), they will be susceptible to the subtle and seductive “flattery” and influence of the antichrist. This “the great falling away” which the New Testament refers to can only be understood as “falling away from the faith”:
Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him… 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 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. 2 Thes 2:1, 3-4
It speaks volumes that Yeshua chose to say holy place instead of merely “Temple” when giving his prophecy in Matthew 24:15-16. Since Yeshua’s crucifixion and resurrection and the destruction of the Second Temple, the only holy place on earth is the sanctified spirit of the believer wherein dwells the Holy Spirit. So, by that reasoning, one could argue that Yeshua was referring to the great falling away in Matthew 24 when He spoke about the “abomination that causes desolation”, that it would be a time when believers who have allowed the world to enter in and corrupt their faith, whose love has grown cold, will accept this “man of sin” into their hearts.
A Literal Third Temple? Maybe!
It is possible that there will be a third Temple and that ritual sacrifices will be reinstated before the Lord’s return. Considering the super-charged issues surrounding the Temple Mount, it would take a truly supernatural event to bring about a change in the current status quo; the building of a Jewish Temple could only come to pass under the auspices of the antichrist who may succeed at reaching a false peace between Jews and Muslims. The Temple Mount is one of the holiest sites in Islam and Muslims have administrative control over the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.
Furthermore, most Orthodox Jews are not on board with plans to build the Third Temple, let alone Conservative and Reform Jews who view building the Temple in strictly metaphorical, spiritual terms. Only a certain group of National Orthodox is actively supporting preparations for a Third Temple. There is great resistance to their ideas in secular Israeli society, of course, but also the majority of Ultra-Orthodox are against building the Temple before the return of the Messiah. The mainstream Ultra-Orthodox view is that God is building the Third Temple in heaven according to the dimensions given in Ezekiel’s vision (Ezekiel 40-48), and this heavenly Temple will descend from heaven to earth only when the Messiah comes.
So, it goes to reason that if a Third Temple were to be built, considering all the seemingly insurmountable obstacles in its way, it will in all likelihood only happen in the context of the antichrist rule at which time the end time tribulation will already be in full swing.
Should Christians Support Jewish Efforts to Build the Temple?
Financially supporting fringe National Orthodox Jewish efforts to assemble the needed animals and implements for the building of the Third Temple will not hasten the day of the Lord’s return. We cannot hasten the coming of the Lord by supporting or encouraging the negative things that prophecy tells us are supposed to happen before His coming: according to that idea, we should then support the moral decline of society because prophecy tells us that evil in society will increase in the end times.
What is clear is that while many believers anticipate the building of the Third Temple to be a super sign that will signal that the end times are upon us, it is fully possible that it won’t happen before the Lord’s return. What will happen for sure is the great falling away which the New Testament warns about: it is a much more serious and insidious thing to be watching out for and guarding against in our midst (not letting the word system corrupt our beliefs and not letting our love grow cold), lest we be found without oil in our lamps when the voice of the Bridegroom is heard. In the darkest time in history, the Lord is calling us to be light!
*A Special Note on Ezekiel 40-48
The eight chapters at the end of Ezekiel written at the beginning of the Babylonian exile after the destruction of the First Temple and proceeded the building of the Second Temple present major challenges to both religious Jewish and Christian commentators. Some see these chapters as the most challenging in the Hebrew Bible.
For Jewish commentators these chapters raise the question: why didn’t the returned exiles under Zerubbabel build the Second Temple according to Ezekiel’s measurements? Their answer is that the Babylonian exiles who returned to build the Temple did not experience a full redemption (geulah shlema) because they were living in compromise in regards to foreign women, and the Ezekiel temple is a heavenly construction which will descend from heaven when the Messiah comes.
For Christian and Messianic Jewish commentators, these verses present a challenge in the fact that they seem to speak about the Messianic age when Yeshua the Messiah will reign on earth for 1,000 years while containing detailed instructions about animal sacrifices—a clear contradiction to the New Testament understanding that animal sacrifice was done away with in the one perfect sacrifice of Yeshua (Hebrews 10).
So Christian and Messianic believers are then faced with the same interpretation challenge as the Jewish commentators: p’shat versus drash—whether to come to terms with the literal meaning of the text or to seek a symbolic meaning in the verses. While religious Jewish commentators make no bones about drash—drawing out more meanings from a passage not literally apparent from the text, many Christian and Messianic commentators are more wary of running away with symbolic interpretations of challenging prophetic scripture which the scripture itself doesn’t offer interpretation to. Either way, we seek the Lord to guide us in all wisdom and revelation into His word by the Holy Spirit! He is faithful to grant wisdom to those who ask in faith (James 1:5)
by Tamar Afriat
Shanthi says:
జేరుసలేము ఏ కొండ పైన కటబడింది…..ఇది 7 కొండలు అని పిలువబడే ప్రదేశంలో నిర్మించబడినదా….
Tiferet Yeshua says:
Jerusalem is indeed built on a hill. The place of the Holy Temple (where the Muslim Shrine stands today) is the hil on which Abraham offered his son Isaac to God. The refrence to 7 hills does not have to do with Jerusalem but comes from Revelation 17: 9-11: seven hills are seven kingdoms, 6 of which have already been. It is the 7th hill\kingdom which is the end-time kingdom of the antichrist, according to Revelation.
William McDonald says:
I like the balanced viewpoints listed in this commentary. Different viewpoints were listed with their pros and cons. I feel the year 1948 is a significant date , when Israel became a nation, is important in biblical prophesy.
Tiferet Yeshua says:
We are glad you found the article interesting! Yes, 1948 is a significant prophetic date as is 1967 when Israel gained control of Jerusalem.
Michael Sisson says:
In a manner of speaking, Messiah coming on the clouds of heaven also fulfills the expectation among some Jews that the final Temple will be built by HaShem and descend from heaven (See Jn 2:19, Mt 26:61, Rev 21:22).
Tiferet Yeshua says:
A fascinating possibility in light of the verses you list!
VICTORIA says:
GOD IS GOD.
Brenda Wheeler says:
For the past nine years or so I have felt in my heart that a rebuilt Temple could serve no purpose. As you say in your commentary the Holy Spirit dwells within believers of Yeshua today and will never dwell in a man made temple. I appreciate your commentary and it clarifies the conclusion I came to long ago. I thought why was the curtain in the Temple ripped at the death and resurrection of Yeshua and the Temple completely destroyed? Scripture clearly states the Spirit of Adonai lives in believers today and would never dwell in the Holy of Hokies today. You have confirmed my conclusion.
Ruth Garcia says:
I think I understand why there will be sacrifice. I believe Yeshua the lamb was slain for his bride. His bride is redeemed & resurrected with with Christ and coming to reign with him Revelation 20:4-6. The feasts & the sacrifices are for those left on the earth, there will be nations. I think this is why in Revelation 20:1-4 it talks about Satan being loose again after a thousand years, for a short time.
George says:
Shalom! Gracias por compartir. Es interesante ver y entender que el verdadero templo de DIos hoy en dia somos cada uno de los creyentes en Yeshua. aunque pudiera haber una posibilidad de que se reconstruyera el tercer templo eso nadie lo pudiera asegurar, por otro lado debemos entender que la profecia de Mateo 24 esta refiriendose al año 70 con la destruccion del templo.. con una posibilidad de que algo parecido suceda al final de los tiempos…
George says:
Tengo una pregunta.
Si gran parte del texto de Mateo 24 es la respuesta a la destruccion del templo en el año 70 donde no quedo piedra sobre piedraa, porque en el versiculo 21 Yeshua dice no habido ni habra una tribulacion como esa jamas….
alguien me puede ayudar a entender este texto. SI YEeshua dijo que no habra una tribulacion como esa jamas porque esperar una tribulacion al final de los dias???
otro versiculo para apoyar esto es, Yeshua dijo que sera como en los dias de Noe, comian, bebian, se casaban, plantaban, edificaban aqui nos presenta una vida de cierto modo normal….
Frank Ebell says:
Has it not occurred to anyone that the Holy Place is JERUSALEM!? Read Daniel 9. Do a search for Holy Place in Daniel and every search will come up with JERUSALEM! All through God’s Word Jerusalem is called HOLY, and only Jerusalem. “Matthew 24:15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)” The abomination OF…OF desolation, not “that causes”, but OF. Also…Nowhere in my Bible (or any other for that matter) do I find the name Yeshua? His name is JESUS whether you like it or not! Is His Name Yeshua Christos? Not hardly. How about Iesus (Jesus) Christos? And His Name shall be called what? Nowhere in my bible or any other do the disciples or the people call Him Yeshua. This is nothing more than Judaizing/Hebrew roots heresy! “Matthew 1:21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.” Simple faith in Jesus saves, not complicated faith!
Randie says:
There’s no such name as Jesus in Hebrew. His real Hebrew name is Yeshua. Go to Israel and find me any Jew that beara the nane Jesus. Doesn’t exist.
Secondly, ye are the temple of the holy spirit. No longer is any physical building ghr habitation of God but the human heart is now the holy place.
Besides, the jews rejected Jesus when he came…. So God will not inhabit any physical temple built by them.
Salvator Mundi says:
The 3rd temple will be an actual temple built by Jews influenced by the culture of Babylon, hence the mention of resumed sacrifices. The Jews of the time when Ezekiel wrote this book were highly insulted by this suggestion and so this book hardly made it to the OT, probably highly edited to make it look like a millennial temple where the God of Israel will come . But in truth, The true God of Israel will only come to destroy the 3rd temple with a flood at the end time when the abomination of desolation/existing Babylonian idol in the temple is replaced by the AntiChrist himself.
If you want some reference , I would suggest reading Nova Ganzel’s book on Ezekiel’s temple in Babylonian concept, though she doesn’t make the harsh conclusion I did here.
Matt says:
Great article, i have a few questions if your okay to answer.
I’m interested in if you believe the “man of sin” is a literal person or is he more of a spiritual person according to the prophesies? Is he deceiving the whole world by lies he is speaking out of his literal mouth or by possessing them like a ghost and messing with their minds internally?
You say that the temple the man of sin sittith in might be spiritual but how could it be considered the “Temple of God” if God nolonger is dwelling inside that apostate? Like the prodigal son, the son turned and left the father, the father nolonger dwelled with that son so the son was “dead” and great rejoicing happened when the son turned back and approached the father from where he was.
Or the 10virgins, 5 were foolish and went somewhere else to get oil for their lamps instead of getting oil from the same source they received their lamps like the wise virgins had done, then Jesus returned and they were outside the gate in outer darkness and Jesus did not call them virgins anymore and also didn’t know them. 2 thes 2:3 says there is going to be an apostasy before Jesus returns but if God is not dwelling in someone who turned and left him by their own choosing, then how can they be still called the “Temple of God”? If Satan is sitting inside them where God used to sit then they are no longer chased virgins because Jesus said you cant serve 2 masters and Satan is obviously inside them. God left and gave them over to strong delusion but would they still be considered the temple of God when they left God and God nologer dwelled there?
Jesus says in Matt 24 that when they see the abonimination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet to Flee JUDEA, which means he’s referring to the “holy place” in Judea which makes sense if he’s referring to the temple of the jews. Just a side point 😊
I enjoyed your article and would really appreciate your response to my questions. Thank you
Lou says:
May God bless you, my family.