Post 68 - A Third Temple?

"If you stay in school and stay out of trouble, you can have my truck." That was the conditional offer I made to my then16-year-old son who seemed to have the notion that high school was optional. Long story short, a few months later, I donated the truck to the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation. I don't think my son, who is a Type 1 diabetic, appreciated the irony.

One of the hot topics that crops up on 'X' (formerly known as Twitter) is the belief by some Christians and Jews that, in fulfillment of Bible prophecy, there will be a new temple built in Jerusalem sometime in the future. This temple is often simply referred to as the Third Temple.

Today, I wanted to offer a brief, biblical review of the origins of this understanding and a perspective on how we, as Christians, should view this belief. (The story of my 16-year-old son and the offer of the truck is relevant, I promise.)

A Short History

During the time of Moses (Exodus 26-40), God gave the Israelites detailed instructions for the construction of a temporary, mobile worship center known as the tabernacle. Then, during the reign of Solomon in the 10th century BC, a permanent temple was constructed on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem, only to be destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BC. This structure is often referred to as the First Temple.

Under the leadership of Zerubbabel, upon the return of the Jewish exiles from Babylon, a new temple was built. This modest temple, completed circa 516 BC, was greatly expanded by Herod in the 1st century BC and became known as Herod's Temple.

Herod's Temple was destroyed in AD 70 when the Roman army laid siege on Jerusalem in the First Jewish-Roman War. The destruction of Herod's Temple marked the end of the "Second Temple" era.

Purpose for the Temple

From the beginning, the Jewish temples served three primary purposes:

1. A gathering place for God's people

The temple was always the center of Jewish life and culture, however, with the scattering of the Jews after the Roman siege and with no temple in Jerusalem, the Jewish people eventually began to worship the God of Israel in their local community synagogues, a worship arrangement that continues today.

2. A place for sacrifices.

Animal sacrifices were one of the primary duties performed by the priests in the temples. Since the destruction of the Second Temple, in lieu of ritual sacrifices, the Jewish people now offer Tefillah (prayer), Teshuvah (repentance), and Tzedakah (charity).

3. A dwelling place for God

“The Lord said to Moses... let them construct a sanctuary for Me, that I may dwell <shakan> among them” (Exodus 25:1,8;).

By God's own decree, the temple was to be His earthly dwelling place, a home for God's "Shekhinah" - his divine presence/glory.

The Prophecy

For centuries, a prophecy in the book of Ezekiel has been understood by many as offering the hope of a new temple to be constructed in Jerusalem sometime in the future. Nine full chapters in Ezekiel (40-48) are devoted to a vision of a grand temple for the people of God.

While some Christians believe the construction of the temple is a necessary precursor to the return of Jesus, many Jews posit that their Messiah, when he comes, will oversee the construction of the temple and will reestablish true Judaism.

The Condition

"As for you, son of man, describe to the house of Israel the temple, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities... and if they are ashamed of all that they have done, make known to them the design of the temple, its arrangement... (Ezekiel 43:10-11 ESV)

Just as my offer of the truck to my son was conditional, so it seems, was God's offer of a new temple to the nation of Israel.

Ezekiel, the 'son of man', was prophesying from captivity in Babylon. God tells Ezekiel to share the vision of the temple with the exiled Jews "that they may be ashamed of their iniquities." ONLY IF they are "ashamed of all that they have done" is he to provide them with the specifics of the design.

History records that when Persia conquered Babylon, Cyrus gave a decree that allowed the return of the Jews to their homeland, yet very few actually returned. The vast majority chose to remain in Babylon where they had been living comfortably, working and raising their families for seventy years, generally neglecting the worship of their God. It seems that the contrition God was looking for was not forthcoming from his people.

The nation of Israel did not meet God's condition of repentance, so the temple envisioned in the book of Ezekiel was never constructed. In other words, the temple envisioned in Ezekiel was "the temple that could have been." Even those who returned to the promised land did not have great zeal for God, ultimately constructing a temple that was much less grand than the temple envisioned by Ezekiel.

The Christian Perspective

As Christians, we should understand that Jesus fulfilled all of the purposes of the temple. I believe that a new temple would be a blasphemous denial of the finished work of Jesus' life, death and resurrection, which provided:

1. A gathering place for God's people

The church is defined simply as "the body of Christ"--the new temple. Those who are "in Christ" are the church and are divinely interconnected with each other (1 Cor 12).

Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." But he was speaking about the temple of his body. (Jhn 2:19, 21)

2. The ultimate sacrifice--once for all

he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. (Heb 9:12)

3. God's dwelling place

Jesus answered him, "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. (Jhn 14:23)

Final Thought

Unfortunately, there are organizations dedicated to the planning and construction of a third temple and are accepting donations, anticipating the return of the exiled Jews to the promised land and/or hastening the coming/return of the Messiah. Again, to support this effort is to deny the finished work of Jesus on the cross.

Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. (Jhn 4:21-23 ESV)

The worship of God requires only a heart of devotion and a love for the truth. Some assembly (but no temple) is required.

Next Post: TBD