Preparing for the Third Temple

The Rapture of the church is the next main event on God’s timetable of prophetic activities. No prophecies have yet to be fulfilled before the Rapture can take place. It is imminent; it can happen at any moment. In fact, nothing but the long-suffering grace and mercy of God prevents it from occurring right now.

However, though there are no signs for the Rapture, there is at least one major indicator it is close at hand. That sign is the status of preparations for the next Jewish Temple to be built on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.

Rabbi Nachman Kahane, 75, a leading rabbi in Jerusalem, believes a Temple will be built on the Temple Mount in his lifetime; and he says everything is ready to build that Temple today.

The world has known only two Jewish Temples: The first, built on the Temple Mount by King Solomon, stood for 390 years before the Babylonians destroyed it in 586 B.C. The second, built after the Babylonian Captivity on the same site (Ezra 2:68; 6:7), stood for 585 years before being destroyed by the Romans in A.D. 70. The end-times scenario in God’s prophetic Word calls for a Jewish Temple to be standing when the Antichrist rules the world.

Rabbi Kahane trained everyone who leads the effort to rebuild; and it was his students who started the Temple Institute in 1987 in the Jewish quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City. The Institute has trained men for Temple service and accumulated all the implements needed for a Temple, including the table of showbread, altar of incense, and golden menorah. The menorah, currently on display overlooking the Western Wall plaza in Jerusalem, is covered with 95 pounds of pure gold and reportedly is worth $2 million.

Many think the original menorah, a seven-branched candelabra, was carried off to Rome after the second Temple was destroyed because a carving on the Arch of Titus in Rome seems to display exactly that. The original menorah may still be in Rome. The Temple Institute has painstakingly reconstructed it.

In addition, the Temple Institute also believes it knows the location of the Ark of the Covenant, which was last seen in Solomon’s Temple. Two rabbis and a Jewish activist, all working toward building the third Temple, say they have been to the location. (See “Where Is the Ark of the Covenant?”)

Other Activities

Rabbi Yehuda Glick, chairman of the Temple Mount Heritage Foundation, leads Jewish tours onto the Temple Mount to increase familiarity with this holiest of Jewish places before the next Temple is built. He recently lead an educational tour of 10 Israel Defense Forces (IDF) paratroopers in what marked the first time uniformed IDF troops have been on the Temple Mount in a decade. Paratroopers, said Rabbi Glick, have a “special relationship” to the Temple Mount. They took that hill for Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War, which led to the reunification of Jerusalem.

Although the Temple Mount is the holiest site in Judaism, Jewish people are not allowed to pray there or go up in large groups because it is controlled by the Muslim Waqf. Israel gave the Waqf control as a gesture of goodwill after the city’s reunification in 1967.

Rabbi Glick is calling for Jewish people to unite and make every effort to visit this sacred location and focus on rebuilding the Temple. For a number of years, he directed the Temple Institute’s effort to get ready to rebuild.

Gershon Salomon’s Temple Mount Faithful have a cornerstone ready for when construction begins. It is said to have been consecrated with water from the biblical pool of Siloam and cut with diamonds.

Near Jericho in the Jordan Valley, a training center educates men who believe themselves to be from the tribe of Levi and the priestly family in how to serve in the next Temple. Over the past 25 years it has trained thousands from around the world.

Many of the priestly garments are prepared and in storage. Rabbi Kahane, who received the first set of priestly garments, has his hanging in his closet, ready to be put on in a moment’s notice. It took years of research to make these garments:

Special flaxen thread was imported from India and overseas travel was necessary to obtain the correct colors for the clothes, including to Istanbul, to purchase mountain worms from which the correct shade of crimson is derived. The secret of the correct shade of blue has been lost since the destruction of the Second Temple,…until the Ptil Tekhelet nonprofit organization identified it as the murex trunculus, aka hexaplex trunculus, the banded dye-murex found near the Mediterranean Sea.1

In addition, the 4,000 harps needed for the Levites to play the Temple music as called for by King David in 1 Chronicles 23:5 are close to being completed by the craftsmen at the House of Harrari.

Rabbi Yoel Keren believes the third Temple will be built following the details in Ezekiel 40—46; but first the Jewish people will construct a less extravagant structure, as they did when the second Temple was built 2,500 years ago.

What Lies Ahead

The end-times scenario in God’s prophetic Word calls for a Jewish Temple to be standing when the Antichrist rules the world. He will desecrate it, and the Jewish people will again be forced off the Temple Mount because they will remain faithful to God and refuse to worship the Antichrist (Dan. 9:27).

In His Olivet Discourse (Mt. 24—25), Jesus confirmed Daniel’s prophecy. He called the desecration the “abomination of desolation” and said it had not yet taken place (24:15). Someday Messiah Jesus will return to Jerusalem and build His Temple on this sacred piece of real estate (Zech. 1:16; 6:12); and from that Millennial Temple, He will rule the world (6:13).

That Temple is described in vivid, precise detail in Ezekiel 40—46. Nothing built so far fits Ezekiel’s description. Not the Tabernacle, not the first Temple built by King Solomon, not even the second Temple that was dedicated by Zerubbabel and magnificently refurbished by Herod the Great. Even the structure on the drawing board today will not be that Temple; rather, it will be the Tribulation Temple that must be operational at the midpoint of the seven-year period called the “time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jer. 30:7).

There is one major obstacle to building the third Temple: the gold-domed Muslim Dome of the Rock, which occupies the Temple Mount. This is not a mosque, but it is an Islamic building. Some people suggest a Jewish Temple could exist alongside it, both sharing the Temple Mount. But I’ve spoken to many leaders in the movement to rebuild who believe the Dome of the Rock must be removed. When I ask them how they plan to make that happen, they say they don’t. They plan to leave that detail to the Messiah, but they plan to be ready to start construction when He clears the way.

Are you prepared for the Rapture of the church? If you are, live purely and productively so that you will be filled with joy when you hear the glorious sound of the trumpet of God calling us home (1 Th. 4:15–17). I awake every morning with the expectation that today will be the day. In light of all that is happening to prepare for a Jewish Temple on the Temple Mount, we would do well to keep our ears open for the Lord’s shout, the archangel’s voice, and the trumpet call of God.

ENDNOTE
  1. Danielle Kubes, “Third Temple Preparations Begin with Priestly Garb,” The Jerusalem Post, July 1, 2008, cited by The Temple Institute <templeinstitute.org/archive/03-07-08.htm>.

19 thoughts on “Preparing for the Third Temple

  1. The Ezekiel temple sounds like it is from the millennium when Christ is on earth. (Think about the description of the water flowing out and the trees for healing). But then I don’t understand why there would be sacrifices (Christ suffered once for all…why would there be sacrifices if Christ is present?). And why would people be fishing at the Dead Sea as described? The creation will still be suffering?

  2. as of may 14 2018 the trump organization has funded the rebuilding of Solomon’s temple and the rabbis have the red heffers already from a farm in Texas, The water ritual has already been done and the plans are already in progress for the build. Israel has announced they will build it on the mount moriah and it is already being built as we speak, My question is since this is happening now before the church is raptured , i am unable to find in scripture anything saying that the church will be present during the build or anything along those lines in regards to the rebuilding of solomons temple,and the church, i would love to have some feedback from the church and please be scriptual about i am not looking for cunjecture or opinions only the words of my Father in scripture , i have listened to John Macarthur for a very long time allister bayge , read charles spurgeon , calvin , ryles and many others and have yet to find any signs giving ,,,,,,,,,, thanks a brother in Christ our Lord

  3. There can be a peaceful solution to the conflict…the dome of the rock on the temple mount is sitting in the outer court of where the temple sat…Dr. Kaufman found proof the dome of the tablet sat approximately 330 ft northeast of where the mosque sits today…there is already a temple design patent by yisrayl Hawkins who has witnessed to many about a peaceful solution to the conflict based on prophecy…there is a brochure called
    The peaceful solution to building of the next temple in yerusalem
    The foundation is there…there has been proof approximately 50 feet at western wall that they call a foundation stone…mount Zion was plowed like a field…they buried the foundation to make out like a temple never sat there…Dr. Kaufman’s research and news article about 40 years ago shows proof where temple was.

  4. The angel tells John in Revelation, not to measure the outer court of the temple because it is given to the gentiles. I take that to mean the Dome of the Rock will still be there next to the rebuilt temple. A miraculous occurance will cause the Muslims to share the area.

  5. The 3rd Temple will be rebuilt in Jerusalem.
    Then they the media will say we will have true peace !
    Then a mentally ill… world leader going to start using nuclear .
    Then the nations will retaliate with there .. nukes.
    Then 4/5 planet destroyed.
    1/5 the Remnant still alive to see messiah return.
    The sun darkened.
    Painted black.
    Then the sky clouds nuclear soot dust
    Rolled back in the sky.
    So Yahweh will cause the sun too shine again.
    Then messiah sent back to earth with millions of heaven Angel’s.
    The 1/5 population the Remnant…. will see the rapture not the dead evil ones.
    That the Resurrection of the righteous.

    When they all resurrected from death.
    A loud voice shouts come up here !
    And they with the messiah ascended back up to heaven court the sea of glass to be judged and sentenced.
    To live or to die cast many into lake of fire.

    This the Truth version.

  6. I found the Shalome comment on June 21 to be a bit presumptuous. I will concede that I can’t be certain whether the rapture is coming a thousand years from now or next Tuesday. we read that the rapture will come in a moment that we think not. to say that there are already earthquakes, pestilence, and all the other signs of his coming and then to say these are not bad enough to indicate the rapture is to determine that we can judge how many earthquakes, how many pestilences, etc., must be taking place before the rapture. if we are going to be eating, drinking and giving in marriage, it would appear that things aren’t going to be so bad that we are doing anything different in life than we are now. coming in an hour that ye think not would seem to support this. I would not want to miss the rapture because I was busy counting the number of earthquakes happening around the world.

  7. Greetings from a fellow believer–
    My reason for writing is that I would like to offer my structural engineering skills– and my extensive experience as Chief Engineer & Project Manager on many small to large development projects around the world during my long career- – – regards the building of the Third Jerusalem Temple– complete with all the altars- the animal housing section– the sewage and waste disposal systems– and all else connected to this great project.
    I offer my services for free, and I have been working on designs that keep the authentic visual appearance but at the same time use the best technologies available to address such issues as Earthquake rated foundations- Water sterilization- Humane & clean facilities for the animals- Composting Sewage Treatment- Water recycling- etc…. and a host of other green & sustainable technologies that are indeed required– but technologies that very few people in Israel would even be aware of.
    FURTHER– I have spoken to a select few of my colleagues- and I am quite confident that I can get 60 to 70%– MAYBE MORE– of the construction materials donated…..
    Estimated construction time for the temple itself- and the altars- would be 7 months.
    THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME__
    and I look forward to your reply & suggestions & ideas–
    Sincerely
    KRISSTTOVVV
    God Bless

  8. The third Temple will not appear while the man of sin is still on the throne. Bibi -the little horn /son whose time ,times & a half a time = 3.5 X 3.5 + 1.75 = 14yrs is almost up! [1996-1999 & 2009 until NOW -tribulation ]. We are in the last week I believe . Corona virus -great tribulation [Rev 7;14] an event not in diverse places but all over the world……time of silence in heaven now 1/2 hour -1.75 years……maranatha Shalom….Israel.

    1. ???nope, we ain’t in the tribulation yet brother. Many of the things Jesus spoke of hasn’t happened yet. Earthquakes are many now, but not significant enough just yet. signs of pestilence is here, but famine and “nation rise against nation” not yet. And the pestilence and famine, war (that is yet to come) is just the BIRTH PAINS. the beginning of sorrows. I think youre getting your eschatology mixed up brother….no harm meant by this comment, I merely want to point out things. Things are bad, but not that bad yet, like how Jesus described it in Matthew 24. Shalom!

  9. It appears the rapture could take place before the temple is built, as christians wont see the antichrist and the tribulation. we are in the birth pains, ready to give birth.

      1. I’M CONCERNED THERE IS NO MENTION OF THE RED HEIFER WHOSE ASHES ARE REQUIRED TO PURIFY ANYONE BUILDING THE TEMPLE AND ANY PRIEST QUALIFIED TO SACRIFICE. WHEN ONE IS BORN ALL RED A WAITING PERIOD OF 2 YEARS IS REQUIRED TO SEE IF ANY WHITE OR BLACK HAIRS APPEAR.

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