The Jewish Temple Mount Deed

The most contested piece of real estate on Earth is the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Today, its 36 acres house a 7th-century Islamic shrine whose golden dome dominates the Jerusalem skyline. Jewish people are not allowed to pray on the Temple Mount, even though it is their holiest site in the world.

Originally measuring merely 861 x 861 feet, it is where Solomon’s Temple stood from 960 BC to 586 BC and where the Second Temple stood from 515 BC to AD 70. In fact, the property passed into Israelite hands approximately 3,000 years ago when King David legally purchased it from Araunah (also called Ornan) the Jebusite after repenting from a specific sin.

David dishonored the Lord by ordering a census of men who could fight in his army (2 Sam. 24:1–9; 1 Chr. 21:1–6). God let the king choose one of three punishments: (1) seven¹ years of famine in Israel, (2) three months of fleeing from his enemies, or (3) three days of plague (2 Sam. 24:11–13). “I am in great distress,” David said. “Please let us fall into the hand of the LORD, for His mercies are great; but do not let me fall into the hand of man” (v. 14). So, the Lord sent a plague, killing 70,000 Israelites (v. 15).

The angel of the Lord prepared to commit further destruction, stretching out his hand over Jerusalem to destroy it; but God restrained him (v. 16). David saw the angel by the threshing floor of Araunah and repented. Soon after, Gad the prophet told David, “Go up, erect an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite” (v. 18).

Araunah bowed in humility before the king and offered him whatever he desired, including oxen for sacrifice and threshing tools (v. 22). But David refused. “I will surely buy [the threshing floor] from you for a price; nor will I offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God with that which costs me nothing” (v. 24).

So, David paid Araunah 50 shekels of silver for his threshing floor and oxen and 600 shekels of gold for the place (v. 24; 1 Chr. 21:25). There, he built an altar to present burnt and peace offerings to God. In response, God answered David’s prayers and stopped the plague (2 Sam. 24:25).

Though God forbade David to build the Temple because he had shed much blood in war (1 Chr. 22:8), He let Solomon build it “at Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the LORD had appeared to [Solomon’s] father David, at the place that David had prepared on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite” (2 Chr. 3:1).

Mount Moriah was where Abraham almost sacrificed his son Isaac. In obedience to God’s command, Abraham prepared to slay the miraculous son of his old age when the Angel of the Lord stopped him. God then told Abraham, “Because you . . . have not withheld your son, your only son—blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven. . . . In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed” (Gen. 22:16–18).

Jesus, the Son of God and a direct descendant of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and David, fulfilled this prophecy, offering redemption and eternal life to all. [Editor’s Note: This sentence originally included Solomon as well. Jesus’ earthly father, Joseph, was indeed a direct descendant of Solomon, giving Jesus the legal right to rule. But God cursed Solomon’s descendant King Jehoiachin (also called Coniah), saying, “None of his descendants shall prosper, sitting on the throne of David” (Jer. 22:30). However, since Mary conceived Jesus by the Holy Spirit, Jesus had no earthly, paternal bloodline. Mary descended from David’s son Nathan, rather than Solomon. Thus, Jesus has a legal right to rule but circumvents the curse. For more information on this subject, read “The Curse” in the September/October 2022 issue of Israel My Glory.]

Abraham built an altar to the Lord on Mount Moriah; and more than 1,000 years later, David did likewise in the location that became the center of Jewish worship for the next millennium. Even though he could not build the Temple, David went to great lengths to bring its construction to fruition (cf. 1 Chr. 22:14–16). He acquired the land for a price, understanding that true love for the Lord requires sacrifice.

Today, the Dome of the Rock sits atop Mount Moriah. But one day, God’s holy Temple will again stand there. Messiah Jesus will build it: “Yes, He shall build the temple of the LORD. He shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule on His throne; so He shall be a priest on His throne” (Zech. 6:13). Jewish people will again pray there, and the most contested piece of real estate on Earth will finally know peace.

ENDNOTE

1. 1. First Chronicles 21:12 states the Lord offered David three, not seven, years of famine. Some scholars believe God was offering to extend an existing famine an additional three years for a total of seven years, while others suggest the two passages record similar but separate confrontations between Gad and David.