The Bible prophesies that in these end times, before the glorious return of Jesus Christ, another Temple will be built in Jerusalem. It will be the third Temple of Jerusalem. The Bible prophesies that it is in this third Temple that the abomination of desolation will be committed — the act by which the Antichrist will seat himself in the holy place of that Temple and proclaim himself god. The Bible prophesies that the activities associated with this third Temple — namely, the resumption of the daily sacrifice and the oblation — will be carried out during the second half of the last 7 years preceding the return of Jesus Christ. The presence of this third Temple in these end times will therefore constitute a genuine indicator of God's timetable; and understanding it enables us to better grasp the succession of events leading up to the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. In order to approach this teaching on the third Temple well, it is therefore important for us to review the first and second Temples of Jerusalem.

More than 460 years after the departure of the children of Israel from Egypt, the LORD granted all Israel peace and tranquility throughout the entire reign of King Solomon, the son of David. It was during this period of King Solomon's reign that the first house in the name of the LORD was built: this is the first Temple of Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 22:7–10). As with the Tabernacle of congregation in the wilderness, this first Temple of God symbolized and marked the permanent presence of God in the midst of His people. Everything that was done in the Tabernacle of congregation was transferred to the Temple. From that point onward, the Temple served as the place for offering the morning and evening burnt offerings — the daily sacrifice — for burning sweet incense before God, for presenting the showbread, and for celebrating the various feasts of God according to the Law of Moses.

2 Chronicles 2:4–6
⁴Behold, I build an house to the name of the LORD my God, to dedicate it to him, and to burn before him sweet incense, and for the continual shewbread, and for the burnt offerings morning and evening, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts of the LORD our God. This is an ordinance for ever to Israel. ⁵And the house which I build is great: for great is our God above all gods. ⁶But who is able to build him an house, seeing the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain him? who am I then, that I should build him an house, save only to burn sacrifice before him?

Nearly 400 years after its construction, the first Temple of Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians under King Nebuchadnezzar. This was the direct consequence of the rebellion of the children of Israel against God.

Jeremiah 52:12–13
"¹²Now in the fifth month, in the tenth day of the month, which was the nineteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, came Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, which served the king of Babylon, into Jerusalem, ¹³And burned the house of the LORD, and the king's house; and all the houses of Jerusalem, and all the houses of the great men, burned he with fire."

The children of Israel then found themselves in exile in Babylon for 70 years following the destruction of the Temple and of Jerusalem. At the end of the exile — the 70 years — God, through King Cyrus of Persia, liberated His people, the children of Israel. Cyrus, by the command of God, decreed that the house of God destroyed by the Babylonians be rebuilt: this is the era of the second Temple of Jerusalem.

Isaiah 45:13
I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will direct all his ways: he shall build my city, and he shall let go my captives, not for price nor reward, saith the LORD of hosts.

Isaiah 44:28
That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.

Ezra 1:1–3
¹Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, ²Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. ³Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel, (he is the God,) which is in Jerusalem.

After its construction — completed with more or less interruption — the children of Israel resumed the activities associated with the Temple: the daily sacrifice, the feasts of the LORD, and all that pertained to its service.

Ezra 6:15–22
¹⁵And this house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king. ¹⁶And the children of Israel, the priests, and the Levites, and the rest of the children of the captivity, kept the dedication of this house of God with joy, ¹⁷And offered at the dedication of this house of God an hundred bullocks, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs; and for a sin offering for all Israel, twelve he goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel. ¹⁸And they set the priests in their divisions, and the Levites in their courses, for the service of God, which is at Jerusalem; as it is written in the book of Moses. ¹⁹And the children of the captivity kept the passover upon the fourteenth day of the first month. ²⁰For the priests and the Levites were purified together, all of them were pure, and killed the passover for all the children of the captivity, and for their brethren the priests, and for themselves. ²¹And the children of Israel, which were come again out of captivity, and all such as had separated themselves unto them from the filthiness of the heathen of the land, to seek the LORD God of Israel, did eat, ²²And kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy: for the LORD had made them joyful, and turned the heart of the king of Assyria unto them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.

This second Temple endured — before it too was destroyed by the Romans — until the very era when Jesus Christ was upon the earth to reconcile us with God. It was in this second Temple that Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour taught and healed the sick (Matthew 21:15). It was in this second Temple that Jesus Christ drove out the merchants (John 2:13–16); it was at the gate of this second Temple that Peter and John healed a lame man (Acts 3:1–6). Eventually, as with the first house, the second house was also destroyed because of the rebellion of God's people, the Jews — and this at the hands of the Romans in AD 70. And this destruction of the Temple had been announced by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.

Luke 19:41–45
⁴¹And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, ⁴²Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. ⁴³For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, ⁴⁴And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation. ⁴⁵And he went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought;

Mark 13:1–2
¹And as he went out of the temple, one of his disciples saith unto him, Master, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here! ²And 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.

What remains of this second Temple is what is known today as the Western Wall, or the Wailing Wall.

Several prophecies of the Bible announce the construction of a third Temple in Jerusalem. As mentioned at the very outset of this teaching, it is in this Temple that the Antichrist will trample underfoot the holy place by seating himself in it and proclaiming himself god — this is the abomination of desolation, or the abomination of the desolator. It is this third Temple that will be in operation during the three and a half years (3.5 years) preceding the return of Jesus Christ. Let us begin by examining 2 Thessalonians 2:1–4.

2 Thessalonians 2:1–4
¹Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, ²That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. ³Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; ⁴Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

These verses speak to us of the return of Jesus Christ — His coming — and our gathering together unto Him. These are the things we, as sons of God, are awaiting in these last days. However, verse 3 tells us clearly that these two events — the coming and the gathering — will not occur without the prior manifestation of the falling away and the appearance of the man of sin. In verse 4, the Bible informs us that this man of sin who must appear before the return of Jesus Christ will seat himself in the Temple of God and proclaim himself god. This Temple spoken of here is none other than the Third Temple of Jerusalem, which is shortly to be built. Through the teachings the Lord has placed at our disposal — in particular the teaching on the Antichrist and the False Prophet — we now know that this man of sin is none other than the Antichrist.

We can even at this point establish a brief chronology of the events that will come to pass. The Bible tells us that the falling away and the appearance of the man of sin — the Antichrist — must occur before the return of Jesus Christ and our gathering to Him — that is, before the Rapture of the Church (verse 3). From this, we understand clearly that the Antichrist must be present upon the earth before the coming of the Lord and the Rapture of the Church. Also, through the third Temple, the Antichrist will commit the abomination of desolation (verse 4); and according to Matthew 24:15–22, it is the abomination of desolation that will be the triggering event of the Great Tribulation or great distress. We can therefore conclude that the Church will pass through the Great Tribulation and that the Rapture of the Church will take place after it (Matthew 24:29–31). Have you grasped that? I trust so, by the grace of God.

When Will It Be Built?

According to the text of Daniel 9 — which speaks of the 70 Weeks necessary to bring in everlasting righteousness (the Kingdom of God) and to anoint the most Holy (Jesus Christ) — the third Temple of Jerusalem must be built during the 70th and last week of Daniel: a week that is to last 7 years, after which the return of Jesus Christ will take place. Please refer to our teaching on the 70 Weeks of Daniel.

Daniel 9:27
And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

This passage speaks of the 70th and last week of Daniel — the seven last years before the return of Jesus Christ. We observe that during the second half of the week — that is, during the final three and a half years — the activities of the Temple (the daily sacrifice and the oblation) are resumed; and that these are then interrupted by "he" — the Antichrist. The daily sacrifice began in the wilderness with the Tabernacle of the congregation (Exodus 29:38–42); but with the construction of the first Temple, this sacrifice was henceforth offered before the Temple (2 Chronicles 29:1–7). Thus the presence of the daily sacrifice during the second half of the last week of Daniel implies the existence of a Temple during the three and a half years preceding the return of Jesus Christ. And this sacrifice, which will begin in the third Temple, will be interrupted by the Antichrist — who will then commit the abomination of desolation.

Daniel 8:9–11
⁹And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land. ¹⁰And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them. ¹¹Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down.

Daniel 11:31
And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate.

It is therefore during this period that the third Temple of Jerusalem will be built. Do you realize to what extent this third Temple constitutes a genuine indicator of God's timetable for us? That being so, for us Christians who await the return of Jesus Christ, the presence of a third Temple in Jerusalem must signify the imminence of the return — or coming — of Jesus Christ. Today, everything is ready for the construction of this third Temple: all the vessels are prepared; the model and blueprint of the Temple are ready. Everything is ready. All the necessary elements for the Temple have been manufactured. All that remains is for the first stone to be laid. Jesus Christ is coming — He is coming, He is coming — and swiftly.

To conclude this section: note that Revelation 11:1–2 speaks of the same thing as Daniel 9 with regard to the period during which the third Temple will be present. Revelation speaks of 42 months — which, when converted into years, gives us 3.5 years.

The Location of the Temple

Let us now consider at what precise location in Jerusalem this third Temple will be built. By conforming to the Scriptures, we will see that, like the second Temple, the third Temple will also be built in the very same place where Solomon had built the first Temple. This location is known today as the Temple Mount, and it is the subject of intense tension and dispute between the nation of Israel and the Arab world. What does the Bible teach us about this location? Let us examine 2 Chronicles 3:1.

2 Chronicles 3:1
Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD at Jerusalem in mount Moriah, where the LORD appeared unto David his father, in the place that David had prepared in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.

The Bible informs us that it was on Mount Moriah — on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, which David had prepared — that the first Temple was built. By examining Genesis 22:2, we will see that it was at this very same place — Mount Moriah — that God sent Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac. This is therefore a location that God had chosen for His own glory.

Genesis 22:2
And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.

Let us now examine 1 Chronicles 21:21–26 and 1 Chronicles 22:1.

1 Chronicles 21:21–26
²¹And as David came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw David, and went out of the threshingfloor, and bowed himself to David with his face to the ground. ²²Then David said to Ornan, Grant me the place of this threshingfloor, that I may build an altar therein unto the LORD: thou shalt grant it me for the full price: that the plague may be stayed from the people. ²³And Ornan said unto David, Take it to thee, and let my lord the king do that which is good in his eyes: lo, I give thee the oxen also for burnt offerings, and the threshing instruments for wood, and the wheat for the meat offering; I give it all. ²⁴And king David said to Ornan, Nay; but I will verily buy it for the full price: for I will not take that which is thine for the LORD, nor offer burnt offerings without cost. ²⁵So David gave to Ornan for the place six hundred shekels of gold by weight. ²⁶And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called upon the LORD; and he answered him from heaven by fire upon the altar of burnt offering.

1 Chronicles 22:1
Then David said, This is the house of the LORD God, and this is the altar of the burnt offering for Israel.

For context, chapter 21 recounts the wrath of God that fell upon the people of Israel after David had ordered a census of the people — something God did not desire. What is striking about this passage is that we have here proof that the Temple Mount had been purchased by King David from the Jebusite — an inhabitant of Jebus, the ancient name of Jerusalem — Ornan. The Temple Mount therefore belongs in no way to Muslims or Arabs, nor to any organization whatsoever; it belongs to the Jews. All the theories that confer upon Muslims legitimacy or control over the Temple Mount are false and devoid of substance. David, king of Israel, purchased it for 600 shekels of gold — that is, some 9.6 kilograms of gold — from Ornan, the former inhabitant of Jerusalem.

The construction of the second Temple was carried out at this same location.

Ezra 6:7 — "Let the work of this house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews build this house of God in his place."

And it is there also that the third Temple of Jerusalem will be built — even though the site is currently occupied by Muslim structures (the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque). At the time when the construction work for the third Temple is launched, the Temple Mount will be under a shared arrangement between the Muslim world and the Jews; and this will allow the third Temple to be built side by side with the current mosque.

There, my beloved, is what can be said of the Third Temple of Jerusalem. Jesus Christ is coming — He is coming to take us.

May the grace of the Lord be your portion.