The issue of the “Third Temple” in Jerusalem is currently being heated up again. The Jewish communities, including so-called Messianic Jews and even evangelical circles, expect the construction of the Third Temple in the biblical city of Jerusalem. Why actually?
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The First Temple
The first temple in Jerusalem is also called Solomon’s Temple. The builder of this monumental building was Israel’s King Solomon. With the Temple, the holy place of the people of Israel was given a permanent position on the Temple Mount. Previously, the tabernacle, which was built shortly after Israel’s exodus from Egypt, served as a quasi-transportable temple. The basic structure of the temple corresponded to the specified furnishings of the tabernacle (Info).

The timing of the construction of the first Temple of Solomon is not entirely clear. According to biblical records, the beginning of the first Temple occurred in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign, 1. Kings 6:1:
“And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month Zif, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the LORD.“
If one assumes the Biblical Chronicle, it is approximately the year 970 BC. The month of Ziv (Ijjar) was the 2nd month in biblical times (today the 8th month – Info) and according to today’s Gregorian calendar it would fall in the April/May area.
Destruction of the First Temple
After the new empire of Babylon under King Nebuchadnezzar conquered the land of Judah and took Jerusalem, the first Temple was destroyed in 586 BC. Since then, the Ark of the Covenant has also been considered missing. In any case, the many stories and legends about the whereabouts of the Ark of the Covenant are alive.
The Second Temple
The inhabitants of Jerusalem were carried off to Babel and lived there in exile. Babylon was taken by the Medo-Persians in a “cloak and dagger operation”. The city of Babel fell in one night. The new Persian king Cyrus the Great allowed the Judeans to return to Jerusalem. The governor appointed by the king was Zerubbabel.
At this point the many “spirits of scientists” argue about which of the kings of Medo-Persia, either Cyrus or Artaxerxes I, gave the order to rebuild the temple. An extremely important prophecy in the book of Daniel, chapter 9, depends on this fact.
Prophecy in 70-year week

With the so-called 70-year week, the arrival of Jesus Christ and His work was predicted (Daniel 9 – 70-year week – Info). A period of 490 years in total, at the end (last week) of which Jesus Christ is the focus. These 490 years have a starting point and this is described with the “Order to Rebuild the Temple”. Who gave this order and when?
The scientific favorite Cyrus
King Cyrus reigned between 539 and 530 BC. The successor Darius reigned between 522 and 486 BC. inside. Artaxerxes (Xerxes) then came into play. He ruled from 486 to 465 BC.
“Scientifically” favored for the order to rebuild the temple is King Cyrus. According to Ezra 6:3-5, Cyrus ordered the construction of a house of worship in the first year of his reign. However, it was a “small format” or provisional according to his information and not according to God’s information. Accordingly, if this building was defined as the second temple, it would have been built in 538 BC. In connection with the prophecy of a period of 483 years (490 years -7 years), the Messiah announced in Daniel 9 would have appeared or become active in the year 55 BC. However, this year is biblically completely insignificant.
Artaxerxes is rather ignored
Many years later, King Artaxerxes authorized the Judean Ezra to completely build the Temple. The king even provided the financial resources. Most importantly, Artaxerxes insisted on designing the temple according to God’s design, Ezra 7:23:
“Whatsoever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be diligently done for the house of the God of heaven: for why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons?“
This order from Artaxerxes came in 457 BC. According to the prophecy of when the Messiah would appear (after 483 years), in this case we ended up in the year 27 AD (don’t count the year “0”, there is no year “0”). What happened this year? Jesus Christ was baptized and thus began His ministry to people.
Artaxerxes gave the correct order
It is therefore obvious that the command of Artaxerxes is the starting point of the prophecy and not the command of Cyrus. The temple, built from 538 BC, was at best a temporary structure. Would God accept a larger garden house from the hardware store as His temple and thus residence among His people? Never!
The construction plan for the tabernacle given by God to Moses was described in detail and had to be followed. Because every detail has its own special meaning, as an image of the heavenly sanctuary. Artaxerxes, on the other hand, wanted Ezra to build the temple according to God’s description.
Cyrus chosen with calculation

But the fact that Cyrus is still referred to as “the king of the second temple” has a profane reason. As is well known, Judaism does not recognize Jesus Christ as the announced Messiah. Not then and not now either. The prophecy in Daniel 9 is taboo for them, just as the descriptions in Isaiah 53 are either ignored or interpreted extremely imaginatively. The order of Cyrus as the starting point for the 490 years ended up in nowhere at the end of the time period.
The Messiah expected by the Messianic Jews also has nothing to do with Jesus Christ, whose second appearance is expected. It is a “different” Messiah, just as, and this is where it becomes particularly critical, the Jesus expected by evangelicals cannot be the true Jesus Christ.
Within the framework of futurism and dispensationalism, these evangelicals see the prophecy according to Daniel 9 partly in the past and verse 27, completely arbitrarily, in the future (“future Antichrist”). These teachings are rooted in the ideas of Jesuits – Info.
Destruction of the Second Temple
Whether it is Jesus Christ, who was not accepted as the Son of God in Judaism, or the Jesus who was virtually redefined by evangelicals, clinging to Cyrus as the commander of the second temple rejects the evidence that Daniel’s prophecy was actually fulfilled. That seems desirable.
The destruction of the Second Temple was predicted by Jesus Christ (Matthew 24). In 70 AD, the Roman general Titus conquered Jerusalem, during which the temple was not only burned down, but the walls were also completely torn down.
The Third Temple
The beginning of the construction of the Third Temple now seems to be within reach. The equipment (e.g. incense altar, menorah, etc.) has long been ready (Source). The clothing for the priests has also been completed. Red cows have already been flown into the country and are “waiting” to be sacrificed. “Only” the temple was missing.
The “subtle” problem at the moment is that a mosque has stood for centuries on the mountain on which the third temple is to be built. There was still no “agreement” here.
Anyone who looks for a reference to the building of a third temple in the Bible will find nothing. The main support for the justification for wanting to build a third temple at all lies in God’s statement that He will not reject His people (Israel). This is reason enough to build another temple.
Continued open rejection of Jesus Christ

What purpose does a temple serve? It is a place of sacrifice. The sacrificial rituals are to be reintroduced with the third temple. Sacrifice for what? For the forgiveness of sins and as a benevolent offering. This makes it clear that the “commissioning” of another temple including sacrifices represents the continued demonstrated rejection of Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ gave himself as a unique and everlasting atonement. He paid with His own blood, which was symbolized in the temples (tabernacles) by the slain lamb. With the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the sacrifices in the temple were abolished without replacement.
The curtain of the Holy of Holies was torn completely from top to bottom. The ceremonial laws were thus abolished (not the 10 Commandments – Info).
Completion of third temple questionable

It is extremely questionable whether there will be any completion and thus an offensive rejection of Jesus Christ. “Behold, your house is left unto you desolate,” Jesus said to the Pharisees (Matthew 23:38). This temple would also be necessary for the apologists of a future “Antichrist”. Because this “future one” wants to sit in this temple.
But they overlook – completely incomprehensibly – the fact that the “Antichrist” has been among humanity for a long time, for centuries, and is completely confusing the “spirits”. (Info). The proclaimers of a future “Antichrist”, an earthly kingdom of peace and a “secret early rapture” are the best proof of the unfortunate success of the adversary.
Instead, they look at the “fulfillment” of a “prophecy” devised by humans, wait in vain for an “Antichrist” due to the lack of a temple and completely overlook the fact that the marked cards are constantly being redistributed starting from Rome.
Paul, in the first century AD, made it “absolutely clear” that the adversary was already doing his work:
For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
2 Thessalonians 2:7
Bible verses from King James Version