3rd Temple Theology

Written by Dean Maxwell

Many evangelical Christians as well as Zionists and others believe that a 3rd Temple must be built to usher in the return (for Christians) or 1st advent (for Jews) of the Messiah and the establishment of the Kingdom age/Millennium. 

There was a sacrificial ceremony on July 1/25 of a Red Heifer in the Israeli state, which was initially claimed to be a practice run and later claimed that the Red Heifer was in fact perfect as was the ceremony.   Their belief is that this had to be done before the 3rd Temple could be built. 

I am using the term 3rd Temple as many who believe this theology use that term in describing the rebuilding of a Temple in Jerusalem at this time.   One could argue that it would actually be a 4th Temple or perhaps Temple 3.5 as the 1st Temple was built by Solomon, the 2nd Temple was built in Zerubbabel’s time (after the return from Babylon), then the next temple, Herod’s,  was either a completely new temple or a restoration and rebuilding of the prior Temple.  For simplicity’s sake, I’ll refer to this current rebuilding plan/project as the 3rd Temple. 

There are many Bible verses used to support this theological position.   The largest section of the Bible on the building of a future Temple is found in Ezekiel chapters 40 to 48.  This gives a very detailed description of the measurements and building instructions for such a Temple. 

God’s promises and covenants in the Bible are generally either unconditional (and thus they will come to pass regardless of anything on our part) or conditional (which depends on something from us in order for God to fulfill His promise).  In the case of Ezekiel 40-48, it appears to be a conditional promise as outlined in Ezekiel 43:7-12:

Verse 7: And he said unto me, Son of man, the place of my throne, and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel for ever, and my holy name, shall the house of Israel no more defile, neither they, nor their kings, by their whoredom, nor by the carcases of their kings in their high places.

Verse 8: In their setting of their threshold by my thresholds, and their post by my posts, and the wall between me and them, they have even defiled my holy name by their abominations that they have committed: wherefore I have consumed them in mine anger. (*)

Verse 9: Now let them put away their whoredom, and the carcases of their kings, far from me, and I will dwell in the midst of them for ever.

Verse 10: Thou son of man, shew the house to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities: and let them measure the pattern. (*)

Verse 11: And if they be ashamed of all that they have done, shew them the form of the house, and the fashion thereof, and the goings out thereof, and the comings in thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the laws thereof: and write it in their sight, that they may keep the whole form thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and do them.

Verse 12: This is the law of the house; Upon the top of the mountain the whole limit thereof round about shall be most holy. Behold, this is the law of the house.

Now basically there are two conditions for the fulfillment of this promise to build the place of His throne (Temple) and for God to live amongst His people.  One of these conditions was the removal of the carcases of their kings in their high places (places of worship or churches today).  The other condition was to put away their whoredom which superficially refers to adultery, but in this instance God is  referring to the worship of false gods (as God Himself states that he is a jealous God; Exodus 20:5). 

Ezekiel is writing at the time during the return from Babylon of Israelites from the tribes of Judah, Benjamin and half of Levi (as well perhaps of a sprinkling of other Israelites).   We certainly can’t criticize the people of that day for not adhering to one or both of these conditions (in order for the promise to be fulfilled) as we are certainly no better today.  

Until I looked at these verses more closely with a Bible study group a couple of years ago, I never even considered that the burial of kings in churches was considered abhorrent by God.  Like many, I’ve visited West Minster Abbey (with its’ over 3300 people, including kings, buried or memorialized there) as well as churches on continental Europe, with similar burials within their churches.  Of course, I was respectful and the thought of God’s disapproval of this custom never crossed my mind.   So we are certainly no better than they were then and who knows, maybe they did remove some or all of the carcasses as I’m not sure there are any historical records of this one could perhaps argue that we just don’t know on this one (although I suspect they didn’t do this). 

Regarding the other condition,  whoredom or worshipping of other gods,  we as a society are definitely guilty today.  We have allowed people to settle in our lands who are not of the Christian faith and even amongst our Israelite brethren, many have turned from Christianity to other forms of worship.   Shortly after the return from captivity,  many men took foreign wives (with other faiths) to the point that they were ordered to put away their wives and the offspring from such unions (Ezra 10:3).  Again, we are no better than they were and would have been no better at keeping that condition than they were.

In II Thessalonians 2 verses 3 and 4 there is a scripture regarding what some believe to be about the 3rd Temple:

Verse 3: Let 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;

Verse 4: Who 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.

It seems that from the book of Ezekiel, God has justly abandoned His promise that the 3rd Temple would be built.  If such a Temple as mentioned in 2 Thessalonians 2 is to be built (and it may), it would not be of God, but rather it would be a counterfeit Temple built by man influenced by spiritual forces not of God.   Some use these verses to support a theology of an anti-Christ,  but scripture seems to indicate that there will be many anti-Christs (1John 2:18-23).  Still it is interesting to speculate as to who or what would sit in this Temple shewing himself that he is God.  Perhaps AI could fit this description.   It certainly would appear to be all knowing. 

All the more reason to pray for God’s protection of His people during these last days.