There has long been a Zionist desire to rebuild the Third Temple. This desire is found among some Zionist Jews but many more Zionist Christians.
Jews today go to the “wailing” wall (aka Western Wall) to mourn the destruction of the Temple and pray for a third temple to be built there. I was there in 2001. (I’ve lost a lot of weight since then due to Low Carb). Pretty much every world leader has touched the wall and stuffed a prayer in between the rocks.
Notably, during her long reign Queen Elizabeth never went to Israel – the Jewish terrorists had done many bad things to the British before the British gave up on Mandatory Palestine. For example, the King David Hotel bombing on 22 July 1946. Queen Elizabeth has a long memory – she was 22 when it happened – and not yet Queen. See British reactions.
History of Attempts to Rebuild the Temple
This article explains the history of the attempts to rebuild the temple quite well. It’s worth reading. Particularly worth noting is
But these were trifles compared to Julian’s announced decision to rebuild the Jerusalem Temple of the Jews. It was because of this plan that he became known as “Julian the Apostate,” an archenemy of Christianity. Julian’s plan to restore the Temple contradicted a central Christian tenet that the Temple’s destruction proved the Christian claim that they, not the Jews, were the Chosen People of God.
Julian the Apostate’s attempt to rebuild the temple.
There is a lot more to say, though, particularly about historical and modern attempts to rebuild the temple.
Justinian’s Church
It was once thought that Emperor Justinian’s “Nea Ekklesia of the Theotokos”, lit. ’the New Church of the God-Bearer’ and commonly known as the Nea Church, dedicated to the God-bearing Virgin Mary, consecrated in 543, was situated where al-Aqsa Mosque was later constructed. However, remains identified as those of the Nea Church were uncovered in the south part of the Jewish Quarter in 1973.
Wikipedia
Christian Perspective
Christians should not desire to rebuild the third temple. It is a denial of the finished work of Christ. It is Antichrist, by definition.
Hebrews 9:8-10 The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing: Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience; Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation. But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;
Hebrews 8:13 In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.
Modern Day Attempts to Rebuild the Temple
Many Dispensational “Christian” groups want to rebuild the Temple. They are often “Messianic Jews”. Here is one such group.
Since 1987, when the Temple Movement began preparations for the rebuilding of the Third Temple, efforts to see this become a reality in the 21st century have been slowly progressing. While modern Israel and a large percentage of the Jewish people throughout the Diaspora are secular, Orthodox Jews do not believe these people will play a role in the rebuilding of the Temple since it is a spiritual work. It is Orthodox Jews who revived the Sanhedrin, the religious body that supervised the halachic (legal) issues related to the Temple and who intend to see it rebuilt in a proper way.
Update on the Building of the Third Temple by Dr. Randall Price
And this group:
The Temple Institute is dedicated to every aspect of the Holy Temple of Jerusalem, and the central role it fulfilled, and will once again fulfill, in the spiritual well-being of both Israel and all the nations of the world. The Institute’s work touches upon the history of the Holy Temple’s past, an understanding of the present day, and the Divine promise of Israel’s future. The Institute’s activities include education, research, and development. The Temple Institute’s ultimate goal is to see Israel rebuild the Holy Temple on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem, in accord with the Biblical commandments.
The Temple Institute
The Jews who want to rebuild the temple are considered religious extremists in Israel.
Under the Wall
There’s a tunnel which goes under/alongside the “wailing” wall. I also went into the tunnel in 2001.
The Western Wall Tunnel (Hebrew: מנהרת הכותל, translit.: Minharat Hakotel) is a tunnel exposing the Western Wall slightly north from where the traditional, open-air prayer site ends and up to the Wall’s northern end. Most of the tunnel is in continuation of the open-air Western Wall and is located under buildings of the Muslim Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem. While the open-air portion of the Western Wall is approximately 60 metres (200 ft) long, the majority of its original length of 488 metres (1,601 ft) is hidden underground. The tunnel allows access to the remainder of the Wall in a northerly direction.
Wikipedia
This is the entrance to the tunnel.
Here is a depiction of the tunnel(s). The entrance to the tunnel is in the bottom about 3/4 of the way over this map.
This is one of the massive carved stones that formed the base/lower levels of Herod’s Temple. The man in the distance is at the far end of the single rock.
There’s an observation window where you can see the Israelis working under the temple mount.
Much blood has been spilt over the digging there. This was the reaction to building an exit tunnel. Can you imagine the uproar if the temple was rebuilt?
In 1996, however, Benjamin Netanyahu authorized the creation of an exit leading to the Via Dolorosa, underneath the Ummariya madrasah. Over the subsequent few weeks, 80 people were killed as a result of riots against the creation of the exit.
Wikipedia
Muslim History of The Temple Mount / Al-Aqsa Compound
When Umar conquered Jerusalem (ca 637 AD), he asked to see the Jewish Temple. The Temple had been destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD. Other structures had been constructed on the site over the preceding nearly 600 years. The Romans had a temple there (The Temple Mount during the Roman period). As noted above, Julian the Apostate attempted to construct a church on the spot.
The Christian ruler, Patriarch Sophronius, took Umar up to the temple mount. Umar was distressed to see that the Christians were using it as a garbage dump. The story goes that he got down into his hands and knees to clear the rubbish from the spot. His followers had him stand up and they continued to clean up the place.
(This video describes it better than I could above.)
Eschatological Visions
As noted above, some forms of Christian Zionist eschatology see it as the place where Antichrist would set up his throne and declare himself to be god. They see this passage as relevant to their goals.
2 Thes 2:3-4 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; 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.
For the Dispensationalists this is no big deal. They believe they will escape the wrath of God and be taken up into Heaven in the so-called Rapture. So they have no skin in the game. They believe they can hasten the Lord’s Coming by helping the Jews to rebuild the temple.
It’s also WW3
If the site was unoccupied, rebuilding the temple probably wouldn’t be a huge issue. But the site has the Al-Aqsa compound on the site. Al-Aqsa is the second oldest Islamic Mosque and it plays a significant role in Muslim Eschatology (Al-Aqsa Mosque: Significance in Islamic Eschatology and the End of the World).
Most significantly, for Muslims, this is the place that Mohammed took a ride to Heaven from. It’s considered to be their third most holy place. Rebuilding a Jewish temple on the site would be a declaration of war against 1.8 billion Muslims since it would necessitate the destruction of the Al-Aqsa compound. The Dome of the Rock shrine (the famous gold domed building from many photographs) is directly over the Second Temple site. Here’s a depiction of the Al-Aqsa site:
US Political Leaders Support for a Third Temple
Trump’s selection for Secretary of Defense supports building a third temple.
He’s a modern-day Crusader and he has the tattoos to prove it.
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