Israel In Prophecy: Israel’s Two Future Temples

ISRAEL IN PROPHECY
Israel’s Two Future Temples

Today there is no temple on Jerusalem’s Temple Mount, the location of the first and second Jewish temples. Instead, The Dome of the Rock and the Al Aqsa Mosque, two Muslim shrines, stand there. However, Jews still see the Temple Mount as the most sacred place in all the world. No wonder it is a political powder keg and part of any formula for Middle East peace!

According to the Bible, a temple will again stand on the Mount. But how and when remains to be seen. Biblical prophecy “buffs” have proposed all kinds of scenarios for how this could take place – everything from earthquakes to explosives to the collapse of the Temple Mount platform!

Some well-meaning Christians feel that the biblical prophecies of a future temple should be spiritualized, saying that they refer to the Church or the individual Christian. Indeed, 1 Corinthians 3:16 makes it clear that the Church, as the body of Christ, is the spiritual temple of the Holy Spirit. And 1 Corinthians 6:19 teaches that the body of each individual believer is to be honored and kept clean, because it too is the temple of the Holy Spirit. But these New Testament truths do not alter the biblical predictions of a literal future temple in Jerusalem.

The question of a future temple gets more complicated when we realize that the Bible teaches that two temples are yet to stand on the Temple Mount – a Tribulation Temple, followed by a Millennium Temple.

The Tribulation Temple
Jesus referred to the Tribulation Temple in His Olivet Discourse: “When you see the ‘abomination of desolation’ which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place ... then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains” (Mt. 24:15-16 NASB). Obviously, there must be a literal temple present for this desecration to take place, as Daniel predicted. Has this prophecy already been fulfilled in a past temple?

Indeed, after Daniel’s prophecy there was a desecration of the temple, when Antiochus IV of Syria invaded Judea (175-164 BC). He declared that daily sacrifices must cease, and he set up an “abomination of desolation” by erecting a statue of the Greek god, Zeus, in the holy place of the temple. Daniel prophesied these historical events (Dan. 11:21-35). Notice particularly: “Forces from him will arise, desecrate the temple fortress, and do away with the regular sacrifice. And they will set up the abomination of desolation” (Dan. 11:31). But this fulfillment of the Daniel 11 prophecy occurred long before Jesus gave His Olivet Discourse, in which He indicated that the “abomination of desolation” was still future.

However, the desecration by Antiochus IV was not the only “abomination of desolation” predicted by Daniel, for in 12:9-11 we read of another one in the end times: “Go your way, Daniel, for these words are concealed and sealed up until the end time.” In His Olivet Discourse, it is clear that our Lord was speaking of this future “abomination.” Paul also had it in mind when he wrote of a future “man of lawlessness” who will “take his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God” (2 Th. 2:34).

The desecration and destruction of the temple by Rome in 70 AD was certainly after our Lord’s Olivet Discourse, and even after Paul’s writings. Was this the fulfillment of the desecration prophecy of Daniel 12? Were the prophetic “end times” fulfilled when the Roman armies overran Jerusalem and destroyed the temple built by Herod the Great? The destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD was certainly a partial fulfillment of this prophecy, as Luke’s account of the Olivet Discourse makes clear: “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then recognize that her desolation is at hand ... and they will fall by the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled” (Lk. 21:20-24).

The fact that “the times of the Gentiles” have been in effect since Jerusalem’s fall in 70 AD indicates that a partial fulfillment of the Olivet Discourse prophecy has taken place. However, the complete fulfillment of this prophecy awaits events leading up to the Lord’s return, as the contexts of the Olivet Discourse and Daniel 12 make clear. In Matthew 24 the Lord said that the tribulation of those days will be more devastating than any time of trouble in the history of the world (Mt. 24:21).

The Roman conquest of 70 AD was a time of great trouble, but clearly not the worst calamity in history. Furthermore, Jesus spoke of His return “immediately after the tribulation of those days” (Mt. 24:29). So the temple the Lord had in mind in Matthew 24:15, where the abomination of desolation will be set up, could not have been the temple destroyed by the Romans. There will be a literal temple built in the future, which will be taken over by the forces of evil during the future Tribulation period.

Whether the Tribulation Temple will be built in our lifetime remains to be seen. At present, groups in Israel are anticipating a future temple by preparing temple articles and priestly garments according to the instructions in Exodus. How these efforts fit into the construction of the Tribulation Temple is uncertain, and whether the Ark of the Covenant will be found is still unknown. But prophetic Scripture clearly requires that a functioning temple be present for the period of great Tribulation.

The Millennium Temple
Ezekiel 40-48 contains a detailed vision of a glorious future temple. Ezekiel was given its precise dimensions (Ezek. 40-42), and he foresaw the glory of the Lord returning to this temple (Ezek. 43). Ezekiel was given details of the function of the priests and Levites and the order of worship in this future Temple (Ezek. 43-46). He was shown the layout for the area surrounding the future temple (Ezek. 45). And his vision concludes with the future topographical changes in Jerusalem and the political reorganization of the whole land with the 12 tribes of Israel.

If we practice good principles of interpretation, we must conclude that the temple of Ezekiel’s vision is to be built in the future. Since his vision of the destruction of the first Jewish temple literally came true (Ezek. 7-12), it is reasonable to assume that his vision of the future temple will be fulfilled literally – down to its many details! And there are so many details that it is difficult to interpret this future temple as a spiritualized reference to the Church. Why would God include so many details that have no bearing on the Church as the temple of the Holy Spirit? A more consistent interpretation indicates that Ezekiel’s temple is literal, and will be built for the Lord’s literal kingdom here on earth. According to Revelation 20:6, this kingdom will last 1000 years, and the temple of Ezekiel’s vision will serve as the center of divine government.

While this Millennium Temple will be built in the same general location as the Tribulation Temple, there are indications that it will not be the same temple. First, topographical and geological changes in Jerusalem will occur when the Lord returns. Zechariah 14 indicates that the Mount of Olives will split and form a large valley. Also, Ezekiel 47 indicates that fresh subterranean water will continuously flow from the temple area in Jerusalem, east to the Dead Sea and west to the Mediterranean Sea.

Scripture does not say whether these “earth-moving” events will destroy the Tribulation Temple, but they are certainly of a magnitude to do so. Furthermore, the dimensions of the Millennium Temple are so great that it would appear that it will have to be built after the topographical and geological changes take place. Therefore, the future Millennium Temple must be different from the future Tribulation Temple.

In the messianic passage of Zechariah 6:9-15 – we learn that the coming Messiah will personally direct the building of a future temple. This future literal temple of Zechariah’s prophecy will be the Millennium Temple, built for Christ’s 1000-year reign on earth. This prophecy should not be interpreted as a reference to the Church today. Zechariah’s contemporaries understood it to be a promise of a literal temple where the Messiah would reign over His earthly kingdom – with no competition!

Zechariah’s prophecy was not fulfilled at Christ’s first coming because the King and His kingdom were rejected. That generation did not obey the Lord. But at Christ’s second coming there will be a godly remnant of Jews from “far off” (Zech. 9:15), around the world, who recognize and welcome Jesus as their Messiah and Savior. This remnant is the “all Israel” of Romans 11:26: “And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written, ‘The deliverer will come from Zion, and will remove ungodliness from Jacob’” These Jewish believers will join Gentile believers in building the Millennium Temple. What an encouragement Zechariah’s prophecy would have been to the Jews of his day, who were rebuilding the temple destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar. Their rebuilt temple was not much compared to the glory of Solomon’s Temple, but it foreshadowed the building of a glorious future Temple, where Messiah would reign supreme!

The Question Of Sacrifices
Some Christians have problems with a literal interpretation of Ezekiel’s temple vision because it implies a reinstitution of animal sacrifices (Ezek. 43-46). Wouldn’t a literal temple with literal sacrifices contradict Hebrews 10:10-14? At first, this seems to be an insurmountable theological and hermeneutical barrier to a literal temple. However, Hebrews 10 is not saying that there can never be animal sacrifices in the future. The argument is that animal sacrifices could never take away sin! The animal sacrifices of the Old Testament prophetically portrayed the sacrifice of the Lamb of God. If animal sacrifice is reinstated during the millennial kingdom, these sacrifices would commemorate an already accomplished salvation. They would not remove sins any more than the Old Testament sacrifices did, but they would remind believers and unbelievers of the cost of redemption from sin.

During the millennial kingdom, the Church and Old Testament saints will reign with Christ, but there will also be humans with sinful natures living on the earth. Some will be believers, but some will be unbelievers. Every person coming out of the Tribulation and entering the Millennium will be a believer, but not all those born during the 1000 years of the kingdom will become believers. Because sin will be present, the Lord will “rule with a rod of iron” during the Millennium (Rev. 2:27; 12:5; 19:15.) And because there will be unbelievers, Satan will deceive many, and lead them in rebellion at the end of the Millennium (Rev. 20:7-9). The fact that the Lord will reign over this earth as King will not eliminate sin, and people will need to be reminded that sin is a serious offense against a holy God. Even in the glorious millennial kingdom there may be a tendency to forget the great cost of redemption. The Church observes the Lord’s Supper as a commemoration of His costly sacrifice on the cross – but it will only be practiced “until He comes” (1 Cor. 11:26). Animal sacrifices in the Millennium would certainly be a reminder of Calvary. A lamb “led to the slaughter” is an unforgettable reminder of the cost of redemption!

During the Passover meal at the Last Supper, Jesus said that He would “never again eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God” (Lk. 22:16). During the Millennium, the celebration of the Passover and other feasts involving sacrifices makes sense for restored Israel under the new covenant (Jer. 31:31-34). Then Israel, as well as the saved Gentiles of the Kingdom, will be able to see the spiritual meaning of the Old Testament sacrifices. The Millennium Temple and the reinstated sacrificial system will focus attention on Jesus as Israel’s Messiah and Savior of the world. In that day, Israel will finally be a light to the nations, as God originally intended. There will be no temple or sacrifices in the eternal state, because the effects of “the curse” will be erased (Rev. 21:22; 22:3), but the millennial kingdom precedes the sinless eternal state. During the Millennium, the saved, both Jew and Gentile, will maintain fellowship with the Lord by coming to Jerusalem to worship Him (Zech. 14:16-21).

Prophetic Scriptures indicate that there will be two future temples. Hosea 3:4-5 states that Israel will remain “without sacrifice ... or idols” until “the last days.” In those last days, which may not be far away, a Tribulation Temple will be built, where idolatry and the “abomination of desolation” will take place. But then the Lord will return and build the Millennium Temple for His Kingdom here on earth. Then, all the world will come to appreciate the holiness and grace of the Lord through this future temple and its function in restored Israel under the new covenant.

By David Reid