05/12/2018
The Jewish people believe that their Messiah will not come until a third Temple is built. If this is so, then why has it taken so long for the Jewish people to build it?
First, what exactly is the Temple? The first one was built by King Solomon and its purpose was to serve as a home for the Ark of the Covenant and to offer a place to make animal sacrifices. After standing for nearly 400 years, it was destroyed by the Babylonians and the Jewish people were forced into exile. In 583 BC, Cyrus II allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem to begin rebuilding the Temple, which was done on the foundation of Solomon’s Temple. It took nearly 500 years to complete the entire project.
The destruction of the second Temple in 70 AD, had been prophesied by Jesus when he said, “Do you see all these buildings? I tell you the truth, they will be completely demolished. Not one stone will be left on top of another!” (Matthew 24:2).
For nearly 2,000 years there has been no Jewish Temple. For most of this time, the Jewish people have believed that the Rock of the Dome, a sacred Muslim shrine, stands where the Temple once did. According to Bible researcher and eschatologist, Robert Mandlebaum, this is not the case. He says that the exact place where Solomon’s Temple once stood can be found in 2 Samuel and also 2 Chronicles – and it’s not the same location as the Dome of the Rock.
If this is truly the case, and if the Jewish people can overcome tradition with truth, there is nothing stopping them from building the third Temple as prophesied in the Bible.
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