The Third Temple - A Regression Back to Revelations

I was given a reed like a measuring rod and was told, "Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, and count the worshipers there. But exclude the outer court; do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles. They will trample on the holy city for 42 months. (Rev 11:1-3)

In the Book of Revelations, John is given a measuring rod like a stick and instructed to "Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, and count the worshipers there" (Rev 11:1) This passage seems to pronounce the existence of the temple, but no measurements are recorded by John, although he was told to measure. This is contrasted with the angel in Revelations who used a measuring rod to measured Jerusalem (Rev 21:16) and reported its length, width, and height as 1200 stadia. The three identical measurements for the length, width, and height of Jerusalem can be seen as a picture of the unity of God.

Several explanations are offered for the lack of recorded measurements given by John. First, measuring the temple area could be symbolic of the coming judgment on the place or people. Daniel told Belshazzar, the king of the Babylon, “You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting” (Dan 5:27). If the Revelation passage is pronouncing judgment, it appears to be directed at the “temple of God, and the altar, and…the worshippers there” (Rev 11:2). Such judgment would have the objective of cleansing any contamination or false worship from the temple area and has occurred in the past to purify the temple along with the nation.

Second, measuring might be symbolic of God reclaiming His Own possession. John was told to “count the worshippers,” but to “exclude the outer court…because it has been given to the Gentiles” (Rev 11:2). In Jewish tradition, God physically placed His name on the land at the site of the temple (Deut 12:5-7) as a permanent stamp of His claim. Zechariah was once told in a vision to measure Jerusalem. “Then I looked up — and there before me was a man with a measuring line in his hand! I asked, ‘Where are you going?’ He answered me, ‘To measure Jerusalem, to find out how wide and how long it is’" (Zech 2:1-2). As in the story of Revelations, no subsequent dimensions are given. The act is symbolic of God measuring Jerusalem to take the city back as His possession “for whoever touches you (Zion)touches the apple of his eye” (Zech 2:8). John’s vision may represent a future time when the temple is either under construction or a survey is necessary to begin the construction. At that time, the LORD is making His Own survey to re-claim the temple area as His possession.


THE PROBABILITY OF A THIRD TEMPLE BEFORE THE RETURN OF JESUS

One of the questions pondered by many about the time of the end, "will a third Jewish temple be constructed before the return of Jesus Christ?” If the answer is "yes," then the timing of the return of Jesus Christ can be fixed with relative certainty once construction of the temple begins. Paul makes a strong case for a future temple when he told the Thessalonians, “the man of lawliness…the man doomed to destruction…will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God” (2 Thess 2:3-4). Paul’s writings specifically reference the temple and the desire of the “man doomed to destruction” to sit on the throne and proclaim himself to be God.

Jesus told His disciples, “when you see standing in the holy place 'the abomination that causes desolation,' spoken of through the prophet Daniel — let the reader understand — then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains” (Matt 24:15-16). Daniel connected the “abomination”, referred to by Jesus, to the temple when he said, “His armed forces will rise up to desecrate the temple fortress and will abolish the daily sacrifice. Then they will set up the abomination that causes desolation” (Dan 11:31). Although the passage in Matthew may have witnessed a partial fulfillment at the destruction of the second temple, Revelations seems to speak of a future fleeing of Jews from Jerusalem in the twelfth chapter. The women (representing Israel) “fled into the desert to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days” (Rev 12:6).

There is another hint given in scripture that a third temple will exist before the return of Jesus. Daniel tells us that the “horn” (Antichrist) “will speak against the Most High and oppress his saints and try to change the set times and the laws” (Dan 7:25). Changing “the laws” is a reference to the Mosaic commandments (Torah) consistent with the title given this man, “the man of lawliness” (2 Thess 2:3). The “set times” most likely refers to the “appointed times” (Lev 23:4), a term used in scripture for the times established by the LORD for celebration of the sacred assemblies (feasts). “Set times” could also include the times appointed for the offerings at the temple (Num 28). Both interpretations refer to conduct in the operation of the temple. Changing the times suggests the Antichrist is attempting to change the daily service and celebrations associated with the temple. Therefore, a temple must exist in some form.

The “appointed times” are also viewed as the times when the LORD had an appointment to meet with His people. Significant events associated with Jesus have already occurred on some of these “appointed times”. Jesus was crucified on Passover, placed in the grave on Unleavened Bread, and resurrected on Firstfruits. On Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was given. The remaining feasts of Trumpets (Rosh HaShanah), the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), and Tabernacles (Sukkot) await additional fulfilments associated with the second coming of Jesus and judgment of the world. By changing the “set times”, the Antichrist is attempting to change the plan of the LORD.

Scott