Third Temple in Jerusalem

Hi brother, I've no issue with the view that a physical temple will be rebuilt. What I would advise to anyone who currently believes that the temple will be physical, however, is to also be aware that there's a possibility it will not be. Prophecy, intentionally cryptic by Divine design, will often be fulfilled in ways we don't expect.


I agree, it is something we will see. But notice that Jesus does not mention the physical temple when we see "the abomination of desolation." He simply mentions "the holy place."

As I noted in the article, Daniel’s prophecies often spoke about the last days leading up to the Second Coming of Christ. Some will point to these prophecies and understandably conclude that since Daniel appeared to speak of a physical temple and physical daily offerings that the last days temple must therefore be a physical temple in Jerusalem. As I've noted in the previous posts above, however, the New Testament is quite clear that the “temple of God” today is the Church and that we, as believers, now offer up the sacrifice of praise continually (Romans 12:1; Hebrews 13:5; 1 Peter 2:5). Even if the prophet Daniel himself believed the prophecies he was given of the end times referred to a physical temple would not change this reality. The revelation that the Church would be the third temple of God was progressive and prophets were evidently not always granted a full understanding of the prophecies they were given, which is quite apparent in Daniel 12 itself:

Daniel 12:8-10, “Although I heard, I did not understand. Then I said, ‘My lord, what shall be the end of these things?’ And he said, ‘Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. Many shall be purified, made white, and refined, but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand.’”

Even though Daniel was not always granted full understanding, he was faithful in recording the prophecies he had received. Not knowing that the temple of God would be the people of God in the time of the end, however, would have conceivably been somewhat bewildering to Daniel if he assumed the attempted defilement of a physical temple at the time of the end. This could very well have been one of the reasons why Daniel did not understand all that he was prophesying.

According to the words of the Apostle Paul in Acts 17:24, a physical temple today would be little more than an empty building, completely void of the presence of God. From what I'm reading in Scripture, I am sure that Jesus would have known this and would in no way have been referring to a new 21st century physical temple -- built by the hands of those who still reject Him as Messiah -- as the “holy place” in Matthew 24:15 when referring to the Abomination of Desolation spoken of by Daniel. A building absent of the Spirit of God is just another building. But the “holy temple” that is the Church in which the Spirit of God dwells today, however, is another matter entirely. This may have been why Jesus said “let the reader understand” in Matthew 24:15 — because Daniel did not:

Matthew 24:15, “So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel — let the reader understand –”

Ephesians 2:19-22, “… you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.”

If Jesus in Matthew 24 and the Apostle Paul in 2 Thessalonians 2 are referring to the holy place that is the new Spirit-filled Temple of the living God — the Church — then it may be that all we need to watch for in this respect is “someone” of great importance who arises upon the world stage to stand up against the Ekklesia of God. This new spiritual offensive could even commence as a physical offensive against Jews and Christians at the Temple Mount itself whereby this “someone” would proclaim himself to be something that only the true God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob can lay claim to. What could that be? One obvious possibility is this one ...

Isaiah 43:3,11, 46:9b, “For I am Yahweh your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior ... And there is no savior besides Me ... I am God, and there is no one like Me.”

Interesting indeed, thanks for that video.