Model of Herod’s Temple on display at the Israel Museum, Jerusalem (Wikipedia)
The preparations made by Israel for building the coming Jewish Temple are so far along that it actually leaves you wondering if anything is left to do except physically break ground.
This will be the third temple in the history of the Jewish people. King Solomon dedicated the First Temple in 953 B.C. during Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles). This temple was destroyed in 586 BC by the army of Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar. The Second Temple period started with the dedication of the rebuilt temple in 515 B.C. This occurred after the exiles in Babylon were allowed to return and rebuild the remains of Solomon’s Temple by a decree of King Cyrus. The Second Temple was then enlarged by King Herod in 20 B.C. and finally destroyed by the Romans in 70 A.D. Since the final destruction of the Jewish Temple, observant Jews have prayed three times a day towards Jerusalem for the restoration of the temple.
On October 8th, 1990, during the Feast of Tabernacles, the Temple Mount Faithful movement led an historic procession which carried a newly created six-ton cornerstone towards the Temple Mount. This event was described as “one of the greatest prophetic events ever in the history of modern Israel” and got as far as the southern gate before being stopped. At this time the stone was also blessed with water from the Pool of Siloam (A Major Historical Step of Redemption in Israel). The full account of the 1990 event is here.
Since that time, preparations for the Third Temple have continued in earnest. After a successful crowd sourcing effort, in 2015 The Temple Institute released a video that presented a 3-D architectural walk through of the Third Temple (Watch: Plans for Third Temple Have Begun).
The Temple Institute has also created a wide variety of implements for use in the Temple ceremonies, these include: Vestments and garments of the High Priest, golden menorah, golden crown of the High Priest, wine and water libation vessels, oil pitcher, three-pronged fork, measuring cups, copper meal offering vessel, frankincense censers, incense chalice, silver sacrificial vessel, three-tiered copper grain roasting stand, golden incense altar, and ram’s horns, sliver trumpets, harp and lyre (Sacred Vessels And Vestments Of The Holy Temple).
Video: Architectural Rendering of The Third Temple
In 2015, the Institute announced it had finished building the Alter of the Lord. This is the alter to be used for animal sacrifice in the Third Temple (Smith). Also, in 2015 – after 2,000 years – priests of The Temple Institute accomplished a realistic reenactment of the Passover sacrifice (Borschel-Dan).
In 2016, priests performed a practice ceremony commemorating the 1st of Adar, again in anticipation of performing this ritual in the future Temple (Berkowitz, Priests Practice For Third Temple In Authentic Reenactment Of Biblical Temple Service). The Temple Institute has been training DNA-tested descendants of Aaron as priests for years (Third Temple School Trains Jewish Priests for Service) , and in addition an online school was started in 2020 (Adler). And again after 2,000 years, the half-shekel Temple tax was reinstated by the Sanhedrin in 2017. This allows Jews around the world to pay the tax that finances daily operations of the Temple (Berkowitz, Half-Shekel Tithe For Building Temple Reinstated By Sanhedrin After 2,000 Years)
In Deuteronomy 8:8 the children of Israel are told that in the promised land they would find: “a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey.” The honey refers to the syrup of palm tree dates. Planting has been ongoing around Israel to provide for the original promised land trees and plants for use in the Temple. These ‘Temple Forests’ include Cedars of Lebanon, pomegranate trees, cinnamon trees, olive trees, and grapevines. Olive oils, wines, cinnamon, and even fire wood are all used in temple practices. Cinnamon for example is part of the mix needed to create Temple incense. Semolina (a type of wheat) and olive oil can be offered as a sacrifice in the Temple (Berkowitz, Planting The Seeds of The Third Temple – Literally!).
In 2005 a palm tree (the symbol of the Kingdom of Judah) came to life from 2,000-year-old seeds. These trees were considered extinct. The Judean date palm was named Methuselah and by 2015 had grown to almost ten feet tall. As of 2021 six other seeds have also sprouted – named Jonah, Uriel, Boaz, Judith, Hannah, and Adam – and a second harvest of dates has occurred (Berkowitz, Second Harvest From ‘Resurrected’ Date Palms As Precursor To Ezekiel’s Prophecy). The fruits of these seven species were the only plant offerings accepted at the Temple – and now an original date palm has been resurrected in Israel and is ready for Temple use.
A critical requirement for Third Temple practices to begin is the existence of ashes from a red heifer. These ashes are mixed with spring water to form the waters of sanctification – which is water used on those who are impure. The call for a red heifer comes from the Book of Numbers:
Numbers 19:1-9: Now the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, “This is the ordinance of the law which the Lord has commanded, saying: ‘Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring you a red heifer without blemish, in which there is no defect and on which a yoke has never come. You shall give it to Eleazar the priest, that he may take it outside the camp, and it shall be slaughtered before him; and Eleazar the priest shall take some of its blood with his finger, and sprinkle some of its blood seven times directly in front of the tabernacle of meeting. Then the heifer shall be burned in his sight: its hide, its flesh, its blood, and its offal shall be burned…Then a man who is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer, and store them outside the camp in a clean place; and they shall be kept for the congregation of the children of Israel for the water of purification; it is for purifying from sin.
The Mishna (written collection of Jewish oral traditions) shows that from Moses until today only nine red heifers have been used for ashes – and no red heifer has appeared in Judaism for 2,000 years. Famed medieval Jewish philosopher Moses ben Maimon (known as Maimonides) left a prophetic statement that the “tenth red heifer will be accomplished by the king, the Messiah; may he be revealed speedily, Amen, May be G-d’s will” (The Mystery of the Red Heifer: Divine Promise Of Purity).
A breathtaking development has occurred regarding red heifers.
As of 2021, The Temple Institute had raised a few red heifers but these heifers continued to exhibit a few hairs that were white. Since even the presence of one-off colored hair disqualifies the cow, the institute was faced with little choice but to continue waiting (Red Heifer Update March 1 2021). But then something miraculous occurred.
A Christian farmer in Texas succeeded in breeding five red heifers of perfect color all less than a year old. These heifers were sent to Israel in September 2022. These heifers continue to meet the purity requirements and are now scheduled for a ceremony on the Mount of Olives to be held once they reach three years of age. The red heifer ceremony is currently scheduled for Passover in 2024, that begins at sundown on Friday, March 29th (Mitchell C. ).
Unblemished Red Heifers in Israel 2023 (CBN News)
Currently it appears that the unblemished red heifers have appeared, and once the ceremony is completed in 2024, we will have witnessed another powerful prophetic sign regarding the coming Third Temple.
From a Biblical perspective, we have no doubt that a Third Temple will one day become a reality. In Daniel 8 we see a reference to a little horn (the antichrist) proclaiming himself as equal to Christ (Prince of the host), being given an army, and ending the daily Third Temple sacrifices:
Daniel 8:11-12: He even exalted himself as high as the Prince of the host; and by him the daily sacrifices were taken away, and the place of His sanctuary was cast down. Because of transgression, an army was given over to the horn to oppose the daily sacrifices…
In Daniel 9, we are told that the Anti-Christ brokers a seven-year peace deal (referred to as a week) with Israel but then half-way through this period (the middle of the week) he fully reveals himself, as he puts a stop to Third Temple sacrifice and offering:
Daniel 9:27: Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week;
But in the middle of the week
He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering.
And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate
In Daniel 11 we see that forces of the antichrist defile the sanctuary fortress (the Third Temple) with another reference to ending the daily sacrifices:
Daniel 11:31: And forces shall be mustered by him, and they shall defile the sanctuary fortress; then they shall take away the daily sacrifices, and place there the abomination of desolation.
And in 2 Thessalonians we see the antichrist enter the temple and proclaim himself to be God, the event known as the ‘abomination of desolation’:
2 Thessalonians 2:4: “…who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God”
Daniel then hears two angels speaking together that lets him know that from the time we see the daily sacrifice begin in the Third Temple until Jesus returns to cleanse the sanctuary (the Third Temple) there will be 2300 days. Just as Jesus cleansed the temple in Matthew 21, we will see His second coming once again cleanse the temple from the desolation of the antichrist:
Daniel 8:13-14: Then I heard a holy one speaking; and another holy one said to that certain one who was speaking, “How long will the vision be, concerning the daily sacrifices and the transgression of desolation, the giving of both the sanctuary and the host to be trampled underfoot?” And he said to me, “For two thousand three hundred days; then the sanctuary shall be cleansed.”
And finally, Daniel is told that from the time we see the antichrist end the daily sacrifice in the Third Temple and declare himself to be God there will be 1290 days:
Daniel 12:11: “And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days.
So, Daniel tells us repeatedly that a Third Temple will exist in the End Times. We also know that the Jews believe that the Third Temple must be built on the Temple Mount. The well-known issue is that any attempt to actually build on the Temple Mount may cause an immediate war with Muslim nations, since they consider the Temple Mount sacred to Islam.
But there has been a development regarding the location of the temple that has gained some notoriety.
As championed by Christian author and investigator Bob Cornuke, there is a documentary that makes the case that the Temple Mount is not actually the site of Herod’s Temple, but is instead the remains of the Roman Fortress Antonia. The documentary makes the case that the actual location for the temple was further south. If the theory that the Temple Mount is actually the remains of Fortress Antonia is ever accepted by Israel – which in itself would be a miraculous turn of events – then this might lead to an alternative way forward regarding the building of the Third Temple. This theory was actually covered by the Jerusalem based news agency “Israel Today” in 2022.
In addition to this, there is also another astounding possibility—due to the archeological work of Christian adventurer Ron Wyatt—that the Ark of the Covenant was found and currently remains in hiding awaiting the time of the Third Temple. More on this later.
Video: The Temple Mount is not where the world thinks it is
But there here has also been one more interesting development regarding the Third Temple that involves the Dead Sea.
At 1,300 feet below sea level, it is famous for being the lowest point on earth and known for its extremely high salt content (up to 33 percent). The southern part of the lake is marked by a large industrial complex focused on mineral extraction, specifically potash. It is mainly fed by the Jordan River as it flows south from the Sea of Galilee.
Sinkhole filled with water along shoreline at the Dead Sea (NRDC)
Today there is a long running water crisis in the region which has seen Jordan and Israel divert water that would typically end up in the Dead Sea. As such, the water level is dropping at 3 ft per year, and in the past 30 years the water level has fallen almost 100 feet. As a result of this, sinkholes have rapidly appeared along the receding shoreline, now numbering in the thousands. This area has been tagged as a “global hotspot of unsustainable water use” (Bulos).
At En Gedi, a beachside resort now lies abandoned, after dangerous sinkholes began appearing and as the water level receded to the point that a changing room now lies hundreds of yards from water’s edge (Tlozek).
But it wasn’t always this way. We know that this region was once fertile, well-watered, and the home of the cities of the Jordan plain – Sodom and Gomorrah – that were destroyed by God in judgement for their sins. When Lot first observed this region, it appeared like the Garden of Eden:
Genesis 13:10: And Lot lifted his eyes and saw all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere (before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah) like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt as you go toward Zoar.
Although this region remains desolate, the Bible actually calls for something else to occur in the last days – the rebirth of the Dead Sea.
In Ezekial 47 we are given a vision of water that begins at the Temple in Jerusalem and flows to the Dead Sea. This water was seen as flowing from the threshold of the temple to the east. Water was flowing from under the right side of the temple, south of the alter, and as it traveled towards the Dead Sea it grew from a shallow stream to a river that could not be crossed due to its depth.
Ezekial then describes the impact of this water to the Dead Sea:
Ezekial 47:8-12: “This water flows toward the eastern region, goes down into the valley, and enters the sea. When it reaches the sea, its waters are healed. And it shall be that every living thing that moves, wherever the rivers go, will live. There will be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters go there; for they will be healed, and everything will live wherever the river goes. It shall be that fishermen will stand by it from En Gedi to En Eglaim; they will be places for spreading their nets. Their fish will be of the same kinds as the fish of the Great Sea, exceedingly many. But its swamps and marshes will not be healed; they will be given over to salt. Along the bank of the river, on this side and that, will grow all kinds of trees used for food; their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail. They will bear fruit every month, because their water flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for medicine.”
In 2016, Samantha Siegel, a young woman living in Jerusalem and frequent visitor to the Dead Sea, observed something remarkable. She saw fish living in some of the sink holes that have occurred along the shore of the Dead Sea. She described them as ‘ponds’ and noted that they had filled with fresh water and amazingly now also had fish living in them (Berkowitz).
This report soon went viral and led many to point to the prophecy in Ezekial about life returning to this region. Then in 2011 divers from Ben Gurion University managed to reach the floor of the Dead Sea – a technologically challenging feat — and discovered that large craters (approx. 50 feet wide and 65 feet deep) existed on the seabed from which flowed freshwater springs. These contained microorganisms that were thriving in the freshwater environments 100 feet from the surface (Berkowitz).
Is it possible that we are seeing the initial steps of a future transformation of this region?
With freshwater life on the seafloor and small fish appearing in sinkholes – in addition to the plant life and birds surrounding the sinkholes—perhaps all of this is a stepping stone to the eventual dramatic restoration of life that could occur with the introduction of a major fresh water source to the Dead Sea. And according to Ezekial’s prophetic vision, this water source will not only appear, but it will be a river that flows from beneath the Third Temple in Jerusalem.
The fulfilment of Ezekial’s prophecy in our time certainly appears possible given the ever-growing likelihood of a temple in Jerusalem. And perhaps in our day there will be no greater prophetic sign than the restored Jewish Temple, that now appears to be so close to becoming a reality.
And as we watch for the fulfillment of prophecy, we are also witnessing the rise of the modern-day prophetic word…that led to the rebuke of an evangelist.
Next – Chapter 19: Unless he Reveals His Secret to His Servants
