The Bible indicates that there will be a third temple on the Temple Mount (for example in 2 Thessalonians 2), yet for most of recent history it has been hard to conceive how such a controversial thing could ever come to pass. Now that we are living in extremely unusual times, there’s a chance we might live to see the unimaginable. However, the third temple is not an altogether positive prospect.
Peace and security?
The war precipitated by the Hamas massacre on Oct. 7, 2023, seems to be slowly coming to a conclusion, although exactly how and on what terms remains to be seen. On the one hand the West has bought the Hamas propaganda hook line and sinker, and several nations are already insisting on a Palestinian state. On the other, the entire Arab League recently condemned the Hamas attack, calling on the terror group to release the hostages, disarm, and relinquish their rule of Gaza and end the war during a UN conference last week.
According to the Times of Israel, “The “New York Declaration”, signed on July 29th, 2025, set out a phased plan to end the prolonged conflict with Gaza, leading to an independent and demilitarized state of Palestine “living side by side peacefully with Israel, and their eventual integration into the wider Middle East region.”1
Just one month before that, optimistic billboards wishing for an extension of the Abraham Accords appeared in Tel Aviv. The war has been so awful that everyone is longing for an end, almost on any terms.
Across from Sarona Tel Aviv.
“Now is the time for the Abraham Accords” pic.twitter.com/MFZcfyCmFF
— Yoel Israel (@YoelTIsrael) June 26, 2025
How could a third temple happen?
“It’s time for peace-loving Jews, Christians and Muslims to come together and build the “house of prayer for all nations,” Rabbi July Weisz has decided, making the suggestion that the three Abrahamic religions should build the third temple together, “without damaging or disrespecting the Dome of the Rock or Al Aqsa, as part of a future peace plan between Israel and her Arab neighbors to end the plague of Islamic terror once and for all.”2
Indeed, two such collaborations have happened already, the “Abrahamic family house” in Abu Dhabi in the UAE, and “the house of one” in Berlin, each combining a synagogue, mosque and church in one structure. Very weird. Even abhorrent for the devout in each of those three faiths.
Still, despite Itamar Ben Gvir’s recent antics up there, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has recently reaffirmed that there will be no change in the status quo on the Temple Mount.3
Very few Jewish people support the idea of deliberately doing away with the Muslim places of worship on the Temple Mount but many will cautiously assent to the belief that one day God Himself will bring about the third temple. How events will play out no one is quite sure.
Rumors are doing the rounds that a divided Temple Mount with the southern half for the children of Ishmael and the northern half for the children of Isaac could be on the table, to sweeten the bitter pill of a two-state solution. With the rise of Saudi Arabia as a leading power in the Middle East, and the Islamic holy sites of Mecca and Medina safely in Muslim hands, some in the Gulf States feel less threatened by a Jewish presence beside their third holiest site, the Al Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem. Allowing Israel part of the plaza for Jewish worship becomes conceivable, with a third temple to the north of the Dome of the Rock being a concession that might be worth making in exchange for a Palestinian state. Of course having said that, all agreements can be broken, and if this is part of the end-times agreement mentioned in Daniel 9:27, it will be.
The third temple in the Bible
The third temple seems to have mixed reviews in the Bible. On the one hand the third temple is referred to as “the temple of God” and the “House of the Lord of Hosts” in the Scriptures, but on the other it will not be built by Spirit-filled believers, and it will at some point become the seat of the antichrist.
Hebrew texts such as Isaiah 2:2–3, Micah 4:1–2, Daniel 9:27 and Zechariah 14:20, speak of the third temple, as well references in the New Testament such as 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 and Revelation 11.
In the first few verses of Revelation 11, the angel tells the Apostle John as he is being shown what is to come,
“Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there, but do not measure the court outside the temple; leave that out, for it is given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months.” (Revelation 11:1b-2)
The angel describes it as “the temple of God”, and says there’s a court outside for nations other than Israel. There is a time limit to this trampling, and it all seems to be happening towards the end of time itself. The two witnesses are in the vicinity, prophesying in God’s authority for 1,260 days (equivalent to 42 months).
Like much of prophecy, these passages will become much clearer once they have taken place. It’s often hard to discern or visualize what God is describing in prophetic literature, but to some extent this might be deliberate on God’s part, perhaps keeping His cards close to His chest. When we consider how biblical prophecy was fulfilled in the past, God always did exactly what He said He would do, but it’s hard for humans to conceive of how it might look in advance. All we can do is to become very familiar with the texts, so that God’s words to us are deep in our hearts and minds. This way, we can be better prepared to recognize events that are lining up with His words.
It seems increasingly obvious, even to unbelievers, that we are in extremely significant times, we need to know our Bibles.
In the gospels (Mark 13:14 and Matthew 24:15), Yeshua Himself says that the third temple will be defiled by the antichrist, and quotes Daniel’s description of the abomination of desolation “standing where he should not stand.” Satan hates everything that God loves, and craves the worship that belongs to God alone. He wants to be worshiped by God’s people in God’s temple, on God’s holy temple and in His holy city. However, we also know from Scripture that it’s not long before Yeshua returns to destroy the “lawless one,” as he is described in 2 Thessalonians:
Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.
Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. (2 Thessalonians 2:3-8)
Does God even want this temple?
Clearly, those at the Temple Institute and many earnest Orthodox Jewish people believe they are involved in a holy enterprise as they push for the third temple to be built. Everything seems to be ready. The red heifers have been found, and the plans are all made, ready to swing into action. They are just waiting for the word, and not always very patiently.3
Murals in Jerusalem show a picture of the temple with the word “Soon!” in Hebrew, and verses from the end of Isaiah about the restoration of Israel.
Meanwhile temple building enthusiasts (see main picture) have gathered near the city walls bearing flags with the message, “And let them make me a sanctuary” which is from Exodus 25 when God has the people of Israel build the tabernacle:
“And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst.” (Exodus 25:8)
There have even been unofficial brown roadsigns appearing to “The Mountain of the House of the Lord.”
It all seems very biblical, and yet…
Though the tabernacle was made at God’s request, it was King David’s idea to build a brick-and-mortar temple in Jerusalem several hundred years after the exodus, not God’s. His Spirit fills that temple and it becomes God’s dwelling place. Later, the rebuilding of the temple is clearly a priority to God when the Jewish people came back from exile in Babylon. The issue is not uncomplicated, but overall, that spot is sacred to God. The imperative to build a sanctuary for God may have biblical origins, but the movement pushing for a third temple is not necessarily a godly one.
You may be interested to know that the large sign below (next to the blue and white flag of the temple) says “Life is only happy without internet and videos,” presumably due to the enormous number of Jewish people finding out about Yeshua the Messiah through videos on the internet! The third temple enthusiasts are not currently so keen on the One who will ultimately sit on David’s throne. The juxtaposition of these signs is an indication that the urge to build the third temple does not come from people who love Yeshua as Lord.
The Temple Institute and friends may be passionate about reinstating the sacrificial system, but do not yet recognize the sacrifice of Yeshua. At all.
We who do love the Lord need to make sure we are reading the Bible for all it’s worth, and sharing the truth with all who will listen while we can. The enemy comes as an angel of light, using language that will tickle the ears of all those who are not fixated on God and the truth in His word. Who knows, we may be seeing these events come to pass in our lifetimes.
Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. (1 Thessalonians 5:1-6)
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Times of Israel, In 1st, entire Arab League condemns Oct. 7, urges Hamas to disarm, at 2-state confab, July 30, 2025
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https://www.jpost.com/christianworld/article-704445
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All Israel News, In violation of status quo, minister and Jewish Power party head Ben Gvir leads open prayers on the Temple Mount, August 3, 2025
