“And beside the border of Judah, from the east side to the west side, shall be the allotment which you shall set apart, 25,000 cubits in width, and in length like one of the portions, from the east side to the west side; and the sanctuary shall be in the middle of it. “The allotment that you shall set apart to the LORD shall be 25,000 cubits in length and 10,000 in width. “The holy allotment shall be for these, namely for the priests, toward the north 25,000 cubits in length, toward the west 10,000 in width, toward the east 10,000 in width, and toward the south 25,000 in length; and the sanctuary of the LORD shall be in its midst. Ezekiel 48:8-10 NASB
As most are by now aware, one of the largest flashpoints and point of contention between Muslims and Jews is access to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The movement to rebuild the Jewish Temple seems to grow stronger by the day, and lately it also seems that it has begun to evolve from a solely religious movement to a political one as well. As more and more Jews begin to express their desire to see the Temple rebuilt, we see anger and violence on the part of the Muslim community grow simply because they know the importance of a rebuilt temple in the minds of the Jewish people.
Many are yet unaware of the fact that recently a spokesman for Hamas stated that the attack on October 7 was response to the presence in Israel of five red heifers which are needed to complete the purification process necessary for the dedication of a new temple. The attack on Israel was named “Operation Al-Aqsa Flood by Hamas and their justification for it was to defend their claims of sole possession of the Temple Mount. Although there are no immediate plans in place to rebuild the temple, the simple presence of five cows in Israel was enough justification in their minds to launch a terror attack on an unsuspecting Israel.
Many scholars believe that the only person capable of solving the conflict surrounding a Jewish temple to the satisfaction of both sides is the coming world leader known as the antichrist. After the defeat of Israel’s enemies by God revealed in Ezekiel 38-39, it is believed that as part of the peace agreement enforced by the antichrist, Israel will be allowed to rebuild their temple and resume their worship according to Old Testament law. The generally accepted school of thought is that this temple will be built on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem sharing space with the existing Muslim shrines, will be defiled by the antichrist after three and one half years, and eventually be destroyed at the end of the Great Tribulation when the Temple Mount is split in two by a great earthquake.
"And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, Which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, From east to west, Making a very large valley; Half of the mountain shall move toward the north And half of it toward the south." Zechariah 14:4 NKJV
This destruction will naturally require a fourth temple to be built, which is the one we find described by Ezekiel in chapters 40-48 which scholars refer to as the “Millennial Temple”. It is a massive structure much larger than the original temple, and according to the description given in the passage above, is located not in Jerusalem but north of the city “beside the border of Judah”. By studying scripture and comparing the geographical descriptions of the different areas revealed in this passage, many believe that the location of the temple will be where the ancient city of Shiloh was located. There is historical precedent for this location because this is where the Tabernacle stood for close to 400 years before the Israelites made Jerusalem their capitol.
As I studied the subject of the temple, and began to search the scripture for passages relating to temples past and present, I noticed a few things that made me wonder if there was something we might be missing if we follow the accepted school of thought concerning four temples. First of all, the Bible only speaks of three temples, not four. Nowhere are we told of a third temple being built on the Temple Mount, rather it has simply been assumed that one will be. The only temples revealed in scripture are Solomon’s temple, Zerubbabel’s or Herod’s temple, and the Millennial temple.
Now you might think that in itself may not be enough to cause those who advocate for four temples to rethink their position, and I would agree. So let’s look at something else that might be cause to reconsider. Most understand that the antichrist will defile the temple after three and a half years have elapsed after the peace agreement, an event referred to as the “abomination of desolation”.
"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, Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate.” Daniel 9:27 NKJV
We also know that this has happened once before in 167 BC by Antiochus IV Epiphanes. This resulted in a revolt by the Jews and eventually to a cleansing and rededication of the temple which is celebrated to this day by the Jewish holiday Hanukkah. So what is my point? There is a saying by biblical scholars which states; “pattern is prologue”. The study of typology in the scripture has shown that much of what has happened throughout the Bible was setting a pattern that would be repeated at a later date. My question is this; if the antichrist defiling the temple is a repeat of the first “abomination of desolation”, wouldn’t it be logical to assume that the future temple will be cleansed and rededicated rather than destroyed?
I want you to look closely at a verse from this same chapter from Daniel, which contains a phrase that I believe may be overlooked by many.
“Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy place." Daniel 9:24 NASB
This verse relates what has come to be known as the prophecy of Daniel’s seventy weeks. It reveals God’s plan for the nation of Israel from that time until the end when He will return to earth. It also lists six things which will be accomplished at the end of those seventy weeks. Did you catch that last phrase? “and to anoint the most holy place”. This phrase in the Hebrew is “mashach qodesh qodesh” , which is translated “to Anoint; to smear, anoint, spread a liquid”. Anoint what? Scholars and commentators agree that the most holy (place) is the temple. If this is the case, doesn’t it seem logical to assume that it is not destroyed, but rather consecrated for millennial worship? Are we being told here that there are just three temples, not four? This phrase was used in the book of Exodus as well and was also referring to anointing the Tabernacle.
"And thou shalt take the anointing oil, and anoint the tabernacle, and all that is therein, and shalt hallow it, and all the vessels thereof: and it shall be holy." Exodus 40:9 NKJV
Again, this might not be enough for some to change their belief in how many temples there will be, but I want to suggest that this scenario is a very believable one in light of the current situation that exists between the Muslims and the Jewish people. It seems much more believable that the antichrist could get the Islamic world to allow a temple to be built in Shiloh rather than on the Temple Mount. With the authority of the prophecy of Ezekiel, it seems reasonable that the Jewish people would agree as well. As I have studied this subject, I have found that there are others who have asked this same question and written their own take on this possibility. One whom you might be familiar with is Jack Kelley of gracethrufaith.com. I would highly recommend that if you are interested in this idea, visit his website and read his conclusions about the temple in Shiloh.
Whatever God’s plans for the temple mount are, it appears that we will know very, very soon just what they are. Of course, let’s not forget that as believers in Jesus Christ, and having accepted His sacrifice for our sins, we will watch these events from the comfort of our heavenly home. If you are reading this and have never made the decision to accept Jesus Christ into your heart and accept the free gift of eternal life He has offered you, I urge you to do so right now. You can do that by praying this prayer and accepting the gift of eternal life God has offered you by the death and resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ.
Father, I know I am a sinner in need of salvation. I believe you sent your Son Jesus to die on the cross for my sin, and I ask you now to forgive me of my sins. I want to receive your gift of salvation so please come into my heart and help me to live and follow you as my Lord and Savior. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Keep watching.
https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Was-the-corner-of-Gods-altar-found-in-Shiloh-West-Bank-606477
https://www.israel365news.com/386438/five-small-red-cows-that-rocked-the-world/
