The Third Temple in Biblical Prophecy
Several passages of Scripture indicate that, in the final events of history, there will again be a temple in Jerusalem where Jewish worship is active. This setting appears in prophecies from both the Old and the New Testaments. When these passages are considered together, they portray the existence of such a temple as part of the context in which the events associated with the Antichrist and the culmination of the age take place.
1⃣The cessation of sacrifices in Daniel
One of the most important foundations for this expectation appears in the prophecies of Daniel. In the prophecy of the seventy weeks we read:
"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)
The text states that at a certain moment sacrifices and offerings will be stopped. Because these practices belong to the temple system, this presupposes that the sacrificial service is operating at that time.
The same theme appears elsewhere in the book:
- Daniel 11:31 states that forces will profane the sanctuary and take away the regular sacrifice.
- Daniel 12:11 again refers to the time when the daily sacrifice will be removed and the “abomination of desolation” will be set up.
These passages describe a situation in which sacrificial worship is active in Jerusalem and is later interrupted by a profaning act.
2⃣The “abomination of desolation” in the holy place
In the eschatological discourse of Jesus Christ, recorded in the Gospel of Matthew, there is a direct reference to Daniel’s prophecy:
“Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand)," (Matthew 24:15, NKJV)
The expression “holy place” was commonly used to refer to the sacred area of the temple. The passage therefore describes an event in which something abominable is established within that consecrated space. This statement links the teaching of Jesus with the prophecies of Daniel and maintains the temple as the setting where this decisive act of desecration will occur.
3⃣The Antichrist in the temple of God
Another central passage appears in the Second Epistle to the Thessalonians. In it, the apostle Paul describes the manifestation of the “man of sin”:
"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." (2 Thessalonians 2:4, NKJV)
Here the Antichrist is portrayed as occupying the temple of God, claiming divine authority. The description clearly assumes the presence of a temple in which this act of exaltation and blasphemy takes place.
4⃣The measuring of the temple in Revelation
The book of Book of Revelation also refers to a temple during the final period of history. The apostle John recounts the instruction he received in a vision:
"Then I was given a reed like a measuring rod. And the angel stood, saying, 'Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there.'" (Revelation 11:1, NKJV)
The passage describes the temple, the altar, and the worshipers present within it. The following verse states that the outer court will be given to the nations for a specified period, indicating a particular historical and prophetic setting surrounding this sanctuary.
5⃣Convergence of the passages
When these passages are considered together, they form a coherent picture:
- The book of Daniel foretells ongoing sacrifices that will later be stopped
- Jesus speaks of an abomination established in the holy place
- Paul describes the Antichrist seating himself in the temple of God
- Revelation refers to a temple that is measured and occupied by worshipers
Taken together, these texts point to a future period in which a temple once again stands in Jerusalem and religious activity takes place within it. Within this context unfold decisive events of biblical prophecy, culminating in the manifestation of the Antichrist and the final stages of redemptive history.
6⃣Why it is called the “Third Temple”
The expression “third temple” is connected to the historical sequence of the temple in Jerusalem. The first temple was built by King Solomon in the 10th century B.C. It served as the central place of worship for the people of Israel. This temple was destroyed when the Babylonians conquered Jerusalem during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar II around 586 B.C. After the Jewish people returned from the Babylonian exile, a second temple was constructed under the leadership of Zerubbabel. Centuries later, this temple was extensively expanded and renovated by Herod the Great, becoming the temple that existed during the lifetime of Jesus Christ. This second temple was destroyed in 70 A.D. during the Roman military campaign that culminated in the Siege of Jerusalem.
Since that time there has been no Jewish temple in Jerusalem. From the complex of the second temple, only a remaining retaining wall has survived, known today as the Western Wall, which is still used by Jewish worshipers as a place of prayer and lament. For this reason, when biblical prophecies describe events involving sacrifices, an altar, and temple worship, it is understood that a new temple must yet be built. This future sanctuary is commonly referred to as the third temple.
