Jews Preparing to Rebuild Temple
Temple Mount Faithful Group Is Rebuilding Piece by Piece
Piece by piece "The Temple Mount Faithful" is preparing to build the third temple in Jerusalem.
More than 3,000 years after King Solomon built the first temple, another Salomon is hopeful that the third temple in Jerusalem will be rebuilt someday soon. However, in a recent 700 Club telecast, Gershom Salomon said he didn’t believe the rebuilding of the Jewish temple would occur in his lifetime, but hopefully in the lifetime of his grandchildren.
Since the fall of the second Temple in Jerusalem (in 70 AD), Jews have been praying faithfully for 2,000 years for a third temple to be rebuilt. Gershom Salomon leads a small, although dedicated, group known as The Temple Mount Faithful who want to lay the foundation stone for the third temple. They’ve already consecrated a stone anointed with water from the Biblical Pool of Siloam. Although they wanted to place the stone at the Temple Mount, their attempts were stopped. Not only Arab Muslims, but also Jewish leaders stood in their way, fearing this would lead to disaster, destroying the Dome of the Rock (now held under Muslim authority.)
The Temple Institute
Meanwhile, The Temple Institute in Jerusalem has been rebuilding the temple, piece by piece. For example, a 95-pound pure gold menorah (worth about $2 million) has already been stored in The Temple Institute to be placed in the third temple. The Temple Institute not only is a resource for the history of the Holy Temple’s past, but also an understanding of the present day, and works to make sure Israel will rebuild the Holy Temple on Mount Moriah.
The Temple Institute houses sacred articles and vessels produced by Israel’s finest artisans and craftsmen. All sacred vessels and vestments are made in agreement with how it was first handed down from God by way of Moses. The vessels and temple garments are all made according to Biblical requirements to be used when the third temple is built. Both restored sacred vessels and original paintings are housed in the Institute, which is located in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem.
Ancient Artifacts Found
Because Muslims control the Temple Mount, Jews have their hands tied. Where the Temple Mount is considered the holiest site for Jews, it’s considered the third holiest site for Muslims. However, that does not stop them from digging under, as well as around it.
They’ve found artifacts dating back to both the first and second temples, including a Babylonian arrowhead from the fall of Jerusalem around 526 BC and a 2400-year-old Hebrew coin. Also unearthed was an ancient stone with the Hebrew inscription “to the place of the trumpets” (announcing directions to the southwestern entry of the temple on the Sabbath) 2,000 years ago.
Gabriel Barkay, a professor of Biblical archaeology in Jerusalem, has uncovered a number of ancient artifacts such as silver plaques, containing the priestly benediction from the Book of Numbers.
The Jews would love to be able to evict the Muslims and begin work immediately rebuilding the temple. That would result in even more Middle East chaos. However, to the Jewish mind, this would only signal the coming of the long awaited Messiah.
What Rebuilding the Temple Means to Christians
Of course, believers in the Lord Jesus Christ know from scripture that God doesn’t live in any physical temple made with human hands, but dwells in the bodies of believers (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). However, the rebuilding of the temple is an event of hope to Christians, too, because many devout believers believe that Christ cannot return until the temple is rebuilt.
