When people look at the future and look at Jerusalem they sometimes ask: “Will there be another Temple?” The first Temple stood in the heart of Jerusalem. It was the Temple of King Solomon. It stood in the centre of Mount Zion. Then the Babylonians came, destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple and took the Jews into captivity. It has happened between 600 and 500 BCE. After that, the Second Temple was built.
When Jesus was a young boy of 12 years old He went to the Temple to sit at the feet of the teachers of Israel to learn more about the things of His Father, His Father in heaven. That Temple, that second Temple has also been destroyed. After the Muslims conquered the Middle East they built the Omar mosque, and a second mosque, the Al-Aqsa mosque. And even within the mountain, they are digging today to build a third mosque. When you read the Bible you will see that one day there will be a Temple in the heart of Jerusalem again. The final chapters of the book of Ezekiel, chapters 40 to 48, speak about a beautiful Temple, about the priesthood and about sacrifices. And everyone who reads these chapters knows that this Temple has never been built.
But the Bible says there will be a Temple because the prophecies of Ezekiel will be fulfilled. One day there will be a Temple. Now, how can that happen? How can there be a Temple again? You know there is the Aravah [or Arabah, the valley stretching from the Dead Sea to Eilat, see: Deuteronomy 1:1] which is part of the Great Rift Valley. The Great Rift Valley which is a big crack, a big opening in the crust of the Earth. It starts at Lake Victoria in Africa and runs all the way to Northern Syria. The river Jordan is part of it. One day there will be so much tension in the earth that changes will take place. But ultimately Jerusalem will be Jerusalem! There will be the Temple and there will be the coming of the Lord. The great Prince of Peace will rule the world, the nations will come to Jerusalem to ask for his advice. Rev Willem Glashouwer will explain all about it in this final episode (12) of the new series (3) of Focus on the Future.