The answer in brief
The Bible records two temples in Jerusalem: Solomon's, destroyed by Babylon in 586 BC (2 Kings 25:8–21), and the Second Temple, rebuilt under Zerubbabel, expanded by Herod and destroyed by Rome in AD 70—as Jesus foretold (Matthew 24:1–2). The phrase “Third Temple” never appears in Scripture. It is the name later tradition gives to a future temple that some Jews and Christians expect, based on passages such as Ezekiel 40–48, Daniel 9:27 and 2 Thessalonians 2:3–4.
Whether those passages predict a literal future building is a genuine interpretive dispute, not a settled fact. This page reports what the texts say, what groups are verifiably doing, and where interpretation begins.
The two temples Scripture records
Solomon's temple, dedicated in 1 Kings 8, stood at the center of Israel's worship for roughly four centuries. Its destruction in 586 BC was read by the prophets as covenant judgment, not accident. The return from exile under Cyrus (Ezra 1) led to a more modest Second Temple, which Haggai 2:9 promised would exceed the first in glory—a promise Christians have long connected to the presence of Jesus in that very building.
The Second Temple's destruction in AD 70 ended the sacrificial system. For Judaism, prayer and Torah study took its place; for Christianity, Hebrews taught that Christ's once-for-all offering fulfilled what the sacrifices foreshadowed (Hebrews 9:1–14; 10:1–14).
The texts behind the Third Temple expectation
Ezekiel 40–48 contains the Bible's most detailed temple description—measurements, courts, priesthood and a river flowing from the threshold—given to an exiled prophet whose own temple had just fallen. Daniel 9:27 speaks of sacrifice ceasing in the middle of a “week”; Jesus refers to Daniel's “abomination of desolation” standing in the holy place (Matthew 24:15); and Paul describes a figure who “takes his seat in the temple of God” (2 Thessalonians 2:3–4). Revelation 11:1–2 pictures John measuring “the temple of God.”
Editorial note: interpreters divide over every one of these texts. Some read them as predicting a literal future temple in Jerusalem; others as symbolic, or as fulfilled in AD 70, or in Christ and the church. GOD News does not settle that debate—it reports it.
What is verifiably happening today
In Jerusalem, organizations such as the Temple Institute openly prepare for a future temple: crafting ritual vessels and priestly garments, educating priests, and publishing architectural plans. Related efforts include the search for a qualifying red heifer for purification rites (Numbers 19). These activities are real and documented.
Equally verifiable is what is not happening: rebuilding is not Israeli government policy, and the Temple Mount—where the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa Mosque stand—is administered under a status quo arrangement that Israel has maintained since 1967. Claims on social media that construction has begun, or that the government has approved a temple, have repeatedly proven false. Any change at the site would carry enormous religious and political consequences, which is why precision matters here more than almost anywhere else in our reporting.
Why Christians watch this story—and disagree about it
Christians who expect a literal future temple see preparation efforts as significant signs of the times. Others caution that the New Testament's emphasis falls elsewhere: Jesus called His own body the temple (John 2:19–21), and Hebrews presents His sacrifice as the substance to which the sanctuary pointed. Both camps agree on one thing: an unverified headline is not a fulfilled prophecy.
Faith reflection
A greater temple than stone
The Bible's temple story moves toward a person. “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up,” Jesus said—and John adds: “He was speaking about the temple of His body” (John 2:19–21). For Christians, whatever one concludes about Ezekiel's vision, the deepest temple truth is already present: God dwelling with His people through Christ, and one day dwelling with them openly (Revelation 21:22).
Editorial distinction: the sections above report verified events and describe what traditions and interpreters say. This reflection is faith commentary. GOD News keeps the two visibly apart, here and in every article.
Key Bible passages
Open any reference to read the passage in your preferred Bible translation.
- 1 Kings 6–8
Solomon builds and dedicates the First Temple; God's glory fills the house.
- 2 Kings 25:8–21
Babylon destroys Jerusalem and the temple in 586 BC.
- Ezra 1:1–4; 3:8–13
Cyrus sends the exiles home; the Second Temple's foundation is laid amid weeping and joy.
- Haggai 2:1–9
God promises the latter glory of this house will be greater than the former.
- Ezekiel 40–48
Ezekiel's detailed temple vision—the text at the center of every Third Temple discussion.
- Daniel 9:24–27
The seventy weeks, ending sacrifice and an abomination—read by many as bearing on a future temple.
- Matthew 24:1–2, 15
Jesus foretells the temple's destruction and refers to Daniel's “abomination of desolation.”
- John 2:19–21
Jesus calls His own body the temple that would be destroyed and raised in three days.
- 2 Thessalonians 2:3–4
Paul describes a figure who “takes his seat in the temple of God”—a key end-time text.
- Hebrews 9:1–14; 10:1–14
The earthly sanctuary described as a shadow; Christ's once-for-all offering as the substance.
- Revelation 11:1–2
John is told to measure the temple of God—another text interpreters read very differently.
Questions readers ask
What is the Third Temple?
The term refers to a future temple in Jerusalem that would follow Solomon's Temple (destroyed 586 BC) and the Second Temple (destroyed AD 70). Whether Scripture predicts a literal future temple is itself debated among Jews and Christians.
Does the Bible prophesy a Third Temple?
Ezekiel 40–48 describes a detailed temple vision, and Daniel 9:27, Matthew 24:15 and 2 Thessalonians 2:3–4 mention temple activity in end-time contexts. Interpreters disagree sharply: some read these as predicting a literal rebuilt temple, others as symbolic or already fulfilled. The Bible nowhere uses the phrase “Third Temple.”
Who is preparing to build the Third Temple?
Several Jerusalem-based organizations, most visibly the Temple Institute, create ritual vessels, train priests and advocate for rebuilding. These are real, verifiable activities—but they are the work of specific religious groups, not Israeli government policy.
Where would a Third Temple be built?
Tradition locates both earlier temples on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, where the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa Mosque now stand. The site is administered under a long-standing status quo arrangement, and any change to it would be among the most explosive events in the region. This is why reporting on the topic requires particular care.
What do Christians believe about the Third Temple?
Christians differ. Some expect a literal future temple connected to end-time events; others read Hebrews as teaching that Christ's sacrifice made the temple system complete and final (Hebrews 9–10), and see Ezekiel's vision as symbolic. Both positions have long histories in the church.
When were the First and Second Temples destroyed?
Solomon's Temple was destroyed by Babylon in 586 BC (2 Kings 25:8–21). The Second Temple, rebuilt under Zerubbabel and later expanded by Herod, was destroyed by Rome in AD 70—an event Jesus foretold in Matthew 24:1–2.
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