Who Will Build the 3rd Temple?
 

Three structures have borne the name Mikdash, or Holy Temple. The first was the Mishkan, the Tabernacle, built by Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai as atonement for the sin of the golden calf. It was portable and stood for an aggregate of 440 years. The second structure bearing the name Mikdash, was King Solomon's Temple. It was built on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem, upon foundations laid by Solomon's father, King David. This is known as the First Temple. It stood for 410 years and was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar, as prelude to the Babylonian Exile of the Jewish people. 70 years later, King Cyrus of Persia gave permission to the Jews to rebuild the Holy Temple, which was accomplished through the leadership of Ezra, the Scribe. This, the Second Temple, was later beautified by King Herod, and stood for a total of 420 years. Titus and the armies of the Rome destroyed Herod's Temple in the year 70 of the Common Era. Since then, the Holy Temple has stood in ruins. The Torah teaches that the Temple will again be rebuilt in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, and this Third Temple will stand forever. It is about this future Temple, that we now address ourselves.

There is an essential disagreement among authorities as to how the Third Temple will be built. According to the Rambam (Maimonides), in his work, the Laws of the Chosen House, (chapter one, law number one), the Jewish people are commanded to construct a House for G-d. The Rambam lists this as one of the 613 eternal commandments of the Torah, relevant and obligatory whenever the Temple is not standing. He derives this from the verse (Exodus 25:8), "And they shall make for Me a sanctuary, and I will dwell among them." According to the Rambam, the Jewish people must build the Third Temple any way they can, at any time they can accomplish the task. In the Laws of Kings, (chapter eleven, law number four), the Rambam states that the Messiah, an earthly, Jewish king, will build the Third Temple. And, in fact, he states that the only conclusive proof of the identity of the Messiah is that he will be the one to build the Temple.

The other view on the subject is derived from Medrash Rabba, (a book of homiletic expositions from the time of the Talmud) . Here, the Medrash teaches that G-d Himself will build the Third Temple, and it will descend out of the fire from Heaven, onto its appointed place on earth, the Temple Mount. Rashi (the chief and classical bible commentator, circa 1200 C.E.) and Tosefos, (an academy of European scholars circa 1300C.E.) and many other authorities subscribe to this view, and this has become the popular view of the Jewish people. As to the verse, "They shall make for Me a Sanctuary," this opposing view teaches that the directive was already fulfilled with the building of the Mishkan and the first two Temples, and is no longer applicable. They cite as the source for the Third Temple the verse (Exodus 15:17), "You shall bring them in and plant them in the mountain of Your inheritance, in the establishment of Your residence which You have made, O Eternal, the Sanctuary, G-d, which Your hands have established."

The author, Chaim Clorfene, has published many books including "Confessions of a Cult-buster and "The Path of the Righteous Gentile." You may write to the author at: ohradio@actcom.co.il