The Third Temple
The Third Temple
Sometimes I catch wind of people talking about "the third temple." Though I have no interest in investigating their imaginings about this, I assume they are dreaming of a third physical "temple" in the earthly city of Jerusalem. My own inclination is to ascribe this notion to either dispensationalism and/or some kind of conservative Jewish movement.
But, in fact, there really was, (better-said, is), a "third temple"; and my design in this paper is to briefly expose it. The "third temple" actually began to exist at the very moment of the Holy Spirit's causing of Jesus Christ to be conceived in Mary's womb. The "third temple" was inaugurated at the Messiah's incarnation, the moment of the hypostatic union of the Second Person of the Holy Trinity to a human body.
But there is more to this "temple." It grows and grows until it reaches its last stone being laid on another--fully being displayed finally in all the resurrected bodies of the triumphant church in heaven. Until that day, it, "the third temple," will continue to expand.
Not only is the Head of the church, Jesus Christ our Lord, the "temple" of God, (see Jn. 2:19-21); but so are all the elect and redeemed members of His body, His church, (see 1 Cor. 3:16-17). The "third temple" is the complete matrix of the created realm of the Son of God's body, along with His atoned-for people. Each individual regenerated Christian church member is also, in him- or herself, the "temple" of God--part of this glorious "temple" structure, (see 1 Cor. 6:19).
So far as I am aware, the Holy Scriptures never refer to a "third" temple. I am only using the designation to mock the idolatrous idea that there would ever be another temple like Solomon's (the "first"), or Herod's (the "second"). The "third," and last, is Jesus and His church.
The so-called, "Dome of the Rock" which currently stands where the first and second temples used to be, serves as a giant slab of covenantal concrete covering spiritually-nuclear debris and waste--(kind of what you would see at Chernobyl, for example). Should that "lid" ever be removed, to set up another "temple"--which, in fact, would be dedicated to Satan, not God--the heavenly "fire-power" that would wipe it out would make the alleged-meteor that some think killed all the dinosaurs, seem like child's play. (It is ironic, that God would use the devil's religion [Islam], to seal-off the place of the old temples.)
Whether dispensationalism is more "Christian" or "Jewish" is an open question--but this much is for sure: its dream of another "temple" in Jerusalem is Satan's delusion; and it would result in a most horrific spiritual nightmare.
Still, we who are the saints of the church (the temple of God) by grace through faith in Christ, ought to rejoice at our blessed and esteemed place in the covenantal "heart" of the Holy Trinity, through our God/Man Mediator. We will abide with the Three Persons forever; and we will enjoy the perfected bliss (in heaven) which has already begun for and in us (here).
The "second" and last earthly temple was destroyed in 70 AD. The final temple was begun at Christ's incarnation. True Christians, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, are living stones of that temple. . . .
Here is how the apostle put it, in 1 Pet. 2:4-5: "As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house [temple], to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ," (ESV).
Rev. Mark J. Henninger
Treatise #75
26 February 2026
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