Dr Paul Allen

Dome of the Rock (Skalní dóm) (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Will a third temple be built? This is a possibility, although at present it is impossible to imagine how this could happen, given the political and religious situation in Jerusalem in particular and in the world at large. Orthodox Jews who want to build a third temple would be able to do so only if they could get the Israeli government to occupy the temple mount and either tear down the Dome of the Rock and build the third temple at the spot some believe was the location of Solomon’s temple , or build the temple between the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque (as others suggest for the location of Solomon’s temple). This scenario is not feasible politically, as the violent reaction of the Muslim world can only be imagined,18 and as none of the (mostly secular) Israeli governments have any motivation to build a Jewish temple and renew the sacrificial cult. Given the significance of Jesus as described in the New Testa...

Image via Wikipedia On the ancient temple mount in Jerusalem there stands a mosque. Observant Jews see a profaning of their most holy place and plead with YHWH to remove their disgrace. Observant Muslims see Allah ’s favor, a sign that the true religion sits in ascendency. The world sees a centuries-old religious/political drama being played out on the edge of a knife, with diplomats delicately working like a bomb squad to avoid an explosion. But most miss the real significance of the mosque on the mount. When the temple stood there it was the very heart of Judaism. It was the place where the presence of God dwelt among his people and sacrifices were offered to atone for sin. But the Presence remained inside the temple, in the holy of holies, cut off from sinful humans. And no one was allowed to enter there except the high priest, “and he but once a year, and not without taking blood, which he offer[ed] for himself and for the unintentional sins of the people” ( Hebrews ...