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Religious questions: What does the Third Temple symbolize?

Clouds hang over Jerusalem's Old City, home to key holy sites for the world's three monotheistic religions, Thursday, Dec. 7, 2017. The densely packed area, less than one square kilometer (one-third of a square mile), hosts the Western Wall and the adjacent hilltop compound revered by Jews as the Temple Mount, the spot where the biblical Temples once stood and the holiest site in Judaism. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
Clouds hang over Jerusalem's Old City, home to key holy sites for the world's three monotheistic religions, Thursday, Dec. 7, 2017. The densely packed area, less than one square kilometer (one-third of a square mile), hosts the Western Wall and the adjacent hilltop compound revered by Jews as the Temple Mount, the spot where the biblical Temples once stood and the holiest site in Judaism. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit) Clouds hang over Jerusalem's Old City, home to key holy sites for the world's three monotheistic religions, Thursday, Dec. 7, 2017. The densely packed area, less than one square kilometer (one-third of a square mile), hosts the Western Wall and the adjacent hilltop compound revered by Jews as the Temple Mount, the spot where the biblical Temples once stood and the holiest site in Judaism. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

By Wyatt Massey 4 min read

EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is part of “Religion: Got questions?,” a series answering your biggest religious questions. Each week, we will answer one submitted faith question. To send a submission visit timesfreepress.com/religionquestions or email wmassey@timesfreepress.com.

Question: I am curious on the different interpretations of whether a Third Temple will be rebuilt in Jerusalem as one of the critical signs of the Messiah’s imminent arrival.

A: Beliefs around the Third Temple are a part of eschatology, the branch of theology concerned with the end times.

The First Temple of Jerusalem, also known as Solomon’s Temple, was the holy place for the Kingdom of Israel and was destroyed in 587 BCE when the city was under siege. The temple was rebuilt less than 100 years later as a holy site, before being destroyed by the Roman Empire in 70 CE and starting an exile of the Jewish people.

Rebuilding the temple – that being the third temple in Jerusalem – has important value in Jewish and Christian scriptures in the Book of Ezekiel. Both religions detail a clear beginning of mankind, so there must be a clear end, which the Third Temple symbolizes, said Motti Inbari, University of North Carolina at Pembroke associate professor of religion.