Will the Third Temple be built next to the Dome of the Rock?

July 3, 1:11 AMBoise Christian Living ExaminerMarianne Davis

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AP Photo/Bernat Armangue

 A controversial proposal to rebuild the Third Jewish Temple next to the Dome of the Rock was thrown on the table last week, according to a recent article published in the Jerusalem Post. Until now, Jewish tradition held that the Dome of the Rock -- which was built in 691 A.D. over the site of Solomon's Temple -- would be destroyed as a precursor for building the Third Temple. But a new Jewish interfaith initiative challenged that assumption.

"This vision of religious shrines in peaceful proximity can transform the Temple Mount from a place of contention to its original sacred role as a place of worship shared by Jews, Muslims and Christians," said Yoav Frankel, director of the initiative sponsored by the Interfaith Encounter Association.

The proposal to rebuild the Jewish Temple next to the Dome of the Rock, an Islamic shrine, was met with opposition from both Jews and Muslims. The idea was first published in Tehumin, an influential journal of Jewish law, in 2007. Frankel, a young scholar, contends that Jewish doctrine emphasizes the role of a prophet in rebuilding the Temple. An authentic prophet would have the authority "through holy revelation" to determine the precise location of the Temple, regardless of Jewish traditions. Frankel asserts that it's possible the Third Temple could be rebuilt in "peaceful proximity to the dome and other houses of prayer such as the Aksa Mosque and nearby Christian shrines."

For Christians, rebuilding the Jewish temple is a fulfillment of end-of-time prophecy. The books of Ezekiel, Daniel, 2 Thessalonians, Matthew, and Revelation predict that the Jewish Temple will be rebuilt, which will usher in a time of Tribulation -- the darkest days of humanity -- and the emergence of the Antichrist (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4).

Already, stones have been cut and set aside for the Third Temple, and the Temple Institute is actively building vessels to furnish the Temple. For more information, see the video below.