Question:
I hear things about the Third Temple, but because I am in America, I only hear it from the End Time Christian perspective. What is the Jewish perspective of the Third Temple– was it written about much in the Talmud? Or any other texts? When it is referred to as in the End Times, what does that mean from the Jewish Perspective. Can you direct me to some Jewish writings that address the Third Temple? Isn’t the Messiah supposed to build it when he comes? What happens if it is built without him, as some seem to want to do. I am just trying to understand it from the Jewish perspective. Thanks!
Answer:
The third temple is the temple that will be built God willing in the near future. According to some commentaries it will be built by God Himself after the coming of the Messiah, however according to others it will be built by the messiah (see sources). The third temple is spoken about in Ezekiel Chapters 40-47, and the Jewish commentaries discuss it extensively in those chapters.
According to Jewish tradition the world was created in order for us to serve God, and to reap the tremendous reward that God waiting for us. There is a period of work, when wear to fulfill the commandments, and after that period, will come the reward part. The reward period has three parts to it, the messianic period, the period of the resurrection of the dead, and then after that comes the period of the world to come, which is when the real reward will be given for our performance of the commandments. What is referred to as the “end of days”, means the end f tis period of the world, before the world goes into the next stage.
If other people try building the third temple, even if they are successful at physically building it, it will not be successful, because the main ingredient of the third temple is the divine presence, which can only be given by God himself, if the temple will be according to the way that He wants it. If he wants to build it Himself or even if the messiah will build it, it can’t have the divine presence unless that part is also fulfilled.
If you need any more help ,please let me know
Sources:
Rashi’s says in his commentary to Tractat Succah 41a (bottom of the page), and also in his commentary to Tractate Rosh Hashana 31a, that God Himself will build the third temple. Maimonides however says that it will be built by the messiah himself, see Maimonides Hilchos Milachim chapter 11.
