In the interval while I am writing some follow-up thoughts to my last post, I thought I would share some exciting news with you from the Temple Institute, a Jerusalem organization which has as its goal the building of a temple in Jerusalem. In case you haven’t heard of them, please have a look at www.templeinstitute.com. I first came in contact with them while on a tour of the Holy Land in 1993. From their website, here is a brief description of their goals and purpose:
The Temple Institute (in Hebrew, Machon HaMikdash), founded in 1987, is a non-profit educational and religious organization located in the Jewish quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City. The Institute is dedicated to every aspect of the Biblical commandment to build the Holy Temple of G-d on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem. Our short-term goal is to rekindle the flame of the Holy Temple in the hearts of mankind through education. Our long-term goal is to do all in our limited power to bring about the building of the Holy Temple in our time. Thus, the Institute’s efforts include raising public awareness about the Holy Temple, and the central role that it occupies in the spiritual life of mankind. The many areas of activities conducted by the Institute combine research, seminars, publications, and conferences, as well as the production of educational materials.
Further explaining the methods behind their goals:
The Temple Institute was founded on the principle of action. Its goal is to provide a basis in research, planning and infrastructure for the Third Temple.
The basis of the Institute’s work is the commandment given to the Jewish people at Mount Sinai, “And they shall make for Me a Sanctuary, and I will dwell amongst them” (Ex. 25:8). The Institute’s efforts towards preparing for the Temple in our time can be compared to the preparations that were done in the days of the tabernacle and later, by King David.
Concerning their research department:
A team of rabbis, scholars, scientists and other experts in various fields are presently occupied with the study of various Temple-related subjects. The results of these studies are published periodically by the Temple Institute.
The conclusions of this research form the basis for the creation of the sacred vessels and priestly garments that are fashioned by the Institute’s Restoration Department, comprised of experts representing a wide range of fields and professions: gold and silversmiths, weavers, gemologists, musicologists, carpenters, painters, graphic artists, architects and more.
Although I was only 16 years old when I visited the Temple Institute museum, I can still remember seeing all the beautiful gold/brass vessels, lavers, horns, and other temple instruments that they had already made for use in the Third Temple. I was amazed that they were actually working toward this goal and that they actually had things ready for it-just waiting to be used whenever the Temple would be allowed to be built. Today, they have many more items ready.
Just recently, they announced that they are making the sacred temple robes for the temple priests (cohanim)! Check out this video of “The Inauguration Ceremony of The New Workshop for Priestly Garments.”
See photos of the event here.
Also, I encourage you to sign their online petition “calling for the government of Israel to allow Jews freedom of worship on the Temple Mount.”
The Temple Institute is doing some great work in Israel and among the Jews in promoting interest in the building of a new Temple in Jerusalem. Although they may have a different outlook from some of us on how a temple should be (to me, they have what I would call a “Second Temple” perspective), it is still very exciting to see their determination to rebuild the House of the Lord.
12 Comments
Just wondering what you think about the political implications of this, and how you think it should be realized. It seems like this institute wants to destroy the existing structures, something with which I cannot agree, much as I love the temple. (Incidentally, the Dome of the Rock was built not as a mosque but as an attempt to replicate the temple of Solomon (Suleiman).)
And, I would add, on whose authority are they doing this? (Whose heavenly authority, that is.)
In response to jupiterschild, I don’t think they require any heavenly authority to build a “temple”. But if you consider the fact that Joseph Smith made declarations that the Jews would build a temple in Jerusalem prior to the Second Coming, then one would assume that this endeavor has the Lord’s tacit blessing. Just a thought.
As for the political implications of this, it would mean war, because the Muslims will never allow any Jewish temple on the sacred site. The Israeli government made a grave mistake, in my judgement, when they gave the mount back after taking it in the 1967 conflict.
Well, the political implications would be enormous, as Michael noted, if they tried to do build a temple now. They have actually tried to ascend the temple mount in the past to lay a cornerstone, but were blocked by Israeli police barricades and many muslim protestors. It simply won’t happen right now. But they are patient. Like I said, I visited their museum in 1993 and they had already been around for quite a while. I don’t think they will do anything too rash, but will wait for the appropriate time. When that will be, who knows?
If you ask Margaret Barker (which you probably wouldn’t), she believes the Temple Mount (and thus the Second Temple) was in the wrong place to begin with. She cites Zech. 4:6–9 and 1 Enoch 26:1-2 as evidence that the First Temple was on a hill to the south-east–a hill from which the Gihon spring flows. My point is, perhaps the Temple shouldn’t even be built where the Temple Mount and Dome of the Rock are.
Again, as far as authority, I pretty much agree with Michael. I think they will build a temple under the authority they believe they have as cohanim. When Jesus comes, he will purify the sons of Levi and give them the authority to perform their ordinances in righteousness.
Michael–your name seems very familiar to me. Is it just that I’ve seen you post on a few sites, or is there some other reason I should know you? If so, please forgive my bad memory.
I think you may have seen my name posted on a few other sites, such as Temple Study or maybe on Kerry Shirt’s site. I’m an active LDS that loves to study these topics in his ever-shrinking spare time.
I am actually surprised that we are on the same wavelength as regards my earlier posting. I was hoping that I didn’t come off as too strident or flippant. The entire Temple Mount issue is amazingly crucial to literally hundreds of millions of people, and it’s astounding to me that such a small little hill could literally start World War 3. Of course, if you read Zechariah, Revelation, and various other scriptures in a certain light, that’s exactly what we have.
After discovering Margaret Barker, I find that her views and theories are most interesting and enlightening. As is this website!
This is a most fascinating development from the Temple Institute! Thank you for sharing it!
If Israel were to allow the TI to take control of the Temple Mount, of course it would lead to armed conflict. Ariel Sharon’s walk to the Mount a few years ago was the symbolic beginning of the second Intifada. Israel has supposed nuclear arsenal which could help defend itself from armed neighbors.
With a nuclear Iran (which will most like lead to a nuclear Saudi Arabia and Egypt for self-defense), this scenario becomes all the more scary.
My only question is how would the cohenim know where the Holy of Holies is? My understanding is that Jews avoided the Mount so as to not accidentally step in that place. Who has authority to determine where to place the temple’s dimensions?
Thank you all for your comments.
Hans, I really don’t know how they would determine where the Holy of Holies is/was. If they do have it figured out, they probably won’t tell anyone until they can actually build the temple. I don’t know, however, who thinks they have the authority to make such decisions. I don’t know if they’re related to TI at all, but I do know that a Sanhedrin has been set up–however, I don’t think they are recognized by the Israeli government.
Back to the Holy of Holies–when I visited the Temple Mount, they told us that there was a certain stone landmark there that some believe marks where the Holy of Holies was. Others believe that the Holy of Holies was where the Dome of the Rock is now–which would make things very difficult.
Check this out…Evidence for the Temple Location South of the Dome of the Rock. This is interesting and they have factual evidences to prove it.
http://www.templemount.org/
Here is another interesting site with elaborate details of Solomon’s Temple site.
http://geocities.com/theseder2/index.html
Thanks for your blog.. Very interesting.
http://joeland7.wordpress.com/2008/04/10/the-dome-of-the-rock-the-third-jersalem-temple