Getting Ready for the 3rd Temple

Nadene Goldfoot

                                                                         First Temple

The very first temple was built by Solomon and was on Mt. Moriah in Jerusalem. It was a shrine for the Ark, the sacred vessels and offerings, and had a court for worshippers. Its plan had a hall, shrine and inner sanctum (holy of holies). King Solomon, the son of King David and Bathsheba, lived from 961 BCE to 920 BCE. It was completely destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylonia (today’s Iraq) in 586 BCE.. He was the conquerer of all the lands from the Euphrates to the Egyptian frontier, including Judah, whose capital was Jerusalem in 597 BCE..

Nebuchadnezzar had been victorious over an Assyrian-Egyptian alliance in 605. He had replaced Judah’s young king Jehoiachin with his own choice of Zedekiah, and took as captives, 8,000 of the best of Judah to Babylon. Eight years later, Zedekiah rebelled. The soldiers of Nebuchadnezzar again invded Judah, captured Jerusalem in 586 and destroyed the Temple, laid waste the cities and exiled the population. The king was taken to Riblah and killed.

                                                      Second Temple

The 2nd Temple was rebuilt from 538 BCE to 515 BCE.. When the Romans sieged Jerusalem, it was a center of military activity and was destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE. The Romans then built a Roman temple on the site, and afterwards the Moslems built a mosque (Mosque of Omar). over it.

 Israel was again reborn May 14, 1948. A 3rd Temple is being planned. Stanley Goldfoot, an investment adviser and one-time publisher and former Lehi member, originally from South Africa, was a member of the 3rd Temple group (the Faithful of the temple Mount (Ne’emanei Har Habayit). They are known for their attemps to pray on the Temple Mount.

Goldfoot has spoken in football stadiums in the states to many Christian fundamentalists about the rebuilding of the Temple. They see in Israel the fulfillment of biblical prophecy and are the real zionists, he felt. By helping Jews to fulfill prophecies they feel they are hastening the 2nd coming of the Messiah. They believe that before any redemption occurs, Jews must hold all the Land of Israel.

Goldfoot can’t accept their views and knows they can’t accept his, but they are working together. His group not only tries to pray, but would like to see the day they have a synagogue there as well. At this time, the Temple Mount is an “Arab autonomous state,” ruled over by the Moslem wakf, or religious trust.

                                                      Third Temple

In talking about the 3rd Temple, Goldfoot didn’t know where or when it would happen. Many rabbis have forbidden Jews to set foot on the Temple Mount, but many others permit it and even think of it as an obligation. The group is in the planning stage for the Temple. Jerusalem is the center of Jewish life. Since Israel liberated the Old city in June 1967, there is more interest.

Moshe Dayan set policies when he was the Defense Minister. He said that Jews hold the keys to the Moghrabi Gate, while the Moslems hold the keys to the other gates. This means that the site is still held by the Moslems, but is open to those who wish to visit it.

Stanley Goldfoot died November 24, 2006 in Jerusalem. He didn’t get to see the 3rd Temple built, but did his share in trying to bring it about by speaking to many groups all over the world.

Resource: Jerusalem Post March 6, 1983 article: Planning the Third Temple by Haim Shapiro
e New Standard Jewish Encyclopedia