Re: The Third Temple

Micha Berger (micha@aishdas.org)
Fri, 7 Mar 1997 08:36:52 -0500 (EST)

Leonard Mansky asked:
>Yechezkel's prophecy of the third temple (ch. 40-48) came to him fourteen
>years into the Babylonian exile long before the *Second* Temple was even
>being planned.
>
>Is there anything in the prophecy itself that states the plan to be for the
>Third Temple; or is this conclusion one deduced by Hazal( the rabbis)?

Divorced from Chazal, all we can say about Yechezkel's description of
the future Beis Hamikdosh is that it is a description of a Temple that
has not yet been built. The 2nd did not conform to his layout.

(Although there is good indication Bar Kochva started to, and certainly
represented Yechezkel's description on the face of coins. But that's a
different thread.)

So, if we are to believe Yechezkel's prophecy, there's another Beis
Hamikdosh that has yet to be built.

Micha Berger 201 916-0287 Help free Ron Arad, held by Syria 3734 days!
micha@aishdas.org (16-Oct-86 - 7-Mar-97)