The Third Jewish Temple: What Revelation 11:1 Reveals About Bible Prophecy

Will There Be a Third Jewish Temple on the Temple Mount of Jerusalem?

Why would God tell John to measure a temple that does not yet exist? Revelation 11:1 introduces one of the most intriguing prophetic details in Scripture: God commands John to measure God’s temple, the altar, and those worshiping there. Yet the Romans had destroyed the Jewish temple in Jerusalem centuries earlier. What temple is John measuring?

Revelation connects this mysterious temple to prophecies from Daniel and Jesus’ Olivet Discourse, pointing us toward a future Jewish temple in Jerusalem and the events surrounding the final days of the Tribulation.

Mystery of the Third Jewish Temple

Bible Study Guide

The continuation of the second interlude will reveal the mystery behind the third Jewish Temple. John is again finding himself an active participant in the visions he’s asked to record.

On the Tuesday of the week that Jesus would be sentenced to die, He brought His disciples away from the Jewish temple and down through the Kidron Valley. He continued east for about a mile until they arrived on the Mount of Olives.

It was there where Jesus would give one of His last public sermons. This one would be different. His disciples, just moments after the left the temple and were ascending the Mount of Olives, they stopped and turned to gaze upon the magnificence of its beauty. It was then Jesus began to teach and prophecy about things to come.

On the Mount of Olives, He would teach them about the coming events of the Tribulation. This prophecy would be focused specifically on the Jewish people, their Jewish temple and the city of Jerusalem.

Approximately 500 years before Jesus gave His Olivet Discourse, Daniel prophesied words from God about similar events. These occurrences would also take place during the Tribulation. Daniel spoke of those things that would lead up to the Tribulation.

Just like Jesus’ Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24), Revelation 11 and the mystery of the 3rd Jewish Temple would have its focus on the people of Israel, the temple and the city of Jerusalem.

What Temple Is John Measuring? (Revelation 11:1)

(Verse 1) It’s possible the mighty angel that handed John the little scroll to eat also gave him the measuring reed. The measuring reed was very specific to ancient cultures. There was no Dept. Of Weights and Measures who was responsible for auditing measuring reeds to determine whether they were all made to the same exact length.

The reed was a tall grass like plant that grew in wetlands. It found it’s usefulness as a measuring stick. It was also once used as a reference to Christ’ gentle loving, kindness in His approach to teaching of the things of heaven (Isaiah 42:3).

This leaves us with trying to approximate the length of this particular measuring reed. From all that we can gather from scripture, the reed was roughly 6 cubits. This is another ancient measure of length used often throughout the Bible.

This put the length of the reed in John’s hand in the range of 2.7 meters to 3 meters. Or somewhere in the vicinity of 2.5 feet to 1 yard.

John is told to take the measuring reed and measure the temple of God and the altar.

Why We Must Allow Scripture to Interpret Scripture

Many people get tripped up in their understanding of this chapter. It’s important that we continue our Bible study with a literal interpretation of John’s record. This measuring of the temple is not an historical event. It’s a literal prophetic event with a set time and date. This future time period is specifically connected to the the 3rd Jewish Temple that will be built on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem.

Revelation 11:1 doesn’t introduce the idea of a future temple by itself. Earlier Scripture had already connected a future temple to the events of the Tribulation.

Daniel prophesied that a coming ruler would stop sacrifice and offering and establish an abomination at the temple:

“In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation…”
—Daniel 9:27

Jesus later pointed His disciples back to this prophecy:

“So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel…”
—Matthew 24:15

Paul then described a future ruler who would enter God’s temple and exalt himself as God (2 Thessalonians 2:4).

Then John is told:

“Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, with its worshipers.”
—Revelation 11:1

When we place these passages together, a clear pattern emerges: Daniel → Jesus → Paul → Revelation.

Daniel foretells a future temple-related event. Jesus points His disciples back to Daniel and connects it with the future Tribulation. Paul describes a future ruler entering God’s temple. Then John is shown a temple in Jerusalem within the prophetic events of Revelation.

This is why Revelation 11:1 points to a future Jewish temple in Jerusalem. Scripture interprets Scripture, and each passage helps illuminate the others.

We don’t need to force the pieces together. We simply need to let the Bible tell its own story.

Where Will the Third Jewish Temple Be Built?

Before we unveil the answer to this question, we need to point out the obvious.

Some of you might be asking yourself, where is this 3rd Jewish Temple? If you’re thinking, there is no Jewish Temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. You would be correct in this understanding.

The last Jewish Temple to stand in the Old City of Jerusalem was in 70 AD. This was the year the Romans destroyed it just as Jesus prophesied.

“Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. “Do you see all these things?” he asked. “Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.” (Matthew 24:1-2)

If you travel today to the Old City part of Jerusalem and go up to the Temple Mount where the last temple stood, you will not find a Jewish Temple. There has not been a temple there since the Romans destroyed it in 70 AD. Under the guidance of the Dragon (Satan) not one stone was left upon another.

In fact, the Jews not only lost their temple but they’ve lost control and administrative rights to the Temple Mount. Today, the Muslims have full control of that very sacred piece of land.

Jerusalem remains central to biblical prophecy, and the Temple Mount continues to hold extraordinary religious and geopolitical significance. Scripture gives us reason to watch developments surrounding Jerusalem carefully, while also warning us not to force current events into prophetic passages that Scripture has not directly connected to them.

The Dragon (Satan) understands the significance of the Temple Mount. Current events will increasingly point to the Temple Mount and the Jewish Temple.

Let’s take a closer look to see why.

What Temple Is John Measuring In Revelation 11?

Is John measuring a Jewish Temple from the past? Or is it the future third Jewish Temple?

We’ve determined that there is currently no temple in the Old City of Jerusalem. Just to be clear. John is not asked to measure any other Jewish temple. Certainly not the one in Brooklyn, NY, Brisbane, Australia or even Munich, Germany. I don’t even know if there are Jewish Temples in these cities. The only temple scripture points to is the Jewish Temple in the Old City of Jerusalem which once stood on the Temple Mount.

So if there currently is no temple located on that plot of land in Jerusalem, which temple is John asked to measure?

The prophet Daniel first foretold of the future temple when he spoke from God about these coming events. First, Daniel shows us the future king that will rise during the Tribulation and set himself up to rule over the Jews for 3.5 years. This is the second half of the Tribulation Period.

“After them another king will arise, different from the earlier ones; he will subdue three kings. 25 He will speak against the Most High and oppress his holy people and try to change the set times and the laws. The holy people will be delivered into his hands for a time, times and half a time.” (Daniel 7:24-25)

Then Daniel spoke of King Antiochus Epiphanes IV. He wrote of this king who took his place in the Jewish Temple of his day and ended all Jewish sacrifice. He desecrated the temple and began mass persecution of the Jews.

This king was a foreshadowing of the same man in Daniel 7 who would be called the antichrist and would take his place in the future Jewish Temple and end all Jewish sacrifice. Then he would begin the persecution and killing of Jews. Daniel prophesied that this would take place in the 70th week. A week also known as the Tribulation Period. A period on the horizon.

“Then he will turn back and vent his fury against the holy covenant. He will return and show favor to those who forsake the holy covenant.
31 “His armed forces will rise up to desecrate the temple fortress and will abolish the daily sacrifice. Then they will set up the abomination that causes desolation. 32 With flattery he will corrupt those who have violated the covenant, but the people who know their God will firmly resist him.” (Daniel 11:30-32)

This is our first glimpse of a future Jewish Temple. This is the temple that John is being asked to measure.

How Will the Jews Manage to Get a Third Temple Built?

To reinforce our understanding, let’s look at Jesus’ teaching on the Mount of Olives. Some sixty years before John records the visions of Revelation, he sat at the feet of Jesus listening to Him deliver His Olivet Discourse. It’s quite possible some of the this may have begun making sense to him as he connects the dots of Christ’ words.

In his Olivet Discourse, focusing on the Jews, their temple and their city of Jerusalem, Jesus echoed with more specificity the words of Daniel about the 70th week.

“So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand— then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house. Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again. “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.” (Matthew 24:15-22)

How the Jews will manage to get a third Jewish Temple built on the temple mount was revealed thousands of years ago by Daniel.

“He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.” (Daniel 9:27)

Want to understand the seven-year period surrounding these events? Continue to our study of Daniel’s 70th Week and see how Daniel’s prophecy provides the framework for the Tribulation.

Is the World Preparing for a Third Jewish Temple?

According to Daniel 9:27, the man scripture calls the antichrist will come onto the scene at the beginning of the Tribulation. He will establish an agreement to allow the Jews to build their 3rd Jewish Temple. The Jews will think this man is their friend.

In the middle of the seven years, he will turn on the Jews and exalt himself in their temple and put an end to all Jewish sacrifice.

It might sound impossible today considering Muslims control the Temple Mount. But the covenant (agreement) he forms will allow the Jews this privilege.

The Jewish Temple Institute of Jerusalem’s primary purpose is to build a 3rd Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. They already have an approved design. Many of the instruments and garments that were used in the old temple sacrifices have all been produced by the Institute. All, to exact specifications according to the law from God’s word.

They are very prepared and ready to do this. The only thing they need is someone to tell them that it’s time to begin building. That won’t happen today. But, it will happen in the near future.

We (the church) will not see it built. We will be raptured before the man called the antichrist comes onto the world scene. He’ll be the man with the plan. Mr. Fix It, prepared to solve the world’s problems. But he’ll be filled with lies and deception according to his father, Satan.

Prophecy Prospective

Revelation 11 does not introduce the temple as an isolated idea. Daniel had already prophesied about a future period when sacrifice and offering would be interrupted and an “abomination that causes desolation” would be established. Jesus later pointed His disciples back to Daniel when He described the same future event in the Olivet Discourse.

Daniel → Jesus → Revelation

The future Jewish temple is not important simply because another building may stand in Jerusalem. Its significance comes from the role Scripture gives the temple within God’s prophetic plan for Israel, Jerusalem, the Tribulation, and the return of Christ. Revelation 11 reminds us that God’s promises unfold according to His timetable, even when we cannot yet see how every detail will come together.

Continue Studying: Book of Revelation Chapters 1–11 Study Guides

Key Takeaways from Revelation 11:1

• John is commanded to measure God’s temple in a future prophetic setting.
• The passage points readers toward Jerusalem, Israel, and end-time worship.
• Daniel and Jesus provide important background for understanding the temple prophecy.
• A future Jewish temple plays an important role in the events surrounding the Tribulation.
• Prophecy ultimately points us toward the return and reign of Jesus Christ.

Continue Your Revelation Study

Revelation 11:1 introduces the temple. The next verses introduce two extraordinary witnesses who will proclaim God’s truth from Jerusalem during the Tribulation.

Continue to Revelation 11:2–4: Who Are the Two Witnesses?

Closing Reflection: The Temple Is a Signpost, Not the Destination

Friends, the third Jewish temple may become one of the most recognizable signs of the prophetic times described in Scripture, but the temple itself is not the destination. It is a signpost pointing toward something far greater.

God’s prophetic plan is moving toward the return of Jesus Christ, the defeat of evil, the restoration of Israel, and the establishment of Christ’s kingdom. Revelation 11:1 reminds us that what God promised through Daniel and the prophets will come to pass exactly as He has declared.

We may not know when every prophetic detail will unfold, but we can know where history is headed.

Why? Because we see it unfolding before our very eyes.

Jesus Christ is coming again.

Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father,

Give us hearts that seek Your truth above the opinions of men. Help us test everything by Your Word and never allow human wisdom, speculation, or popular opinion to replace what You have revealed.

Teach us to trust You when we understand and when we do not. Keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, our minds grounded in Scripture, and our hearts faithful to Your truth as we await the fulfillment of Your prophetic promises.

May Your Word—not the words of men—be our foundation, our guide, and our confidence.

In the mighty name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

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