I was just wondering, with all of the ceremonial rituals and sacrifices that also go in to constructing the temple, how long would it take from the point that the Jewish people begin to build it and when it would be done?
For years, the Temple Institute has been making implements, furniture, and priestly robes, and has been training priests for Temple work. But there are still several obstacles in the way and building the Temple is just one of them. First there has to be a national demand for one, which doesn’t exist today. Then Israel’s Islamic neighbors have to be willing to tolerate its construction. I believe both of these will be handled through the Battle of Ezekiel 38.
But then a red heifer has to be born without blemish or defect and grow to the age of three years with no more than 2 hairs that aren’t red so that it can be burned and its ashes used to purify the people. (Numbers 19:1-10) Also, some believe that the ashes of the last previous heifer have to be found to mix with the ashes of the new one. (In all of history only 9 red heifers have been used for this purpose, and there’s no record of one being born in the last 2000 years.)
Today all living Jews are ceremonially unclean so even if they had a Temple they couldn’t use it until they were cleansed by having pure water mixed with the ashes of the red heifer sprinkled on them. This condition will only be met when God determines the time is right and that points to Ezekiel’s battle as well. In other words, when they need one, God will provide one.
And finally a building must be built. All this will have to happen in the time between the end of Ezekiel’s battle and the early part of Daniel’s 70th week. In spite of all that I think it’ll all come together pretty quickly once the Jewish people officially get behind the idea, because God has been waiting for them for 2,000 years.