The number ‘five’ is apparently important to the Lord. The Torah or Pentateuch is composed of five books, and is considered by the Jews to be “The Bible.” The Lord has four guardian cherubs about His throne. (Ezekiel 1:5-19, Revelation 4:6-9) Some scholars think that at one time there were five guardian cherubs around the throne of God.

Ezekiel describes a created being that was at one time a guardian cherub. (Ezekiel 28:14) This created being is the person we know as the Devil, who rebelled against God. Possibly confirming the position of the fifth guardian cherub is the apparent choosing of the number ‘five’ by Satan. Picture the five-pointed star known as the pentagram, used in Devil worship.

Also confirming this are the Fifth Seal, Trumpet and Bowl of Wrath found in the Revelation. The Fifth Seal shows the martyred victims of the Devil. (Revelation 6:9) The Fifth Trumpet tells how demonic creatures from the abyss will be instructed to attack only those without the seal of God on their foreheads. (Revelation 9:4) The Fifth Bowl of Wrath is poured on the throne of the Devil’s representative, the Beast. (Revelation 16:10)

Five is also the number associated with ‘grace’ in the Bible. The Devil is the great counterfeiter, and his use of five demonstrates “anti-grace.” An interesting confirmation of five being the number of grace is the birth of Samuel the prophet. His was the fifth miraculous birth in the Bible, and his mother’s name was Hannah. In Hebrew, Hannah means ‘grace.’

And, of course, our Heavenly Father is indeed gracious.

Because of the importance of the number ‘five’ to the Lord, I suspect that the Millennial Temple, constructed for the Prince of Peace, the Lord Jesus, will be the fifth Temple. Here is the sequence for my conjecture:
1 – The Temple of God built by Solomon. (First Kings 6)
2 – The Temple rebuilt by Zerubbabel after the Jews returned from Babylon. (Ezra 3, 5 and 6)
3 – The Temple of Herod is considered to be a remodeled Temple of Zerubbabel, and therefore the second Temple. It is consistently referred to as such by historians and Bible students. But Flavius Josephus, who lived during the siege of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple, tells us something different.

Josephus recorded that King Herod wanted to improve on the Temple. The Temple of Zerubbabel did not compare favorably to the Temple built by Solomon, and although various kings through the ages had improved it, Herod wanted to rebuild it! To calm the fears of the people, Herod assembled a thousand wagons of stone, and ten-thousand skilled craftsmen before they would let him begin.

“So Herod took away the old foundations, and laid others …” It took eight years to complete the walls around the Temple, and then the priests built the Temple itself in eighteen months. (Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, Book Fifteen, Chapter 11)

Therefore I believe that Herod’s Temple was the third Temple.

4 – We know that there will be a Temple at the time of the Tribulation because the “man of lawlessness” will sit in the Temple, declaring himself to be god. (Second Thessalonians 2:4)

Three is the number of spirituality; for example, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The third Temple was the one used by the Lord Jesus during His time here on earth. Four is the number of the world; for example north, south, east and west, or earth, wind, fire and water. The fourth Temple will be the worldly Temple used by the man of lawlessness during the Tribulation.

This Tribulation Temple will be the fourth Temple.

5 – The wonderful Millennial Temple, by simple succession, will be the fifth Temple. It will be glorious beyond any previous Temple constructed in the City of David. I look forward to seeing this Temple, and serving the Lord Jesus in whatever capacity He chooses.

Praise His name for ever and ever!