JERUSALEM (Realist English). Israeli public figure and publicist Avigdor Eskin stated in an interview with Realist English that modern wars — including the US-Israeli operation against Iran — are a sign, a prelude to messianic revelation, but not the revelation itself.
According to him, practical preparation for the construction of the Third Temple is in full swing, but the actual building is still impossible because the world and the Jewish people are not yet spiritually ready.
Preparation for the Temple
Answering a question about whether it is true that some rabbis and religious Zionists are already preparing the utensils, priestly garments, and even the red heifer for ritual purification, Eskin confirmed: “Practical preparation for the Third Temple is in full swing.”
However, he stressed that the most important thing is internal preparation and spiritual evolution: the establishment of goodness, the renewal of prophecy.
“This has not yet happened. Therefore, in the current situation, we will not yet see the Temple in Jerusalem,” the publicist said.
The Messiah and the building of the Temple
Commenting on the widespread belief among Orthodox Jews that the Temple can only be built by the Messiah, Eskin called this assertion “weak.” In his view, the Temple will be built by people who have knowledge of construction and architecture.
“And most importantly, it must be a generation that possesses the messianic spirit,” he explained.
“The Messiah embodies spiritual correction and the establishment of the Kingdom of God. We have not yet reached this.”
From the perspective of accelerating events, we must prepare for this, and above all, spiritually. “We must bring to the whole world the message of the prophets, the message of the Bible, of Tradition with a capital T,” Eskin said.
“The victory of good must be achieved through a message from Jerusalem. We are now carrying it on the battlefield, but that is not enough. It must be a spiritual message that penetrates souls and hearts.”
The war with Iran and biblical prophecies
Speaking about the war with Iran, the strikes on Beirut, Tehran and Lebanon, the publicist stated that a careful study of the eschatological chapters of the prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel would convey the ideas of what is happening today.
“Yes, we can find there a direct mention of a confrontation with Persia, which will clothe itself in forms of evil not characteristic of the Persian Empire of Cyrus,” he noted.
“And this does not mean that this empire must be destroyed; it will be reborn into an empire in the image of Cyrus, and the messianic spirit will touch it as well in the most positive sense.”
“Incredible acceleration of events.”
Asked about the signs of the coming of the Messiah according to Kabbalah, Eskin replied: “We are undoubtedly witnessing the messianic footsteps. What does this mean? An incredible acceleration of events. An acceleration that can be defined as absolutely super-rational and irrational. In these days, a realist can only be a person who recognizes metaphysical meanings.”
In his view, wars and the complete transformation of the world picture are a prelude to messianic revelation, not the Revelation itself.
“This must be understood very well: the wars that Israel is now waging in a miraculous way are a sign, but they are not a spiritual goal in themselves nor a final destination,” the publicist stressed.
“This is a prelude, not the revelation of the messianic process in its manifest universal sense. Understanding this, we begin to open our eyes to the meanings of our era.”
In Jewish tradition, the idea of restoring the Temple occupies a central place, uniting biblical prophecies, Talmudic responsibility and practical preparations.
The Talmud states: “Every generation in whose days the Temple is not built is considered as if it destroyed it.” This quote emphasizes that the absence of the Temple is seen not as passive waiting but as an active guilt of the generation.
The Jewish philosopher and codifier Maimonides included the building of the Temple among the 248 positive commandments that the Jewish people are obliged to fulfill: “It is a positive commandment to build a Temple, a place prepared for sacrifices.”
At the same time, he believed that the Temple would be built by the Messiah, and stressed that the details are unclear and one should not delve into calculating the time.