What is the Dome of the Rock?

The Mosque of Omar or "Dome of the Rock" stands on that marble platform which was the firm foundation of the former temples, on the spot which David bought of Araunah the Jebusite, and where Abraham offered up his son Isaac. For centuries it has been kept sacred in the hands of the Mohammedans, and thus preserved from the idolatries of the Romish and the Greek Church.

In order to raise the surrounding ground to a level with the threshing floor, the place of the altar on its summit, a foundation platform of stupendous structure was built. It was to form this foundation platform that the Lord gave commandment, as we read in 1 Kings 5:17. "And the king commanded, and they brought great stones, costly stones, and hewed stones, to lay the foundation of the house." This broad platform, level and secure, was for the erection of the Temple, its courts, and other buildings. "And the foundation was of costly stones, even great stones, stones of ten cubits, and stones of eight cubits" (1 Kings 7:10) — in plain language, about twenty feet and sixteen feet in length. These firm foundation stones remain intact beneath the surface to the present day. One of the great services which the Palestine Exploration Fund Committee has rendered to the Church of God is the investigation which they have so skilfully carried on in respect to this foundation platform. It is an oblong structure, in round numbers about one thousand five hundred feet long, and about one thousand feet in breadth; it is known as the Haram-esh-Sherref, or Noble Sanctuary of the Mohammedans. The surface is nearly level, carpeted with grass; cypresses are found there, and oratories and mosques. About the centre of the enclosure rises a platform nearly square, about sixteen feet in height, formed in part of masonry, in part of the native rock, and paved with stone slabs, on which stands that which is now known as the Mosque of Omar, which the Mohammedans call Kubbet-es-Sakhra, or "Dome of the Rock." Above the surface of this platform time has done its work; siege after siege has committed ravages; but below the surface, to a depth of sixty, seventy, or one hundred and twenty feet, there have been discovered those vast stones of which we read in the Sacred Record, so closely joined that scarcely a pen-knife could be put between the joints; without cement, firm and immovable. On some of them may be seen the marks of the builders, in red vermilion.

There is a fifth portion on the extreme S.E. called MORIAH, agreeing, as is supposed, with the Mount Moriah of the O.T., on some portion of which the temple was most probably built. It is now called 'the Mosque enclosure,' because on it are built two mosques. It is a plateau of about 35 acres, all level except where a portion of the rock projects near the centre, over which the Mosque of Omar is built. To obtain this large plain, walls had to be built up at the sides of the sloping rock, forming with arches many chambers, tier above tier. Some chambers are devoted to cisterns, and others are called Solomon's stables. That horses have been kept there at some time appears evident from rings being found attached to the walls, to which the horses were tethered.

In the year 637 Jerusalem fell into the hands of the Caliph Omar, who built a mosque on the site of the temple. The whole people of that guilty city were degraded into a marked and abject caste by the haughty conqueror. Everywhere they were to honour the Mussulmans, and give place before them. Christianity was subjected to the ignominy of toleration; the cross was no longer to be exhibited on the outside of the churches, the bells were to be silent; the Christians were to bewail their dead in secrecy; the sight of the devout Mussulman was not to be offended by the symbols of Christianity in any way; and his person was to be considered sacred, so that it was a crime in a Christian to strike a Mussulman.

Since 1967 the old temple site is in Israel's hands, but a Moslem mosque, one of the most sacred spots to the Moslems, still stands there.

These must have had much to do with the building of the temple, and it may be that some of their handiwork is still to be seen in the foundations of the large level place in Jerusalem, called the Mosque enclosure, or the Temple area. It is generally supposed that the temple was built on some part of this enclosure, which had to be erected on the sides of the rock, the lower stones being let into the rock, and stones built upon them until the whole, except the summit of the rock, was a level plain. These stones formed no part of the temple, so that the temple could be destroyed without disturbing them.

We have often wondered what will happen to the Mosque of Omar, the Moslem place of worship, erected on the very site of the ancient Temple, if the Jews wish to erect their Temple on the same site. Not many months ago it was shaken by a slight earthquake, and the dome was cracked. One can see how simply such difficult matters can be settled by the hand of God.

The fact is emphasized the second time (v. 13) that He shall build the temple, for man's natural pride would like to think himself capable of doing this. David's thoughts along this line had to be corrected (2 Sam. 7:11), and Peter's similar thoughts were strongly reproved by God's voice from heaven (Luke 9:33-35). Orthodox Jews today know this scripture and are looking for their Messiah to come and build the temple. While many Jews are stirred up to desire the Dome of the Rock removed, wanting to replace it by a Jewish temple, yet they fear to do this. Still, by the middle of the seven year “tribulation” period following the Rapture, there will be a temple, erected by humans, in such a location that it will be called “the temple of God” (2 Thess. 2:4).

When the Israelis were established in the land, the city of Jerusalem was divided, the Arabs of Jordan taking possession of the old city, where the temple had stood, and this prevented the rebuilding to which the Jews looked forward, for it seems certain that they want to rebuild on the old site, which is now occupied by the Mosque of Omar.

The recent military success of Israel’s arms, with the recapture of the old city, has paved the way for the temple to be rebuilt, and the only obstacle seems to be the Mosque of Omar. It is not difficult to foresee that ways and means will be taken, sooner or later, to remove the obstacle.

It is evident then that the temple will be rebuilt by the time this takes place. The so-called "Dome of the Rock" must be replaced by "the temple of God." Whether this will be so before the Church is taken to glory we have no indication in Scripture. Indeed there is nothing that requires to be fulfilled before the coming of the Lord for His saints, though we may see signs of the fulfillment of many things as sort of a preparation for the time of the end. But we look for the Lord Himself, not for signs nor for prophetic fulfillments.