Shalom, Shavuah Tov,
I hope everyone has had a good Shabbat, and a relaxing weekend...
Last Sunday I spent the entire day watching, and participating, in the 5th Annual Temple Mount Awareness day event. It was a 4 1/2 hour program put on by the Temple Institute, and its English spokesman Rabbi Chaim Richman.
I am a supporter of the Temple Institute and I was so happy today over Shabbat lunch that one of our congregation just returned from Eretz Yisrael and he mentioned (without my asking him) that he visited the Temple Institutes center in Jerusalem. The Temple Institute is a noble organization, creating media, videos, and radio programs expanding the Jewish peoples awareness of the centrality of the Holy Temple to the Jewish faith (along with the Moshiach, but not specifically relating to the Moshiach).
While in the chatroom during the event I had the pleasure and honor of chatting with Rabbi Richman, and several other great figures who I also respect... When some of the other people in the chatroom started asking about why the Temple Institutes representation of the Temple was not Ezekiels Temple, and had more elements from Solomons Temple I suggested (correctly I may add) that it was because the Temple of Ezekiels vision was the Temple we call the 'Temple which will descend from heaven'... While Solomons Temple was built by the labor of the Jewish people... The Rabbi pointed out that the 'Temple from Heaven' is not the Jewish belief, and Ezekiels vision is only one way (of many) that the Temple can be restored.
The entire broadcast has now been posted on YouTube...