Why did Herod the Great remodel the Jerusalem temple?
Herod the Great remodeled and enlarged the Jerusalem temple because he was embarrassed that the rebuilt second temple from Ezra's time was makeshift and lacked Solomon's beauty. Being pompous and loving to build beautiful things, he wanted to improve and beautify it.
Les teaches that in Israel's history there were two temples in the past, and a third is about to come. The first was Solomon's, about 960 B.C. The second was rebuilt by Ezra when the Jews returned from Babylonian captivity, but it was pretty makeshift—nothing like Solomon's beauty—because they lacked numbers and wealth. Then Herod the Great came along 50 or 60 years before Christ. He was pompous and loved to build beautiful things. He was embarrassed that Israel's temple was nothing like Solomon's, so he began remodeling, extending, and enlarging the second temple. That remodeled temple stood at Christ's first coming, the one the disciples discussed in Matthew 24, and every Jew was proud of it.
More Questions
What did Herod the Great do to the second temple?
Herod the Great remodeled, extended, and enlarged the second temple, which was Ezra's rebuilt temple.
Was Herod's temple a completely new temple or a remodel of an older one?
Herod's temple was not a new temple but a remodeling and enlargement of Ezra's second temple.