The first temple was built by Solomon, and the second one is mentioned in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. Is this the same temple that King Herod added to, or is it considered the third temple?

The temple built during the time of Ezra and Nehemiah is indeed the second temple. This is the same structure that Herod later renovated, a project that took decades and continued beyond his lifetime. In fact, the renovations were completed only a few years before AD 70, when Rome invaded and utterly destroyed the temple.

The “third temple,” if we refer to it as such, will be the one built during the Great Tribulation. According to Daniel 9, temple sacrifices will be reinstituted as Israel makes a covenant with the Antichrist, possibly believing him to be the Messiah. This temple will likely be destroyed or severely damaged, as Revelation 11 describes a massive earthquake that will impact Jerusalem. Zechariah 14 also tells us that the whole land will be transformed into a plain, with Jerusalem as an exception.

The “fourth temple” is the one described in Ezekiel 40-48, with exact dimensions provided. According to Zechariah 6:13, the Lord Jesus Himself will oversee the building of this magnificent structure.

So, in summary, the four temples are: Solomon’s (the first), Ezra and Nehemiah’s (the second, later renovated by Herod), the future temple during the Tribulation (the third), and the temple described in Ezekiel (the fourth).