Herod the Great reconstructed the temple that Jesus came to. According to Josephus, Herod died in about 4 BC before Passover of that year. There was a lunar eclipse before his death, which was likely the one on the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles in 5 BC. Herod died about 4 or 5 months later in February, followed by a long period of mourning. He was buried in the midst of the Days of Unleavened Bread in the year 4 BC.

Herod's temple replaced the temple Zerubbabel built. The Jews still considered it the Second Temple, as it was a rebuilding of that Second Temple. The glory that Jesus brought into Herod's temple was greater than the glory of the Temple Solomon built, being Himself and the Kingdom of God. However, even Herod's ornate temple was destroyed by the Romans.

In the span of approximately 75 days between Lazarus' resurrection and Pentecost, significant events unfolded, including the ripping of the veil in the Temple during Christ's death. This incident, briefly mentioned in Matthew 27:51, would have been profoundly unsettling to Jews of that time, akin to witnessing a sacred national symbol being destroyed inexplicably. Additionally, in the mid-60s, the Pharisees, having gained political dominance, evicted the church from the Temple, severing the Jerusalem congregation's connection to the central place of worship. This disconnection facilitated their eventual flight from Jerusalem as Roman armies approached. The Temple's destruction by the Romans about five years later further stripped the Jews of their central place of sacrifice and worship, a loss less impactful to Christians who recognized a heavenly Temple and altar.