In I Kings 8:1-11 and II Chronicles 5:1-14 we have a wonderful testimony to the care of God over His people and over His Temple. We are told that Solomon gathered all of the elders of Israel, and all of the heads of the tribes, the chief of the fathers of the children of Israel unto Jerusalem. In addition since it was the time of the Feast of Tabernacles then all of the males of the land were in attendance as well. In addition in Prophets and Kings 38 Ellen White also states "At the appointed time the hosts of Israel, with richly clad representatives from many foreign nations, assembled in the temple courts." So all of God’s people, and many visitors from many nations, were in attendance to participate in the dedicatory events.
When all things were settled the Levites picked up the ark to carry it upon their shoulders and started the procession to bring the ark to the newly built Temple. In the process of moving the Ark they stopped and offered sacrifices to God, as did David when he brought the Ark to Jerusalem. Prophets and Kings 38.
When they arrived at the Temple the Priests took the Ark into the Most Holy Place and placed the Ark, with the Ten Commandments given at Mt. Sinai safely in the Ark, into the place between the two Cherubim. When all was completed the Priests came out of the Holy Places and began to sing unto the Lord for His grace and mercy. Then the Priests and the Levites, and 120 Priests sounding with trumpets, began to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord. Then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the Lord; So that the Priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of God. II Chronicles 5:13-14
This cloud filling the Temple was a testimony to the acceptance of the building by God and to state that the God of Heaven presence had come to the Temple to be as close to His people as possible. This was also a visible testimony to the presence of the Shekinah in the Most Holy Place.
This event was very similar to that experienced by Moses and Israel upon the completion of the mobile Temple in Exodus 40:33-35. It is also similar to the times when Jesus cleansed the Temple in John 2:13-16 and Matthew 21:10-17. He came in such a manner to drive out the evil and the poor and humble of spirit were left. This same issue was displayed in Pentecost when the fire of God came upon the newly dedicated the Temple of God – the disciples. They were anointed with the presence of the Shekinah, and was of such a witness that 3000 souls joined this Temple.
A final display of the filling of the Temple with God’s presence is presented in Revelation 15:8. In this presentation God fills the Temple because of His last great work in preparing the earth for the coming of the glories of God at the Second Coming of Christ. At that time His Presence, and all of His glory, will be so intense that it will destroy all the wicked. II Thessalonians 2:8
One final observation regarding the glory of God filling the Temple at the dedication by Solomon. Can you imagine the impact on all of the people when they saw the presence of God? Can you imagine the impact on the people from foreign nations? What kind of stories would they take back to their kingdoms? Do you think there were any souls saved on that day? What would you think and feel if you had been there to see this glorious display of God? Today, you can see this story fulfilled if you allow Jesus to reveal these things in your mind by faith. This story was written just for you and I pray that God will reveal Himself to you and fill the Most Holy Place of your mind with His Presence.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Solomon- And the Seven Annual Sabbaths
"And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month Zif, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the LORD." I Kings 6:1
"In the fourth year was the foundation of the house of the LORD laid, in the month Zif: And in the eleventh year, in the month Bul, which is the eighth month, was the house finished throughout all the parts thereof, and according to all the fashion of it. So was he seven years in building it." I Kings 6:37-38
After all of the preparations had been made and the Temple silently built (I Kings 6:7) the Temple was finally completed. When Solomon made preparations for the dedication of the Temple Solomon, wisely, chose the time of the Feast of Tabernacles in the 7th month. II Chronicles 5:2-3; I Kings 8:2. This was the time of the 3rd groupings of the 7 annual Sabbaths.
In Exodus 23:14-19 God had instructed Israel that they were to meet with God three times at Jerusalem. In these three meetings all of the males were to leave their homes, trusting in the protection of God, and come to Jerusalem to participate in these three annual pilgrimages. The three annual meetings were called The Feast of Unleavened Bread, The Feast of Harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering. These three festivals covered all of the harvest issues of the land, and were also symbolic of the ministry of God throughout history.
The Feast of Unleavened Bread covered the first three of the 7 annual Sabbaths – Passover – the death of the Sacrificial Lamb, the Feast of Unleavened Bread -–to have an investigative judgment to testify that there was no leaven of malice or error in the camp, and then the Wave Sheaf when the first sample of the harvest was waved before the Lord and then the harvest could begin. This Wave Sheaf offering was completed by Christ when He went to heaven to meet with His Father to be sure that His sacrifice had been accepted and that all of the criteria established by the Godhead had been satisfied. John 20:17
The Feast of Harvest is also called Pentecost and it was to take place 50 days after Wave Sheaf. This was to be another phase of the harvest ceremonies and was a day of gratitude for the harvest just received. In addition it was the time used by God to testify to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and a harvest of 3000 souls testified to the true meaning of the harvest of God. Acts 2:41
The Third, and final, festival was that of the Feast of Ingathering. During this Feast were incorporated the final three of the Annual Sabbaths – Feast of Trumpets which was to announce the Day of Atonement, The Day of Atonement when all of the sins of Israel were ceremonially removed from Israel, and the Temple, and placed on the head of the Scapegoat and the Scapegoat was released into the wilderness. In celebration of this wonderful event the Feast of Tabernacles was given that all Israel would testify of the wonderful grace and provision of God for them. This final celebration took place between the 1st day and the 22nd day of the 7th month. See Leviticus 23:26-27,39-44. These annual Sabbaths were additional times of celebration besides the weekly Sabbaths. Leviticus 23:37-38
Solomon chose the Feast of Ingathering as the most suitable time to celebrate the completion of the Temple and would give the people an extra event for this time of rejoicing. Hopefully, they would also gather the idea that there was more to the Temple of God than that of a place to testify that He was good for granting them a fruitful literal harvest. God also wanted them to remember that the true harvest of God is the hearts and minds of people and that God wanted His house to be a house of prayer for all people. Isaiah 56:1-7
"In the fourth year was the foundation of the house of the LORD laid, in the month Zif: And in the eleventh year, in the month Bul, which is the eighth month, was the house finished throughout all the parts thereof, and according to all the fashion of it. So was he seven years in building it." I Kings 6:37-38
After all of the preparations had been made and the Temple silently built (I Kings 6:7) the Temple was finally completed. When Solomon made preparations for the dedication of the Temple Solomon, wisely, chose the time of the Feast of Tabernacles in the 7th month. II Chronicles 5:2-3; I Kings 8:2. This was the time of the 3rd groupings of the 7 annual Sabbaths.
In Exodus 23:14-19 God had instructed Israel that they were to meet with God three times at Jerusalem. In these three meetings all of the males were to leave their homes, trusting in the protection of God, and come to Jerusalem to participate in these three annual pilgrimages. The three annual meetings were called The Feast of Unleavened Bread, The Feast of Harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering. These three festivals covered all of the harvest issues of the land, and were also symbolic of the ministry of God throughout history.
The Feast of Unleavened Bread covered the first three of the 7 annual Sabbaths – Passover – the death of the Sacrificial Lamb, the Feast of Unleavened Bread -–to have an investigative judgment to testify that there was no leaven of malice or error in the camp, and then the Wave Sheaf when the first sample of the harvest was waved before the Lord and then the harvest could begin. This Wave Sheaf offering was completed by Christ when He went to heaven to meet with His Father to be sure that His sacrifice had been accepted and that all of the criteria established by the Godhead had been satisfied. John 20:17
The Feast of Harvest is also called Pentecost and it was to take place 50 days after Wave Sheaf. This was to be another phase of the harvest ceremonies and was a day of gratitude for the harvest just received. In addition it was the time used by God to testify to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and a harvest of 3000 souls testified to the true meaning of the harvest of God. Acts 2:41
The Third, and final, festival was that of the Feast of Ingathering. During this Feast were incorporated the final three of the Annual Sabbaths – Feast of Trumpets which was to announce the Day of Atonement, The Day of Atonement when all of the sins of Israel were ceremonially removed from Israel, and the Temple, and placed on the head of the Scapegoat and the Scapegoat was released into the wilderness. In celebration of this wonderful event the Feast of Tabernacles was given that all Israel would testify of the wonderful grace and provision of God for them. This final celebration took place between the 1st day and the 22nd day of the 7th month. See Leviticus 23:26-27,39-44. These annual Sabbaths were additional times of celebration besides the weekly Sabbaths. Leviticus 23:37-38
Solomon chose the Feast of Ingathering as the most suitable time to celebrate the completion of the Temple and would give the people an extra event for this time of rejoicing. Hopefully, they would also gather the idea that there was more to the Temple of God than that of a place to testify that He was good for granting them a fruitful literal harvest. God also wanted them to remember that the true harvest of God is the hearts and minds of people and that God wanted His house to be a house of prayer for all people. Isaiah 56:1-7
Solomon - And the Holy of Holies
The final apartment of the Temple is the Most Holy Place. This is where the Ark of the Covenant is placed and where God has stated: "And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two Cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel." Exodus 25:22
The Ark of the Covenant is the only piece of furniture in the Most Holy Place, although the Altar of Incense is closely connected to the Most Holy Place as stated in Hebrews 9:3-4. But since we have already discussed the Altar of Incense I want to stay focused on the Ark of the Covenant and the Most Holy Place.
The Ark of the Covenant is a relatively small rectangular box 2.5 cubits in length, 1.5 cubits wide, and 1.5 cubits high. To convert this into feet equals 3.75 feet long; 2.25 feet wide and 2.5 feet high. This box was to be of Shittim wood, so that it would not wear out, covered with gold. Around the top of the box was to be a border of gold work called a "crown" Exodus 25:11 Then on top of this box was to be a block of solid gold that covered the box, and which had two Cherubim on the tope of the block. The Cherubim and the block of gold were to be one unit and was to be called the Mercy Seat. Exodus 25:17 The two Cherubim were to face one another with their faces turned down toward the box to show their interest and reverence for the law of God and the mercy seat covering it. Once the box was formed then the two tables of stone were to be placed in the Ark and this gave the Ark its name – the Ark of the Covenant since the Ten Commandments were the basis of the Covenant between God and Israel. This Ark was the connecting link between heaven and earth. In between the two Cherubim God’s presence, His Shekinah, be displayed when He chose to reveal Himself thus and would then communicate His will to Moses.
During the time of Moses, the Ark of the Covenant contained the Ten Commandments, the staff of Aaron, and a bowl of Manna. This was to convey that God was interested in His law, He had confirmed the priesthood of Aaron in Numbers 17, and that He was the Creator that supplied the needs of Israel by providing them with Manna. In addition the Ark of the Covenant was a miniature of heaven where Angels desired to look into the plan of salvation as displayed by law and mercy, and provision. Above the Mercy Seat God’s presence was revealed so that it was clear that God was above all and in control of all.
In the temple that Solomon built for God, the Most Holy Place was 20 cubits long, by 20 cubits wide, by 20 cubits high. These dimensions are translated into feet using 18 inches for a cubit thus the Most Holy Place would be 30 ft long, 30 ft wide, and 30 feet high. This indicates that there was a 10-cubit difference in height between the Most Holy Place and the Holy Place, which was 45 feet high. There is a tradition that states that the Most Holy Place, in the Temple that Solomon built, was built upon a rock, which elevated it approximately 15 feet.
There are a few other interesting qualities in this Most Holy Place. In the Temple built by Solomon the Most Holy Place is referred to as the Oracle. I Kings 6:16, 19-20. In Strong’s Concordance the word Oracle is identified as "debir" of being an oracle. The root word for debir is dabar – to arrange, or to speak, or a place of speaking. A couple of more texts may help a bit. In II Samuel 16:23 Ahithophel’s counsel is referred to as though someone had inquired of at the oracle of God. He was a wise counselor, when he served God. In Acts 7:38 where Moses received the Living Law of God – the "lively oracles" of God. So the Ark of the Covenant had the "lively oracles" in it. See also Romans 3:2. In I Peter 4:11 any person of God, speaking under the guidance of God, would be also considered an oracle of God. So the Oracle would be a place where God speaks to man about his duty to God.
Another facet of the Most Holy Place is that the place was built as a cube. It is equal in height, breath, and length. It is this writer’s perception that this equality of measurement is a testimony of the Godhead. That all three members of the Godhead were represented in the equal measurements of the room.
In the Temple that Solomon built there are a few other points that we need to touch upon. In this Temple there are two other Cherubim presented and they are built so that their wings extend to the walls on either side of the place for the Ark of the Covenant and when they moved the Ark into the Oracle the original Ark settles in between these two other Cherubim. There are potential reasons for this but the primary one, is that of Cherubim, or angels, watching over the activities of God for Angels long to look into these things. I Peter 1:12. This is also reinforced by the Cherubim carved into the walls round about. Thus the Angels are depicted as being all around the throne room of God, in heaven. We see a picture of this in Daniel 7:10
As in each other facet of the Temple it is good to be reminded that the furniture, as well as the building itself, is a symbol of things that happen in the Greater Temple that God has pitched in heaven. Hebrews 9:10; 8:1-2. If we get too caught up in the furniture, and the detail, we can often lose sight of Jesus who is the Temple of God. Revelation 21:22
We know that Solomon received special instructions through the Holy Spirit moving upon his father David to write out all of these special instructions. I Chronicles 28:11-12,18-19. We know that God has a good purpose in everything that He does. So we know that the Temple built by Solomon was to be a blessing to Israel and to all of the world which would hear of this wonderful temple. This temple lasted until Israel had rebelled against God and He sent Nebuchadnezzar to destroy the Temple that Solomon built and he took all of the furniture into Babylon except the Ark of the Covenant which had been hidden by the faithful priests.
When Israel returned from the Babylonian captivity then they built a smaller version of the Temple, and there was no official Ark of the Covenant to place in the Most Holy Place. Yet God prophesied that the glory of this second Temple would be greater than that of the Temple built by Solomon. Haggai 2:9.
So a great question is did the Ark of the Covenant enter the Second Temple and the answer is yes, in Jesus Christ. He was the Revealer of the Law of God for He was to come to reveal the Law of God. "The Lord is well pleased for His righteousness sake; He will magnify the law, and make it honourable." Isaiah 42:21. Jesus revealed the "weightier matters of the law" judgment, mercy, and faith. Matthew 23:23. It was He that displayed mercy to the adulteress and pronounced judgment upon her while forgiving her. John 8:1-11. He was the embodiment of the law and He was the greatest manifestation of the Mercy Seat.
In addition Jesus points us forward to the book of Revelation. He reveals His Most Holy Place in Revelation 11:19 "And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in His temple the ark of His testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail." In this introduction God testifies as to His Ark of the Covenant and His communications to all of mankind about His gospel message. All of Revelation 12-19 is the final oracles of God to warn mankind and get them ready for His soon coming.
We will talk about the Day of Atonement in the Temple that Solomon built but for now we will close this chapter out with an appeal that we will hear His voice calling to us from His Holy Oracle for us to come to Him before it is too late. Today we can come to Him and receive His gifts, His testimony, and His wonderful mercy. It is all for you if you will but receive it today.
The Ark of the Covenant is the only piece of furniture in the Most Holy Place, although the Altar of Incense is closely connected to the Most Holy Place as stated in Hebrews 9:3-4. But since we have already discussed the Altar of Incense I want to stay focused on the Ark of the Covenant and the Most Holy Place.
The Ark of the Covenant is a relatively small rectangular box 2.5 cubits in length, 1.5 cubits wide, and 1.5 cubits high. To convert this into feet equals 3.75 feet long; 2.25 feet wide and 2.5 feet high. This box was to be of Shittim wood, so that it would not wear out, covered with gold. Around the top of the box was to be a border of gold work called a "crown" Exodus 25:11 Then on top of this box was to be a block of solid gold that covered the box, and which had two Cherubim on the tope of the block. The Cherubim and the block of gold were to be one unit and was to be called the Mercy Seat. Exodus 25:17 The two Cherubim were to face one another with their faces turned down toward the box to show their interest and reverence for the law of God and the mercy seat covering it. Once the box was formed then the two tables of stone were to be placed in the Ark and this gave the Ark its name – the Ark of the Covenant since the Ten Commandments were the basis of the Covenant between God and Israel. This Ark was the connecting link between heaven and earth. In between the two Cherubim God’s presence, His Shekinah, be displayed when He chose to reveal Himself thus and would then communicate His will to Moses.
During the time of Moses, the Ark of the Covenant contained the Ten Commandments, the staff of Aaron, and a bowl of Manna. This was to convey that God was interested in His law, He had confirmed the priesthood of Aaron in Numbers 17, and that He was the Creator that supplied the needs of Israel by providing them with Manna. In addition the Ark of the Covenant was a miniature of heaven where Angels desired to look into the plan of salvation as displayed by law and mercy, and provision. Above the Mercy Seat God’s presence was revealed so that it was clear that God was above all and in control of all.
In the temple that Solomon built for God, the Most Holy Place was 20 cubits long, by 20 cubits wide, by 20 cubits high. These dimensions are translated into feet using 18 inches for a cubit thus the Most Holy Place would be 30 ft long, 30 ft wide, and 30 feet high. This indicates that there was a 10-cubit difference in height between the Most Holy Place and the Holy Place, which was 45 feet high. There is a tradition that states that the Most Holy Place, in the Temple that Solomon built, was built upon a rock, which elevated it approximately 15 feet.
There are a few other interesting qualities in this Most Holy Place. In the Temple built by Solomon the Most Holy Place is referred to as the Oracle. I Kings 6:16, 19-20. In Strong’s Concordance the word Oracle is identified as "debir" of being an oracle. The root word for debir is dabar – to arrange, or to speak, or a place of speaking. A couple of more texts may help a bit. In II Samuel 16:23 Ahithophel’s counsel is referred to as though someone had inquired of at the oracle of God. He was a wise counselor, when he served God. In Acts 7:38 where Moses received the Living Law of God – the "lively oracles" of God. So the Ark of the Covenant had the "lively oracles" in it. See also Romans 3:2. In I Peter 4:11 any person of God, speaking under the guidance of God, would be also considered an oracle of God. So the Oracle would be a place where God speaks to man about his duty to God.
Another facet of the Most Holy Place is that the place was built as a cube. It is equal in height, breath, and length. It is this writer’s perception that this equality of measurement is a testimony of the Godhead. That all three members of the Godhead were represented in the equal measurements of the room.
In the Temple that Solomon built there are a few other points that we need to touch upon. In this Temple there are two other Cherubim presented and they are built so that their wings extend to the walls on either side of the place for the Ark of the Covenant and when they moved the Ark into the Oracle the original Ark settles in between these two other Cherubim. There are potential reasons for this but the primary one, is that of Cherubim, or angels, watching over the activities of God for Angels long to look into these things. I Peter 1:12. This is also reinforced by the Cherubim carved into the walls round about. Thus the Angels are depicted as being all around the throne room of God, in heaven. We see a picture of this in Daniel 7:10
As in each other facet of the Temple it is good to be reminded that the furniture, as well as the building itself, is a symbol of things that happen in the Greater Temple that God has pitched in heaven. Hebrews 9:10; 8:1-2. If we get too caught up in the furniture, and the detail, we can often lose sight of Jesus who is the Temple of God. Revelation 21:22
We know that Solomon received special instructions through the Holy Spirit moving upon his father David to write out all of these special instructions. I Chronicles 28:11-12,18-19. We know that God has a good purpose in everything that He does. So we know that the Temple built by Solomon was to be a blessing to Israel and to all of the world which would hear of this wonderful temple. This temple lasted until Israel had rebelled against God and He sent Nebuchadnezzar to destroy the Temple that Solomon built and he took all of the furniture into Babylon except the Ark of the Covenant which had been hidden by the faithful priests.
When Israel returned from the Babylonian captivity then they built a smaller version of the Temple, and there was no official Ark of the Covenant to place in the Most Holy Place. Yet God prophesied that the glory of this second Temple would be greater than that of the Temple built by Solomon. Haggai 2:9.
So a great question is did the Ark of the Covenant enter the Second Temple and the answer is yes, in Jesus Christ. He was the Revealer of the Law of God for He was to come to reveal the Law of God. "The Lord is well pleased for His righteousness sake; He will magnify the law, and make it honourable." Isaiah 42:21. Jesus revealed the "weightier matters of the law" judgment, mercy, and faith. Matthew 23:23. It was He that displayed mercy to the adulteress and pronounced judgment upon her while forgiving her. John 8:1-11. He was the embodiment of the law and He was the greatest manifestation of the Mercy Seat.
In addition Jesus points us forward to the book of Revelation. He reveals His Most Holy Place in Revelation 11:19 "And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in His temple the ark of His testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail." In this introduction God testifies as to His Ark of the Covenant and His communications to all of mankind about His gospel message. All of Revelation 12-19 is the final oracles of God to warn mankind and get them ready for His soon coming.
We will talk about the Day of Atonement in the Temple that Solomon built but for now we will close this chapter out with an appeal that we will hear His voice calling to us from His Holy Oracle for us to come to Him before it is too late. Today we can come to Him and receive His gifts, His testimony, and His wonderful mercy. It is all for you if you will but receive it today.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Solomon - and the Holy Place of the Temple
In the temple that Moses built, as the instruction of God, there were several parts of this temple. There was the outside of the temple signifying that this was the place where non-believers gathered. Then there was the courtyard where all believers came to meet with God via the priest. This is where the sinner brought his sacrifice to allow the death of another to take the place of the sinner. Then the priest took the blood and went into a place where the average person was not allowed to go. This place was the Holy Places inside the vail. These Holy Places were divided into two different areas – the Holy Place, and the Most Holy Place. There were different pieces of furniture in the two places and they had two different functions especially divided by time, as well as location. In the Holy Place the priest could go every day to accomplish a variety of activities and services, but the priest could go into the Most Holy Place only one time during the entire religious year. This one time took place during the Day of Atonement, and it was part of the final religious services of the year. It is the purpose of this article to discuss the Holy Place in the temple that Solomon built for God.
In the temple that Moses built for God there were three basic pieces of furniture. There was the Table of Shewbread, the 7 Branched Candlestick, and the Altar of Incense. Exodus 25:23-40; 30:1-10. In addition there were two curtains – one to separate the Holy Place from the Courtyard, and one to separate the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. Exodus 26:31-37
In the Temple that Solomon built the same basic outline was maintained and the same general pieces of furniture. However, in the Temple that Solomon built there were some major changes. First of all the Holy Places, Holy Place and Most Holy Place joined together, were 60 cubits long, 20 cubits wide, and 30 cubits high. That would be 90-ft long, 30 feet wide, and 45 ft high. However, the Most Holy Place was a cube 20 cubits, by 20 cubits, by 20 cubits. We will discuss this in the section on the Most Holy Place. With the Most Holy Place being 20 cubits long and 20 cubits wide this means that the Holy Place would be 40 cubits long, and 20 cubits wide, and 30 cubits high. Again that is 60 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 45 feet high.
When Solomon built the house he used stone as the foundation and walls. He then had the floors covered with fir and the walls with cedar. In the wood he had carved descriptions of Cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers. Then he had all of the walls in the Holy Places covered with gold so that no wood and no stones could be seen. He also had the doors into the Holy Place and Most Holy Place covered with gold as well. In addition Solomon had a vail made to separate the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place and it was made out of fine linen, colored blue, purple, and crimson and had Cherubim woven into the cloth. II Chronicles 3:14
In the Holy Place Solomon had 10 Candlesticks made and 10 Tables of Shewbread made as well. He had 5 Candlesticks set on the North side and 5 Tables of Shewbread set on the North side of the Temple. In addition he had 5 Candlestick and 5 Tables of Shewbread set on the South side of the Temple. II Chronicles 4:7-8. The directions are sure because one looks at the Temple facing West with ones back to the Sun in the East. So 5 would be on the right side or North, and 5 on the left side or South.
Solomon also records that the Candlesticks were of pure gold, as well as the bason, tongue, snuffers, spoons, and censers were of pure gold. But there was apparently only 1 golden altar. This would be set directly before the vail that separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. See II Chronicles 4:19-22.
Now that we have the physical outline of the Temple and its physical furniture, let us discuss briefly what these things were for, what it was that God wanted from these tools, and how it applies to the future and to us. The most elaborate counsel on the use of the Temple was in the book of Exodus and Leviticus. Exodus tells us the details of the construction of the Sanctuary/Temple, and Leviticus goes into elaborate detail of how the various services work. So let us do a brief story-line of how the Temple functioned for the sinner.
The sinner comes under some conviction of the need to be reconciled to God because he law has developed a guilty conscience in the mind of the individual. The individual hears that there is hope for a restoration of At-one-ment in the temple that Solomon had built. He goes to the temple, hoping for reconciliation and tells the priest of his burden. The priest suggests that the individual purchase a lamb without blemish. The person is to bring the lamb into the Temple and brings it to the priest. The priest asks the individual to place his hands on the head of the lamb and confess his sin over the lamb thus transferring the sin from the individual to the lamb. The individual then takes a knife and kills the lamb, thus symbolizing that an innocent dies for the guilty. The priest then catches some of the blood and places the blood on the four horns of the altar. After this the priest takes some of the blood into the Holy Place and sprinkles the blood on the curtain separating the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. This signifies that the sin has been separated from the sinner and placed on the Temple itself. The sinner can now walk away reconciled to God by the death of the innocent.
But there is more. After the death of the lamb, the body is opened up and the internal organs are removed and burned on the fire of the altar of burnt offerings. Certain sections of the body are trimmed from fat, showing a removal of sin, and the hide and other parts of the body are given to the priest as offerings for the priest’s use. The parts that have been separated for offerings are taken to altar of burnt sacrifice and are salted, showing the covenant relationship with God, and then are placed on the altar to be consumed as a testimony of service and to be used up for God.
The priest, acting in behalf of the sinner, also goes into the Holy Place and participates in the various rites of the Holy Place. He trims the Candlestick, revealing the light of the World, eats of the Shewbread, that he participates in eating the Word of God, and that he offers incense – indicating the prayers of the saints. All of these are to be done in service to the God one is now reconciled to. All of these activities are now participated in by the individual because of a love for God and a feeling of joy due to the release from sin that had been bothering the person’s conscience.
In addition to these benefits to the individual, the Temple is also a prophecy of what Jesus, the true temple (John 2:18-21). Jesus was the Lamb of God who came to take away the sins of the world. John 1:29. He was the Passover sacrifice who died and shed His blood to protect us from the avenging angel. I Corinthians 5:7; Exodus 12. He is the light of the world thus He is the true Candlestick. John 1:4-9; 8:12. He is the shewbread of the world. John 6:48-51. He is the One who handles all of the prayers of the saints. Hebrews 7:25; Revelation 8:3-4. He is our great High Priest. Hebrews 7:21.
The good news is not done yet. Jesus also uses the Holy Place of the Temple of Solomon to reveal the things He is doing for us in heaven. He is revealed as the Priest of God in Revelation 1:13. He is ministering for us before the great 7 branched Candlestick in heaven. Revelation 1:12-20. He ministers before the Altar of Incense in Revelation 8:3-4. He is revealed as the Great Sacrifice for man in Revelation 5:6. He is the Master of the Word of God in Revelation 5:1-7. He gives it to us, through John, to eat and then to prophesy what God has granted to us. Revelation 10.
All of the above is revealed through the ministry of the Priest in the Holy Place of the Temple of Solomon. All of what is revealed literally is for us to meditate and pray over in regards to the great Temple in Heaven above of which the Temple that Solomon built is but a copy. Hebrews 8:1-2 Let us go into this Temple by faith, and receive the ministry of Jesus in our
In the temple that Moses built for God there were three basic pieces of furniture. There was the Table of Shewbread, the 7 Branched Candlestick, and the Altar of Incense. Exodus 25:23-40; 30:1-10. In addition there were two curtains – one to separate the Holy Place from the Courtyard, and one to separate the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. Exodus 26:31-37
In the Temple that Solomon built the same basic outline was maintained and the same general pieces of furniture. However, in the Temple that Solomon built there were some major changes. First of all the Holy Places, Holy Place and Most Holy Place joined together, were 60 cubits long, 20 cubits wide, and 30 cubits high. That would be 90-ft long, 30 feet wide, and 45 ft high. However, the Most Holy Place was a cube 20 cubits, by 20 cubits, by 20 cubits. We will discuss this in the section on the Most Holy Place. With the Most Holy Place being 20 cubits long and 20 cubits wide this means that the Holy Place would be 40 cubits long, and 20 cubits wide, and 30 cubits high. Again that is 60 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 45 feet high.
When Solomon built the house he used stone as the foundation and walls. He then had the floors covered with fir and the walls with cedar. In the wood he had carved descriptions of Cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers. Then he had all of the walls in the Holy Places covered with gold so that no wood and no stones could be seen. He also had the doors into the Holy Place and Most Holy Place covered with gold as well. In addition Solomon had a vail made to separate the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place and it was made out of fine linen, colored blue, purple, and crimson and had Cherubim woven into the cloth. II Chronicles 3:14
In the Holy Place Solomon had 10 Candlesticks made and 10 Tables of Shewbread made as well. He had 5 Candlesticks set on the North side and 5 Tables of Shewbread set on the North side of the Temple. In addition he had 5 Candlestick and 5 Tables of Shewbread set on the South side of the Temple. II Chronicles 4:7-8. The directions are sure because one looks at the Temple facing West with ones back to the Sun in the East. So 5 would be on the right side or North, and 5 on the left side or South.
Solomon also records that the Candlesticks were of pure gold, as well as the bason, tongue, snuffers, spoons, and censers were of pure gold. But there was apparently only 1 golden altar. This would be set directly before the vail that separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. See II Chronicles 4:19-22.
Now that we have the physical outline of the Temple and its physical furniture, let us discuss briefly what these things were for, what it was that God wanted from these tools, and how it applies to the future and to us. The most elaborate counsel on the use of the Temple was in the book of Exodus and Leviticus. Exodus tells us the details of the construction of the Sanctuary/Temple, and Leviticus goes into elaborate detail of how the various services work. So let us do a brief story-line of how the Temple functioned for the sinner.
The sinner comes under some conviction of the need to be reconciled to God because he law has developed a guilty conscience in the mind of the individual. The individual hears that there is hope for a restoration of At-one-ment in the temple that Solomon had built. He goes to the temple, hoping for reconciliation and tells the priest of his burden. The priest suggests that the individual purchase a lamb without blemish. The person is to bring the lamb into the Temple and brings it to the priest. The priest asks the individual to place his hands on the head of the lamb and confess his sin over the lamb thus transferring the sin from the individual to the lamb. The individual then takes a knife and kills the lamb, thus symbolizing that an innocent dies for the guilty. The priest then catches some of the blood and places the blood on the four horns of the altar. After this the priest takes some of the blood into the Holy Place and sprinkles the blood on the curtain separating the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. This signifies that the sin has been separated from the sinner and placed on the Temple itself. The sinner can now walk away reconciled to God by the death of the innocent.
But there is more. After the death of the lamb, the body is opened up and the internal organs are removed and burned on the fire of the altar of burnt offerings. Certain sections of the body are trimmed from fat, showing a removal of sin, and the hide and other parts of the body are given to the priest as offerings for the priest’s use. The parts that have been separated for offerings are taken to altar of burnt sacrifice and are salted, showing the covenant relationship with God, and then are placed on the altar to be consumed as a testimony of service and to be used up for God.
The priest, acting in behalf of the sinner, also goes into the Holy Place and participates in the various rites of the Holy Place. He trims the Candlestick, revealing the light of the World, eats of the Shewbread, that he participates in eating the Word of God, and that he offers incense – indicating the prayers of the saints. All of these are to be done in service to the God one is now reconciled to. All of these activities are now participated in by the individual because of a love for God and a feeling of joy due to the release from sin that had been bothering the person’s conscience.
In addition to these benefits to the individual, the Temple is also a prophecy of what Jesus, the true temple (John 2:18-21). Jesus was the Lamb of God who came to take away the sins of the world. John 1:29. He was the Passover sacrifice who died and shed His blood to protect us from the avenging angel. I Corinthians 5:7; Exodus 12. He is the light of the world thus He is the true Candlestick. John 1:4-9; 8:12. He is the shewbread of the world. John 6:48-51. He is the One who handles all of the prayers of the saints. Hebrews 7:25; Revelation 8:3-4. He is our great High Priest. Hebrews 7:21.
The good news is not done yet. Jesus also uses the Holy Place of the Temple of Solomon to reveal the things He is doing for us in heaven. He is revealed as the Priest of God in Revelation 1:13. He is ministering for us before the great 7 branched Candlestick in heaven. Revelation 1:12-20. He ministers before the Altar of Incense in Revelation 8:3-4. He is revealed as the Great Sacrifice for man in Revelation 5:6. He is the Master of the Word of God in Revelation 5:1-7. He gives it to us, through John, to eat and then to prophesy what God has granted to us. Revelation 10.
All of the above is revealed through the ministry of the Priest in the Holy Place of the Temple of Solomon. All of what is revealed literally is for us to meditate and pray over in regards to the great Temple in Heaven above of which the Temple that Solomon built is but a copy. Hebrews 8:1-2 Let us go into this Temple by faith, and receive the ministry of Jesus in our
Friday, April 17, 2009
Solomon's Ten Lavers
In I Kings 7:27-39 we find the following text:
27And he made ten bases of brass; four cubits was the length of one base, and four cubits the breadth thereof, and three cubits the height of it.
28And the work of the bases was on this manner: they had borders, and the borders were between the ledges:
29And on the borders that were between the ledges were lions, oxen, and cherubim: and upon the ledges there was a base above: and beneath the lions and oxen were certain additions made of thin work.
30And every base had four brazen wheels, and plates of brass: and the four corners thereof had undersetters: under the laver were undersetters molten, at the side of every addition.
31And the mouth of it within the chapiter and above was a cubit: but the mouth thereof was round after the work of the base, a cubit and a half: and also upon the mouth of it were gravings with their borders, foursquare, not round.
32And under the borders were four wheels; and the axletrees of the wheels were joined to the base: and the height of a wheel was a cubit and half a cubit.
33And the work of the wheels was like the work of a chariot wheel: their axletrees, and their naves, and their felloes, and their spokes, were all molten.
34And there were four undersetters to the four corners of one base: and the undersetters were of the very base itself.
35And in the top of the base was there a round compass of half a cubit high: and on the top of the base the ledges thereof and the borders thereof were of the same.
36For on the plates of the ledges thereof, and on the borders thereof, he graved cherubims, lions, and palm trees, according to the proportion of every one, and additions round about.
37After this manner he made the ten bases: all of them had one casting, one measure, and one size.
38Then made he ten lavers of brass: one laver contained forty baths: and every laver was four cubits: and upon every one of the ten bases one laver.
39And he put five bases on the right side of the house, and five on the left side of the house: and he set the sea on the right side of the house eastward over against the south.
The ten lavers of brass sat upon ten bases of brass. Five of these lavers were on the south side of the Courtyard and five lavers were on the north side of the Courtyard, near enough to work in conjunction with the Altar of Burnt Offering. Each of the bases, supporting the lavers, was square, 4 cubits long, 4 cubits wide and 3 cubits high. That is equivalent to 6ft long, 6-ft wide, and 4.5 feet high. These bases sat on wheels that were chariot like wheels 2.25 feet high. So that would make the total height of the base approximately 5.6 feet high, and then the laver would set on top of the base, which would add another several feet to the overall height.
Each laver, and its base, was available to the priests to wash the sacrifices from any defilement and make the sacrifices ready for burning on the altar. The Molten Sea was to be used exclusively for the cleansing of the priests as they entered into the Holy Places, and not for the washing of sacrifices.
Each base was like a cabinet and had panels around the sides on which were depicted engravings of lions, oxen, cherubim, and palm trees. For this writer these emblems were symbols of the lion for aggressive warfare for God, the oxen for service and sacrifice for God, the cherubim to share the messages of God to the world, and finally to have peace and victory as symbolized by the palm trees.
Again we must remember that all of the equipment, and activities of the Temple were symbols to communicate various ideas of spiritual activities to those who participated in the Temple services. So the Lavers, and their bases, were also to communicate these ideas at many levels. In a previous study we talked about the Sea that it was a symbol of Christ’s ministry to the world through the waters of life. So with the lavers one of the messages is that being on wheels they were to go to various places to carry the message of the gospel and be a fountain of water to all who wanted to be refreshed. "But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." John 4:14 This thought was followed up by Jesus in this additional statement: "In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)" John 7:37-39
The lavers convey the concept of cleansing of the sacrifice and the New Testament writers also had this idea as well and apply it to the cleansing of the church by the sacrifice of Jesus. "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word…" Ephesians 5:25-26. Jesus extends the idea further by stating "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour…" Titus 3:5-6
The Holy Word of God extends this cleansing thought to His faithful followers. He recognizes the need of cleansing of even the most sincere of His flock. Jesus states that He wants to wash for our idols (Ezekiel 36:25) He wants to birth us again through the water and the Spirit (John 3:5) and this water is His Word (John 15:3; Ephesians 5:26) and that when we are washed, even if it is only our feet we are clean every whit. (John 13:9-10)
Thus the service of the lavers has its literal cleansing of animal sacrifices in the OT service, but it also has its spiritual application that has been available by faith to each and every sinner since the beginning of sin in Eden. I pray that today you will accept this cleansing from Jesus your High Priest by faith. You may not be able to feel this process, but by faith you can accept the process because God has spoken it and He can not lie to you. Even if you have accepted God as the Leader in your life and you have had problems with sin, come again and wash your sacrifice at the laver, and then go to the sea and be cleansed again.
27And he made ten bases of brass; four cubits was the length of one base, and four cubits the breadth thereof, and three cubits the height of it.
28And the work of the bases was on this manner: they had borders, and the borders were between the ledges:
29And on the borders that were between the ledges were lions, oxen, and cherubim: and upon the ledges there was a base above: and beneath the lions and oxen were certain additions made of thin work.
30And every base had four brazen wheels, and plates of brass: and the four corners thereof had undersetters: under the laver were undersetters molten, at the side of every addition.
31And the mouth of it within the chapiter and above was a cubit: but the mouth thereof was round after the work of the base, a cubit and a half: and also upon the mouth of it were gravings with their borders, foursquare, not round.
32And under the borders were four wheels; and the axletrees of the wheels were joined to the base: and the height of a wheel was a cubit and half a cubit.
33And the work of the wheels was like the work of a chariot wheel: their axletrees, and their naves, and their felloes, and their spokes, were all molten.
34And there were four undersetters to the four corners of one base: and the undersetters were of the very base itself.
35And in the top of the base was there a round compass of half a cubit high: and on the top of the base the ledges thereof and the borders thereof were of the same.
36For on the plates of the ledges thereof, and on the borders thereof, he graved cherubims, lions, and palm trees, according to the proportion of every one, and additions round about.
37After this manner he made the ten bases: all of them had one casting, one measure, and one size.
38Then made he ten lavers of brass: one laver contained forty baths: and every laver was four cubits: and upon every one of the ten bases one laver.
39And he put five bases on the right side of the house, and five on the left side of the house: and he set the sea on the right side of the house eastward over against the south.
The ten lavers of brass sat upon ten bases of brass. Five of these lavers were on the south side of the Courtyard and five lavers were on the north side of the Courtyard, near enough to work in conjunction with the Altar of Burnt Offering. Each of the bases, supporting the lavers, was square, 4 cubits long, 4 cubits wide and 3 cubits high. That is equivalent to 6ft long, 6-ft wide, and 4.5 feet high. These bases sat on wheels that were chariot like wheels 2.25 feet high. So that would make the total height of the base approximately 5.6 feet high, and then the laver would set on top of the base, which would add another several feet to the overall height.
Each laver, and its base, was available to the priests to wash the sacrifices from any defilement and make the sacrifices ready for burning on the altar. The Molten Sea was to be used exclusively for the cleansing of the priests as they entered into the Holy Places, and not for the washing of sacrifices.
Each base was like a cabinet and had panels around the sides on which were depicted engravings of lions, oxen, cherubim, and palm trees. For this writer these emblems were symbols of the lion for aggressive warfare for God, the oxen for service and sacrifice for God, the cherubim to share the messages of God to the world, and finally to have peace and victory as symbolized by the palm trees.
Again we must remember that all of the equipment, and activities of the Temple were symbols to communicate various ideas of spiritual activities to those who participated in the Temple services. So the Lavers, and their bases, were also to communicate these ideas at many levels. In a previous study we talked about the Sea that it was a symbol of Christ’s ministry to the world through the waters of life. So with the lavers one of the messages is that being on wheels they were to go to various places to carry the message of the gospel and be a fountain of water to all who wanted to be refreshed. "But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." John 4:14 This thought was followed up by Jesus in this additional statement: "In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)" John 7:37-39
The lavers convey the concept of cleansing of the sacrifice and the New Testament writers also had this idea as well and apply it to the cleansing of the church by the sacrifice of Jesus. "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word…" Ephesians 5:25-26. Jesus extends the idea further by stating "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour…" Titus 3:5-6
The Holy Word of God extends this cleansing thought to His faithful followers. He recognizes the need of cleansing of even the most sincere of His flock. Jesus states that He wants to wash for our idols (Ezekiel 36:25) He wants to birth us again through the water and the Spirit (John 3:5) and this water is His Word (John 15:3; Ephesians 5:26) and that when we are washed, even if it is only our feet we are clean every whit. (John 13:9-10)
Thus the service of the lavers has its literal cleansing of animal sacrifices in the OT service, but it also has its spiritual application that has been available by faith to each and every sinner since the beginning of sin in Eden. I pray that today you will accept this cleansing from Jesus your High Priest by faith. You may not be able to feel this process, but by faith you can accept the process because God has spoken it and He can not lie to you. Even if you have accepted God as the Leader in your life and you have had problems with sin, come again and wash your sacrifice at the laver, and then go to the sea and be cleansed again.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Solomon's Porch
In I Kings 6:2-3 we find the following statement:
"And the house which King Solomon built for the Lord, the length therof was threescore cubits, and the breadth therof twenty cubits, and the height thereof thirty cubits. And the porch before the temple of the house, twenty cubits was the length thereof, according to the breadth of the house, and ten cubits was the breadth thereof before the house."
In II Chronicles 3:3-4 we have a slightly different presentation. Scripture says the following:
"Now these are the things wherein Solomon was instructed for the building of the house of God. The length by cubits after the first measure was threescore cubits, and the breadth twenty cubits. And the porch that was in the front of the house, the length of it was according to the breadth of the house, twenty cubits, and the height was an hundred and twenty: and he overlaid it within with pure gold."
The apparent discrepancies between the two Scriptures may be resolved in a fairly simple way, but this is speculation on the part of this writer. Each person studying these texts will have to decide for themselves through prayer and study. But it appears to this writer as though the Holy Place and Most Holy Place section of the temple was 90 feet long (60 cubits of 18 inches divided 12 = 90); and 30 feet wide (20 cubits x18inches per cubit divided by 12 inches per foot = 30 feet). Then from the I kings 6:2-3 account the Holy Places would be generally 45 feet high (30 cubits x18inches divided by 12 inches per foot = 45 tall.
In addition to the Holy Places there appears to have been a "porch" between the Holy Places and the entranceway where the two pillars were standing. This "porch" would appear to have been narrower than the Holy Places but significantly higher. So the dimensions would be 20 cubits in length (30 feet), 10 cubits wide (15 feet) and 120 cubits tall (180 feet).
We will discuss the Holy Places in another study but I would like to give some ideas as to the purpose of the "porch". First of all we must remember that the Temple is a parable, (Hebrews 9:9 the word figure in Greek is Parabole or parable) a device to teach the spiritual things of God, to human beings who have never been to heaven to see the things of God in reality. So when God reveals principles it is for our blessing to study Scripture to assist us with the things that angels desire to look into. I Peter 1:12
With the above thoughts in mind lest us look at a few Scripture that may help us to understand this unusual architectural presentation. We are trying to decide what message, or what lesson, is God trying to communicate to us by presenting a 180 foot (18 stories) tower in His Temple. There are two figures that come to my mind that I would like to share for all who read to meditate about and pray over.
The first example would be of the pillar of cloud and fire that accompanied Israel during the wilderness wanderings. This pillar hovered over the Sanctuary that Moses built for God. This pillar was a testimony to the abiding presence of God to guide and protect His people day and night. See Exodus 13:21-22; 14:19,24; 33:9-10; Numbers 12:5; 14:14; Deuteronomy 31:15; Nehemiah 9:12,19; Psalm 99:7. Ellen White wrote the following brief statement about the pillar. She stated "…When the Children of Israel encamped, directly over the tabernacle rested the pillar of cloud by day and the bright glory of the pillar of fire by night." Signs of the Times 6/24/1880. She adds "The pillar of cloud rested over the Tabernacle by day, and the pillar of fire by night, an assurance that God would be with them still, if they would be true to Him." Signs of the Times 4/7/1881
Another potential Bible example would be the ladder that extended from heaven to earth which was seen in a dream by Jacob when fleeing from Esau in Genesis 28:11-18. In this story Jacobs sets up a pillar to commemorate this vision and the pillar was a testimony of the presence of God’s house. Genesis 28:20-22. Jesus also refers to this symbol in John 1:51 and claims that He Himself is the Ladder that connects heaven and earth and that all of the blessings provided by angels come through His power to connect Heaven and Earth.
I pray that these suggestions will prove to be a blessing as you study the Temple that Solomon built for God. We must remember that all of the structures and all of the implements are to communicate spiritual ideas to our minds. Solomon did not design the Temple – it was God who revealed these designs to David, to have them be implemented by Solomon. (I Chronicles 28:11-12, 19; Exodus 25:9,40; Hebrews 8:2,5) Study to show yourself approved of God.
"And the house which King Solomon built for the Lord, the length therof was threescore cubits, and the breadth therof twenty cubits, and the height thereof thirty cubits. And the porch before the temple of the house, twenty cubits was the length thereof, according to the breadth of the house, and ten cubits was the breadth thereof before the house."
In II Chronicles 3:3-4 we have a slightly different presentation. Scripture says the following:
"Now these are the things wherein Solomon was instructed for the building of the house of God. The length by cubits after the first measure was threescore cubits, and the breadth twenty cubits. And the porch that was in the front of the house, the length of it was according to the breadth of the house, twenty cubits, and the height was an hundred and twenty: and he overlaid it within with pure gold."
The apparent discrepancies between the two Scriptures may be resolved in a fairly simple way, but this is speculation on the part of this writer. Each person studying these texts will have to decide for themselves through prayer and study. But it appears to this writer as though the Holy Place and Most Holy Place section of the temple was 90 feet long (60 cubits of 18 inches divided 12 = 90); and 30 feet wide (20 cubits x18inches per cubit divided by 12 inches per foot = 30 feet). Then from the I kings 6:2-3 account the Holy Places would be generally 45 feet high (30 cubits x18inches divided by 12 inches per foot = 45 tall.
In addition to the Holy Places there appears to have been a "porch" between the Holy Places and the entranceway where the two pillars were standing. This "porch" would appear to have been narrower than the Holy Places but significantly higher. So the dimensions would be 20 cubits in length (30 feet), 10 cubits wide (15 feet) and 120 cubits tall (180 feet).
We will discuss the Holy Places in another study but I would like to give some ideas as to the purpose of the "porch". First of all we must remember that the Temple is a parable, (Hebrews 9:9 the word figure in Greek is Parabole or parable) a device to teach the spiritual things of God, to human beings who have never been to heaven to see the things of God in reality. So when God reveals principles it is for our blessing to study Scripture to assist us with the things that angels desire to look into. I Peter 1:12
With the above thoughts in mind lest us look at a few Scripture that may help us to understand this unusual architectural presentation. We are trying to decide what message, or what lesson, is God trying to communicate to us by presenting a 180 foot (18 stories) tower in His Temple. There are two figures that come to my mind that I would like to share for all who read to meditate about and pray over.
The first example would be of the pillar of cloud and fire that accompanied Israel during the wilderness wanderings. This pillar hovered over the Sanctuary that Moses built for God. This pillar was a testimony to the abiding presence of God to guide and protect His people day and night. See Exodus 13:21-22; 14:19,24; 33:9-10; Numbers 12:5; 14:14; Deuteronomy 31:15; Nehemiah 9:12,19; Psalm 99:7. Ellen White wrote the following brief statement about the pillar. She stated "…When the Children of Israel encamped, directly over the tabernacle rested the pillar of cloud by day and the bright glory of the pillar of fire by night." Signs of the Times 6/24/1880. She adds "The pillar of cloud rested over the Tabernacle by day, and the pillar of fire by night, an assurance that God would be with them still, if they would be true to Him." Signs of the Times 4/7/1881
Another potential Bible example would be the ladder that extended from heaven to earth which was seen in a dream by Jacob when fleeing from Esau in Genesis 28:11-18. In this story Jacobs sets up a pillar to commemorate this vision and the pillar was a testimony of the presence of God’s house. Genesis 28:20-22. Jesus also refers to this symbol in John 1:51 and claims that He Himself is the Ladder that connects heaven and earth and that all of the blessings provided by angels come through His power to connect Heaven and Earth.
I pray that these suggestions will prove to be a blessing as you study the Temple that Solomon built for God. We must remember that all of the structures and all of the implements are to communicate spiritual ideas to our minds. Solomon did not design the Temple – it was God who revealed these designs to David, to have them be implemented by Solomon. (I Chronicles 28:11-12, 19; Exodus 25:9,40; Hebrews 8:2,5) Study to show yourself approved of God.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Solomon - And the Chief Cornerstone
In a previous study we found out that Hiram had had the stones cut for the Temple and had them fitted at one site and then brought to Mount Moriah and put together without tool to give the idea that when the Holy Spirit builds the Temple in the soul of the individual there is no external sound. I Corinthians 6:19.
One of the major issues of any building of this magnitude was that there must be a Cornerstone to support the building. This central stone is the keystone for all of the building. If there is any weakness in this stone then the building will be weak and has the potential to crack and perhaps fall. So in the building of the Temple of God, which Solomon was leading out in, the Cornerstone of this building was of major importance.
Ellen White, in her famous book the Desire of Ages, tells the story of the Cornerstone of the Temple for God that Solomon built. On pages 597-598 she states the following:
"In quoting the prophecy of the rejected stone, Christ referred to an actual occurrence in the history of Israel. The incident was connected with the building of the first temple. While it had a special application at the time of Christ's first advent, and should have appealed with special force to the Jews, it has also a lesson for us. When the temple of Solomon was erected, the immense stones for the walls and the foundation were entirely prepared at the quarry; after they were brought to the place of building, not an instrument was to be used upon them; the workmen had only to place them in position. For use in the foundation, one stone of unusual size and peculiar shape had been brought; but the workmen could find no place for it, and would not accept it. It was an annoyance to them, as it lay unused in their way. Long it remained a rejected stone. But when the builders came to the laying of the corner, they searched for a long time to find a stone of sufficient size and strength, and of the proper shape, to take that particular place, and bear the great weight which would rest upon it. Should they make an unwise choice for this important place, the safety of the entire building would be endangered. They must find a stone capable of resisting the influence of the sun, of frost, and of tempest. Several stones had at different times been chosen, but under the pressure of immense weights they had crumbled to pieces. Others could not bear the test of the sudden atmospheric changes. But at last attention was called to the stone so long rejected. It had been exposed to the air, to sun and storm, without revealing the slightest crack. The builders examined this stone. It had borne every test but one. If it could bear the test of severe pressure, they decided to accept it for the cornerstone. The trial was made. The stone was accepted, brought to its assigned position, and found to be an exact fit. In prophetic vision, Isaiah was shown that this stone was a symbol of Christ. He says:
"Sanctify the Lord of hosts Himself; and let Him be your fear, and let Him be your dread. And He shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offense to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken." Carried down in prophetic vision to the first advent, the prophet is shown that Christ is to bear trials and tests of which the treatment of the chief cornerstone in the temple of Solomon was symbolic. "Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste." Isaiah 8:13-15; 28:16."
We know from Scripture, Hebrews 9:9 that the Temple was a "figure" a parable, to communicate to us spiritual things about how God was going to handle the sin problem. So all the many facets of the Temple are both real and they are symbols to communicate God’s precious ideas to us. Among the many ideas is that of the Cornerstone. As we have seen above the Cornerstone, upon which the weight of the whole building is supported, is none other than Christ for He bears the weight of the all of the sins of the world, as well as all of the blessings of the world. Without Him the whole plan of salvation would fall.
In addition to the above thoughts there are several other thoughts in Scripture that are needed to understand the Cornerstone concept, and expands it further and further. In Job 38:1-6 we find God asking Job "Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? Or who laid the cornerstone thereof?" God was asking Job who created the earth and who laid the cornerstone of the earth. That Cornerstone was Christ as well for He was the Creator of all things and it is He who supports all things. Colossians 1:13-17
God uses the above story to create a mini-parable about "the stone which the builders refused is become the headstone of the corner. This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes." Psalm 118:22-23. Jesus picks this story up and applies it to Himself in the gospels. This story about Jesus being the rejected Son, the "cornerstone" of the kingdom of His Father in heaven, is repeated in Matthew 21:33-44; Mark 12:1-12; Luke 20:9-18.
In Acts 4:8-12 Peter confronts the Jewish leadership, while being tried for disobeying these very priests by preaching in the temple, claims that the Jewish leadership refused Jesus to be the Cornerstone of the Jewish kingdom, but Peter claims that Jesus is the only one who can grant salvation.
In Ephesians 2:11-22 Paul claims that Jesus is the chief cornerstone of the Christian Temple built upon Himself as the Cornerstone, and the apostles and prophets being the foundations. This temple is to consist of the blending of Jews and Gentiles into one church.
Peter picks this same thought up and repeats it in I Peter 2:5-10. Again Peter claims that Jesus is the cornerstone of the Living Temple of God. Peter claims that the people of God are the living stones of this temple, stones made alive by the power of God and built to be a living temple of worship to God and service to men.
Thus the Bible confirms that this Cornerstone is Christ, and it is only upon Him that any spiritual building can safely be placed. In Matthew 16:18 Jesus states "And I say unto thee, that thou are Peter, and upon this rock (the chief cornerstone) I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Jesus is the Solid Rock, The Chief Cornerstone. As the Temple built by Solomon was placed on the solid rock that had been rejected by the builders, so God’s Temple, that He built, was built upon the Chief Cornerstone, that stood all of the tests of life, and His building was sure.
Today with the information from above, I pray that you will choose to allow Him to incorporate you into His Holy Living Temple, the one that the Temple that Solomon built, was a symbol of. Ask Him not to forgive you, cleanse you, polish you, and place you in His Holy Temple. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.
One of the major issues of any building of this magnitude was that there must be a Cornerstone to support the building. This central stone is the keystone for all of the building. If there is any weakness in this stone then the building will be weak and has the potential to crack and perhaps fall. So in the building of the Temple of God, which Solomon was leading out in, the Cornerstone of this building was of major importance.
Ellen White, in her famous book the Desire of Ages, tells the story of the Cornerstone of the Temple for God that Solomon built. On pages 597-598 she states the following:
"In quoting the prophecy of the rejected stone, Christ referred to an actual occurrence in the history of Israel. The incident was connected with the building of the first temple. While it had a special application at the time of Christ's first advent, and should have appealed with special force to the Jews, it has also a lesson for us. When the temple of Solomon was erected, the immense stones for the walls and the foundation were entirely prepared at the quarry; after they were brought to the place of building, not an instrument was to be used upon them; the workmen had only to place them in position. For use in the foundation, one stone of unusual size and peculiar shape had been brought; but the workmen could find no place for it, and would not accept it. It was an annoyance to them, as it lay unused in their way. Long it remained a rejected stone. But when the builders came to the laying of the corner, they searched for a long time to find a stone of sufficient size and strength, and of the proper shape, to take that particular place, and bear the great weight which would rest upon it. Should they make an unwise choice for this important place, the safety of the entire building would be endangered. They must find a stone capable of resisting the influence of the sun, of frost, and of tempest. Several stones had at different times been chosen, but under the pressure of immense weights they had crumbled to pieces. Others could not bear the test of the sudden atmospheric changes. But at last attention was called to the stone so long rejected. It had been exposed to the air, to sun and storm, without revealing the slightest crack. The builders examined this stone. It had borne every test but one. If it could bear the test of severe pressure, they decided to accept it for the cornerstone. The trial was made. The stone was accepted, brought to its assigned position, and found to be an exact fit. In prophetic vision, Isaiah was shown that this stone was a symbol of Christ. He says:
"Sanctify the Lord of hosts Himself; and let Him be your fear, and let Him be your dread. And He shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offense to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken." Carried down in prophetic vision to the first advent, the prophet is shown that Christ is to bear trials and tests of which the treatment of the chief cornerstone in the temple of Solomon was symbolic. "Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste." Isaiah 8:13-15; 28:16."
We know from Scripture, Hebrews 9:9 that the Temple was a "figure" a parable, to communicate to us spiritual things about how God was going to handle the sin problem. So all the many facets of the Temple are both real and they are symbols to communicate God’s precious ideas to us. Among the many ideas is that of the Cornerstone. As we have seen above the Cornerstone, upon which the weight of the whole building is supported, is none other than Christ for He bears the weight of the all of the sins of the world, as well as all of the blessings of the world. Without Him the whole plan of salvation would fall.
In addition to the above thoughts there are several other thoughts in Scripture that are needed to understand the Cornerstone concept, and expands it further and further. In Job 38:1-6 we find God asking Job "Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? Or who laid the cornerstone thereof?" God was asking Job who created the earth and who laid the cornerstone of the earth. That Cornerstone was Christ as well for He was the Creator of all things and it is He who supports all things. Colossians 1:13-17
God uses the above story to create a mini-parable about "the stone which the builders refused is become the headstone of the corner. This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes." Psalm 118:22-23. Jesus picks this story up and applies it to Himself in the gospels. This story about Jesus being the rejected Son, the "cornerstone" of the kingdom of His Father in heaven, is repeated in Matthew 21:33-44; Mark 12:1-12; Luke 20:9-18.
In Acts 4:8-12 Peter confronts the Jewish leadership, while being tried for disobeying these very priests by preaching in the temple, claims that the Jewish leadership refused Jesus to be the Cornerstone of the Jewish kingdom, but Peter claims that Jesus is the only one who can grant salvation.
In Ephesians 2:11-22 Paul claims that Jesus is the chief cornerstone of the Christian Temple built upon Himself as the Cornerstone, and the apostles and prophets being the foundations. This temple is to consist of the blending of Jews and Gentiles into one church.
Peter picks this same thought up and repeats it in I Peter 2:5-10. Again Peter claims that Jesus is the cornerstone of the Living Temple of God. Peter claims that the people of God are the living stones of this temple, stones made alive by the power of God and built to be a living temple of worship to God and service to men.
Thus the Bible confirms that this Cornerstone is Christ, and it is only upon Him that any spiritual building can safely be placed. In Matthew 16:18 Jesus states "And I say unto thee, that thou are Peter, and upon this rock (the chief cornerstone) I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Jesus is the Solid Rock, The Chief Cornerstone. As the Temple built by Solomon was placed on the solid rock that had been rejected by the builders, so God’s Temple, that He built, was built upon the Chief Cornerstone, that stood all of the tests of life, and His building was sure.
Today with the information from above, I pray that you will choose to allow Him to incorporate you into His Holy Living Temple, the one that the Temple that Solomon built, was a symbol of. Ask Him not to forgive you, cleanse you, polish you, and place you in His Holy Temple. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)