The Temple and the Glory of God

 The Temple the Ark the Glory of God

 Book of 2 Chronicles Chapter 5

After seven long years, the Temple and all its furnishings were completed.

 1Ki 6:38 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.

Solomon gathered the entire nation and its leaders and its priests to the dedication of the Temple.

 This gathering was no longer to Gibeon the site of the Tabernacle, but to Jerusalem the place God had chosen Himself.

 Even today the Jews are looking forward to the day they can reestablish their worship of the Lord God Jehovah in a Temple dedicated to Him.

 We certainly need a place to worship to honor God.

 Heb 10:22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

Heb 10:24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:

Heb 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

 God Himself says it is more important to gather together today than it was back in the day of the dedication of Solomon’s Temple.

 If we do not dedicate our places of worship to be used for the worship of the Lord, then they will be used for anything other than that.

 Dedicate means to set apart for sacred use.

 Sacred means consecrated; dedicated; or devoted to.

 We also need to dedicate ourselves to the Lord for His use!

 Most every nation at this time had a temple dedicated to some false god, and some had many.

 This was the drive that moved King David. He wanted a magnificent temple dedicated to Jehovah the One True God.

 Most people do not realize that God is about worship, and not about buildings!

 Pagans built temples for gods who could not see, who could hear, and who could not speak to them.

 2Co_6:16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the "temple of the living God"; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

 There is only one "Living God"!

 Jhn_6:69 And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, "the Son of the living God".

 Psa_84:2 My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the LORD: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the "living God".

 How can anyone serve a dead god or a god that does not exist?

 The Living God is the God we need to have reverent fear of, and even actual fear.

 Heb_10:31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

 2 Chronicles Chapter 5 verse 1

 *****2Ch 5:1 Thus all the work that Solomon made for the house of the LORD was finished: and Solomon brought in all the things that David his father had dedicated; and the silver, and the gold, and all the instruments, put he among the treasures of the house of God.

 The Temple was King Solomon's greatest work.

 It was the Temple of Solomon that made the greatest impression on the known world at that time.

 People would come far and wide to see this Temple of God.

 The importance of the Temple was to ensure a central place of worship and more important a central place to offer sacrifices for sin.

 The object of the Temple was to bring about a unity of faith and national unity among the people of Israel.

 The object of the Temple was to fulfill the commandment of God to Moses.

 Moses said, when you shall obtain possession of the land and have become established, then you shall have one place in which to appear before the Lord.

 Deu_16:16 Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the LORD thy God "in the place which he shall choose"; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the LORD empty:

 The Temple did provide a fixed habitation for Jehovah.

 The Temple did provide a central place of worship where all the tribes of Israel might assemble at the three annual feasts.

 It is these things that would preserve the unity of Israel.

 According to the Book of Leviticus, there must be:

 1) A place to meet Jehovah on the throne of "Grace".

2) Sacrifices made for sin.

3) Priests as intermediaries between Jehovah and the people.

4) Times in which they could approach Jehovah with daily, weekly, monthly, and annual offerings.

5) A ritual telling how to approach God.

 The Temple was in fact, a type of the most glorious building which is the individual believer!

 1Co_3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

 King David had not only provided the plunder he had taken for his conquest for the building of the Temple, but he also provided his riches to be dedicated to the upkeep of this Temple and to pay the priests.

 David had also dedicated all the musical instruments he had to the Temple. Some he had made himself.

 These instruments are listed in First Chronicles chapter 15.

 1Ch 15:16 And David spake to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brethren to be the singers with instruments of musick, psalteries and harps and cymbals, sounding, by lifting up the voice with joy.

 1Ch 15:24 And Shebaniah, and Jehoshaphat, and Nethaneel, and Amasai, and Zechariah, and Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, did blow with the trumpets before the ark of God: and Obededom and Jehiah were doorkeepers for the ark.

 1Ch 15:28 Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with shouting, and with sound of the cornet, and with trumpets, and with cymbals, making a noise with psalteries and harps.

 So, we know of psalteries, harps, and cymbals, trumpets, and cornets.

 A psaltery is a lyre or another type of harp just as a cornet is another type of trumpet.

 Solomon next brought the Ark of the Covenant into the Temple according to the instructions of God.

 The Ark was placed in the new Holy of Holies, the Most Holy Place in the Temple.

 *****2Ch 5:2 Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the chief of the fathers of the children of Israel, unto Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the city of David, which is Zion.

2Ch 5:3 Wherefore all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto the king in the feast which was in the seventh month.

2Ch 5:4 And all the elders of Israel came; and the Levites took up the ark.

2Ch 5:5 And they brought up the ark, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and all the holy vessels that were in the tabernacle, these did the priests and the Levites bring up.

 Many of these things from the time of Moses and those remade after the destruction of the Tabernacle by the Philistines were no longer usable for the new Temple and were stored at the Temple and preserved as relics.

 Things such as the tent and a great many of the old-time utensils, including the Brazen Serpent.

 The Feast of the Seventh month is the Feast of Tabernacles, sometimes called Booths, and also known as the Feast of the Ingathering.

 It was to last seven days but for the dedication of the Temple, it lasted fourteen days.

 1Ki 8:65 And at that time Solomon held a feast, and all Israel with him, a great congregation, from the entering in of Hamath unto the river of Egypt, before the LORD our God, seven days and seven days, even fourteen days.

1Ki 8:66 On the eighth day he sent the people away: and they blessed the king, and went unto their tents joyful and glad of heart for all the goodness that the LORD had done for David his servant, and for Israel his people.

 This is the feast that commemorates the forty-year wilderness journey.

 It is also called Sukkot.

 It is a celebration of the fall harvest and a time to build booths which are temporary shelters of branches to remember how the Hebrew people lived under God's care during those forty years in the wilderness.

 These things were repeated when the Hebrews returned from Babylon.

 Neh 8:14 And they found written in the law which the LORD had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month:

Neh 8:15 And that they should publish and proclaim in all their cities, and in Jerusalem, saying, Go forth unto the mount, and fetch olive branches, and pine branches, and myrtle branches, and palm branches, and branches of thick trees, to make booths, as it is written.

Neh 8:16 So the people went forth, and brought them, and made themselves booths, every one upon the roof of his house, and in their courts, and in the courts of the house of God, and in the street of the water gate, and in the street of the gate of Ephraim.

Neh 8:17 And all the congregation of them that were come again out of the captivity made booths, and sat under the booths: for since the days of Jeshua (which is Joshua) the son of Nun unto that day had not the children of Israel done so. And there was very great gladness.

Neh 8:18 Also day by day, from the first day unto the last day, he read in the book of the law of God. And they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly, according unto the manner.

 This celebration is a reminder of God's faithfulness and protection.

 All Jewish males were required to go to Jerusalem to appear before the Lord and their families usually went with them.

 Many Jewish people still celebrate Sukkot today, by building and dwelling in temporary booths for eight days.

 There are four special plants used to cover the booths, and they are the citron, the myrtle, the palm, and the willow.

 Lev 23:39 Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days: on the first day shall be a sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a sabbath. 

Lev 23:40 And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days.

 Then, the elders came and took up the Ark out of the Tabernacle of David.

 It was necessary to put a new lid on the Ark. It was about five hundred years old and when opened, nothing remained but the two tablets of stone from the time of Moses.

 It originally contained two tablets that contained the Ten Commandments and Aaron's rod that budded and a pot of manna.

 Blame was put on the Philistines for the missing items.

 So, the steps to the dedication included:

 1) Placing in the treasury all the things dedicated by David. Solomon could have kept these riches of his father, and no one would have known but God, but Solomon honored the wishes of His father David.

 2) Placing all the sacred vessels and furniture in their proper position.

 3) The offering of the many sacrifices.

 4) The priests carrying into the Most Holy Place the Ark of the Covenant.

 5) As the priests came from the Most Holy Place and one hundred and twenty other priests standing east of the Altar blew their trumpets, the Levite choir burst into a song of praise and thanksgiving with cymbals and other musical instruments saying "For He is good; for His mercy endureth forever.

 6) Then the cloud, a symbol of the Divine Presence and the Glory of God filled the house.

 Let's read the Scriptures.

 *****2Ch 5:6 Also king Solomon, and all the congregation of Israel that were assembled unto him before the ark, sacrificed sheep and oxen, which could not be told nor numbered for multitude.

2Ch 5:7 And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the LORD unto his place, to the oracle of the house, into the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubims:

2Ch 5:8 For the cherubims spread forth their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubims covered the ark and the staves thereof above.

2Ch 5:9 And they drew out the staves of the ark, that the ends of the staves were seen from the ark before the oracle; but they were not seen without. And there it is unto this day.

2Ch 5:10 There was nothing in the ark save the two tables which Moses put therein at Horeb, when the LORD made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of Egypt.

 We now know what happened in the dedication of the Temple so, let's look at some other things.

 Many today are concerned about the location of the Ark of the Covenant today.

 We do not know for sure if the Ark remained at the Temple when Nebuchadnezzar plundered the Temple but what we do know when the vessels were brought back from Babylonian captivity the Ark of the Covenant was not mentioned.

 Ezr 1:9 And this is the number of them: thirty chargers of gold, a thousand chargers of silver, nine and twenty knives,

Ezr 1:10 Thirty basons of gold, silver basons of a second sort four hundred and ten, and other vessels a thousand.

Ezr 1:11 All the vessels of gold and of silver were five thousand and four hundred. All these did Sheshbazzar bring up with them of the captivity that were brought up from Babylon unto Jerusalem.

 The staves of the Ark were at least fifteen feet long, which was about the size of the Most Holy Place.

 The staves were that long to give room for those men who carried the Ark leaving room to stay clear of the Ark.

 The staves were withdrawn as far as they could to the back wall so they would not protrude in sight at the front.

 The Ark had only the tablets of stone written by the finger of God at this time.

 Exo 31:16 Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant.

Exo 31:17 It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.

Exo 31:18 And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.

 Remember it was Moses who had broken these two tablets.

 Exo 34:1 And the LORD said unto Moses, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first: and I will write upon these tables the words that were in the first tables, which thou brakest.

 Deu_10:2 And I will write on the tables the words that were in the first tables which thou brakest, and thou shalt put them in the ark.

 There was something else that was with or in the Ark.

 Deu_31:26 Take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee.

 Probably the very same book, which (after having been some way misplaced) was found in the house of the Lord, in the days of Josiah, and publicly read by the king himself, for a witness against a people, who were then almost ripe for ruin.

 On the side or On the inside, Some say there was a little chest fixed to the Ark for such things but it is not mentioned. Some say that this book was just placed inside the Ark. There was nothing but the stone tablets that were contained in the Ark.

 This book was found later.

 2Ch 34:14 And when they brought out the money that was brought into the house of the LORD, Hilkiah the priest found a book of the law of the LORD given by Moses.

2Ch 34:15 And Hilkiah answered and said to Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD. And Hilkiah delivered the book to Shaphan.

2Ch 34:16 And Shaphan carried the book to the king, and brought the king word back again, saying, All that was committed to thy servants, they do it.

 The Shekinah Glory of the Lord

 *****2Ch 5:11 And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place: (for all the priests that were present were sanctified, and did not then wait by course:

2Ch 5:12 Also the Levites which were the singers, all of them of Asaph, of Heman, of Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, being arrayed in white linen, having cymbals and psalteries and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them an hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets:)

2Ch 5:13 It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of musick, and praised the LORD, saying, "For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever": that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD;

 Once the Ark was in place God gave His stamp of approval!

 So, it had been when Moses finished the Tabernacle, and so it was at Pentecost after the Lord Jesus began His Church, that the Holy Spirit came down in His mighty power.

 God's glory has to be the most wonderful sight we will ever see!

 Notice all the priests were in white linen robes. Does this not make us think about the white robes in Heaven?

 Rev_7:9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;

 King Solomon now had all things in place and a platform had been erected about seven feet squared somewhat like a pulpit, so he was lifted up above the people to be seen as well as heard and it seems King Solomon acted as King and High Priest.

 We see some typology here.

 In reality, only King Jesus can be the true King and High priest when He returns to take us home and then sits upon His throne in Jerusalem.

 Immediately after the priests had performed and withdrawn and the doors of the Temple were closed, the cloud of God's Holy Presence and God's Majestic Glory filled the Temple just as He had done when the Tabernacle of Moses was completed.

 King Solomon was stunned:

 1Ki 8:10 And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the LORD,

1Ki 8:11 So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of the LORD.

1Ki 8:12 Then spake Solomon, The LORD said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.

 Our true Holy God manifested His presence showing the public that he had accepted their labor of love in building this Temple.

 *****2Ch 5:14 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.

 A man of God said this beautified this Temple much more than all the gold which it was overlaid and all the precious stones that adorned it. Yet even that glory in comparison does not match the glory of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

 God had not allowed King David to build this Temple but told him that his son Solomon would have the honor of building this Temple.

 Then King Solomon began to pray.

2Ch 6:12  And he stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands: 

2Ch 6:13  For Solomon had made a brasen scaffold, of five cubits long, and five cubits broad, and three cubits high, and had set it in the midst of the court: and upon it he stood, and kneeled down upon his knees before all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven, 

2Ch 6:14  And said, O LORD God of Israel, there is no God like thee in the heaven, nor in the earth; which keepest covenant, and shewest mercy unto thy servants, that walk before thee with all their hearts: 

2Ch 6:15  Thou which hast kept with thy servant David my father that which thou hast promised him; and spakest with thy mouth, and hast fulfilled it with thine hand, as it is this day.

And he continued therefore:

 Amen

Best Advise Keep the Law of Jehovah

 David's Wise Counsel

Book of 1 Chronicles Chapter 22

At the end of our last lesson we know that after David bought the threshing floor of Ornan, turned it into an altar and he sacrificed to the Lord to stop the plague that the Lord had placed on Israel.

2Sa 24:24  And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. 

After buying the threshing floor from Ornan, King David then bought that parcel of land that is now known as the Temple Mount.

1Ch 21:15  And God sent an angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it: and as he was destroying, the LORD beheld, and he repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed, It is enough, stay now thine hand. And the angel of the LORD stood by the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite. 

1Ch 21:18  Then the angel of the LORD commanded Gad to say to David, that David should go up, and set up an altar unto the LORD in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite. 

1Ch 21:25  So David gave to Ornan for the place six hundred shekels of gold by weight. 

We can see that there were two separate transactions for the place where Solomon built the Temple that was intended to be a House of Prayer for all of Israel.

We also know that the Muslim have built a false temple that is known as the Dome of the Rock built right upon the threshing floor of Ornan that belongs to the nation of Israel because it was a place given to the Lord by King David.

For all intents and purposes, the Lord has the threshing floor of Ornan safe and secure and protected by a building provided by the Muslims.

These things cannot be denied!

1Ch 22:1  Then David said, This is the house of the LORD God, and this is the altar of the burnt offering for Israel. 

The Lord would not allow David to build this House of Prayer because it would have sent the wrong message, but Solomon David's son, would build this House of God.

*****1Ch 22:6  Then he called for Solomon his son, and charged him to build an house for the LORD God of Israel. 

We should understand that as fathers we do not have the right to dictate the career path of our sons or daughters.

God in His wisdom has given us all the freedom of choice in our lives.

We can, as fathers and mothers, recommend a path we would love for our children to follow.

The best thing that we can do is to be a good example to our children and pray that they learn from the mistakes that we have made in our lives so that they will not make the same mistakes that we made.

If we have been wise fathers, then maybe we can provide the means by which our sons and our daughters may carry out our purpose and some friends to help him in it.

A wise father and mother can largely shape the influences under which our children grow up!

King David could not build a Temple for the worship of the Lord but Solomon could, and King David began assembling most all the materials that would be needed, for the Lord had provided King David with the plans to build such a Temple and the finances to do so.

*****1Ch 22:7  And David said to Solomon, My son, as for me, it was in my mind to build an house unto the name of the LORD my God: 

1Ch 22:8  But the word of the LORD came to me, saying, Thou hast shed blood abundantly, and hast made great wars: thou shalt not build an house unto my name, because thou hast shed much blood upon the earth in my sight.

As far as meetings go, this is the most important meeting that Solomon would have in all the days of his life!

This was not David trying to tell Solomon how to live his life.

When David was made King of Israel, the nation was weak militarily, and economically and politically.

Solomon would now inherit a kingdom that had a solid foundation.

You see, we live in a land that is becoming weak militarily, and becoming weak economically, and weak politically but as the children of God, we will inherit the things of our King Jesus that is built upon a solid foundation.

Luk_6:48  He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.

In the time of David, he did not have time to build upon the infrastructure of Israel for battling with Israel's enemies, but Solomon would inherit a kingdom that was at peace and the enemies of Israel would not be prone to attack Israel.

He could take on worthy projects and the Temple of God should be first on his lists and David would be gathering the building materials for him and would give him the plans for the building of the Temple, which came from Jehovah.

The Temple would never have been a proper place of worship if it were built by bloody hands!

We could say the same thing about the Muslims places of worship today.

The builder of any place to worship the Living God, must be a man of peace and a saver of life and not a destroyer of life!

Luk 9:56  For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them.

We can see that only the Lord Jesus Christ meets these requirements and it is the Lord Jesus Christ who builds all the Temples of God today!

We will see many times Solomon as a type of Jesus Christ.

Why was King David giving this request to his son Solomon?

*****1Ch 22:8  But the word of the LORD came to me, saying, Thou hast shed blood abundantly, and hast made great wars: thou shalt not build an house unto my name, because thou hast shed much blood upon the earth in my sight. 

1Ch 22:9  Behold, a son shall be born to thee, who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies round about: for his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quietness unto Israel in his days.

1) David had a burning desire to personally build a Temple to worship Jehovah.

2) Jehovah would not allow David to Him such a Temple due to the way he had lived his life.

3) David shared to his son Solomon that Jehovah had chosen Him to be the next King of Israel and for Solomon to build this Temple.

Remember all of David's sons who were born before Solomon had become worthless human beings who had no cause to change their ways and two of them had died in their wickedness.

God would give him a son who would be a man of peace, a man free from enemies and warfare.

For David, Solomon was this son, but we know that it is the Lord Jesus Christ who is the true fulfillment of this promise made to David!

What had God said?

"I will give peace and quietness unto Israel in his day":

*****1Ch 22:10  He shall build an house for my name; and he shall be my son, and I will be his father; and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel for ever.

These words were never about Solomon!

These words were about the Lord Jesus Christ and are still in our future. 

The days of Solomon were at peace until he had finished the construction of the Temple, but just as soon as Solomon began to turn his back on God those days of peace ended.

Remember Solomon had over seven hundred wives and he was pulled into false religion by them.

1Ki 11:5  For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. 

1Ki 11:6  And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father. 

1Ki 11:7  Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon. 

Peace began to fade away and Solomon's enemies began to show up.

1Ki 11:23  And God stirred him up another adversary, Rezon the son of Eliadah, which fled from his lord Hadadezer king of Zobah:

1Ki 11:26  And Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephrathite of Zereda, Solomon's servant, whose mother's name was Zeruah, a widow woman, even he lifted up his hand against the king.

Jehovah does not say things that are not true!

In the days of the Millennial reign of the Lord Jesus Christ, there will be true peace in this world for one thousand years, for the Lord Jesus will rule with a "rod of iron".

Moses was the first man of importance who had a rod, a wooden staff sometimes called the "rod of God".

Exo 4:20  And Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them upon an ass, and he returned to the land of Egypt: and Moses took the rod of God in his hand. 

The brother of Moses, Aaron, was the one that bloomed. A dry stick came to life, which was a type of the nation of Israel but it could also be said to be a type of the lost come to the new life, that Born Again life by the Lord Jesus Christ.

Num 17:8  And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds. 

Aaron's rod was placed inside the Ark of the Covenant to save for future generations.

Heb 9:4  Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant; 

But it was another Son of David and not Solomon that would one day rule this world with a rod of iron.

A rod then is the symbol of power and authority!

Psa 2:9  Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. 

Psa 2:10  Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. 

Psa 2:11  Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. 

Psa 2:12  Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.

Rev_12:5  And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.

Rev_19:15  And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

These things are still in our own future, for the Church must first called out of this world and shortly after this there will be seven years of tribulation with the last three and a half of those years being terrible until the Lord Jesus returns to put down all rebellion.

Then the Lord Jesus will sit on the throne of His Father David and these things written here will come to be true!

And we know that wise King Solomon did not ever build a true house in the name of Jehovah, and the throne of Solomon did not last forever!

These things the Lord Jesus did!

1 Co_6:19  What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

Then the Lord will remove His Church before the Tribulation years begin.

1Co 15:51  Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 

1Co 15:52  In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 

1Th 4:15  For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 

1Th 4:16  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 

1Th 4:17  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Then there will be those years of tribulation.

Mat_24:21  For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

The Lord will put down the rebellion upon this earth and then He will sit upon the throne of His father David, and not of the throne of Solomon.

Because David's heart was for the Lord and Solomon's heart was for his wives!

Luk_1:32  He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:

Solomon's job was to build a worldly Temple for the worship of Jehovah that was supposed be a House of Prayer for all the people of Israel.

So, David completes his prayer and his blessing for his son Solomon.

We know that Moses and Jacob gave dying blessings which were prophetical, and so, would be this blessing from King David.

When we have communion, it is said that we are partaking of the "Cup of the Lord's blessing".

*****1Ch 22:11  Now, my son, the LORD be with thee; and prosper thou, and build the house of the LORD thy God, as he hath said of thee. 

1Ch 22:12  Only the LORD give thee wisdom and understanding, and give thee charge concerning Israel, that thou mayest keep the law of the LORD thy God.

The Almighty Living God did give these things to Solomon.

Solomon became the richest most prosperous man in the world.

Solomon became the wisest man in the world, accept for the Lord Jesus Christ.

Solomon became the most understanding man in the world in his days.

But Solomon did not keep the Law of God all his days!

One of the most important things that we can learn from the Word of God is discernment!

It is discernment that enables us to judge what is the correct and proper way to act in our everyday lives!

The Bible says we must guide every decision we make with discretion.

Psa 112:5  A good man sheweth favour, and lendeth: he will guide his affairs with discretion. 

And our enemies cannot stand it when the Word of God is always right!

Psa 112:10  The wicked shall see it, and be grieved; he shall gnash with his teeth, and melt away: the desire of the wicked shall perish. 

Our lives will be so much better if we are obedient to all the Word of God!

In fact, how long we will get to spend time with our families will depend on how well we keep the Word of God!

Pro 3:1  My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: 

Pro 3:2  For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee. 

David told his son Solomon that it was his duty to build that first Temple as a place to worship.

David then told his son Solomon that he had already purchased the building materials for this Temple.

David had already assembled a great work force who were already working upon those great marble stones and the timber that would be needed.

Solomon's duty was to supervise the construction of the Temple by following God's plan and put this plan into action.

1Ch 22:16  Of the gold, the silver, and the brass, and the iron, there is no number. Arise therefore, and be doing, and the LORD be with thee. 

The greatest thing we can give back to the Lord after the salvation gifts He has given to us, is obedience to the Word of God!

David had more children than Absalom and Amnon, and David commanded all the princes of Israel to help his son Solomon.

There were also each tribe of the sons of Jacob that had princes.

1Ch 28:1  And David assembled all the princes of Israel, the princes of the tribes, and the captains of the companies that ministered to the king by course, and the captains over the thousands, and captains over the hundreds, and the stewards over all the substance and possession of the king, and of his sons, with the officers, and with the mighty men, and with all the valiant men, unto Jerusalem.

*****1Ch 22:17  David also commanded all the princes of Israel to help Solomon his son, saying, 

1Ch 22:18  Is not the LORD your God with you? and hath he not given you rest on every side? for he hath given the inhabitants of the land into mine hand; and the land is subdued before the LORD, and before his people. 

Before David died, he issued a private charge to his son Solomon, but he also issued a private charge to all the leaders and the princes of the twelve tribes, to help Solomon to build the Temple we know as Solomon's Temple.

God had certainly been with all of Israel the days David was King of Israel.

God had certainly given them peace throughout all the land and had subjected their enemies under the rule of Israel.

In a way, these tribal leaders were heavily obligated because of the blessings down through the years of David's rule.

In comparison, just as David challenged the leaders of his day, we the Church are challenged today.

Of all the blessings that had come to Israel none of them had been given the gift of salvation as we have been given.

We owe far more dedication to our Savior than these who had certainly been blessed but not with eternal blessings.

Every mission that our Church is involved in and the ministry of our own church deserve our wholehearted dedication!

We must be faithful in supporting every project because the Lord is still building Temples at the same time, He is building human lives!

*****1Ch 22:19  Now set your heart and your soul to seek the LORD your God; arise therefore, and build ye the sanctuary of the LORD God, to bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and the holy vessels of God, into the house that is to be built to the name of the LORD. 

At this time David gave Solomon the plans for the construction of the Temple and in a lot of ways it followed the plans given to Moses for the Tabernacle of the Congregation.

1Ch 28:11  Then David gave to Solomon his son the pattern of the porch, and of the houses thereof, and of the treasuries thereof, and of the upper chambers thereof, and of the inner parlours thereof, and of the place of the mercy seat, 

1Ch 28:12  And the pattern of all that he had by the spirit, of the courts of the house of the LORD, and of all the chambers round about, of the treasuries of the house of God, and of the treasuries of the dedicated things: 

1Ch 28:19  All this, said David, the LORD made me understand in writing by his hand upon me, even all the works of this pattern. 

1Ch 28:20  And David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the LORD God, even my God, will be with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD. 

We should understand that when God plans it will be a perfect plan and our job is to "Be Strong And Of Good Courage And Do It".

When God is involved in the planning, then it is God's pledge in the accomplishment because God's plans never fail!

God has never asked but one thing from us and it is "FAITH"!

It is "faith" that gets us saved!

Once we are saved, then that same faith will carry us to the work of God which is building temples, human temples.

Rom_12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

After our salvation God is asking for the use of our bodies.

Our sacrifice is being dead to sin, but living for the work of the Lord.

God just asks for our reasonable service.

God just ask us to continue the work that the Lord Jesus Christ was doing before He gave His life for us!

Amen

The Dedication Of The Temple Of Solomon

The Dedication Of The Temple

1 Kings 8:1-9:28; 2 Chronicles 5:1-7:22

Focus On: 1 Kings 8:3-6, 10, 11, 18-20, 22, 23, 33, 34, 46-51, 63, 66


In our last lesson we saw part of the construction of the Temple and it's furnishings.

It took seven years from start to finish in the construction of the Temple, not for the lack of skills but only because of the lack of modern machinery.

And as brother Buddy can attest to, it would have taken a great skill to assemble material that was custom made and processed in so many different places.

This glorious Temple built under the direction of King Solomon had as one of it's purposes to be a witness to the world in that day.

Since God will not live in temples made by hands but only in temples that He constructs Himself, we that are saved have this same purpose, to be a witness of the glory of God to this world we live in!

So now it was time to "dedicate" this marvelous Temple.

To "dedicate" this Temple meant "to set it apart for God's use"!

It was not just the building itself that was dedicated for God's use. It was the building, all the furniture, all the vessels, all the altars, and all the tools that were a part of this glorious Temple.

Another word for this "dedication" would be "sanctification".

The Temple of Solomon could only be dedicated one time.

The Temple of Solomon could never be perfect.

We know that God will not live in man made structures but He will live in a "Born Again" child of God and it is the work of the Holy Spirit to take that dedicated child of God on to perfection!

1Co 6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
1Co 6:20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

Rom 6:13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
Rom 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

These temples that are made by the hands of God are built upon our own "Faith"!

Gal 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

So let's see the dedication process for the Temple of Solomon and relate what we see to each Christian.

*****1Ki 8:3 And all the elders of Israel came, and the priests took up the ark.
1Ki 8:4 And they brought up the ark of the LORD, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and all the holy vessels that were in the tabernacle, even those did the priests and the Levites bring up.

We must realize that this entire Temple complex and all the things associated with it were designed to house the Ark of the Covenant.

It was the Ark that was the symbol of God's presence and without the presence of God, this Temple would be just a building and of no use for the work of God!

King David had made the mistake of moving the Ark in his own way the first time and not obeying the Word of God and it had caused the death of a good man, Solomon was not about to make that same mistake.

God had said the Ark could only be moved one way.

Num 3:30 And the chief of the house of the father of the families of the Kohathites shall be Elizaphan the son of Uzziel.
Num 3:31 And their charge shall be the ark, and the table, and the candlestick, and the altars, and the vessels of the sanctuary wherewith they minister, and the hanging, and all the service thereof.
Num 3:32 And Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest shall be chief over the chief of the Levites, and have the oversight of them that keep the charge of the sanctuary.

The movement of the Ark had to coincide with the proper time.

This was not only the time of the Feast of the Tabernacles but it also fell a Jubilee year and the fulfillment of the words of Moses!

Deu 16:16 Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the LORD empty:
Deu 16:17 Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he hath given thee.

It was in Jerusalem where God chose to have the Temple that was built by Solomon.

It was also the time of the Jubilee that is considered the acceptable year of the Lord:

Isa 61:1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
Isa 61:2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;
Isa 61:3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.

We know that Jesus Christ also used this same passage when He began His ministry.

So the purpose of the Temple was:

1) To provide a fixed place for all the Nation of Israel to worship.

2) To provide a central place where all the tribes of Israel could assemble at the time of the three feast as directed by God to preserve the unity of Israel.

This was the place to meet Jehovah.

This was the place to offer sacrifices, the blood atonement, the propitiation.

This was the place to meet the Priests, the intermediary between Jehovah and the people.

This was the place to meet Jehovah at the right time which was, daily, weekly, monthly, and especially yearly at the annual feast.

This was the place to learn how to approach God in the proper way.

3) This was the place that was to be a type of the buildings that God would build.

1Pe 2:5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

Isa 28:16 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.

And as many as believed Word Of God showed up.

*****1Ki 8:5 And king Solomon, and all the congregation of Israel, that were assembled unto him, were with him before the ark, sacrificing sheep and oxen, that could not be told nor numbered for multitude.
1Ki 8:6 And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the LORD unto his place, into the oracle of the house, to the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubims.
1Ki 8:7 For the cherubims spread forth their two wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubims covered the ark and the staves thereof above.

We need to remember that this entire Temple complex was designed to house the Ark of the Covenant and only then to become a house of prayer!

Isa 56:7 Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.
Isa 56:8 The Lord GOD which gathereth the outcasts of Israel saith, Yet will I gather others to him, beside those that are gathered unto him.

The Temple was never to be just for the people of Israel but for all people. The Temple was never to be just some royal chapel nor become some tourist attraction.

It Jesus who showed God's wrath at what was taking place in the Temple in Jerusalem as He trained the disciples.

Mar 11:15 And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves;
Mar 11:16 And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple.
Mar 11:17 And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves.

To the Church, the Ark emphasizes the "Person" of Jesus Christ just as the "Mercy Seat" portrayed by the Cross, emphasizes the "Purpose" of Jesus Christ!

The Cherubim on the Mercy Seat faced each other as a sign they observed the mysteries of God's Grace.

1Pe 1:12 Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.

The Cherubim in the Holy of Holies faced the Holy Place where the congregation were, as a sign that they also observed the ministry of God's people.

1Co 4:9 For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men.

Once put in the Most Holy Place, the staves were withdrawn enough to guide the High Priests but not far enough to be seen by the congregation.

Mat 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

*****1Ki 8:8 And they drew out the staves, that the ends of the staves were seen out in the holy place before the oracle, and they were not seen without: and there they are unto this day.
1Ki 8:9 There was nothing in the ark save the two tables of stone, which Moses put there at Horeb, when the LORD made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt.
1Ki 8:10 And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the LORD,

Originally the Ark had contained not only the stone tablets but also the "golden pot that held manna" and also "Aaron's rod" that had budded but these had been removed leaving only the two stones.

Heb 9:4 Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant;

The Ark has since disappeared and may never be found again!

Rev 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.

This Ark was originally called the Ark of the Testament:

Exo 25:22 And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon "the ark of the testimony", of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.

It was then that God showed up!

This is the same Cloud of Glory that had filled the Tabernacle when it had been completed.

This cloud was the symbol of the divine presence of the Lord and a symbol of God's acceptance of the Temple as a place of worship.

Exo 40:34 Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.
Exo 40:35 And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.

Just as Moses had been awestruck by this obvious sign of the presence of God, so it was with all of Israel this day of the Temple dedication.

*****1Ki 8:11 So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of the LORD.

The glory of the Lord is known as the "shekinah".

Exo 13:21 And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:

Today in our churches it is that presence of the Holy Spirit!

Jo 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

And in another parallel it is God's presence in each believer.

Eph 2:21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
Eph 2:22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

Solomon spent a great price in building the first Temple but God paid an even greater price for the living temples He builds with the blood of His Son Jesus!

And so the Temple became a place where the divine glory of God is revealed to His people and just as Solomon establish his royal residence in sight of this Temple, the Lord Jesus will one day establish His residence in the New Jerusalem and become our Temple.

Rev 21:22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.

It was not Solomon that had caused this to happen as much as it was his father King David.

*****1Ki 8:18 And the LORD said unto David my father, Whereas it was in thine heart to build an house unto my name, thou didst well that it was in thine heart.
1Ki 8:19 Nevertheless thou shalt not build the house; but thy son that shall come forth out of thy loins, he shall build the house unto my name.
1Ki 8:20 And the LORD hath performed his word that he spake, and I am risen up in the room of David my father, and sit on the throne of Israel, as the LORD promised, and have built an house for the name of the LORD God of Israel.

On this day of dedication Solomon acted as King and High Priest in other words a royal priest, a priest that sat on a throne!

Solomon had rule over the civil power.

Solomon had rule over the priestly power.

Solomon had rule over the religious power all the days of his life.

Solomon was given a tremendous responsibility and Solomon failed!

BUT, on this day of dedication Solomon made the nation of Israel aware that God will always keep His promises!

God in His "Goodness" and His "Grace" had made a covenant with David concerning his family and this House of God.

What God speaks with His mouth, God accomplishes with His hands.

1Ki 8:15 And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, which spake with his mouth unto David my father, and hath with his hand fulfilled it, saying,

What God promised to David, God fulfilled through Solomon.

But we must not believe that God did these things to glorify Solomon nor his father David.

God did these thing in honor of His own name Jehovah!

We can see the title LORD mentioned 14 times in this prayer of Solomon.

Solomon was very careful to give God the glory for what he had accomplished.

When we come together to worship we must remember why we came to the House of God for it must be to worship God, by the Holy Spirit and through His Son Jesus.

We must give God the glory for what He has done in our lives and even if God only saves us He has done much more than what we deserved!

We must also certainly never forget that when God makes promises, God uses people to fulfill those promises during this time of God's "Grace"!

Solomon rejoiced in his being the son of promise to his father David but the true Son of Promise is the Lord Jesus Christ!

Rom 1:2  (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,)
Rom 1:3 Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;
Rom 1:4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:

Solomon began his prayer of dedication while standing but Solomon just as soon went to his knees.

*****1Ki 8:22 And Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven:

Our prayers are not to be a request only thing!

It is by Prayer that we have fellowship with the Lord.

It is by prayer that we have communion with God.

And it is by prayer that we are identified with God.

True prayer is a soul that knows who his true Father is and pours out his heart in loving devotion!

*****1Ki 8:23 And he said, LORD God of Israel, there is no God like thee, in heaven above, or on earth beneath, who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants that walk before thee with all their heart:

There may be many religions in our world but there is only One Jehovah God.

Sure He is the God of Israel but He is also the God of joy of all those that believe but also the God of wrath to all those that do not believe!

There are many in our world that think they can loose their salvation but that could only happen if we did not have an Intercessor who is dedicated to keeping us saved!

Rom 8:34  Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

The Lord Jesus is not just preparing us a place in our new home but He is also saving us to the uttermost so we can get there!

Heb 7:24 But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.
Heb 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

Even when we make a sinful mistake, and we all do, it is our Intercessor who restores us to fellowship when that fellowship is broken.

1Jn 2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

No, there is no other god like unto the LORD!

Mic 7:18  Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.
Mic 7:19 He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.

All these things are just as true for the nation of Israel!

*****1Ki 8:33 When thy people Israel be smitten down before the enemy, because they have sinned against thee, and shall turn again to thee, and confess thy name, and pray, and make supplication unto thee in this house:
1Ki 8:34 Then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy people Israel, and bring them again unto the land which thou gavest unto their fathers.

If we need a time piece to know where we are in Biblical fulfillment, then we need only to look toward Israel!

Israel has been restored as a nation and as small and as vulnerable as they are, Israel stands firmly and boldly before the world.

This is a sign to the "Born Again" Christian that we are also to stand boldly before the world!

Solomon recognized that Jehovah God rules all His creation and has complete provincial control of all nature and all of Heaven.

Solomon realized that prayer changes things!

If prayer could not change the outcome of things God would not teach us to pray!

The hope of Israel is the ultimate restoration of all things under the Messiah!

Mic 5:4 And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God; and they shall abide: for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth.

The hope of the Church is the Rapture!

1Co 15:51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
1Co 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
1Co 15:53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
1Co 15:54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

The Rapture has not taken place and God is not through with Israel but these things get closer with every passing day.

Most all remaining prophesy concerns Israel as the Church could be removed at any moment!

*****1Ki 8:45 Then hear thou in heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause.
1Ki 8:46 If they sin against thee, (for there is no man that sinneth not,) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captives unto the land of the enemy, far or near;
1Ki 8:47 Yet if they shall bethink themselves in the land whither they were carried captives, and repent, and make supplication unto thee in the land of them that carried them captives, saying, We have sinned, and have done perversely, we have committed wickedness;
1Ki 8:48 And so return unto thee with all their heart, and with all their soul, in the land of their enemies, which led them away captive, and pray unto thee toward their land, which thou gavest unto their fathers, the city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name:

What is the truth of repentance?

To repent is to "bethink", which is to recall to the mind.

Repentance is a complete change of mind followed with a complete change of direction!

Repentance is not just saying I'm sorry!

And how are we to love the Lord?

Moses taught the children of Israel with these words:

Deu 6:5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

Jesus taught the disciples:

Mat 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

God said the way to get restored after wickedness Israel would have to return to the Lord with all their heart and all their soul, even if they were in the land of their enemies!

This is a picture of the "Grace of God" and God tells the Church to do the very same thing!

1Jn 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1Jn 1:10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

The God of the Old Testament is the same God of the New Testament!

And all these things come about when we pray.

*****1Ki 8:49 Then hear thou their prayer and their supplication in heaven thy dwelling place, and maintain their cause,
1Ki 8:50 And forgive thy people that have sinned against thee, and all their transgressions wherein they have transgressed against thee, and give them compassion before them who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them:
1Ki 8:51 For they be thy people, and thine inheritance, which thou broughtest forth out of Egypt, from the midst of the furnace of iron:

How do we know that God will hear our prayers?

1st) Psa 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:

If we have not repented then we can be sure God will not hear our prayer!

2nd) If we confess our sins, God is faithful to forgive our sins.

If we have confessed our sins we can be sure that God is listening to our prayers.

The truth is that God will answer every prayer that reaches into Heaven!

And, God will always provide the things that meets His will for our lives!

What is the will of God?

Col 1:9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
Col 1:10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

Being able to get our prayers answered is the will of God!

Being filled with knowledge and understanding of God, we will have the wisdom of God's will for our lives.

Walking worthy of the Lord Jesus is being in the will of God!

We can know that our prayers will be answered if we belong to God!

Not one Word out of the mouth of God will ever fail!

*****1Ki 8:54 And it was so, that when Solomon had made an end of praying all this prayer and supplication unto the LORD, he arose from before the altar of the LORD, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up to heaven.
1Ki 8:55 And he stood, and blessed all the congregation of Israel with a loud voice, saying,
1Ki 8:56 Blessed be the LORD, that hath given rest unto his people Israel, according to all that he promised: there hath not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant.

God had promised David that the reign of King Solomon would be a time of peace for the nation of Israel!

Joshua had seen the same thing as Solomon was seeing.

Jos 23:14 And, behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth: and ye know in all your hearts and in all your souls, that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the LORD your God spake concerning you; all are come to pass unto you, and not one thing hath failed thereof.

And if all the good things will always come true, then all the bad things will certainly be true when we ignore the Word of God!

Jos 23:15 Therefore it shall come to pass, that as all good things are come upon you, which the LORD your God promised you; so shall the LORD bring upon you all evil things, until he have destroyed you from off this good land which the LORD your God hath given you.

But what is the pure truth of God?

When we become part of the family of God, He will never leave us or forsake us!

1Sa 12:22 For the LORD will not forsake his people for his great name's sake: because it hath pleased the LORD to make you his people.

God will simply not ever do anything that goes against His own nature!

Why?

*****1Ki 8:57 The LORD our God be with us, as he was with our fathers: let him not leave us, nor forsake us:
1Ki 8:58 That he may incline our hearts unto him, to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and his statutes, and his judgments, which he commanded our fathers.
1Ki 8:59 And let these my words, wherewith I have made supplication before the LORD, be nigh unto the LORD our God day and night, that he maintain the cause of his servant, and the cause of his people Israel at all times, as the matter shall require:
1Ki 8:60 That all the people of the earth may know that the LORD is God, and that there is none else.

If we will just walk in the ways of God's Word.

If we will just keep the two "royal commandments" of the Lord Jesus Christ.

If we will just study the Word of God we will be able to know how God deals with sin.

And all the world will know that the LORD, He is God!

2Jn 1:7 For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.

1Jn 2:22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.

1Jn 4:2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
1Jn 4:3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

1Jn 5:1 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.

There is no other way to be in the family of God except by Jesus Christ!

If we walk in His ways, then all the world will know that the LORD, He is God!

Not Allah, not Confucius, not Buddha, not any other false thing!

*****1Ki 8:61 Let your heart therefore be perfect with the LORD our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day.
1Ki 8:62 And the king, and all Israel with him, offered sacrifice before the LORD.
1Ki 8:63 And Solomon offered a sacrifice of peace offerings, which he offered unto the LORD, two and twenty thousand oxen, and an hundred and twenty thousand sheep. So the king and all the children of Israel dedicated the house of the LORD.

The pure truth of the Lord is that He provides the needs that we require daily.

With the nation of Israel observing his actions, Solomon had prayed directly to the Lord.

Solomon was dedicating the new Temple to the Lord.

Now Solomon was asking the entire nation of Israel to rededicate themselves to the Lord.

It was a time of national revival and we need this in America today!

We need to let our hearts be as perfect as humanly possible with the Lord.

We need to walk in the statutes of the Lord, the "royal law" of Jesus Christ.

We need to keep all the commandments of God and see that no man-made laws are written that go against the statutes of God.

And We Must Then Sacrifice Ourselves To The Lord!

Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

We can see that a godly national leader can have a tremendous impact on the any nation.

We must dedicate ourselves to the Lord!

We must dedicate our places of worship to the Lord!

We must dedicate our Nation to the Lord!

*****1Ki 8:66 On the eighth day he sent the people away: and they blessed the king, and went unto their tents joyful and glad of heart for all the goodness that the LORD had done for David his servant, and for Israel his people.

A nation that knows Jehovah God will truly be blessed and they will know it!

A nation that knows the Lord will also be a blessing to it's leaders.

1Pe 2:13 Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme;
1Pe 2:14 Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.
1Pe 2:15 For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:
1Pe 2:16 As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.
1Pe 2:17 Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.

Today we find America is even more divided than it was at the time of the Civil War!

AND, it is not because of States Rights as it was in those days though that is a major part of it.

It is not because of slavery because slavery does not exist in that form today in America even though it is still in much of the world.

America is divided because we do not follow the statutes and the commandments of God!

America is divided because our national leaders do not accept the Word of God as the basic tool for humanity!

America is divided because God's people have allowed Satan's worldly system to dominate over the truth of God!

Solomon dismissed Israel to go back home hoping they would return to the ways of God.

Our leader has dismissed America in all things, because he has exalted himself above not only the office that he holds but he has exalted himself above God!

We "may" get one more opportunity to use our vote to change things but if we fail once again we may never have that same opportunity again!

Questions?

Let's Pray!

The Construction Of The Temple Of Solomon

The Construction Of The Temple

Text; 1 Kings 5:1-7:51; 2 Chronicles 2:1-4:22

Focus: 2 Chronicles 2:1, 3-5; 3:1-10; 4:1, 2, 6-8, 19-22


Solomon's Temple was built in 960BC and we should understand that the Temple had a specific purpose.

Most of the world may disagree but the truth is that Jehovah God made this world we live in and it is our Creator who has established all the rules of life!

When God made Adam, God told him that the results of not obeying His rules would result in death. Not the death of the body but the eternal death of the soul!

Adam disobeyed and sin, death, and disease entered our world!

In spite of this our God still loved all His creation and God had mercy on His people.

God had already made a plan of salvation even before He sent His Son Jesus.

God provided a way to atone for sin so that all people could still remain close to God!

God allowed the blood of a perfectly healthy animal to temporarily take the place of the sinners life. Note this was only temporary until the true sacrifice was to come.

Heb 9:11  But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;
Heb 9:12  Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.

It is by the blood of Jesus that the final sacrifice was made!

Heb 10:26  For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
Heb 10:27  But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
Heb 10:28  He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:
Heb 10:29  Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?
Heb 10:30  For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.

Since these things are true and they are, then it ought to be a fearful thing to not acknowledge the sacrifice that was offered by God Himself!

Heb 10:31  It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

The Temple took seven years to build and this place of worship was to be a quiet place to worship so with that theme, all materials were manufactured in other places, and then delivered and assembled on the threshing floor of Ornan in the place that was purchased by King David.

The truth is that the Temple was the most holy sight on this planet until it was destroyed by Titus in 70AD.

Now the most holy sight on this planet is the the believer, the Holy Ghost filled Body of Christ!

1Co 6:19  What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
1Co 6:20  For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

Let's begin:

2Ch 2:1  And Solomon determined to build an house for the name of the LORD, and an house for his kingdom.

The duty of building the Temple was reserved for Solomon even before he was born of King David and Bathsheba.

God told Moses.

Deu 12:5  But unto the place which the LORD your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put his name there, even unto his habitation shall ye seek, and thither thou shalt come:
Deu 12:6  And thither ye shall bring your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, and your tithes, and heave offerings of your hand, and your vows, and your freewill offerings, and the firstlings of your herds and of your flocks:
Deu 12:7  And there ye shall eat before the LORD your God, and ye shall rejoice in all that ye put your hand unto, ye and your households, wherein the LORD thy God hath blessed thee.

God told David.

2Sa 7:12  And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom.
2Sa 7:13  He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.

Solomon realized that to build the Temple was his purpose in life and as soon as Solomon became King of Israel, he committed himself to the work.

And just as Solomon had this purpose, this is the same purpose for each believer to build upon the House of the Lord!

Since the time of Seth the third born son of Adam, certain men have called upon the name of the Lord.

Gen 4:26  And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the LORD.

The Temple that Solomon built was the first time a specific building had been set aside to worship in the name of the Lord!

We would be foolish not to see the hand of God in all these things because God Himself had a purpose for the Temple.

Solomon was also determined to build his own house but the building of the Temple was to come first.

Just as Solomon we as Christians we need to keep our priorities in order. As the "living temples" of God we will never be able to properly build our own homes and families until we have determined to be a living house of God.

Rom 12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Rom 12:2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

So Solomon gathered his work force together to build the Temple and if our minds are right with God we can see that God is in fact using this time of Grace to gather His own work force together to build His temples!

*****2Ch 2:2  And Solomon told out threescore and ten thousand men to bear burdens, and fourscore thousand to hew in the mountain, and three thousand and six hundred to oversee them.
2Ch 2:3  And Solomon sent to Huram the king of Tyre, saying, As thou didst deal with David my father, and didst send him cedars to build him an house to dwell therein, even so deal with me.

This verse is also important because we can see that Solomon first gathered Gentiles to build God's Temple.

2Ch 2:17  And Solomon numbered "all the strangers" that were in the land of Israel, after the numbering wherewith David his father had numbered them; and they were found an hundred and fifty thousand and three thousand and six hundred.

And, What is God doing today?

Rom 11:25  For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.

God is using Gentiles to build His Church!

The Temple that was to be built was to be a solid structure and as permanent as man could make it.

The materials were to be durable to last as long as humanly possible.

The Temple was to be built by experienced builders as directed by the King.

How does God build His Temples?

Rev 3:12  Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.

God uses permanent materials that will last through eternity!

God uses Holy Ghost experienced builders directed by God Himself!

This is the purpose of our own King Jesus!

Joh 18:37  Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. "To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world", that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.

And we must dedicate our own temple to the Lord!

*****2Ch 2:4  Behold, I build an house to the name of the LORD my God, to dedicate it to him, and to burn before him sweet incense, and for the continual shewbread, and for the burnt offerings morning and evening, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts of the LORD our God. This is an ordinance for ever to Israel.

Notice this house that was built in the name of the Lord and it was not built to live in.

This House Was Built To Worship The Lord In!

Jesus said these words:

Mar 11:17  And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves.

Woe to us all when we make our own temple a den of thieves which robs God rather than a temple of worship in the name of the Lord and a house of prayer.

The Church can only survive in this world because we serve a Great Big God!

*****2Ch 2:5  And the house which I build is great: for great is our God above all gods.

Psa 145:3  Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable.

Our God is great, so to the Christian we are very aware that God is in control of not only our lives but God also has absolute control of the happenings in our world.

We all know that there are many bad things that happen in our world and God does not do bad things but God does allow them to happen when He could stop them if He so wanted to!

God has a plan in place and He will not allow anything to alter that plan!

It is also a fact that our world would destroy itself if God allowed it to!

The Lord Jesus Christ is to be our example in everything in life and the Lord Jesus Christ never ignored God. Jesus Christ always lifted up His Father that is in Heaven!

We need to be more like Jesus and we need to seek the Lord daily for we serve a Great Big God!

Act 17:26  And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, "and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation";
Act 17:27  That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:
Act 17:28  "For in him we live, and move, and have our being"; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

So Solomon began to build the House of the Lord.

*****2Ch 3:1  Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD at Jerusalem in mount Moriah, where the LORD appeared unto David his father, in the place that David had prepared in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.

The location of the Temple was very important.

1) Where do we first see Mount Moriah?

Gen 22:2  And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.

Mount Moriah was the same place where Abraham was sent to sacrifice his promised son Isaac by his wife Sarah.

What was the truth of that sacrifice?

Gen 22:8  And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.

Abraham and Isaac both went up to Mount Moriah and they both returned because God's plan for God to provide "Himself" to be that sacrificial Lamb!

Gen 22:14  And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.

Jehovahjireh means "Jehovah will see to it". In other words our salvation was a personal thing to God and He would handle this thing Himself and not allow any human to be that sacrificial lamb!

2) Next it was this same location where the Lord met with King David

2Sa 24:18  And Gad came that day to David, and said unto him, Go up, rear an altar unto the LORD in the threshingfloor of Araunah the Jebusite.
2Sa 24:19  And David, according to the saying of Gad, went up as the LORD commanded.
2Sa 24:20  And Araunah looked, and saw the king and his servants coming on toward him: and Araunah went out, and bowed himself before the king on his face upon the ground.
2Sa 24:21  And Araunah said, Wherefore is my lord the king come to his servant? And David said, To buy the threshingfloor of thee, to build an altar unto the LORD, that the plague may be stayed from the people.
2Sa 24:22  And Araunah said unto David, Let my lord the king take and offer up what seemeth good unto him: behold, here be oxen for burnt sacrifice, and threshing instruments and other instruments of the oxen for wood.
2Sa 24:23  All these things did Araunah, as a king, give unto the king. And Araunah said unto the king, The LORD thy God accept thee.
2Sa 24:24  And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.
2Sa 24:25  And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the LORD was intreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel.

3) David had realized that this was the very place where the Temple would be built and King David began then setting aside some the materials that would be needed.

Notice David also used Gentiles and not Jews to prepare the stones for the house of God!

1Ch 21:18  Then the angel of the LORD commanded Gad to say to David, that David should go up, and set up an altar unto the LORD in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.

1Ch 22:1  Then David said, This is the house of the LORD God, and this is the altar of the burnt offering for Israel.
1Ch 22:2  And David commanded to gather together "the strangers" that were in the land of Israel; and he set masons to hew wrought stones to build the house of God.

What did the Apostle Paul preach to the early Church?

Eph 2:19  Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

Gentile and Jew alike will one day live together in the House the God Built!

Joh 14:2  In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
Joh 14:3  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

The time to build was also important.

*****2Ch 3:2  And he began to build in the second day of the second month, in the fourth year of his reign.
2Ch 3:3  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.

It had taken Solomon 4 years to gather all the material his father David had provided and other things that he knew would be needed and to make the arrangements for the Temple construction.

We should immediately see that as wise as Solomon was, Solomon was still instructed in how to build the Temple of God.

Solomon had a set of plans and specifications that had been provided by his father King David who had received these instructions himself by the Holy Spirit!

God still uses this same method today. Every temple is to be built according to the direction of the Holy Spirit!

About 35 acres of land had to be prepared.

A water supply had to be provided such as the Pool of Siloam.

And we should know that no matter what the deceivers of our world try to tell us, it would be this Temple as built by Solomon that would set the standard for all places of worship in the ancient world!

Every foreign government wanted a part of this Temple.

Every army considered the artifacts of the Temple to be the greatest spoils of any war.

Many nations including Rome and even the Muslim made it their own goal to build things to try to surpass the Glory of the House of God and as none could do so, they then strived to destroy the House of God which they finally did in 70AD and the Muslim world will still rise up in war, if there is any attempt to rebuild God's Temple.

God had a great purpose for allowing the Temple to be built.

God had a great purpose in allowing the Temple to be destroyed.

God has a great purpose for the Temple will be rebuilt again one day!

In reality the main structure of Temple of Solomon was about twice the size of the Tabernacle of Moses.

There were many other great structures in that day including the pyramids but we should remember that the pyramids were only tombs for the dead.

The Temple of God was built for all those who are seeking eternal life!

*****2Ch 3:4  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.

This porch later called Solomon's porch was on the East side of the Temple.

This porch faced the Courtyard of the Gentiles and was a place that the Lord Jesus used to teach His disciples.

Joh 10:23  And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch.

Here is what Josephus wrote about Solomon's porch:

"there is a porch without the Temple, overlooking a deep valley, supported by walls of 400 cubits, made of four square stone, very white, the length of each stone was 20 cubits, and the breadth 6 cubits; the work of King Solomon, who first rounded the whole Temple."

Even the porch of the House of God was a magnificent place!

And even the porch of the House of God is to be a place of safety!

And even the porch of Solomon's Temple faced the courtyard of the Gentiles!

*****2Ch 3:5  And the greater house he cieled with fir tree, which he overlaid with fine gold, and set thereon palm trees and chains.
2Ch 3:6  And he garnished the house with precious stones for beauty: and the gold was gold of Parvaim.
2Ch 3:7  He overlaid also the house, the beams, the posts, and the walls thereof, and the doors thereof, with gold; and graved cherubims on the walls.

The lumber material was not found in Israel so it had to come from somewhere else and the best wood came from the forest of Lebanon.

Since that time of the Temple, the forest of Lebanon became a victim of greed and irresponsibility!

Many nations including Rome harvested the forest of Lebanon.

During the time of the Muslim and the Ottoman Empire these wonderful forest practically disappeared!

Today these forest are almost all gone. The world we live do not want to claim Jehovah but this world sure does crave the things that Jehovah provides!

But even this marvelous wood with it's beautiful carvings and was then covered with gold.

Remember Gold suggest the deity and the glory of God!

Those precious jewels were remind us of the New Jerusalem.

Rev 21:19  And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;
Rev 21:20  The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.
Rev 21:21  And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.

Those cherubim are a marvelous subject in the Bible. The first time we see them is in the Book of Genesis.

Gen 3:24  So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

We know that Adam once walked with the God in the cool of the day, but after sin entered into the world there has since been only one way to approach God and that is through "Faith" in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ!

We know that Enoch walk with God by "Faith" even after the Cherubim were placed by the Lord at the garden of Eden.

Those Cherubim were actually placed at the Garden by the Lord, so it could be said that those Cherubims were not just keeping the way to the place to walk with God "but to actually show the only way to approach the throne of God".

In the Holy of Holies, the Cherubim hovered over the "Mercy Seat" which we know represents the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is our "Mercy Seat"!

Exo 25:18  And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat.
Exo 25:19  And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof.

It is very possible to consider that these Cherubims are more an emblem of the Godhead than they are of angels.

We know that an emblem is only a representation of the real thing!

Act 17:29  Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.

Rom 1:20  For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

It is the Cherubim that will lead us to the Holy of Holies!

*****2Ch 3:8  And he made the most holy house, the length whereof was according to the breadth of the house, twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof twenty cubits: and he overlaid it with fine gold, amounting to six hundred talents.
2Ch 3:9  And the weight of the nails was fifty shekels of gold. And he overlaid the upper chambers with gold. 2Ch 3:10  And in the most holy house he made two cherubims of image work, and overlaid them with gold.

The Holy of Holies was four square.

God is building a new Holy of Holies:

Joh 14:2  In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

Rev 21:16  And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.

All believers will one day live with God in His new Holy of Holies!

Rev 22:5  And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.

Which is the New Jerusalem!

Rev 21:2  And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

We already know that the material for the Temple was manufactured in other places and assembled on sight without the sound of the hammer.

1Ki 6:7  And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither: so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building. 

So Those nails would have been wooden pegs.

And here again we see that those two Cherubim over shadowed the "Mercy Seat"!

These two Cherubim were colossal, reaching from wall to wall inside the Holy of Holies.

The combined wing spread of these two cherubim was 20 cubits or at least 30 feet and they completely covered with gold.

Then there was the veil.

*****2Ch 3:14  And he made the vail of blue, and purple, and crimson, and fine linen, and wrought cherubims thereon.

It was the veil that separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place, where the Ark of the Covenant rested.

It was the veil that separated a holy God from sinful people.

Once a year only the High Priests could go beyond that veil.

But because Jesus became that perfect sacrifice for all of our sin that veil no longer exists!

When Jesus died that veil was ripped into by God Himself and we can now go boldly into the throne room of God Himself!

Then

Mat 27:50  Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.
Mat 27:51  And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;

Now

Heb 10:19  Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
Heb 10:20  By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;
Heb 10:21  And having an high priest over the house of God;
Heb 10:22  Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

Then came the altar.

*****2Ch 4:1  Moreover he made an altar of brass, twenty cubits the length thereof, and twenty cubits the breadth thereof, and ten cubits the height thereof.

God required the children of Israel to regularly sacrifice a perfect animal whether they be lambs, goats, doves or bulls for their sins but remember, this was a yearly thing.

It was "the blood" of that animal that justified the people before God and their relationship with Him was restored for one more year!

But now we have have the perfect sacrifice, Jesus Christ, and no more sacrifice of animals is required!

Heb 9:25  Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others;
Heb 9:26  For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

At the Temple people would lay their hand on the head of that animal, symbolically putting his sins onto the animal and that animal would die in his place.

Now we know that Jesus was the Lamb of God who carried the burden of all our sin.

Today, in this time of "Grace" we are to offer ourselves as a living sacrifice!

Rom 12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Rom 12:2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God

And there is still one other sacrifice that we must make after being accepted into God's family!

Heb 13:16  But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
Heb 13:17  Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.

We cannot live to ourselves, we must be bright and shining lights for Jesus Christ!

And then there was the sea.

*****2Ch 4:2  Also he made a molten sea of ten cubits from brim to brim, round in compass, and five cubits the height thereof; and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about.

This was the great bronze basin where the priests would wash themselves.

This basin in Solomon's Temple would have held more than 10,000 gallons of water.

BUT, today it is each believer who is to be God's priest:

1Pe 2:9  But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
1Pe 2:10  Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

Who are washed in the blood of Jesus:

1Jn 1:7  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

And then the ten lavers:

*****2Ch 4:6  He made also ten lavers, and put five on the right hand, and five on the left, to wash in them: such things as they offered for the burnt offering they washed in them; but the sea was for the priests to wash in.

These lavers were intended to wash those sacrificed animals.

The priest must be washed.

The people must be washed.

The sacrificed must be washed.

The child of God must be washed!

1Co 6:11  And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

The number 10 represents perfected universality!

The ten commandments contain God moral laws.

The tenth is the tithe which all belongs to God.

The ten lavers were to wash the sacrifice but they also represent those that are justified and those that will be sanctified!

To be washed is to become the New Man.

Joh 3:3  Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Then there was the ten candlesticks.

*****2Ch 4:7  And he made ten candlesticks of gold according to their form, and set them in the temple, five on the right hand, and five on the left.

These ten candlesticks reflect on the perfect light in the Holy of Holies.

Today it is Jesus Christ who is the light of the world!

Joh 9:4  I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.
Joh 9:5  As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.

Jesus Christ is the Light to the world as well as the Light of the world!

It is only the light of Jesus that can open the eyes of the blind so they can see the truth of God!

Psa 40:7  Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me,
Psa 40:8  I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.

It is only the Word of God that can teach us of His magnificent light!

Then there was the 10 tables.

*****2Ch 4:8  He made also ten tables, and placed them in the temple, five on the right side, and five on the left. And he made an hundred basons of gold.

These tables were intended to hold the bread that was made for the Temple priests.

But today we have the complete bread of life, His name is Jesus Christ!

Joh 6:48  I am that bread of life.
Joh 6:49  Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.
Joh 6:50  This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.
Joh 6:51  I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

It is impossible to see the construction of the Temple and not see the construction of the Born Again child of God!

And then there are all the remaining vessels for the house of God.

*****2Ch 4:19  And Solomon made all the vessels that were for the house of God, the golden altar also, and the tables whereon the shewbread was set;
2Ch 4:20  Moreover the candlesticks with their lamps, that they should burn after the manner before the oracle, of pure gold;
2Ch 4:21  And the flowers, and the lamps, and the tongs, made he of gold, and that perfect gold;
2Ch 4:22  And the snuffers, and the basons, and the spoons, and the censers, of pure gold: and the entry of the house, the inner doors thereof for the most holy place, and the doors of the house of the temple, were of gold.

We should never forget the purpose of the Church is to make disciples who will then carry the "Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world.

Isaiah said it like this:

Isa 60:17  For brass I will bring gold, and for iron I will bring silver, and for wood brass, and for stones iron: I will also make thy officers peace, and thine exactors righteousness.

People from all walks of life who accept the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and who come into the church, will be changed for the better!

And the exactors were for the tribute to be collected which would be righteousness!

Not only would the Church be peaceable and righteous but the Church is to administer peace and righteousness to all this world!

And what would happen in our world if the Church would do it's job?

Isa 60:18  Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders; but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise.

The Temple was destroyed because it was not doing it's job.

It should be obvious to us that the Church up to this point has also not done it's job, in this time of "Grace"!

But this does not mean we are to stop trying!

Questions?

Let's Pray!