Solomon's Temple

Dual Plan

Moses, in his office as the mediator between the people and their God, was a reflected image of Christ, and he not only represented the kingly power among God's people, but also that of the redemption. His very first act was to redeem the descendants of Abraham from the state of bondage, and without such a redeeming act he could not become their king. The office of Christ, relating to his kingly power, cannot be understood unless it is studied from the position that Moses represented.

By the Mosaic movement God's chosen people became an independent nation, and in the course of time the throne of David became established among them. To that particular throne God fastened all his promises that he made to Israel regarding their future kingdom. The Lord said to David:

"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." (2 Sam. 7: 12.)

That promise has direct reference to Christ, because Solomon was placed on the throne while David still lived. King Solomon was a reflected image of Christ. But the reflection or shadow comes from the throne of David when Christ, as the glorious King over the descendants of Abraham, sits on that throne. That belongs to a future development.

David contemplated building the temple of Elohim in place of the tent-building, but his son Solomon was chosen to carry out the project. For that great and glorious temple, all the materials were prepared beforehand, so that when it was put up, not even the sound of a hammer or of any tool of iron was heard there.

When it was dedicated, thousands upon thousands of cattle and sheep were sacrificed and offered as a sin- and praise-offering before the Lord.

The Messiah was continually expected to come and restore them into the heavenly kingdom they looked forward to because of the promises of the Lord. They anticipated he would lift them as a nation with special blessings, into a most brilliant and magnificent kingly power under which all, because of the abundance of God's bounties, would become enriched—where a harmonious elevation would gladden the hearts of them all and unite them as brethren with everlasting ties.

Kingdom to Come

Under The New Jerusalem

In what manner does Christ prepare room in the Father's house for the apostles and for us? He made a promise, saying, "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself." (John 14:3.) When it requires 3,800 years in all for the perfection of the plan of atonement by which the Father's house is built and occupied, and this period is divided in two parts as Abraham was made to divide the sacrifices, it will naturally follow that only one-half of the work was accomplished at the end of the first 1900 year period. It was therefore necessary to provide for another similar age in order to complete the building of faith, the specifications for which are contained in the Divine Dual Plan. And it is through this extension of the age that Christ prepares room in the building even for us. The foreshadow, which reveals the foundation of his promise, must here instruct us.

When king David had assembled Israel, and had admonished his son Solomon before the elders that he should serve the God of righteousness, he gave him, with Jehovah's sanction, the commis­sion to construct the prefigure of the building of faith which was to bear the name of Jehovah. We read as follows:

"Then David gave to Solomon his son the pattern [or drawing] of the porch, and the houses thereof, and of the treasuries thereof, and of the upper chambers thereof, and of the inner parlors thereof, and of the place of the mercy seat, 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… and for the altar of incense refined gold by weight; and gold for the pattern of the chariot of the cherubims, that spread out their wings, and covered the ark of the covenant of the Lord. All this, said David, the Lord made me under­stand in writing by his hand upon me, even all the works of this pat­tern."—1 Chron. 28:11 19.The most noteworthy of all respecting this plan was the fact that even though the different parts of the building were prepared in widely separated places, both inside and outside the territory of Israel, every piece fit so perfectly iw the place determined by the great superior Architect, that the sound of a hammer was not heard when it was built. The testimony is: "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."—1 Kings 6:7.From this it will be clearly seen that God had a higher purpose in view than that revealed by the prefigure. When we understand that the symbols John saw—the gold and the precious stones in the new Jerusalem—represent the personified gold of faith and the beautiful wisdom of God, it is possible for us to comprehend how the great Master-builder is to make for himself a ruling-ark made up of the children of faith—a living capital city, which will so resemble him in love, virtue, and good deeds, that it will become the bride of the Prince.

The foresqufre. The description of the city shows that it is not made of dead material, like the foursquare castles of kings and emperors, because its height is the same as its length and breadth: "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. And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel. And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass."—Rev. 21:16-18.

"The twelve thousand furlongs" remind us of the "sealed twelve thousand" of each of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel referred to in Rev. 7. And he measured the wall of the city to be "an hundred and forty and four cubits." The angel says that these prepared parts of the city have received their glorious garments in the "great tribulation," and number 144,000. They had the name of the Lamb and of the Father written in their fore­heads, and they "were redeemed from the earth… being the first fruits unto God and to the Lamb."

The holy city, the new Jerusalem, came down from heaven. Paul was given to know how the glorious company of saints is to come down from heaven. He says that the dead who have died in Christ, who belong to the first resurrection, shall come up out of their graves first, and that "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." (1 Thes. 4:13-17.) No hammer blows are heard here. Where do they go afterwards? John saw even more—he saw the whole company come down from heaven to the new earth.

Ezekiel was also permitted to glance at the day of the Son of man, and was permitted to see the resurrection. Thereupon he received careful instructions concerning the distribution of Je­hovah's inheritance among the twelve tribes, which inheritance surrounds the Father's house, which thereafter bears the name, Jehovah-shamma—Jehovah hears—Jehovah is there—the throne of Jehovah is ready. The children will then experience that Jehovah has heard all their prayers—that he longed to have compassion on them. Therefore it says that "God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes." How glorious it will then be to be a member in the Father's house! Then the disciples will all have come forth out of their graves.

The Lord informs us through John that this city is "the Lamb's wife." And "the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honor into it." (Rev. 21:23, 24.) "Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father."—Mat. 13:43.

Who would not desire to enjoy the rights of a child of God in this glorious home? But all must first have the name of the Father and the name of the Lamb written on their foreheads. May therefore none of our readers make a mistake respecting the right Father, or seek to evade the educational chastisement connected with the sealing-act and with the extension of time given for the develop­ment of the section that is to be constructed in our own time!

Solomon's Temple Description The temple consisted of:

The oracle or most holy place (1 Kings 6:19; 8:6), called also the "inner house" (6:27), and the "holiest of all" (Heb. 9:3). It was 20 cubits in length, breadth, and height. It was floored and wainscotted with cedar (1 Kings 6:16), and its walls and floor were overlaid with gold (6:20, 21, 30). There was a two-leaved door between it and the holy place overlaid with gold (2 Chr. 4:22); also a veil of blue purple and crimson and fine linen (2 Chr. 3:14; compare Exodus 26:33). It had no windows (1 Kings 8:12). It was considered the dwelling-place of God. The holy place , 1 Kings 8:8-10, called also the "greater house" (2 Chr. 3:5) and the "temple" (1 Kings 6:17). The porch or entrance before the temple on the east (1 Kings 6:3; 2 Chr. 3:4; 9:7). In the porch stood the two pillars Jachin and Boaz (1 Kings 7:21; 2 Kings 11:14; 23:3). The chambers, which were built about the temple on the southern, western, and northern sides (1 Kings 6:5-10). These formed a part of the building. Round about the building were:

The court of the priests (2 Chr. 4:9), called the "inner court" (1 Kings 6:36). It contained the altar of burnt-offering (2 Chr. 15:8), the brazen sea (4:2-5, 10), and ten lavers (1 Kings 7:38, 39). The great court, which surrounded the whole temple (2 Chr. 4:9). Here the people assembled to worship God (Jeremiah 19:14; 26:2).