From Tabernacle to Temple: A Trilogy of Worship- Part 3
In our final study on the worship of Moses, David, and Solomon, we look at Solomon and worship at the temple. We’ll determine its application to our lives now.
For a description of the temple’s construction, see I Kings 6.
So Solomon overlaid the house within with pure gold: and he made a partition by the chains of gold before the oracle; and he overlaid it with gold. And the whole house he overlaid with gold, until he had finished all the house: also the whole altar that was by the oracle he overlaid with gold…. And he overlaid the cherubims with gold…. And the floors of the house he overlaid with gold, within and without. And for the entering of the oracle he made doors of olive tree: the lintel and side posts were a fifth part of the wall. The two doors also were of olive tree; and he carved upon them carvings of cherubims and palm trees and open flowers, and overlaid them with gold, and spread gold upon the cherubims, and upon the palm trees. I Kings 6: 21-22, 28, 30-32 (KJV)
Practically everything in the temple, and the temple itself, was overlaid with gold. Gold represents deity. It took seven years to finish the temple. Seven symbolizes completion in the Bible. We are to worship God completely and wholeheartedly.
And the oracle he prepared in the house within, to set there the ark of the covenant of the Lord. I Kings 6:19 (KJV)
A place was built for the Ark of the Covenant to be positioned. The King James Version calls it an oracle, but it it corresponds to the Holy of Holies. The Ark and the Mercy Seat and the cherubim occupied this spot.
Outside of this was the Holy Place, similar to the layout of the Tabernacle of Moses. It contained the table of shewbread, the altar of incense, and the golden lampstand with its seven lamps.
Outside was the Outer Court area. Like Moses’ Tabernacle, the brazen altar and laver were located there.
Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? I Corinthians 3:16 (KJV)
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? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. I Corinthians 6:19-20 (KJV)
The church is God’s temple. That which God starts, He completes (Philippians 1:6). God is building us and He will complete the work. God’s temple was built to house God, which is what we are created to do.
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. II Corinthians 6:16 (KJV)
Consider that for a moment. We are the temple of the living God. God dwells in us and walks in us. He communes with us.
The word temple in Greek is naos, meaning Holy of Holies, the dwelling place of God. Solomon’s Temple was a place of animal sacrifice, but we now offer spiritual sacrifices to God (Hebrews 13:15).
We saw the furnishings of the Tabernacle of Moses, and they are basically the same in the Temple of Solomon. Let’s do a quick review, starting from the Holy of Holies and working outward.
Ark of the Covenant: A symbol of God’s throne and presence.
Mercy Seat: The lid on the Ark. we now obtain mercy as we come to the Throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16)
Cherubim: Angels surround God’s throne in Heaven. We worship with them, and angels are assigned to believers (Hebrews 11:14)
Table of Shewbread: Jesus is our Bread of Life on Whom we feed.
Golden Lampstand: Jesus is our Light. We walk in His light.
Altar of Incense: We pray without ceasing, offering worship to God daily and continually.
Brazen Laver: The Word cleanses us and helps us keep our life clean before the Lord.
Brazen Altar of Burnt Offering: They used to offer up burnt sacrifices of animals, but we offer ourselves as spiritual sacrifices to God. Jesus died on the altar of the cross to save us, which is why we offer ourselves daily.
We’ve gone from Moses’ Tabernacle, to David’s Tabernacle, to Solomon’s Temple and even to Christ and His church. When Christ came to Earth, He was the Temple of God. Now we are the Temple of God, the place where God dwells.
And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. Revelation 21:3 (KJV)
In the future, God Himself will physically dwell with us forever. All that we’ve seen is for the purpose of bringing God and man together to be with each other forever.
