20140801 Friday, August 1 2014
2 Chronicles 03: The Heart Of The Temple

by Wayne Blank
See also 1 Year Holy Bible Reading Plan

"And he made The Most Holy House"

The original design of the Tabernacle was given by the LORD (Who was and is Jesus Christ - see Genesis 1: In The Beginning Was The Word and The Kingdom Of The LORD God) to Moses in the Sinai, within the year after the Exodus (see The Building Of The Tabernacle). The first Passover observed by the Israelites after the Exodus was done at the newly-constructed Tabernacle (see The First Passover At The Tabernacle).

The Temple later built by Solomon in Jerusalem (after the era of Moses, Joshua, The Judges, Samuel and the reign of King David), although far greater in size and worldly magnificence, adhered to the same principles of prophetic purpose as the original Tabernacle. Within the Tabernacle and the Temple was The Most Holy Place in which The Ark of the Covenant was placed. It was not merely a storage place; it portrayed the place where salvation would be made possible by the atonement deliverance of the Messiah (see the Fact Finder question below).

Solomon built the Temple in the place that King David purchased for it (see King David's Temple Decision).

"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.

3:2 And he began to build in the second day of the second month, in the fourth year of his reign." (2 Chronicles 3:1-2 KJV)

The Temple was constructed of stone, fine woods and gold - while the Tabernacle was built as a portable, temporary structure. Nevertheless, the Tabernacle and the Temple, with the Law of God written in their "hearts," were temporary in existence, just as they were prophetically intended to be (see Where Is Your Tabernacle?; also What Was Holy About Herod's Temple?).

"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. 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.

3:5 And the greater house he cieled with fir tree, which he overlaid with fine gold, and set thereon palm trees and chains. 3:6 And he garnished the house with precious stones for beauty: and the gold was gold of Parvaim. 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." (2 Chronicles 3:3-7 KJV)

The cherubim portrayed the living cherubim of the actual spiritual Temple. Cherubim have been guardians for the LORD since the earliest times - when the Eternal Law of the LORD was declared in the Garden of Eden (see Grace In The Garden and The Porters).

"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. 3:9 And the weight of the nails was fifty shekels of gold. And he overlaid the upper chambers with gold.

3:10 And in the most holy house he made two cherubims of image work, and overlaid them with gold. 3:11 And the wings of the cherubims were twenty cubits long: one wing of the one cherub was five cubits, reaching to the wall of the house: and the other wing was likewise five cubits, reaching to the wing of the other cherub. 3:12 And one wing of the other cherub was five cubits, reaching to the wall of the house: and the other wing was five cubits also, joining to the wing of the other cherub. 3:13 The wings of these cherubims spread themselves forth twenty cubits: and they stood on their feet, and their faces were inward.

3:14 And he made the vail of blue, and purple, and crimson, and fine linen, and wrought cherubims thereon." (2 Chronicles 3:8-14 KJV)

The pillars of the Temple portrayed the Law that upheld the place where the LORD can be found (see What Did Moses Prophesy About The Law Of Salvation?).

"3:15 Also he made before the house two pillars of thirty and five cubits high, and the chapiter that was on the top of each of them was five cubits. 3:16 And he made chains, as in the oracle, and put them on the heads of the pillars; and made an hundred pomegranates, and put them on the chains. 3:17 And he reared up the pillars before the temple, one on the right hand, and the other on the left; and called the name of that on the right hand Jachin, and the name of that on the left Boaz." (2 Chronicles 3:15-17 KJV)

Fact Finder: What did the Messiah do, once and for all, when He arrived in heaven that was prophetically portrayed by the Levite High Priest once per year on the Day of Atonement?
See The Prophecy Of The Blood Upon The Anointed One and What Happened When The Messiah Arrived In Heaven?