The Temple of Solomon, often referred to as the First Temple, holds a significant place in biblical history as the central place of worship for the Israelites and the dwelling place of the presence of God. Constructed during the reign of King Solomon, the son of David, it was located in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, the site where Abraham was to offer Isaac (2 Chronicles 3:1).

Construction and Design

The construction of Solomon's Temple is detailed in 1 Kings 6-7 and 2 Chronicles 3-4. Solomon began building the temple in the fourth year of his reign, approximately 966 BC, and it took seven years to complete. The temple was designed according to divine specifications given to David, Solomon's father, and was built with the finest materials, including cedar from Lebanon, gold, silver, and precious stones.

The temple's layout consisted of three main parts: the Outer Court, the Holy Place, and the Most Holy Place, also known as the Holy of Holies. The Holy of Holies was the innermost and most sacred area, where the Ark of the Covenant was kept. It was separated from the Holy Place by a veil and was entered only once a year by the high priest on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) to offer sacrifices for the sins of the people (Leviticus 16:2-34).

The Holiest of All: The Holy of Holies

The Holy of Holies was a perfect cube, measuring 20 cubits by 20 cubits by 20 cubits (approximately 30 feet in each dimension). It was overlaid with pure gold, symbolizing the divine presence and majesty of God. The Ark of the Covenant, which contained the stone tablets of the Ten Commandments, Aaron's rod, and a pot of manna, was placed within this sacred space (Hebrews 9:3-4).

The presence of God, often referred to as the Shekinah glory, dwelt above the Ark between the cherubim, as described in 1 Kings 8:10-11: "And when the priests came out of the Holy Place, the cloud filled the house of the LORD, so that the priests could not stand there to minister because of the cloud; for the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD."

Significance and Symbolism

The Holy of Holies represented the ultimate meeting place between God and His people, a place of atonement and divine communion. It symbolized God's holiness, His covenant with Israel, and His desire to dwell among His people. The veil that separated the Holy of Holies from the Holy Place was a constant reminder of the separation between a holy God and sinful humanity.

The destruction of Solomon's Temple by the Babylonians in 586 BC marked a significant turning point in Israel's history, leading to the Babylonian exile. However, the hope of restoration and the promise of a new covenant were prophesied by the prophets, pointing to a future where God's presence would dwell not in a temple made with hands, but within the hearts of His people (Jeremiah 31:31-34).

New Testament Fulfillment

In the New Testament, the significance of the Holy of Holies is fulfilled in Jesus Christ. At His crucifixion, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom (Matthew 27:51), symbolizing the removal of the barrier between God and humanity. Through Christ's atoning sacrifice, believers now have direct access to the presence of God, as stated in Hebrews 10:19-20: "Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way opened for us through the curtain of His body."

The Temple of Solomon, and particularly the Holy of Holies, remains a profound symbol of God's holiness, His covenantal relationship with His people, and the ultimate fulfillment of His redemptive plan through Jesus Christ.Hebrews 9:3
And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all;
Nave's Topical Index

Solomon's Temple Spiritualized
... Christ has consecrated the way, and we enter into the holiest of all not only without
fear, but with solemn joy. The cost of Solomon's temple has been ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/solomons temple spiritualized.htm

At the Feast of Tabernacles - First Discourse in the Temple
... the Jewish historian describe it as the holiest and greatest ... For, all along the inside
of the great wall ... that it was the only relic left of Solomon's Temple. ...
/.../edersheim/the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter vi at the feast.htm

The Destruction of Jerusalem.
... to the world the way into the holiest of all ... will shake all nations, and the Desire
of all nations shall ... men who had seen the glory of Solomon's temple, and who ...
/.../1 the destruction of jerusalem.htm

The Destruction of Jerusalem
... to the world the way into the holiest of all ... will shake all nations, and the Desire
of all nations shall ... men who had seen the glory of Solomon's temple, and who ...
/.../white/the great controversy/chapter 1 the destruction of.htm

Bunsen's Biblical Researches.
... if not of composition, between the ages of Solomon and Hezekiah ... time and means of
grace now; temple, Scripture, finger ... on which they confer the Holiest name, The ...
/.../essays and reviews the education of the world/bunsens biblical researches.htm

A Discourse
... the same that the holiest of all in the temple ... The church therefore loseth not all
her titles of honour ... though she may not be called Solomon's temple, yet she ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/a discourse.htm

A Little Sanctuary
... to the horns of the altar to escape from Solomon's armed men ... God Almighty and the
Lamb are the temple thereof ... The holy leads to the holiest: living upon God here ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 34 1888/a little sanctuary.htm

The Earlier Hebrew Histories.
... violated during all these years by the holiest men ... builds altars, David and his son
Solomon permit the ... recognizes this as legitimate because the temple was not ...
/.../gladden/who wrote the bible/chapter iv the earlier hebrew.htm

The Saints' Privilege and Profit;
... Solomon's was but a shadow, and therefore fit to be put ... lightnings, and an earthquake'
(Revelation 8:5). All these then come out of the holiest, where the ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/the saints privilege and profit.htm

Funeral Oration on the Great S. Basil, Bishop of C??sarea in ...
... But, as it is, there is a danger of the holiest of all offices being ... Rehoboam, the
son of Solomon, is among the kings, but so also is Jeroboam, the slave ...
/.../cyril/lectures of s cyril of jerusalem/oration xliii funeral oration on.htm

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Temple: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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