In biblical contexts, the term "tiers" often refers to levels or layers, particularly in architectural or structural descriptions. The concept of tiers can be seen in various passages of the Bible, where it is used to describe the construction of buildings, the organization of society, or the arrangement of objects.

Architectural Tiers

One of the most prominent uses of tiers in the Bible is in the description of Solomon's Temple. The temple, a central place of worship for the Israelites, was constructed with great attention to detail and grandeur. In 1 Kings 6:5-6, the Berean Standard Bible describes the temple's side chambers: "Against the wall of the temple he built chambers all around, against the walls of the temple, both the inner sanctuary and the outer sanctuary. And he made side chambers all around. The lowest account was five cubits wide, the middle was six cubits wide, and the third was seven cubits wide. He also set ledges around the outside of the temple, so that nothing would be inserted into the temple walls."

These chambers were built in three tiers, each increasing in width as they ascended. This tiered structure not only provided additional space but also added to the temple's architectural beauty and complexity. The use of tiers in the temple's design reflects the importance of order and hierarchy in the construction of sacred spaces.

Societal and Symbolic Tiers

Beyond physical structures, the concept of tiers can also be seen in the organization of society and religious practices. The Bible often describes a hierarchical order among the people of Israel, with distinct roles and responsibilities assigned to different groups. For example, the Levites were set apart for specific religious duties, while the priests, who were also Levites, held a higher tier of responsibility in the service of the temple.

In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul speaks to the Corinthian church about the diversity of spiritual gifts and the unity of the body of Christ. In 1 Corinthians 12:28 , he writes, "And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those with gifts of healing, helping, guidance, and different kinds of tongues." Here, Paul outlines a tiered structure of roles within the church, emphasizing that each has its place and purpose in the body of Christ.

Symbolic Representation

Tiers can also symbolize spiritual truths and principles. The tiered structure of the temple, for instance, can be seen as a representation of the approach to God, with the Holy of Holies being the innermost and most sacred tier, accessible only to the high priest once a year. This reflects the idea of drawing nearer to God through layers of sanctification and holiness.

In Revelation, the vision of the New Jerusalem includes a description of the city's walls and foundations, which can be interpreted as tiered in their construction. Revelation 21:14 states, "The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb." This imagery conveys the strength and stability of God's eternal kingdom, built upon the foundational tiers of apostolic witness.

Overall, the concept of tiers in the Bible serves as a multifaceted symbol, illustrating the order, hierarchy, and spiritual truths inherent in God's creation and His divine plan for humanity.

A Sermon to Open Neglecters and Nominal Followers of Religion
... There stood the bravely-calm disciple, about to die, but all around, in those mighty
tiers of the Colosseum, or of the amphitheatre of some provincial town, as ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 13 1867/a sermon to open neglecters.htm

The Beginning of the New Testament
... On one side stood an enormous building, with a round space in the centre,
and tiers of seats rising one above another like a circus. ...
/.../duff/the bible in its making/chapter x the beginning of.htm

Let us Pass on Now to Theatrical Exhibitions, which we have ...
... by public proclamation the people to its consecration, he called it not a theatre,
but a temple, "under which," said he, "we have placed tiers of seats for ...
/.../tertullian/the shows or de spectaculis/chapter x let us pass.htm

How Vain, Then -- Nay, How Desperate -- is the Reasoning of ...
... the theatre are we bent on lewdness, outside the course on arrogance, and outside
the amphitheatre on cruelty, because outside the porticoes, the tiers and the ...
/.../tertullian/the shows or de spectaculis/chapter xx how vain then.htm

We Ought to Detest These Heathen Meetings and Assemblies...
... Shall you not then shun those tiers where the enemies of Christ assemble, that seat
of all that is pestilential, and the very super incumbent atmosphere all ...
/.../tertullian/the shows or de spectaculis/chapter xxvii we ought to.htm

Sources of the Pentateuch.
... record speaks of mortar in this case, and here it is: the several courses of these
buildings were usually "laid with mortar in regular tiers." More striking ...
/.../gladden/who wrote the bible/chapter iii sources of the.htm

Pagan Cemeteries.
... inferiae, or rites, could be celebrated easily if the loculus and the cinerary urn
were near the ground, while ladders were required to reach the upper tiers. ...
/.../lanciani/pagan and christian rome/chapter vi pagan cemeteries.htm

Essay v. Whose Powers Shed Round Him in the Common Strife...
... little squares of land inclosed with substantial stone walls; these too from the
necessity of having the fields perfectly level, rising in tiers above each ...
/.../coleridge/confessions of an inquiring spirit etc/essay v whose powers shed.htm

Christian Sympathy
... It is not so, I thank God, in this place of worship, but I have known many places
of worship where there are tiers of Christian people, layer on layer, who ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 8 1863/christian sympathy.htm

Prosperity under Persecution
... the cruel crowd looked down to watch their agonies as their bones were crushed between
the jaws of wild beasts; angels gathered in tiers, invisible multitudes ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 17 1871/prosperity under persecution.htm

Tiers (2 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Tiers (2 Occurrences). 1 Kings 7:4 There were beams in
three rows, and window was over against window in three ranks. (See RSV). ...
/t/tiers.htm - 6k

Ties (7 Occurrences)

/t/ties.htm - 8k

Tied (33 Occurrences)

/t/tied.htm - 16k

Lay (524 Occurrences)
... 13. (vt) To place in position; to establish firmly; to arrange with regularity;
to dispose in ranks or tiers; as, to lay a corner stone; to lay bricks in a wall ...
/l/lay.htm - 41k

Cedar (61 Occurrences)
... The branches grow out horizontally in successive tiers, each horizontal plane
presenting, when looked at from above, the appearance of a green sward. ...
/c/cedar.htm - 37k

Potter (14 Occurrences)
... fireplace beneath. The fire passes up through the holes, around the jars
packed in tiers in the chamber, and goes out at the top. An ...
/p/potter.htm - 28k

Pottery (11 Occurrences)
... fireplace beneath. The fire passes up through the holes, around the jars
packed in tiers in the chamber, and goes out at the top. An ...
/p/pottery.htm - 27k

Olives (30 Occurrences)
... the Upper City rises in curved tiers like a theater, while all the lower slopes
to the South are a crowded mass of houses, girded by the eastern wall of the ...
/o/olives.htm - 37k

Temple (614 Occurrences)
... The Septuagint has three rows), on which, supported by cedar beams, rested three
tiers or stories of side-chambers (literally, "ribs," as in 1 Kings 6:5 ...
/t/temple.htm - 101k

Malchiel (3 Occurrences)
... the Upper City rises in curved tiers like a theater, while all the lower slopes
to the South are a crowded mass of houses, girded by the eastern wall of the ...
/m/malchiel.htm - 74k

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