The First Temple, also known as Solomon's Temple, holds a significant place in biblical history as the central place of worship for the Israelites. Constructed under the reign of King Solomon, the temple was located in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, the site where Abraham was to offer Isaac (2 Chronicles 3:1). The temple served as the dwelling place of the LORD's presence and the focal point of Israelite worship until its destruction by the Babylonians in 586 BC.

The Sanctuary or Greater House

The Sanctuary, often referred to as the Greater House, was the most sacred part of the First Temple. It was the inner area where the most important religious rituals and ceremonies took place. The Sanctuary was divided into two main sections: the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place, also known as the Holy of Holies.

1. The Holy Place: This section of the Sanctuary was the larger of the two and was accessible only to the priests. It contained the Table of Showbread, the Golden Lampstand (Menorah), and the Altar of Incense. The priests performed daily rituals here, including the burning of incense and the maintenance of the lampstand. The Holy Place symbolized the continual presence and provision of God for His people. As described in 1 Kings 6:17, "The main hall in front of the inner sanctuary was forty cubits long."

2. The Most Holy Place (Holy of Holies): The innermost and most sacred area of the temple, the Holy of Holies, was a perfect cube, measuring twenty cubits on each side. It housed the Ark of the Covenant, which contained the stone tablets of the Ten Commandments, Aaron's rod, and a pot of manna (Hebrews 9:4). The Ark represented God's covenant with Israel and His divine presence. Access to the Holy of Holies was restricted to the High Priest, and only once a year on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), as described in Leviticus 16:2, "The LORD said to Moses: 'Tell your brother Aaron that he shall not enter at any time into the Holy Place inside the veil, before the mercy seat which is on the ark, or he will die; for I will appear in the cloud over the mercy seat.'"

The division of the Sanctuary into the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place was marked by a veil, a heavy curtain that separated the two areas. This veil symbolized the separation between God and humanity due to sin, a barrier that was ultimately torn at the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, signifying the new access to God through His sacrifice (Matthew 27:51).

The construction and design of the Sanctuary were detailed and precise, reflecting the divine instructions given to Solomon. The materials used were of the highest quality, including cedar wood, gold overlay, and fine linen, emphasizing the holiness and grandeur of the space dedicated to the worship of God. The temple's architecture and furnishings were not only functional but also symbolic, pointing to deeper spiritual truths about God's nature and His relationship with His people.

The First Temple, with its Sanctuary or Greater House, served as a powerful symbol of God's presence among His people and His desire for a covenant relationship with them. It was a place where heaven and earth met, where the divine and the human could commune, albeit through the mediation of the priesthood and the sacrificial system.2 Chronicles 3:5
And the greater house he paneled with fir tree, which he overlaid with fine gold, and set thereon palm trees and chains.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

A Description of the Temple.
... This part of the temple therefore was in height sixty cubits, and ... cubits: but still
that sixty cubits in length was divided again, and the first part of it ...
/.../chapter 5 a description of 2.htm

The Charge of the Watchers in the Temple
... priests, who marched behind him torch in hand, divided into two companies ... 'We love
Him because He first loved us ... In the true sense, Jesus Christ is the Temple. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture j/the charge of the watchers.htm

Whether Sufficient Reason Can be Assigned for the Ceremonies ...
... First, lest the Gentiles might seize hold of that ... the division of the tabernacle
or temple signified the ... Now the tabernacle was divided into two parts: one was ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether sufficient reason can be.htm

Annunciation to Zacharias of the Birth of John the Baptist.
... unto him, Fear not [These are the first words of ... to the families of Israel, now divided
into political factions ... at his post, and dwelt in the temple until his ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/v annunciation to zacharias of.htm

Hugh the Builder
... the proof, both in material and art, Solomon's temple. ... these the perfection really
stays, the first Hugh's work ... and it may be briefly divided into Pre-Hugonian ...
/.../marson/hugh bishop of lincoln/chapter viii hugh the builder.htm

Pagan Shrines and Temples.
... The cella was divided into three sections, the middle one ... curious discovery was that
the temple itself, with ... original Egyptian structure, shaded first by the ...
/.../lanciani/pagan and christian rome/chapter ii pagan shrines and.htm

The Promise in 2 Samuel, Chap. vii.
... These twelve verses are again divided into seven and five ... by the divine promise,
David received, first the impulse ... nothing wanting but to build a temple to the ...
/.../hengstenberg/christology of the old testament/the promise in 2 samuel.htm

"The House of Israel"
... shall suddenly come to His temple, even the Messenger ... They will catch the first light
of His second ... Israel throughout the history of the divided monarchy; it ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 59 the house of.htm

The Annunciation of Jesus the Messiah, and the Birth of his ...
... been indicated that the Priesthood was divided into twenty-four ... a strange messenger
brought its first tidings to ... the solemn grandeur of the Temple, between the ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter iv the annunciation of.htm

The Miracle of Pentecost and the Birthday of the Christian
... But opinions are much divided, and the arguments ... Spirit descended was afterwards
converted into a church ... porch, which remained from the first temple, and where ...
/.../schaff/history of the christian church volume i/section 24 the miracle of.htm

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