Quote:
Originally Posted by coksiw
I can’t wait!
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Evang.Benincasa
No one knows where the location of the original temple was located.
Yet, Esau Edom even debates among themselves the location.
|
I'm going mostly off of memory (I don't know where my notes are for this study). But this is basically a chain of Bible facts that leads to an interesting observation.
1. The Tabernacle of Moses had both the ark and the altar of sacrifice.
2. For a while it was located at Shiloh. (
Joshua 18:1, 1 Sam 1:24).
3. The ark was fetched from the Tabernacle to "assist in battle" (
1 Sam 4:4).
4. The Philistines capture the ark (
1 Sam 4:11).
5. Even though the ark was taken, the Tabernacle remained at Shiloh along with the altar of sacrifice and the ministering priesthood (
1 Sam 14:3)
6. Eventually, due to divine plagues, the ark is sent back and winds up at Kirjeath-jearim for 20 years (
1 Sam 7:2).
7. David decides the bring the ark to himself, to the "city of David", but because of mishandling it winds up at the house of Obed-Edom for awhile (
2 Sam 6:1-11).
8. Eventually after several months David is able to bring the ark to the city of David where he puts in a new tabernacle specifically for it (
2 Sam 6:17).
9. So now the ark is in its own Tabernacle in the City of David which is Zion (
1 Kings 8:1).
NOW NOTICE, in fact let's look at that last verse:
1 Kings 8:1 KJV
Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the chief of the fathers of the children of Israel, unto king Solomon in Jerusalem, that they might bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the city of David, which is Zion.
Solomon has built a Temple, in Jerusalem, but the ark was planted in Zion by David. The site of the Temple is clearly NOT the same site as the Tabernacle of David where the ark was. They brought the ark up OUT OF Zion (the city of David) to Jerusalem and into the Temple that Solomon built. THIS IS IMPORTANT.
What does God say about Zion?
Psalm 132:1-14 KJV
LORD, remember David, and all his afflictions: [2] How he sware unto the LORD, and vowed unto the mighty God of Jacob; [3] Surely I will not come into the tabernacle of my house, nor go up into my bed; [4] I will not give sleep to mine eyes, or slumber to mine eyelids, [5] Until I find out a place for the LORD, an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob. [6] Lo, we heard of it at Ephratah: we found it in the fields of the wood. [7] We will go into his tabernacles: we will worship at his footstool. [8] Arise, O LORD, into thy rest; thou, and the ark of thy strength. [9] Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness; and let thy saints shout for joy. [10] For thy servant David's sake turn not away the face of thine anointed. [11] The LORD hath sworn in truth unto David; he will not turn from it; Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne. [12] If thy children will keep my covenant and my testimony that I shall teach them, their children shall also sit upon thy throne for evermore. [13] For the LORD hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation. [14] This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it.
Zion was the place where the ark was taken, after it was removed from the Tabernacle of Moses. Zion was the City of David. Zion was the place where God decreed that HERE is where He wanted to place His name. He has chosen Zion, and said "This is My rest FOREVER".
But as we have seen, Zion was not EXACTLY THE SAME as Jerusalem. Now, Zion, as a term, came to be used for Jerusalem, and for the House of Judah, and for all of Israel. But those were all due to a metonomy (when a part is used for the whole, like when "the cup" is used for the cup, its contents, what the contents represent, and the whole new covenant).
Zion was originally a Jebusite fortress, on a hill (Mount Zion). The city of Jerusalem was nearby (literally next door). There were two main hills located at the site of Jerusalem, one of which was Zion. Some have debated which of the two main hills was Zion, whether the eastern hill, or the western hill. REGARDLESS, as we just saw, the Temple was built at a location DIFFERENT than Zion, the city of David, where the Ark of the Covenant was placed by David. And, we read the psalm about Zion, where David placed the ark, as being the place chosen by God "forever".
So why was the Temple built at a slightly DIFFERENT location? Why not just build the Temple around the ark? Or move the ark over, to make room for the Temple? Whatever the reasonings were in Solomon's day, the fact remains that the Temple was not built directly on the site where David chose to place the ark and which was declared to be the location that God preferred.
Now let's look a bit closer at the Temple of Solomon:
1 Kings 6:1 KJV
And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month Zif, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the LORD.
He secured the services of Hiram of Tyre, to help him build the Temple and its furniture, which included the big laver or "sea" for the priests to wash their hands at:
1 Kings 7:23-25 KJV
And he made a molten sea, ten cubits from the one brim to the other: it was round all about, and his height was five cubits: and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about. [24] And under the brim of it round about there were knops compassing it, ten in a cubit, compassing the sea round about: the knops were cast in two rows, when it was cast. [25] It stood upon twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east: and the sea was set above upon them, and all their hinder parts were inward.
Also this:
1 Kings 7:27-29 KJV
And he made ten bases of brass; four cubits was the length of one base, and four cubits the breadth thereof, and three cubits the height of it. [28] And the work of the bases was on this manner: they had borders, and the borders were between the ledges: [29] And on the borders that were between the ledges were lions, oxen, and cherubims: and upon the ledges there was a base above: and beneath the lions and oxen were certain additions made of thin work.
Also, the walls and doors of the Temple were decorated with numerous palm trees:
1 Kings 6:29,32-35 KJV
And he carved all the walls of the house round about with carved figures of cherubims and palm trees and open flowers, within and without. [32] 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. [33] So also made he for the door of the temple posts of olive tree, a fourth part of the wall. [34] And the two doors were of fir tree: the two leaves of the one door were folding, and the two leaves of the other door were folding. [35] And he carved thereon cherubims and palm trees and open flowers: and covered them with gold fitted upon the carved work.
Another point to make about Hiram:
1 Kings 7:13-14 KJV
And king Solomon sent and fetched Hiram out of Tyre. [14] He was a widow's son of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in brass: and he was filled with wisdom, and understanding, and cunning to work all works in brass. And he came to king Solomon, and wrought all his work.
So his mother was of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father a man of Tyre. They were in league with one another:
1 Kings 5:10-12 KJV
So Hiram gave Solomon cedar trees and fir trees according to all his desire. [11] And Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand measures of wheat for food to his household, and twenty measures of pure oil: thus gave Solomon to Hiram year by year. [12] And the LORD gave Solomon wisdom, as he promised him: and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon; and they two made a league together.
So far we have the ark being placed in Zion, where God wanted it, but then being moved down the hall as it were to the Temple site, which included numerous carvings of oxen, lions, and palm trees, in spite of God's command not make graven images for worship. While it may be said the Temple was not designed for the oxen and lions to be objects of worship, the fact there were lions and oxen (bulls!) in the Temple would surely send a mixed and confusing message to the general population. And the presence of carved palm trees would undoubtedly have caused many to wonder about God's prohibition of planting groves of trees for worship, as the presence of animals and groves of trees were a staple of Baal worship. (I do not bring up the cherubim because those were present in the Tabernacle of Moses and the ark itself, and apparently cherubim were never viewed as real actual creatures, but as symbolic representations of the Divine attributes, so having them would not constitute violations of the Second Commandment).
All this is rather strange. Then of course we know the story of Solomon, how he married many foreign wives and turned to paganism. Nevertheless he was rich:
1 Kings 10:14 KJV
Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred threescore and six talents of gold,
An interesting number indeed.
So what does all this mean? The Tabernacle of Moses was built on a Divine pattern. The progress of the ark likewise followed a Divine pattern, prefiguring how the throne and presence of God - the MERCY SEAT where the ATONEMENT occurred - would move from the Tabernacle of Moses to the Tabernacle of David. This prefigured the shift of the presence of God from the Mosaic economy to the Christian economy, the priesthood from that of Levi to that of Melchizedek (David said God told him he was a priest after the order of Melchizedek, which itself was prophetic of Christ's royal priesthood).
David as priest instituted psalm singing by the priests. He set up a Tabernacle for the Ark that did not have the brass altar of sacrifice which remained at the Tabernacle of Moses at Shiloh. Direct access to the throne of God is what his Davidic "worship" or liturgy represented. Clearly, it was prophetic of Messianic worship (ie New Covenant realities).
But then Solomon, his son, builds a Temple. In the wrong location. With some questionable furnishings. Who then backslides into idolatry and heathenism, due to his political alliances with foreign powers via his marriages. Eventually, this Temple is destroyed by the Babylonians, rebuilt later, and then destroyed again by the Romans.
Almost like there's a message there? Perhaps prefiguring the history of the church itself. From its original apostolic and Messianic foundations to a subtle shift away from the original intended worship toward man-made worship, introducing innovations that were previously condemned by God or which at least suggest flirting with idolatry. Leading to alliances with that which is foreign, leading to more backsliding and apostasy. Personified by a ruler who is said to have an income of 666 talents of gold per year. We know from Revelation that the number of the beast is 666, and is the number of "a man". Perhaps that man is represented by Solomon? (Any knowledgeable reader of Revelation would immediately hearken to Solomon's stated income.) So there seems to be a clear connection between Solomon's history and what God is telling us in the Revelation.
Linear Mode
