Topical Encyclopedia
The First Temple, also known as Solomon's Temple, holds a significant place in biblical history as the first permanent structure built for the worship of Yahweh by the Israelites. Its construction was a monumental event, marking a centralization of worship and a fulfillment of divine promises made to the patriarchs and King David.
Historical Context and CommencementThe construction of the First Temple began during the reign of King Solomon, the son of David, who was chosen by God to build the house for His Name. The commencement of the Temple's construction is precisely dated in the biblical narrative. According to
2 Chronicles 3:2 , "He began building on the second day of the second month in the fourth year of his reign." This timing is significant as it reflects the organized and divinely ordained nature of the project.
Divine Mandate and PreparationThe building of the Temple was not merely a royal ambition but a divine mandate. God had promised David that his son would build a house for His Name (
2 Samuel 7:12-13). Solomon's role was thus seen as a fulfillment of this covenantal promise. The preparations for the Temple were extensive, involving the gathering of materials and laborers. David had already amassed a significant amount of resources, including gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and precious stones, as recorded in
1 Chronicles 22:14-16.
Architectural and Spiritual SignificanceThe Temple's design was divinely inspired, with detailed plans given to David by the Spirit (
1 Chronicles 28:11-12). The structure was to be a place where God's presence would dwell among His people, symbolizing His covenant relationship with Israel. The Temple's architecture included the Holy of Holies, the inner sanctuary where the Ark of the Covenant was placed, signifying God's throne on earth.
The Temple also served as a central place for the sacrificial system, which was integral to the Israelites' worship and atonement practices. It was a place of prayer, as Solomon himself articulated during the Temple's dedication (
1 Kings 8:29-30): "May Your eyes be open toward this temple night and day, toward the place of which You said, 'My Name shall be there,' so that You will hear the prayer Your servant prays toward this place."
Construction and LaborThe construction of the Temple was a massive undertaking, requiring a large workforce. Solomon enlisted the help of Hiram, king of Tyre, who provided skilled laborers and materials, particularly cedar and cypress timber from Lebanon (
1 Kings 5:6-10). The workforce included tens of thousands of laborers, stonecutters, and overseers, as detailed in
1 Kings 5:13-16.
Theological ImplicationsTheologically, the First Temple represented the tangible presence of God among His people and the centralization of worship in Jerusalem. It was a place where the Israelites could come to seek forgiveness, offer sacrifices, and celebrate the appointed feasts. The Temple's construction underscored the themes of divine faithfulness, covenant, and the importance of obedience to God's commands.
In summary, the commencement of the First Temple on the second day of the second month in the fourth year of Solomon's reign was a pivotal moment in Israel's history, reflecting both divine initiative and human response in the unfolding of God's redemptive plan.
Torrey's Topical Textbook
1 Kings 6:1,37And 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.
Torrey's Topical Textbook2 Chronicles 3:2
And he began to build in the second day of the second month, in the fourth year of his reign.
Torrey's Topical Textbook
Library
The Jewish Institutions and Laws of Far Higher Antiquity than the ...
... the Phoenicians at Tyre, and theirs to Solomon; in which ... to him for the building
of the temple, and the ... born in the twenty-eighth year, when first the census ...
/.../the stromata or miscellanies/chapter xxi the jewish institutions and.htm
The Twelve Minor Prophets.
... But the first three of these chapters are mainly occupied ... had been reinstated in
the land, the temple rebuilt, and ... peace, as in the days of Solomon, they found ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter xxiii the twelve minor.htm
The Cleansing of the Temple - the Sign,' which is not a Sign.
... of this gate, it must have been in Solomon's Porch ... The Temple-market was undoubtedly
somewhere in the Court of ... Baba ben Buta had not been the first to introduce ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter v the cleansing of.htm
At the Feast of the Dedication of the Temple.
... which Jesus spake to the people in Solomon's Porch.' There ... in Christ's former Discourse
in the Temple (John 10 ... and intensifies what is expressed in the first. ...
/.../edersheim/the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xiv at the feast.htm
In the House of his Heavenly, and in the Home of his Earthly ...
... Passing along the eastern colonnade, or Solomon's Porch, we would, if the ... this: whether
on the occasion of this His first visit to the Temple, the Virgin ...
/.../edersheim/the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter x in the house.htm
On the Offices of Our Lord Jesus Christ
... (Hebrews 3:6; x, 21.) For that is properly typified by a temple, the place of the ...
We prove the First, (1.) Because David and Solomon, and the reign of ...
/.../arminius/the works of james arminius vol 1/disputation 14 on the offices.htm
The Seven Trumpets.
... The Bible, was, at this epoch, first opened to the common people. ... Thus stood within
the oracle of the temple the two cherubim, which Solomon made "of olive ...
/.../bliss/a brief commentary on the apocalypse/the seven trumpets.htm
The Tabernacle of the Most High
... My dear friends, this is not the first time that ... of old, and I doubt not that Solomon
adopted Jewish ... carried their architecture from some heathen temple in Ur ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 5 1859/the tabernacle of the most.htm
The Rise of the Assyrian Empire
... i.16), in the time of Solomon. ... the goddess to whom it was dedicated, and whose temple
existed there ... The city of Assur, which had been the first to tender him ...
/.../chapter iithe rise of the.htm
[Endnotes]
... John probably commenced his ministry about the feast of Tabernacles ... Mr Ellicott asserts
that "the first time" is here ... one fourth of that of the temple of Ephesus ...
//christianbookshelf.org/killen/the ancient church/endnotes.htm
Resources
Was it God's desire for Israel to worship Him in a temple in Jerusalem? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is the meaning and significance of the Temple Mount? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is the significance of Ezekiel's temple? | GotQuestions.orgTemple: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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