I previously had a sermon on how the tabernacle pointed to Jesus and today we will look at the significance of the temple in relation to Jesus. Just as Jesus was seen in the tabernacle, Jesus was also seen in the temple. Many of the same things found in the tabernacle were also found in the temple though sometimes on a bigger scale as the temple was bigger. I will only briefly mention the significance of some things as they were previously mentioned in my sermon Jesus in the tabernacle. The first temple was built by Solomon to replace the tabernacle in order to have a permanent place in which to worship God. This is known as Solomon’s temple. Solomon dedicated the temple on the feast of tabernacles. David had first wanted to build the temple, but was told by God that since he was a man of war he would not be allowed to build it but rather his son Solomon would. The temple was built in Jerusalem, the capital of Israel, and God’s chosen city here on earth. This first temple was destroyed by the invading Babylonians who took the tribes of Judah and Benjamin captive. After the end of the 70 year Babylonian captivity, the Jews were allowed to return to Jerusalem by the Persian king Cyrus and rebuild the temple. (Ezra 1:3 Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel, (he is the God,) which is in Jerusalem.) This second temple is known as Zerubbabel’s temple which was later expanded by Herod and became known as Herod’s temple. Herod’s temple was destroyed by the Romans in A.D. 70. The Jews will rebuild a third temple that will be desecrated by the antichrist during the tribulation. A fourth temple that is described in Ezekiel 40-48 will be built and used during the Millennium and is known as the millennial temple. I may preach on this temple in a future sermon.
The temple was located on what was known as the temple mount. This is the exact spot where Abraham brought Isaac to sacrifice him to God. (II Chronicles 3:1 Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD at Jerusalem in mount Moriah, where the LORD appeared unto David his father, in the place that David had prepared in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.)
The temple was the treasury for Israel and contained all of the gold and treasures of Israel. This was often raided by Israel’s enemies as Israel turned from God. These were located in storerooms behind the most holy place in the temple. We should also place our treasures in Jesus. Jesus said to have your treasure in heaven as represented by the treasure in the temple and not here on earth. (Matthew 6:19-21 ¶ Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.)
The announcement of the birth of John the Baptist was given to Zachariah in the temple. Jesus was taken there to be circumcised. Jesus was brought there by Satan and placed on a pinnacle of the temple and tempted by Satan that if he was the Son of God to jump off of the pinnacle and that his angels would save him. (Luke 4:9 And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence:) Jesus quoted scripture to him just as we should when tempted by Satan. (Luke 4:12 And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.)
The temple was known as the house of God and the house of prayer. God originally dwelt in Solomon’s temple just as he had in the tabernacle. God was not in the future temples after the removal of the ark of the covenant.
Only the priests were allowed inside the actual temple since it was the house of God and a place of worship and was were God’s presence was. The common people had to stay in the courtyard were they came to pray and offer animal sacrifices.
The temple consisted of two parts: the most holy place and the holy place. It also had a porch known as Solomon’s porch. There were two courtyards: the inner courtyard and the outer courtyard. The outer courtyard was known as the courtyard of Gentiles. No Gentiles were allowed beyond this point as Jesus had not died on the cross yet. The inner courtyard was divided into three parts: the courtyard of priests, the courtyard of men also known as the courtyard of Israel, and the courtyard of women with the respective people only being allowed in the proper courtyard. There were four gates to enter the courtyards such as a gate to enter the women’s courtyard so the women did not enter the other areas and one for bringing their animal sacrifice. Four is the number for the gospel as we need to enter the house of God in Jesus for salvation.
The temple was divided into the holy of holies and the holy place or sanctuary. The holy of holies or most holy place was where the ark of the covenant was located in Solomon’s temple and was in essence God’s throne room. The ark of the covenant was made of shittim wood and covered in gold and represented Jesus as the God-man with the shittim wood representing his man nature and the gold as deity his divine nature. The ten commandments where inside the ark which represented the law and Jesus would come to fulfill the law. (Matthew 5:17 ¶ Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.) The ark had the mercy seat on top of it on the lid of the ark. Two cherubim were on the lid with each one pointing toward the mercy seat which was the throne of God. The high priest would place the blood of the animal sacrifice of the goat for the people on this mercy seat once a year on the day of atonement for the covering of the people’s sins for one year. The most holy place was divided between the holy place by a vail which was a giant curtain that was blue, purple, and crimson. According to Jewish tradition it was four inches thick and about 60 feet tall and was so strong that a team of horses could not tear it. The blue represented separation for God, the purple represented royalty as Jesus as King of kings, and the crimson as the shed blood of Jesus that washed away our sins. This was the vail that was torn in two when Jesus died on the cross. (Matthew 27:51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;) It was torn since there was no longer a need for a priest to enter in the most holy place alone since now all true saved believers can pray directly to Jesus since all true Christians are priests. We can now have direct access to Jesus at any time and not just once a year as the high priest did. Inside the most holy place there were carvings on the wall of cherubims and palm trees. Palm branches were placed on the ground before Jesus as he rode into Jerusalem on the ass on Palm Sunday. (John 12:13 Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord.) Palm trees represent wisdom which comes from God. (Proverbs 2:6 For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.) The walls were made of cedar and covered in gold. There were also two doors used to enter the most holy place that were behind the vail and were made of olive wood covered in gold. They had cherubims and palm trees and flowers carved on them. (I Kings 6:32 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.) The entire temple was covered in gold since it was God’s house. The cherubim in the most holy place represent the guardians of God’s throne to keep away sin from God just as they guarded the garden of Eden after Adam and Eve’s sin. Someday Christians will be allowed in God’s presence when we get our glorified bodies. What a day that will be.
The holy place was beyond Solomon’s porch and could only be entered into by the priests who entered there daily. The holy place contained ten tables of shewbread, altar of incense, and ten seven branched golden candlesticks. I mentioned in my sermon Jesus in the Tabernacle how the table of shewbread represented Jesus as the bread of life and the golden candlestick represented Jesus as the light of the world with seven representing completeness. The gold again represented the deity of Jesus showing him as God. The number ten represents the law which pointed to the need for Israel for Jesus. The law was fulfilled in Jesus. (Matthew 5:17 ¶ Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.) The altar of incense also was made of shittim wood and covered in gold again showing Jesus as the God-man. This was where a special sweet incense was burned and prayers were offered. Jesus is sweet. (Revelation 5:8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.) Zacharias was at the altar of incense when the angel Gabriel appeared to him to tell him about the birth of John the Baptist. (Luke 1:11 And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.) Also in here were the accompanying utensils of cups and snuffers for the candlesticks and bowls, spoons, and firepans, et cetera for the shewbread table. (I Kings 7:50 And the bowls, and the snuffers, and the basons, and the spoons, and the censers of pure gold; and the hinges of gold, both for the doors of the inner house, the most holy place, and for the doors of the house, to wit, of the temple.)
There were two brass pillars known as Jachin and Boaz that held up the porch of the temple. (I Kings 7:15 For he cast two pillars of brass, of eighteen cubits high apiece: and a line of twelve cubits did compass either of them about.) (I Kings 7:21 And he set up the pillars in the porch of the temple: and he set up the right pillar, and called the name thereof Jachin: and he set up the left pillar, and called the name thereof Boaz.) These pillars represented those who were faithful to God during trials. God said he would make them pillars in his temple. (Revelation 3:12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.)
The molten sea was located between the brasen altar and the temple. This represented the sea that is located between the second and third heaven that separates sin from heaven or this case the temple. (Psalm 148:4 Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens.) The priests washed themselves in the basin prior to entering the temple. This was symbolic of washing away their sins. This is seen in Christians who have received Jesus as their Saviour and are saved, but need to confess their sins daily in order to stay spiritually clean. The molten sea was about 15 feet across and held about 10,000 gallons of water. It was placed upon 12 oxen. (I Kings 7:23 ¶ 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.) (I Kings 7:25 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.) The twelve oxen most likely represented the twelve tribes of Israel.
The brasen altar was located in the courtyard of the temple and was where the people came to offer their sacrifice for the atonement of their sins. The brass that the altar was made of once again represents judgment and shows God will judge sin. (Leviticus 17:11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.) God required a perfect unblemished animal for the sacrifice. Jesus became the perfect unblemished sacrifice for us so we no longer need animal sacrifices which only covered the people’s sins, whereas the blood of Jesus washes away and cleanses us from sin. (Revelation 1:5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,) The person that brought the sacrifice placed his hand on the animal as it was killed. This was symbolic of placing his sins on the animal which then died in their place. Jesus died in our place for our sins as he took them upon himself. (I Peter 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.) (John 1:29 ¶ The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.)
Jesus said he was the temple. He said that his body would be destroyed and raised again in three days. (John 2:19 Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.) The Jews thought he was referring to Herod’s temple, but he was referring to himself and his death on the cross and his resurrection. (John 2:21 But he spake of the temple of his body.)
The loss of the temples was significant to the Israelites as they lost a literal place where they worshipped God and where his presence was and they also lost the place where they brought sacrifices for their sins therefore keeping them from being atoned of their sins.
Christians represent the temple here on earth today as our bodies are a temple of the Holy Ghost. (I Corinthians 6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?) Just as the original temples were holy and were to be treated with respect, we as Christians need to properly maintain our bodies and not pollute them so as not to pollute the temple of God. Jesus cleansed the temple and we need to cleanse ourselves by not sinning and confessing our sins when we do. (I John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.)
In the new Jerusalem on the new earth, there will be no need for a temple as Jesus will be there and he will be the temple. (Revelation 21:22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.)
