The Temple of Solomon
READ 1 Kings 5:3-5
What would have happened if David had focused on
building a temple instead of fighting wars and building a kingdom?
He
might have removed the condemnation his people were under since the time of
Moses (see D&C 84:19-27) by focusing them on sanctifying themselves so that
they might enter the presence of God themselves.
He
might have enabled the establishment of a third Zion.
What can we expect from Solomon’s Temple, given the
fact that he built it in an opportune moment without sacrifice?
It will be a beautiful edifice.
It will be Aaronic in its
ordinances.
It will suffer from the same
problems that Israel had been suffering from since Sinai – without sacrifice,
the people will not obtain the faith to rend the veil and learn from the Lord
their standing before Him (see LoF 6:2-7).
It will never be visited by
the Lord Himself and accepted as His House on earth – not institutionally, at
least.
READ 1 Kings 6:11-14
What opportunity did the Lord give to Solomon and his
people with the building of the Temple?
To be visited by the Lord
Himself and accepted as His House on earth.
To teach the children of
Israel what they must and can do, individually, to come unto Christ and be redeemed;
to see and understand the symbolism of the temple and allow the building and
its rites to teach them how to approach, part and enter the real veil between
the earth and the heavens.
How does the Temple symbolize the deliverance and
exodus from Egypt?
Outer Courtyard = Egypt.
Altar of Sacrifice = Passover
(sacrifice of the lamb).
Laver of Water = Crossing the
Red Sea.
The Holy Place = Wilderness
(place of covenant).
Menorah = Light of the Lord (Israel
witnessed it/lead by it in wilderness).
Showbread = Manna and water
from heaven (in wilderness).
Altar of Incense = Prayers of
Moses and Israel.
Veil = Borders of the Promised
Land.
Holy of Holies = The Promised
Land.
Ark of the Covenant = The Lord
abides in their presence (Zion).
How does the Temple symbolize our journey back into the
presence of God?
Outer Courtyard = The World of
Sin.
Altar of Sacrifice = Sacrifice
of a broken heart & contrite spirit.
Laver of Water = Baptism.
The Holy Place = Lord’s
Wilderness School (place of covenant).
Menorah = Gift of the Holy
Ghost/Birth of the Spirit/Baptism of Fire.
Showbread = Sacrament of
Lord’s body and blood.
Altar of Incense = Sacred
ordinances culminating in the holy order of prayer – the “keys of the kingdom”
or keys of how to gain answers to your prayers from God.
Veil = The actual veil between
us and the spiritual realm.
Holy of Holies = The spiritual
realm/Celestial kingdom.
Ark of the Covenant = The
Throne of God, where we are sealed up to Eternal Life by the Father.
So, from this we see that the Temple
was both the means of preparing to receive the covenants required to enter into
the presence of The Lord and be sealed up, but was also an exact similitude of
the path we must walk to enter in.
How does the Temple symbolize Christ Himself?
Outer Courtyard = Made Himself
manifest unto the World.
Altar of Sacrifice =
Sacrificed His will to do the will of the Father.
Laver of Water = Baptized to
fulfill all righteousness.
The Holy Place = He is the Way
(which we enter by covenant with Him and enter His wilderness).
Menorah = He is the light of
the world.
Showbread = He is the bread of
life; He offered his body and blood on our behalf.
Altar of Incense = He
stood/stands before the Father, pleading on our behalf.
Veil = He rent the veil, that
all mankind that covenants with Him may enter in (He becomes the gatekeeper).
Holy of Holies = He is the
Life and Light of THAT world, too.
Ark of the Covenant = He rules
and reigns in the presence of the Father.
How many divisions existed in the Temple and what do
they symbolize?
Four, but only three divisions
were relevant to priestly service.
The Court of the Gentiles
where all people were welcome but no priestly or religious rights were
performed.
The Outer Area where the
slaughter of animals took place, where the altar and vessels for washing were
located, and where the Priests and common Israelites mingled in performing the
outward ordinances; all Israelites were invited here but only Israelites – no Gentiles.
The Holy Place where the
showbread, altar of incense, Menorah were; only the Priests were allowed to
enter – they went in twice daily to burn incense and light the candles.
The Holy of Holies where the
ark of the covenant was located, representing the presence of God; only the
High Priest was allowed to enter and only once a year on the Day of Atonement
to sprinkle the blood of the sacrifice on the mercy seat.
The divisions represent
ascending levels of holiness and were symbolically separated by degrees on the
basis of who was excluded – the fewer the number of people invited, the greater
the associated holiness.
READ D&C 84:23-24
Who was intended to enter the Holy of Holies?
Until the rebellion with the
Golden Calf, EVERYONE was intended to enter - not just the High Priests.
The covenants of the
Tabernacle/Temple were designed as the primary way to sanctify the people, that
they might enter the presence of The Lord.
READ Isaiah 1:11-12
Why are God’s people to go to the Temple?
They are not there to just
administer rites.
They are definitely not there
to be seen of men as being righteous.
They should not be there to
make money from the temple patrons.
All of these reasons “trample”
the Lord’s temple courts.
God’s people go to the temple
to see God! If they aren’t there for
that purpose, nothing else counts for much.
But instead of going to see
God, His people resemble the dumb animals that were brought for sacrifice –
unaware of their reason for being there; instead of offering their whole souls
to God, as symbolized by the burnt offerings and the shedding of the animals’
blood, the people trample about the courts, defiling it with their lack of
knowledge of why they should be there and their lack of desire to meet God, if
they ever knew.
They have forgotten that they,
themselves, are the temple of God.
As a point of interest, the
entrance to the temple is to the east (on the eastern side of the building), so
when one travels through the Temple from the Gate to the Holy of Holies, one is
traveling west; what implications might exist for you, since the temple is
symbolic of the journey back to the presence of God (see TSJ John 21:4-8)? Is your heart “turned towards the west” or
“replenished from the east”?
How Solomon Gained His
Wisdom
READ 1 Kings 3:5-15 and 2
Chronicles 1:7
Did Christ visit Solomon at night or did the king dream
this?
It was a visitation.
We know this because the gift
of wisdom was actually given to Solomon or the opportunity to gain wisdom was
given to Solomon, at that time.
Under what circumstances does the Lord grant a wish or
request like this?
Only when the Lord is making
someone’s calling and election sure – the Nephite and Hebrew apostles are both
examples of this – the Lord enables the recipient to ask whatever they would
like.
Solomon
received his gift of wisdom when he became a Son of God at the event of his
calling and election on the day of the dedication of the temple.
READ 1 Kings 3:16-28
Whose wisdom is being demonstrated here?
Solomon’s, not the Lord’s.
Solomon is being clever.
The Lord’s wisdom looks upon
the heart; the Lord knew who the mother was and could have revealed it, either
directly or indirectly, to His servant.
READ 1 Kings 5:29-34 and
11:2-11
How does Solomon gain the gift of wisdom?
As a result of learning from
his poor and foolish choices (see Ecclesiastes 12:8, 13-14).
He is given worldly success
and power, which in turn yielded failures that produced wisdom.
Solomon learned wisdom, but it
was not without a great price.
What kingdom is being referred to here that Solomon has
forfeited?
The Kingdom of Israel.
And the eternal kingdom and
crown that he was promised in his calling and election.
The Lord had appeared unto
Solomon twice, but he had not kept the commandments that the Lord had given
him, forfeiting his eternal blessings by not being valiant in the Testimony of
Jesus.
How did Solomon fall from his calling and election?
By marrying outside of the
covenant and embracing his heathen wives’ gods, he betrayed the Lord.
He “went not fully after the
Lord”; although he had been in His presence, he failed to do whatever it was
the Lord asked Him to do after receiving his hope or promise of salvation (see
2 Nephi 32:6).
