In the ancient Near East, kings had to provide for their nation's temple. King David, who started the family line (dynasty) of Judah's kings, made Jerusalem the capital of Israel (2 Samuel 5:4–10). He also made it the main place of worship. King Solomon built the temple, but David prepared for its construction and worship practices.
Solomon took seven years to build the temple in Jerusalem. He started in the fourth year of his rule (967 BC). The temple was large. It was 27 meters long (90 feet), 9 meters wide (30 feet), and almost 13 meters high (45 feet). Its entrance court (portico or vestibule) was 4.5 meters deep (15 feet), spanning the width (see 1 Kings 6:2–10).
He used the most advanced building techniques of the time. The cost was not a concern for construction, decoration, or equipment. Even so, Solomon admitted it was not good enough to house the eternal God (1 Kings 8:27).
The temple, next to the king's palace, represented God's rule over creation and all nations. “The LORD is in His holy temple; let all the earth be silent before Him” (Habakkuk 2:20). It taught Israel about God's unique rule and their complete reliance on him. Although no building can contain God, he chose the temple as the main place for his presence on earth. Thus, the temple was central to Israelite worship and the personal relationship between God and his people.
God gave the kings the task of committing themselves to him and promoting proper worship at the temple. The temple confirmed that God authorized the human king to represent divine rule. Psalm 132 expressed this role by celebrating David's return of the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem (Psalm 132:6–12). Solomon used this psalm at the end of his prayer when he established the temple (2 Chronicles 6:41–42).
Later, Christ and the church fulfilled the temple's role in showing God's presence. Jesus indicated the shift from the temple buildings to his own body as the spiritual temple (see John 2:19). The disciples began to understand this change after Christ's resurrection (John 2:21–22).
The apostle Paul described the church as the new holy space where Jews and non-Jews (gentiles) are reconciled. Using temple imagery, he explained how Jesus "has torn down the dividing wall of hostility" in the body of Christ (the church) to create one people (Ephesians 2:14–15). The church is God's holy temple, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets (Ephesians 2:20–22). It is made from "living stones," Christians, who God joins together around Jesus Christ, the cornerstone (1 Peter 2:4–5).
Passages for Further Study
1 Kings 8:27–53; 1 Chronicles 22:1–19; 2 Chronicles 5:2–14; 6:41–42; 7:12–16; Psalm 48:9; 65:4; 66:13; 138:2; Jeremiah 7:3–11; 11:15; Ezekiel 8:6–16; 44:1–31; Joel 1:14; 2:17; Habakkuk 2:20; Haggai 2:7; John 2:19–22; Ephesians 2:14–15, 20–22; 1 Peter 2:4–5