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| 1 And it came to pass in the four hundred 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 Ziv, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of Jehovah. |
In the 480th year – The Diaglott footnote on Acts 13:20 shows that this text has bh (4) for hay (5), which is very similar in form. This would make 580 (instead of 480). R1980:3; B53
Leaving 350 years for the period of the judges whereas the time as given in the Judges in 19 periods makes a total of 450 years. Admitting the single mistake of 480 years for 580 in the Kings will set it right. HG104:6
He began to build – Solomon was not only a prince of peace but a wise, rich king, who builded the Temple of Jehovah. PD44/53
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| 2 And the house which king Solomon built for Jehovah, the length thereof was sixty cubits, and the breadth thereof twenty cubits, and the height thereof thirty cubits. |
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| 3 And the porch before the temple of the house, twenty cubits was the length thereof according to the breadth of the house; and ten cubits was the breadth thereof before the house. |
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| 4 And for the house he made windows of fixed lattice-work. |
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| 5 And against the wall of the house he built stories round about, against the walls of the house round about, both of the temple and of the Word; and he made side-chambers round about. |
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| 6 The nethermost story was five cubits broad, and the middle was six cubits broad, and the third was seven cubits broad; for on the outside he made offsets in the wall of the house round about, that the beams should not have hold in the walls of the house. |
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| 7 And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready at the quarry; and there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building. |
And the house – Typical of the greater spiritual Temple, the Church. F73
Was built of stone – Type of the "living stones," each one fitted and prepared for his place. F196, F73
Made ready – typified preparation of the Church in the present life and their construction as God's spiritual Temple by resurrection power. PD45/55; R1237:4, R172:2
Before it was brought – The trials and difficulties of the present are the chiseling, and the quarry is the world. CR360:1
The construction of the antitypical Temple is not to take place until all the stones have been prepared. R4261:6
All the fitting and preparation is done in the present life. F196
Neither hammer nor axe – No need of trimming or altering any of the perfected ones who will constitute the glorious Temple of God. R2987:2
Nor any tool of iron heard – Quietly and orderly, no confusion. CR359:6
Showing the noiseless resurrection of the dead in Christ and the change of the living. R4296:6
Babylon's false temple, in contrast, builds and rebuilds with great noise-confusion. R1237:5
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| 8 The door for the middle side-chambers was in the right side of the house: and they went up by winding stairs into the middle story, and out of the middle into the third. |
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| 9 So he built the house, and finished it; and he covered the house with beams and planks of cedar. |
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| 10 And he built the stories against all the house, each five cubits high: and they rested on the house with timbers of cedar. |
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| 11 And the word of Jehovah came to Solomon, saying, |
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| 12 Concerning this house which thou art building, if thou wilt walk in my statutes, and execute mine ordinances, and keep all my commandments to walk in them; then will I establish my word with thee, which I spake unto David thy father. |
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| 13 And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake my people Israel. |
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| 14 So Solomon built the house, and finished it. |
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| 15 And he built the walls of the house within with boards of cedar: from the floor of the house unto the walls of the ceiling, he covered them on the inside with wood; and he covered the floor of the house with boards of fir. |
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| 16 And he built twenty cubits on the hinder parts of the house with boards of cedar from the floor unto the walls of the ceiling: he built them for it within, for a Word, even for the Most Holy. |
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| 17 And the house, that is, the temple before the Word, was forty cubits long. |
That is, the temple – The Hebrew term for the Jewish Temple is heykal, a royal residence; qualified by the term kodesh, a sanctuary, to indicate its sacredness as the dwelling place of Jehovah. R1981:1
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| 18 And there was cedar on the house within, carved with knops and open flowers: all was cedar; there was no stone seen. |
Knops and open flowers – Representing the Church as both beautiful and fruitful. T116
All was cedar – Representing everlasting life. T109
There was no stone – Represents the true Church, "living stones." (1 Pet. 2:5) F196
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| 19 And he prepared a Word in the midst of the house within, to set there the ark of the covenant of Jehovah. |
The ark – Represents the eternal purpose of God in The Christ, Head and Body. T121
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| 20 And within the Word was a space of twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in breadth, and twenty cubits in the height thereof; and he overlaid it with pure gold: and he covered the altar with cedar. |
The oracle – Its size indicates the size of the Most Holy of the Tabernacle and the placement of the second veil. R100:2*
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| 21 So Solomon overlaid the house within with pure gold: and he drew chains of gold across before the Word; and he overlaid it with gold. |
So Solomon – Type of Christ. (Matt. 12:42) R1517:2; B255
Overlaid – Wood merely used as a filler. Wood, hay and stubble have no place in the true Temple. (1 Cor. 3:12). R2054:5
Pure gold – The faith and character of the true Church is represented in the gold, silver and precious stones. R2054:5
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| 22 And the whole house he overlaid with gold, until all the house was finished: also the whole altar that belonged to the Word he overlaid with gold. |
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| 23 And in the Word he made two cherubim of olive-wood, each ten cubits high. |
Cherubims – Not literal angels, but symbols of God's attributes. R529:6*
Ten cubits high – Probably nearly 21 feet high. R530:2*
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| 24 And five cubits was the one wing of the cherub, and five cubits the other wing of the cherub: from the uttermost part of the wings unto the uttermost part of the other wings were ten cubits. |
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| 25 And the other cherub was ten cubits: both the cherubim were of one measure and one form. |
Of one measure – Illustrating the time equality of the Jewish and Gospel dispensations. R39:2*
The two covenants were represented by the two cherubim over the Mercy Seat. HG53:6
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| 26 The height of the one cherub was ten cubits, and so was it of the other cherub. |
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| 27 And he set the cherubim within the inner house; and the wings of the cherubim were stretched forth, so that the wing of the one touched the one wall, and the wing of the other cherub touched the other wall; and their wings touched one another in the midst of the house. |
He set the cherubims – Upon their own feet: independent, yet in perfect harmony. R530:2*
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| 28 And he overlaid the cherubim with gold. |
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| 29 And he carved all the walls of the house round about with carved figures of cherubim and palm-trees and open flowers, within and without. |
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| 30 And the floor of the house he overlaid with gold, within and without. |
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| 31 And for the entrance of the Word he made doors of olive-wood: the lintel and door-posts were a fifth part of the wall. |
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| 32 So he made two doors of olive-wood; and he carved upon them carvings of cherubim and palm-trees and open flowers, and overlaid them with gold; and he spread the gold upon the cherubim, and upon the palm-trees. |
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| 33 So also made he for the entrance of the temple door-posts of olive-wood, out of a fourth part of the wall; |
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| 34 and two doors of fir-wood: the two leaves of the one door were folding, and the two leaves of the other door were folding. |
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| 35 And he carved thereon cherubim and palm-trees and open flowers; and he overlaid them with gold fitted upon the graven work. |
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| 36 And he built the inner court with three courses of hewn stone, and a course of cedar beams. |
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| 37 In the fourth year was the foundation of the house of Jehovah laid, in the month Ziv. |
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| 38 And in the eleventh year, in the month Bul, which is the eighth month, was the house finished throughout all the parts thereof, and according to all the fashion of it. So was he seven years in building it. |
Month Bul – Month is translated from the Hebrew word for "moon." R4127:3
Eighth month – Month here translated from the Hebrew word for "innovation." R4127:3
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