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| 1 And so it came to pass, in the four hundred and eightieth year, by the coming forth of the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year (in the month of Zif, the same, being the second month) of the reign of Solomon over Israel, that he began to build the house unto Yahweh. |
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 Now, the house which King Solomon built unto Yahweh, was sixty cubits in length, and twenty in breadth,–and thirty cubits in height. |
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| 3 And, the porch in front of the temple of the house, was twenty cubits in length, according to the breadth of the house,–ten cubits in breadth, in front of the house. |
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| 4 And he made to the house windows, with closed bars. |
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| 5 And he built–by the wall of the house–a gallery, round about, against the walls of the house, round about, both to the temple, and to the shrine,–and he made side chambers round about. |
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| 6 The, lowest gallery, was five cubits broad, and, the middle, six cubits broad, and, the third, seven cubits broad,–for he put, ledges, against the house round about, on the outer side, so as not to make fastenings in the walls of the house. |
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| 7 Now, the house, when it was in building, with whole quarry-stones, was built,–neither hammer, nor axe, nor any tools of iron, was heard in the house, when 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 entrance of the lowest story, was on the right side of the house,–and, by winding stairs, went they up unto 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 ceiled the house with planks and beams of cedar; |
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| 10 and built the gallery against all the house, five cubits in height,–and so fastened the house, with timber of cedar. |
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| 11 Then came the word of Yahweh unto Solomon, saying: |
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| 12 Concerning this house, which thou art building, If thou wilt walk in my statutes, and, my regulations, wilt practise, and so observe all my commandments, by walking in them, Then will I establish my word with thee, which I spake unto David thy father; |
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| 13 and will make my habitation in the midst of the sons of Israel,–and will not forsake my people Israel. |
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| 14 Thus Solomon built the house, and finished it; |
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| 15 and he built the walls of the house on the inside, with boards of cedar, from the floor of the house, unto the cross-beams of the ceiling, he overlaid it with wood, on the inside,–and he overlaid the floor of the house with boards of fir. |
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| 16 And he built twenty cubits, at the hinder part of the house, with boards of cedar, from the floor as far as the cross-beams,–and he built it within, for a shrine, even for the holy of holies; |
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| 17 but, forty cubits, was the house itself,–the same, was the temple, before the oracle. |
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, the cedar for the house within, was carved with colocynths, and with festoons of flowers,–the whole, was cedar, there was no stone to be 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, the shrine in the midst of the house within, made he ready,–for placing there, the ark of the covenant of Yahweh. |
The ark – Represents the eternal purpose of God in The Christ, Head and Body. T121
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| 20 And, the interior of the shrine, was twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in breadth, and twenty cubits in height, and he overlaid it, with pure gold,–and overlaid 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 Thus then did Solomon overlay the house within, with pure gold,–and he drew chains of gold across the front of the shrine, and 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 yea, all the house, overlaid he with gold, until he had made all the house into one whole,–even all the altar that was by the shrine, overlaid he with gold. |
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| 23 And he made, within the shrine, two cherubim of wild olive wood,–ten cubits in height; |
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 second wing of the cherub,–ten cubits, from the one end of his wings unto the other end of his wings. |
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| 25 Ten cubits, also was the second cherub,–of one size and one shape, were the two cherubim. |
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, of the second cherub. |
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| 27 And he placed the cherubim in the midst of the inner house, and the cherubim stretched forth their wings,–so that the wing of the one touched the [one] wall, and the wing of the other cherub, was touching the other wall,–and, their wings in the midst of the house, were touching, wing to wing. |
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, all the walls of the house round about, carved he with figures of cherubim, and palm-trees, and festoons of flowers,–within and without. |
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| 30 Even the floor of the house, overlaid he with gold,–within and without. |
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| 31 And, the entrance of the shrine, made he with doors, of wild olive-wood, the pillars and posts being a fifth. |
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| 32 The two doors, also were of olive-wood, and he carved upon them carvings of cherubim, and palm-trees, and festoons of flowers, and overlaid them with gold,–yea he spread out, over the cherubim and over the palm-trees, the gold. |
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| 33 So, also, made he for the entrance of the temple, with posts of wild olive-wood,–a fourth part. |
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| 34 And, the two doors, were 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 cherubim, and palm-trees, and festoons of flowers, and overlaid them with gold, smoothed out on the carved work. |
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| 36 And he built the inner court, with three rows of hewn stone,–and a row of beams of cedar. |
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| 37 In the fourth year, was laid the foundation of the house of Yahweh,–in the month Zif; |
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| 38 and, in the eleventh year, in the month Bul–the same, is the eighth month, was the house finished, as to all the particulars thereof, and as to all the appointments thereof,–so then he built it in seven years. |
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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