1 Kings 6:15 - Meaning and Application

Here we have a detailed account of the temple’s construction.

The paneling of the temple was made of cedar (1 Kings 6:15). Cedar was strong, lasting, and had a pleasant smell. The walls were finely carved with knops, likely shaped like eggs or apples, and flowers, as was the custom then (1 Kings 6:18).

The temple was also covered with gold. It was not just lightly gilded, but the whole inside of the house, including the floor, was overlaid with gold (1 Kings 6:22, 1 Kings 6:30). Even the most holy place was lined with pure gold (1 Kings 6:21). Solomon spared no cost in making the temple rich and splendid in every way. Gold was on the floor there, as it should be in all living temples, and because there was so much of it, its value was lessened.

The oracle, or speaking place, was the holy of holies, the place where God had spoken to Moses and, likely, to the high priest when he asked by the breastplate of judgment. The ark of the covenant was placed there (1 Kings 6:19). Solomon made everything new and more magnificent than before, except for the ark itself. That ark, with its mercy seat and cherubim, was still the same one Moses had made. It was the sign of God’s presence, and that presence stays the same with his people, whether they meet in a tent or a temple.

The cherubim were also a major part of the design. Besides the cherubim on the mercy seat that covered the ark, Solomon set up two very large cherubim in the most holy place, possibly shaped like young men, with wings made of olive wood and covered with gold (1 Kings 6:23 and following). This inner room was much larger than the one in the tabernacle, so the ark would have seemed too small there, and the bare wall would have looked plain if it had not been adorned. He also carved cherubim on all the walls of the house (1 Kings 6:29). The heathen set up images of their gods and worshiped them, but these figures were meant to represent the servants and attendants of the God of Israel, the holy angels. They were not to be worshiped, but to show how great the one true God is.

The doors were also decorated. The folding doors that led into the oracle took up only a fifth of the wall (1 Kings 6:31), and those into the temple took up a fourth part (1 Kings 6:33). Both sets of doors were ornamented with engraved cherubim (1 Kings 6:32, 1 Kings 6:35).

The inner court contained the bronze altar, where the priests served. It was separated from the people’s court by a low wall made of three rows of hewn stone, topped with a cedar coping, or border (1 Kings 6:36). This allowed the people to see what was being done and hear what the priests said to them. Even under that covenant, the people were not kept fully in the dark or pushed entirely away.

The building took seven and a half years, from the laying of the foundation to its completion (1 Kings 6:38). For such a large and beautiful structure, with so many needed parts, that was a short time. Solomon was earnest about the work, had enough money, was not distracted by other concerns, and had many workers. He finished it, along with all its furnishings and all its appointed uses. He did not just build the place, but also made ready the service for which it was built.

Now let us consider what this temple pointed to.

Christ is the true temple. He himself spoke of the temple of his body (John 2:21). God prepared his body for him (Hebrews 10:5). In him all God’s spiritual Israel meet, and through him we have confident access to God. All the angels of God, those blessed cherubim, are appointed to worship him.

Every believer is also a living temple, because the Spirit of God lives in them (1 Corinthians 3:16). Even the body is such a temple because of its union with the soul (1 Corinthians 6:19). We are not only wonderfully made by God’s providence, but even more wonderfully remade by his grace. This living temple is built on Christ as its foundation and will be completed in due time.

The gospel church is the spiritual temple. It grows into a holy temple in the Lord (Ephesians 2:21), enriched and beautified with the gifts and graces of the Spirit, just as Solomon’s temple was adorned with gold and precious stones. Only Jews built the tabernacle, but Gentiles joined with them in building the temple. Even strangers and foreigners are built together into a dwelling place for God (Ephesians 2:19, Ephesians 2:22). The temple was divided into the holy place and the most holy place, and its courts into outer and inner courts. In the same way, there is a visible church and an invisible church. The door into the temple was wider than the door into the oracle, and many enter into outward profession who do not reach salvation. This temple is firm, built on a rock, and will not be taken down as the tabernacle was. It took a long time to prepare, but it was built at last. In the end, the top stone of the gospel church will be brought out with shouts, and it is a pity when there is harsh noise in building Christ’s church. Angels are ministering spirits, attending the church on every side and serving all its members.

Heaven is the everlasting temple. There the church will be fixed and no longer move from place to place. The streets of the new Jerusalem, alluding to the temple floor, are said to be pure gold (Revelation 21:21). The cherubim there always attend the throne of glory. The temple was marked by order and harmony, and heaven is the perfection of beauty and peace. In Solomon’s temple there was no sound of axes and hammers. Everything in heaven is calm and serene. All who will be stones in that building must, in this present time of testing and preparation, be shaped and fitted for it by divine grace, so that they may be made ready for their place there.