And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. Revelation 21:22-23
1 Kings 9
It is truly an amazing feat that Solomon built God such a magnificent house. As long as Solomon’s Temple stood it was known by his name. For all of the things Solomon did during his reign, he is best remembered for The First Temple. It stood for 400 years until destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 B.C. 70 years later Ezra and Nehemiah, understanding how important the Temple was to Israel built the Second Temple which was eventually modified by Herod and then destroyed by the Romans in 70 A.D.
Solomon was a good king and God honored him as Solomon honored The Lord. It is really something that The Lord appeared to Solomon, but off the chain that He would appear to him twice. The promise He gave Solomon was very special and good, but it was better for us. Verses 1-3 read,
“As soon as Solomon had finished building the house of the Lord and the king's house and all that Solomon desired to build, 2 the Lord appeared to Solomon a second time, as he had appeared to him at Gibeon. 3 And the Lord said to him, “I have heard your prayer and your plea, which you have made before me. I have consecrated this house that you have built, by putting my name there forever. My eyes and my heart will be there for all time.”
What an amazing promise! Believer, do you know that it applies to you too? Read it again and remember that you are the temple of God. (1 Corinthians 3:16).
“I have heard your prayer and your plea, which you have made before me. I have consecrated this house (You) …, by putting my name there forever. My eyes and my heart will be there for all time.” What name did He put there? His, Jesus Christ! His eyes (His attention) and His heart (His love and will) will be there for All time. Romans 10:13 reads,
“For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
But The Lord had more to say to Solomon. He reiterated what He had told David and Solomon before. God is wonderful like continuously reminding us of His Word and His will. Verses 4-7 read,
“And as for you, if you will walk before me, as David your father walked, with integrity of heart and uprightness, doing according to all that I have commanded you, and keeping my statutes and my rules, 5 then I will establish your royal throne over Israel forever, as I promised David your father, saying, ‘You shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.’ 6 But if you turn aside from following me, you or your children, and do not keep my commandments and my statutes that I have set before you, but go and serve other gods and worship them, 7 then I will cut off Israel from the land that I have given them, and the house that I have consecrated for my name I will cast out of my sight, and Israel will become a proverb and a byword among all peoples.”
While God kept His word, David and Solomon’s descendants did not keep theirs. Many of Israel’s and Judah’s kings did evil in the sight of the Lord. The Davidic line ended earthly rule with Zedikiah. It is impossible for man to keep the Law of Moses perfectly. That is why we need Jesus. (Galatians 3:10-14). Jesus was not a plan B, He was the plan from the beginning. (2 Timothy 1:8-10). Jesus the King of Kings and Son of God who was born a direct descendent of David was on the throne from the beginning. (Matthew 1:1-17, Luke 3:23-38).
The Lord continued His promise in verses 8-9,
“And this house will become a heap of ruins. Everyone passing by it will be astonished and will hiss, and they will say, ‘Why has the Lord done thus to this land and to this house?’ 9 Then they will say, ‘Because they abandoned the Lord their God who brought their fathers out of the land of Egypt and laid hold on other gods and worshiped them and served them. Therefore the Lord has brought all this disaster on them.’”
Many of the Davidic Line, the King’s after Solomon who ruled Judah did evil in the sight of God and so this promise was kept.
Jesus predicted it as well, Mark 13:1-2 reads,
“And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” 2 And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”
Because of Jesus, by 70 A.D. the Temple had outlived its purpose and it was destroyed by the Romans. Jesus transcends the need of an earthly house of God. When He showed His zealous love for The Father and The Temple by ordering the money changers and sellers out of it, He was asked for a sign to prove He had authority to do such a thing and call God His Father. He answered, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” (John 2:19). Today we understand He was talking about His crucifixion and resurrection, just as His disciples remembered His words after His resurrection. (John 2:18-22).
The Temple could lay in ruins because it was a temporary shadow of a heavenly truth. You and I are the Temple of God today. And when we reside in the eternity of New Jerusalem we will be in the presence of God in a way we can only imagine and practice here and now. There will be no Temple in New Jerusalem, Jesus Himself, The Lord God Almighty will be there and He will be the Temple! Revelation 21:9-21 give a sunning and beautiful description of New Jerusalem, but verses 22-27 top that description with the best part.
“And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, 25 and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. 26 They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. 27 But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life.”
Solomon did many good and great things during his reign. He built a great Temple and God promised him wonderful things. God kept every promise, even when men did not. His promises were so much more than Solomon in all his wisdom could ever grasp. Believer, do not forget who you are, who dwells in you and with you, and where you will dwell in eternity.
It is truly an amazing feat that Solomon built God such a magnificent house. As long as Solomon’s Temple stood it was known by his name. For all of the things Solomon did during his reign, he is best remembered for The First Temple. It stood for 400 years until destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 B.C. 70 years later Ezra and Nehemiah, understanding how important the Temple was to Israel built the Second Temple which was eventually modified by Herod and then destroyed by the Romans in 70 A.D.
Solomon was a good king and God honored him as Solomon honored The Lord. It is really something that The Lord appeared to Solomon, but off the chain that He would appear to him twice. The promise He gave Solomon was very special and good, but it was better for us. Verses 1-3 read,
“As soon as Solomon had finished building the house of the Lord and the king's house and all that Solomon desired to build, 2 the Lord appeared to Solomon a second time, as he had appeared to him at Gibeon. 3 And the Lord said to him, “I have heard your prayer and your plea, which you have made before me. I have consecrated this house that you have built, by putting my name there forever. My eyes and my heart will be there for all time.”
What an amazing promise! Believer, do you know that it applies to you too? Read it again and remember that you are the temple of God. (1 Corinthians 3:16).
“I have heard your prayer and your plea, which you have made before me. I have consecrated this house (You) …, by putting my name there forever. My eyes and my heart will be there for all time.” What name did He put there? His, Jesus Christ! His eyes (His attention) and His heart (His love and will) will be there for All time. Romans 10:13 reads,
“For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
But The Lord had more to say to Solomon. He reiterated what He had told David and Solomon before. God is wonderful like continuously reminding us of His Word and His will. Verses 4-7 read,
“And as for you, if you will walk before me, as David your father walked, with integrity of heart and uprightness, doing according to all that I have commanded you, and keeping my statutes and my rules, 5 then I will establish your royal throne over Israel forever, as I promised David your father, saying, ‘You shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.’ 6 But if you turn aside from following me, you or your children, and do not keep my commandments and my statutes that I have set before you, but go and serve other gods and worship them, 7 then I will cut off Israel from the land that I have given them, and the house that I have consecrated for my name I will cast out of my sight, and Israel will become a proverb and a byword among all peoples.”
While God kept His word, David and Solomon’s descendants did not keep theirs. Many of Israel’s and Judah’s kings did evil in the sight of the Lord. The Davidic line ended earthly rule with Zedikiah. It is impossible for man to keep the Law of Moses perfectly. That is why we need Jesus. (Galatians 3:10-14). Jesus was not a plan B, He was the plan from the beginning. (2 Timothy 1:8-10). Jesus the King of Kings and Son of God who was born a direct descendent of David was on the throne from the beginning. (Matthew 1:1-17, Luke 3:23-38).
The Lord continued His promise in verses 8-9,
“And this house will become a heap of ruins. Everyone passing by it will be astonished and will hiss, and they will say, ‘Why has the Lord done thus to this land and to this house?’ 9 Then they will say, ‘Because they abandoned the Lord their God who brought their fathers out of the land of Egypt and laid hold on other gods and worshiped them and served them. Therefore the Lord has brought all this disaster on them.’”
Many of the Davidic Line, the King’s after Solomon who ruled Judah did evil in the sight of God and so this promise was kept.
Jesus predicted it as well, Mark 13:1-2 reads,
“And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” 2 And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”
Because of Jesus, by 70 A.D. the Temple had outlived its purpose and it was destroyed by the Romans. Jesus transcends the need of an earthly house of God. When He showed His zealous love for The Father and The Temple by ordering the money changers and sellers out of it, He was asked for a sign to prove He had authority to do such a thing and call God His Father. He answered, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” (John 2:19). Today we understand He was talking about His crucifixion and resurrection, just as His disciples remembered His words after His resurrection. (John 2:18-22).
The Temple could lay in ruins because it was a temporary shadow of a heavenly truth. You and I are the Temple of God today. And when we reside in the eternity of New Jerusalem we will be in the presence of God in a way we can only imagine and practice here and now. There will be no Temple in New Jerusalem, Jesus Himself, The Lord God Almighty will be there and He will be the Temple! Revelation 21:9-21 give a sunning and beautiful description of New Jerusalem, but verses 22-27 top that description with the best part.
“And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, 25 and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. 26 They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. 27 But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life.”
Solomon did many good and great things during his reign. He built a great Temple and God promised him wonderful things. God kept every promise, even when men did not. His promises were so much more than Solomon in all his wisdom could ever grasp. Believer, do not forget who you are, who dwells in you and with you, and where you will dwell in eternity.
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