SANCTUARIES IN EARLIER DISPENSATIONS
{17} As understood and applied herein, the designation "temple" is
restricted to mean an actual structure, reared by man, hallowed and
sanctified for the special service of Deity, such service including
the authoritative administration of ordinances pertaining to the Holy
Priesthood, and not merely a place, however sacred the spot may have
become. If sacred places were to be classed with sacred buildings as
essentially temples, the category would include many a holy Bethel
rarely considered as such. In the more extended application of the
term, the Garden in Eden was the first sanctuary of earth, for therein
did the Lord first speak unto man and make known the Divine law. So
too, Sinai became a sanctuary, for the mount was consecrated as the
special abode of the Lord while He communed with the prophet, and
issued His decrees. The sanctity of such places was as that of Horeb,
where God spake unto Moses from the midst of the flame; and where,
as the man approached he was halted by the command: "Draw not nigh
hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou
standest is holy ground."[1] A temple, however, is characterized not
alone as the place where God reveals Himself to man, but also as the
House wherein prescribed ordinances of the Priesthood are solemnized.
THE "TESTIMONY"
{18} Prior to the construction of the Tabernacle in the wilderness, and
indeed during the early stages of the memorable journey from Egypt,
the people of Israel had a certain depository for sacred things, known
as the Testimony. This is definitely mentioned in connection with the
following incident. Under Divine direction a vessel of manna was to be
preserved, lest the people forget the power and goodness of God, by
which they had been fed:
"And Moses said. This is the thing which the Lord commandeth,
Fill an omer of it to be kept for your generations; that they may
see the bread wherewith I have fed you in the wilderness, when I
brought you forth from the land of Egypt.
"And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a pot, and put an omer full of
manna therein, and lay it up before the Lord, to be kept for your
generations.
"As the Lord commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up before the
Testimony, to be kept."[2]
There appears little room for doubt that the Testimony here referred
to was a material structure, and that its name is suggestive of Divine
witness as to its sacred character. Inasmuch as the account of the
exodus contains no mention of the making of such a structure, and
moreover as its existence and use were definitely affirmed before the
people had had time or opportunity to shape it in the wilderness, it
would seem that they must have brought the sacred Testimony with them
from Egypt. This incident is of interest and importance as indicating
the existence of a holy sanctuary during the formative {19} stages of
Israel's growth as a nation, and while the people were in subjection
to idolatrous rulers. This application of the term Testimony must not
be confused with later usage by which the tables of stone bearing the
divinely inscribed Decalogue are so designated.[3] It is to be noted
further that the Tabernacle, wherein was housed the Ark of the Covenant
containing the sacred tables of stone, is distinctively called the
Tabernacle of Testimony. These several uses of the term lead to no
ambiguity if the context be duly considered in each case.
THE PROVISIONAL TABERNACLE
While Moses communed with the Lord on Sinai, the people, left for a
time to themselves, set up a golden calf in imitation of Apis, an
Egyptian idol; and in consequence of their idolatrous orgies, the
Lord's anger was kindled against them. During the period of their
consequent estrangement, before a reconciliation had been effected
between Jehovah and His people, Divine manifestations ceased within
the camp and only afar off could the Lord be found. In connection with
this condition we read of the establishment of a temporary place of
meeting--possibly the dwelling tent of Moses, which became sanctified
by the Divine Presence. Thus runs the record:
"And Moses took the tabernacle, and pitched it without the camp,
afar off from the camp, and called it the Tabernacle of the
congregation. And it came to pass, that every one which sought the
Lord went out into the tabernacle of the congregation, which was
without the camp.
"And it came to pass, when Moses went out unto the tabernacle, that
all the people rose up, and stood every man {20} at his tent door,
and looked after Moses, until he was gone into the tabernacle.
"And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the
cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle,
and the Lord talked with Moses.
"And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle
door: and all the people rose up and worshipped, every man in his
tent door.
"And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto
his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant
Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the
tabernacle."[4]
That the tent here called the Tabernacle of the Congregation[5] is
not the elaborate and costly structure specially built as the Lord
directed, is evident from the fact that the greater and more enduring
Tabernacle had not been constructed at the time referred to in the
scripture last cited. Unlike the later Tabernacle, which was set up in
the center of the camp with the tribes massed about it in specified
order, this Provisional Tabernacle was pitched outside the camp--afar
off--perhaps as an indication of the Lord's withdrawal following
Israel's idolatrous turning away from Him. That the Provisional
Tabernacle was, however, a holy sanctuary is attested by the personal
communion therein between Jehovah and His servant Moses.
THE TABERNACLE OF THE CONGREGATION
From amidst the clouds, and to the accompaniments of thunders and
lightnings on Sinai, the Lord gave unto {21} Moses the law and the
testimony. Not alone did Moses there talk with the Lord in person, but
by Divine command, Aaron and his sons Nadab and Abihu, together with
seventy of the elders of Israel, went up upon the mountain and did see
God, even the God of Israel. Over Sinai the glory of the Lord abode
for many days: "And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and gat
him up into the mount; and Moses was in the mount forty days and forty
nights."[6]
When he descended Moses bore with him the commission to call upon the
children of Israel for contributions and offerings of their substance
and all their precious things, such as would be suitable for the
construction of a sanctuary for service in the wilderness.
"And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
"Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering:
of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take
my offering.
"And this is the offering which ye shall take of them; gold, and
silver, and brass,
"And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair,
"And rams' skins dyed red, and badgers' skins, and shittim wood,
"Oil for the light, spices for anointing oil, and for sweet incense,
"Onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod, and in the
breastplate.
"And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.
"According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of {22} the
tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so
shall ye make it."[7]
The response of the people was so liberal and prompt that a surplus of
material was soon amassed.
"And they spake unto Moses, saying, The people bring much more than
enough for the service of the work, which the Lord commanded to
make.
"And Moses gave commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed
throughout the camp, saying, Let neither man nor woman make any
more work for the offering of the sanctuary. So the people were
restrained from bringing.
"For the stuff they had was sufficient for all the work to make it,
and too much."[8]
Divine direction was manifest in the appointment of men who should be
in charge of the labor. Bezaleel, the son of Uri, and Aholiab, the son
of Ahisamach, were designated by revelation as the master craftsmen
under whose direction the other workers should labor until all had
been finished in direct accord with the revealed pattern and plan. And
when so finished it was the embodiment of the best in material and
workmanship.
The Tabernacle stood in an outer enclosure or court, walled in by
canvas screens with entrance curtains finely embroidered. The curtains
that formed the walls of the court were suspended from pillars, which
stood at intervals along the sides of an oblong. The longer walls ran
east and west, with the main entrance to the enclosure on {23} the
eastern side. Of the two squares within the curtains, the easterly was
reserved for assemblies of the people, while the square to the west
constituted the more sacred area pertaining to the Tabernacle itself.
The entire space so enclosed covered one hundred cubits east and
west and fifty cubits north and south, or approximately one hundred
and fifty feet by seventy-five feet.[9] In the easterly section,
and therefore removed from the Tabernacle, stood the altar of
burnt-offerings. Between the altar and the Tabernacle stood the
laver; this was a large vessel of brass standing upon a pedestal and
containing water for the ceremonial cleansing of the hands and feet
of the priests. It is interesting to note that the laver and its
supporting pedestal were made by special contribution of the women,
who gave their brazen mirrors for this purpose. The Tabernacle stood
with its longer axis east and west, and with its entrance on the
easterly side. The structure was but thirty cubits long by ten cubits
broad, or forty-five by fifteen feet; these are the dimensions given
by Josephus, and they are practically in accord with the description
in Exodus, which states that the walls comprised twenty boards on a
side, each board one and a half cubits wide; at the west end there were
six boards, each one and a half cubits wide or nine cubits in all;
these with the angle posts would make the entire breadth equal to that
given by Josephus, ten cubits. The boards of the walls {24} were held
together by tenon-joints having sockets of silver, two to each board;
the boards themselves were overlaid with gold and were provided with
rings of the same metal to receive the bars, which also were overlaid
with gold.
It will be seen that the Tabernacle was but a small structure, entirely
unsuited to the accommodation of large assemblies, but it is to be
remembered that for such it was never intended. Within the Tabernacle,
only the appointed bearers of the Priesthood officiated; and of these
none but the few actually engaged in the service of the day could be
admitted.
The Tabernacle was divided by a curtain, specifically called the Veil,
into two compartments, the outer of which was known as the Holy Place,
and the inner as the Most Holy Place or Holy of Holies. Josephus and
some others state that the Tabernacle comprised three parts; the third
division, however, was really outside the main tent and appeared as
a porch at the east end, five cubits deep, and extending across the
entire front. The Veil, which separated the Holy Place from the Holy
of Holies, was of fine workmanship, "of blue, and purple, and scarlet,
and fine twined linen of cunning work," and was embroidered with
cherubim. It was hung upon four pillars of wood overlaid with gold;
the hooks were of gold and the sockets of silver. The wood used for
these pillars, as indeed that used in other parts of the structure, was
the rare, costly, and durable shittim or acacia, sometimes known as
thorn-wood. Beyond the Veil the enclosure was most holy, and therein
was placed the Ark of the Covenant with its Mercy Seat bearing the
sacred cherubim, the description of which appears in the record as
follows:
{25} "And Bezaleel made the ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a
half was the length of it, and a cubit and a half the breadth of
it, and a cubit and a half the height of it:
"And he overlaid it with pure gold within and without, and made a
crown of gold to it round about.
"And he cast for it four rings of gold, to be set by the four
corners of it; even two rings upon the one side of it, and two
rings upon the other side of it.
"And he made staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold.
"And he put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, to
bear the ark.
"And he made the mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half was
the length thereof, and one cubit and half the breadth thereof.
"And he made two cherubims of gold, beaten out of one piece made he
them, on the two ends of the mercy seat:
"One cherub on the end on this side, and another cherub on the
other end on that side: out of the mercy seat made he the cherubims
on the two ends thereof.
"And the cherubims spread out their wings on high, and covered with
their wings over the mercy seat, with their faces one to another;
even to the mercy seatward were the faces of the cherubims."[10]
Outside the Veil, yet within the Tabernacle, was the Holy Place; in
this were placed the table of shewbread, the altar of incense, and the
golden seven-branched candlestick.[11]
The rich fabrics of delicate workmanship forming the walls and roof
of the Tabernacle were protected by coarser hangings of goats' hair,
and these in turn by a covering of skins. The structure as completed
is referred to in the scripture sometimes as the Tent of the {26}
Congregation and at others as the Tabernacle of the Congregation; the
former expression occurs thirteen times, the latter one hundred and
thirty-three times; yet notwithstanding this difference, the original
in each case was _Ohel Moed_, the best authenticated translation of
which is the Tent of Meeting. Let it not be supposed, however, that
this means in the ordinary sense a meeting-house, for the meeting here
expressed is not that of a concourse of worshippers, but the place of
communion between God and His Priesthood. The Tent of Meeting, or the
Tabernacle of the Congregation, in Israel, was the Lord's tent wherein
He met the authorized representatives of His people.
On the first day of the second year following Israel's exodus from
Egypt, the Tabernacle was set up for the first time, and all the sacred
furniture was disposed according to the direct commands of the Lord.
The veil was hung, and the place was consecrated as a most holy spot,
ineffably sacred as the dwelling place of Jehovah. Then, even as on
Sinai a cloud had shrouded the temporary abiding place of God, so was
it with the Tabernacle:
"Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory
of the Lord filled the tabernacle.
"And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation,
because the cloud abode thereon and the glory of the Lord filled
the tabernacle.
"And when the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the
children of Israel went onward in all their journeys:
"But if the cloud were not taken up, then they journeyed not till
the day that it was taken up.
"For the cloud of the Lord was upon the tabernacle by {27} day, and
fire was on it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel,
throughout all their journeys."[12]
The all-pervading and all-controlling thought in the erection of
this portable sanctuary was that of expressing the close association
between Jehovah and His people. The people were to consider themselves
specifically the people of God, and amongst them should be His
dwelling, surpassing in a transcendent degree the presence of the gods
of wood and stone housed among the idolatrous nations with whom Israel
had to contend. This thought was expressed in the earliest commandment
respecting the building of the Tabernacle: "And let them make me a
sanctuary; that I may dwell among them."[13]
Even more truly indispensable than Tabernacle or Temple, in the
maintenance of close relationship with Deity, is the Priesthood. It
was therefore to be expected that with the establishment of a holy
sanctuary, appointments and ordinations should be made whereby men
would be truly set apart to the sacred offices of the Priesthood. While
Moses was the great high priest of Israel, standing at the head of a
distinctive dispensation of Divine authority and power, there were many
priestly functions pertaining to the less exalted orders, and unto
these Aaron and his four sons, Nadab, Abihu, Eleazer, and Ithamar, were
set apart. As the Tabernacle had been built under express direction
extending even into minute detail, so the ministrations of the
Priesthood were prescribed and the order of worship was established,
whereby the people should be reminded that amongst them dwelt {28}
Jehovah, before whom they should set none other gods.[14]
The Tabernacle was prepared primarily for migratory service; its parts
therefore were separately finished and so fitted as to permit of easy
putting together or taking apart. When set up within its court, the
Tabernacle occupied the place of honor in the center of the camp.
On the east, and therefore immediately before the entrance to the
court, were the tents of the Priests; while on the other three sides
the Levites were encamped. These, being closest in attendance have been
likened to the body-guard of the Great King[15] whose throne was within
the sanctuary; and beyond them were stationed the other tribes in order
of established precedence. While dismantled and in transit, when the
people were on the march, the Tabernacle still held the central place;
its bearers were the Levites, and the whole army of Israel was its
guard.
Until Israel had become permanently established in the land of promise,
the Tabernacle of the Congregation had but temporary resting places. As
the people moved the sanctuary was carried, until it found a somewhat
more permanent home at Shiloh. There, at the door of the Tabernacle,
the final apportionment of Canaan among the tribes was made.[16]
There it remained during the period of the Judges, and until after
the Ark of God had been allowed to pass from the custody of Israel
to that of the Philistines, because of sin.[17] The glory of the
sanctuary {29} was largely lost, and though the Tabernacle continued
in existence its sacred service was in abeyance. Sadly was the truth
declared, "The glory is departed from Israel: for the ark of God is
taken."[18] There is evidence that for a short time during the reign
of Saul, the Tabernacle was established at Nob; for there we find the
priest Ahimelech maintaining the service of the shew-bread,[19] but
the Ark of the Covenant was certainly not there.[20] We next learn of
the Tabernacle having been set up at Gibeon, though the conditions
resulting in its removal thither are not fully stated.[21] The Ark was
housed in another tent, and finally both were brought into the splendid
Temple of Solomon by which all earlier sanctuaries were superseded.
THE THIRD TABERNACLE
Yet another tent of sanctuary was made and used in Israel prior to the
erection of the great Temple. This we may call for convenience the
Third Tabernacle; it was erected by David the king, in his own city, as
a shelter for the Ark of the Covenant. As already cited, the scriptural
record tells of the capture of the Ark by the Philistines, and of its
return to Israel. This incident occurred during the latter part of the
administration of the Judges, before Israel had bowed to a king in
Canaan.[22]
Throughout the reign of Saul, the Ark remained under the roof of a
private dwelling; wherein, however, a priest was maintained for its
care and ministry. One of the early acts of David after he became king,
was to {30} plan the removal of the Ark to a more suitable situation.
In the course of this removal, Uzzah was stricken, because without
authority he essayed to take hold of the sacred vessel; and this
manifestation of Divine displeasure so affected David that he delayed
his purpose of setting up the Ark in his own city and placed it in
another private house--that of Obed-edom the Gittite.[23] While the Ark
remained beneath that roof the household was blessed and prospered.
In course of time the original plan was carried into effect and the
Ark was set up in a tent specially prepared for its reception in the
City of David: "And they brought in the ark of the Lord, and set it in
his place, in the midst of the tabernacle that David had pitched for
it: and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the
Lord."[24]
Thus, during the reign of David there were two places regarded as
sanctuaries; and the worship of the people was divided. Solomon
appears to have acknowledged the sanctity of both places--the resting
place of the Ark at Jerusalem and the place of the Tabernacle of the
Congregation at Gibeon.[25] Through him both shrines were again brought
together.[26]
THE TEMPLE OF SOLOMON
Scarcely had the Ark of the Covenant been deposited at the capital
of the kingdom--the City of David,--when the king became desirous of
erecting for its accommodation a more enduring shelter than the tent
in which it had {31} been installed with pomp and ceremony. It appears
that the conscience of the king was troubled by the thought that he
was better housed than was the sanctuary of the Lord: "Now it came to
pass, as David sat in his house, that David said to Nathan the prophet,
Lo, I dwell in an house of cedars, but the ark of the covenant of the
Lord remaineth under curtains."[27] It was David's desire to build a
suitable House for the Lord and Nathan the prophet at first encouraged
the undertaking. The Lord spake to Nathan however, and directed him to
decline the king's proffered gift. Although Jehovah had been without a
fixed place recognized by the people as His, though as He said He had
not dwelt in a house amongst Israel, but had gone from tent to tent
and from one tabernacle to another,[28] though as the context implies,
the Lord had been neglected in the long delay attending the erection
of a house to His name, nevertheless David could not be honored with
the commission or even the permission to build such a house for he
was accounted a man of blood.[29] Let us not undertake to judge the
extent of David's offending; to do so would be to usurp the Divine
prerogative; it is enough for us to know that even the gift of royalty
may be declined if there be aught requiring reconciliation between the
mortal and his God. David, however, was permitted to provide means and
to gather material which afterward should be used in the erection of
the Temple,[30] moreover, the very site on which the great building
was subsequently erected was chosen and sanctified through his agency.
A great pestilence had fallen {32} upon Israel, and the Angel of the
Lord, sent forth with the warrant of destruction, was seen by David,
standing, sword in hand, on Mount Moriah at the threshing floor of
Araunah the Jebusite.[31] That spot, hallowed by the presence of a
heavenly messenger, though that messenger was the Angel of Death, was
marked by the erection of an altar, as the Lord directed through the
prophet Gad.[32]
As David realized that his years of life were few, he laid upon
Solomon, his son and chosen successor, the solemn charge to build the
house he had been forbidden to build. The king dwelt pathetically upon
his own disqualification, and then repeated the Lord's promise of
acceptance at the hand of Solomon. The scriptural record runs thus:
"So David prepared abundantly before his death.
"Then he called for Solomon his son, and charged him to build an
house for the Lord God of Israel.
"And David said to Solomon. My son, as for me, it was in my mind to
build an house unto the name of the Lord my God:
"But the word of the Lord came to me, saying, Thou hast shed blood
abundantly, and hast made great wars: thou shalt not build an house
unto my name, because thou hast shed much blood upon the earth in
my sight.
"Behold, a son shall be born to thee, who shall be a man of rest;
and I will give him rest from all his enemies round about: for his
name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quietness unto
Israel in his days.
"He shall build an house for my name; and he shall be my son, and I
will be his father: and I will establish the throne of his kingdom
over Israel for ever.
{33} "Now, my son, the Lord be with thee; and prosper thou, and
build the house of the Lord thy God, as he hath said of thee.
"Only the Lord give thee wisdom and understanding, and give thee
charge concerning Israel, that thou mayest keep the law of the Lord
thy God.
"Then shalt thou prosper, if thou takest heed to fulfill the
statues and judgments which the Lord charged Moses with concerning
Israel: be strong, and of good courage; dread not, nor be dismayed.
"Now, behold, in my trouble I have prepared for the house of the
Lord an hundred thousand talents of gold, and a thousand thousand
talents of silver; and of brass and iron without weight; for it
is in abundance: timber also and stone have I prepared; and thou
mayest add thereto.
"Moreover there are workmen with thee in abundance, hewers and
workers of stone and timber, and all manner of cunning men for
every manner of work.
"Of the gold, the silver, and the brass, and the iron, there is no
number. Arise therefore, and be doing, and the Lord be with thee.
"David also commanded all the princes of Israel to help Solomon his
son, saying,
"Is not the Lord your God with you? and hath he not given you rest
on every side? for he hath given the inhabitants of the land into
mine hand; and the land is subdued before the Lord, and before his
people.
"Now set your heart and your soul to seek the Lord your God; arise
therefore, and build ye the sanctuary of the Lord God, to bring the
ark of the covenant of the Lord, and the holy vessels of God, into
the house that is to be built to the name of the Lord."[33]
David gave Solomon detailed instructions as to the design and
specifications of the house and its appurtenances, the plan of the
porch and that of both the main {34} structure and the accessory
buildings, "and the pattern of all that he had by the Spirit."
Furthermore he gave directions as to the ministry of the various
courses of Priests and Levites, "and for all the work of the service of
the house of the Lord, and for all the vessels of service in the house
of the Lord."[34]
The actual work of construction was begun in the fourth year of
Solomon's reign, and the Temple was ready for dedication in the
twelfth, or about 1005 B. C. At the inception of the labor, Solomon
entered into an agreement with Hiram, a neighboring king, whereby the
resources of Tyre and Sidon were annexed in the great undertaking.
Through this alliance the splendid forests of Lebanon were made
accessible; cedar, and fir, and other trees were felled and floated by
the thousand to the most convenient point for land transportation to
Jerusalem. It had been previously explained to Hiram that the demand
would be a heavy one, for, as Solomon had said: "The house which I
build is great: for great is our God above all gods."[35] Sidonian
hewers were put to work,--the most skilful of all known woodmen; and
the timbers of Lebanon were supplied in abundance. The extent of the
demand may be judged from the enormous payment proffered and made by
Solomon.[36]
Israelitish workmen were employed in great numbers, both in
co-operation with the Sidonians and at home. Thus we read:
"And King Solomon raised a levy out of all Israel; and the levy was
thirty thousand men.
{35} "And he sent them to Lebanon, ten thousand a month by courses:
a month they were in Lebanon, and two months at home: and Adoniram
was over the levy.
"And Solomon had threescore and ten thousand that bare burdens, and
fourscore thousand hewers in the mountains;
"Beside the chief of Solomon's officers which were over the work,
three thousand and three hundred, which ruled over the people that
wrought in the work.
"And the king commanded, and they brought great stones, costly
stones, and hewed stones, to lay the foundation of the house.
"And Solomon's builders and Hiram's builders did hew them, and the
stonesquarers: so they prepared timber and stones to build the
house."[37]
For the successful employment of such great numbers of workmen an
effective system of organization was necessary; we are not surprised,
therefore, in reading that thirty-three hundred overseers were in
service. The efficiency of the system is attested by the success
attending the great undertaking. The Israelites and the men of Tyre and
Sidon worked in harmony, and much of the building material was shaped
by pattern and measurement in forest and quarry; therefore "the house,
when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was
brought thither; so that there was neither hammer nor ax nor any tool
of iron heard in the house, while it was in building."[38]
Our primary source of information relating to the erection of the great
Temple is the scriptural record contained in I Kings, chapters 6 and
7; a later account appears in II Chronicles, chapter 3 and 4, which
account as {36} well as the description given by Josephus[39] appears
to have been derived from the record first cited.
In general, the design of Solomon's Temple was that of the specially
constructed Tabernacle of the Congregation, though the dimensions of
the Temple were double those of the Tabernacle. It will be remembered
that the porch of the Tabernacle was five cubits deep; that of
the Temple measured ten cubits in depth; in each case the porch
extended across the full width of the house. The Holy Place, or first
compartment within the walls, was twenty cubits long, ten cubits wide
and ten high in the Tabernacle; that of the Temple was forty by twenty
cubits and twenty cubits high. The inner sanctuary, Oracle, or Holy of
Holies, in the Tabernacle was cubical and measured ten cubits each way;
in the Temple this sacred enclosure was a cube of twenty cubits. Thus
the ground plan of the Tabernacle covered thirty-five by twenty cubits,
and that of the Temple seventy cubits by forty. These measurements
do not take into account the side chambers, which in the Tabernacle
were five cubits wide; those connected with the Temple measured ten
cubits in extreme width; with these included, the entire area of the
Tabernacle was forty by twenty cubits, and that of the Temple eighty
by forty cubits; or, at the usually accepted equivalent for the cubit,
sixty by thirty feet for the Tabernacle, and one hundred and twenty
feet by sixty feet for the Temple. In height the same relation was
maintained; the Tabernacle rose fifteen cubits and the Temple thirty
cubits. The Temple porch appears to have towered above the height of
the main structure.[40]
{37} In the porch, standing as a guard at the threshold of the Temple,
were two brazen pillars, of elaborate design, and doubtless of
emblematical significance. They were regarded as of such importance
as to merit detailed description, and the name of their maker was
inscribed in the Temple archives. They were wrought by Hiram of
Tyre,--not the king who bore the same name--but a master-artisan,
skilled in the working of brass. Hiram fashioned the pillars, each
twelve cubits in circumference and eighteen cubits high exclusive of
the massive chapiters, which were ornamented with pomegranates and lily
work. The pillar at the right of the entrance was named Jachin, meaning
"He shall establish," and that at the left was called Boaz, signifying
"In it is strength."[41] Whatever deeper meaning may have been attached
to these massive columns, their suggestive symbolism of strength and
firmness is plainly apparent. As to whether they actually supported the
roof of the porch, or were free, standing as embellishments and symbols
alone, the scriptural text is not definite.
The walls of the great Temple were of hewn stone, yet on the inside no
stone was visible; for the walls were wainscotted from floor to ceiling
with cedar, richly decorated with carvings of flowers, trees, and other
designs, and the flooring was of fir.[42] Moreover, the interior was
richly embellished with overlaid work in pure gold. The partition by
which the Oracle or Holy of Holies was divided off, corresponding to
the veil in the Tabernacle, was thus overlaid, and was hung with chains
of gold.[43] The cherubim that stood as the symbol of guardianship {38}
over the Oracle were of olive wood, covered with gold, the precious
metal being fitted upon the carved work.[44]
The vestibule or porch stood at the east end; and this constituted the
only entrance to the Temple proper. On the other three sides, therefore
surrounding both the Holy Place and the Oracle, were numerous small
chambers, built in three tiers or stories. The width of these was five
cubits in the lowest story, six cubits in the middle, and seven cubits
in the top story; this peculiarity in width increasing with height was
made possible by the decrease in the thickness of the walls. By this
rebatement of the walls, the cedarn chambers were well supported yet
they formed no part of the main structure; it was so designed "that
the beams should not be fastened in the walls of the house."[45] These
small apartments were therefore "chambers round about, against the
walls of the house," yet of independent construction. From the mention
made by Ezekiel[46] these chambers are supposed to have numbered
thirty, though no precise specification is found. They were probably
used for service required of the priests aside from the ceremonial
labor connected with the general ritual. Entrance to these chambers was
provided on the right side of the building with winding stairs leading
to the upper rooms. Above the level of the upper chambers were windows
by which the outer apartment or Holy Place was lighted; the Holy of
Holies, however, was without natural light.
The furniture within the Temple comprised but few objects, yet every
piece was of special design and for exclusive use. In the Holy Place
stood the table, or a {39} series of tables to bear the sacred
shew-bread. Mention is made also of an altar of gold, and of ten
candlesticks of pure gold set in front of the entrance to the Oracle,
five on either side; furthermore there were tongs of gold, bowls and
snuffers, basins and spoons. The Oracle was prepared for the reception
of the Ark of the Covenant, and to overshadow that holy vessel there
were prepared the two great cherubim, each ten cubits high; these were
of olive wood overlaid with gold.
The Temple stood within walled enclosures, generally spoken of as outer
and inner courts respectively. The wall of the inner court is described
as consisting of three courses of hewn stone, in which was set a course
of cedar beams. This corresponded to the single enclosure of the
ancient Tabernacle. Inasmuch as all the specified measurements show
the Temple to have been double the size of the Tabernacle, this court
may have been of corresponding proportion; it is therefore generally
believed to have extended one hundred cubits north and south and two
hundred cubits east and west.[47]
Within the court, "before the porch of the Lord" stood the altar of
sacrifice. This was of brass twenty cubits square and ten cubits high.
To the service of the altar belonged many of the utensils such as
basins, pots, and shovels, specially made under the direction of the
master craftsman, Hiram of Tyre. Another prominent object within the
court was the molten sea, called also the brazen sea.[48] This great
font measured thirty cubits in circumference and stood five cubits
high, and was richly {40} ornamented. The walls were a hand-breadth
in thickness, and the brim was embellished with flower work. It was
mounted on twelve brazen oxen, arranged in groups of three, the groups
facing respectively north, south, east and west. The great font stood
between the altar and the porch "on the right side of the house,
eastward, over against the south."[49] Associated with the molten sea
were ten smaller vessels called lavers, mounted on bases of special
construction and provided with wheels to facilitate removal.[50] The
lavers were used in connection with the service of the altar, for the
washing of the offerings; but the main font or molten sea was reserved
for the ceremonial cleansing of the priests.
When the House of the Lord was completed, elaborate preparations were
made for its dedication. First came the installation of the Ark of the
Covenant and its appurtenances, the Tabernacle of the Congregation,
and the holy vessels. With great solemnity and to the accompaniment of
ceremonial sacrifice, the Ark was brought by the priests and placed
within the Holy of Holies beneath the wings of the cherubim. At this
time the Ark contained only the two tables of stone "which Moses put
there." The staves by which the Ark was borne were so drawn out as to
be visible from within the Holy Place, and then "it came to pass, when
the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the
house of the Lord, So that the priests could not stand to minister
because of the cloud: for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of
the Lord."[51]
{41} Then Solomon addressed the assembled multitude, reciting the
circumstances under which the building of the Temple had been conceived
by his father David and executed by himself, and proclaiming the mercy
and goodness of Israel's God. Standing before the altar of the Lord, in
the court of the Temple, the king spread forth his hands toward heaven,
and offered the dedicatory prayer. The king then blessed the people,
saying "Blessed be the Lord, that hath given rest unto his people
Israel, according to all that he promised: there hath not failed one
word of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses
his servant. The Lord our God be with us, as he was with our fathers:
let him not leave us, nor forsake us."[52]
The principal services with the attendant festivities lasted seven
days, and "on the eighth day he sent the people away: and they blessed
the king, and went unto their tents joyful and glad of heart for all
the goodness that the Lord had done for David his servant, and for
Israel his people."[53]
For only a third of a century did this splendid edifice maintain its
supremacy and glory. In the later years of his reign Solomon had done
wickedly in the sight of God and the people had not been slow to follow
their king in evil paths. Israel had grown weak in their allegiance to
Jehovah and had gone after strange gods. Following the death of Solomon
the nation was disrupted. In the fifth year of the reign of Rehoboam,
Shishak king of Egypt besieged the City of David and even despoiled
the Temple {42} and carried away part of the sacred treasures. Next,
Jehoash, king of one part of the divided nation, took away gold and
silver and sacred vessels from the House of the Lord and carried
them into Samaria.[54] It is thus shown that the desecration of the
Temple was not effected wholly by the enemies of Israel; the people to
whom the House had once been sacred contributed to its profanation.
Ahaz, the wicked king of Judah, removed the altar from its place and
substituted therefore another fashioned by his own order after the
pattern of the altars of the heathen; moreover he took down the molten
sea and dismantled the lavers.[55] Mannasseh, another evil king who
reigned in Judah, followed after Baal and set up idolatrous shrines
within the very precincts of the Temple.[56] The precious things of the
House of the Lord were used as barter between kings. So, Asa king of
Judah purchased the aid of Ben-hadad, to fight against Israel;[57] so
also did Jehoash purchase peace from Hazael king of Syria;[58] and so
did Hezekiah strip the House of the Lord for plunder wherewith to pay
tribute to the Assyrians.[59]
Some attempts were made to repair the worst of the ravages upon and
within the Temple[60] but it seemed that the House had been abandoned
to its fate. In the year 586 B. C., Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon,
completed the destruction of the Temple in connection with {43} his
conquest of the kingdom of Judah. Whatever of value was yet there he
carried away, and the building was destroyed by fire.[61]
There occurs yet one later mention of some of the vessels that had been
made for the service of Jehovah,--when they were brought out to crown
the triumph of Belshazzar in his heathenish feast. Then was manifest
the displeasure of the Lord, and the trembling king heard from the
lips of Daniel his doom,--for he had been unmindful of the fate that
had overtaken his father, and had lifted up himself against the Lord
of heaven; and had brought out the vessels of the house of God that he
and his lords, his wives and his concubines might drink wine therefrom;
and he had praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood,
and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know; but the God in whose hand
was his breath and whose were all his ways had he not glorified. He had
been weighed in the balances and was found wanting; and his kingdom was
taken from him. That night, Belshazzar the king was slain.[62]
THE TEMPLE OF EZEKIEL'S VISION
In the twenty-fifth year of the Babylonian captivity, while yet the
people of Israel were in exile in a strange land, the word of the Lord
came to the prophet Ezekiel; the power of God rested upon him; and he
saw in vision a glorious Temple, the plan of which he minutely {44}
described.[63] As to whether the prophet himself considered the design
so shown as one to be subsequently realized, or as but a grand yet
unattainable ideal, is not declared. Certain it is that the Temple of
the vision has not yet been builded.
In most of its essential features Ezekiel's ideal followed closely the
plan of Solomon's Temple; so close, indeed, is the resemblance, that
many of the details specified by Ezekiel have been accepted as those
of the splendid edifice destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar. A predominant
characteristic of the Temple described by Ezekiel was the spaciousness
of its premises and the symmetry of both the Holy House and its
associated buildings. The area was to be a square of five hundred
cubits, walled about and provided with a gateway and arches on each
of three sides; on the west side the wall was to be unbroken by arch
or portal. At each of the gateways were little chambers regarded as
lodges,[64] and provided with porches. In the outer court were other
chambers. The entire area was to be elevated, and a flight of steps led
to each gateway. In the inner court was seen the great altar, standing
before the House, and occupying the center of a square of one hundred
cubits.[65] Ample provision was made for every variety of sacrifice
and offering, and for the accommodation of the priests, the singers,
and all engaged in the holy ritual.[66] The main structure comprised
a Porch, a Holy Place, and an inner sanctuary or Most Holy Place, the
last named elevated above the rest {45} and reached by steps. The plan
provided for even greater exclusiveness than had characterized the
sacred area of the Temple of Solomon; the double courts contributed
to this end. The service of the Temple was prescribed in detail; the
ordinances of the altar, the duties of the priests, the ministry of the
Levites, the regulations governing oblations and feasts were all set
forth.[67]
The immediate purpose of this revelation through the vision of the
prophet appears to have been that of awakening the people of Israel to
a realization of their fallen state and a conception of their departed
glory. The prophet was thus commanded:
"Thou son of man, shew the house to the house of Israel, that
they may be ashamed of their iniquities: and let them measure the
pattern.
"And if they be ashamed of all that they have done, show them the
form of the house, and the fashion thereof, and the goings out
thereof, and the comings in thereof, and all the forms thereof, and
all the ordinances thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the
laws thereof: and write it in their sight, that they may keep the
whole form thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and do them.
"This is the law of the house; Upon the top of the mountain the
whole limit thereof round about shall be most holy. Behold, this is
the law of the house."[68]
THE TEMPLE OF ZERUBBABEL
For three score years and ten the Jews had grieved and groaned under
Babylonian rule. The greater part of the once proud Kingdom of Judah
had been carried {46} away captive, and such as remained in the land
of their fathers had lost their national status and had become largely
merged with the Gentiles. With dreadful exactness had been fulfilled
the dire prediction of Jeremiah. Through that prophet the Lord had
spoken, saying:
"Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts; Because ye have not heard
my words,
"Behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, saith
the Lord, and Nebuchadrezzar [Nebuchadnezzar] the king of Babylon,
my servant, and will bring them against this land, and against the
inhabitants thereof, and against all these nations around about,
and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and
an hissing, and perpetual desolations.
"Moreover I will take from them the voice of mirth, and the voice
of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the
bride, the sound of the millstones, and the light of the candle.
"And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment;
and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy
years."[69]
However, the gloom of the saddening prophecy had been lightened by one
ray of hope and promise--the assurance that when the seventy years of
the Lord's chastisement had been completed, the people should return
to the land of their inheritance, and once again be recognized as the
Lord's own.[70] In the encouragement of that hope the people had lived;
by its inspiration their prophets, even while in captivity, had sought
the Lord, and declared His will to the people; by its light Ezekiel had
seen in the {47} vision of seership the re-establishment of his people
and the possibility of a Temple greater and grander than the first. In
due time the God of Israel made good His word, and vindicated anew His
power as King of kings; He ruled and overruled the passions of nations
and the acts of earthly rulers, and once again brought His people
from the land of their bondage. Persia had become the controlling
power among the nations, and by decree of the Persian king, Judah was
emancipated. Behold the power of God in directing the rulers among
mortals:
"Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word
of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the
Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made
a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in
writing, saying,
"Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The Lord God of heaven hath given
me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build
him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.
"Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and
let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house
of the Lord God of Israel, (he is the God,) which is in Jerusalem.
"And whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, let the
men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with
goods, and with beasts, beside the freewill offering for the house
of God that is in Jerusalem."[71]
Under this gracious permission the people returned to the land of their
fathers, and set about the work of building anew a House to the Lord.
Cyrus had issued his royal decree that the structure be worthy the
great Name to which it was to be reared--the foundations were to {48}
be strongly laid; the height was to be three score cubits, and the
breadth the same; there were to be set three rows of great stones and a
row of new timber; moreover, the expenses were to be met by the royal
treasury.[72] The king restored to the people the vessels that had been
taken by Nebuchadnezzar from the first Temple,--all these, numbering
many thousands, were formally delivered by the king's treasurer.[73]
So great was the enthusiasm of the people, so strong their desire to
have individual part in the holy undertaking, that many who had been
careless of their heritage now claimed priestly standing; but, as
their genealogy had not been preserved, they were debarred from the
priesthood, though permitted to return with the rest. The prerogatives
of the priestly order were denied them until one would arise with power
to declare their genealogy through Urim and Thummim.[74]
Zerubbabel and Jeshua had charge of the work; and without delay they
builded anew the altar of the God of Israel and re-established the
ritual of sacrifice, and the observance of the sacred festivals.[75]
Masons and carpenters, workmen and artisans of all kinds and degrees
were brought into service; again were Tyre and Sidon put under friendly
tribute, and once more the wealth of the forests of Lebanon was brought
to Jerusalem. Priests and Levites were marshalled in order as of old,
and the sound of trumpets and cymbals was mingled with the voices of
the singers. Is there cause for wonder that {49} as the foundations
were laid, old men who remembered the first House and its glory wept
aloud and shouted in their tearful joy?[76]
But adversaries arose who put obstacles in the way of the builders.
The people of Canaan--Israelites who had forgotten their allegiance to
God, and had mingled with idolaters, took offense at the activity of
the returned Jews. At first they offered to assist in the work, but
being refused recognition because of their idolatrous associations,
they became obstructionists, and "weakened the hands of the people of
Judah, and troubled them in building; and hired counsellors against
them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia,
even until the reign of Darius king of Persia."[77] The claim was made
that of old the people of Judah had been a trouble to other nations,
and that with the restoration of their Temple they would again become
seditious. At last the protests and charges reached Darius, the
reigning monarch; and he, having investigated the whole matter, issued
a decree, that not only should the Jews be free from interruption in
the building of the Temple, but that a portion of the king's tribute,
the regular taxes of the land, should be devoted to the work; and, said
the king:
"Also I have made a decree, that whosoever shall alter this word,
let timber be pulled down from his house, and being set up, let him
be hanged thereon; and let his house be made a dunghill for this.
And the God that hath caused his name to dwell there destroy all
kings and people, that shall {50} put to their hand to alter and to
destroy this house of God which is at Jerusalem. I Darius have made
a decree; let it be done with speed."[78]
With such support the people soon completed the building. Though nearly
twenty years elapsed between the laying of the foundation and the
finishing, the greater part of the labor was done during the last four
years. The dedicatory services were solemn and inspiring. For seven
days the Feast of Unleavened Bread was observed; the Passover was eaten
by those who had returned from captivity and by such others as had
"separated themselves unto them from the filthiness of the heathen of
the land, to seek the Lord God of Israel."[79]
This, the second Temple, was finished in the year 515 B. C.; it is
known in history as the Temple of Zerubbabel. In general plan it was
patterned after the Temple of Solomon, though in many of its dimensions
it exceeded its prototype. The court was divided into a section for
priests only and another for the public; according to Josephus the
division was effected by a wooden railing.[80] An alter of unhewn
stone was erected in place of the great brazen alter of old.[81] The
Holy Place was graced by but one candlestick instead of ten; and by a
single table for the shew-bread instead of the ten tables overlaid with
gold which stood in the first Temple. We read also of a golden altar
of incense, and of some minor appurtenances. The Most Holy Place was
empty, for the Ark {51} of the Covenant had not been known after the
people had gone into captivity.
In many respects the Temple of Zerubbabel appeared poor in comparison
with its splendid predecessor and in certain particulars, indeed, it
ranked lower than the ancient Tabernacle of the Congregation--the
sanctuary of the nomadic tribes. Critical scholars specify the
following features characteristic of the Temple of Solomon and lacking
in the Temple of Zerubbabel: (1) the Ark of the Covenant; (2) the
sacred fire; (3) the Shekinah, or glory of the Lord, manifested of old
as the Divine Presence; (4) the Urim and Thummim, by which Jehovah made
plain His will to the priests of the Aaronic order; (5) the genius
or spirit of prophecy, indicative of the closest communion between
mortals and their God. Notwithstanding these differences the Temple of
Zerubbabel was recognized of God and was undoubtedly the site or seat
of Divine revelation to duly constituted prophets.
The inferiority of the second Temple as compared with the first is
generally conceded; the difference, however, was rather in matter of
splendor than in point of size.[82] But even such glory as it did
possess was not to be long maintained. Again the people became recreant
to their God, and the voice of the prophet was unheeded. Again did
Jehovah permit the heathen to oppress Judah. Of the later history
of this Temple the Biblical record gives but few details; but from
other sources we learn of its vicissitudes. In connection with the
Maccabean persecution the House of the Lord was profaned. A Syrian
king, Antiochus Epiphanes, captured Jerusalem (168 to 165 B. C.) {52}
and perpetrated blasphemous outrage against the religion of the people.
He plundered the Temple and carried away its golden candlestick, its
golden altar of incense, its table of shewbread, and even tore down the
sacred veils, which were of fine linen and scarlet. His malignity was
carried so far that he purposely desecrated the altar of sacrifice by
offering swine thereon, and erected a heathen altar within the sacred
enclosure. Not content with the violation of the Temple, this wicked
monarch had altars erected in the towns and ordered the offering of
unclean beasts upon them. The rite of circumcision was forbidden on
pain of death, and the worship of Jehovah was declared a crime.[83] As
a result of this persecution many of the Jews apostatized, and declared
that they belonged to the Medes and Persians--the nations from whose
dominion they had been delivered by the power of God.
Among those who remained true to the religion of their fathers was
Mattathias, who was a priest, and a man of prominence. He was besought
to offer heathen sacrifice; not only did he refuse but in righteous
indignation he slew those who did attempt the sacrilege. This act
led to further strife and for three years the struggle continued.
Judas, son of Mattathias, came into prominence and is known as Judas
Maccabeus,--the first of the Maccabees. Under his leadership the
people returned to Jerusalem and found the Temple deserted, as it had
been left by the army of Antiochus. Its gates had been broken down
and burned; and within the walls weeds were growing. Judas tried to
cleanse and rehabilitate the House; he brought in new vessels, and
replaced the candlestick, the altar of incense, the table of shewbread,
and the veils, {53} and built a new altar for burnt offerings. Then
in the year 163 B. C. the House was rededicated; and the occasion was
remembered in annual festival thereafter under the name of the Feast of
Dedication.[84]
In the interest of self-preservation the Jews entered into an alliance
with the Romans, who eventually became their masters. During the reign
of the Maccabees the Temple fell into decay, and when the last of that
dynasty had been succeeded by Herod the Great, the House was little
more than a ruin. Nevertheless the priestly orders had been maintained;
and some semblance of ritualistic worship had continued. The history of
the Temple of Zerubbabel is merged with that of the Temple of Herod.
THE TEMPLE OF HEROD
In the year 37 B. C. Herod I, known in history as Herod the Great,
was established on the throne as King of Judea. He had already served
successively as procurator and tetrarch, and, indeed, had been king in
name for some time prior to his enthronement, during which period he
had been in hostile conflict with the people over whom the decree of
the Roman Senate had made him ruler. He came to the throne noted for
arrogance and cruelty; and his reign was one of tyranny, in which even
family relationship and the closest ties of blood proved unavailing
to protect the victims of his displeasure. In the early part of his
reign he put to death nearly all the members of the Sanhedrin, the
great Jewish Council, and throughout he ruled with increasing severity.
Nevertheless he was successful in maintaining peace with other {54}
governments, and by his Roman masters was accounted an able ruler.
Among his acts of cruelty was the slaughter of the babes of Bethlehem,
a murder planned and executed in the hope of including among the
victims the Child Jesus.[85]
Such is the character of the man who proposed to replace the time-worn
Temple of Zerubbabel by a new and more splendid structure. Can it be
thought that a proffered gift from such a donor could be acceptable to
the Lord? David had aforetime offered to build a House to the Lord,
but had been restrained, for he was a man of blood. Herod's purpose in
the great undertaking was that of aggrandizing himself and the nation,
rather than the rendering of homage to Jehovah. His proposition to
rebuild or restore the Temple on a scale of increased magnificence was
regarded with suspicion and received with disfavor by the Jews, who
feared that were the ancient edifice demolished, the arbitrary monarch
might abandon his plan and the people would be left without a Temple.
To allay these fears the king proceeded to reconstruct and restore the
old edifice, part by part, directing the work so that at no time was
the Temple service seriously interrupted. So little of the ancient
structure was allowed to stand, however, that the Temple of Herod must
be regarded {55} as a new creation. The work was begun about sixteen
years before the birth of Christ; and while the Holy House itself was
practically completed within a year and a half, this part of the labor
having been performed by a body of one thousand priests specially
trained for the purpose, the temple area was a scene of uninterrupted
building operations down to the year 63 A. D. We read that in the
time of Christ's ministry the Temple had been forty-six years in
building;[86] and at that time it was unfinished.
The Biblical record gives us little information regarding this the
last and the greatest of ancient temples; for what we know concerning
it we are indebted mainly to Josephus, with some corroborative
testimony found in the Talmud. In all essentials the Holy House or
Temple proper was similar to the two earlier houses of sanctuary,
though externally far more elaborate and imposing than either; but in
the matter of surrounding courts and associated buildings, the Temple
of Herod preeminently excelled. In proceeding from the outer wall to
the innermost enclosure occupied by the Holy House one would traverse
successive courts, each at a higher level than the last, to which
arrangement the slopes of Mount Moriah were favorable. The courts
extended as enormous platform-terraces, supported by foundations of
massive masonry, which rose vertically in some places seven hundred
feet from the foot of the hill.
The outer wall enclosing the entire temple area, which approximated
the form of a square, measured four hundred cubits, or one stadium,
(about six hundred feet) along each side. The east wall, constituting
the principal {56} defense of the city on that side, was unbroken
by gates; on each of the other three sides one or more large and
beautiful portals afforded passage through the fortress-like wall.
The four sides of the great enclosure, immediately within the outer
wall, were occupied by a series of magnificent porticoes, of Grecian
design, forming a covered colonnade in which every pillar was a
massive monolith of white marble. This colonnade was interrupted at
the north-west corner, where the continuity of the wall was broken
by the Tower of Antonia, in reality a fortified castle, from which a
subterranean passage led into the inner enclosure where stood the Holy
House. The colonnade or line of porticoes along the south side was
particularly elaborate, and was known as the Royal Porch. Here were
four rows of huge columns, and consequently three corridors, of which
the inner was forty-five feet wide and one hundred feet high, while
each of the side corridors measured thirty feet in width and sixty feet
in height. The imposing effect of the Royal Porch is dwelt upon by
Josephus, who states that its beauty was incredible to those who had
not seen it, and amazing to those who beheld.
The east colonnade or row of porticoes was known as Solomon's
Porch,[87] the name having reference to a tradition that the porch
covered and included part of the original wall erected by the builder
of the first Temple. Within the colonnade was a spacious area, to which
general admission was allowed; this was the Court of the Gentiles. It
was in this court that money-changers and traffickers in animals used
for sacrifice had established their stalls at the time of our Lord's
ministry, and from which {57} they were expelled through His righteous
indignation, the while He declared: "It is written, My house shall be
called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves."[88]
Between the Court of the Gentiles and the inner courts rose a wall
twenty-five cubits high; this marked the boundary of the more sacred
precincts within which no Gentile could be lawfully admitted. At
intervals along the wall were inscription tablets, warning all who were
not of Israel to enter not on pain of death. A literal translation
of such inscription reads: "Let no alien enter within the balustrade
and embankment about the sanctuary. Whoever is caught makes himself
responsible for his death which will follow."
The inner courts were accessible from the Court of the Gentiles through
nine gates, of which one was on the east, and four were on the north
and south respectively; as in the earlier Temples the west wall was
without a gate. Of these portals the principal one was on the east;
this was an elaborate structure built of the costly Corinthian brass,
and known as the Corinthian Gate, though sometimes called from the name
of its donor, the Gate of Nicanor; furthermore this is held by many
authorities to be the Beautiful Gate, before which sat the lame man who
was healed through the ministrations of Peter and John.[89]
Part of the space within the inner courts was open to Israelites of
both sexes, and was known distinctively as the Court of the Women.
This was a colonnaded enclosure, and constituted the place of general
assembly in the prescribed course of public worship. Chambers used
for {58} ceremonial purposes occupied the four corners of this court;
and between these and the houses at the gates, were other buildings,
of which one series constituted the Treasury wherein were set
trumpet-shaped receptacles for gifts.[90]
Beyond the Court of the Women and really a continuation thereof, was a
section sufficiently described by its name, the Court of the Men; these
two courts are sometimes referred to as one and designated the Court
of Israel. Within this court were numerous buildings reserved for the
storage of sacred things or devoted to special assemblies. Within and
above the Court of Israel was the Court of the Priests, wherein was
placed the great altar of sacrifice, and to which were admitted none
but duly appointed priests and laymen who came to make offerings. The
altar was a large structure of unhewn stones, forty-seven feet square
at the base, and diminishing upward to the hearth which was a square
of thirty-six feet. The inclined way of approach was on the south
side.[91] A laver or font, reserved for the prescribed ablutions of the
officiating priests, stood nearby on the west.
Within the Court of the Priests, on an elevation reached by twelve
steps, stood the Holy House, the Temple itself. In comparison with
its many and massive outliers, this was a small edifice, but in the
architectural plan it was made the most impressive, if not the most
imposing feature of the whole. It has been properly described as "a
glittering mass of white marble and gold."[92] {59} Like the earlier
Temples, this comprised Porch, Holy Place, and Most Holy Place or
Holy of Holies. The Porch measured one hundred cubits both in width
and height. The Holy Place was forty by twenty cubits, as in the
Temple of Zerubbabel, but its height was increased to forty cubits.
By adding side chambers, with a passage between them and the main
building, Herod made the new Temple greater and grander than either
of its predecessors. The Holy of Holies retained the original form
and dimensions, making it a cube, twenty cubits in each measurement.
Between this and the Holy Place hung a double veil, of finest material,
elaborately embroidered. The outer of the two veils was open at the
north end, the inner at the south; so that the high priest who entered
at the appointed time once a year could pass between the veils without
exposing the Holy of Holies. The sacred chamber was empty save for a
large stone upon which the high priest sprinkled the sacrificial blood
on the Day of Atonement; this stone occupied the place of the Ark and
its Mercy Seat. Outside the veil, in the Holy Place, stood the altar of
incense, the seven-branched candle-stick, and the table of shewbread.
That the Temple of Herod was by far the grandest structure ever erected
as a Temple in any age is generally admitted; yet its beauty and
grandeur lay in architectural excellence rather than in the sanctity of
its worship or in the manifestation of the Divine Presence within its
walls. Its ritual and service were largely man-prescribed; for while
the letter of the Mosaic Law was professedly observed, the law had
been supplemented and in many features supplanted by rule and priestly
prescription. The Jews professed to consider it holy, and by them it
was {60} proclaimed as the House of the Lord. Devoid though it was
of the Divine accompaniments of earlier shrines accepted of God, and
defiled as it was by priestly arrogance and usurpation, as also by the
selfish interest of traffic and trade, it was nevertheless recognized
even by our Lord the Christ as His Father's House.[93] Therein the
Boy Jesus was presented as required by the Law,[94] thereto came He
with His people at the time of the Passover;[95] within its precincts
He declared Himself and the Father who sent Him.[96] When at last,
rejected by His own, and by them brought to the cross, He wrought the
sacrifice through which salvation was made possible to man, the veil of
the Temple was rent by an unseen power and the last vestige of supreme
sanctity departed from the place.[97]
As long as it stood, however, the Temple was held by the Jews in high
veneration. An utterance of the Savior, construed by the dark-minded as
an aspersion upon the Temple, was used against Him as one of the chief
accusations on which His death was demanded. When the Jews clamored
for a sign of His authority He predicted His own death and subsequent
resurrection, saying, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will
raise it up."[98] They blindly regarded this remark as a disrespectful
allusion to their Temple, a structure built by human hands, and they
refused to forget or forgive. That this veneration continued after the
crucifixion of our Lord is evident from accusations brought against
Stephen, and still later against Paul. In their murderous rage the
people accused {61} Stephen of disrespect for the Temple, and brought
false witnesses who uttered perjured testimony saying, "This man
ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place."[99]
And Stephen was numbered with the martyrs. When it was claimed that
Paul had brought with him into the temple precincts, a Gentile, the
whole city was aroused, and the infuriated mob dragged Paul from the
place and sought to kill him.[100]
For thirty or more years after the death of Christ, the Jews continued
the work of adding to and embellishing the temple buildings. The
elaborate design conceived and projected by Herod had been practically
completed; the Temple was well-nigh finished, and, as soon afterward
appeared, was ready for destruction. Its fate had been definitely
foretold by the Savior Himself. Commenting on a remark by one of the
disciples concerning the great stones and the splendid buildings on
the Temple hill, Jesus had said, "Seest thou these great buildings?
There shall not be left one stone upon another that shall not be thrown
down."[101]
This dire prediction soon found its literal fulfilment. In the great
conflict with the Roman legions under Titus, many of the Jews had taken
refuge within the temple courts, seemingly hoping that there the Lord
would again fight the battles of His people and give them victory. But
the protecting presence of Jehovah had long since departed therefrom
and Israel was left a prey to the foe. Though Titus would have spared
the Temple, his legionaries, maddened by the lust of conflict, started
the conflagration {62} and everything that could be burned was burned.
The slaughter of the Jews was appalling; thousands of men, women and
children were ruthlessly butchered within the walls, and the temple
courts were literally flooded with human blood. This event occurred
in the year 70 A. D.; and according to Josephus, in the same month
and on the same day of the month as that on which the once glorious
Temple of Solomon had fallen a prey to the flames kindled by the king
of Babylon.[102] Of the temple furniture the golden candlestick and the
table of shewbread from the Holy Place were carried by Titus to Rome as
trophies of war; and representations of these sacred pieces are to be
seen on the arch erected to the name of the victorious general.
Since the destruction of the splendid Temple of Herod no other
structure of the kind, no Temple, no House of the Lord as the terms are
used distinctively, has been reared on the eastern hemisphere. Sometime
between 361 and 363 A. D. the Roman emperor Julian, surnamed because
of his reversion from Christianity to paganism Julian the Apostate,
attempted to reconstruct the Temple at Jerusalem. His purpose was
not that of devotion to nor love for God; but that of controverting
prophecy, and thus proving false the Christian belief.[103] So ends the
category of Temples reared to the name of the living God prior to the
dispensation of the fulness of times.
FOOTNOTES
1. Exodus 3:5.
2. Exodus 16:32-34.
3. See Exodus 31:18; 25:16; 32:15; 34:28, 29.
4. Exodus 33:7-11.
5. In the Authorized Version of the Holy Bible this sanctuary is called
the Tabernacle of the Congregation; in the Revised Version it is
designated the Tent of Meeting; preponderance of authority is in favor
of the latter reading.
6. Exodus 24:9, 10, 18; read the entire chapter.
7. Exodus 25:1-9. For details of the building and furnishings of
the Tabernacle of the Congregation see Exodus chapters 25-31, more
particularly chapter 25, which account is in part repeated in 36:8-38.
8. Exodus 36:5-7.
9. The cubit is an ancient measure of length, the value of which
varied in different countries and at different times. As the term
occurs in the Bible, it denotes varying lengths. In line with modern
encyclopedias, Bible dictionaries, etc., the length herein adopted
is one foot six inches. See Encyclopaedia Britannica. Smith's Bible
Dictionary, etc.
10. Exodus 37:1-9; compare 25:10-22.
11. See Exodus 37:10-29; compare 25:23-40.
12. Exodus 40:34-38.
13. Exodus 25:8.
14. See Exodus chapter 28.
15. See Smith's Dictionary of the Bible (Barnum's ed.), art.
"Tabernacle."
16. Joshua 18:1-3; 19:51; see also 21:2; Judges 18:31; I Sam. 1:3, 24;
4:3, 4.
17. See I Samuel 4:10-18.
18. I Samuel 4:22.
19. See I Samuel 21:1-6.
20. See I Samuel 7:1, 2.
21. See I Chron. 21:28-30; compare II Chron. 1:3-6.
22. I Samuel 4:10-22; also chapters 5 and 6; and 7:1-2.
23. II Samuel 6:1-12; see also I Chron. chapter 13.
24. II Samuel 6:17; see also I Chron. 15:1, and 16:1.
25. See I Kings 3:15 and II Chron. 1:3, 4.
26. See I Kings 8:1-4.
27. I Chron. 17:1; see also II Samuel 7:1, 2.
28. I Chron. 17:4, 5.
29. See I Chron. 22:8; compare 28:3; and I Kings 5:3.
30. See I Chron. 22:1-5.
31. II Samuel 24:15-25; see also I Chron. 21:15-17; and II Chron. 3:1.
32. See I Chron. 21:18-30; compare II Samuel 24:18-25.
33. I Chron. 22:5-19; see also 28:1-8; 29:1-7.
34. I Chron. 28:11-13.
35. II Chron. 2:5; see also the entire chapter.
36. See I Kings 5:11; and II Chron. 2:10, 15 15.
37. I Kings 5:13-18.
38. I Kings 6:7; compare Deuteronomy 27:5, 6.
39. Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, Book VIII: chaps. 2, 3, 4.
40. See II Chron. 3:4.
41. See I Kings 7:13-22.
42. I Kings 6:15-18, 29.
43. Verses 19-22.
44. Verse 35.
45. Verses 5, 6.
46. Ezekiel 41:6, 7.
47. For specifications as to the courts, see I Kings 6:36; compare
7:12; see also II Kings 23:12; II Chron. 4:9; 33:5 33:5.
48. I Kings 7:23-26; II Chron. 4:2; see also II Kings 25:13; compare
Jeremiah 52:17.
49. I Kings 7:39.
50. I Kings 7:27-39; compare II Chron. 4:6.
51. I Kings 8:10, 11.
52. I Kings 8:56, 57; for the dedicatory services in full see the
entire chapter.
53. Verse 66.
54. II Kings 14:13, 14.
55. II Kings 16:10-18: see also II Chron. 28:24.
56. II Kings 21:1-7; see also II Chron. 33:1-7.
57. I Kings 15:18.
58. II Kings 12:18.
59. II Kings 18:15, 16.
60. See II Kings 12:2-14; compare II Chron. 24:7-14; see also II Kings
22:3-7; compare II Chron. 34:8-13.
61. II Kings 24:13; 25:9-17; II Chron. 36:7, 19; compare Isaiah 64:11;
Jeremiah 27:16, 19-22; 28:3; 52:13, 17-23; Lamentations 2:7; 4:1; and
Ezra 1:7.
62. See Daniel, chapter 5.
63. See Ezekiel, chapters 40 to 43.
64. So designated in the Revised Version.
65. Ezekiel 40:47.
66. Verses 44-46.
67. Ezekiel, chapters 44-48.
68. Ezekiel 43:10-12.
69. Jeremiah 25:8-11; see also 29:10.
70. See Jeremiah 25:12-14. See also the author's "The Articles of
Faith," Lecture XVII, "The Dispersion of Israel."
71. Ezra 1:1-4.
72. Ezra 6:3-4.
73. Ezra 1:7-11.
74. See Ezra 2:61-63.
75. Ezra 3:1-6.
76. Ezra 3:8-13.
77. Ezra 4:1-6; see also verses 7-24, and chapter 5.
78. Ezra 6:11, 12; see also verses 7-10.
79. Ezra 6:21.
80. Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews: XIII, 13:5.
81. Compare Exodus 20:25; Deut. 27:5; Joshua 8:31.
82. See Haggai 2:1-4; compare Zech. 4:10.
83. See Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, Book XII, 5:3-5.
84. See Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, Book XII, chaps. 6 and 7;
and II Maccabees 2:19; 10:1-8; see also John 10:22.
85. See Matt. 2:1-10, 16-18. "A little child made the great Herod
quake upon his throne. When he knew that the magi were come to hail
their King and Lord, and did not stop at his palace, but passed on to
a humbler roof, and when he found that they would not return to betray
this child to him, he put to death all the children in Bethlehem that
were under two years old. The crime was great; but the number of the
victims, in a little place like Bethlehem, was small enough to escape
special record among the wicked acts of Herod from Josephus and other
historians, as it had no political interest."--Smith's Comprehensive
Dictionary of the Bible, art. "Jesus Christ," page 466.
86. John 2:20.
87. See John 10:23; Acts 3:11; 5:12.
88. Matt. 21:12-13; see also Mark 11:15; Luke 19:45; John 2:14.
89. See Acts 3:2, 10.
90. See Mark 12:41-44.
91. Compare Exodus 20:26.
92. See Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th ed., art. "Temple."
93. Matt. 21:12; compare Mark 11:15; Luke 19:45.
94. See Luke 2:22-38.
95. Luke 2:42-50. See also John 2:13-23; 5:1; 12:12-20.
96. Luke 19:47; John 10:22-39.
97. Matt. 27:51; Mark 15:38; Luke 23:45.
98. John 2:19-22; see also Matt. 26:61; 27:40; Mark 14:58; 15:29.
99. Acts 6:13.
100. See Acts 21:26-40.
101. Mark 13:1, 2. See also Matt. 24:1, 2; Luke 21:5, 6.
102. Josephus, Wars of the Jews, Book VI; 4:5, 8. For a detailed and
graphic account of the destruction of the Temple see chapters 4 and 5
in their entirety.
103. "He actually began excavations, but his workmen were driven in
great panic from the spot, by terrific explosions and bursts of flame.
The Christians regarded the occurrence as miraculous; and Julian
himself, it is certain, was so dismayed by it that he desisted from the
undertaking."--P. V. N. Meyers, General History, page 334.