And he built the house of the forest of Lebanon; its length was a hundred cubits, and its breadth fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits, upon four rows of cedar-pillars, with cedar-beams upon the pillars;
After the temple, the account turns to Solomon's own palace. The first building is a hall named after a mountain forest, and its cedar and pillars raise one question: what was it for?
The name raises a question about where this building actually stood.
The context shows that these passages do not refer to the forest at Lebanon. Rather, Solomon had a house in Jerusalem built from the trees of Lebanon, and he called it "the house of the forest of Lebanon."
The name may also describe what the building looked like from the inside, and what it stood for.
The name reminds us of how it was built, and perhaps of how it looked as well. Solomon built it of cedar wood. Inside and outside it had cedar columns. Set in long rows, they may have made the house look like a grand forest. On the other hand, we can see in this name a beautiful image of this glorious reign. Lebanon faced Tyre and even belonged to it. So there was a link between this house and the nations that had submitted to the great king.
It helps to know what kind of tree this was.
This is the beautiful tall tree that Solomon used widely in building the temple and his palaces. Its name "cedar" comes from the firmness of its roots. Its wood lasts a long time and has a sweet smell. People used it for beams, pillars and masts, and for carved images.
One thing this house lacked sets it apart from the temple.
Solomon did not overlay this building with gold, for gold speaks of the nature of God, and the house of the forest of Lebanon speaks of the government of God. So cedar wood stands out here (vs.2-3), because cedar is a lasting wood. This tells us that the government of the Lord Jesus will be stable and lasting through the whole 1000 years. This house had many pillars, though only 2 stand at the entrance of the temple.
The measurements given here outstrip the house Solomon had just built for God.
Next to the Temple, Solomon's most important building was the house of the forest of Lebanon. Solomon set it up in Jerusalem, but he built it with materials brought down from Lebanon. This house was much larger than the Temple. The Temple was 60 cubits long and 20 cubits wide. The house of the forest of Lebanon was 100 cubits long and 50 cubits wide. Both were 30 cubits high. In this great building Solomon kept his 300 shields of beaten gold, and every vessel in it was of pure gold, none of silver, for silver counted for nothing in the days of Solomon (1 Kings 10:17-21).
The four rows of pillars framed a line of sight that ended at a person.
Your eye passed through the forest of cedar pillars in the central part to the second porch. At its far end rose a throne of gold and ivory, beautifully made. On that throne you could gaze at the glorious king, peaceable Solomon, the Lord's beloved Jedidiah, whose wisdom no one ever surpassed — the righteous king doing righteousness.
The building's function followed from that throne.
This porch of the throne was the "porch of judgment." That was the seat of government for the nations, the place where righteousness was upheld. The house of the forest of Lebanon linked the government of Israel itself with that of the nations.
The building points ahead to a reign still to come.
Here we have a picture, given in advance, of the glorious rule of the kingdom, when our Lord judges in righteousness. The house of the forest of Lebanon is a picture of His glory among the nations… Everything in the temple and in the palace buildings was glorious, and it revealed the immense riches of the great king. What a day it will be when Christ displays His riches and glory, and the saints of God share it all!
One more difference from the temple points the same way:
This building had windows (vs.4-5), though the temple did not. Government looks out to consider the welfare of the people. In the temple everything speaks of God's glory, with no outward view at all.
- Name. The house stood in Jerusalem, not in Lebanon. The forest came to the city as cedar carried down from the mountain.
- Material. Cedar has firm roots, lasting wood and a sweet smell. This house has cedar, not gold: gold speaks of God's nature, and this building speaks of His government.
- Scale. At 100 by 50 cubits it was larger than the temple's 60 by 20, though the two matched in height.
- Throne. The rows of cedar pillars opened a view straight to the porch of judgment, where the righteous king sat and judged.
- Reach. Facing Tyre and the nations, this house tied Israel's government to theirs. It pictures the day when Christ shows His glory among the nations, and His own share it with Him.
and it was covered with cedar above upon the side-chambers, which were on forty-five pillars, fifteen in a row.
This verse describes the roof of Solomon's own palace hall: a cedar ceiling resting on forty-five pillars, set in three rows of fifteen. Commentators ask what all those pillars stand for, and why a king's house says so much about the reign of Christ.
This building was not the temple. What went on inside it shows what it pictures.
Scripture describes "the house of the forest of Lebanon" in detail. It was much larger than the temple, though not as elaborate and costly. This house was the place of judgment and administration of Solomon's kingdom. So it speaks of the administration of the earthly kingdom of the Lord Jesus in the millennium — the 1000 years of His reign of righteousness and peace.
The verse names cedar and no other material. Writers weigh that against the gold of the temple.
This building was not overlaid with gold, for gold speaks of the nature of God, and the house of the forest of Lebanon speaks of the government of God. So cedar wood stands out here (verses 2-3), because cedar is a lasting wood. That tells us the government of the Lord Jesus will be stable and lasting through the whole 1000 years. Many pillars stood in this house, while only two stand at the entrance of the temple.
The chambers, the rows of fifteen and the cedar laid over them all belong to one design.
It was built of cedar wood. Inside and out it showed cedar columns, and those long rows may have made the house look like a grand forest… The house of the forest of Lebanon was one hundred cubits long (forty cubits longer than the temple), fifty cubits wide, and thirty cubits high. It rested on four rows of columns. On both sides stood three rows of columns, set in groups of fifteen, with sets of rooms stacked one above another… Above these rooms a cedar ceiling formed a roof. It also covered the centre of the building, and four rows of columns held that ceiling up.
So why does this house need so many supports? One writer answers from what God's own house does not need.
The house of God supports itself. In its perfect stability it needs no other support. The glory of God is enough in itself; yet God the Father brings His children into it and gives them a home there. It will not be like that in the reign of Christ over the nations. The saints will be called to share in His reign and to judge the world with Christ (1 Cor. 6:2; Ps. 2:9; Rev. 2:26-27). The Lord will have companions in His government, always living near the king, just as Solomon's companions once lived in the house of the forest of Lebanon.
The house is named after Lebanon, a land outside Israel. One writer follows that name to the nations.
Lebanon faced Tyre and even belonged to it. So there was a link between this house and the nations that had submitted to the great king. It was there that Solomon sat as sovereign and judge of the nations as well as of his own people.
Another writer gives each of Solomon's buildings its own picture, and places this one among the nations:
To my mind it is the house of Solomon that pictures the church, in connection with Christ. The temple pictures the Father's house on high, where God brings us to live. "We are His house." And the house of the forest of Lebanon pictures His glory among the nations. The porch of judgment marks out this glorious reign. The glory was not all on the outside. The inner court was just as beautiful.
Not every writer reads the chapter only as a picture of glory. One compares how long Solomon spent on each house.
In 1 Kings 7 we have the house. "He built the House of the Forest of Lebanon." Here is the difference between what belonged to Solomon and what was for the Lord. And we find one striking fact too: long as he worked on the Lord's house, he spent nearly twice as long on his own. So it is quite clear what Solomon was heading toward. It might be slow, but the fruit was yet to appear — bitter fruit of self.
- Purpose. This was the hall where Solomon judged and ruled. It pictures rule, not worship.
- Material. Cedar rather than gold marks it out: gold speaks of God's nature, cedar of a government that endures.
- Pillars. Forty-five columns hold up this roof. God's own house needs none. The pillars point to companions who will share Christ's reign.
- Reach. The name ties the house to Lebanon and Tyre, nations under the king. Christ's glory reaches beyond Israel.
- Caution. Solomon spent nearly twice as long on his own house as on the Lord's. Commentators differ: some see only coming glory here, one sees the first bitter fruit of self.
And there were cross-beams in three rows, and window was against window in three ranks.
Here the record counts the windows of Solomon's second great house, the house of the forest of Lebanon. The detail looks small, yet the temple had no windows at all, and commentators find meaning in that gap.
Ancient windows were not panes of glass:
There are several Hebrew words translated this way. reason: contradicts Grant's "not in the temple"; also splits 31-word grade-17 sentence
These windows sit in a building of rows. One writer gives its size and explains how the openings faced:
The house of the forest of Lebanon was one hundred cubits long (forty cubits longer than the temple), fifty cubits wide, and thirty cubits high. It rested upon four rows of columns. The windows were opposite one another. We have reason to think that some faced outward, and the others inward toward the building itself, facing the porch.
Solomon's hall of government let in light from outside. The house of worship did not. One writer ties the difference to the purpose of each building:
There were windows in this building (vv. 4-5), though not in the temple. Government looks out to consider the welfare of the people. In the temple everything speaks of God's glory, with no outward vision at all. Inside this house of the forest of Lebanon stood a hall called the Hall of Judgment, where Solomon set his throne (v. 7).
The tabernacle, the tent of worship used before the temple, was the same:
There was no window in the tabernacle. No light of nature entered the Holy Place. The light of the golden lampstand, and that alone, was the light of the Holy Place. It reminds us of the Scripture, "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 21:23).
Why name a building in Jerusalem after a forest in the north? One writer finds more in the name than the source of the timber:
It was built of cedar wood. Inside and outside it showed cedar columns. Set in long rows, they may have made the house look like an imposing forest. On the other hand, we can see in this name a beautiful picture of this glorious reign. Lebanon faced Tyre and even belonged to it. So there was a link between this house and the nations in submission to the great king. It was there that Solomon sat as sovereign and judge of the nations as well as of his own people.
Commentators take that reign as a picture of a greater one still to come:
This house was the place of judgment and administration of Solomon's kingdom. It therefore speaks of how the Lord Jesus will govern His kingdom on earth in the millennium. That is the 1000 years of His reign of righteousness and peace.
Windows facing in and out suit a reign whose glory showed both ways. One writer reads Solomon's buildings as pictures of Christ, His people, and His rule:
To my mind, it is rather the house of Solomon that prefigures the church in connection with Christ. The temple prefigures the Father's house on high, where we are brought to dwell. "We are His house." The house of the forest of Lebanon prefigures His glory among the nations. The porch of judgment marks the character of this glorious reign. The glory was not all on the outside. The inner court was just as beautiful. The glory was not hidden either. The outer court, as well as the inner, showed the royal glory of the One who built the whole.
- Openings. Windows then were latticed gaps for light and air. Those inside could watch the world outside unseen.
- Outward. Three rows faced each other. Some looked out, some looked in: light entering a house built for ruling.
- Contrast. The temple and the tabernacle had no such outward view. Inside, the lampstand alone gave light, because everything there spoke of God's glory.
- Reason. Government must look out and weigh the welfare of the people. So the hall of judgment is the building with windows.
- Reach. The house took its name from a forest that faced the nations. It pictures the coming reign of Christ over the nations — a glory not kept hidden.
And all the doors and posts were square, with an architrave; and window was against window in three ranks.
This verse ends the description of the house of the forest of Lebanon. It was the largest of the buildings Solomon put up for himself after he finished the temple. The details are plain building work: squared doorframes, and windows facing each other in three rows. So why does Scripture record them at all?
Verse 5 is part of the description of one building among several. One writer lists them and says what they picture:
The buildings consisted of the following: The house of the forest of Lebanon (verses 2-5). The porch of pillars (verse 6). The porch of judgment, where the king judged (verse 7). The house where the king lived (verse 8). The house where Pharaoh's daughter lived, built like his own (verse 8). The wall which surrounded the great court. While the temple was God's dwelling place, the palace buildings were the dwelling place of the king and his wife, Pharaoh's daughter. From there the king carried out judgment. Here we have a picture in advance of the glorious rule of the kingdom, when our Lord judges in righteousness. The house of the forest of Lebanon is the type of His glory among the nations.
Where does the name come from? One writer finds two answers in it:
It was built of cedar wood. Inside and outside, it had cedar columns. Set in long rows, they may have given the house the look of a grand forest. On the other hand, we can see in this name a beautiful image of this glorious reign. Lebanon faced Tyre and even belonged to it. So there was a relationship between this house and the nations in submission to the great king. It was there that Solomon sat as sovereign and judge of the nations as well as of his own people.
Why does this house have windows at all?
There were windows in this building (vs.4-5), though not in the temple. This is because government looks out to consider the welfare of the people. In the temple everything speaks of God's glory, with no outward view at all.
How were the facing windows arranged? One writer offers a careful answer:
The windows were opposite one another. We have reason to think that some faced outward and the others inward toward the building itself, facing the porch.
Why no gold on this house?
This building was not overlaid with gold. Gold speaks of the nature of God, while the house of the forest of Lebanon speaks of the government of God. So cedar wood stood out in this house (vs.2-3), for cedar is a lasting wood. This tells us that the government of the Lord Jesus will be stable and lasting throughout the entire 1000 years. Many pillars were in this house, though only 2 are seen at the entrance of the temple.
This house looked out and in at once. One writer takes in the whole palace:
The glory was not all on the outside. The inner court was equally beautiful. The glory was not hidden either. The outer court, as well as the inner, exhibited His royal glory who built the whole.
The same writer who noted the forest-like rows draws a contrast with the temple, where pillars are almost absent:
The house of God supports itself, and has no need of other support in its perfect stability... It will not be so with the reign of Christ over the nations. The saints will be called to share in His reign and to judge the world with Christ (1 Cor. 6:2; Ps. 2:9; Rev. 2:26-27). The Lord will have companions in His government. They will always dwell near the king, just as Solomon's companions once lived in the house of the forest of Lebanon.
- House. Verses 2–5 describe one building: the house of the forest of Lebanon, named for its cedar and its forest of columns. There Solomon sat as judge of the nations.
- Windows. The temple had no outward view. This house did, because government looks out to consider the welfare of the people.
- Wood. No gold here, but cedar — a lasting wood. The government of the Lord Jesus will last just as long: the whole thousand years.
- Openness. Inner court and outer court alike showed the royal glory of the One who built it all. Nothing was hidden.
- Companions. Pillars fill this house but not the temple. God's house needs no support. The reign to come will have saints sharing it, dwelling near the king.
And he made the porch of pillars; its length was fifty cubits, and its breadth thirty cubits; and there was a porch in front of them; and there were pillars, and steps in front of them.
The hall of pillars stood between the great cedar house and the throne room, with its own porch and canopy in front. Commentators read this palace complex as a picture of how the Lord Jesus will one day govern the earth, and the pillars are the key detail.
Solomon's palace was a group of buildings, each named and measured in turn:
The buildings consisted of the following: The house of the forest of Lebanon (verses 2-5). The porch of pillars (verse 6). The porch of judgment, where the king judged (verse 7). The house where the king dwelt (verse 8). The house where Pharaoh's daughter dwelt "like unto his house" (verse 8). The wall which surrounded the great court. The account mentions seven things in connection with the palace buildings. The temple was God's dwelling place; the palace buildings were the dwelling place of the king and his wife, Pharaoh's daughter. From there the king carried out judgment. Here we have a picture of the glorious rule of the kingdom, when our Lord judges in righteousness.
The hall took its name from what filled it. Older translations call it the porch of pillars:
The centre itself had two porches. The first was the porch of pillars. It is well named, for it had six rows of pillars along its sides and four rows of pillars rising in the middle. Next came the porch of the throne, or the porch of judgment. It continued from the first and filled the back of the building. At the back of this porch a marvellous throne arose.
The verse mentions a further porch in front of this one, with its own pillars and canopy. The rows of columns led the eye somewhere:
In front of the porch of pillars there was an entry porch, and we are not told its size. It too was decorated with a row of columns. It had a beam across the top, or a flight of steps by which one reached the house. Your eye passed through the forest of cedar pillars in the central part to the second porch. At its far end rose a throne of gold and ivory, wonderfully made. On this throne you could gaze at the glorious king, peaceable Solomon, Jedidiah, the beloved of the Lord, whose wisdom was never surpassed — the righteous king carrying out righteousness.
The temple next door was overlaid with gold; this house was not:
This building was not overlaid with gold, for gold speaks of the nature of God, and the house of the forest of Lebanon speaks of the government of God. So cedar wood stood out here. Cedar is a lasting wood. This tells us that the government of the Lord Jesus will be stable and lasting throughout the entire 1000 years. Many pillars stood in this house, though only 2 stand at the entrance of the temple.
One writer reads the difference as what God's own house needs compared with what Christ's reign will include:
Pillars were everywhere in this house, in contrast to the temple, which had none, except the two pillars Jachin and Boaz at its entrance... The house of God supports itself, and has no need of other support in its perfect stability. The glory of God is enough for itself; only God the Father associates His children with it and gives them a dwelling place there. It will not be so with the reign of Christ over the nations. The saints will be called to share in His reign and to judge the world with Christ (1 Cor. 6:2; Ps. 2:9; Rev. 2:26-27). The Lord will have companions in His government. They will always live near the king, just as Solomon's companions once lived in the house of the forest of Lebanon. In the same way, the Lord had priests living with Him in His temple.
The buildings picture Christ's glory among the nations and the church joined to Him:
To my mind, it is the house of Solomon that pictures the church in connection with Christ. The temple pictures the Father's house on high, where we are brought to dwell. "We are his house"; as the house of the forest of Lebanon prefigures His glory among the Gentiles. The porch of judgment characterises this glorious reign.
- Pillars, placed. The hall of pillars sits between the great cedar house and the throne room. It is one of seven parts of Solomon's palace, separate from the temple.
- Pillars, pointing. The pillars were not decoration for their own sake. The eye travelled through them to a throne of gold and ivory, where a righteous king sat carrying out righteousness.
- Pillars, not gold. Gold speaks of the nature of God. Cedar marks this house as speaking of His government, and cedar lasts, picturing a reign that stays stable for a thousand years.
- Pillars, shared. God's own house needs no supports; a kingdom does. The many pillars here stand for saints called to reign and judge with Christ, companions living near the king.
- Pillars, worldwide. The house of the forest of Lebanon points to Christ's glory among the nations. The porch of judgment gives that reign its character.
And he made the porch for the throne where he judged, the porch of judgment; and it was covered with cedar from floor to floor.
Solomon's palace complex included one room built for a single purpose: a hall where the king sat to hear cases and give verdicts. Older translations call it "the porch of judgment." Why did Israel's king give justice a room of its own? And whose reign does that room point to?
This hall was not a separate building. It stood inside a much larger one, and its design differed from the temple's in a telling way:
This building had windows (vv. 4-5), but the temple did not. Government looks out to consider the welfare of the people; in the temple everything speaks of God's glory, with no view outward at all. Inside this house of the forest of Lebanon, Solomon built a hall called the Hall of Judgment, and there he set his throne (v. 7). Cedar paneled it completely.
Gold covered the temple walls. Cedar lined this hall from floor to rafters, and that difference carries meaning:
No gold covered this building. Gold speaks of the nature of God, and the house of the forest of Lebanon speaks of the government of God. So cedar wood stood out here (vv. 2-3). Cedar is a lasting wood, and this tells us that the government of the Lord Jesus will be stable and lasting through the whole 1000 years.
The building was named after Lebanon, the mountain region north of Israel. Its name says something about how it looked, and something about who came under its rule:
The house was made of cedar wood. Inside and outside, cedar columns stood in long rows, which may have given the house the look of an imposing forest. The name also gives us a beautiful picture of this glorious reign. Lebanon faced Tyre and even belonged to it. Thus there was a relationship between this house and the nations in submission to the great king. It was there that Solomon sat as sovereign and judge of the nations as well as of his own people.
The room's name states its business:
This porch of the throne was the "porch of judgment." There stood the seat of government over the nations, the place that upheld righteousness.
One writer pictures what a visitor saw from the entrance:
Your eye passed through the forest of cedar pillars in the central part of the house to the second porch at the far end. There a throne of gold and ivory rose up, made with wonderful skill. On that throne you could gaze at the glorious king — peaceable Solomon, the Lord's beloved Jedidiah, whose wisdom no one ever surpassed — the righteous king carrying out righteousness.
Commentators read this room as a preview of a reign still to come:
From there the king carried out judgment. Here we see in advance the glorious rule of the kingdom, when our Lord judges in righteousness. The house of the forest of Lebanon stands for His glory among the nations.
Another writer sets the palace and the temple side by side:
To my mind, it is the house of Solomon that pictures the church joined to Christ. The temple pictures the Father's house on high, where He brings us to live. "We are his house." And the house of the forest of Lebanon pictures His glory among the nations. The porch of judgment gives this glorious reign its character.
One writer builds a contrast on the pillars:
Pillars stood everywhere in this house, unlike the temple, which had none except the two at its entrance, Jachin and Boaz. The house of God supports itself. It needs no other support, for it stands perfectly stable. The glory of God is enough in itself; only, God the Father joins His children to it and gives them a home there. It will not be so with the reign of Christ over the nations. The saints will be called to share in His reign and to judge the world with Christ (1 Cor. 6:2; Ps. 2:9; Rev. 2:26-27). The Lord will have companions in His government, and they will always live near the king, just as Solomon's companions lived in the house of the forest of Lebanon.
- Windows — the temple had none, but this hall had them. Government looks out at the welfare of the people; the temple looks only at God's glory.
- Cedar — no gold here. Gold speaks of God's nature; this house speaks of His government. The lasting wood says the rule of Christ will be stable.
- Reach — Lebanon faced Tyre, so the hall linked Israel's rule to the nations. Solomon judged both from one seat.
- Sight — down the long rows of pillars a visitor saw the throne. On it sat the peaceable king, carrying out righteousness.
- Companions — the temple needed no pillars; this hall was full of them. Saints will share Christ's reign, judge the world, and live near the King.