What was Solomon's temple, the first temple? How many temples were there?

There have been three temples; two are yet to come. The first and the last are the subjects of special instructions, especially the last, where the instructions are very detailed and numerous.

The five temples are as follow: Solomon's Temple. Zerubbabel's Temple. Herod's Temple.* Temple to be built by the Jews when they return to the land in unbelief. Temple to be built at the beginning of the Millennium according to Ezekiel's vision.

Thus everything was prepared before David's death for the first of the five Temples which are connected with Jerusalem in the sacred records. (1) Solomon's Temple, now to be constructed. (2) Zerubbabel's Temple, erected by the pious remnant after the return from Babylon (Ezra 1:3). (3) Herod's Temple, built in vainglory by the alien king (John 2:20). (4) Antichrist's Temple, built by Jews in his day, and desecrated by him (Rev. 11:1; 2 Thess. 2:4; Matt. 24:15). (5) The Millennial Temple, specifications given in Ezekiel 40, etc.

There are five temples mentioned in Scripture.

The FIRST is the Temple of Solomon, built on Mount Moriah, connected with Israel in the land, a type of all the redeemed who have part in the first resurrection — not alone the saints of the present dispensation, but including all from Adam and Eve and Abel, on to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together to Him, the true King of kings. The Temple of Solomon, because of the transgression of the children of Israel, was given over into the hands of their enemies. It was destroyed by the Chaldeans because Israel had defiled it, and the holy vessels were carried away to Babylon.

The SECOND is the Temple of Ezra. When Israel had completed the seventy years of captivity, God, in fulfilment of His promise, stirred up Cyrus to give commandment for the rebuilding of the Temple on its ancient site (Ezra 1:6), God using His prophets Haggai and Zechariah to strengthen the hands of the children of Israel who returned from the Babylonish captivity. Though this temple was inferior to that of Solomon, it was built on the same site, and God was pleased to own it with the manifestations of His presence.

The THIRD Temple was that of Herod the Great, the Idumean king, which was forty-six years in building; and whilst, no doubt, it retained some portions of the original structure, it differed from both Solomon's and Ezra's, especially in the arrangement of the courts. From the account given by Josephus, it seems to have been larger than Solomon's, and was built according to his own taste, much being added. There were added the Court of the Gentiles and the Court of the Women, of which the Word of God says nothing. This is the Temple which was in existence when our Lord was upon earth. There is much confusion in the minds of some as to the place where our Lord and His disciples worshipped. They could not enter the Courts of the Priests or draw near to the altar. When we read of the Lord and His disciples going up to the Temple, we are not to suppose that they entered beyond the exterior courts. The Holy Ghost has employed two distinct words in the original Greek of the New Testament in speaking of the Temple: one is Hieron (from hieros, sacred or priestly), which refers to the whole Temple, its courts and other buildings — the external structure. The other word, Naos (from nais to dwell) signifies the inner building, embracing the porch, the holy and most holy places — the sanctuary. It was into the external courts our Lord went, for, not being of the tribe of Levi, He could not enter the inner Temple. "Christ is not entered into holy places made with hands" (Heb. 9:24). Into the holy place the priests entered to trim the lamps in the morning and light them in the evening; to burn incense, morning and evening, on the golden altar; and to arrange, once a week, the shewbread on the tables. Consequently, Zacharias (Luke 1:8-10) was alone in the Temple, while the people prayed without, at time of incense.

Later, when Israel was established in their land, God gave orders for King Solomon to build the temple where He would dwell in their midst (I Ki.5:5). Because of their disobedience to God, this temple was destroyed by the Babylonians (2 Chr.36:19), and in the days of Ezra another was built in its place (Ezra 6:5). Later Herod added to this temple, taking 46 years to do so (Jn.2:20). It was this temple that the Lord Jesus called, "My Father's house" (Jn.2:16).

Solomon goes on to make several specific requests of the Lord in connection with the temple which he had spent seven years in building. This temple was probably one of the most gorgeous and costly buildings that man has ever erected. God had given David its pattern. Built of top quality materials by skilled workmen, it was completely covered with gold on the inside and outside.

At length the desire of David was consummated in the early part of the reign of his son Solomon, the King of Peace. The structure of the temple in the main followed the lines of the tabernacle. In the fourth year of his reign Solomon began to build the House of the Lord, in Mount Moriah, where the Lord appeared unto David his father and in the place David had prepared at the threshing floor of Ornan where God's grace and mercy intervened on the ground of the acceptance of the burnt offering. In the temple the dimensions of the tabernacle were doubled, both as to length and breadth. In addition there were extra features such as a magnificent porch and two gigantic pillars: Jachin (meaning 'beauty or established') and Boaz (meaning 'strength'). Each pillar was 60 feet high and said to have contained about 300 tons of stone and 900 tons of brass. Then there was a molten sea borne by twelve oxen, besides a large brazen altar and ten lavers in the outer court. In the Holy Place there were 100 bowls of gold, 10 golden candlesticks and 10 tables with 12 loaves on each, and in the middle was the golden altar of incense. In the Most Holy Place (10 cubits square) stood the ark containing the two tables of stone, (apparently Aaron's rod and the golden pot of manna had disappeared!). Solomon made two new cherubim of olive tree, their faces looked towards the house as the witness of blessing for the earth in the day of glory to come secured through redemption by blood. These overshadowed the two small golden cherubim forming part of the ark. The wings of the former stretched across the width of the house. The walls of the temple consisted of fine cedar wood and hewn stone (polished marble). The inside was carved with figures of cherubim and palms, and the whole was overlaid with gold. No light was admitted to the Holiest, but the larger external chamber had narrow windows. The two chambers were separated by the veil. In the tabernacle there was no room for the priests to dwell, not even a seat for resting, but in the sides of the temple were 90 chambers. Hence the house was not only for approach to God but a place for the priests to dwell, so beautifully indicated in the Psalms. (In the Lord's closing ministry in John 14 he made analogous reference 'In My Father's house are many abodes' or, resting places). In the tabernacle there was no singing but in the temple certain families of Levites whose primary function was bearing the burdens of the House of God came under instruction in the use of musical instruments for the service of the House of God. That was typical of the day of glory yet to come, and also significant of the Spirit's Day when those who by grace partake of the resources and gladness of the House of God are a praising people. The temple was seven years in building and near the end of the eighth year just before 'the feast of tabernacles' the ark and other furniture were transferred from the tabernacle to the temple and Solomon dedicated it with a transcendent prayer. Just as he finished fire from heaven consumed the burnt offering and the glory of the Lord filled the house so that the priests could not enter. Then the king made a vast peace offering of oxen and sheep, and kept a seven days feast. After that the people were sent away with glad hearts due to the goodness of the Lord. The tabernacle was the pattern of things in the heavens and was anointed with oil. The temple was neither! The fact that God should dwell on earth with men was prominent in all Solomon's arrangements (2 Chron. 6:2, 18). The result was blessing to man, and its reflex action praise to God.

It is important to distinguish between the temple that Solomon built and the spiritual dwelling place of God as described in the New Testament. Solomon's temple was reared in Jerusalem and was built with a variety of materials. In it priests functioned with distinctive garments and offered to God material sacrifices. Incense and music accompanied their functions. All the furniture connected with the temple was made of gold or bronze.

In the interior of the temple built by Solomon nothing but gold appeared: this is typical of divine righteousness, characterising the throne and presence of God, as will be manifested in the millennium. The ark was placed in the temple, and had found there its abiding resting place: it was the token of God's presence. The candlesticks, tables of showbread, golden altar, brazen altar, and laver (with ten smaller ones in addition, see LAVER), were similar to those in the tabernacle. God owned the house by filling it with His glory.

Here Solomon explains to Huram the meaning and significance of the construction of the temple, and he does so in a different way than in the book of Kings: "Behold, I build a house unto the name of Jehovah my God to dedicate it to Him, to burn before Him sweet incense, and for the continual arrangement of the showbread, and for the morning and evening burnt-offerings and on the sabbaths and on the new moons, and on the set feasts of Jehovah our God. This is an ordinance forever to Israel" (v. 4). Here the temple is the place where God is to be approached in worship, a place open not only to Israel, but also to the nations whom Huram represents. The temple is so much the place of worship in Solomon's mind, that only burnt offerings are mentioned here, without any reference to sin offerings; sweet incense of fragrant drugs, the symbol of praise, occupies the first place. When it is a question in Ezekiel 45 of the millennial service in the temple, whether for Israel, or for the "prince" of the house of David, Christ's viceroy on the earth, we find the sin offering, for all are in need of it. Here the thought is more general. Solomon declares to Huram that this great house which he is building is dedicated to the God of Israel "for great is our God above all gods. But who is able to build Him a house, seeing the heavens and the heaven of heavens cannot contain Him?" Thus, this sovereign God, this God who is supreme and omnipresent, cannot limit His kingdom to the people of Israel. As for Solomon himself, he knows that he is only a weak human likeness of the King according to God's counsels: "Who am I," he says, "that I should build Him a house?" Nevertheless he is there "to burn sacrifice before Him." He presents himself as king and priest, without any mediator; he himself offers pure incense, as the people's mediator, a select incense which rises with the smoke of the burnt offering, a perfect, well-pleasing odor to God, and "This is an ordinance forever to Israel."

Indeed, the re-establishing of worship was not everything to this poor people: they must recommence the work of building the house of God. Whatever destruction this house may have suffered, however apparently thorough that destruction may have been (as the destruction which Nebuchadnezzar executed), it is always considered in the Word as the house. It has but one history, one existence in the eyes of God, through its various phases of construction or overthrow. Rebuilt, it is not a new temple, in God's eyes, but rather the same temple with different glories. This is why it is said in Haggai (Hag. 2:9), concerning the temple, rebuilt by the remnant in the time of Zerubbabel: "The latter glory of this house" (an allusion to the millennial temple which the Lord will fill with His glory) "shall be greater than the former" (an allusion to the temple of Solomon).