Old Testament Parallels of New Testament Salvation — Part 4
The Temple of Salvation
Scripture Ref: 1 Kings 6
John 1:29; 3:5; 4:34; 8:12;
Hebrews 6:16-20
Luke 23:44-46
Acts 1:3-8
Matthew 5:17-18
1 Corinthians 11:23-26
Other Ref: All the Messianic Prophecies of the Bible, Lockyer
Harper’s Bible Dictionary
The Bible Knowledge Commentary
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
1. Introduction
a. Last week we learned how the Passover lamb and its sprinkled blood parallels the depiction of Christ as the Lamb of God and how His shed blood performs the same function for us.
b. Today, in the final installment of this series, we are going to examine the Old Testament temple and discover how Christ functions as the temple for us.
c. Before we can make this comparison, though, we must first revisit the OT temple to see how it was made, what items it contained, and the function of those items.
2. The God-Ordained, Man-Made Temple
a. A complete description of the temple can be found in 1 Kings 6.
b. A tour guide’s viewpoint of the temple.
(1) As we approach Solomon’s Temple, our eyes cannot help but be drawn to the massive structure of hewn rock walls, the Temple of God.
(2) Rectangular in shape, the building measures 90 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 45 feet high, and is facing east with the entrance to the surrounding structure is at the south end.
(a) It is not large, only about 2700 square feet of floor space; but it is beautiful, constructed of white limestone.
(b) Inside we will find cedar, pine, and gold as adornments.
(3) We now walk through the main entrance into the forecourt.
(a) The entrance to the forecourt, an open-air area, has no doors, but is flanked by two massive, 31 foot-high bronze columns sitting at the top of a flight of stairs that lead to the 10.5-foot platform on which the temple stands.
(b) As we look about the forecourt, we can see vendors selling animals for sacrifice and money changers to exchange our currency into the local currency.
(c) The most prominent object, though, is the altar of burnt offerings or brazen altar. It is 30 feet long by 30 feet wide and 15 feet high.
(d) We can also see the molten sea, an immense bronze basin measuring 7.5 feet high and 15 feet in diameter. It rests on 12 oxen, three each facing each cardinal point on the compass. It is used by the priests to perform ritual washing of their hands and feet before entering the inner court.
(e) Our eyes are immediately drawn to the beautiful doors that lead to the inner court.
(4) We now walk through the door into the inner court, also called the ‘Holy Place.’
(a) The door, made of cypress, is elaborately carved with cherubim and palm trees, and is overlaid with gold.
(b) As we walk through the door into the ‘Holy Place,’ we are stunned by its beauty.
(1) The Holy Place is 60 feet long. Its walls are covered in cedar, all carved with figures of cherubim, flowers, and palm trees. Its floors are covered in pine. All overlaid with gold.
(2) We are first drawn to the entrance to the Holy of Holies. Golden chains hang across the doors.
(3) A small altar for incense, made of cedar and overlaid with gold, stands by this door.
(4) We see ten golden lamp stands situated in two groupings of five on either side of the altar.
(5) The next major item we see in this chamber is also made of gold, or at least overlaid with gold. It is the table for the ‘bread of the Presence.’ It, too, is flanked by five golden lamp stands on either side.
(c) We return to the door leading to the Holy of Holies. It is made of olive wood and is carved with cherubim, flowers, and palm tress, all overlaid with gold.
(1) As we proceed into the Holy of Holies, we first notice that it is a perfect cube with dimensions of 30 feet by 30 feet by 30 feet.
(2) The most prominent feature in this room are two cherubim with extended wings, carved from olive wood, equal in size, and covered in gold. Their wingtips meet in the center of the room, and they occupy the full 30-foot width of the room.
(3) Also in the room is the Ark of the Covenant, a box carved of acacia wood and covered with gold on both the inside and outside. It contains the stone tablets of Mosaic Law, a pot of manna, and the Rod of Aaron. Its cover, known as the mercy seat, was where God rested when His presence was in the room.
3. A Comparison
a. Having viewed the temple and its contents, review the articles of importance: the brazen altar, the molten sea or laver, the bread of the Presence or showbread, the lampstands, the Golden Altar of Incense, the Veil or door to the Holy of Holies, and the Ark of the Covenant.
b. The Brazen Altar
(1) This altar, located in the outer court of the temple was used to offer sacrificial animals as burnt offerings for the atonement of sin.
(2) Christ became our brazen altar through His sacrificial death, offering atonement through his blood.
(3) Read John 1:29—The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
(a) There is, per chance, a connection here to OT sacrifices, although a lamb was not usually the animal sacrificed for forgiveness of sin.
(b) John, however, by the Holy Spirit, saw Jesus as the sacrificial victim who was to die for the sin of the world.
c. The Laver
(1) The laver or molten sea was located in the outer court and was used by the priests for the ritual washing of hands and feet before entering the Holy Place.
(2) Christ’s Spirit and God’s word become the laver for us.
(3) Read John 3:5—Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.
(a) Various views are given to explain Jesus’ meaning in this verse when he references both water and spirit.
(b) Regardless of they are interpreted, it should be clear that it is Jesus who washes or cleanses us from sin.
d. The Shewbread
(1) Displayed symbolically in the Holy Place, the showbread inferred that God provided us sustenance.
(2) Jesus provides the sustenance of our spiritual life.
(3) Read John 4:34—“My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.”
(a) This does not mean that Jesus has no need for real food, but rather His passion or desire was to do the will of God.
(b) He knew that man does not live by bread alone, but “by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”
e. The Lamp Stand
(1) The lamp stand provided light in the Holy Place.
(2) Jesus provides that spiritual life for us, driving away the darkness in and around us.
(3) Read 8:12—When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
(a) When stating this, Jesus was teaching in the temple in Jerusalem, during the Feast of Tabernacles, while the large lamps were burning.
(b) The darkness he speaks of refers to a world of evil, sin, and ignorance.
(c) Light, in the Bible refers to God and His holiness.
(d) Note the He said He is “the light”—not a light or a light among lights. He is the only way.
f. The Golden Altar of Incense
(1) This altar, located in the Holy Place was used to burn incense.
(a) God said the incense was “sweet smelling” to Him.
(b) Symbolically, the incense represented our prayers ascending to heaven in His presence.
(2) Jesus, when resurrected, became our perfect intercessor. He presents our prayers to God directly.
(3) Read Hebrews 6:16-20
g. The Veil or Door to the Holy of Holies
(1) This door separated the holiest place of the temple from the rest of the temple. It was called the Holy of Holies because God’s presence was continually in that room.
(a) Only the high priest could enter and then only once a year.
(b) He could not just enter, there were rituals he had to perform that made him ceremonially clean so he could enter.
(c) Failing to perform these rituals or entering the Holy of Holies on any day other than the prescribed day was a death warrant.
(2) Christ’s death severed that veil. As our intercessor, he made it possible for us, not a priest on our behalf, to enter into God’s presence.
(3) Read Luke 23:44-46
(a) The veil that separated the people from the place where God localized His presence was no longer intact.
(b) Because of Jesus’ death, the people had freer access to God; they no longer had to go through the sacrificial system.
(c) Jesus’ was the only sacrifice needed to enable people to have a proper relationship with God.
h. The Ark of the Covenant
(1) A visual representation of God’s promise to Abraham, the root of their faith.
(a) The Mercy Seat (cover of the ark)—The place where God resided in the Holy of Holies when the High Priest made intercession for all on the Day of Atonement.
(b) The Stone Tablets—The law given to Moses by God’s own hand, a set of rules to ensure they lived according to His standards.
(c) The Pot of Manna—A remembrance of the way God provided for one of their physical needs while they wandered in the desert.
(d) The Rod of Aaron—The piece of wood Aaron and Moses used to perform the miracles that ultimately caused Pharaoh to set the Israelites free.
(2) Christ became all of these items at once.
(a) Christ is the mercy seat—Read Acts 1:3-8—Christ becomes the presence of the Spirit that rests on us, resides within us, each of us.
(b) Christ fulfills the law of the stone tablets—Read Matthew 5:17-18—“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.”
(c) Christ becomes our manna, our sustaining our inner life on earth, and our eternal source of strength.—Read 1 Corinthians 11:23-26.
(1) Paul reminds us that Christ’s body was unselfishly given on the cross for our behalf.
(2) He also reminds us that without Christ’s shed blood there is no forgiveness of sin, so we cannot be sustained in our spiritual life.
(d) Christ is symbolically Aaron’s rod on our behalf. Just as Aaron’s rod, a cut off stick that bloomed to prove Aaron was the chosen successor to Moses, Christ who was cut off and given over to death bloomed in His resurrecting power.
4. Summary
a. Each of the implements of the OT temple served a specific purpose in the service of God.
b. More importantly, each of those implements prophetically reveal how Christ would save and sustain us.
c. We no longer have to rely on someone to ensure we clean. We no longer have to wait a year for our sins to be removed.
d. Because of Christ, we can now come boldly before the presence of God ourselves. Christ, who has become our High Priest, intercedes with God on our behalf, assuring that God sees us as worthy of approaching Him, lest we too be struck down dead for illegally and unworthily seeking His face.
e. Where are you? Are you standing in the temple or outside?
5. Invitation
