Solomon’s building of the temple was according to the promise of Jehovah given to David (1 Kings 5:5; 2 Sam. 7:12-13). Solomon built the temple according to his father King David’s charge, with the materials prepared by David (1 Chron. 22:6-11, 14-16), according to God’s own design given to David (1 Chron. 28:11-19; cf. Gen. 6:14-16; Exo. 25:8-9).

The temple replaced the tabernacle as God’s dwelling on earth. The temple first signifies the incarnated Christ, the embodiment of God (Col. 2:9), as God’s dwelling on the earth (John 2:19-21; 1:14). It also signifies the church, including all the believers, the members of Christ, as the enlargement of Christ to be God’s dwelling on the earth (1 Cor. 3:16-17; 6:19; Eph. 2:21-22). Christ and the church are one, Christ being the Head and the church being the Body (Eph. 1:22-23; Col. 1:18a). The Body is the enlargement of the Head for God’s dwelling. Hence, God’s dwelling in Christ is God’s dwelling in the church.

Solomon and the temple built by him typify Christ and His Body, the church, respectively, as the center, the reality, and the goal of God’s eternal economy. Since Solomon and the temple play the strongest roles in the history of Israel and occupy a wide realm in such a history, they are strong evidence that the history of Israel is very much related to the accomplishing of God’s eternal economy in the Old Testament in the way of typology. This is a clear indication that the books of history were written from the point of view of God’s eternal economy concerning Christ and the church.

The temple was built on the ground of Mount Zion, called Mount Moriah, where Abraham offered Isaac (Gen. 22:2) and David offered his sacrifice to Jehovah (1 Chron. 21:18-30; 22:1; 2 Chron. 3:1). This is a further indication that the Bible is a record concerning God’s economy. Isaac was a type of Christ, who was crucified in the same place where Isaac was offered to God (see note Gen. 22:2¹ and note Mark 10:1¹).

The dimensions of the temple and the Holy of Holies in the temple were twice those of the tabernacle (vv. 2, 20; cf. note Exo. 26:3¹, note Exo. 26:18¹, and note Exo. 26:33¹). Furthermore, with the exception of the Ark (v. 19), the size and number of the furnishings and the utensils were greatly enlarged (2 Chron. 4:1-8). This indicates that although Christ Himself (signified by the Ark) cannot be enlarged, our experience of Christ in all His riches, as signified by the temple and its furnishings and utensils, should be greatly increased and enlarged (Eph. 3:8, 14-19; Phil. 3:7-14) to match His enlarged expression. See note Ezek. 40:1¹, par. 2.

The windows of the temple were for air and light. They signify the life-giving Spirit’s fellowship, which brings in the spiritual air and the divine light.

The fixed lattices were for keeping the windows open and for keeping the negative, undesirable things away. They signify the fellowship of the life-giving Spirit keeping the opening for the divine communication and protecting from the invasion of all negative matters.

I.e., the Holy Place. The outer temple, the Holy Place (v. 17), signifies the soul of the believers as God’s temple, which is sanctified unto God, whereas the innermost sanctuary, the Holy of Holies (vv. 5, 16), signifies the spirit of the believers as God’s temple (Eph. 2:22 and note Eph. 2:22⁴; Heb. 10:19 and note Heb. 10:19^1d). The Holy of Holies was the same in its three dimensions, as is the New Jerusalem, the largest form of the Holy of Holies (v. 20; Rev. 21:16 and note 4).

Lit., oracle. So throughout this chapter. This is the Holy of Holies (v. 16).

The side chambers, as the fullness of the temple, signify the unsearchable riches of Christ becoming His extension, which is the church, the Body of Christ, as the fullness, the expression, of Christ (Eph. 3:8; 1:22-23). The temple refers to both Christ (John 2:19-22) and the church (1 Cor. 3:16; Eph. 2:21), whereas the side chambers signify the church in the aspect of its being the extension of Christ as His fullness.

That the side chambers were in three stories (the number three signifying the Triune God in resurrection) signifies that the church expresses Christ, as His fullness, in the Triune God and in resurrection.

The stones signify Christ’s humanity in transformation, the transformed Christ (vv. 7, 36; 5:17; 2 Chron. 3:6). As God, Christ in His incarnation put on man’s flesh (John 1:14; Heb. 2:14). Having become a man in the flesh, i.e., a man in the old creation, He needed to be transformed in His human part. Such a transformed Christ is now the foundation stone, the cornerstone, the living stone, the precious stone, and the topstone in God’s divine building (Isa. 28:16; 1 Cor. 3:11; Eph. 2:20; 1 Pet. 2:4; Rev. 4:3; Zech. 4:7). The stones in the temple also signify the believers in Christ who have been transformed by Christ as the stone (Matt. 16:18; John 1:42; 1 Pet. 2:5; Rev. 21:11, 14, 19-20).

The door of the side chambers signifies the communication, the fellowship, of the church as the fullness of Christ. The lacking of a door would have indicated the autonomy of the churches. All the local churches as chambers of Christ should widen their doors, i.e., be open to fellowship with the other churches, thus avoiding autonomy.

The different kinds of wood used in constructing the temple signify different aspects of Christ’s humanity. In ancient times the Jews planted cypress trees above their graves; hence, cypress (vv. 15, 34) signifies Christ’s humanity in His death, the crucified Jesus (cf. Gen. 6:14 and note Gen. 6:14²). Cedar trees grew on the mountains of Lebanon (Psa. 104:16); thus, cedar (vv. 9, 10, 15, 16, 36) signifies Christ’s humanity in resurrection, the resurrected Christ (cf. S.S. 4:8 and note S.S. 4:8²). Olive oil typifies the Spirit of God; hence, olive wood (vv. 23, 31-33) signifies Christ’s humanity in the Spirit of God, the anointed Christ (Heb. 1:9). In order to become materials for God’s building (1 Cor. 3:9, 12), we need to experience Christ in His death, His resurrection, and His Spirit (Phil. 3:10; 1:19).

See note 1 Kings 6:5¹.

There is no mentioning in 1 Kings chs. 6—7 of the building of the Ark of the Covenant because Solomon kept the Ark made by Moses (1 Kings 6:19; 8:3-9). See notes on Exo. 25:10-22.

Gold signifies God’s divine nature, divinity (vv. 20-22).

The altar in vv. 20-22 is the incense altar (Exo. 30:1-10 and notes). See note Heb. 9:4¹.

Referring probably to the altar of the preceding verse.

See note 1 Kings 6:15¹.

See note Ezek. 41:18^1b.

The inner court of the temple signifies the separation from the common world through God’s sanctification. It was built with three courses of hewn stone, signifying the crucified (hewn) Christ in His resurrection (the number three), and with one course of cedar beams, signifying the resurrected Christ in His humanity.