The Greater House
When Solomon built the temple there was a hint of a greater house to come. I believe by what he did after he completed the temple, there is an indication of what is to come in our future. Before I explain that statement, I want to review the development of the temple of the Lord, for the temple built by Solomon was only symbolic of the greater temple.
Israel came out of Egypt and through the wilderness wanting to have a permanent place to worship the Lord. The tabernacle they set up at the instructions from Moses was to be their centre of worship. It was like a large tent. Their worship was to be led by their anointed high priest of the line of Aaron. The tabernacle supplied their need for a place of worship until Solomon built a more solid structure called the temple.
The temple Solomon built was about thirty feet wide, ninety feet long, and forty-five feet high. It was covered all over with gold (I Kings 6:22). The ark of God was brought into the temple and the whole nation of Israel gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication of the building (about five million people). The holy cloud of God came into the temple, and the glory was so great the priests could not serve God. I assume they fell to their knees because the Bible says they could not stand (I Kings 8:11). Solomon asked God to hear and respond to the prayers of anyone facing toward the temple. Faithful Israelites through the ages prayed to God in that way. The prophet Daniel, over four hundred years later, prayed every day facing Jerusalem (Daniel 6:10). The temple had been destroyed a few years before Daniel prayed, but he still faced Jerusalem when he prayed. When I was a boy, every Anglican church in the city had the congregation facing toward the east (toward Jerusalem). Then a new church was constructed, and the tradition was abandoned.
Solomon’s temple lasted about 425 years and then the Babylonians burned it down. Seventy years later the decree went out from Cyrus, king of Persia, that the temple could be rebuilt. It was built by people that returned from Babylon with the support of Jeshua the priest, Zerubbabel the governor, and Haggai and Zechariah the prophets of the Lord (Ezra 5:1-2). The prophet Haggai predicted the new temple would be greater than the temple of Solomon. “The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the Lord of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the Lord of hosts.” Haggai 2:9. This second temple lasted about 510 years and was destroyed and rebuilt by Herod the Great, the Edomite ruler that tried to kill the baby Jesus. Herod’s temple only lasted about 90 years, when the Romans destroyed it. Jesus called Herod’s temple a “den of thieves” (Mark 11:17).
The prophecy about the latter house given by the prophet Haggai cannot apply to the temple built by Zerubbabel. It was not greater than the temple built by Solomon, and the prophecy about the place (“in this place will I give peace”), could not apply to the Jewish nation. They were constantly at war with Greek rulers and nations bordering them and were conquered by the Parthians and then the Romans. This prophecy had to apply to something else. I think I heard an alternate interpretation of the prophecy given by Pastor Charles Jennings. He said the greater temple is the church (the body of Christ). The apostle Paul addressed Christians: “And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” II Corinthians 6:16. The prophecy in Haggai about peace in that place could refer to the Kingdom Age, when the Middle East area will finally know peace, or it could refer to the location of the greater temple (the church). The greater temple is throughout the world, but the location of most Bible believing churches is in the lands where the Anglo Saxon and kindred people live (the lost tribes of Israel). We have had occasional wars in our lands but have known peace for most of our Christian history. Only in Christ Jesus can there be any peace. He is the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6).
Solomon built two houses. I believe the construction of them was symbolic. The first house he built was the temple. The second house he built was the royal palace. The palace was more than four times bigger than the temple. If the first house is symbolic of the church, then the palace is symbolic of something much greater than the church. I believe it is symbolic of the millennial Kingdom of Jesus Christ. The temple in Solomon’s day was ruled by the anointed high priest. The palace was ruled by the anointed king. The temple was served by the Levites. The palace was served by all the tribes of Israel. The church is served by Christians, but the Kingdom will be served by all of Israel and Judah. Israel and Judah (the Anglo Saxon and kindred people) will be joined as one people under one King and will multiply and “fill the face of the world with fruit.” Isaiah 27:6. Jesus Christ was anointed by the Holy Spirit as both High Priest and King, but he has not been enthroned yet as King. I believe that day is coming soon. The greater house will be established for all the world to see. Both houses will show the glory of the Lord. All false religions and false teachings will be expelled from the greater house, the Israel people, in the Kingdom Age.
