And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the LORD,
After the ark was set in its place beneath the wings of the cherubim the priests withdrew from the holy place and the cloud of God's glory took possession of the house so fully that they could not stand to minister. It came while the united choir with every kind of instrument sounded praise in harmony through the temple and over Jerusalem, the same glory-cloud that had once filled the wilderness tabernacle. Its filling proved that God approved the work and accepted the temple as His dwelling to meet His people for worship. That light was a manifestation of God Himself, one with the light shining out of darkness at creation, the pillar of cloud and fire leading Israel, the blaze upon Sinai, the glow over the mercy seat, and the brightness over Bethlehem at the announcement of redemption. The second house after the captivity was never honored with that visible cloud and the Shekinah no longer abode between the cherubim, for its promised greater glory was the living presence of Christ teaching and healing in its courts. He meets the few as well as the many and accepts even a humble house built to honor Him, and because His house is a meeting place it is to be entered with sacred reverence and a heart free from anger toward others.
Dedication Event Detailed
The ark had been set in its place in the most holy place beneath the wings of the cherubim, and when the priests came out of the holy place the cloud of God's glory filled and took possession of the house of the Lord. This took place while the united sacred choir with all kinds of musical instruments sounded praise to God in harmony, resounding through the temple and over Jerusalem. It was the same cloud that had formerly filled the wilderness tabernacle. Holy incense kept the sanctuary filled with its fragrant cloud day and night.
The cloud was the glory of the Lord, filling both apartments so fully that the priests could not stand to minister. The glory often filled both apartments so fully that the priest was unable to officiate and was obliged to stand at the door of the tabernacle. The glory rested above the mercy seat in the most holy place and became visible in the holy place. It descended upon the mercy seat as the incense arose like a cloud, filling the most holy place.
The dedication took place after the temple was finished, when Solomon assembled all Israel with great splendor and many nations also came to witness it. After the cloud filled the house, Solomon stood on a brazen scaffold before the altar and blessed the people. Then he knelt with hands raised upward in earnest solemn prayer while the congregation bowed with faces to the ground, and miraculous fire came from heaven and consumed the sacrifice.
Divine Presence Explained
The filling of the house with the cloud was God's seal upon Solomon's work, showing that He approved what had been built and accepted the temple as His own dwelling where He would meet His people for worship. It declared that the God of Israel is not like the gods of the heathen, shut up within the temples made for them, but meets His people by His Spirit when they assemble in the house dedicated to His worship. That indwelling presence showed that Christ Himself was Israel's instructor and guide, and that through it God was continually displaying His love and patience toward them.
The light that filled the temple was a manifestation of God Himself, for light is ever the symbol of His presence. It stands in one line with the light shining out of darkness at the creative word in the beginning, the light enshrouded in the pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night that led Israel, the light blazing with awful grandeur about the Lord on Mount Sinai, the light resting over the mercy seat in the tabernacle, and the light shining on the hills of Bethlehem when redemption was announced to the shepherds. In declaring Himself the light of the world, Christ declared His oneness with God and His relation to the whole human family, for it was He who at the beginning caused light to shine out of darkness, He who is the light of sun and moon and star, He who was the spiritual light that in symbol and type and prophecy had shone upon Israel, and who as the Sun of Righteousness shines upon every soul. Even the priest in the holy place directing his prayer by faith to the mercy seat he could not see illustrates how God's people direct their prayers to Christ before the mercy seat in the heavenly sanctuary, whom they cannot behold with the natural eye but see with the eye of faith and with assurance claim the benefits of His mediation.
The cloud was one of the visible tokens that belonged to the first temple at its dedication, together with fire from heaven consuming the sacrifice, the Shekinah abiding between the cherubim in the most holy place, the ark with the mercy seat and tables of testimony, and the voice from heaven making known Jehovah's will to the inquiring priest. The second temple built after the captivity was never honored with that cloud filling its sanctuary, and the Shekinah no longer abode between the cherubim. Its promised greater glory was not that visible glory but the living presence of Christ teaching and healing in its courts, in whom dwelt the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and when Israel rejected Him and He passed out from its golden gate, that glory forever departed and the house was left desolate. Though the temple afterward remained to all appearance the same except for additional embellishment, still a splendid palace of loveliness glittering with gold and precious stones in grandeur and beauty and still sought by worshipers of every nation, God was no longer to be found in it.
Reverent Worship Required
When the priests came out of the holy place the cloud of God's glory filled the house of the Lord so fully that the priests could not stand to minister, and this confirmed that God approved Solomon's work and accepted the temple as a home where He would meet His people for worship. Though that filling took place where millions worshiped, His presence is not confined to numbers or to a large congregation. He meets with the few as well as with the many, and He accepts a humble house built to honor Him together with heartfelt service, including a small company dedicating a house for His worship.
Because the temple at its dedication was a place where God met with His people in the cloud filling the house, sacredness is to be observed by all in God's house. That reverence calls for keeping the heart free from angry feelings toward others. Cherishing such feelings shuts away the Spirit of God from the worshipers.
After the ark was set in its place beneath the wings of the cherubim the priests withdrew from the holy place and the cloud of God's glory took possession of the house so fully that they could not stand to minister. It came while the united choir with every kind of instrument sounded praise in harmony through the temple and over Jerusalem, the same glory-cloud that had once filled the wilderness tabernacle. Its filling proved that God approved the work and accepted the temple as His dwelling to meet His people for worship. That light was a manifestation of God Himself, one with the light shining out of darkness at creation, the pillar of cloud and fire leading Israel, the blaze upon Sinai, the glow over the mercy seat, and the brightness over Bethlehem at the announcement of redemption. The second house after the captivity was never honored with that visible cloud and the Shekinah no longer abode between the cherubim, for its promised greater glory was the living presence of Christ teaching and healing in its courts. He meets the few as well as the many and accepts even a humble house built to honor Him, and because His house is a meeting place it is to be entered with sacred reverence and a heart free from anger toward others.
Dedication Event Detailed
The ark had been set in its place in the most holy place beneath the wings of the cherubim, and when the priests came out of the holy place the cloud of God's glory filled and took possession of the house of the Lord. This took place while the united sacred choir with all kinds of musical instruments sounded praise to God in harmony, resounding through the temple and over Jerusalem. It was the same cloud that had formerly filled the wilderness tabernacle. Holy incense kept the sanctuary filled with its fragrant cloud day and night.
The cloud was the glory of the Lord, filling both apartments so fully that the priests could not stand to minister. The glory often filled both apartments so fully that the priest was unable to officiate and was obliged to stand at the door of the tabernacle. The glory rested above the mercy seat in the most holy place and became visible in the holy place. It descended upon the mercy seat as the incense arose like a cloud, filling the most holy place.
The dedication took place after the temple was finished, when Solomon assembled all Israel with great splendor and many nations also came to witness it. After the cloud filled the house, Solomon stood on a brazen scaffold before the altar and blessed the people. Then he knelt with hands raised upward in earnest solemn prayer while the congregation bowed with faces to the ground, and miraculous fire came from heaven and consumed the sacrifice.
Divine Presence Explained
The filling of the house with the cloud was God's seal upon Solomon's work, showing that He approved what had been built and accepted the temple as His own dwelling where He would meet His people for worship. It declared that the God of Israel is not like the gods of the heathen, shut up within the temples made for them, but meets His people by His Spirit when they assemble in the house dedicated to His worship. That indwelling presence showed that Christ Himself was Israel's instructor and guide, and that through it God was continually displaying His love and patience toward them.
The light that filled the temple was a manifestation of God Himself, for light is ever the symbol of His presence. It stands in one line with the light shining out of darkness at the creative word in the beginning, the light enshrouded in the pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night that led Israel, the light blazing with awful grandeur about the Lord on Mount Sinai, the light resting over the mercy seat in the tabernacle, and the light shining on the hills of Bethlehem when redemption was announced to the shepherds. In declaring Himself the light of the world, Christ declared His oneness with God and His relation to the whole human family, for it was He who at the beginning caused light to shine out of darkness, He who is the light of sun and moon and star, He who was the spiritual light that in symbol and type and prophecy had shone upon Israel, and who as the Sun of Righteousness shines upon every soul. Even the priest in the holy place directing his prayer by faith to the mercy seat he could not see illustrates how God's people direct their prayers to Christ before the mercy seat in the heavenly sanctuary, whom they cannot behold with the natural eye but see with the eye of faith and with assurance claim the benefits of His mediation.
The cloud was one of the visible tokens that belonged to the first temple at its dedication, together with fire from heaven consuming the sacrifice, the Shekinah abiding between the cherubim in the most holy place, the ark with the mercy seat and tables of testimony, and the voice from heaven making known Jehovah's will to the inquiring priest. The second temple built after the captivity was never honored with that cloud filling its sanctuary, and the Shekinah no longer abode between the cherubim. Its promised greater glory was not that visible glory but the living presence of Christ teaching and healing in its courts, in whom dwelt the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and when Israel rejected Him and He passed out from its golden gate, that glory forever departed and the house was left desolate. Though the temple afterward remained to all appearance the same except for additional embellishment, still a splendid palace of loveliness glittering with gold and precious stones in grandeur and beauty and still sought by worshipers of every nation, God was no longer to be found in it.
Reverent Worship Required
When the priests came out of the holy place the cloud of God's glory filled the house of the Lord so fully that the priests could not stand to minister, and this confirmed that God approved Solomon's work and accepted the temple as a home where He would meet His people for worship. Though that filling took place where millions worshiped, His presence is not confined to numbers or to a large congregation. He meets with the few as well as with the many, and He accepts a humble house built to honor Him together with heartfelt service, including a small company dedicating a house for His worship.
Because the temple at its dedication was a place where God met with His people in the cloud filling the house, sacredness is to be observed by all in God's house. That reverence calls for keeping the heart free from angry feelings toward others. Cherishing such feelings shuts away the Spirit of God from the worshipers.