2 Chronicles 7:12, commentary and pictures

The verse records God's answer to Solomon after his dedicatory prayer and the dedication of the finished temple. He appeared to Solomon by night in a night vision and said He had heard his prayer and supplication. The dedication involved seven days spent dedicating the finished temple, during which Solomon told assembled Israel and visiting nations that God is not confined to a temple like heathen gods but meets His people by His Spirit when they assemble for worship.

Fire came down from heaven to consume the burnt offering and sacrifices and the glory of the Lord filled the house so the priests could not enter and the people bowed to worship, marking His approval. God chose, hallowed, and set apart the temple and its site for Himself as a house of sacrifice and a place for His name, worship, and sacrifice, as a sign of His special favor. He hallowed the house Solomon built to put His name there forever, with His eyes and His heart there perpetually.

His acceptance meant He would give attention to prayer there, so that those who turned to Him there, confessed their sin, and prayed could receive forgiveness and mercy, and if the people would humble themselves, pray, seek Him, and turn from sin, He would forgive and heal their land. That favor and those promises did not remove the duty to remain faithful, for God's presence, favor, and promises concerning the temple and Israel's future were conditional on obedience and tied to preserving true worship by keeping His commandments, and the temple would stand as a lasting sign of favor only while Israel remained faithful. If Solomon would walk before God as David his father walked in integrity of heart and uprightness to do all God commanded and keep His statutes and judgments, God would establish the throne of his kingdom upon Israel forever as promised to David that he would not fail to have a man upon the throne of Israel.

But if Solomon or his children turned from following God and would not keep His commandments and statutes but went to serve and worship other gods, God would cut off Israel out of the land given them and cast the hallowed house out of His sight, bringing judgment, loss of the land, and rejection of the temple, and Israel would become a proverb and a byword among all people.