Preparing to Build the Temple

INTRO

Today we start our study of 2 Chronicles. Originally, Chronicles was written as one book, and it wasn’t until later the book was made into 1 and 2 Chronicles. Our phrase for 1 Chronicles is Son of David because the book constantly points to the coming Messiah, the Son of David. Our phrase for 2 Chronicles is Royal Throne, because it focuses mainly on the kings of Judah, not Israel, who were also tied to David. Mindi’s paintings for 1 and 2 Chronicles is a diptych (two separate paintings that create one picture when placed together), and you’ll see that the trumpets from the first painting carry across to the second.

Chronicles means “the annals or happenings of the days,” and it was written to the Jews after they returned from their captivity in Babylon. At one point, the book was titled, “The Things Omitted,” because it contained so much material not included anywhere else in Scripture. Tradition holds that Ezra was the chronicler (Ezra 7:1–6). The exiles returned to Jerusalem after 70 years in captivity in three phases with: (1) Zerubbabel (Ezra 1—6); (2) Ezra (Ezra 7—10); and (3) Nehemiah (Nehemiah 1—13).

MacArthur explains that the exiles returned to a city in ruins with no Hebrew king, no security, no temple, no dominant region to dwell in, few divine blessings, little of the kingdom’s former wealth, and no presence of God in Jerusalem.¹Fifty-five percent of Chronicles is new material.

Second Chronicles 1 records Solomon’s succession to the throne of David. God told Solomon to ask for whatever he wanted, and he requested wisdom. David asked for wisdom too (1 Chronicles 22:12). God granted Solomon’s request with great wealth and wisdom.

Chapters 2—9 cover Solomon’s reign, and chapter 10 records the rebellion of ten tribes in which the kingdom became divided. Chapters 11—36 cover the kings of Judah: Asa’s renovation of the altar (2 Chronicles 15), Jehoshaphat’s establishment of missions (chapter 18); Joash’s repair of the Temple (2 Chronicles 23—24); Hezekiah’s opening of the Temple (chapters 29—31); and Josiah’s discovery of the “book of the law” (2 Chronicles 34—35). In these chapters, renewal, revival, and reformation took place. Captivity is covered in 2 Chronicles 36:15-23. Amidst all this, the Royal Throne is established.

TEACHING

2 Chronicles 2:1-10: Walking out his father David’s desire, Solomon was ready to build the temple for the name of Yahweh (Hebrew name for God meaning the Lord), and a palace for himself (v. 1). He didn’t build a cage for God but rather a temple in God’s name to honor Him. Solomon assigned tasks to men as porters, stonecutters, and supervisors (v. 2). Solomon then asked for help from King Hiram of Tyre, asking for cedars to build the temple to worship Yahweh (vv. 3-4). The temple would be for the one great God who cannot be contained by heaven or earth (vv. 5-6). Solomon requested a craftsman who could engrave and work with yarn to work with the craftsmen from Judah appointed by David (v. 7). King Solomon also asked for logs from Lebanon and promised his craftsmen would help Hiram’s workers to cut and prepare the logs (vv. 8-9). Then he promised to pay the workers with an abundance of food supplies (v. 10).

2 Chronicles 2:11-16: Hiram replied to Solomon’s request by praising the God of Israel who gave King David’s son such wisdom (vv. 11-12). He sent an engraver, Huram-abi, to work with Solomon’s craftsmen on the choice metal and stones for the temple (vv. 13-14). Hiram then asked the king to send the food supplies he had promised, and Hiram’s men would begin to cut the cedar trees down and transport them to the port of Joppa in Israel (vv. 15-16). Solomon was given everything he asked for.

2 Chronicles 2:17-18: Solomon took a census of all the foreigners (non-Israelites) in the land and found 153,600. Then, he put the men to work: 70,000 as porters, 80,000 as stonecutters, and 3,600 as supervisors.

CLOSING

Solomon’s temple was the first of three temples that are discussed in Scripture. Solomon’s temple took seven-and-a-half years to build. However, Solomon’s temple was destroyed in 586 B.C. Zerubbabel rebuilt the second temple, a much more modest temple, upon returning to Jerusalem after the exile. Then King Herod expanded this temple in 20 B.C. that was destroyed by the Romans in A.D. 70. Herod’s temple was the one Jesus visited. There is no physical temple today.

However, Hosea 3:4-5 explains, “The Israelites must live many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred pillar, and without ephod or household idols. Afterward, the people of Israel will return and seek the Lord their God and David their king. They will come with awe to the Lord and to His goodness in the last days.”

Ezekiel 37:27-28 states God will dwell among them and His sanctuary will be with them forever after the reunification of Israel. Jesus talked about a third temple (Matthew 24:15–21). In the last days, we will see the evil one standing in the holy place (2 Thessalonians 2:1-4), so there has to be a temple then.

On the Temple Mount today in Jerusalem are two Muslim holy places. It’s the place where Abraham met Melchizedek (Genesis 14), where Abraham came to sacrifice his son Isaac (Genesis 22), where David bought Ornan’s threshing floor to build an altar to God’s (1 Chronicles 21), and it’s the place where Solomon built the first temple. There’s discussion of where the third temple will be built in the last days. In Revelation 11:1-2, the temple of God is measured.

All this is to say, I believe there will be a physical third temple built in Jerusalem. When it’s completed, we’ll be that much closer to the return of Christ.