The outer and inner glories of Solomon’s buildings manifesting the king’s glory, riches and power
It is rather, to my mind, the house of Solomon that prefigures the church, as such, in connection with Christ; the temple, the Father’s house on high, where we are brought to dwell. “We are his house”; as the house of the forest of Lebanon prefigures His glory among the Gentiles. The porch of judgment characterizes this glorious reign. The glory was not all on the outside. The inner court was equally beautiful. The glory was not hidden either. The outer court, as well as the inner, exhibited His royal glory who built the whole.
It was the same thing also towards the great outer court. Thus even the great court, as well as the inner court of the house of Jehovah, was built with costly stones and with cedar. The house itself had its peculiar glory. Everything manifested the glory, the riches and the power of the great king. With respect to this outward glory, Pharaoh’s daughter had a house similar to the king’s. This outward glory of the walls, of the courts of Jehovah, of the king’s house and of all the others exhibits the connection between these things in Christ in the day of His manifested glory.
The larger scale of the vessels in the temple
The vessels of Jehovah’s house were made on a much larger scale than those of the tabernacle; but they were the same, although greater in number. The only new things were the pillars, Jachin and Boaz; that is to say, “He will establish,” and, “In Him is strength” (names which make the meaning of these pillars evident). I doubt not that the passage in Revelation 3:1212Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name. (Revelation 3:12) alludes to these pillars.
We find here also the union of Jews and Gentiles recognized; and the latter employed in the work for the temple of Jehovah.
The unalterable symbol-the ark
The ark is not altered. It was put in the temple, which was but a house for its reception, as the seat of His presence who dwelt between the cherubim. As to the token of God’s presence, and of the establishment of His throne on the earth, the ark had entered into its rest, as well as Jehovah whose seat it was (compare Psalm 132:88Arise, O Lord, into thy rest; thou, and the ark of thy strength. (Psalm 132:8)).