11 Chronicles Chapter 4

The Temple's Furnishings

2Chronicles 4:1 Moreover he made an altar of brass, twenty cubits the length thereof, and twenty cubits the breadth thereof, and ten cubits the height thereof.
2 Also he made a molten sea of ten cubits from brim to brim, round in compass, and five cubits the height thereof; and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about.

Some of us that have had a background of attending a church building where there was a bench or wooden structure about 3 or 4 feet high between the seats and the pulpit, Some would remember that it was a place where we would go to pray usually at the end of the service. We called that the altar. At the end of the service many times the pastor after given his message would have what we called an altar call for those that needed to pray or give their heart to the Lord if they were not yet believers in Christ.

Sometimes they would give an altar call for those that just need to pray over something they were burdened about. Sometimes though we would just go forward to just pray and seek God. When the congregation got to be very large the worshippers would just go forward and pray standing up.

Many do not have those benches there any more. Another name for them were mourner's benches.
The altar in the temple of the Lord spoken of in Chronicles was for sacrifices. This was many years before Jesus came and became the supreme sacrifice for our sins. At this time in history though they were still under the law that pointed to the coming of Christ. Sacrificing animals was an act of faith by trusting the Lord to provide the way of salvation in the future. They were saved by faith looking forward to salvation and we today are saved by looking back to salvation by simple faith in Jesus to deliver us from sin.

This altar was made of brass and it was 30 feel long and thirty feet wide. 15 feet high. The molten sea was was a container filled with water for the priests to wash and clean themselves before offering the sacrifices. It was 15 feet and was round. The circumference was 45 feet and 7 and one half feet high.

Some churches today have portible places to baptize believers in but it is not that big or high. Back then they needed a large place for water for cleansing for a great number of priests. Sacrificing animals would mean a lot of blood and things to clean up from.

2Chronicles 4:3 And under it was the similitude of oxen, which did compass it round about: ten in a cubit, compassing the sea round about. Two rows of oxen were cast, when it was cast.
4 It stood upon twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east: and the sea was set above upon them, and all their hinder parts were inward.
5 And the thickness of it was an handbreadth, and the brim of it like the work of the brim of a cup, with flowers of lilies; and it received and held three thousand baths.
6 He made also ten lavers, and put five on the right hand, and five on the left, to wash in them: such things as they offered for the burnt offering they washed in them; but the sea was for the priests to wash in.

This structure had to be strong to hold enough water for the priests to bathe in. Everything built for temple worship had to be perfect, strong and made to last. The carvings on this must have represented something. Perhaps the type of offerings that were sacrificed was pictured here. Perhaps the flowers and lilies were to add beauty to it.

This seems to be a preview of the coming of the Jesus to cleanse us of all sin when we believe in Him for our salvation. All these visable ways to clean both priests and the sacrifices shows us the need for our inner souls to be made pure and clean so that we can enter Heaven and enter eternal life. There had to be a reason for all those these things. All the feasts, sacrifices and rituals they did represented something better that was coming not just for Israel but for all who would believe in that name above all names and the king of all kings, none other that Jesus our Christ. Or in the Hebrew language, Yeshua, the Messiah of Israel. Glory be to God for providing a way to be saved for all of us, both Jew and Gentile.

2Chronicles 4:7 And he made ten candlesticks of gold according to their form, and set them in the temple, five on the right hand, and five on the left.

These are ten candlesticks set in the temple made of gold. In Revelation there were seven candlesticks representing the 7 churches mentioned in the first three chapters. I don't know if there is any connection between them and the candlesticks here but I thought I would throw this in. What these candlesticks represented I don't quite know but there had to be a reason for them. Of course it could be simply to give the light for them to see both physically and spiritually.

2Chronicles 4:8 He made also ten tables, and placed them in the temple, five on the right side, and five on the left. And he made an hundred basons of gold.
9 Furthermore he made the court of the priests, and the great court, and doors for the court, and overlaid the doors of them with brass.
10 And he set the sea on the right side of the east end, over against the south.
11 And Huram made the pots, and the shovels, and the basons. And Huram finished the work that he was to make for king Solomon for the house of God;
12 To wit, the two pillars, and the pommels, and the chapiters which were on the top of the two pillars, and the two wreaths to cover the two pommels of the chapiters which were on the top of the pillars;
13 And four hundred pomegranates on the two wreaths; two rows of pomegranates on each wreath, to cover the two pommels of the chapiters which were upon the pillars.
14 He made also bases, and lavers made he upon the bases;
15 One sea, and twelve oxen under it.
16 The pots also, and the shovels, and the fleshhooks, and all their instruments, did Huram his father make to king Solomon for the house of the LORD of bright brass.
17 In the plain of Jordan did the king cast them, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zeredathah.

Casting means to make the hard so they last.

2Chronicles 4:18 Thus Solomon made all these vessels in great abundance: for the weight of the brass could not be found out.
19 And Solomon made all the vessels that were for the house of God, the golden altar also, and the tables whereon the shewbread was set;

Shewbread was food good for eating but it was only for the priests.

Jesus mentions it:

Matthew 12:1 At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat.
2 But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day.
3 But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him;
4 How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests?

Jesus said these words to those that were criticizing his disciples for plucking corn on the sabbath day.

2Chronicles 4:20 Moreover the candlesticks with their lamps, that they should burn after the manner before the oracle, of pure gold;
21 And the flowers, and the lamps, and the tongs, made he of gold, and that perfect gold;
22 And the snuffers, and the basons, and the spoons, and the censers, of pure gold: and the entry of the house, the inner doors thereof for the most holy place, and the doors of the house of the temple, were of gold.

The Snuffers were things to snuff the fire out of candles. How awesome this building was but the temple built when Jesus rules and reigns will probably much better than even this one. This one is mind boggling for me to even imagine so the one in the 1000 year reign of Christ must be really something to see.

11 Chronicles Chapter 5