The temple, with its carvings of trees and flowers, pictured Paradise. And don’t miss the angels!
The beauty of Solomon’s temple was not only in the gold covering but in the exquisite carvings. “The inside of the temple was cedar, carved with ornamental buds and open flowers” (1 Ki 6:18). “Then he carved all the walls of the temple all around, both the inner and outer sanctuaries, with carved figures of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers” (v 29). “The two doors were of olive wood; and he carved on them figures of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers, and overlaid them with gold; and he spread gold on the cherubim and on the palm trees” (v 32). And so on. And so on! A golden garden filled with tropical palm trees and flowers, yes, and angels too! And so we don’t miss the point, “he made two cherubim of olive wood, each ten cubits high…and they stretched out the wings of the cherubim so that the wing of the one touched one wall, and the wing of the other cherub touched the other wall. And their wings touched each other in the middle of the room” (vv 23, 27). What is the point? To remind us of Eden, of the thrill of walking with God in Paradise, then the tragedy of banishment, and the two cherubim that barred the way. The cherubim in the tabernacle were the guardians of God’s holy throne, overshadowing the Mercy Seat. But these two angels, 15 ft high, had a collective wingspan that overarched the whole room! Now they can also cover the priestly offerer who represents all of God’s people! Thus these symbols link together in our minds the words of the psalmist, “Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness!” (Ps 96:9). We are told the house took seven years to build (v 38), the Bible’s number for perfection. But God’s eternal house has been under construction for thousands of years. Imagine the beauty we’ll see there!