Why is the temple described as "great" in 2 Chronicles 2:5? Architectural and Material Grandeur The temple’s footprint (approx. 90 × 30 × 45 ft), inner sanctuary overlaid with ~23 tons of gold (2 Chron 3:8), the 120-cubits-high façade (180 ft; 2 Chron 3:4), bronze pillars 27 ft high and 18 ft in circumference (2 Chron 3:15), and the massive laver (“Sea”) of 17+ tons of bronze (2 Chron 4:2) justified the descriptor “great.” Extrabiblical parallels—Ugaritic temples (c. 1200 BC) and Egyptian sanctuaries—were dwarfed by Solomon’s in volume of precious metals (cf. “seventy-six talents of gold” in Pharaoh Shishak’s Karnak lists vs. “hundred-twenty talents” from Ophir in 2 Chron 8:18). Theological Magnitude: Housing the Name of Yahweh “Great” communicates transcendence: the omnipresent yet covenant-binding God would localize His “Name” (2 Chron 6:20). Unlike pagan shrines that confined deities, Solomon acknowledges that “the heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain You” (2 Chron 6:18), so the house must be “great” as a visible confession of Yahweh’s incomparability. Covenantal Center and Redemptive Role 1. Sacrificial hub—daily, weekly, seasonal offerings (Numbers 28-29) found unified expression. 2. Judicial locus—oaths and disputes resolved before God (2 Chron 6:22-23). 3. Missional magnet—foreigners were invited to pray toward this house so “all peoples of the earth may know Your name” (2 Chron 6:32-33). Its greatness was evangelistic. Typology: Foreshadowing the Greater Temple—Christ Jesus identifies Himself as the ultimate temple: “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2:19). Hebrews explains the earthly sanctuary as “a copy and shadow of what is in heaven” (Hebrews 8:5). The “great” Solomonic edifice points to the infinitely greater incarnate God-man, whose resurrection (attested by minimal-facts consensus, 1 Corinthians 15:3-8) validates His role as the locus of divine presence and atonement. Eschatological Projection Prophets envision a future, even more glorious house (Isaiah 2:2-4; Ezekiel 40-48; Haggai 2:9). The adjective “great” whets appetite for that climactic dwelling where God will tabernacle with humanity (Revelation 21:22). Contrast with Human Kingship and Pagan Grandeur Archaeology from Megiddo (Solomonic gate complexes), Hazor, and Gezer reveals casemate walls and six-chamber gates dated to Solomon’s era (c. 10th century BC), demonstrating capacity for large-scale projects. Yet the Chronicler repeatedly notes that silver and gold became “as common as stones” in Solomon’s Jerusalem (2 Chron 1:15), emphasizing divine blessing, not mere human opulence. Pagan temples sought to coerce gods; Solomon’s “great” temple expresses covenant gratitude. Implications for Worship Today Believers, now “living stones” (1 Peter 2:5), corporately constitute the temple indwelt by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16). Recognizing Solomon’s “great” temple compels reverence for corporate worship, evangelistic openness, and personal holiness befitting God’s present residence. Summary The temple is called “great” because its size, splendor, and resources were unparalleled; because it housed the Name of the only true God; because it functioned as covenantal, sacrificial, and missionary center; because it foreshadowed the greater reality fulfilled in Christ and ultimately the new-creation sanctuary; and because its historic grandeur is verified by internal consistency and external evidence alike. |
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