The Temple built by Solomon in Jerusalem holds a significant place in biblical history as the central place of worship for the Israelites. During the reign of King Hezekiah, the Temple faced a critical period due to the threat posed by the Assyrian Empire under King Sennacherib.

Hezekiah's Reforms and the Temple:

King Hezekiah, who reigned over Judah from approximately 715 to 686 BC, is noted for his religious reforms and efforts to restore proper worship in the Temple. Hezekiah's reign is characterized by a return to the worship of Yahweh and the removal of idolatrous practices that had crept into Judah under previous kings. According to 2 Chronicles 29:3-5 , "In the first month of the first year of his reign, he opened the doors of the house of the LORD and repaired them. Then he brought in the priests and Levites, gathered them in the square on the east side, and said to them, 'Listen to me, Levites! Consecrate yourselves now and consecrate the house of the LORD, the God of your fathers, and remove all the defilement from the sanctuary.'"

Hezekiah's reforms included the cleansing and rededication of the Temple, the restoration of the Levitical priesthood, and the reinstitution of the Passover celebration, which had been neglected. These actions were aimed at re-establishing the Temple as the focal point of worship and obedience to God's covenant.

The Assyrian Threat:

During Hezekiah's reign, the Assyrian Empire, under King Sennacherib, posed a significant threat to Judah. The Assyrians had already conquered the northern kingdom of Israel and were expanding their influence. In 701 BC, Sennacherib invaded Judah, capturing many fortified cities and threatening Jerusalem itself.

Hezekiah's response to the Assyrian threat involved both practical and spiritual measures. He fortified Jerusalem, constructed a tunnel to secure the city's water supply, and sought the counsel of the prophet Isaiah. In 2 Kings 19:14-19 , Hezekiah's prayer in the Temple is recorded: "Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers, read it, and went up to the house of the LORD and spread it out before the LORD. And Hezekiah prayed before the LORD: 'O LORD, God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, You alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You made the heavens and the earth. Incline Your ear, O LORD, and hear; open Your eyes, O LORD, and see; listen to the words that Sennacherib has sent to defy the living God.'"

Divine Intervention:

The biblical account emphasizes that Hezekiah's reliance on God and his prayer in the Temple led to divine intervention. The prophet Isaiah assured Hezekiah that God would defend the city. In 2 Kings 19:32-34 , Isaiah prophesied, "Therefore this is what the LORD says about the king of Assyria: 'He will not enter this city or shoot an arrow here or come before it with a shield or build up a siege ramp against it. By the way that he came, he will return; he will not enter this city,' declares the LORD. 'I will defend this city and save it for My sake and for the sake of My servant David.'"

That night, the angel of the LORD struck down 185,000 Assyrian soldiers, forcing Sennacherib to withdraw and return to Nineveh, as recorded in 2 Kings 19:35-36 . This miraculous deliverance underscored the power of God and the importance of faithfulness to Him, as demonstrated by Hezekiah's leadership and devotion to the Temple.

Legacy:

Hezekiah's actions during the Assyrian crisis reinforced the Temple's role as a place of divine presence and intervention. His reforms and reliance on God during a time of national crisis left a lasting impact on Judah's religious life, highlighting the Temple as a symbol of God's covenantal faithfulness and protection.2 Kings 18:15,16
And Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the LORD, and in the treasures of the king's house.
Nave's Topical Index

Nineveh.
... and profanely altered the arrangements in the Temple, which Moses and Solomon had
ordained ... thirty-six years old, leaving his crown to Hezekiah, then only ...
//christianbookshelf.org/yonge/the chosen people/lesson ix nineveh.htm

The History Books
... Under his direction the Proverbs of Solomon were collected and ... Psalms of David sung
in the Temple once again ... by God Himself in answer to Hezekiah's prayer, can ...
/.../duff/the bible in its making/chapter iv the history books.htm

The Captivity.
... trace of idolatry, even more thoroughly than Hezekiah had done, overthrowing even
Solomon's idol temples ... Jews have a story, that knowing the Temple was to ...
//christianbookshelf.org/yonge/the chosen people/lesson x the captivity.htm

The New Temple and Its Worship
... The offerings were poor, if compared with Solomon's 'two and ... The re-establishment
of the Temple worship with the ... But from the time of Hezekiah the Levites seem ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture g/the new temple and its.htm

The Woman of Samaria
... Truly says Solomon, 'He that diggeth a pit, shall ... Good king Hezekiah, good king Josiah,
could only stave off ... idolatry, and built themselves a temple on Mount ...
/.../kingsley/town and country sermons/sermon xxvi the woman of.htm

Bunsen's Biblical Researches.
... we find but three centuries thus left us from the Exodus to Solomon's Temple. ... if
not of composition, between the ages of Solomon and Hezekiah, are manifest ...
/.../essays and reviews the education of the world/bunsens biblical researches.htm

And V the Kingdom Undivided and the Kingdom Divided
... II Kings 25. 10. Solomon's Prayer at Dedication of the Temple. II Chronicles 6.
V. Leading Lessons: ... (a) David. (b) Hezekiah. 4. Sin Destroys. (a) Ahab. ...
/.../palmer/a birds-eye view of the bible/iv and v the kingdom.htm

The Greater Prophets.
... a return of the outward glory of Solomon's reign were ... Israel and Syria (chap.7),
and in Hezekiah's reign by ... the prophet had of Jehovah in the temple, with the ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter xxii the greater prophets.htm

The Prophet --His Youth and his Call.
... wolf.(100) Of Benjamin were the mad King Saul, the ... Solomon's Temple was nearly four
hundred years' old ... It was two generations since Isaiah and Hezekiah had died ...
//christianbookshelf.org/smith/jeremiah/lecture iii the prophethis youth.htm

Kings
... With the exception of Hezekiah, all the kings before Josiah are implicitly condemned ...
The words in which Solomon dedicated the temple, only partially ...
//christianbookshelf.org/mcfadyen/introduction to the old testament/kings.htm

What was Herod's temple? | GotQuestions.org

What was Zerubbabel's temple/the second temple? | GotQuestions.org

What was Solomon's temple / the first temple? How many temples were there? | GotQuestions.org

Temple: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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