The First Temple, also known as Solomon's Temple, holds a significant place in biblical history as the first permanent dwelling place for the Ark of the Covenant and the center of Israelite worship. Constructed under the reign of King Solomon, the temple was a fulfillment of God's promise to David, Solomon's father, that his son would build a house for the Lord's name (2 Samuel 7:12-13).

The dedication of the First Temple is a pivotal event recorded in the Scriptures, marked by divine approval and the manifestation of God's presence. The account of the temple's dedication is found in 2 Chronicles 7:1-3. After Solomon finished praying, the Bible records a miraculous event: "When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the LORD filled the temple" (2 Chronicles 7:1). This divine fire was a clear sign of God's acceptance of the temple and the offerings presented there.

The sacred fire from heaven was not merely a spectacle but a profound symbol of God's holiness and His covenant relationship with Israel. It echoed the earlier instances of divine fire in Israel's history, such as the fire that consumed the sacrifices on the altar during the dedication of the Tabernacle in the wilderness (Leviticus 9:24). This continuity underscored the legitimacy and continuity of worship from the Tabernacle to the Temple.

The presence of the glory of the Lord filling the temple further emphasized the sanctity of the place. The priests could not enter the temple because of the overwhelming presence of God's glory, illustrating the holiness and majesty of God (2 Chronicles 7:2). The people of Israel responded with worship and reverence, bowing down with their faces to the ground and praising the Lord, saying, "He is good; His loving devotion endures forever" (2 Chronicles 7:3).

The dedication of the First Temple and the descent of the sacred fire from heaven served as a powerful reminder of God's faithfulness and His desire to dwell among His people. It reinforced the centrality of the temple in Israel's religious life and the importance of obedience and reverence in worship. The event also foreshadowed the ultimate fulfillment of God's presence with His people through Jesus Christ, who referred to Himself as the true temple (John 2:19-21).

The sacred fire at the dedication of the First Temple remains a testament to God's holiness, His covenant faithfulness, and His desire for a relationship with His people, themes that resonate throughout the biblical narrative.2 Chronicles 7:3
And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the LORD on the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground on the pavement, and worshipped, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endures for ever.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

The Destruction of Jerusalem.
... when the Man of Nazareth taught and healed in the sacred courts ... the presence of Christ,
and in this only, did the second temple exceed the first in glory ...
/.../1 the destruction of jerusalem.htm

The Destruction of Jerusalem
... when the Man of Nazareth taught and healed in the sacred courts ... the presence of Christ,
and in this only, did the second temple exceed the first in glory ...
/.../white/the great controversy/chapter 1 the destruction of.htm

Hezekiah
... had been repaired and thrown open; the sacred vessels had ... In the first service held,
the rulers of the ... offered at the dedication of the temple whose services ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 28 hezekiah.htm

The Journey to Jerusalem - Chronological Arrangement of the Last ...
... chapters); and that of seven, the sacred Church number ... of Israel's great Feasts,
in the Temple, and especially ... In the very first Samaritan village to which the ...
/.../edersheim/the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter iv the journey to.htm

The First Day in Passion-Week - Palm-Sunday - the Royal Entry into ...
... is given, and they are Targumed' by the sacred writers ... had thus confounded the Second
with the First Advent of ... of Pentecost and of the Dedication of the Temple. ...
/.../edersheim/the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter i the first day.htm

On Pentecost.
... colour of your continence, and those sacred assemblies, and ... Spirit is referable to
the First Cause, just ... Separator; Builder of His own Temple; leading, working ...
/.../cyril/lectures of s cyril of jerusalem/oration xli on pentecost.htm

Solomon's Temple Spiritualized
... by God to sacred story; and since that sacred story is ... worldly care, as did the apostles,
the first planters of ... We read, God is in his temple, not upon these ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/solomons temple spiritualized.htm

To the Disciples - Two Events and their Moral.
... The first records two circumstances not mentioned by the Jewish ... Pilate had used for
it the sacred money which had been devoted to Temple-purposes (the ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xiii to the disciples.htm

The Ecclesiastical History of sozomenus
... Concerning Theodore, the Keeper of the Sacred Vessels of ... They were the first who
broached One Immersion for the ... upon the Destruction of the Temple of Dionysus. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/sozomen/the ecclesiastical history of sozomenus/

The First Apology of Justin, the Martyr
... entered into Jerusalem, where was the great Temple of the ... We ask you therefore to
join the Sacred Senate and ... who made [them] and from Christ his First-begotten ...
/.../richardson/early christian fathers/the first apology of justin.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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