Articles in Temple II Chronicles 4

II Chronicles 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."

This was not the typical altar we see in churches these days, at least in most churches in days gone by. This altar was used for animal sacrifices and so had to be rather large. 30 feet by 30 feet by 15 feet. I am not an expert but I think the height (15 feet) was to allow a place for stuff to fall away when the animals were sacrificed.

Many Bibles have a graph of the temple. It was made in the fashion of the tabernacle. The temple was of course more extravagant. It was made like a rectangle inside a rectangle plus the porch. Preparations were made outside the inner court, i.e. the washing and cleaning of ones self. Then the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies where the LORD appeared.

As the priest approached from the outside, the importance of cleanliness became progressively more important as the Holy of Holies was approached. Man cannot be in the presence of God without the blood to compensate for mans sinfulness. That is why the blood of Jesus is so important to us. He sacrificed once for all time and so the rigorous ceremony of the law is not now necessary in Jesus.

Hebrews 2:9 "But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man."

Hebrews 9:12 "Neither by the blood of goats and calves but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place having obtained eternal redemption for us."

Then in this chapter we have a listing of the various instruments and what they were made of. Precious metals all but it is said of the gold used that it was perfect gold.

v20-21 "Moreover the candlesticks with their lamps, that they should burn after the manner before the oracle, of pure gold; And the flowers and the lamps and the tongs made he of gold and that perfect gold;"

So great care and great expense went into the building and furnishing of the temple. After all, Solomon had said that he was building a great house for the name of the LORD.

Psalm 138:2 "I will worship toward thy holy temple and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name."

Solomon makes the things to furnish the temple.