REFLECTIONS ON SOLOMON’S TEMPLE

WHEN I WAS A LAD

A COUPLE OF CENTURIES AGO

I WENT TO SUNDAY SCHOOL

UNDER THE WATCHFUL EYE

OF MUM AND GRANNY

THEY’D BROOK NO REPORTS OF MISCONDUCT

IN THE LORD’S HOUSE

I REMEMBER THE TEACHER

TALKING ABOUT SOLOMON’S TEMPLE

DESCRIBING IT IN GLOWING TERMS

IN MY MIND

MY YOUNG BOY’S MIND

I THINK I STILL HAVE IT

IN MY MIND

IT BECAME A BUILDING

GAZILLION FEET TALL

WITH SIDES TO MATCH

COVERED WITH GOLD

AND SMELLING OF CEDAR

LIKE MUM’S CLOSET

WHEN I BECAME OLDER

I LEARNED

IT WAS NOT AN UNIQUE BUILDING

IT WAS BUILT LIKE A CANAANITES TEMPLE

WHICH MAKES SENSE

THE BRITISH BUILT

ENGLISH STYLE CHURCHES

IN INDIA

DURING THE OCCUPATION

SINCE AT THAT TIME THE ISRAELITES

WERE NOT ARTISANS

EXCEPT IN WAR

THEY HIRED

A FOREIGN NATION TO BUILD

THEY HIRED KING HIRAM OF TYRE

(A CANAANITE)

WHO HAD THE SKILLS

AND HIS TRUSTY MEN

AND HE INCLUDED PHOENICIAN SYMBOLS

LIKE THE MAZZEBAH

TWO PHALLIC SYMBOL COLUMNS

OUT FRONT

CALLED

BOAZ AND JACHIN

AND THE ORNAMENTATION

OF PALM TREES

AND CHERUBIM

EVEN THE GUARDING LIONS OVER THE ARK

IN THE SANCTUARY

THE MIDDLE ROOM OF THE TEMPLE

STOOD A TABLE OF SHOWBREADS

TWELVE IN ALL

WITH A INCENSE BURNER

AMONG THEM

FOR THE LORD HAD REQUIRED

THAT THE BREAD

BE THERE

A BETTER NAME FOR SHOWBREADS

IS BREAD OF PRESENCE

SINCE IN TEMPLE WORSHIP

IT ALWAYS SHOULD BE THERE

BEFORE THE PRESENCE THE LORD

IN THE HOLY OF HOLIES

AFTER SEVEN DAYS

THE BREAD WAS REPLACED

IT WAS NOW THE PRIEST’S FOOD

IT MUST BE EATEN IN A HOLY PLACE

IT COULD BE EATEN BY OTHERS

AS DAVID AND HIS MEN DID

BUT IT WAS THE PRIESTS TO SHARE

AS WITH THE ARCHITECTURE OF THE TEMPLE

SHOWBREADS WERE COMMON TO THE AREA

REMNANTS OF A HOLY MEAL

IN OTHER CULTURES

FEEDING OF A GOD

WAS AN ORDINARY THING

ALSO IN THE SANCTUARY

WAS THE MENORAH

A SEVEN BRANCHED CANDELABRA

REPUTED TO LOOK LIKE THE PLANT SALVIA

WITH ITS MULTI- BRANCHES

THE ROOT OF THE WORD MENORAH

IS THE SAME AS MINARET

WHICH ORIGINALLY

WAS A LIGHTHOUSE

TO A DARKEN CITY

A KIND OF STREET LAMP

IT WAS NEEDED IN THE SANCTUARY

BECAUSE IT ONLY HAD A CLERESTORY

FOR OTHER LIGHT

WHICH WOULD BE USELESS AT NIGHT

IT WAS KEPT LIT CONTINUOUSLY

A SORT OF ETERNAL FLAME

BEYOND THE SANCTUARY

WAS THE HOLY OF HOLIES

THE REASON THE TEMPLE WAS BUILT

TO HOUSE G-D’S HOLY NAME

YAHWEH

OTHER CANAANITE TEMPLES

WOULD HAVE A STATUE

OF THEIR GOD

THERE WERE NO EFFIGIES

JUST THE ARK

AND THE GUARDING WINGED LIONS

AND THERE WAS NO LIGHT

THE HOLY OF HOLIES

HOUSED G-D’S GLORY

HIS SHEKINAH

HIS DWELLING AMONG US

IN FRONT OF THE HOLY OF HOLIES

WAS A VEIL

A CURTAIN IF YOU WILL

THAT BLOCKED THE HOLY OF HOLIES

FROM VIEW

ONLY THE HIGH PRIEST

ONCE A YEAR

COULD GO THERE

BUT WHAT HAVE I LEARNED

FROM MY SHOWOFF RESEARCH

THAT WHEN I WAS A CHILD

I WAS TAUGHT AS A CHILD

BUT AS I GREW

MY FAITH DID NOT

IT WAS STUCK AT SUNDAY SCHOOL LEVEL

THAT POMPEY

HAVING CONQUERED JERUSALEM

ENTERED

UNBIDDEN

THE HOLY OF HOLIES

AND FOUND AN EMPTY ROOM

NO ARK

NO GUARDING LIONS

NOTHING

EMPTY

BUT HE MUST HAVE FOUND SOMETHING

SENSED SOMETHING

BECAUSE THE NEXT DAY

HE ORDERED THE TEMPLE CLEANSED

AND SERVICES RESTARTED

BUT GRADUALLY

AS I MATURED

THE MIRACLE

AND IMPLICATION

OF THE INCARNATION

GREW IN ME

LIKE FILMING A SUNRISE

WITH A FAULTY CAMERA

THAT WOULD STICK

OR GO OUT OF FOCUS

FINALLY

THE TEMPLE VEIL RENT

THE SHEKINAH

WAS LOOSE

I SAW GOD’S FACE

HE SMILED

AND SAID GROW

FRANK A VOLLMER