I need not say that the building of Solomon's temple is one of the most interesting studies of antiquity; and when that building on mount Moriah is seen as the type of God's present heavenly building, it becomes infinitely more interesting.
In this building then the first thing that presents itself is this: David, the father, provides beforehand the materials of this temple—even the stones, the iron, and brass in abundance, without weight. He says, "I have prepared for the house of the LORD a hundred thousand talents of gold, and a thousand thousand talents of silver" (estimated value of this wealth is more than $25,000,000,000). This was David's provision for this costly building, in addition to an incalculable quantity of brass, iron, wood, and stone. Besides, the riches of Solomon, the son, were quite equal to those of his father, David. 1 Kings 10 gives some idea of Solomon's riches.
More than 150,000 men were employed in the rearing of this wondrous building (1 Kings 5:1515And Solomon had threescore and ten thousand that bare burdens, and fourscore thousand hewers in the mountains; (1 Kings 5:15)). "And the king commanded, and they brought great stones, costly stones, and hewed stones, to lay the foundation of the house." 1 Kings 5:1717And the king commanded, and they brought great stones, costly stones, and hewed stones, to lay the foundation of the house. (1 Kings 5:17).
Now, what do great stones mean? A builder in this country would consider a stone three feet every way a great stone. But we find these great foundation stones, sawn and hewn, were indeed "costly stones, even great stones, stones of ten cubits, and stones of eight cubits." 1 Kings 7:1010And the foundation was of costly stones, even great stones, stones of ten cubits, and stones of eight cubits. (1 Kings 7:10). A cubit, at the lowest, is one foot six inches; it is the measure from the elbow of a man to the end of his fingers. Thus, these great stones were at least twelve feet every way, and fifteen feet every way. If you just figure it up, you will find they weighed about two hundred and fifty tons each. There was one stone in the temple, after its restoration, thirty feet by thirteen by seven and a half feet. There are similar great stones in the ruins at Balbec, which may have been built by Solomon, called the "House of the Forest of Lebanon." Solomon built three houses, which answer, I doubt not, to the threefold glory of Christ; and as the same sized stones formed the foundation of each (1 Kings 7:1-111But Solomon was building his own house thirteen years, and he finished all his house. 2He built also the house of the forest of Lebanon; the length thereof was an hundred cubits, and the breadth thereof fifty cubits, and the height thereof thirty cubits, upon four rows of cedar pillars, with cedar beams upon the pillars. 3And it was covered with cedar above upon the beams, that lay on forty five pillars, fifteen in a row. 4And there were windows in three rows, and light was against light in three ranks. 5And all the doors and posts were square, with the windows: and light was against light in three ranks. 6And he made a porch of pillars; the length thereof was fifty cubits, and the breadth thereof thirty cubits: and the porch was before them: and the other pillars and the thick beam were before them. 7Then he made a porch for the throne where he might judge, even the porch of judgment: and it was covered with cedar from one side of the floor to the other. 8And his house where he dwelt had another court within the porch, which was of the like work. Solomon made also an house for Pharaoh's daughter, whom he had taken to wife, like unto this porch. 9All these were of costly stones, according to the measures of hewed stones, sawed with saws, within and without, even from the foundation unto the coping, and so on the outside toward the great court. 10And the foundation was of costly stones, even great stones, stones of ten cubits, and stones of eight cubits. 11And above were costly stones, after the measures of hewed stones, and cedars. (1 Kings 7:1‑11)), so is Christ the foundation stone, alike, of the Church of God in heavenly places, the future kingdom of Israel, and of millennial blessing to the whole world. The cross we shall find to be the foundation of all.
To return to that which occupies us at present, the temple. Vast quantities of cedar trees were brought from Lebanon. But for many centuries there has been a difficulty as to where and how these great, costly stones were obtained. A dear friend, who lives near Jerusalem, told me a few years ago, that there are immense caves under Jerusalem. And the quantity of broken stones, but especially some great stones, half cut, but never finished, makes it clear that these great stones were got out of pits, prepared in this manner: the top was leveled and marked out, then the sides were cut by drifts, then the under side cut. But just think of the greatness of the labor required in raising these great stones of the pit out to daylight, and moving them, and putting them in their places. Isaiah may have referred to these caverns when he speaks of the stones of the pit (Isa. 14:1919But thou art cast out of thy grave like an abominable branch, and as the raiment of those that are slain, thrust through with a sword, that go down to the stones of the pit; as a carcase trodden under feet. (Isaiah 14:19)).
The temple was built on a rock, by the side of a frightful precipice. We are told by historians that six hundred feet of foundation work had to be built to the level, on one side, where Solomon's porch stood. The foundation stones were dovetailed, or mortised, in a most wonderful manner into the very rock. The joint was so finely wrought that it could scarcely be found. Thus they were rooted, and grounded, and built into the very rock.
And the house, when it was building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither; so that "there was neither hammer nor ax nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building" (1 Kings 6:77And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither: so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building. (1 Kings 6:7)). Thus the silent growth of this earthly temple set forth the predestined heavenly building of God. As David, the father, gave the materials to Solomon, the son, even so Jesus says, "My Father, which gave them Me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of My Father's hand." John 10:2929My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. (John 10:29). And again, "As Thou hast given Him power over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as Thou hast given Him." John 17:22As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. (John 17:2). "All that the Father giveth Me shall come to Me; and him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out." Chap. 6:37. "And this is the Father's will which hath sent Me, that of all which He hath given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day." Chap. 6:39.
Yes, he would be a foolish builder who began to build and did not know whether he had materials to finish. And it is blessed to remember that God, the great master Builder, foreknew every stone chosen, and precious, that is built and shall be built in the heavenly temple.
Is it not most plain that those great stones, two hundred and fifty tons weight, never got out of the pit by any effort or work of their own? As we say, they would never have seen daylight if they had not been drawn out. You might just as well have put a ladder of ten steps, and told these stones to climb up it and get out of darkness, as to set the ten commandments before a dead sinner, and tell him to try and climb them, and so get out of the pit of sin. Jesus said to those who had long been trying this plan, "No man can come to Me, except the Father which hath sent Me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day." John 6:4444No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. (John 6:44).
In the judgment of a builder, there would be no way of getting those great stones out of the pit, but by going into the pit, hewing and drawing them out. And all that were drawn out were out, and no others. Now, does not the cross of our Lord Jesus reveal God's judgment of this matter as to sinners? If David counted the cost of this earthly temple in gold and silver, God also counted the cost. The price was the blood of the Lamb. "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold,... but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." 1 Pet. 1:18, 1918Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: (1 Peter 1:18‑19).
If those were great stones and costly, surely believers are great stones and costly. He spared not His only begotten Son, but gave Him up for us all. I am not much of a mason, but I should say a fifteen-foot cube of stone would cost no trifle. And, fellow believer, fellow-stone in the living temple, think what you have cost.
Thus God saw no way of raising sinners from the dead but by sending His Son to die for them. "We thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead" (2 Cor. 5:1414For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: (2 Corinthians 5:14)). And having died for our sins according to the Scriptures, He was numbered with the dead. There was the end of all judgment due to our sins. The full ransom price was paid. Despised, indeed, He was of men; yes, never was a stone so rejected by masons, as was this stone by Judah's builders. But oh! what were God's thoughts of His blessed Son as He lay in the grave? God saw Him the foundation stone. As our substitute, all our sins had been laid on Him. So Christ bore the sins of many. And now, infinite atonement being made by His precious blood, this stone, rejected by man, was raised from the dead by God. Therefore, "This is the stone which was set at naught of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." Acts 4:11, 1211This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. 12Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. (Acts 4:11‑12). Language cannot find words to express "the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of His mighty power, which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead." Eph. 1:19, 2019And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, 20Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, (Ephesians 1:19‑20). The raising of those great stones was, indeed, a grand figure of this; but what would have been the power required if every stone of the temple had to have been raised up together with the first foundation stone.
This heavenly temple, blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places, was chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world. Yet, every stone in this living temple was once dead in trespasses and sins—ah! dead as stones. "But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved); and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus." Eph. 2:4-64But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: (Ephesians 2:4‑6). Now, whether we think of what we were as lost, dead, buried sinners, or what was the tremendous undertaking for one to stand our substitute, and bear the full, unmixed wrath of God due to our sins—or of what we shall forever be as living stones in the heavenly temple—surely the raising up of Christ, the foundation stone, from the dead, and in Him the redeemed Church, and on Him its eternal destiny—the destiny of every saved sinner through eternal ages—I say, surely the raising of Christ, the foundation stone, was the greatest event, the greatest work, that ever God wrought. Oh, vastly strange that this, God's greatest work, should be so little thought of in our day!