The Dedication of Solomon’s Temple
Next Part A Future Jubilee
500 years on from the Exodus came the high point in Israel’s national history. During those 500 years the Israelites had wandered through the desert under Moses, and then conquered Canaan under Joshua. After several centuries under the judges they had their 3 greatest kings. Saul defeated the Amalekites who were their most powerful enemies. David went on from Saul’s foundation to gain victory after victory. Solomon could then enjoy the fruits of David’s victories and turn his attention to amassing wealth and building great buildings.
Solomon had the privilege of building the temple or house of God. How great and wonderful was the occasion when the temple was finally finished and the time came to dedicate it to God. The year (unknown to Solomon) was the 60th jubilee from Adam and the time was the Festival of Tabernacles. On this most special occasion the Holy Spirit came down with great power, and the priests were unable to stand to minister because of the glory of the Lord (1 Kings 8: 11).
This moment in history was the completion of everything that had begun at the Exodus. The Israelites were for a brief period a totally free people living in their own land - a status they soon lost and did not regain at any time in their history till the last century. Previously they had been oppressed by the Egyptians, the Canaanites, the Midianites and the Philistines among others. Later they were oppressed in turn by the Syrians, the Assyrians, the Babylonians and the Persians, the Greeks and then the Romans. But for a brief interval under David and Solomon they were totally free. God gave them rest from all their enemies, and they were able to possess and enjoy their inheritance to the full.
I have written more on this subject under the title David and Solomon http://www.growthingod.org.uk/davsol.htm and will limit my comments here.
The Return from Babylon
The following 500 years were an unhappy period of decline for Israel. At the end of it the unbelievable happened. God, who cannot lie, had twice promised the land of Israel to Abraham as an ‘everlasting possession’ (Gen 17: 8 and 48: 4). That promise had been marvellously fulfilled. Israel had gone from being a rabble of slaves in a foreign land to being a powerful independent people in their own kingdom. Now again they became captives in a foreign land. What had happened to God’s promises?
This captivity was very different from the time in Egypt. It was a judgement and a consequence of sin. Most especially it was a judgement on the people of God for worshipping other gods. It was a judgement on religious sin.
Babylon in scripture is a picture of man’s religion. For centuries manmade, man-centred, man-controlled religion has held the true people of God in captivity.
Daniel and Nehemiah fasted and wept and confessed their sins and the sins of their people, and God granted deliverance. Cyrus, king of Persia, issued a decree that the Jews should return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple (Ezra 1: 1-5).
This decree was issued at exactly the 70th jubilee from Adam. Once again we see the terms of the jubilee fulfilled. The captives were set free and returned to possess their inheritance. The deliverance from captivity in literal Babylon is a picture of a much greater deliverance from a spiritual Babylon.
I have written a separately on Babylon. http://www.growthingod.org.uk/babylon1.htm The Death and Resurrection of Jesus
490 (reckoned as 500) years on from the Jewish return from Babylon we reach the times of the New Testament. This time period is clearly described in Daniel’s prophecy: ‘Seventy ‘sevens’ are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy..’ (Dan 9: 24).
What happened to fulfil this prophecy? Nothing less than the greatest event in all recorded history: the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ! Appropriately this occurred at the 80th jubilee from Adam, the number 8 and its multiples being associated especially with Jesus and his resurrection.
The children of Israel were set free from Egypt at the Exodus. The Jews were set free from Babylon after their 70 years of captivity. Jesus at his resurrection was set free from death. We also read in Mat 27: 52, 53 that ‘The tombs were opened and the bodies of many saints who slept were raised to life. They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus’ resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.’
This was an expression of jubilee that exceeded all previous jubilees. Jesus himself was set free from the ultimate imprisonment. He overcame death for himself and opened a way of deliverance for the whole creation. Jesus began his ministry with a clear reference to the year of jubilee. In the synagogue at Nazareth he read these words from Isaiah: ‘The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.’ (Isaiah 61: 1, 2 and Luke 4: 18, 19). He spoke of freedom to the prisoners and releasing the oppressed and proclaiming the year of the Lord’s favour. What other year could this mean but the year of jubilee? After proclaiming it he went on to bring deliverance from sin, sickness and Satan to multitudes of those who were bound and afflicted. All this culminated with his own deliverance from the chains of death, and 50 days later the deliverance of his followers from all fear on the glorious day of Pentecost. They in turn proclaimed deliverance and release to captives wherever they went.
Next Part A Future Jubilee