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Exodus 26:8
The length of one curtainshall be thirty cubits, and the breadth of one curtain four cubits: and the eleven curtainsshall be all of one measure.

2 Chronicles 3:14
And he made the vailof blue, and purple, and crimson, and fine linen, and wrought cherubims thereon.

2 Chronicles 4:2-5
Also he made a molten sea of ten cubits from brim to brim, round in compass, and five cubits the height thereof; and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about…

Psalm 92:12-15
The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon…

Revelation 7:9
After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;

open flowers [heb] openings of flowers

1 Kings 6:18,32
And the cedar of the house withinwas carved with knops and open flowers: allwas cedar; there was no stone seen…

in both the inner and outer sanctuaries
The temple was divided into different sections, with the inner sanctuary, or the Holy of Holies, being the most sacred space where the Ark of the Covenant was kept. The outer sanctuary, or the Holy Place, was where priests performed daily rituals. The distinction between these areas highlights the concept of holiness and the separation between God and humanity, a theme prevalent throughout the Old Testament. The inclusion of carvings in both sanctuaries signifies that all parts of the temple, regardless of their level of sanctity, were to be adorned for God's glory.

with carved engravings of cherubim
Cherubim are often associated with the presence and protection of God, first mentioned inGenesis 3:24 as guardians of the Garden of Eden. In the temple, they symbolize the divine presence and serve as a reminder of God's holiness and the need for reverence. The presence of cherubim in the temple's design connects to their role in the Tabernacle and the Ark of the Covenant, where they were depicted as covering the mercy seat, indicating God's throne and His dwelling among His people.

palm trees
Palm trees are symbols of victory, peace, and eternal life in biblical literature. They were used in the Feast of Tabernacles (Leviticus 23:40) and are associated with triumph, as seen in the waving of palm branches during Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem (John 12:13). Their inclusion in the temple's carvings may represent the peace and prosperity that Solomon's reign brought to Israel, as well as the eternal nature of God's kingdom.

and open flowers
Open flowers in the temple's carvings could symbolize beauty, life, and the flourishing of creation under God's care. Flowers are often used in Scripture to depict the transient nature of human life (Isaiah 40:6-8), but in the context of the temple, they may represent the beauty and permanence of God's creation and His eternal covenant with Israel. The use of floral motifs in sacred spaces underscores the idea that all creation is a testament to God's glory and creativity.

Solomon’s craftsmen did not leave a single surface plain; every wall was shaped for beauty and instruction.

•1 Kings 6:18 adds, “The temple was cedar within, carved with gourds and open flowers; everything was cedar; no stone was visible”. The intent was to surround worshipers with reminders of God’s creative artistry.

• God had always filled His dwelling places with skillful workmanship (Exodus 31:1-5; 35:30-33), so copying that pattern in the permanent temple underscored stability and continuity.

• By encircling the house of God with imagery, Solomon echoed “You shall make a sanctuary for Me, that I may dwell among them” (Exodus 25:8-9). The carvings pointed hearts to the One who truly fills the house (2 Chronicles 5:13-14).

The artistry was not limited to the inner chamber (Most Holy Place) but reached the outer (Holy Place).

• This seamless design stressed that holiness ought to permeate every sphere—public ministry and private encounter alike (Leviticus 10:3).

•Hebrews 9:6-8 recalls that priests entered the first room regularly, yet only the high priest entered the second yearly. Even so, both rooms declared God’s glory, hinting at a future where the veil would be removed and all God’s people could draw near (Matthew 27:51).

Cherubim symbolized the guardianship of God’s presence.

• After Eden’s fall, “He stationed cherubim…to guard the way to the tree of life” (Genesis 3:24). Their figures on the temple walls proclaimed that access to God is protected yet graciously provided through covenant.

• The ark’s atonement cover bore two golden cherubim (Exodus 25:18-22), andIsaiah 37:16 calls the LORD “enthroned above the cherubim.” Carving them into the very walls visually enthroned God in the temple’s midst.

•Ezekiel 10 shows cherubim alive with fire and movement; here they are fixed in wood, suggesting that even God’s majestic servants stand in reverent stillness within His house.

Palms evoke life, righteousness, and victory.

• “The righteous will flourish like a palm tree” (Psalm 92:12). Worshipers inside Solomon’s temple were reminded that right living before God yields lasting fruit.

• During the Feast of Tabernacles Israel carried palm branches (Leviticus 23:40), celebrating God’s sheltering care. The palms on the walls reinforced that sense of joyous refuge.

• InRevelation 7:9 a countless multitude holds palm branches while praising the Lamb, linking temple imagery with the ultimate victory worship in heaven.

Flowers speak of beauty, renewal, and attentive provision.

• The temple lampstand was fashioned with “almond blossoms, cups, and buds” (Exodus 25:31-34), already hinting at floral motifs. Solomon extends them to the walls, multiplying the theme of flourishing.

•Isaiah 35:1-2 promises that “the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus,” a preview of messianic restoration hinted at by every carved bloom.

• Jesus later pointed to flowers as proof of the Father’s care (Matthew 6:28-29). Seeing open flowers in the temple would quietly reassure worshipers that God clothes His house—and His people—with splendor.

Every phrase of1 Kings 6:29 layers meaning onto the temple’s message. Encircling walls display continuous, all-encompassing holiness. Inner and outer rooms both shine with divine beauty, narrowing no corner of life from God’s touch. Cherubim proclaim guarded yet gracious access, palms celebrate flourishing righteousness and coming victory, and open flowers promise renewal and loving provision. Together the carvings transform cedar panels into a living sermon: God dwells among His people, guards them, blesses them, and invites them into a restored, Eden-like fellowship that will one day burst into full bloom in His eternal presence.

1.The Cherubim have been regarded by some as symbols of the invisible Godhead, by others as "representations of the heavenly spirits which surround the Lord of glory and set forth psychical life at its highest stage" (Keil); but it seems best to view them as symbols of all animal life, including the highest and perhaps not excluding the thought of Him who is the source and spring of life, theAnima animantium (cf. ch. 12:28). Hence they are spoken of asהַחַיּות (Ezekiel 1:5, 13, 15, etc.) "the living things" (compareτὰ ζῶα,Revelation 4:6, 8, 9), and even asהַחַיָּה "the life" (Ezekiel 10:14, 15, etc.) The cherubim consequently speak of the great animal kingdom before its Creator. "Creaturely being reaches its highest degree in those which have ananima, and among these, the lion, the bull, the eagle, and the man are the highest and most complete" (Bahr). These shapes, accordingly, were not inappropriate or unmeaning in a temple raised by the creature to the glory of the Creator.

2. Just as the cherubim speak of animal, so do thePalms of vegetable life. They are "the princes of the vegetable kingdom" (Linnaeus) "Amongst trees there is none so lofty and towering, none which has such a fair majestic growth, which is so evergreen, and which affords so grateful a shade and such noble fruits - fruits which are said to be the food of the blessed in paradise - as the palm" (Bahr), who also adds that it is said to have as many excellent properties as there are days in the year, and cites Humboldt as designating it the "noblest of plants forms to which the nations have always accorded the meed of beauty." Judaea, he further remarks, is the fatherland of the palm, so much so that the palm in later days became the symbol of Palestine (as on the well known coin with the legendJudaea capta). The palms, therefore, tell of the vegetable world, and of Him who fashioned its noble and graceful forms.

3. And very similar was the testimony of theFlowers. "Flowers and bloom have been, from ancient times to our own, the usual symbols of lifefulness .... So then by the flower work, as well as by the cherubim and the palm trees, was the dwelling of Jehovah, which was adorned therewith, designated as anabode of life" (Bahr). On the earthly dwelling place of the Eternal, that is to say, were everywhere pourtrayed the various tokens of His Almighty power and goodness. And the significance of each is the same. "Thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are, and were created." They were graved]within and without. [These words, here and in ver. 30, are generally taken to mean "in the oracle and in the house." But it is worthy of consideration whether they do not rather signify, "in the house and in the porch." The latter was overlaid with gold (2 Chronicles 3:4). It is doubtful whetherלַחִיצוןon the outside, can be applied to any part of the interior, and here its application would be to theoracle (Thenius)].

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