Topical Encyclopedia
Definition and Significance:In biblical terms, a temple is a sacred place designated for worship and the dwelling place of God among His people. Temples hold immense significance in the Judeo-Christian tradition as they represent the physical manifestation of God's presence on earth. They serve as a focal point for religious rituals, sacrifices, and communal worship.
The Tabernacle:Before the construction of a permanent temple, the Israelites used the Tabernacle, a portable sanctuary, during their wilderness wanderings. The Tabernacle was meticulously designed according to God's instructions given to Moses on Mount Sinai (Exodus 25-27). It housed the Ark of the Covenant and was the center of Israelite worship until the establishment of the First Temple.
The First Temple (Solomon's Temple):King Solomon built the First Temple in Jerusalem, fulfilling the vision of his father, King David. The construction of the temple is detailed in
1 Kings 6-7 and
2 Chronicles 3-4. It was a magnificent structure, symbolizing the zenith of Israel's united monarchy and serving as the central place of worship for the Israelites. The temple was dedicated with great ceremony, and God's presence filled the temple as a cloud (
1 Kings 8:10-11: "And when the priests came out of the Holy Place, the cloud filled the house of the LORD, so that the priests could not stand there to minister because of the cloud; for the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD.").
The Second Temple:After the destruction of Solomon's Temple by the Babylonians in 586 BC, the Second Temple was constructed upon the return of the Jewish exiles from Babylon. Initiated under the leadership of Zerubbabel and later expanded by Herod the Great, the Second Temple is described in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. It played a central role in Jewish life until its destruction by the Romans in AD 70.
The Temple in Prophecy and the New Testament:The temple holds a significant place in biblical prophecy and the New Testament narrative. Prophets like Ezekiel envisioned a future temple (Ezekiel 40-48), and Jesus Christ's ministry frequently intersected with the temple. Jesus cleansed the temple, emphasizing its intended purpose as a house of prayer (
Matthew 21:12-13: "Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those selling doves. And He declared to them, 'It is written: My house will be called a house of prayer. But you are making it a den of robbers.'").
The Temple as a Symbol of the Church and Believers:In the New Testament, the concept of the temple evolves to represent the Church and individual believers as the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. Paul writes in
1 Corinthians 3:16 (BSB: "Do you not know that you yourselves are God’s temple, and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?"), emphasizing the sanctity and spiritual significance of the believer's body as a temple of God.
Eschatological Significance:The temple also holds eschatological importance, with references to a future temple in the book of Revelation.
Revelation 21:22 (BSB: "But I saw no temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.") suggests a time when the physical temple will no longer be necessary, as God's presence will be fully realized among His people.
Conclusion:Temples in the Bible serve as profound symbols of God's presence, holiness, and the covenant relationship between God and His people. From the Tabernacle to the eschatological visions, the temple remains a central theme in understanding the divine-human relationship throughout biblical history.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
ROBBERS OF TEMPLES(hierosuloi, "guilty of sacrilege"): A term used by the town clerk of Ephesus (Acts 19:37, the King James Version "robbers of churches"). As the temple of Diana (Artemas) had a great treasure-chamber, the offense might not be unknown among them; compareRomans 2:22.
In 2 Maccabees 4:42 the King James Version the epithet "church-robber" (the Revised Version (British and American) "author of the sacrilege") is applied to LYSIMACHUS (which see).
TEMPLES
tem'-p'lz (raqqah, "thinness," "upper cheeks"): The original signifies the thinnest part of the skull (Judges 4:21, 22;Judges 5:26). InSongs 4:3;Songs 6:7, the bride's cheeks are likened to pomegranates because of the rich coloring of a slice of this fruit.
TEMPLES, ROBBERS OF
(hierosuloi; the King James Version "robbers of churches,"Acts 19:37): To explain this as "sacrilegious persons" is irreconcilable with the contrast inRomans 2:22. InDeuteronomy 7:25, the Jews were commanded entirely to destroy the gold and silver idols, ornaments of the heathen temples. The sin reproved is that of making that a matter of gain which, without regard to its value, they should have destroyed. "Dost thou, who regardest the mere touch of an idol as a horrible defilement, presume to rob their temples?" There is abundant evidence to show that this crime was not unusual. When the town-clerk of Ephesus declares the companions of Paul innocent of such charge, his words imply that the fact that they were Jews rendered them liable to such suspicion. So Josephus goes out of his way (Ant., IV, viii, 10) to deny that Jews ever committed the crime.
H. E. Jacobs
Greek
2417. hierosulos -- robbingtemples... robbing
temples. Part of Speech: Adjective Transliteration: hierosulos Phonetic
Spelling: (hee-er-os'-oo-los) Short Definition: robbing
temples, sacrilegious
...2416. hierosuleo -- to rob a temple
... temple. Word Origin from hierosulos Definition to rob a temple NASB Word
Usage robtemples (1). robtemples, commit sacrilege. From...
3485. naos -- a temple
... Word Origin probably akin to naio (to inhabit) Definition a temple NASB Word Usage
shrines (1), temple (42), temple sanctuary (1),temples (1). shrine, temple....
Strong's Hebrew
6285. peah -- corner, side... corner, side NASB Word Usage boundary (1), corner (1), corners (6), edges (2), forehead
(2), sector (1), side (69), side-growth (1), sides (1),
temples (1).
...7541. raqqah -- the temple (part of the head)
... temple. Word Origin from the same as raq Definition the temple (part of
the head) NASB Word Usage temple (3),temples (2). temple....
1004. bayith -- a house
... 1), perfume* (1), place (2), places (1), prison* (15), residence (1), room (6),
rooms (1), shrine* (1), temple (36), temple to the house (1),temples (2), tomb...
1964. hekal -- a palace, temple
... Word Origin a prim. root Definition a palace, temple NASB Word Usage court (1),
nave (14), palace (7), palaces (4), temple (53),temples (1). palace, temple....
Library
Temples of God
... CORINTHIANS (To II Corinthians, Chap. V)TEMPLES OF GOD.... And so, if the Church as
a whole is a Temple, it is only because all its members aretemples of God....
Of the Destruction of theTemples all Over the Empire.
... Book V. Chapter XX."Of the destruction of thetemples all over the Empire.
Now the right faithful emperor diverted his energies...
Christians,Temples of the Living God
... Christians,Temples of the Living God. Isaiah, speaking of the glory of
gospel days, said, "Men have not heard nor perceived by the...
Of the IdolTemples which were Destroyed by John in Phoenicia.
... Book V. Chapter XXIX."Of the idoltemples which were destroyed by John
in Phoenicia. On receiving information that Phoenicia was...
Demolition of the IdolatrousTemples at Alexandria, and the...
... Book V. Chapter XVI."Demolition of the IdolatrousTemples at Alexandria, and
the Consequent Conflict between the Pagans and Christians....
And If, Further,Temples are to be Compared withTemples...
... Chapter XIX. And if, further,temples are to be compared withtemples?
And if, further,temples are to be compared withtemples...
Destruction of IdolTemples and Images Everywhere.
... Book III. Chapter LIV."Destruction of IdolTemples and Images everywhere.
All these things the emperor diligently performed to...
Temples Built by Constantine the Great; the City Called by his...
... Chapter III."Temples built by Constantine the Great; the City called by his Name;
its Founding; the Buildings within it; the Temple of Michael the Archsoldier...
Martin Destroys HeathenTemples and Altars.
... Martin. Chapter XIV. Martin destroys HeathenTemples and Altars. Nor did he show
less eminence, much about the same time, in other transactions of a like kind....
TheTemples and the Gods of Chaldaea
... CHAPTER II"THETEMPLES AND THE GODS OF CHALDAEA. THE CONSTRUCTION AND REVENUES
OF THETEMPLES"THE POPULAR GODS AND THE THEOLOGICAL...
Thesaurus
Temples (17 Occurrences)... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia ROBBERS OF
TEMPLES. (hierosuloi, "guilty of
sacrilege"): A term
... LYSIMACHUS (which see).
TEMPLES. tem'-p'lz
...Robbers (21 Occurrences)
... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia ROBBERS OFTEMPLES. (hierosuloi, "guilty of
sacrilege... which see).TEMPLES, ROBBERS OF. (hierosuloi; the...
Calah (2 Occurrences)
... ruin, he rebuilt it, and it thereafter became practically the capital of the country,
for he not only reerected or restored its shrines andtemples-the temple...
Nile (37 Occurrences)
... THE NILE IN HISTORY 1. The Location ofTemples 2. The Location of Cemeteries
3. The Damming of the Nile 4. Egyptian Famines III....
Pergamum (2 Occurrences)
... On the hill between these two streams the first city stood, and there also stood
the acropolis, the chieftemples, and theaters of the later city....
Pergamos (1 Occurrence)
... On the hill between these two streams the first city stood, and there also stood
the acropolis, the chieftemples, and theaters of the later city....
Erech (2 Occurrences)
... 3. Its Patron-Deities and TheirTemples: Two great deities, Ishtar and Nanaa, were
worshipped in this city, the temple of the former being E-anna, "the house...
Nail (9 Occurrences)
... 15:3), more especially a tent-peg (Exodus 27:19; 35:18; 38:20), with one of which
Jael (qv) pierced thetemples of Sisera (Judges 4:21, 22)....
Tent-pin (4 Occurrences)
... Judges 4:21 Then Jael Heber's wife took a tent-pin, and took a hammer in her hand,
and went softly unto him, and smote the pin into histemples, and it pierced...
Jael (6 Occurrences)
... used for driving it into the ground, and stealthily approaching her sleeping guest,
with one well-directed blow drove the nail through histemples into the...
Resources
What was Solomon's temple / the first temple? How many temples were there? | GotQuestions.orgAre many practices and traditions in Christianity actually pagan in origin? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is Tisha B'Av? | GotQuestions.orgBible Concordance •
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