February 25, 2023: Haftorah - I Kings 5:26-6:13

This week's Haftorah reading is from I Kings 5:26-6:13. Join Dr. Jeffery Myers as he describes the pattern in King Solomon's Temple and the reality of the natural visible realm, that causes us to see the invisible spiritual and eternal realm!

Follow along in the AUDIO PODCAST, by clicking on the play button below, and reading along with the notes, as you listen to today's Haftorah:

Lion of Judah Speaks: Haftorah Portion – I Kings 5:26-6:13

In this haftorah we see the great work which Solomon was raised up to do was the building of the Temple; his wealth and wisdom were given to him to qualify him for that. We see him as a type of Messiah, for “he shall build the Temple of Adonai” (Zech. 6:12). King Solomon began to build the long-awaited Temple of Adonai. In fact, it was so long-awaited that the Word tells us that it was “480 years after the people of Israel were rescued from their slavery in the land of Egypt (I Kings 6:1). Why is the Temple significant? The Temple was a figure, an example, a parable and a pattern and type of heavenly things. Many things in the Tanakh were a shadow of good things to come. As we follow the shadow, we eventually come to the person whose shadow it was, Yeshua HaMashiach. The purpose of the shadow is to bring us to the substance. Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen according to Hebrews 11:1.

The purpose of prophecy is to bring us to the fulfillment. So, the earthly temple, as a shadow, is to bring us to the heavenly Temple, the substance and the reality of all things. Solomon’s Temple was a pattern (Greek: type) of heavenly realities, of the heavenly Temple. We understand that a Divine principle is “First the natural, then afterwards that which is spiritual” (I Cor. 15:46,47). We look at the natural, the material, which is temporal, in order to discover by the Ruach that which is spiritual and eternal. The seen brings us to the unseen and the visible helps us to understand the invisible. It is the ministry of the Ruach HaKodesh to glorify Messiah. We see this in Solomon’s Temple.

Yeshua Himself is greater than the material building, greater than the articles of furniture, greater than the sacrifices and oblations, greater than the priests and orders, greater than all! Yeshua Himself is the Temple personified. We are in worship now to Him as a person, not in worship to a building. The Psalmist said, “Gather My servants together unto Me” (Ps. 80:5). Jacob said in Genesis 49:10, “Unto Him shall the gathering of the people be.” Yeshua is the Living Temple. The Living Temple is greater than the material temple. The Eternal Temple is greater than the temporal temple.

Even though Elohim commanded the temple to be built and He dwelt therein by a visible manifestation of His glory-presence, Solomon recognized the truth of Elohim’s essential attributes. In II Chronicles 2:6, he said, “Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain Thee; how much less this house which I have built.”” Solomon recognized that Elohim cannot be limited to temples made with hands, for He inhabits eternity. Elohim who is Ruach cannot be confined to the material, yet in His mercy and grace He manifested Himself in the material temple. Even within our synagogues and congregations if we are not careful, we end up worshipping the House of Elohim and miss the Elohim of the House.

Solomon’s Temple was a type, a shadow and prophetic figure and structure of Yeshua, His body, the heavenly Temple and eternal realities and ultimately of the city of Elohim, New Jerusalem, the eternal habitation of Elohim and His redeemed. There is a significant difference between the tabernacle of Moses and the temple of Solomon. The tabernacle speaks of that which is temporary and transitional. Israel as a nation wandered in the wilderness for forty years. They were pilgrims and strangers in the earth. In due time they possessed the land of promise and the tribes were allotted their inheritance. The tabernacle functioned over many years during the formation of the young nation under theocracy prior to the monarchy. However, the temple speaks of the permanent. The land had been won. Journeys were over. Battles had been fought and victories won. All enemies were under their feet. The tribes were established as a United Kingdom under the Davidic covenant, the temple would become the center of the nation’s religious life and their worship of Elohim.

Elohim had gone from tent to tent, and one tabernacle to another, but now He could dwell in a house in a more permanent dwelling place among His own. The Divine purpose for the existence of the Temple is very specific. Elohim wanted to have a place in which to record His name, a place in which He could dwell among His people in His glory and presence. “The name” in Scripture always speaks of “the nature” of Elohim, the character of Elohim, who He is in His own essential Being. Elohim has always wanted a place—indeed a person—in which He could set His name and all that is represented in that expression.

Yeshua said that there was “one greater than the Temple” (Matt. 12:6). He also said “A greater than Solomon is here” (Matt. 12:42). We know that Yeshua HaMashiach is the Tabernacle, the Temple of Elohim. All that was typified, symbolized and prophetic in the natural temple pointed to and finds its fulfillment in Him personally. The prophet Ezekiel told the people, in the time when they were without all temple externals, “This says Adonai, I will be to them a little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come” (Ez. 11:46). The sanctuary is no longer a place but it is a person.

On the Mount of Transfiguration, Yeshua is seen as the Temple of Elohim, and the Shekinah-Glory-light and cloud overshadowed Him as the Father’s voice spoke out of the cloud, “This is My beloved Son, Hear Him!” Yeshua is the fulfillment of Solomon’s Temple. He is Elohim’s pure and holy Temple, undefiled and filled with the Father’s glory, in whom the fullness of the name of Elohim dwells.

The prophet Malachi prophesied that the “messenger of the covenant” and “Adonai whom you seek” would come suddenly to the material Temple. Messiah did come to His Temple but not the way they expected Him to come. Yeshua did come suddenly to His Temple but sought to cleanse it and make it all it was meant to be. Jewry rejected His cleansing. Like I said before, they worshipped the Temple of Elohim and missed the Elohim of the Temple. When Yeshua went out and departed from the Temple, He prophesied of its destruction. No longer would the Father or the Son be concerned with material temples. The body of Yeshua, made up of Jews, and Gentiles, living stones would now be made into a habitation of Elohim by the Ruach. Stephen addressed this to the Sanhedrin in Acts 7 along with the quote from Solomon before his death. He said, Solomon who built the original Temple said, “The Most High dwells not in temples made with hands.”

The Ruach HaKodesh has always wanted to dwell in redeemed hearts, living stones of a living Temple. As beautiful and majestic the Temple was—He will never go back to a material Temple…He is looking for us to inhabit. It is time we let Him come and dwell.

Shabbat Shalom Mishpocha,

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I pray you have a sweet and blessed Sabbath! Please pray for us as we are ministering in Africa. May Adonai bless you and shine His Light on you! See you at the altar!

Shalom