Timeline of Solomon's Temple

Scripture reading: 1 Kings 6:1

1 Kings 6:1 ESV

In the four hundred and eightieth year after the people of Israel came out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv, which is the second month, he began to build the house of the Lord.

We are taking another look at Solomon’s temple this morning. This study comes from the fourth book of the History of Redemption Series, entitled God’s profound and mysterious providence as revealed in the genealogy of Jesus Christ from the time of David to the exile in Babylon.

This study is important because in it we catch a glimpse of the mystery of God’s History of Redemption. How? It’s because the History of Redemption begins and ends with the temple. Genesis 1 shows God constructing the cosmic temple. And the Bible story ends with the New Jerusalem and Ezekiel’s Temple.

So what’s so significant about Solomon’s temple? Solomon’s temple is the first temple in the Bible. Except it’s not. Because when God creates the earth, for the first three days He lays the foundation. He creates the heavens and the earth. And He spends the next three days filling it with the heavenly bodies, plants, animals, and human beings. And the final picture is that of the Garden of Eden where He dwells with His people.

That is temple. That is God among us and us among God. Naked, unclothed, unashamed. And that picture doesn’t only remain in Genesis. It’s at the end of Revelation. God with us and us with God. Husband and wife for eternity. Naked, unclothed, unashamed.

So as we study the timeline of Solomon’s Temple construction, what we’ll see is that it foreshadows the timeline of God constructing His temple here on earth. And the key lies in the number seven. It took seven days to create the Garden of Eden. It took seven years to create Solomon’s temple. And many scholars conjecture that it takes seven thousand years to fulfil the History of Redemption.

Isaiah 46:10 (ESV)

declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’

2 Peter 3:8 ESV

But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

But what’s the

Why seven years?