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Brief overview
The Temple was a sacred place of sacrificial worship of the Jews. It had several sections such as:The Holy of the Holies (the room for the Ark of covenant) court of women, raised ramp part etc.
Before the building of the temple, the Israelites worshipped and offered sacrifices in shrine called tabernacle. when they were taken captive (exile) and the temple destroyed, they worship in a simple design buildings called synagogue.
The Synagogue served four main purposes:
>As place of worship on sabbath day.
>As school on weekdays
> As Court for judicial function.
> As a meeting center of the elders
There were 20,000 priests (all Levites) based in Jerusalem with not less than 50 priests serving in the temple on daily basis, and they were grouped into 24 divisions. The Jews across the nation went to the temple especially during the feast of pentecost, Passover.
Another most important rite was the atonement. During this, the most senior priest (the high priest) perform the rite on the day of atonement; a goat known as scapegoat would be sent to the desert, believed to have taken away the sins of the people.
Significance of the temple to the gospel.
The significance is all those events that happened or concerned the temple and Jesus which includes:
1. Archangel Gabriel announced the birth of John the Baptist (Jesus' precursor or predecessor) to Zachariah in the temple.
2. Purification of Jesus infancy after 40 days took place in the temple.
3. Satan took Jesus to the top of the temple and told him to jump down.
4. Jesus taught in the temple though the pharisees questioned his authority.
5. Jesus at the age of twelve got lost in the temple.
6. Jesus said that the temple is his father's house
7. Jesus cleansed the temple during his triumphant entry.
8. He prophesied that a time is coming when no single stone will be left upon another
9. The curtain of the temple tore into two during Jesus crucifixion.
Building and destruction of the temple.
First temple
The first temple was built by King Solomon in 970 BC, destroyed by the Babylonians under king Nebuchadnezzar.
Second temple
The second temple was built by Zerubbabel after the exile in Babylon.
Third temple
Was pulled down by King Herod the great when he announced it replacement. Herod rebuilt the temple splendidly. Six years later, the Roman armies destroyed it completely in 70 AD.