I love the Psalms, and the 23rd is one of my favorites. Part of it relates to kings, particularly David, and part of it is Messianic. Let's look at this psalm a bit closer.
"I Shall Not Want"
Psalm 23 begins, "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want" (v. 1). Those of us who have struggled with addiction know about want and desperate craving. I remember how badly I always wanted another drink, and yet was never filled up. Isaiah describes what some addicts call the "God hole." We try to fill our souls with alcohol, drugs, sex, food, and many other things in an attempt to fill that emptiness only God can fill. Isaiah observes:
"It shall even be as when an hungry man dreameth, and, behold, he eateth; but he awaketh, and his soul is empty: or as when a thirsty man dreameth, and, behold, he drinketh; but he awaketh, and, behold, he is faint, and his soul hath appetite" (Isaiah 29:8).
When the Prodigal Son "began to be in want," he "would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat" (Luke 15:14,16). Compare this with the fruit of the tree of life. Lehi said, "And as I partook of the fruit thereof it filled my soul with exceedingly great joy" (1 Nephi 8:12).
"He Leadeth Me Beside the Still Waters"
Verse 2 states, "He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters." We can drink deeply of the "waters of Shiloah that go softly" (Isaiah 8:6). Unlike chaotic waters of the world, Jesus, the source of "living water," provides "peace . . . which passeth all understanding" (see John 4:10; Philippians 4:7).
"Valley of the Shadow of Death"
"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me" (v. 4).
This is a Messianic prophecy. After eating the Last Supper with His disciples, Jesus walked across the Kidron Valley en route to Gethsemane, where He would carry the weight of all sin and suffering. A quick Google search will reveal a multitude of graves in the Kidron Valley. As Jesus walked through "the valley of the shadow of death," He "subdued all enemies under (H)is feet," including the enemies of death and hell (D&C 76:106).
"Thou Preparest a Table Before Me"
The ancient tabernacle (and later temple) had a table of shewbread (see Exodus 25:23,30). The Hebrew word means "bread of the face" or "presence bread." It represented a perpetual offering, ever present before the Lord. The shewbread was a forerunner to the sacrament. One sacramental promise is that we can always have His Spirit to be with us (D&C 20:77). Thus, God can be ever present in our lives.
"Thou Anointest My Head With Oil"
Kings and priests (and queens and priestesses) were anointed with oil, in similitude of the Messiah, or Christ, which both mean "anointed One" (see Exodus 40:13; 1 Kings 1:39). Heavenly Father is anxiously ready to endow each of His children with every blessing and attribute He enjoys.
"My Cup Runneth Over"
The cup is kingly paraphernalia. Nehemiah held the important post as cupbearer for King Artaxerxes (Nehemiah 1:11). Jesus, as King of kings, was willing to drink out of the "bitter cup" His Father gave Him (3 Nephi 11:11) so He could fill our cups. But even when the cup is full, He gives us a bigger cup! When Jesus visited the Nephites in the Americas, the multitude was overcome with joy (3 Nephi 17:18). But Jesus was not overcome. As we become more like Him, our capacity for joy is increased.
The "goodness and mercy" of God are truly amazing (Psalm 23:6).
Wednesday, August 27, 2014
Sunday, August 17, 2014
Psalm 24--A Heavenly Ascent
Many of the psalms deal with temple themes and Psalm 24 is one of the finest. The overall scriptural purpose of the temple is to come back into God's presence. This psalm covers several temple themes in just a few verses.
This could be reminiscent of a scene among the Nephites in the Book of Mormon:
"So they brought their little children and set them down upon the ground round about him, and Jesus stood in the midst; and the multitude gave way till they had all been brought unto him" (3 Nephi 17:12).
Keeper of the Gate
Psalm 24 ends with a dialog:
"Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in" (v. 7).
A question is then posed: "Who is this King of glory?" (vv. 8-10). The keeper of the gate would ask such a question to test the petitioner. The temple is the gate of heaven. After Jacob has a dream at Bethel (meaning "house of God"), he said, "This is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven" (Genesis 28:17).
And another Jacob (in the Book of Mormon) describes the gate and the keeper of the gate:
"O then, my beloved brethren, come unto the Lord, the Holy One. Remember that his paths are righteous. Behold, the way for man is narrow, but it lieth in a straight course before him, and the keeper of the gate is the Holy One of Israel; and he employeth no servant there; and there is none other way save it be by the gate; for he cannot be deceived, for the Lord God is his name" (2 Nephi 9:41).
And thus, the only way back to God's presence is through the ordinances of the holy temple.
The Creation
Central to the temple are the pillars of eternity--Creation, Fall, and Atonement. The first two verses of this psalm speak of creation:
"The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.
"For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods" (Psalm 24:1-2).
Notice the double parallelism with the words founded and established paired together, and seas and floods paired together. Water, in the context of a flood, represents chaotic, unorganized matter. But God was able to organize such element into a complete world for the benefit of mankind who would dwell therein.
Foundation
The Hebrew word for founded in verse 2 is the same as the noun form of foundation used three times in 1 Kings 5-7. In First Kings it's used to describe the foundation of the temple. In scriptural terms a foundation is a meeting point between heaven and earth, and defines a major purpose of the temple. In Jacob's dream there is a ladder (or staircase) connecting heaven and earth with messengers ascending and descending (see Genesis 28:12).
Many Bible scholars refer to a "foundation stone" as a focal point or sacred center. It is believed by many to be the first land appearing after the waters of creation receded. The foundation stone was centered on the Temple Mount, in the center of Jerusalem, which would be the center of Israel, which would be the center of the world. The Holy of Holies would be in the center of the temple.
Ascent to the Holy
"Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place?" (v. 3).
The temple is often represented in scripture as hill, mount, or mountain. The "mountain of the Lord’s house," as a prophecy of the latter-day temple, is a prime example. The ascent upward toward sacred space is in likeness to our mortal walk, as we journey back to the presence of God. You may notice in Psalms 120 through 134 an introduction to each psalm announcing it as a "song of degrees." As ancient Israelites approached the sacred center of Jerusalem, they sang these hymns as they were making their ascent to the temple, and these were sung at the three required feasts of Passover (or Unleavened Bread), Feast of Weeks (Pentecost), and Feast of Tabernacles. They ascended the temple mount in degrees (or steps).
The commandment to "stand in holy places" and be not moved is an ongoing temple theme (see D&C 45:32; 87:8).
Pure Heart and Clean Hands
Psalm 24, verse 4 answers the question of the previous verse of who may ascend to God's holy house:
"He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully."
Footnote b of this verse sends us to 1 Timothy 2:8, which reads, "I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting." This describes a gesture of praise called the "Hallel Gesture" in ancient Israel. It is what Bible scholars call "a gesture of approach." As the worshiper approaches God there are at least three symbolic purposes.
First, it is a prayer gesture as the worshiper petitions deity.
Second, the person "spreads forth (his or her) hands" toward God. In Isaiah the Lord declares, "And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood" (Isaiah 1:15). Note the verse here also speaks of "many prayers." The uplifted hands reveal to God that our hands are clean, although not in the above Isaiah verse, as the Lord sees blood on the hands. This gesture also exposes the chest cavity and reveals a pure heart. Alma asks, "I say unto you, can ye look up to God at that day with a pure heart and clean hands?" (Alma 5:19).
Third, it represents our surrender to Him. The verse in First Timothy describes the uplifted holy hands as being "without wrath and doubting." Our "confidence (can) wax strong in the presence of God" (D&C 121:45). We approach God with peaceful intent. The open hand hides no weapons, while the clenched fist represents a defiance of authority. We completely surrender our own will and say, "Thy will be done" (Matthew 26:42).
The Generation Seeks His Face
Verse 6 declares, "This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob."
Face is a leitwort (theme word) denoting the presence of God. The table of shewbread in the ancient tabernacle was "presence bread" or "bread of the face." Remember, the purpose of the temple is to prepare us to come into the presence of God.
The word generation is very interesting in this context. The Hebrew word (dowr) means circuit or cycle (see Strong's H1755). It is translated as generation here because a generation is a repeating cycle of life. But the Hebrew root of this word (duwr) means "to go in a circle." This could represent a prayer circle seeking the presence of the Lord.
This could be reminiscent of a scene among the Nephites in the Book of Mormon:
"So they brought their little children and set them down upon the ground round about him, and Jesus stood in the midst; and the multitude gave way till they had all been brought unto him" (3 Nephi 17:12).
Keeper of the Gate
Psalm 24 ends with a dialog:
"Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in" (v. 7).
A question is then posed: "Who is this King of glory?" (vv. 8-10). The keeper of the gate would ask such a question to test the petitioner. The temple is the gate of heaven. After Jacob has a dream at Bethel (meaning "house of God"), he said, "This is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven" (Genesis 28:17).
And another Jacob (in the Book of Mormon) describes the gate and the keeper of the gate:
"O then, my beloved brethren, come unto the Lord, the Holy One. Remember that his paths are righteous. Behold, the way for man is narrow, but it lieth in a straight course before him, and the keeper of the gate is the Holy One of Israel; and he employeth no servant there; and there is none other way save it be by the gate; for he cannot be deceived, for the Lord God is his name" (2 Nephi 9:41).
And thus, the only way back to God's presence is through the ordinances of the holy temple.
Sunday, August 10, 2014
Coronation Temple Imagery
The coronation of kings and queens establishes a pattern connected with temple worship. This scriptural typology occurs primarily in the Bible and Book of Mormon, but can be found in the Doctrine and Covenants and Pearl of Great Price as well. I will focus mainly on the coronation of Solomon and the background of his rise to the throne. This royal ceremony is loaded with symbolism and relates to a miracle performed by the Savior. It also has ties to modern gospel ordinances and highlights the application of such ordinances. Also, the roles of kings and priests foreshadow Christ's mission as King of kings.
Kings and Priests
The cast of characters becomes paramount here. In the case of Solomon there was a priest named Zadok who would anoint the new king. Thus, we have kings and priests (and queens and priestesses) present. The account in First Kings is significant.
"And Zadok the priest took an horn of oil out of the tabernacle, and anointed Solomon. And they blew the trumpet; and all the people said, God save king Solomon" (1 Kings 1:39).
The horn in the above verse would be the horn of an ox, goat, or ram. Horns in this context would symbolize power, and this could be divine power from the Lamb of God. On the first day of the seventh month (Tishri) there was a memorial blowing of a trumpet, or ram's horn, to celebrate the beginning of the new year and the most sacred month (see Leviticus 23:24). This day is still celebrated among Jews and can be found on the calendar as Rosh Hashanah. One such Rosh Hashanah occurred on September 22, 1827--the day Moroni delivered the plates to Joseph Smith. This was a symbolic announcement of a new year, or new dispensation, being ushered in and its resultant good news of the restored gospel. Moroni can still be seen atop the temples blowing the trumpet, and such a trumpet blowing took place in the above verse at Solomon's coronation.
The horn of oil was taken from the tabernacle, which was a forerunner to Solomon's Temple. So we have a king being anointed with oil as a royal type of Christ. The titles Messiah and Christ both mean "anointed One." The Hebrew word for oil in this verse is shemen. It can be recognized in the name Gethsemane in its Greek form, and is derived from two Hebrew words, gath and shemen, combined to create Gethsemane, or "oil press."
The purest oil ever produced was infinitely expensive and literally squeezed from every pore of our Savior's body in Gethsemane!
Triumphal Entry
In this chapter of First Kings we also read:
"So Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, went down, and caused Solomon to ride upon king David’s mule, and brought him to Gihon" (1 Kings 1:38).
Solomon rides a mule foreshadowing the Savior's triumphal entry into Jerusalem. When Jesus rode into Jerusalem the people "took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord. And Jesus, when he had found a young ass, sat thereon; as it is written, Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass’s colt" (John 12:13-15).
The word "Hosanna" used in the Hosanna shout means "save now." At the coronation the people are shouting, "God save king Solomon." At the dedication of the Kirtland Temple, part of the dedicatory prayer was, "That our garments may be pure, that we may be clothed upon with robes of righteousness, with palms in our hands, and crowns of glory upon our heads, and reap eternal joy for all our sufferings" (D&C 109:76). The palms would be waved before the King, and a crown would be part of the royal apparel.
Washing and Anointing
Solomon was anointed to become king at the Gihon Spring (1 Kings 1:45). Later, Hezekiah would divert this flowing "well of water" (John 4:14) into a tunnel and it would flow into the Pool of Siloam within the city walls. The Gihon Spring and the Pool of Siloam were situated very close to the temple, just to the south. This is the site where Jesus heals a blind man. The Gospel of John records:
"When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay,
"And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing" (John 9:6-7).
At this scene we have both a washing and an anointing. Sometimes the mundane things of this world can muddy our eyes, which see only an earthy, clay-like existence. But gospel ordinances can allow us to "come away seeing" the things of eternity!
It should be noted here that the Greek word for Sent (in the above verse) is apostello, where we get the English word apostle. Thus, this pool is a symbolic collection of apostalic keys and ordinances. When we immerse ourselves in the Atonement of Jesus Christ, these ordinances allow us to wash away the muddy and mundane and see ourselves clearly the way Jesus sees each of us.
Interestingly, when Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery received the Aaronic Priesthood and were baptized, Joseph records the following:
"Immediately on our coming up out of the water after we had been baptized, we experienced great and glorious blessings from our Heavenly Father. No sooner had I baptized Oliver Cowdery, than the Holy Ghost fell upon him, and he stood up and prophesied many things which should shortly come to pass. And again, so soon as I had been baptized by him, I also had the spirit of prophecy, when, standing up, I prophesied concerning the rise of this Church, and many other things connected with the Church, and this generation of the children of men. We were filled with the Holy Ghost, and rejoiced in the God of our salvation.
"Our minds being now enlightened, we began to have the scriptures laid open to our understandings, and the true meaning and intention of their more mysterious passages revealed unto us in a manner which we never could attain to previously, nor ever before had thought of" (Joseph Smith--History 1:73-74).
Kings and Priests
The cast of characters becomes paramount here. In the case of Solomon there was a priest named Zadok who would anoint the new king. Thus, we have kings and priests (and queens and priestesses) present. The account in First Kings is significant.
"And Zadok the priest took an horn of oil out of the tabernacle, and anointed Solomon. And they blew the trumpet; and all the people said, God save king Solomon" (1 Kings 1:39).
The horn in the above verse would be the horn of an ox, goat, or ram. Horns in this context would symbolize power, and this could be divine power from the Lamb of God. On the first day of the seventh month (Tishri) there was a memorial blowing of a trumpet, or ram's horn, to celebrate the beginning of the new year and the most sacred month (see Leviticus 23:24). This day is still celebrated among Jews and can be found on the calendar as Rosh Hashanah. One such Rosh Hashanah occurred on September 22, 1827--the day Moroni delivered the plates to Joseph Smith. This was a symbolic announcement of a new year, or new dispensation, being ushered in and its resultant good news of the restored gospel. Moroni can still be seen atop the temples blowing the trumpet, and such a trumpet blowing took place in the above verse at Solomon's coronation.
The horn of oil was taken from the tabernacle, which was a forerunner to Solomon's Temple. So we have a king being anointed with oil as a royal type of Christ. The titles Messiah and Christ both mean "anointed One." The Hebrew word for oil in this verse is shemen. It can be recognized in the name Gethsemane in its Greek form, and is derived from two Hebrew words, gath and shemen, combined to create Gethsemane, or "oil press."
The purest oil ever produced was infinitely expensive and literally squeezed from every pore of our Savior's body in Gethsemane!
Triumphal Entry
In this chapter of First Kings we also read:
"So Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, went down, and caused Solomon to ride upon king David’s mule, and brought him to Gihon" (1 Kings 1:38).
Solomon rides a mule foreshadowing the Savior's triumphal entry into Jerusalem. When Jesus rode into Jerusalem the people "took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord. And Jesus, when he had found a young ass, sat thereon; as it is written, Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass’s colt" (John 12:13-15).
The word "Hosanna" used in the Hosanna shout means "save now." At the coronation the people are shouting, "God save king Solomon." At the dedication of the Kirtland Temple, part of the dedicatory prayer was, "That our garments may be pure, that we may be clothed upon with robes of righteousness, with palms in our hands, and crowns of glory upon our heads, and reap eternal joy for all our sufferings" (D&C 109:76). The palms would be waved before the King, and a crown would be part of the royal apparel.
Washing and Anointing
Solomon was anointed to become king at the Gihon Spring (1 Kings 1:45). Later, Hezekiah would divert this flowing "well of water" (John 4:14) into a tunnel and it would flow into the Pool of Siloam within the city walls. The Gihon Spring and the Pool of Siloam were situated very close to the temple, just to the south. This is the site where Jesus heals a blind man. The Gospel of John records:
"When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay,
"And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing" (John 9:6-7).
At this scene we have both a washing and an anointing. Sometimes the mundane things of this world can muddy our eyes, which see only an earthy, clay-like existence. But gospel ordinances can allow us to "come away seeing" the things of eternity!
It should be noted here that the Greek word for Sent (in the above verse) is apostello, where we get the English word apostle. Thus, this pool is a symbolic collection of apostalic keys and ordinances. When we immerse ourselves in the Atonement of Jesus Christ, these ordinances allow us to wash away the muddy and mundane and see ourselves clearly the way Jesus sees each of us.
Interestingly, when Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery received the Aaronic Priesthood and were baptized, Joseph records the following:
"Immediately on our coming up out of the water after we had been baptized, we experienced great and glorious blessings from our Heavenly Father. No sooner had I baptized Oliver Cowdery, than the Holy Ghost fell upon him, and he stood up and prophesied many things which should shortly come to pass. And again, so soon as I had been baptized by him, I also had the spirit of prophecy, when, standing up, I prophesied concerning the rise of this Church, and many other things connected with the Church, and this generation of the children of men. We were filled with the Holy Ghost, and rejoiced in the God of our salvation.
"Our minds being now enlightened, we began to have the scriptures laid open to our understandings, and the true meaning and intention of their more mysterious passages revealed unto us in a manner which we never could attain to previously, nor ever before had thought of" (Joseph Smith--History 1:73-74).
Sunday, August 3, 2014
Types and Patterns of Solomon's Temple (Part 2)
The dedicatory prayer of Solomon's Temple serves as a pattern for both ancient and modern temple dedications and provides insights into temple imagery. We will look at a few more in this post.
God Who Keepeth Covenant and Mercy
As Solomon offers the dedicatory prayer, he can be seen as a mediator type, bridging the gap between God and man. He stands before the altar of the Lord, but also in the presence of the congregation (see 1 Kings 8:22). Kings in ancient Israel were deified to a certain extent. He pleads as an advocate in behalf of his people. This is a recurring theme in Psalms. Psalm 74 proclaims, "For God is my King of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth" (verse 12).
Solomon begins the prayer by saying:
"Lord God of Israel, there is no God like thee, in heaven above, or on earth beneath, who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants that walk before thee with all their heart" (1 Kings 8:23).
The dedicatory prayer of the Kirtland Temple began as follows:
"Thanks be to thy name, O Lord God of Israel, who keepest covenant and showest mercy unto thy servants who walk uprightly before thee, with all their hearts" (Doctrine and Covenants 109:1).
The word walk is a leitwort (theme word) emphasizing the importance of our quest to walk back to the presence of God. The above verses highlight an important temple purpose, and that is to make and keep sacred covenants. The theme of mercy is confirmed in both prayers and also, in the case of the Kirtland Temple, upon the Lord's acceptance of His house. The Lord appeared the following Sunday (on an Easter Sunday, April 3, 1836) and said, "For behold, I have accepted this house, and my name shall be here; and I will manifest myself to my people in mercy in this house" (D&C 110:7).
The All-Seeing Eye
Solomon petitions the Lord by praying, "That thine eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place of which thou hast said, My name shall be there" (1 Kings 8:29). Notice in the above verse from Doctrine and Covenants, section 110, that the Lord places His name on the temple as He accepts it as His house. It is a blessing to know that, as we attend the temple, God keeps a continual watch on each of us and our well-being.
Later in the prayer Solomon pleads, "That thine eyes may be open unto the supplication of thy servant, and unto the supplication of thy people Israel, to hearken unto them in all that they call for unto thee" (1 Kings 8:52). When the Lord accepts the temple he emphasizes this concept a third time:
"I have hallowed this house, which thou hast built, to put my name there for ever; and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually" (1 Kings 9:3).
The Lord not only watches over each of us, but there is a soft spot in His heart for each one!
In the Book of Mormon, Jacob teaches about his role as a priest as he witnesses to the people, "I pray the God of my salvation that he view me with his all-searching eye; wherefore, ye shall know at the last day, when all men shall be judged of their works, that the God of Israel did witness that I shook your iniquities from my soul, and that I stand with brightness before him, and am rid of your blood" (2 Nephi 9:44). In the Old Testament, as the presiding priest would make vicarious sacrifices for Israel, he would sprinkle the sacrificial blood on the altar (see Leviticus 16:18 for one example). The blood would normally splash upon his own garments, and hence, Jesus uses the following priestly imagery, "I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment" (Isaiah 63:3; see also D&C 133:51).
It is significant that the all-seeing eye is acknowledged by both a king (Solomon) and a priest (Jacob). Jacob's role as a priest is clearly identified in the Book of Mormon: "For I, Jacob, and my brother Joseph had been consecrated priests and teachers of this people, by the hand of Nephi" (Jacob 1:18). Thus, kings and priests (and queens and priestesses) can know of a certainty that God is watching over them.
The all-seeing eye is represented on the east side of the Salt Lake Temple.
The Hallel Gesture of Praise
It is significant that variations of the phrase, "spread forth his hands toward heaven," are mentioned three times during the dedicatory prayer.
"And Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven" (1 Kings 8:22).
"What prayer and supplication soever be made by any man, or by all thy people Israel, which shall know every man the plague of his own heart, and spread forth his hands toward this house" (1 Kings 8:38).
"And it was so, that when Solomon had made an end of praying all this prayer and supplication unto the Lord, he arose from before the altar of the Lord, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up to heaven" (1 Kings 8:54).
The context of these verses emphasizes this gesture as a prayer gesture. It is supported by a New Testament verse: "I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting" (1 Timothy 2:8).
But it's also what Bible scholars call a "gesture of approach." This gesture would reveal the palms of the hand and would also expose the chest cavity, revealing to God "clean hands and a pure heart." A temple psalm (Psalm 24) identifies this concept:
"Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place?
"He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully" (Psalm 24:3-4).
The "hill of the Lord" and "holy place" are obvious references to the temple. Alma teaches the same idea, "I say unto you, can ye look up to God at that day with a pure heart and clean hands?" (Alma 5:19). The Lord speaks of this gesture of approach and Israel's departure from Him by saying, "And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood" (Isaiah 1:15).
At the dedication of the Mount Timpanogos Temple, President Gordon B. Hinckley pleaded, "We acknowledge with thanksgiving the marvelous blessings here to be gained and pray that all who enter the portals of this Thy house may do so with clean hands and pure hearts, with love for Thee and Thy Son, and with faith in Thine everlasting promises made unto us. And the Provo Temple dedication included the following: "May all who enter have clean hands and pure hearts, and may they be built up in their faith and depart with a feeling of peace and praising thy holy name."
In the temple we learn eternal truths and see temple imagery originating from all dispensations, and even from the foundation of the world.
God Who Keepeth Covenant and Mercy
As Solomon offers the dedicatory prayer, he can be seen as a mediator type, bridging the gap between God and man. He stands before the altar of the Lord, but also in the presence of the congregation (see 1 Kings 8:22). Kings in ancient Israel were deified to a certain extent. He pleads as an advocate in behalf of his people. This is a recurring theme in Psalms. Psalm 74 proclaims, "For God is my King of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth" (verse 12).
Solomon begins the prayer by saying:
"Lord God of Israel, there is no God like thee, in heaven above, or on earth beneath, who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants that walk before thee with all their heart" (1 Kings 8:23).
The dedicatory prayer of the Kirtland Temple began as follows:
"Thanks be to thy name, O Lord God of Israel, who keepest covenant and showest mercy unto thy servants who walk uprightly before thee, with all their hearts" (Doctrine and Covenants 109:1).
The word walk is a leitwort (theme word) emphasizing the importance of our quest to walk back to the presence of God. The above verses highlight an important temple purpose, and that is to make and keep sacred covenants. The theme of mercy is confirmed in both prayers and also, in the case of the Kirtland Temple, upon the Lord's acceptance of His house. The Lord appeared the following Sunday (on an Easter Sunday, April 3, 1836) and said, "For behold, I have accepted this house, and my name shall be here; and I will manifest myself to my people in mercy in this house" (D&C 110:7).
The All-Seeing Eye
Solomon petitions the Lord by praying, "That thine eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place of which thou hast said, My name shall be there" (1 Kings 8:29). Notice in the above verse from Doctrine and Covenants, section 110, that the Lord places His name on the temple as He accepts it as His house. It is a blessing to know that, as we attend the temple, God keeps a continual watch on each of us and our well-being.
Later in the prayer Solomon pleads, "That thine eyes may be open unto the supplication of thy servant, and unto the supplication of thy people Israel, to hearken unto them in all that they call for unto thee" (1 Kings 8:52). When the Lord accepts the temple he emphasizes this concept a third time:
"I have hallowed this house, which thou hast built, to put my name there for ever; and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually" (1 Kings 9:3).
The Lord not only watches over each of us, but there is a soft spot in His heart for each one!
In the Book of Mormon, Jacob teaches about his role as a priest as he witnesses to the people, "I pray the God of my salvation that he view me with his all-searching eye; wherefore, ye shall know at the last day, when all men shall be judged of their works, that the God of Israel did witness that I shook your iniquities from my soul, and that I stand with brightness before him, and am rid of your blood" (2 Nephi 9:44). In the Old Testament, as the presiding priest would make vicarious sacrifices for Israel, he would sprinkle the sacrificial blood on the altar (see Leviticus 16:18 for one example). The blood would normally splash upon his own garments, and hence, Jesus uses the following priestly imagery, "I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment" (Isaiah 63:3; see also D&C 133:51).
It is significant that the all-seeing eye is acknowledged by both a king (Solomon) and a priest (Jacob). Jacob's role as a priest is clearly identified in the Book of Mormon: "For I, Jacob, and my brother Joseph had been consecrated priests and teachers of this people, by the hand of Nephi" (Jacob 1:18). Thus, kings and priests (and queens and priestesses) can know of a certainty that God is watching over them.
The all-seeing eye is represented on the east side of the Salt Lake Temple.
The Hallel Gesture of Praise
It is significant that variations of the phrase, "spread forth his hands toward heaven," are mentioned three times during the dedicatory prayer.
"And Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven" (1 Kings 8:22).
"What prayer and supplication soever be made by any man, or by all thy people Israel, which shall know every man the plague of his own heart, and spread forth his hands toward this house" (1 Kings 8:38).
"And it was so, that when Solomon had made an end of praying all this prayer and supplication unto the Lord, he arose from before the altar of the Lord, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up to heaven" (1 Kings 8:54).
The context of these verses emphasizes this gesture as a prayer gesture. It is supported by a New Testament verse: "I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting" (1 Timothy 2:8).
But it's also what Bible scholars call a "gesture of approach." This gesture would reveal the palms of the hand and would also expose the chest cavity, revealing to God "clean hands and a pure heart." A temple psalm (Psalm 24) identifies this concept:
"Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place?
"He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully" (Psalm 24:3-4).
The "hill of the Lord" and "holy place" are obvious references to the temple. Alma teaches the same idea, "I say unto you, can ye look up to God at that day with a pure heart and clean hands?" (Alma 5:19). The Lord speaks of this gesture of approach and Israel's departure from Him by saying, "And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood" (Isaiah 1:15).
At the dedication of the Mount Timpanogos Temple, President Gordon B. Hinckley pleaded, "We acknowledge with thanksgiving the marvelous blessings here to be gained and pray that all who enter the portals of this Thy house may do so with clean hands and pure hearts, with love for Thee and Thy Son, and with faith in Thine everlasting promises made unto us. And the Provo Temple dedication included the following: "May all who enter have clean hands and pure hearts, and may they be built up in their faith and depart with a feeling of peace and praising thy holy name."
In the temple we learn eternal truths and see temple imagery originating from all dispensations, and even from the foundation of the world.
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