20140802 Saturday, August 2 2014
2 Chronicles 04: The Vessels For The House Of God

by Wayne Blank
See also 1 Year Holy Bible Reading Plan

"Solomon made all the vessels that were for the House of God"

A "vessel" may be defined as any object that is used as a container, or to hold something. The word "vessel" is most-often used to translate the Hebrew word, pronounced kel-ee, which had a variety of applied meanings, from implements (i.e. something used for a purpose, not necessarily just a container i.e. warships and cargo ships are both called "vessels" - but have very different purposes) to literal containers. So too, the Greek word, pronounced sky-oos, which also had a number of meanings, most of which were similar to that for the Hebrew word. In the Holy Bible, "vessel" has both physical and, moreover, prophetic spiritual applications.

The LORD (Who was and is Jesus Christ - see Genesis 1: In The Beginning Was The Word and The Kingdom Of The LORD God) established the services at the Tabernacle and the Temple for their Christian prophetic purposes for all people - not as a mere religion of any one people. The altar system was a place for sacrifice - for atonement (see Why Do Christians Observe The Messiah's Day Of Atonement?), and, separately, to ritually cleanse those making the atonement so that they were fit to do so (see The Blood Of Bulls And Goats). The Levitical washings were the origin of "Christian" baptism.

"4:1 Moreover he made an altar of brass, twenty cubits the length thereof, and twenty cubits the breadth thereof, and ten cubits the height thereof. 4:2 Also he made a molten sea of ten cubits from brim to brim, round in compass, and five cubits the height thereof; and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about. 4:3 And under it was the similitude of oxen, which did compass it round about: ten in a cubit, compassing the sea round about. Two rows of oxen were cast, when it was cast.

4:4 It stood upon twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east: and the sea was set above upon them, and all their hinder parts were inward. 4:5 And the thickness of it was an handbreadth, and the brim of it like the work of the brim of a cup, with flowers of lilies; and it received and held three thousand baths.

4:6 He made also ten lavers, and put five on the right hand, and five on the left, to wash in them: such things as they offered for the burnt offering they washed in them; but the sea was for the priests to wash in." (2 Chronicles 4:1-6 KJV)

The "candlesticks" (as the King James Version translates it) was the stand that held the oil lamps. Candles can have a very different historical and prophetic significance (see also What Does Wicked Mean?) than oil lamps (see The Seven Lamps Of The Lampstand).

"4:7 And he made ten candlesticks of gold according to their form, and set them in the temple, five on the right hand, and five on the left.

4:8 He made also ten tables, and placed them in the temple, five on the right side, and five on the left. And he made an hundred basons of gold." (2 Chronicles 4:7-8 KJV)

The courtyard (see The Courtyard Of The Tabernacle) was the place where what was being done could be witnessed by those who looked to the prophetic place (even though many of the Israelites later made it into a religion in itself - see Israel Never Knew Purim, Hanukkah Or Judaism). Everything had a Christian prophetic significance (see The Prophecy Of The Blood Upon The Anointed One and The Prophecies Of Christianity).

"4:9 Furthermore he made the court of the priests, and the great court, and doors for the court, and overlaid the doors of them with brass. 4:10 And he set the sea on the right side of the east end, over against the south.

4:11 And Huram made the pots, and the shovels, and the basons.

And Huram finished the work that he was to make for king Solomon for the house of God;

4:12 To wit, the two pillars, and the pommels, and the chapiters which were on the top of the two pillars, and the two wreaths to cover the two pommels of the chapiters which were on the top of the pillars; 4:13 And four hundred pomegranates on the two wreaths; two rows of pomegranates on each wreath, to cover the two pommels of the chapiters which were upon the pillars. 4:14 He made also bases, and lavers made he upon the bases; 4:15 One sea, and twelve oxen under it.

4:16 The pots also, and the shovels, and the fleshhooks, and all their instruments, did Huram his father make to king Solomon for the house of the LORD of bright brass. 4:17 In the plain of Jordan did the king cast them, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zeredathah.

4:18 Thus Solomon made all these vessels in great abundance: for the weight of the brass could not be found out. 4:19 And Solomon made all the vessels that were for the house of God, the golden altar also, and the tables whereon the shewbread was set; 4:20 Moreover the candlesticks with their lamps, that they should burn after the manner before the oracle, of pure gold; 4:21 And the flowers, and the lamps, and the tongs, made he of gold, and that perfect gold; 4:22 And the snuffers, and the basons, and the spoons, and the censers, of pure gold: and the entry of the house, the inner doors thereof for the most holy place, and the doors of the house of the temple, were of gold." (2 Chronicles 4:9-22 KJV)

Fact Finder: What happened to the Temple vessels that were made in the time of King Solomon?
See The Prophet Daniel: The Hand Writing On The Wall and The Temple Vessel Prophecies Today