The Tabernacle In The Wilderness had a long journey in time (about 400 years) and place (through the Wilderness Journey). The Tabernacle continued to be used long after the Israelites entered their promised land, through the entire era of The Judges - and was still in use after King David had The Ark Of The Covenant brought to Jerusalem. Solomon worshiped in Gibeon, even though the Ark was in Jerusalem.
"Solomon the son of David established himself in his kingdom [see Israelite Monarchy - The United Kingdom], and The Lord his God was with him and made him exceedingly great. Solomon spoke to all Israel, to the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, to the judges, and to all the leaders in all Israel, the heads of fathers' houses. And Solomon, and all the assembly with him, went to the high place that was at Gibeon; for the tent of meeting of God, which Moses the servant of The Lord had made in the wilderness, was there. But David had brought up the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim to the place that David had prepared for it, for he had pitched a tent for it in Jerusalem. Moreover the bronze altar that Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, had made, was there before the tabernacle of The Lord. And Solomon and the assembly sought The Lord. And Solomon went up there to the bronze altar before The Lord, which was at the tent of meeting, and offered a thousand burnt offerings upon it." (2 Chronicles 1:1-6 RSV)It was there, at the Tabernacle, that The Lord (see YHVH, Adonai, Jehovah, LORD) appeared to Solomon and promised him a great kingdom.
"In that night God appeared to Solomon, and said to him, "Ask what I shall give you." And Solomon said to God, "Thou hast shown great and steadfast love to David my father, and hast made me king in his stead. O Lord God, let thy promise to David my father be now fulfilled, for thou hast made me king over a people as many as the dust of the earth. Give me now wisdom and knowledge to go out and come in before this people, for who can rule this thy people, that is so great?"2 Chronicles Chapter 2
God answered Solomon, "Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked possessions, wealth, honor, or the life of those who hate you, and have not even asked long life, but have asked wisdom and knowledge for yourself that you may rule my people over whom I have made you king, wisdom and knowledge are granted to you. I will also give you riches, possessions, and honor, such as none of the kings had who were before you, and none after you shall have the like." [see Solomon's Kingdom]
So Solomon came from the high place at Gibeon, from before the tent of meeting, to Jerusalem. And he reigned over Israel." (2 Chronicles 1:7-13 RSV)
Solomon then returned to Jerusalem and began the building of the Temple and the royal palace - both of which would survive until the Babylonian captivity of Judah (see Why Babylon? and Israelite Monarchy - The Southern Kingdom).
"Now Solomon purposed to build a temple for the name of The Lord, and a royal palace for himself. And Solomon assigned seventy thousand men to bear burdens and eighty thousand to quarry in the hill country, and three thousand six hundred to oversee them." (2 Chronicles 2:1-2 RSV)Much of the fine cedar and skilled workmen would be supplied by King Hiram Of Tyre (also rendered "Huram").
"And Solomon sent word to Huram the king of Tyre: "As you dealt with David my father and sent him cedar to build himself a house to dwell in, so deal with me. Behold, I am about to build a house for the name of The Lord my God and dedicate it to him for the burning of incense of sweet spices before him, and for the continual offering of the showbread, and for burnt offerings morning and evening, on the sabbaths and the new moons and the appointed feasts of The Lord our God, as ordained for ever for Israel." (2 Chronicles 2:3-4 RSV)Hiram was a faithful ally to both David and Solomon. Israel and Lebanon also traded extensively.
"Then Huram the king of Tyre answered in a letter which he sent to Solomon, "Because The Lord loves his people he has made you king over them." Huram also said, "Blessed be The Lord God of Israel, who made heaven and earth, who has given King David a wise son, endued with discretion and understanding, who will build a temple for The Lord, and a royal palace for himself.2 Chronicles Chapter 3
Now I have sent a skilled man, endued with understanding, Huramabi, the son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, and his father was a man of Tyre. He is trained to work in Gold, Silver, bronze [see Brass, Bronze, Copper], iron, stone, and wood, and in Purple, blue, and crimson [see also Scarlet] fabrics and fine Linen, and to do all sorts of engraving and execute any design that may be assigned him, with your craftsmen, the craftsmen of my lord, David your father.
Now therefore the wheat and barley [see Corn], oil and wine, of which my lord has spoken, let him send to his servants; and we will cut whatever timber you need from Lebanon, and bring it to you in rafts by sea [i.e. The Mediterranean Sea] to Joppa, so that you may take it up to Jerusalem." (2 Chronicles 2:11-16 RSV)
The Temple would be built on Mount Moriah, a place familiar to Abraham and Isaac centuries before (see Isaac's Faith And Obedience).
"Then Solomon began to build the house of The Lord in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where The Lord had appeared to David his father, at the place that David had appointed, on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. He began to build in the second month of the fourth year of his reign." (2 Chronicles 3:1-2 RSV)The Temple dimensions (see Cubits and Biblical Weights and Measures):
"These are Solomon's measurements for building the house of God: the length, in cubits of the old standard, was sixty cubits, and the breadth twenty cubits. The vestibule in front of the nave of the house was twenty cubits long, equal to the width of the house; and its height was a hundred and twenty cubits." (2 Chronicles 3:3-4 RSV)The Layout Of Solomon's Temple was patterned after the Tabernacle that it replaced.
"The vestibule in front of the nave of the house was twenty cubits long, equal to the width of the house; and its height was a hundred and twenty cubits. He overlaid it on the inside with pure gold. The nave he lined with cypress, and covered it with fine gold, and made palms and chains on it. He adorned the house with settings of precious stones. The gold was gold of Parvaim. So he lined the house with gold - its beams, its thresholds, its walls, and its doors; and he carved cherubim on the walls." (2 Chronicles 3:3-4 RSV)Carved Cherubim were created for The Most Holy Place (see the Fact Finder question below).
"In the most holy place he made two cherubim of wood and overlaid them with gold. The wings of the cherubim together extended twenty cubits: one wing of the one, of five cubits, touched the wall of the house, and its other wing, of five cubits, touched the wing of the other cherub; and of this cherub, one wing, of five cubits, touched the wall of the house, and the other wing, also of five cubits, was joined to the wing of the first cherub. The wings of these cherubim extended twenty cubits; the cherubim stood on their feet, facing the nave." (2 Chronicles 3:10-13 RSV)Jachin and Boaz were the two pillars at the front of the Temple (see also Why Did They Face East?).
"In front of the house he made two pillars thirty-five cubits high, with a capital of five cubits on the top of each. He made chains like a necklace and put them on the tops of the pillars; and he made a hundred pomegranates, and put them on the chains. He set up the pillars in front of the temple, one on the south, the other on the north; that on the south he called Jachin, and that on the north Boaz." (2 Chronicles 3:15-17 RSV)
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