Do I understand the history of the Temple accurately?
Question:
Okay, let's see if I have this correct.
Solomon built the temple because David was not allowed to do so because he was known as a "man of war". Then that temple was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar. Another temple was built, but not as big or as elaborate. This would be the temple during the time of Christ. This temple would be the one in Jerusalem where the angel spoke to Zacharias. And where Jesus threw out the money-changers. But this would not be the one referred to as "Herod's Temple".
If I have all of this correct, would you know of a picture of the temple, especially of the inside, that I could print off for a class that I am to teach next quarter? At that time we will be starting the New Testament and I want to be able to give them a bit of background on the temple and some visuals (they are 5 and 6-year-olds). I would like to be able to give them an idea of where Zacharias was when the angel spoke to him, where the moneychangers were, etc. Visual aids seem to help this age group a lot.
On a side note: Do you happen to know if there was a particular significance to the fact that the angel was standing on the right side of the altar of incense when he spoke to Zacharias? Since it specifically mentions where he was standing, I wanted to make sure if it was something that I needed to point out or not.
Answer:
Close, but there were actually three Temples: Solomon's, Zerubbabel's, and Herod's. The one standing at Jesus' time was Herod's.
I found several layouts and drawings:
Solomon's Temple:
Zerubbabel's Temple:
The temple built in Zerubbabel's time is believed to be similar to the one Herod built to replace it. Herod's, however, was done on a larger scale and was built with richer materials.
Herod's Temple:
As for the position of the angel, a few commentators note that the right side is the favored or honored side (Matthew 25:33; Acts 7:56), but whether that is significant in this case, I cannot say. The right side, or south side, would put the angel between the altar of incense and the lampstand.
