Temple

Etymology: Temple which comes from the Latin word templum merely means a sacred enclosure. A temple is a structure or building that is made sacred by the presence of a deity or holy symbol. It can also be found in the Hebrew text as heykal meaning palace or temple. (Americana 459)

Definition: A temple is a sacred place where the spirit of Yahweh exists and where all of the important religious artifacts are kept so that his people can worship and sacrifice to their deity. "King Solomon built the first Temple of Jerusalem to house the Ark holding the sacred Tablets of the Law, which the Lord had given to Moses" (Americana 459). Since the Temple is the house of the lord it is embossed in gold and only the best materials are used to create and decorate the Temple.

Since the Temple is a place of the LORD it also means that it is a place for worship and sanctity. "Most of Christianity calls its places of worship churches" (Encyclopedia Britannica). It is holy ground where those who have sinned may repent, and those who wish to speak with or praise the LORD can do so. The Temple is said to be the house of the LORD where you are welcome at anytime to enter. "Most attention is paid to the inner sanctuary or most holy place, where the ark of the covenant was to be placed-according to some conceptions, the very dwelling place of God Himself" (Coogan 500). The Temple itself is a shrine and gift to the LORD to remind all of those who see it who their deity is.

Quotations:

"In my distress I called upon the LORD; to my God I called. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry came to his ears" (2 Samuel 22:7)

"He made the Hall of the Throne where he was to pronounce judgment, the Hall of Justice, covered with cedar from floor to floor. His own house where he would reside, in the other court back of the hall, was of the same construction" (1 Kings 7:7-8)

"In the four hundred eightieth year after the Israelites came out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv, which is the second month, he began to build the house of the LORD" (1 Kings 6:1)

"Then he said, "Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground"" (Exodus 3:5)

Bibliography
"Temple."Encyclopedia Americana. International Edition. 1829.
The new Oxford annotated Bible. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007.
"Temple." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2009. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 22 Apr. 2009 .