Why Was God Pleased with Solomon’s Temple if It Had Statues?
The Second Commandment is a bedrock of God’s Law: “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image.” Yet, the inspired account of Solomon’s Temple reveals a structure filled with magnificent, carved figures, notably the two massive Cherubims that overshadowed the Ark of the Covenant. How can this be reconciled with the Law? Did God contradict Himself, or is there a crucial distinction that points to the true meaning of obedience in the end times?
The truth is that God was pleased with Solomon’s Temple because it was built in perfect, minute obedience to His explicit, Divine pattern, separating it entirely from man’s idolatrous inventions.
The Divine Distinction: Commanded Art vs. Forbidden Image
The commandment found in Exodus 20:4 (KJV) forbids images that originate from man’s desire and are intended for worship:
“Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them…”
The key here is both the origin (unto thee) and the purpose (bow down thyself to them). The Temple images met neither of the conditions for the forbidden “graven image”:
- Origin: Divine Command: Every element of the Temple, from the dimensions to the decorations, was part of a construction plan revealed by God to David and then given to Solomon. God, the Lawgiver, cannot forbid something and then command it, unless the purpose of the command is to separate His prescribed, authorized worship from all unauthorized, self-willed idolatry.
- Purpose: Symbolic Witness: The Cherubims, the carved oxen supporting the molten sea, and the palm trees and flowers that decorated the walls were architectural symbols of the heavenly realm, pointing to the true sanctuary in Heaven. They were never presented to the people as objects to be worshipped, prayed to, or venerated.
The golden Cherubims over the Mercy Seat were specifically commanded by God as part of the Tabernacle’s design (Exodus 25:18-22). Solomon was simply transferring that divinely ordained pattern into a permanent structure:
“And in the oracle he made two cherubims of olive tree, each ten cubits high.” — 1 Kings 6:23 (KJV)
These images were permanent witnesses of God’s presence and His Law, not competitors for His worship.
The Prophetic Hotspot: The Principle of Obedience
The Temple stands as a monumental lesson in the principle of absolute obedience. God’s Law is not a set of confusing paradoxes; it is a clear call to submit to His authority. When God commands, obedience is righteousness; when man initiates, it becomes an act of self-will and rebellion.
God did not accept the Temple because of the splendor of the gold and cedar, but because Solomon honored the Divinely Revealed Pattern. When the work was complete, God confirmed His pleasure:
“And the LORD said unto him, I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication, that thou hast made before me: I have hallowed this house, which thou hast built, to put my name there for ever…” — 1 Kings 9:3 (KJV)
This is why throughout Scripture, God condemns the worship of images (idolatry), but never condemns the Temple—the place of His commanded images. The issue is never whether an object is made (God made the tree the carpenter carved from), but whether it is worshipped or made in disobedience to God’s authority.
The Return Question
As we focus on The Lord’s Return, this distinction is crucial. The end-time church is defined by those who keep the Law and the Faith of Jesus:
“Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” — Revelation 14:12 (KJV)
We are not called to invent our own means of worship, nor are we called to reject what God has commanded (such as baptism or keeping the Law). We are called to absolute obedience to the pattern established in the Scriptures. The question is not, “What can I make for God?” but rather, “What has God commanded me to do?“
The man-made graven image is the ultimate symbol of the disobedient heart; the Cherubims in the Temple are the ultimate symbol of the obedient heart following the Divine blueprint. Those who await the return of the Lord must seek only the latter.