Chronicles of the Past Dynasties_Chapter 7

After Solomon had finished his prayer, fire came down from heaven and burned up the burnt offering and other offerings. The glory of the Lord fills the temple.

Because the glory of the Lord has filled the temple of the Lord, priests cannot enter.

When the fire came down and the glory of the Lord was in the temple, all Israel saw it and fell down on the paved ground, bowing down and giving thanks to the Lord, saying, The Lord is good, and his mercy endures forever.

The king and all the people offered sacrifices before the Lord.

King Solomon offered sacrifices of 22000 oxen and 120000 sheep. In this way, the king and all the people made offerings to the temple of God.

Priestly attendants, each performing their duties. The Levites also took the instruments of the Lord, which King David had made, and praised the Lord through the Levites. His mercy endures forever. The priest blew the trumpet in front of everyone, and all the Israelites stood up.

Solomon consecrated the courtyard in front of the Lord’s temple, where he offered the burnt offering and the fat of the peace offering, because the bronze altar he had made could not hold the burnt offering, the grain offering, and the fat.

At that time, Solomon and all Israel, from the mouth of Hamath to the Little River of Egypt, gathered together as a great assembly and celebrated the festival for seven days.

On the eighth day, a serious meeting will be established, and the ceremony of offering the altar will be held for seven days, while the festival will be observed for seven days.

On July 23rd, the king dispersed the people. They all rejoiced in the goodness that the Lord had shown David, Solomon, and his people Israel, and went back to their homes.

Solomon built the temple of the Lord and the royal palace. Everything he wanted to do in the temple of the Lord and in the palace of the king was done smoothly and efficiently.

At night, the Lord appeared to Solomon and said to him, “I have heard your prayers and have chosen this place as my temple for sacrifice.”.

If I block the heavens from rain, or cause locusts to eat the produce of this land, or let a plague spread among my people,

This is called the people under my name. If they feel inferior, pray, seek my face, and turn away from their evil deeds, I will hear from heaven, forgive their sins, and heal their land.

I will open my eyes and listen attentively to the prayers offered here.

Now I have chosen this temple and consecrated it, so that my name may be in it forever, and my eyes and heart will always be there.

If you follow the ways of your father David before me, do all that I command you, and keep my laws and judgments,

I will strengthen your kingdom, just as I made a covenant with your father David, saying, Your descendants will never cease to reign over Israel.

If you turn away and abandon the laws and commandments that I have instructed you, and serve and worship other gods,

I will uproot the Israelites from the land I have given them, and I will also abandon and disregard the temple that I have consecrated for my name, making it a laughingstock among all the people and a source of ridicule.

Although this temple is very high, those who will pass by will be amazed and say, “Why has the Lord done this to this land and this temple?”?

People will answer, “Because of this, the people of the land have abandoned the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and have come near other gods to worship and serve them. Therefore, the Lord has brought all these calamities upon them.”.