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And they came, all Israel before King Solomon in the month of Ethanim, the seventh month, for the great autumn festival.
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With all Israel's leaders present, the priests took up the Chest of God
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and carried up the Chest and the Tent of Meeting and all the holy vessels that went with the Tent.
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King Solomon and the entire congregation of Israel were there at the Chest worshiping and sacrificing huge numbers of sheep and cattle - so many that no one could keep track.
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Then the priests brought the Chest of the Covenant of God to its place in the Inner Sanctuary, the Holy of Holies, under the wings of the cherubim.
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The outspread wings of the cherubim stretched over the Chest and its poles.
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The poles were so long that their ends could be seen from the entrance to the Inner Sanctuary, but were not noticeable farther out. They're still there today.
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There was nothing in the Chest but the two stone tablets that Moses had placed in it at Horeb where God made a covenant with Israel after bringing them up from Egypt. The Temple Finished, Dedicated, Filled
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When the priests left the Holy Place, a cloud filled The Temple of God.
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The priests couldn't carry out their priestly duties because of the cloud - the glory of God filled The Temple of God!
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Then Solomon spoke: God has told us that he lives in the dark where no one can see him;
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I've built this splendid Temple, O God, to mark your invisible presence forever.
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The king then turned to face the congregation and blessed them:
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"Blessed be God, the God of Israel, who spoke personally to my father David. Now he has kept the promise he made when he said,
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'From the day I brought my people Israel from Egypt, I haven't set apart one city among the tribes of Israel to build a Temple to fix my Name there. But I did choose David to rule my people Israel.'
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"My father David had it in his heart to build a Temple honoring the Name of God, the God of Israel.
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But God told him 'It was good that you wanted to build a Temple in my honor - most commendable!
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But you are not the one to do it - your son will build it to honor my Name.'
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"God has done what he said he would do: I have succeeded David my father and ruled over Israel just as God promised; and now I've built a Temple to honor God, the God of Israel,