A temple is a place of worship. The Jews considered their temple not only a place to worship, but also a place to offer sacrifices to God.
When the people of Israel were on their way to the Promised Land after being freed from Egypt, God instructed them to build a “mobile temple” called the Tabernacle, so they would have a place to worship during their journey.
The people viewed the Tabernacle as the place where the Spirit of God dwelt, and Israel worshipped God in the Tabernacle for approximately 400 years.
Eventually, King David set out to build a permanent house for God (2 Samuel 7:2-3) and God in turn revealed His own plans to him (1 Chronicles 28:19) so that the temple would be “exceedingly magnificent, famous and glorious throughout all countries” (1 Chronicles 22:5).
The first temple was build and later destroyed, and so a second one was built to replace it, but it too was destroyed. Modern day Jews hope for the 3rd temple to be built. Some believe that an earthquake in Jerusalem will destroy the Dome of the Rock (the Islam mosque built on the original site of the temple) making way for the construction of the new temple.
While this intense desire of the Jews has gone unfulfilled, the Holy Spirit inspired Bishop Edir Macedo to build a replica of Solomon’s Temple in São Paulo, Brazil. He recounted the during a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, he mentioned to other bishops how he wished that all the members of the Universal Church could at least once, walk on the very ground and stones where Jesus walked. After this comment, he thought: “If I cant bring everyone here, then I’ll take the pieces of this land to them.”
From that day on, this idea began to take shape and in July 2010 an impressive project – designed according to the biblical references to the temple – was announced.
This new temple will not be coated in gold, as was the Temple of Solomon, but all people will be free to enter and seek God – unlike the former temple, where only the high priest was allowed to enter the Holy of Holies.
The Bishop believes this site will be of great significance to the Christian faith: “This is not the project of one person or one denomination, but something so glorious from a spiritual point of view, that it transcends reason itself. It will certainly awaken the faith of the cold and lukewarm and promote a spiritual revival across the country and around the world.”
Following guidelines found in the Bible itself, architects and engineers have worked hard to make the new temple as similar to the former temple as possible. According to the architect and designer of the project,Rogério Silva de Araújo, data was gathered from biblical passages as well as archaeological ruins in Israel, at the Wailing Wall.
“In ancient Egypt, a cubit corresponded to the distance between the elbow and the fingertips – approximately 18 inches, or 52.4cm. Based on the information collected, we calculated that the house that King Solomon built for the Lord measured 31.44 metres long, 10.48metres wide and 15.72 meters high. And yet with Haggai 2.9 in mind, which says, “The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former,” we’ve created a larger building and yet are keeping it as similar as possible to the original – carefully choosing the materials and ornaments to be used on the interior,” he explains. 
It will be a mega-church, measuring 126 metres long and 104 metres wide – making it larger than both an official football pitch and the larger Catholic Church in the city of Sao Paulo, the Cathedral of Sé. It will have over 70,000 square metres of usable space within a 28, 000 square metre city block. It will be 55 metre high, equivalent to an 18-floor building – almost twice the height of the statue of Christ the Redeemer, in Rio de Janeiro (one of the most well-known landmarks in the country). This project will be a landmark in the history of the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God, and should be completed in 2014.
OVERVIEW
This is a significant undertaking that will incorporate state-of-the-art construction techniques. Upon entering the building, people will have the sensation that they are travelling back in time and will feel as though they are in the first temple, Solomon’s Temple. “From the façade to the sanctuary, we’ve created an environment that will take people back to the past. To achieve this, we’ve used leading edge technology combined with architectural common sense to avoid a clash of periods,” says the architect.
There will be 36 “Children’s Biblical Centre” rooms to accommodate approximately 1.300 children. There will be a radio and TV studios, an extra auditorium with a capacity of 500 people and several levels of underground parking for over 1,000 vehicles. Designed to be environmentallyy friendly, the temple will use hi-tech materials – both recyscled and local – that will be energy efficient and will allow for the recycling of water and heat.
Within the temple premises, there will be a 250 square metre building for special events. This space will also be used to explain the history of the Church and provide insight into the temple’s architecture and design.
When people enter the sanctuary they will see a replica of the Ark of the Covenant on the altar. It will have a 3-D effect – when opened, people will be able to see inside and its image will be reflected in the baptism pool, giving the sensation that people are being baptised inside the Ark. Twelve stones representing the twelve tribes of Israel will be visible on the altar, as well as two pillars, named Joachim and Boaz. The church will be situated in Brás (east São Paulo) and will have a seated capacity of over 10,000.
According to Bishop Edir Macedo, the temple will not be built with sheets of gold, but the richness of detail in every corner of the temple will be very similar to that of the old sanctuary. “we’ve ordered the same Jerusalem-stone used by Solomon to cover the walls of the temples. We want people to have a beautiful place to seek God, and to have the opportunity to touch these stones and pray,” said the bishop during a meeting in Sao Paulo. He is sure that visitors to this structure will not be limited to members of the UCKG, but that it will become a cultural and touristic attraction, drawing the attention of people from all over the world.
THE PROJECT
Redesigning the Temple of Solomon based on the guidelines in the Bible became a sizeable challenge, since from the time of Solomon would not meet the needs of the UCKG today. In the past, only the priests were allowed to enter the temple we are building. All will have the opportunity to travel back in time and enjoy this structure, whether or not they are members of the UCKG.
To enhance the biblical atmosphere, Bishop Edir Macedo ordered stone from Israel, more precisely from Hebron, to cover the walls of Solomon’s Temple.
Spiritual –with the church’s guidance and information from the Bible, the designers did their best to recreate an atmosphere from the time of Solomon.
Technical –the project meets all the legal requirements and building codes, in addition to providing accessibility to people with special needs.
Enviromental –this project will be the first house of worship of this size to conform to the LEED Green Building Rating System (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). This highlights the concern that the UCKG has for the environment. 
The complex contains almost 74,000 square metres of usable space, is divided into two large blocks, and is connected by a sanctuary that can comfortable accommodate just over 10,000 people.
The statistics of this project are amazing. Approximately 28,000 cubic metres of concrete and tons of steel will be used. The building will welcome members of the UCKG visitors, employees and residents who will enjoy comfort, security and a variety of facilities designed by its team of engineers and architects, such as:
a) Parking
b) Air conditioning
c) A self-generating power system – supplying energy to the entire building in case of a power outage.
d) A central water heating system that uses heat produced by the air conditioning system
e) Smart lifts designed for individuals with special needs
f) The sanctuary will be equipped with a cutting-edge audio-visual system that incorporates a video wall.
g) A surveillance system (CCTV)
h) Natural ventilation and lighting in the offices and the CBC rooms
i) Landscaping
j) An automated system that will control the building’s lighting and equipment on a 24 hours basis.
k) Specially designed acoustics for the sanctuary
l) The pastoral housing, CBC rooms, studios and offices will be equipped with individual temperature controllers and light switches – both operated by the users – in order to provide greater comfort and lower energy consumption.
‘Honor the LORD with your possessions, and with the firstfruits of all your increase; so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.’ Proverbs 3. 9-10.
