The first time we hear of Jesus at the Temple, he is almost seven weeks old, and Mary and Joseph bring him to the Temple courts to “present him to the Lord” (Luke 2:22).
If you look closly at the temple after settling in the promised land, there is a little modification, you’ll see the Court of Women (the open square with four lampstands in each corner):
It was a square courtyard, 233 feet on each side (for comparison, a football field is 360 feet long). Within it stood four massive lampstands, each 86 feet tall.
It’s not that this was a place only for women, but it was the farthest point that women could go toward the Temple. This is the place where the 84-year-old prophetess Anna worshiped “with fasting and prayer night and day,” and who became a grateful evangelist when she saw Mary and Joseph with baby Jesus at his dedication (Luke 2:36–38).
This is the same place 30 years later when Jesus would observe the religious rich making their offerings and the poor widow making hers. Within the colonnades surrounding the court there were 13 wooden boxes for collecting money. Coins would be dropped through a bronze trumpet-shaped receptacle — and you could tell the size of the coin by listening to the sound that it made when the money was deposited. The rich, Jesus observed, “contributed out of their abundance,” while the poor widow gave more—contributing just a fraction of a penny—”all she had to live on” (Luke 21:4). A few years later, after Judas had betrayed Jesus, the chief priests decided that they couldn’t deposit the 30 pieces of silver into this treasury because it was “blood money” (Matt. 27:6). This is the very place I presume Jesus entered not the holy place and moreso he hadn’t started the ministry as a priest in the holy place so going there would have broken the sanctuary pattern.
You notice the outer courts were enclosed by magnificent colonnades. Along the east side of the outer court ran what was called Solomon’s Colonnade; it was here that Jesus was seen walking during the Feast of the Dedication and teaching the multitudes. Before long it became a customary meeting-place for the early church Acts 3:11; 5:12
The large outer court was called “the Court of the Gentiles” [Rev 11:2 perhaps in the anticipation of the New Model of Solomon’s temple] because it was devoted to the foreigners who had come to worship God at the Temple and they could proceed no further. It is interesting that Jesus chose to stop at this place to show forth His anger toward the moneychangers, the Court of the “Gentiles,” and this was not the first time that He came to the aid of non-Jews. The profanity and abuse of the moneychangers was no small thing. They treated the foreign guests with much contempt and even the Jewish authorities constantly scorned this place and abused the pilgrims who came to worship.
Heading east through the Inner Courts one would come to the Court of the Women. Its name is derived from the fact that Jewish women were admitted thus far (but no farther). In this court, at the west end, was the ‘treasury’, the section where there stood thirteen trumpet-shaped containers for voluntary offerings of money. Jesus was sitting ‘opposite the treasury’ when he saw the widow put into one of the containers the two copper coins which were all that she had (Mark 12:41-44).
From research you can do you find that the Temple Proper – original wilderness structure was a separate structure from the outside or “side structures”. They were not considered the “Temple Proper” though they were a part of what was called the “Temple” and were called “Temple Complex ” . Those who were not of the tribe of Levi were allowed into the “Temple Complex”, but not the “Temple Proper”, which was “THE TEMPLE” In the Bible this “Temple Complex” is called “The Temple”, but it was not really the TEMPLE, it was the “Temple Complex” that Jesus taught in. Jesus was barred from entering the actual TEMPLE.
The Inner Courts [holy and holy of holies] were on a higher level than the outer court. To enter into the Inner Courts one would have to pass through the western gate of the outer court and up a flight of stairs that had 15 steps to the first court which was the Court of the Israelites. This inner court measured 187 cubits (280 feet) long and 135 cubits (202 feet) wide, and surrounded the whole Temple Proper [the original sanctuary]. Against the walls were chambers which stored the utensils required for the services. There were 3 gates on both the south and north sides, making seven entrances in all. 11 cubits of the eastern end were partitioned off by a stone balustrade 1 cubit high, for the men (the court of the Israelites), separating it from the rest of the space that went to form the court of the priests.
The innermost court was the Court of the Priests, which excluded all laymen. In the eastern part of this court, opposite the main gates leading from the other courts and the eastern entrance into the Temple area, so that it could be seen from a distance, stood the great altar of burnt offering.
In this latter court stood the altar of burnt offering, made of unwrought stone, 30 cubits (45 feet) in length and breadth, and 15 cubits (22 feet) high. West of this was the Temple, and between the Holy Place and the altar stood the laver of cleansing.
At its west side stood the sanctuary proper, comprising (from east to west) the porch, the holy place, and the cubical holy of holies. Into the holy place the priests entered to discharge various duties, in particular to offer incense on the golden-incense altar, as Zechariah did on the occasion when an angel appeared to him and announced the forth
Jesus never went into the temple proper that’s the priest section, he was at the “temple complex” but still classed as IN the temple in the Bible. As you say the glory was greater because Jesus was in the temple, I 100% agree because light shone and these walls of partition were passing away
Also, more modern translations say Jesus taught in the Temple COURTS, not in the Temple itself:
When Jesus entered the temple courts, he began to drive out those who were selling. (Luke 19:45)
Matthew 21:12
[Jesus at the Temple] Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves.
Every day he was teaching AT the temple. But the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the leaders among the people were trying to kill him. (verse 47 not “in” the Temple)
This is only a few examples, there are many more. The Temple Courts were spoken of as the “Temple” in general speech, but they were not really the Temple. The inner courts were “holy ground”, that only Israelites could enter, (women restricted to the woman’s court), but these were still “courts” and not the Temple itself.
Josephus has the following to say
“The Jewish Temple in the First Century A.D.
It is interesting that in the Middle East certain places have remained holy throughout the centuries, even if another religion may have taken possession of them. Today the Moslem Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem is the prominent building where the Jewish temple once stood.
When Jesus came to Jerusalem, the Temple had just been marvelously rebuilt by Herod the Great. The Temple area had been enlarged to a size of about thirty-five acres. Around the Temple area were double colonnades.
The Colonnades:
“All the cloisters were double, and the pillars to them belonging were twenty-five cubits in height, and supported -the cloisters. These pillars were of one entire stone each of them, and that stone was white marble; and the roofs were adorned with cedar, curiously graven. The natural magnificence, and excellent polish, and the harmony of the joints in these cloisters, afforded a prospect that was very remarkable; nor was it on the outside adorned with any work of the painter or engraver. The cloisters -(of the outmost court) were in breadth thirty cubits, while the entire compass of it was by measure six furlongs, including the tower of Antonia; those entire courts that were exposed to the air were laid with stones of all sorts” (Jewish War 5. 5. 2).
The eastern portico was named after King Solomon and the part to the south, which overlooked the Valley of Kidron, was called “Royal.” On the east side the high corner was possibly the pinnacle of the temple, mentioned in the story of the temptation of Jesus (Matthew 4:5).
There were eight gates leading into the temple.
There were the two Huldah Gates or “mole” Gates from the south, which passed underneath the Royal Porch.
To the east was the Gate of Susa, still visible as the Golden Gate which was walled up by the Byzantines.
In the western wall was the main gate named the Gate of Coponius after the first procurator; it was decorated with the golden eagle as a sign that the Temple had been placed under the protection of Rome.
Anyone was allowed to enter the outer area, which was therefore called the Court of the Gentiles. The actual Temple was enclosed by a balustrade, and at the entrances to it were warning notices, one of them is now in a museum in Istanbul. It says that foreigners have freedom of access provided they do not go beyond the balustrade which went all around the central edifice and which no uncircumcised could cross without incurring the death penalty.
Fourteen steps led through the Beautiful Gate to the Court of the women where the poor boxes were, into one of which the poor widow cast her two mites (Luke 21:1-4).
Another fifteen steps led up to the famous Gate of Nicanor, to which Mary had brought the child at the time of his presentation; this led through the Court of the Men to that of the priests, which had in its center the altar for the burnt offerings and to the left of it a large basin called the Brazen Sea resting upon twelve bulls cast in bronze.
Further steps led up to the actual temple, a comparatively small building. A priceless curtain, embroidered with a map of the known world, concealed from view what lay beyond, and none except the priest on duty was allowed to go farther.
It contained the golden altar at which incense was offered and next to it the seven-branched candelabrum and the table with the twelve loaves of shewbread, which were replaced by fresh ones every sabbath. Beyond it, behind another large curtain, lay the Holy of Holies, which none except the high priest was allowed to enter, and he only on the Day of Atonement. A stone designated the place where once the Ark of the Covenant had stood.
Jesus came to the Temple at a very young age and in Solomon’s Porch the boy argued with the rabbis, astonishing them with his questions and with his answers. He remained behind when his parents left, and when his worried mother at last found him he said to her enigmatically: “‘Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”‘ (Luke 2:49).
It is one of the most original sayings of Jesus, in which he speaks of God for the first time as “avi” (My Father) which was an expression reserved for the Son of God.
Today the Western Wall, the so-called Wailing Wall, is all that remains of the ancient walls of Herod’s Temple; one can still see the pilaster and the beginning of Robinson’s Arch, which was part of a large viaduct leading to the upper city. Excavations in 1967, led by the well-known archaeologist Benjamin Mazar, revealed the cornerstone. Adjacent to it on the southern side remain traces of the road from which the pilgrims entered the gates.”
I believe Jesus was only in the camp and outer court and by representation of symbols in the holy place on earth until he went to heaven in the holy place. At the same time, i believe the Father on earth was in the camp for he communed with Adam before sin but i cant for surety say in the court because immediately after sin, Jesus takes over. But still i can add that the Father was in the Court for at Mt. Sinai he was present with Jesus and the Angels. About The Father also was represented by the Bread of his presence on earth. About both being in the holy place literally in heaven, this should not divide us because Daniel 7 reveals he was there in the holy place with Jesus until new thrones were set and he moved in the Most Holy Place in 1844. For the matter of new thrones different from the old ones being set, quote:
Then I saw an exceeding bright light come from the Father to the Son, and from the Son it waved over the people before the throne. But few would receive this great light; many came out from under it and immediately resisted it; others were careless and did not cherish the light, and it moved off from them; some cherished it, and went and bowed down with the little praying company. This company all received the light, and rejoiced in it, as their countenances shone with its glory. AND I SAW THE FATHER RISE FROM THE THRONE, AND IN A FLAMING CHARIOT GO INTO THE HOLY OF HOLIES, WITHIN THE VEIL, AND DID SIT. THERE I SAW THRONES THAT I HAD NEVER SEEN BEFORE. Then Jesus rose up from the throne, and the most of those who were bowed down arose with Him; and I did not see one ray of light pass from Jesus to the careless multitude after he arose, and they were left in perfect darkness. Those who rose up when Jesus did, kept their eyes fixed on Him as He left the throne and led them out a little way. — Then He raised His right arm and we heard his lovely voice saying, “Wait here–I am going to my Father to receive the Kingdom; keep your garments spotless, and in a little while I will return from the wedding and receive you to myself.” And I saw a cloudy chariot, with wheels like flaming fire, and Angels were all around it as it came where Jesus was. He stepped into the chariot and was borne to the Holiest where the Father sat. … {Broadside1, April 6, 1846 par. 7}
