people of Israel on their way to the promised land (Num 2:17), the temple is the permanent center around which the kingdom is organized.45 What is the significance of the temple for the kingdom? The temple functions not only as the dwelling place of God, but also as the means by which unholy people can dwell with the holy God (i.e., the sacrificial system). The royal overtones are especially significant. Just as the palace is the “house” of the human king, the temple is the “house” of the divine