Category: King Solomon

Solomon and Jesus #12

Sunday, July 16, 2023

“And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever” (2 Samuel 7:12,13 KJV).

Let us search the Scriptures to see how Solomon is a type of the antitype Jesus….

While King David was celebrated, comparatively speaking, he was more of a “local hero,” for it was by means of King Solomon that the Davidic throne gained international attention and admiration. Observe: “And king Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom. And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom, that God had put in his heart” (2 Chronicles 9:22,23). Again, this hints at the Lord Jesus’ reign in the ages to come.

Read 1 Kings 10:1-9 (cf. 2 Chronicles 9:1-8). This Queen of Sheba was likely from Yemen, some 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) south of Jerusalem. Far away from the land of Israel, she nevertheless heard of an extremely clever and tremendously wealthy Jewish king. Therefore, she set out on a long journey to see if those rumors were true. When she views Solomon’s kingdom firsthand and meets with him personally, the Bible tells us “there was no more spirit in her” (1 Kings 10:5). She is in such disbelief, such shock, she was liable to faint or perhaps undergo cardiac arrest! Her response is, “Behold, the half was not told me!” All the stories she overheard about him, his empire, and its furnishings were much too inadequate to serve as accurate descriptions. “Thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard” (verse 7).

The Queen of Sheba remarks to Solomon: “Blessed be the LORD thy God, which delighted in thee to set thee on his throne, to be king for the LORD thy God: because thy God loved Israel, to establish them for ever, therefore made he thee king over them, to do judgment and justice” (2 Chronicles 9:8). Once more, it loops to the Christ Jesus’ future reign in Israel….

Solomon and Jesus #11

Saturday, July 15, 2023

“And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever” (2 Samuel 7:12,13 KJV).

Let us search the Scriptures to see how Solomon is a type of the antitype Jesus….

As peace prevailed with Solomon, so it will with Christ’s kingdom. “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this” (Isaiah 9:6,7). Christ Jesus fulfills the Davidic Covenant as delineated in Psalms, “peace” again linking Christ to Solomon.

“Even he shall build the temple of the LORD; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both” (Zechariah 6:13). This is Christ’s Second Coming. Also, Zechariah 9:10: “And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off: and he shall speak peace unto the heathen: and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth” (His First Coming is verse 9; cf. Matthew 21:4,5).

As touching Jesus’ birth, Luke 2:11-14: “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” This “peace on earth”—world peace—will not be possible until Christ’s return.

There are yet other ways Solomon corresponds to Christ….

Solomon and Jesus #10

Friday, July 14, 2023

“And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever” (2 Samuel 7:12,13 KJV).

Let us search the Scriptures to see how Solomon is a type of the antitype Jesus….

When David aimed to build a temple for the LORD in Jerusalem (the context of today’s Scripture), the LORD strictly prohibited it. David thus spoke in 1 Chronicles 22:8-10: “But the word of the LORD came to me, saying, Thou hast shed blood abundantly, and hast made great wars: thou shalt not build an house unto my name, because thou hast shed much blood upon the earth in my sight. Behold, a son shall be born to thee, who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies round about: for his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quietness unto Israel in his days. He shall build an house for my name; and he shall be my son, and I will be his father; and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel for ever.”

Eventually, God’s promised son to King David was born: “And David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in unto her, and lay with her: and she bare a son, and he called his name Solomon: and the LORD loved him” (2 Samuel 12:24). The Hebrew name “Solomon” means “peaceable,” derived from “shalom” (“peace”). One of the most striking attributes of King Solomon’s rule is that of cessation of war, exactly as the LORD foretold: “For he had dominion over all the region on this side the river, from Tiphsah even to Azzah, over all the kings on this side the river: and he had peace on all sides round about him. And Judah and Israel dwelt safely…” (1 Kings 4:24,25).

Upon further Bible study, we discover how Solomon’s peaceful kingdom is a prophecy of the Lord Jesus’ tranquil rule in the same land of Palestine (and beyond) thousands of years later….

Solomon and Jesus #9

Thursday, July 13, 2023

“And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever” (2 Samuel 7:12,13 KJV).

Let us search the Scriptures to see how Solomon is a type of the antitype Jesus….

The Book of Proverbs is God’s insight written through King Solomon (see Proverbs 1:1-6). As prudent Solomon governed Israel, so another wise and virtuous son of David will arise to reign. This is Messiah/Christ Jesus, fully capable of leading the Jewish people as their King throughout the endless ages to come. Also note how Christ’s occupation of David’s throne will embody justice and righteousness (Psalm 45:6,7; Hebrews 1:8,9)—exactly as Solomon’s rule did in 1 Kings 3:16-28.

“And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse [David’s father], and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD; And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth: with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins” (Isaiah 11:1-5).

In addition to wisdom, God also gave Solomon great material riches and honor (1 Kings 3:13). Read 1 Kings 4:20-28. “And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon” (verse 25). This prosperity of individuals points toward the Lord Jesus Christ’s earthly reign yet future from us (Micah 4:4; Zechariah 3:10). Solomon symbolizes Jesus in even more ways….

Solomon and Jesus #8

Wednesday, July 12, 2023

“And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever” (2 Samuel 7:12,13 KJV).

Let us search the Scriptures to see how Solomon is a type of the antitype Jesus….

King Solomon obtained a reputation for his profound wisdom: “And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore. And Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt. For he was wiser than all men; than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol: and his fame was in all nations round about. And he spake three thousand proverbs: and his songs were a thousand and five. And he spake of trees, from the cedar tree that is in Lebanon even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall: he spake also of beasts, and of fowl, and of creeping things, and of fishes. And there came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, which had heard of his wisdom” (1 Kings 4:29-34).

Similarly, to emphasize His humanity, Luke wrote of young Jesus: “And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him…. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man” (Luke 2:40,52). A mere 12 years old, knowledgeable Christ engaged in thoughtful discussions with religious leaders old enough to be his grandfather! “And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers” (verses 46,47).

Moreover, this wise Christ Jesus will assume David’s throne in the ages to come, matching sagacious Solomon’s sayings….

Solomon and Jesus #7

Tuesday, July 11, 2023

“And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever” (2 Samuel 7:12,13 KJV).

Let us search the Scriptures to see how Solomon is a type of the antitype Jesus….

At the beginning of Solomon’s administration, the LORD appeared to him in a dream to ask him what he desired. The monarch prayed: “…And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in. And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude. Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?” (1 Kings 3:7-9). King Solomon claims to be a “little child,” and, while his exact age is not provided, we can use 2 Samuel 5:4-5 and 2 Samuel 5:14 to infer he is probably under 30 years old. He does not consider himself astute enough to govern Israel, so he requests the LORD bestow wisdom upon him.

Observe the LORD’S answer in 1 Kings 3:10-12: “And the speech pleased the LORD, that Solomon had asked this thing. And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment; Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.” You may also keep reading to chapter’s end to see Solomon exercise his newly-granted understanding.

Solomon’s wisdom is yet another prophecy hinting at Jesus Christ….

Solomon and Jesus #6

Monday, July 10, 2023

“And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever” (2 Samuel 7:12,13 KJV).

Let us search the Scriptures to see how Solomon is a type of the antitype Jesus….

Re-read the two verses that come after today’s Scripture: “I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men: But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee” (verses 14,15). The promise of the Davidic Covenant with respect to “I will be his father, and he shall be my son,” looks immediately to believing Solomon but ultimately applies to the Lord Jesus Christ, as is made clear in Hebrews 1:5: “For unto which of the angels said he [Father God] at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?”

As for the conditional statement “If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men,” this would certainly not refer to sinless Jesus Christ (see John 8:29; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:22; 1 John 3:5). However, it meant that sinful Solomon would eventually go the way of pagan idolatry and incur God’s judgment in the form of bitter conflict with adversaries (see 1 Kings 11:1-25). In this respect, Solomon was not a type of Jesus Christ but rather a preview of the Antichrist (we will elaborate more on this later). Still, Solomon did not lose his office under the dire circumstances evil King Saul had suffered decades prior (see 1 Samuel 13:13,14; 1 Samuel 15:22-28; 1 Samuel 28:15-19). “But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee [David].”

Let us see more affinities between Solomon and the Lord Jesus….

Solomon and Jesus #5

Sunday, July 9, 2023

“And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever” (2 Samuel 7:12,13 KJV).

Let us search the Scriptures to see how Solomon is a type of the antitype Jesus….

King David fathered numerous children, but the LORD chose a solitary son, Solomon, to rule after him (1 Chronicles 28:5; 1 Chronicles 29:1). Still, this inconvenient fact did not deter one of Solomon’s half-brothers from scheming to presumptuously seize the throne… twice. For example, in 1 Kings chapter 1, older son Adonijah tried to rule as king while elderly David was in his final days of earthly life, but David was informed of the uprising and suppressed Adonijah by publicly endorsing Solomon as his replacement. For a time, Adonijah had his supporters who celebrated him as “monarch,” but he and his chief supporters were eventually removed from office—with some even executed for their treason (see 1 Kings 2:12-35)!

In a parallel situation nearly 10 centuries later, the Lord Jesus Christ is Father God’s chosen King for Israel (re-read Luke 1:31-33), but Christ’s enemies cleverly connived to take His life so they could usurp His throne and remain in control of the nation Israel. These were the religious leaders, whom He Himself, just a few days before they killed Him via crucifixion, exposed most graphically in the highly offensive Parable of the Wicked Husbandmen (see Matthew 21:33-46, Mark 12:1-12, and Luke 20:9-20). Those “scholars” seemed to be “in control,” and were praised for being such “godly men,” but they were pretenders who were willfully disobeying the Lord’s will in order to take over God’s nation. As Solomon’s foes who did not desire he reign over them ultimately lost their lives in the process, so the Lord Jesus Christ’s adversaries who refused Him will be slain when He comes back to reign (see Matthew 22:1-14; Luke 19:11-27).

Let us see other striking similarities between Solomon and Jesus….

Solomon and Jesus #4

Saturday, July 8, 2023

“And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever” (2 Samuel 7:12,13 KJV).

Let us search the Scriptures to see how Solomon is a type of the antitype Jesus….

King David sought to build a house for the LORD (2 Samuel 7:1-6), but the LORD replied how He (the LORD) would build him (David) a house instead (see verse 11). In this context of today’s Scripture, God will give David a dynasty, a series of sons to serve as his successors, the first offspring being Solomon. Solomon will build a house for the LORD by erecting the Jerusalem Temple which David had intended to construct. That edifice was made of materials such as cedar, fir, stones, gold, and brass (see 1 Kings 5–6 and 2 Chronicles 2–5).

Similarly, Jesus Christ, another son of David, will build a house for Father God (see today’s Scripture again). This is believing Israel—the Little Flock of Luke 12:32, and the Messianic Church of Matthew 16:15-19. They, as a kingdom of priests, will be the vessels through whom Father God will manifest His life on Earth throughout the endless ages to come.

“For this man [Jesus Christ] was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house. For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God. And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after; But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end” (Hebrews 3:3-6). “To whom [the Lord] coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:4,5).

Let us see other likenesses between Solomon and Christ….

Solomon and Jesus #3

Friday, July 7, 2023

“And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever” (2 Samuel 7:12,13 KJV).

Let us search the Scriptures to see how Solomon is a type of the antitype Jesus….

Though today’s Scripture looks immediately to Solomon, who would be born during David’s lifetime, it obviously anticipated someone beyond Solomon. For instance, notice the words, “I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.” Solomon definitely did not reign forever, for he died and his son took the throne. “And Solomon slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David his father: and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead” (1 Kings 11:43). “And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years. And Solomon slept with his fathers, and he was buried in the city of David his father: and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead” (2 Chronicles 9:30,31).

Looking at the larger picture, we see the prophecy of Solomon merging into the prophecy of Jesus Christ. “I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever” matches the promise of Luke 1:33: “And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.” This is also Christ’s Second Coming and His eternal, global reign: “And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure” (Daniel 2:44,45).

Solomon and Christ share many other qualities….