Types of Jesus: Jesus in the Life of...
Solomon - The Millennial Reign
by I Gordon
The reign of Solomon is one of the most glorious in the entire history of Israel. Certainly his dominion and wealth were the greatest ever and rulers of many nations came to see his splendor and listen to his wisdom. If ever there was an imperfect type of Jesus' perfect millennium reign, this was it. There are a number of similarities between Solomon's reign and the one for which we all wait and they will be addressed here. I first learned of Solomon's kingdom being a type of Jesus rule to come, through an A.B. Simpson commentary called 'The Christ in the Bible Commentary.' This is a great Christ centered series and well worth reading.
The Reign begins with Judgement
1 Kings 2:25-26 'So King Solomon gave orders to Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he struck down Adonijah and he died. To Abiathar the priest the king said, 'Go back to your fields in Anathoth. You deserve to die, but I will not put you to death now, because you carried the ark of the Sovereign LORD before my father David and shared all my father's hardships.'
1 Kings 2:32-34 'The LORD will repay him for the blood he shed, because without the knowledge of my father David he attacked two men and killed them with the sword. So Benaiah son of Jehoiada went up and struck down Joab and killed him.'
1 Kings 2:44-46 The king also said to Shimei, 'You know in your heart all the wrong you did to my father David. Now the LORD will repay you for your wrongdoing. Then the king gave the order to Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he went out and struck Shimei down and killed him.
The first thing that we should notice is that the reign of Solomon began with judgement. Men who had lived through the entire reign of David and had got away with many hideous crimes now got their fair punishment. Is this not the same as the start of Jesus' reign on earth? People in our age commit great sins against both God and man and for the time being, do not seem to be judged for their actions. God in His mercy and patience allows them time to repent but He has set aside a day when he will judge the world. When Solomon's reign began, judgement was pronounced upon these wicked men. So it is with the return and reign of Jesus - it begins with judgement.
Matt 25:31,32 'When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.'
1 Cor 4:5 'Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts.'
The Wisdom of God Manifested
1 Kings 3:5-13 'At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, 'Ask for whatever you want me to give you.' Solomon answered, '...Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?' The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. So God said to him, 'Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be.'
God was so pleased with Solomon's request that He said to him 'I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be.' Except one that is! The one in whom Solomon's reign was just a mere shadow. Of all the men that had lived, Solomon was the wisest there had ever been. He judged righteously and many came from far away just to listen to his wisdom. But even Solomon cannot compare with the soon coming rule of the King of Kings, Jesus Christ.
Isa 11:1-5 'A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him - the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD - and he will delight in the fear of the LORD. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth . He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist.'
Wisdom, understanding, knowledge and counsel are key characteristics of the millennial rule of Christ. In this age we struggle to discern correctly, not knowing others hearts. Not so when Jesus reigns. True justice will be applied in every situation as nothing can escape the limitless understanding of the God-Man!
1 Kings 4:29-34 'God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore. Solomon's wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the men of the East, and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt. He was wiser than any other man, including Ethan the Ezrahite - wiser than Heman, Calcol and Darda, the sons of Mahol. And his fame spread to all the surrounding nations. He spoke three thousand proverbs and his songs numbered a thousand and five. He described plant life, from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of walls. He also taught about animals and birds, reptiles and fish. Men of all nations came to listen to Solomon's wisdom, sent by all the kings of the world, who had heard of his wisdom.'
The last line of this quote says 'Men of all nations came to listen to Solomon's wisdom, sent by all the kings of the world, who had heard of his wisdom.' How true this is of Jesus' reign. We know from prophecy that
Isaiah 2:1-5 'In the last days, the mountain of the LORD's temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. Many peoples will come and say, 'Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways , so that we may walk in his paths.' The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples .
How awesome this is going to be! Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven!
The Prince of Peace!
1 Chron 22:6-9 'Then David called for his son Solomon and charged him to build a house for the LORD, the God of Israel. David said to Solomon: 'My son, I had it in my heart to build a house for the Name of the LORD my God. But this word of the LORD came to me: 'You have shed much blood and have fought many wars. You are not to build a house for my Name, because you have shed much blood on the earth in my sight. But you will have a son who will be a man of peace and rest, and I will give him rest from all his enemies on every side. His name will be Solomon, and I will grant Israel peace and quiet during his reign.'
According to this verse one of the main characteristics of Solomon's reign was peace. King David had not been allowed to build the temple because of the wars and bloodshed he had been involved with. Instead this was granted to his son Solomon, a man of 'peace and rest' whom God would grant 'rest from all his enemies on every side.' What better picture of the reign of Jesus is there? The name of Solomon even means 'peace'! Read and enjoy these verses that speak of the peace in the coming kingdom of Jesus Christ.
Isa 2:3,4 'The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. '
Isa 9:6-8 'For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace . Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this. '
Isa 11:6-9 'The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will play near the hole of the cobra, and the young child put his hand into the viper's nest. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.'
The Rebuilding of the Temple
1 Kings 6:1,14 'In the four hundred and eightieth year after the Israelites had come out of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv, the second month, he began to build the temple of the LORD... So Solomon built the temple and completed it.'
Like Solomon, Jesus will build the temple in His Kingdom. This is the temple that has been described in Ezekiel Chapters 40-46 that has not yet been constructed. It has been written in Zechariah that the Messiah will do this.
Zech 6:11-13 'Take the silver and gold and make a crown, and set it on the head of the high priest, Joshua son of Jehozadak. Tell him this is what the LORD Almighty says: ' Here is the man whose name is the Branch, and he will branch out from his place and build the temple of the LORD. It is he who will build the temple of the LORD, and he will be clothed with majesty and will sit and rule on his throne . And he will be a priest on his throne. And there will be harmony between the two.'
The title of the 'branch' is a known name given to the Messiah. The crowning of Joshua in this passage foreshadowed the crowning of the Messiah who, at His second coming, would build the temple and unite the offices of King and Priest in one person just as Melchizedek had done. (Gen 14:18-20) Also, in this present age, each member of the church is the temple of God (1 Cor 6:19) - a habitation for God himself to dwell. Jesus has also been the builder of this temple as he declared to Peter -
Matt 16:18 'And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.'
The Ark and the Glory return!
1 Kings 8:6-11 'The priests then brought the ark of the LORD's covenant to its place in the inner sanctuary of the temple, the Most Holy Place, and put it beneath the wings of the cherubim... When the priests withdrew from the Holy Place, the cloud filled the temple of the LORD. And the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled his temple.
With the temple completed and the ark of God returned to the Holy of Holies, God showed His pleasure in all that had been done by filling the temple with His presence and glory. The ark of God is a type of Jesus Himself - the manifest presence and power of God. The same glory that filled the temple will one day, in the Kingdom to come, be openly manifest for the world to see.
Isaiah 24:23 'The moon will be abashed, the sun ashamed; for the LORD Almighty will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and before its elders, gloriously.'
Isaiah 40:5 'And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.'
Isaiah 60:1-3 'Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.'
Israel's Exaltation
1 Kings 10:4-9 'When the queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon and the palace he had built, the food on his table, the seating of his officials, the attending servants in their robes, his cupbearers, and the burnt offerings he made at the temple of the LORD, she was overwhelmed. She said to the king, 'The report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true. But I did not believe these things until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half was told me; in wisdom and wealth you have far exceeded the report I heard. How happy your men must be! How happy your officials, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom! Praise be to the LORD your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the LORD's eternal love for Israel, he has made you king, to maintain justice and righteousness.'
1 Kings 10:23-27 'King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth. The whole world sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart. Year after year, everyone who came brought a gift - articles of silver and gold, robes, weapons and spices, and horses and mules. Solomon accumulated chariots and horses; he had fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand horses, which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem. The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills.'
Finally, the last characteristic that marked Solomon's reign was the exalted position that Israel held among the nations. When the Queen of Sheba came she was 'overwhelmed' and ascribed all that she saw and heard to the 'LORD's eternal love for Israel.' The reign of Solomon marked a wonderful influence among the gentile nations, with many sending representatives to bow and pay homage at the footstool of his throne. Israel was praised among the nations and peace reigned. The millennial kingdom also displays the pre-eminence of Israel as out of her will come the word and glory of the Lord.
Micah 4:2 'In the last days...The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
Zech 8:20-23 'This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'Many peoples and the inhabitants of many cities will yet come, and the inhabitants of one city will go to another and say, 'Let us go at once to entreat the LORD and seek the LORD Almighty. I myself am going.' And many peoples and powerful nations will come to Jerusalem to seek the LORD Almighty and to entreat him.' This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'In those days ten men from all languages and nations will take firm hold of one Jew by the hem of his robe and say, 'Let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with you .''
In the age in which we live, the Jew is still bearing the effects of having forsaken God, and for the last 2000 years they have faced more persecution and trials than any other people group in the world. Yet just as in Solomon's day when Israel was exalted and her supremacy unchallenged, so is the day coming when God again shall fulfil His promises to His chosen nation and her glory and splendour shall be restored. Gentiles will take the hand of the Jew knowing that 'God is with you'. Jesus himself will rule from Jerusalem for it is written that 'the LORD Almighty will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, ...gloriously.' Also,
Zech 14:8-9,16 'On that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half to the eastern sea and half to the western sea, in summer and in winter. The LORD will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one LORD, and his name the only name... Then the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD Almighty .'