Friday, June 5, 2009

Solomon - and the Second Coming of Jesus

All through the Solomon Studies we have discussed almost every doctrine that is in the Bible through the life and experiences of King Solomon. In this study we will see what there is in the life and teaching of Solomon that would prepare us for the Second Coming of Jesus.

In all of the writings of Solomon there is not much that can be construed to address the idea of the Second Coming of Jesus. We do know that in Song of Solomon that the desire of Solomon would be to come to his wife to comfort her and to love her. We know that in the Bible the church is referred to as a woman. II Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:23-32; Jeremiah 6:2. So one could infer that as much as Solomon wanted to get to his wife, so Jesus wants to return from heaven and take His wife unto himself.

As we review Solomon’s teachings there is little to convey that Solomon taught much on the subject of the first coming of our Lord and Saviour, and even less about the second coming of Jesus. But we do know that Solomon was a very studied man, and that his knowledge of the things of the world was great as well as his study of the things of God.

We know that God gave Deuteronomy 17:14-20 to Israel to instruct the kings that would come as a result of their rebellion against God and their desire for a king. Part of this instruction was to write out a copy of the law in a book and to study it. He also had access to the teachings of his fathers, through Abraham, Moses, and David. We also know that Shem was still alive down to the time of Isaac, through the genealogies, and we do not know what kinds of teachings from that mighty man of God were preserved or what stories he told of his times with his father Noah.
But we do know that the writings of Enoch were preserved through time and that these writings were commented to in the writings of Jude. Jude states in the 14th and 15th verses that "…Enoch, also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him."

So we do know that Solomon had some awareness of the second coming of Jesus and we do know that Solomon taught of a judgment to come in Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 where he says "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret things, whether it be good or whether it be evil."

So we know that there were these foundation thoughts of the Second Coming during the time of Solomon. Isaiah in Isaiah 24 would build upon these thoughts:19-22 "The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly. The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth. And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited."

These thoughts are followed by Isaiah 25:8-9 " He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of His people shall He take away from off all the earth; for the Lord hath spoken it. And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us; this is the Lord; we have waited for Him, we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation."

A final set of thoughts from Isaiah 26:19-21 "Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead. Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain." So it appears that Isaiah understood some things about the Second Coming of Jesus, and the resurrection of the dead, as well as the destruction of the earth during that cataclysmic event.

Of course Paul picks up on the ideas of Enoch, Solomon, and Isaiah and amplifies them again. Paul declares "But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive [and] remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words." I Thessalonians 4:13-18 As we can see the principles established by Enoch, Solomon, and Isaiah are amplified and expanded in this text.

I Corinthians 15:51-55 focuses more on the victory over death, which Isaiah had so clearly stated. Paul says; "Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal [must] put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where [is] thy sting? O grave, where [is] thy victory?"

So Solomon, although not speaking expressly to the second coming, which apparently was not his job, he none the less shared some ideas, and was aware of some ideas, about the second coming of Jesus. As we have seen, God has placed ideas all through His Holy Word about His precious truths. He wants us to know and to be prepared for His special activities. He wants us to have a solid experience with Him so that when He does come we will be ready. Whether we die or not is not a problem to God for He will resurrect His righteous people, including Solomon, Isaiah, and Paul. He will come and He will call for His people, and they will come out of the death sleep, recognize His voice, and when they are resurrected, they will arise to meet Him in the air and ever be with Him.

So let us learn the lessons well from Solomon. Let us not turn away from God through the errors of Solomon. Let us learn the lessons about the judgment, and about the Second Coming of Jesus and be ready for Him when He does come. Amen, come Lord Jesus.

No comments:

Post a Comment