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SUBJECT: 666—Mark of the Beast and Solomon
QUESTION: Could 1 Kings 10:14 and 2 Chronicles 9:13
be referring to Solomon as a type of the Beast?
ANSWER
Thank you for your e-mailed question about other possible
tie-ins with the number 666. On investigation, we do not
believe it applies to King Solomon. First let us look at
the verses you quoted.
1 Kings 10:14
Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was
six hundred threescore and six talents of gold,
2 Chronicles 9:13
Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was
six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold;
Here is some commentary on 2 Chronicles 9:13
2 Chronicles 9:13-14
Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was
six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold;
Six hundred and three score and
six (666)
talents of gold - per year.
About $25,000,000. 14. Chapmen (traders).
Literally, [the men of the
caravans] Governors of the country. Vassal
princes in neighboring lands.
~from Wycliffe Commentary
2 Chronicles 9:13
Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was
six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold;
Now the weight of gold that came to
Solomon in one year - (see the notes at <1 Kings
10:14-29>.)
Six hundred and threescore and six
talents of gold - The sum named is equal to 3,646,350
British pounds sterling; and if we take the proportion of
silver <2 Chronicles 9:14>, which is not taken into
consideration, at 1 to 9, there would be about 2,000,000
pounds, making a yearly supply of neatly 6,000,000 pounds,
being a vast amount for an infant effort in maritime
commerce (Napier's `Metal')
~from Jamieson, Fausset, and
Brown Commentary
Here is commentary on 1 Kings 10:14
1 Kings 10:14
Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was
six hundred threescore and six talents of gold,
Six hundred threescore and six
talents of gold - About 3,646,350 of our money.
Solomon's annual revenue exceeded that of Oriental empires
very much greater in extent than his, and must have made him
one of the richest, if not the very richest, of the monarchs
of his time. ~from Barnes'
Notes
1 Kings 10:14
Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was
six hundred threescore and six talents of gold,
The weight of gold that came to
Solomon in one year was six hundred threescore and six
talents - This would amount in our money to 4,683,675
pounds, 12 shillings, and 8 1/2d. sterling. This seems to be
what he got annually of bullion; but independently of this,
he had tribute of all the kings of Arabia, duties from
merchantmen, and the traffic of spice merchants; see <1
Kings 10:25>. ~from Adam
Clarke Commentary
None of these commentaries jumped on what looks like an
obvious relationship. We too can find none.
Reasons:
1) Even if it was related, it has no relevance to the Beast
Power that is yet to come. We must know who the Beast is
for the end time. Further you are going to see that Solomon
is not a good model for the Beast that is coming.
2) Regarding the wisdom of Solomon, it was a gift of God and
if it caused the world to wonder after Solomon's wisdom and
greatness it was wonder of God. If the Beast has anything
and can cause the world to wonder after him then it is his
own and Satan's and not God's. Notice this verse...
Revelation 13:4
And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the
beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like
unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?
Notice the commentaries on Solomon and his wisdom...
SOLOMON
SOL'OMON. Solomon's name (Heb.
Shelomoh) means "peaceable." He was also called
Jedidiah, meaning "beloved of Jehovah." He was a son of King
David by Bathsheba <2 Samuel 12:24; 1 Chronicles 3:5>. He
succeeded King David to the throne and ruled c. 965-926 B.C.
~from New Unger's Bible
Dictionary
NOTE: His name
means "beloved of Jehovah". Such will not be the case with
the Beast.
SOLOMON
Great Beginnings. One of the first things Solomon did as
king was to go to Gibeon to offer sacrifices to the Lord.
God appeared to the new king at night and asked him, "What
shall I give thee?" Solomon asked for an understanding heart
to judge the people of Israel and the ability to tell good
from evil. God not only granted Solomon's request, but He
also promised him riches and honor if he would walk in the
steps of his father, David <1 Kings 3:4-15>.
~from Nelson's Illustrated
Bible Dictionary
NOTE: God gave
him the wisdom AND those riches he received.
SOLOMON
Wisdom. Solomon is usually remembered as a wise man. His
Proverbs and his "Song of Songs" demonstrate his deep
knowledge of the natural world (plants,
animals, etc.). He also had a profound knowledge
of human nature, as demonstrated by the two women who
claimed the same child. His suggestion that the child be
physically divided between the two was a masterful strategy
for finding out who was the real mother <1 Kings 3:16-28>.
Solomon's concern with the ethics of everyday life is
evident in his Proverbs. They show that Solomon loved wisdom
and was always trying to teach it to others. They also
indicate he was a keen observer who could learn from the
mistakes of others.
Solomon's sayings in these Proverbs are so true that they
sound almost trite today. Their clarity sometimes hides
their depth. During his lifetime, Solomon's fame as a man of
wisdom spread to surrounding lands, and leaders came from
afar to hear him speak. When the Queen of Sheba came to test
his wisdom, he answered all her questions with ease. After
she saw the extent of his empire and the vastness of his
knowledge, she confessed that she had underestimated him <2
Chronicles 9:1-12>. ~from
Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary
NOTE: This does
not describe the antithesis of God and Christ.
3) Regarding your statement that his method was flawed and
therefore the Kingdom did not last: His kingdom did not
fail because of his wisdom or his great organizational
skills. It failed because of apostasy. Notice...
SOLOMON
Apostasy and Death. By intermarriage with many foreign
women, Solomon courted spiritual declension and gross
idolatry. Of the numerous deities to which his foreign wives
turned his heart, perhaps the best known in the ancient
world was Ashtoreth, called "the goddess of the Sidonians"
<1 Kings 11:5, 33>, since her cult was early established
among the Phoenicians. This fertility goddess, known as
Astarte among the Greeks and as Ishtar in Babylonia, was the
protagonist of sexual love and war in Babylonia and Assyria.
Her degraded moral character is revealed by the Ugaritic
literature from Ras Shamra. She is pictured on a seal found
at Bethel where her name is given in hieroglyphic
characters. Solomon thus courted disaster. He died
disillusioned and spiritually insensible. The breakup of the
monarchy was soon to follow as a result of the folly of his
son Rehoboam. (m.f.u.)
~from New Unger's Bible
Dictionary
NOTE: His
kingdom failed when idolatry entered his mind. It replaced
the wisdom God had given him. This very thing has happened
in God's church. Even Paul knew it would happen...
Acts 20:29
For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous
wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
2 Corinthians 11:4
For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have
not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have
not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted,
ye might well bear with him.
Jude 1:3-4
3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of
the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto
you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the
faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were
before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men,
turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and
denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
Revelation 2:2
I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how
thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried
them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast
found them liars:
1 Corinthians 11:19
For there must be also heresies among you, that they which
are approved may be made manifest among you.
2 Peter 2:1
But there were false prophets also among the people, even as
there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall
bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that
bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
Note: These
verses should make it clear that kingdoms and churches fail
if apostasy and heresy enter. Clearly this would not happen
if Godly wisdom prevailed.
4) The Beast will be thrown into the lake of fire. No
reference is made to the fact that the same fate awaits
Solomon.
5) Solomon was king of Israel. The Beast will rule a
country other than Israel.
6) People will be made to worship the image of the Beast.
No one was made to worship the image of the king or Solomon,
himself.
7) Solomon never compelled anyone to have a mark of any
kind. He never compelled them to keep Sunday as the day of
worship of God (which is the
real mark of the Beast).
8) In Mr. Armstrong's booklet, "Mark of the Beast, What Is
It?” he never makes any reference to Solomon. The booklet
is located at our site at:
http://www.garnertedarmstrong.org/pubs/markof.htm
9) In the prophecy of the Beast we read of 10 kings giving
their power to the Beast. We seen no correlation with
Solomon.
10) Solomon does not fit into the Beast mentioned in
Daniel. Notice from the above mentioned booklet...Who,
What, is the BEAST?
Obviously, before one can understand what is the Mark of the
Beast, one must understand who or what is the beast!
Bible scholars are virtually one hundred percent agreed that
the symbolism of the great image seen by Nebuchadnezzar
(Daniel 2) represents the four world-ruling empires from the
time of ancient Babylon to Persia, Greco/Macedonia, and
finally
Rome.
Most biblical commentaries expound this view; even a
well-known layman's Bible handbook, Halley's, reconfirms it
(see
Halley's Bible Handbook, p.
342). The head of gold represented ancient
Babylon. The breast and arms of silver represented
Persia, and the belly and thighs of brass represented
Alexander's Greco/Macedonian kingdom. The legs of iron and
feet and toes "part of iron and part of miry clay"
represented the Roman Empire throughout it's duration,
including a yet future, end-time 10-nation combine which
will coalesce in the same region, and which will fight
Christ at His coming (Revelation 17:12-14).
Notice especially verse 44: "And in the days of these kings
[the kings represented by
the ten toes] 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
forever" (Daniel 2:44).
In the vision, Nebuchadnezzar saw a stone seemingly
dislodged miraculously, without the intervention of
workman's tools, or human hands. Like a plunging meteorite,
it seemed to hurtle down from heaven and smash the towering
image of gold, silver, brass, iron and miry clay on the
feet! In the dream, the entire image toppled to the ground,
and seemed to become "like the chaff of the summer threshing
floor; and the wind carried them away..." (Daniel 2:35).
Then, the stone which had smote the image on the ten toes, (representing
the end-time ten governments which are to arise within the
confines of the ancient Roman Empire) seemed to
become a great mountain which filled the whole earth!
Thus, in this one brief chapter, we see a prophecy which
predicts the entire span of human history from
Nebuchadnezzar until the Second Coming of Christ!
The Bible uses the expression "beast" advisedly, since the
Gentile leaders of the world-ruling governments were
possessed of minds like wild, predatory animals.
Nebudchadnezzar's seven years of insanity (Daniel 4) is
symbolic of the insane bestiality of such human leaders as
those of the four successive world-ruling kingdoms, and, in
our time, such men as Stalin, Hitler, Pol Pot, and others.
It is very clear that the first beast of Revelation 13 is
the same kingdom as the fourth beast of Daniel 7. Notice it:
"And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise
up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and
upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of
blasphemy.
"And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his
feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth
of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat,
and great authority" (Revelation 13:1, 2).
The beast is a symbol of a great super government. That the
beast rose up out of the sea indicates it derived its power
from masses of people. The seven heads are seven revivals or
stages of this beast power, and the ten horns are symbols of
individual governments, each presided over by a king, or
absolute ruler, symbolized by the "crowns." That the label
on each of these seven successive governments was the "name
of blasphemy" indicates its amalgamation with a spiritual
power, which is called, in Revelation 17, "MYSTERY, BABYLON
THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS ANDABOMINATIONS OF THE
EARTH."
That the beast was "like unto a leopard," meaning that the
main part of its body appeared to be like a leopard, is
symbolic of the empire of Alexander the Great, as proved by
the historical fulfillment of both the second and the
seventh chapters of Daniel, which detail the four successive
world-ruling empires of history. The feet, "as of a bear,"
indicate the ancient Persian Empire under Cyrus.
The mouth, "as the mouth of a lion," indicates the ancient
Roman Empire. The "dragon" is obvious reference to Satan the
devil. Notice: "And the great dragon was cast out, that old
serpent, called the devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the
whole world..." (Revelation 12:9).
Therefore, this end-time BEAST POWER is the final, end-time
resurrection of the same old system which was to reemerge
many times down through history, until its final emergence
just before the beginning of the Great Tribulation, the Day
of the Lord, and the Second Coming of Christ.
NOTE: Clearly
Solomon does not fit into any of this description of
Nebuchadnezzar's dream and Daniel's explanation.
11) Solomon promoted the worship of God. He made a temple
dedicated to that purpose. God sent word that the temple
was accepted (see verse
below). The Beast power will do no such thing.
In fact he will cause desolation there. Read the booklet:
"Abomination of Desolation". Located at the web site at:
http://www.garnertedarmstrong.org/pubs/abominat.htm
1 King 9:1-3
1 And it came to pass, when Solomon had finished the
building of the house of the LORD, and the king's house, and
all Solomon's desire which he was pleased to do,
2 That the LORD appeared to Solomon the second time, as he
had appeared unto him at Gibeon.
3 And the LORD said unto him, I have heard thy prayer and
thy supplication, that thou hast made before me: I have
hallowed this house, which thou hast built, to put my name
there for ever; and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there
perpetually.
12) Solomon never made war with the Lamb either
symbolically or otherwise. Notice another excerpt from the
booklet:
The Beast which is to arise is probably going to be called
"the United States of Europe." It is represented by the ten
toes of the image Daniel interpreted (in
Daniel's second chapter) as the end-time kings
who will be destroyed by Christ at His coming! These same
ten kings are mentioned in Revelation 17:7-14, where they
are on the seventh head of the successive revivals of the
"Holy Roman Empire," and these ten nations "...shall make
war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for He
is Lord of lords, and Kings of kings, and they that are with
Him are called, and chosen, and faithful" (Revelation17:14). |