“IN A SPIRITUAL SENSE”

Revelation 11:3, 8 says that the corpses of God’s “two witnesses” lay in the broad way of the great city ‘called in a spiritual sense Sodom and Egypt.’ Isaiah’s prophecy (1:8-10) likens Zion or Jerusalem to Sodom and calls her rulers “dictators of Sodom.” However, about 96 C.E. when John was given the Revelation vision of events to occur in the future, the typical city of Jerusalem had been destroyed long before, in 70 C.E. The reference therefore must be to a “great city” or organization, an antitypical Jerusalem, pictured by unfaithful Jerusalem of old.

SOLDIER

In the Hebrew Scriptures military personnel are designated by terms such as “troops of the army” (1 Chron. 7:4), “members [sons] of the troop” (2 Chron. 25:13), “troops” (2 Chron. 26:11), “army forces” (2 Chron. 26:13), “military force” (Ezra 8:22), “armed men” (Isa. 15:4), and so forth. Otherwise they are more precisely designated according to the specific function they served: cavalrymen (Ex. 14:9), runners (1 Sam. 22:17), slingers (2 Ki. 3:25), men handling the lance and shield (2 Chron. 25:5), shooters (2 Chron. 35:23), archers (Job 16:13) or bowmen (Isa. 21:17), and so forth. In the Greek Scriptures, soldiers and the various ranks of officers are frequently referred to.

During the time of Roman domination of Judea, soldiers were a common sight there. The fact that an army officer at Capernaum could say: “For I . . . [have] soldiers under me,” indicates that soldiers were stationed there under his command. (Matt. 8:5-9) Roman troops were stationed in the Castle of Antonia in Jerusalem, serving as a point of control over the Jews. The military commander there when Paul made his last visit to Jerusalem rescued him from a mob, and again the next day from the rioting Pharisees and Sadducees. (Acts 21:30-35; 22:23, 24; 23:10) When a plot against Paul’s life was revealed, the commander supplied an escort of seventy horsemen, 200 soldiers and 200 spearmen to take Paul as far as Antipatris, the horsemen going on with him from there to Caesarea.—Acts 23:12-33.

JEWISH SOLDIERS

There were also Jewish soldiers, among them being those who approached John the Baptist with the question, “What shall we do?” These were possibly engaged in a type of police inspection, especially in connection with the customs or collection of the tax. (Luke 3:12-14) Some have suggested that the soldiers placed as guards at Jesus’ tomb were Jewish, perhaps those that were under the captain of the temple. (Matt. 27:65, 66; Acts 4:1) Others hold that it was a Roman guard, because of the record at Matthew 28:11-15, where the chief priests promised to set matters right with the governor if he heard of the disappearance of Jesus’ body.

JESUS’ EXECUTION

Roman soldiers were used in the execution of Jesus, inasmuch as he was turned over to the Roman governor, charged with sedition against Rome. These soldiers submitted him to great indignities, mocking him, spitting upon him and striking him before leading him off for impaling. (Matt. 27:27-36; John 18:3, 12; 19:32-34) They divided his outer garments among themselves and cast lots for his inner garment. Four soldiers were evidently employed in the detachment that impaled Jesus. (John 19:23, 24) The army officer having oversight of the execution, observing the phenomena that occurred and the circumstances under which Jesus died, said: “Certainly this man was God’s Son.”—Mark 15:33-39.

THE FIRST GENTILE CHRISTIAN

About three and a half years later, it was a Roman soldier, a centurion, who sent two of his house servants and a “devout soldier” to invite Peter to Caesarea. At Peter’s preaching, Cornelius and his household, doubtless including the “devout soldier” in his service, received the outpouring of holy spirit and became the first members of the Christian congregation taken from the Gentiles.—Acts 10:1, 7, 44-48.

PETER’S DELIVERANCE

The apostle Peter was later arrested by order of Herod Agrippa I and was imprisoned under four shifts of four soldiers each. On each shift two soldier guards watched the prison door while two personally guarded Peter, who was chained to them, one on each side. An angel appeared in the night, releasing Peter from his chains and freeing him from the prison. This created a stir among the soldiers, and Herod, after examining those guards who were responsible, had them “led off to punishment,” probably to be put to death according to the Roman custom.—Acts 12:4-10, 18, 19.

KINDNESS SHOWN TO PAUL

When the apostle Paul was taken by ship to Rome because of his appeal to Caesar, he was placed in the custody of a detachment of soldiers under the command of an army officer named Julius of the band of Augustus. This man treated Paul with kindness and permitted him to go to his friends and enjoy their care. At first he evidently did not accept Paul as having God’s guidance, and gave more heed to the ship’s owner and the pilot. But after a great tempest drove the ship along and tossed it violently for days, when Paul related a vision he had in which the lives of all on the ship were guaranteed, the officer and his men listened to Paul. When the boat began to break up near Malta the soldiers prepared to kill all the prisoners, but the officer Julius, desiring to bring Paul safely through, restrained them. (Acts 27:1, 3, 9-11, 20-26, 30, 31, 39-44) In Rome Paul was permitted to live in his own hired house with a soldier guarding him.—Acts 28:16, 30.

SYMBOLIC USE

In defending his apostleship in his letter to the congregation at Corinth, Paul wrote: “Who is it that ever serves as a soldier at his own expense?” (1 Cor. 9:7) Although Paul had not accepted material help from the Corinthians, he here argued that, as a soldier in the service of his Master Christ, he certainly had authority to do so. Paul also considered as soldiers of Christ those who worked in cooperation with him in the preaching of the good news, calling them ‘fellow soldiers.’—Phil. 2:25; Pilem. 2.

To Timothy, who was charged with a heavy responsibility by Paul, the apostle wrote: “As a fine soldier of Christ Jesus take your part in suffering evil. No man serving as a soldier involves himself in the commercial businesses of life, in order that he may gain the approval of the one who enrolled him as a soldier.” (2 Tim. 2:3, 4) A good soldier expects hardships, and knows the need to be ready to serve at all times, and to endure under the most trying conditions. As long as he is in a war he does not look for comfort and that which pleases him. His time and energy are at the command of his superior. Moreover, a soldier gives up business, farm, trade or a vocation in order to serve. He does not get involved in other things that would take his mind and energy away from the all-important fight in which he is engaged. Otherwise, it would likely cost him his life or the lives of those depending on him. According to historians, Roman soldiers were not allowed to engage in any trade and were forbidden to act as tutors, or curators to an estate, so that they would not be diverted from their purpose as soldiers. Even under the Mosaic law, the newly married man, or the man with a house he had not dedicated or a vineyard from which he had not received fruit, was exempt from military service. And a man who was fearful would certainly make a bad soldier and would break down the morale of his fellow soldiers; therefore such a man was exempt under the Law. (Deut. 20:5-8) So Christians, both Jewish and Gentile, would readily get the force of Paul’s illustration.

In a letter to the Ephesians, Paul outlined clearly that the fight of the Christian soldier is not against blood and flesh, but against “the wicked spirit forces in the heavenly places.” Therefore the armor necessary for this fight could not be obtained from worldly sources, but had to be the armor from Jehovah God, who brings victory under his army Commander, Jesus Christ.—Eph. 6:11-17.

SOLOMON

(Solʹo·mon) [peaceable].

Son of King David of the line of Judah. King of Israel from 1037 to 997 B.C.E. The Bible record, after reporting the death of the son born to David through his illicit relations with Bath-sheba, continues: “And David began to comfort Bath-sheba his wife. Further, he came in to her and lay down with her. In time she bore a son, and his name came to be called Solomon. And Jehovah himself did love him. So he sent by means of Nathan the prophet and called his name Jedidiah, for the sake of Jehovah.” (2 Sam. 12:24, 25) Solomon later had three full brothers, sons of David and Bath-sheba: Shimea, Shobab and Nathan.—1 Chron. 3:5.

JEHOVAH’S PROMISE TO DAVID

Jehovah had declared to David, before Solomon’s birth, that a son would be born to him and that his name would be Solomon, and that this one would build a house to His name. The name Jedidiah (“beloved of Jah [Jehovah]”) seems to have been given as an indication to David that Jehovah had now blessed his marriage to Bath-sheba, and that the fruitage thereby produced was approved by him. But this was not the name by which the child was commonly known. Undoubtedly the name Solomon (“peaceable”) applied in connection with the covenant that Jehovah made with David, in which he said that David, being a man who had shed much blood in warfare, would not build the house for Jehovah, as David had it in his heart to do. (1 Chron. 22:6-10) Not that David’s warfare was wrong. But Jehovah’s typical kingdom was essentially of a peaceful nature and objective; its wars were for the purpose of cleaning out wickedness and those opposing Jehovah’s sovereignty, to extend Israel’s dominion to the boundaries that God had outlined, and to establish righteousness and peace. These objectives the wars of David accomplished for Israel. Solomon’s rule was essentially a reign of peace.

ADONIJAH’S ATTEMPT TO TAKE THE THRONE

After his birth Solomon next appears in the Scriptural record in the time of David’s old age. David, doubtless on account of Jehovah’s promise, had previously sworn to Bath-sheba that Solomon would succeed him on the throne. This was known to the prophet Nathan. (1 Ki. 1:11-13, 17) Whether Solomon’s half-brother Adonijah knew of this oath or intent of David is not stated. In any case, Adonijah made an attempt to gain the throne in a manner similar to that employed by Absalom. Perhaps because of the king’s feebleness and because Adonijah had the support of Joab the army chief and Abiathar the priest, he had confidence that he would be successful. It was nonetheless a treasonable action, an effort to seize the throne while David was still alive and without the approval of David or of Jehovah. Also, Adonijah revealed his underhandedness in inviting to his sacrifice at En-rogel (where he intended to be acclaimed as king) the king’s sons and men of Judah, the king’s servants, but leaving out Solomon, Nathan the prophet, Zadok the priest and the mighty men who had fought closely with David, along with Benaiah their leader. This indicates that Adonijah counted Solomon as a rival and an obstacle to his ambitions.—1 Ki. 1:5-10.

SOLOMON ENTHRONED

The prophet Nathan, ever faithful to Jehovah and to David, was on the alert. First sending Bath-sheba with instructions to inform the king of the plot, he then came in himself, asking David if this proclaiming of Adonijah as king had been authorized by him. David acted quickly and decisively, calling for Zadok the priest and Nathan to take Solomon to Gihon under the protection of Benaiah and his men. He was to put Solomon on the king’s own she-mule (denoting a high honor to the one riding, in this case, that he was successor to the kingship). (Compare Esther 6:8, 9.) David’s instructions were followed out, and Solomon was anointed, and acclaimed as king.—1 Ki. 1:11-40.

On hearing the sound of the music at Gihon, not so very far away, and the shouting of the people: “Let King Solomon live,” Adonijah and his coconspirators fled in fear and confusion. Solomon gave a foregleam of the peace that would mark his rulership by refusing to mar his ascension to the throne by executing revenge. Had matters been reversed, Solomon would very likely have lost his life. But he sent to the sanctuary, where Adonijah had fled for asylum, and had Adonijah brought before him. Informing Adonijah that he would continue to live unless bad should be found in him, Solomon then dismissed him to his house.—1 Ki. 1:41-53.

DAVID’S CHARGE TO SOLOMON

David, before dying, gave Solomon the solemn charge to “keep the obligation to Jehovah your God by walking in his ways, by keeping his statutes, his commandments and his judicial decisions and his testimonies.” He further instructed him concerning Joab and Shimei, not to let them ‘go down into Sheol in peace’; also to show loving-kindness toward the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite. (1 Ki. 2:1-9) Probably it was prior to this that David gave instructions to Solomon regarding the building of the temple, passing on to him the architectural plan “that had come to be with him by inspiration.” (1 Chron. 28:11, 12, 19) David gave command to the princes of Israel there present to help Solomon his son and to join in building the sanctuary of Jehovah. On this occasion the people anointed Solomon again as king and Zadok as priest. (1 Chron. 22:6-19; chap. 28; 29:1-22) God’s blessing on Solomon is shown early in his reign, as he began to sit upon “Jehovah’s throne as king in place of David his father and to make a success” of the kingship and to develop strength in it.—1 Chron. 29:23; 2 Chron. 1:1.

ADONIJAH’S SEDITIOUS REQUEST

It was not long until Solomon had to act to carry out David’s instructions concerning Joab and Shimei. This was prompted by the action of Adonijah, who still manifested ambition, despite the mercy that Solomon had shown him. Adonijah approached Solomon’s mother with the words: “You yourself well know that the kingship was to have become mine, and it was toward me that all Israel had set their face for me to become king; but the kingship turned and came to be my brother’s, for it was from Jehovah that it became his.” Here Adonijah acknowledged that Jehovah was behind the enthroning of Solomon, yet his request that followed these words was a further crafty bid for usurpation of the kingship. He said to Bath-sheba: “Please, say to Solomon the king . . . that he should give me Abishag the Shunammite as a wife.” Adonijah may have felt that he had a strong enough following, together with the support of Joab and Abiathar, that, by taking David’s nurse (considered as David’s concubine, though he had no relations with her), he could start an uprising that might overthrow Solomon. (For wives and concubines of a king were the property of his successor, and one taking over such wives