Solomon
Typological treatment in the corpus
Solomon, the son of David who restored peace after Absalom’s revolt and brought the kingdom to its height, is identified by Jones in The Struggle for the Birthright as a type of Christ as the true Prince of Peace. In contrast with Absalom — a false prince of peace whose name means “father of peace” but who sowed violence — Solomon (shalom: “peace”) established genuine peace in Israel and thereby typified Christ’s eschatological reign of peace.
Biblical anchoring
| Reference | Context |
|---|---|
| 2Sam. 12:24-25 | Birth of Solomon — God named him Jedidiah (“beloved of God”) through Nathan |
| 1Kgs. 1:28-40 | Solomon anointed king after the Absalom crisis; David confirms him |
| 1Kgs. 4:20-25 | Solomon’s peaceful reign: Israel dwelt securely “each man under his vine and fig tree” |
| Isa. 9:6 | Prophecy: “His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” |
| Matt. 12:42 | Jesus: “Something greater than Solomon is here” |
Typological exposition by author
Stephen E. Jones
In The Struggle for the Birthright, Jones places Solomon in contrast with Absalom: both are sons of David bearing names meaning “peace,” but their natures are opposite:
“There are two princes of peace in the prophetic story of David. Absalom was the first. His name is Absalom, ‘father of peace.’ The second is Solomon, which also means ‘peace.’ Both of these men were sons of David; hence they both were princes. But Absalom was a prince of violence who was hypocritically named ‘father of peace.’ Solomon, on the other hand, established true peace in Israel and in that way was a type of Christ, the true ‘Prince of Peace.‘”1
For Jones this two-part structure is prophetically ordered: the two “princes of peace” represent two phases of messianic history. Absalom typifies the false messianic claims and the phase of rejection — the phase in which Jesus was crucified by leaders who knew his name but seized his throne. Solomon typifies the restoration phase: the establishment of Christ’s true reign of peace after the revolt has been definitively broken.
Solomon’s name — shalom — anticipates the fullness of messianic peace (Isa. 9:6): the Prince of Peace whose rule rests not on violence but on the justice of God. Jones connects this to his broader restorationism: the Davidic kingship is completed in two phases — first the rejection (Absalom phase: Jesus crucified), then the establishment of true peace (Solomon phase: the eschatological Kingdom).1
Related types
- Connected: david, absalom, jubilee
- Via glossary: restorationism