The idea that King Solomon serves as a prophetic type (a spiritual shadow or foreshadowing) of the coming Antichrist is a profound concept. His reign was the glorious peak of Israel’s worldly power, yet it contained the exact seeds of idolatry, compromise, and global dominance that characterize the final Beast system.

This analysis is critical for the Watchman because it reveals that the Beast’s system will not start with chaos or terror, but with unprecedented wealth, wisdom, and false peace.

The Proposition: Solomon as a Type of the Beast

Solomon did not fulfill the requirements of the Law, despite his wisdom. He used his position to establish a system of world dominance rooted in global commerce, magnificent structures, and alliance with the nations—which is exactly what the Beast will do before demanding worship.

1. The Literal Number of the Beast: 666

This is the most direct and undeniable parallel in all of Scripture. The annual revenue of Solomon’s kingdom is recorded using the exact number identified with the Antichrist.

The Scriptural Authority (KJV):

• Solomon’s Revenue: “Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred threescore and six talents of gold.” (1 Kings 10:14)
• The Beast’s Number: “Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.” (Revelation 13:18)

This connection establishes Solomon’s kingdom as a prophetic warning regarding a system powered by maximum, centralized, global wealth.

2. The Unprecedented Global Peace and Authority

The Beast will rise during a time of global economic consolidation and false peace. Solomon’s reign was characterized by this very condition—an era when all the Earth sought him out for his wisdom and authority.

The Scriptural Authority (KJV):

• Global Adoration: “And all the earth sought to Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart.” (1 Kings 10:24)
• The Ruler of the World: Solomon received tribute and gifts from every major power of his day, paralleling the global authority given to the Beast. “And they brought every man his present, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and garments, and armour, and spices, horses, and mules, a rate year by year.” (1 Kings 10:25)

3. The Compromise of the Temple and Idolatry

The Antichrist will establish himself in the rebuilt Temple, turning the center of true worship into a seat of false authority. Solomon, who built the first Temple, was also the one who defiled its purity by introducing pagan worship adjacent to it.

The Scriptural Authority (KJV):

• Defilement Through Wives: Solomon’s compromise was fatal—foreign wives led him to build places of worship for their idols right outside Jerusalem, defiling the holy city. “For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods… For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.” (1 Kings 11:4-5)
• The Prophetic Parallel: The Antichrist will commit the ultimate act of defilement by setting himself up as God in the Temple. “Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.” (2 Thessalonians 2:4)

4. Alliance with Egypt (The World System)

God commanded the King of Israel not to multiply horses or return to Egypt (Deuteronomy 17:16). Solomon violated this command, making a political and commercial alliance with the very nation that symbolized the world’s power and enslavement.

The Scriptural Authority (KJV):

• Violation of the Law: “And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt, and linen yarn: the king’s merchants received the linen yarn at a price.” (1 Kings 10:28)

5. The System of Forced Tribute and Bondage

The wealth of Solomon’s kingdom was not sustained by voluntary means but by heavy taxation, forced conscription, and the economic oppression of non-Israelite populations. This parallels the strict economic control and enslavement imposed by the Beast.

The Scriptural Authority (KJV):

• Forced Labour (Corvée): Solomon placed the burden of his massive building projects (the Temple, his house, city walls) upon conscripted laborers. “As for all the people that were left of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, which were not of the children of Israel, their children that were left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel were not able utterly to destroy, upon those did Solomon levy a tribute of bondservice unto this day.” (1 Kings 9:20-21)
• The Mark of Economic Control: The Beast’s reign will enforce a system where participation in the economy is mandatory, controlling who can “buy or sell.” This is the ultimate economic yoke upon the earth. “And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.” (Revelation 13:17)

6. The Idol of Human Wisdom and Extravagance

Solomon’s ultimate downfall was his pride in his own achievement, wisdom, and the shocking opulence of his life. This extravagance and self-glorification are the exact characteristics used to condemn the final world system—Babylon the Great.

The Scriptural Authority (KJV):

• Solomon’s Self-Glorification: Solomon’s gold and silver were so abundant they were common, and he boasted about his greatness. “And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars made he to be as the sycomore trees that are in the vale, for abundance.” (1 Kings 10:27)
• The Condemnation of Babylon: The final system is judged for the very same pride, luxury, and spiritual arrogance that destroyed Solomon’s heart. “How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.” (Revelation 18:7)

The Prophetic Hotspot Context: Solomon’s apostasy started by prioritizing global commerce and political alliances over obedience to God’s Law (Misconception 1). The Prophetic Hotspot of his failure is the Ark of the Covenant—the representation of God’s dwelling with man and the physical location of the Law. Solomon’s life shows that when the Law is disregarded, the ultimate global power and peace (represented by the 666 revenue and universal tribute) leads directly to idolatry and apostasy. The Watchman must be ready to recognize that the Beast’s system will look exactly like a return to Solomon’s glory—a temptation of worldly success and peace that leads to spiritual ruin.