Seductions of '666 Man' in Bible's supreme song

Here’s a real “coinkydinky,” as my late stepfather liked to call them. I plopped down in a comfy chair at Starbucks a little earlier to write up this blog entry and soon overheard the 20-something woman sitting next to me talking to her friend about how she attended a Bible study that focused on Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon.

The young woman relayed, and I’m paraphrasing a bit, “Yeah, it was really weird stuff but it was amazing writing. I was really into it but then I kept thinking, ‘How does this apply to my life? What am I supposed to get from any of this?' With my personality, I want to know what’s practical. It’s got to be tangible.”

What the vast majority of Christians aren’t taught is that although Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and the Song of Solomon have a local setting and were written to people relative to their current culture, the books also have a primary application to Israel in the ‘last days’ and especially to the ‘believing remnant' that will be in Israel at that time.

Speaking specifically about Song of Solomon, Preacher Richard Jordan says, “I understand that usually Solomon is presented as a picture of Christ, and the Shulamite woman is a picture of the church and the love affair between Christ and the church and all that kind of stuff, but when you really see where King Solomon is in his life at the time of this book’s creation, you say, ‘No, that’s not what’s really going on. He’s really the seducer.’

“The Shulamite woman he’s trying to seduce is exactly what’s going to happen in Israel because it’s about the religious LEADERS of Israel, the national leaders. It was the scribes and the Pharisees and the priests that were opposing the Lord Jesus Christ. They were seduced away already.

“Song of Solomon starts in verse 1:1 with, ‘The song of songs, which is Solomon’s.’ When the Bible wants to make something a superlative and the best of the best, it says things like ‘servant of servants,’ ‘king of kings,’ ‘Lord of lords.’ I mean, you’ve got lords and you’ve got one who is Lord of all. It’s the supreme one. ‘Song of songs’ means here’s the one that’s above all the others.

  

“Song of Solomon sets forth a typical presentation between the Shulamite woman, her Beloved and Solomon and how the ‘little flock’ is going to have to face the seduction policy of the Adversary; the devil as the Antichrist.

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“When you think of the Book of Psalms, who do you think of? David. Although the ‘sweet bard of Israel’ didn’t write but maybe a little over half of the psalms, his name is attached to them like no other person. The Book of Psalms is a book that sets forth the hope of Israel in the Davidic Covenant.

“When you think of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon, you think of Solomon. The Book of Proverbs sets forth wisdom the ‘believing remnant’ is going to need to handle the details of their life wisely, facing the evil of the ‘last days’ as they walk in the midst of terrible wickedness.

“Ecclesiastes sets forth the kind of attitude the world is going to have at that time and the things the world’s going to be facing. It shows forth Solomon as the wise preacher, as he writes in the first chapter: [12] I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
[13] And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.
[14] I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.

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“What you have to grasp is the books Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon were written within a 80-year period in Israel’s history. David reigns 40 years and Solomon reigns 40 years and it’s during their lifetimes that the bulk of these books are written.

“Over and over in Psalms you see David is in a predicament and there’s a psalm about what exactly is going on and God delivering him, just as the ‘little flock’ will be in the day of tribulation in ‘the day of the Lord.’

“In Solomon’s case, his life is actually in three stages and in each one he is a picture of Israel at different places in their history. He starts off as a type of Christ, the Son of David. In Proverbs, he’s David’s faithful son. He is the picture of wisdom and the true son of David, faithfully receiving from his father these proverbs and walking in them and walking in wisdom.

“With Proverbs, it’s like it’s given to Solomon when he becomes king. In Ecclesiastes, he says, ‘I have been king in Jerusalem,’ and it’s toward the mid-life career of Solomon. His kingdom’s established, he’s wealthy and he’s got a worldwide reputation as everything from an architect to a statesmen, a poet, a wise man and a counselor.

"He’s now gone out and allowed his heart to intermeddle with human wisdom and the things of the world, and by his own wisdom he’s gone out to see what is available under the sun and he reports back about the sore travail.

“By the way, you notice in verse 1:13 he refers to ‘the sons of man,’ not men. That word ‘man’ there, the Hebrew word is the word used in Genesis—'ha-adamas'; the word for Adam.

“What Solomon’s doing is he’s talking about, ‘This is humanity’s, all the sons of Adams', situation in the world and it’s just one of sore travail.’ He talks about the reason for that and the philosophy the world follows, and the wisdom of the world and the vanity of all the aspects of the ungodliness of the world.

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“We’ve studied the Book of Jude about how in the ‘last days’ ungodliness reaches its zenith. Well, Solomon describes the ungodliness that leads to that zenith of ungodliness in the ‘last days.’ 

"Do you remember what the conclusion of Ecclesiastes is at the end of the last chapter? Verses 13-14: [13] Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
[14] For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

“Now, if you remember in the Book of Revelation, in the middle of the 70^th Week, there’s an angel that flies in heaven and preaches what’s called ‘the everlasting gospel.’

"Revelation 14:6-7 says, [6] And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,
[7] Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.

“Doesn’t that sound just about like what Solomon the preacher says at the end of Ecclesiastes? The message of Ecclesiastes is just the message the remnant in Israel is going to be delivering to the world!

“Do you understand there are tremendous messages in the Old Testament that God gives to Israel to take even to the nations of the world, and this ‘everlasting gospel’ is giving information for that ‘believing remnant’ to carry to the nations in that 70^th Week of Daniel?!

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“Toward the end of Solomon’s ministry he becomes a type of the Antichrist, used by Satan to re-establish in Israel the system of Baal worship, the religious system of the Antichrist.

“Because of the influences of the satanic policy of evil against the nation Israel to deceive Israel Solomon himself becomes a participant in the apostate religious system that’s overtaken the nation Israel.

“He’s become a type of 'the seducer'; the ‘666 Man.’ You get this whole course of Israel as they start well but are seduced away, and in spite of what they know to the contrary, wind up in rebellion against God and Song of Solomon is written from that perspective and it’s a love song.

“What you have is this Shulamite woman who has her Beloved and He’s gone away and told her He’s going to come back. In the meantime, Solomon comes to her and, on two occasions, seeks to seduce her and draw her away from faithfulness and chastity to her Beloved to come and join him and let him lavish upon her his riches, his wealth.

“Do you understand that in the tribulation in the ‘day of the Lord,’ and we’ve studied through II Peter and I, II, III John and Jude about this seduction policy the Adversary has against the ‘little flock,’ and sometime we think of the persecution and so forth and you forget how strong it is to be seduced.

“There’s going to be wealth beyond imagination that’s offered to Israel, just like Solomon offers to this woman. In chapter 1, he takes her into his palace. In the second attempt, he actually takes her into his bedroom. He just lavishes gifts on her to make her succumb, to appeal to her, but she does the one thing that the ‘believing remnant’ is going to have to do in the ‘last days’ to stay faithful in the face of it all and this woman does it in spades.”

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In her 1916 exposition on the Song of Solomon, Cora MacIlravy takes Song of Solomon 2:3 (“As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste”) and writes:

“The word, ‘apple,’ in this place, means orange, pomegranate, citron, as well as apple, and is applied to this entire family of fruit trees. Though one searched through all the forests of earth, he would not find one fruit tree; and though one searches through the whole forest of humanity, there is not one tree that can bear any fruit excepting that which is poisonous and bitter. ‘There is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved,’ excepting the Name of Jesus. Before the bride found the one fruitful Tree, Christ, she searched throughout the forest, seeking life, seeking food, seeking fruit; but upon no tree, did she find anything but leaves. . .

“Weary and worn, discouraged and hungry, she went from forest to forest, from tree to tree. She looked for peace, but she found it not; she looked for happiness, but she found it not; she looked for the ‘Daysman’ among the forest of men, but she found none. Neither in man’s theories and teaching, nor in their philosophy did she find peace. Neither in her own works nor in those of others did she find rest. How she traveled and looked for salvation and could not find it.

“At last, by the guidance and grace of God, she came to Him who is the only ‘Apple Tree’ in the whole forest of humanity; the Tree upon which all kinds of fruit grow. She came and tasted and found the Lord was good. She has partaken of the fruit of the Tree of life; she has found fruit, refreshing and sweet, both nourishing as food and satisfying to thirst . . .

“This is the tree that was in the bosom of the Father throughout eternal ages. This is the Tree that was planted on earth when Jesus hung on the Cross of Calvary; and God planted It here that we might have access to It, and upon It we find all we need . . .

“The bride is not standing under His shadow, which would show a lack of respect and permanency; but she has sat down under His shadow, which shows uninterrupted abiding in Him, and feeding upon Him. It is when she has been drawn near enough to experience a close touch with Him, not only at times, but a continual communion and abiding in Him, that she partakes of His precious fruit and is refreshed in her soul by deep draughts of life more abundant. She need fear no foe if she remains under His shadow for in that place, and there alone, she is safe. There she finds food, shelter and all she needs. . .

“It is when the bride dwells in the secret place of the Most High, that she abides under the shadow of the Almighty. It is when sitting under His shadow, that she finds delight; it is when she takes refuge in Him, that she is hidden away from the enemy, from the plottings of men, from the strife of tongues, from the heat of the day. It is a wonderful thing to make the shadow of the Almighty our dwelling place. It is a wonderful experience to sit down under His shadow, and let Him be our shade on our right hand, our Covert from the heat of the day, our Rock in a weary land, our High Tower and our Fortress . . .

“He is the beautiful Rose of Sharon, which gladdens and beautifies every desert and wilderness, which refreshes us in the times of our greatest trials and suffering for His sake. He is the Lily of the Valleys, which is the purest, the most fragrant and yet the humblest among the flowers. But He is not only the Rose of Sharon and the Lily of the Valleys, He is the only fruitful Tree among the trees of the forest. He is the source of all beauty, and the Storehouse of all fragrance, purity and humility. He is the only supply of all food and nourishment, He is the only Fountain of living water, He is the Water of life. He is the shade upon our right hand, we sit down under His shadow with great delight and His fruit is sweet to our taste.”