Song of Solomon

[Dr. Shane]

[:"red"] King Solomon made himself a chariot of the wood of Lebanon. He made the pillars thereof of silver, the bottom thereof of gold, the covering of it of purple, the midst thereof being paved with love, for the daughters of Jerusalem. 3:9, 10 [/]

[:"blue"] King Solomon built his own chariot. He, like Christ, knew exactly how he was going to come. The chariot is sybolic of royality. It can be compared to Air Force One. [/]

"So he built the house, and finished it; and covered the house with beams and boards of cedar." 1 Kg 6:9

[:"blue"] This chariot is made out of cedar, like the temple. The purple covering also is symbolic of royalty but ... [/]

"And they clothed Him with purple, and platted a crown of thorns, and put it about His head" Mk 15:20

"But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children." Lk 23:28

"Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.: Mt. 25:1

[:"blue"] The King comes with love for the daughters of Jerusalem - not just His beloved Shulamite. This can be understood not only as other Christian denominations, but the faithful of nonChristian religions that were never touched by the gospel but lived faithfully by the light they had.

It is noteworthy to remember that the Millerite movement called many people out of various different denominations.[/]

[Dr. Shane]

[:"red"] Go forth, O ye daughters of Zion, and behold king Solomon with the crown wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals, and in the day of the gladness of his heart. 3:11 [/]

"And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him" Matt. 3:16

[:"blue"] Christ was annointed at His baptism but He does not inherit His kingdom until the end of the judgment. [/]

"And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed." Dan. 7:14

"His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself." Rev. 19:12

"That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth" Php 2:10

"Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife." Rev. 21:9

[Dr. Shane]

[:"red"] Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves' eyes within thy locks: thy hair is as a flock of goats, that appear from mount Gilead. 4:1 [/]

"And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him" Matt. 3:16

"When the Son of man shall come in his glory... he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats" Matt. 25:31, 32

[:"blue"] "Thou art fair" describes the church's readiness. Those n the Millerite movement were ready for the Lord to come. The reference to dove eyes may be understood as being of pure heart, holy but the reference to goat's hair may be understood as error in their doctrine. While they were ready, with committed hearts, for Jesus to return in October of 1844, their understanding of the Scripture was not correct. [/]

[Dr. Shane]

[:"red"] Thy teeth are like a flock of sheep that are even shorn, which came up from the washing; whereof every one bear twins, and none is barren among them. 4:2 [/]

[:"blue"] The washing which the flock of sheep came out of is possibly the 1,260 years. Each of these bears twins which is an indication of rapid growth of the church.

• I will be vactioning over the holiday and will continue the "study" upon my return.

[/]

[Derrell M]

Could the Song of Solomon just be a work of poetry epitomising the passion of a very prolific people?

[Dr. Shane]

[:"blue"] I think it is universially agreed that the Song of Solomon is poetry. It can also be read as a play.

It clearly has some symbolic symbols of Christ and the church. The excercise to interpret the book prophetically is admittably speculative. However in so doing we do see Christ's love and compassion for fallen humanity in a magnified light. [/]

[ViLo]

The Song of Solomon is clearly a very erotic work. Clearly very sexual in nature. Solmon wrote a pure song of love, possibly to one of his many thousands of wives of concubines. It is wrong to attempt to spiritualize it away, particularly when what is described should be in a lot more Godly households today.

[Dr. Shane]

[:"red"] Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet, and thy speech is comely: thy temples are like a piece of a pomegranate within thy locks. 4:3 [/]

[:"blue"] After centuries of oppression the bride was able to speak. The First Ammendment in the American Constitution grants both religious liberty and freedom of speech. The church was able to speak and its voice was "comely".

The temples are on the side of the head and can be understood to refer to understanding and reason. With the freedom of expression men and women were able to spread the gospel.[/]

[:"red"] Thy neck is like the tower of David builded for an armoury, whereon there hang a thousand bucklers, all shields of mighty men. 4:4 [/]

[:"blue"] Women would use their necks to carry heavy loads. This verse paints a picture of a mighty woman. The church, while small, was strong and determined. [/]

[Dr. Shane]

[:"red"] Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins, which feed among the lilies. 4:5 [/]

"Thus saith the Lord GOD unto Jerusalem... I have caused thee to multiply as the bud of the field, and thou hast increased and waxen great, and thou art come to excellent ornaments: thy breasts are fashioned, and thine hair is grown, whereas thou wast naked and bare." Ezk 16:3, 7

[:"blue"] The breasts here can be understood as maturity. After the Dark Ages and the end of the 2,300 day prophecy the church matured rapidly.

Feeding among the lillies can be understood as feeding with Christ's flock as Christ is the Lily of the valley. [/]

[Dr. Shane]

[:"red"] Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense. 4:6 [/]

[:"blue"] "The day break" possibley a reference to the end of probation. A mountain is used symbolically for a kingdom in Revelation 17:9. Here we see a mountain of myrrh and hill of frankincense, both gifts given to Christ at His birth. Possibly a reference to Christ's kingdom which will comee at the end of probation. [/]

[:"red"] Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee. 4:7 [/]

"Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless." 2 Ptr 3:15

[:"blue"] This can be understood as a reference to the remnant church which has been washed in the blood of Christ after the Day of Atonement. [/]

"For on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the LORD." Lev. 16:30

[:"blue"] Here we see the woman is not without spot due to her good works, rather she is washed in the blood of the Lamb. Her righteousness comes by faith in the Groom. [/]

[]http://www.adventistforum.com/ubbtreads/attachments/197078-JesusPriest.jpg[/]

[Dr. Shane]

[:"red"] Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse, with me from Lebanon: look from the top of Amana, from the top of Shenir and Hermon, from the lions' dens, from the mountains of the leopards. [/]

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Matt. 11:28

"And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." Rev. 22:17

[:"blue"] The word "come" is one of the Groom's favorites. In various places in the New Testament, Christ invites the sinner to come unto Him. [/]

"The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, the fir tree, the pine tree, and the box together, to beautify the place of my sanctuary; and I will make the place of my feet glorious." Isa. 60:13

[:"blue"] Lebanon is depicted as a glorious place, possibly simbolic of heaven or the new Earth. [/]

[:"red"] Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse; thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes, with one chain of thy neck. 4:9 [/]

"There came then his brethren and his mother, and, standing without, sent unto him, calling him. And the multitude sat about him, and they said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee. And he answered them, saying, Who is my mother, or my brethren? And he looked round about on them which sat about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!" Mark 3:31-35

[:"blue"] Christ's love for the church was never so clearly shown as on the cross. Here we see that love depicted as the love of a newly wed husband for his wife. Yet this falls short of actually being able to give us a true understanding of Christ's love for fallen humanity. [/]

[Dr. Shane]

[:"red"] Thy lips, O my spouse, drop as the honeycomb: honey and milk are under thy tongue; and the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon. A garden inclosed is my sister, my spouse; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed. 4:11, 12 [/]

"The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb." Ps. 19:9, 10

[:"blue"] The lips of the bride are as honey and honeycomb. Like John the Baptist prepared Israel for the first coming of Christ, the remnant prepares the world for the final judgement.

Honey and milk, smells of Lebanon... all can be understood as the coming of Christ's kingdom.[/]

"Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life" John 4:14

[:"blue"] The bride, representing the church, has a spring of water within her. She has accepted the gift of eteranl life. [/]

[Dr. Shane]

[:"red"] Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates, with pleasant fruits; camphire, with spikenard, Spikenard and saffron; calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense; myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices: A fountain of gardens, a well of living waters, and streams from Lebanon. 4:13=15 [/]

[:"blue"] Here we find the bride smells of many pleasant fruits. The church should also be described by fruits, "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance" (Ga. 5:22, 23)

Here again we see a reference to living water. Earlier it was a spring within. The bride has a relationship with the Groom that is consistant, like a flowing river or a bubbling spring. [/]

[Dr. Shane]

[:"red"] Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits. 4:16[/]

"The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes." John 3:8

"For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish" 2 Cor. 2:14

[:"blue"] Jesus used the wind to describe the moving of the Holy Spirit. Here the dialouge switches back to the bride and she invites the wind to her garden to spread its aroma.

It was the Holy Spirt which was responsible for enpowering the early band of believers to spread the sweet message of Christ's soon return. The the smell of this spices would fill the world like the spices Mary used when annointing Christ. [/]

"Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment." Jn 12:3

[Dr. Shane]

[:"red"] I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse: I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk: eat, O friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved. 5:1 [/]

"And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut." Matt. 25:10

[:"blue"] Just as the Bridegroom comes in the parable of the ten virgins, so He comes in to Shulamita's garden. [/]

"Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created." Rev. 4:11

[:"blue"] The Grooms says, "I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk" The church is for the pleasure of God and He takes joy in it. [/]

"He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled." John 3:29

"And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." Rev. 22:17

[:"blue"] The Groom says, "O friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved" His beloved is the church but the friends are those that have yet to accept Christ as Savior. It is the purpose of the church to take the sweet smell of the gospel to them. They are to be invited to drink of "water of life freely". [/]

[Dr. Shane]

[:"red"] I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night. 5:2 [/]

"While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept" Matt. 25:5

[:"blue"] Shulamita speaks again. Like the ten virgins in the parable, she was sleeping. But her heart awakes to the Groom outside wanting to come in. The symbolism here is clear. While the church was asleep, Christ was outside, knocking on the door. [/]

[:"red"] I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them? 5:3 [/]

"But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses [righteous acts] are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away." Isa. 64:06

[:"blue"] Shulamita had taken off her coat. This garment can be understood as our self-righteousness. We must shed our garment if we are to wear the garment of Christ's righteousness. [/]

"Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all." Jn 13:10

[:"blue"] Both shedding one's own garment and washing of the feet are symbolic of leaving a life of sin [/]

[Dr. Shane]

[:"red"] My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, And my heart was moved for him. I rose up to open to my beloved; And my hands droppeth with myrrh, And my fingers with liquid myrrh, Upon the handles of the bolt. 5:4, 5 [/]

"Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." Revelation 3:20

[:"blue"] The symbolism here is clear. The bride respnnds to the Groom's invitation to let Him in. [/]

[:"red"] I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone: my soul failed when he spake: I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer. 5:6 [/]

"And I took the little book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter." Rev. 10:10

[:"blue"] The bride opens the door but the Groom has left. The prophetic view tends to see this as the Great Disappoint of october 1844. Some believe it to be the failure to accept the 1888 message. [/]

"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you" Matt. 7:7

[:"blue"] The bride does not give up. She goes out and seeks her love. Thus, after Great Disappointment, some believers continued to search the Scriptures to discover the truth. [/]

[Dr. Shane]

[:"red"] The watchmen that went about the city found me, they smote me, they wounded me; the keepers of the walls took away my veil from me. 5:7 [/]

"But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming. And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, " Matt. 24:48-50

[:"blue"] The watchmen, clergy of various denominations, excommunicated many of the first Adventists - even before they discovered the seventh-day sabbath. [/]

[Dr. Shane]

[:"red"] I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my beloved, that ye tell him, that I am sick of love. 5:8 [/]

[:"blue"] This is the third charge to the "daughters of Jerusalem" which may be understood as the other Christian denominations. The bride is love sick. He hopes have been dashed but she is still hanging on. [/]

[Dr. Shane]

[:"red"] What is thy beloved more than another beloved, O thou fairest among women? what is thy beloved more than another beloved, that thou dost so charge us? 5:9 [/]

[:"blue"] The daughters of Jerusalem now ask the bride what is so special about the Groom. While they also represent churchs, they do not know the Groom as does the bride. [/]

[Dr. Shane]

[:"red"]My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand. His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are bushy, and black as a raven. His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of waters, washed with milk, and fitly set. His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers: his lips like lilies, dropping sweet smelling myrrh. His hands are as gold rings set with the beryl: his belly is as bright ivory overlaid with sapphires. His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold: his countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars. His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem. 5:10-16 [/]

[:"blue"] Lots of symbolism for Jesus here. [/]

"And his head and his hair were white as white wool, white as snow" Rev. 1:14

[:"blue"] Jesus is the cheif of ten thousand and the great Prince. [/]

"the great prince who standeth for the children of thy people" Dan. 12:1

[:"blue"] Jesus is all-together lovely. [/]

"Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot" 1 Peter 1:18, 19

[:"blue"] Jesus is our Friend. [/]

"Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you." John 15:15

[Dr. Shane]

[:"blue"] Took a little break for the holidays to let some of the lurkers catch up [/]

[:"red"] Whither is thy beloved gone, O thou fairest among women? whither is thy beloved turned aside? that we may seek him with thee. 6:1 [/]

[:"blue"] The bride does not know where the Groom has gone. He did not return to earth in 1844 as expected. [/]

[:"red"]My beloved is gone down into his garden, to the beds of spices, to feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies.6:2 [/]

[:"blue"] His garden is where His people are (4:12; 5:1), or His church. "To feed the gardens" can be understood as strengthening the church. Christ is the lily of the valley so the reference to "lilies" in the pluar can be understood as the saints.

According to the prophetic view, at this point Christ is in the Santurary judging the people and serving as Mediator for the saints.[/]

[Dr. Shane]

[:"red"] I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine: he feedeth among the lilies. 6:3 [/]

[:"blue"]The bride is committed to the Groom just as the Groom is committed to the bride. The lilies - plural - can be understood as the church which is Christlike. Those that keep His commandments and have the faith of Jesus (Rev. 12:17) Feeding the lillies can be understood as spiritual nurishment. [/]

[:"red"]thou art beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem, terrible as an army with banners. 6:4 [/]

[:"blue"]Here the Groom speaks. An army has a banner for each of its battles. The church here is represented as a united army being victorious through many battles. [/]

[Dr. Shane]

[:"red"] Turn away thine eyes from me, for they have overcome me: thy hair is as a flock of goats that appear from Gilead. Thy teeth are as a flock of sheep which go up from the washing, whereof every one beareth twins, and there is not one barren among them. As a piece of a pomegranate are thy temples within thy locks. 6:5-7 [/]

[:"blue"] These flattering words sound like thosr spoken to the church of Philadelphia. [/]

"I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name." Rev. 3:8

[Dr. Shane]

[:"red"] There are threescore queens, and fourscore concubines, and virgins without number. My dove, my undefiled is but one; she is the only one of her mother, she is the choice one of her that bare her. The daughters saw her, and blessed her; yea, the queens and the concubines, and they praised her. 6:8, 9 [/]

[:"blue"] There are 60 queens, 80 lovers and unlimited virgins but the King chooses His bride. If a woman represents a church this is a reference to the various false religions and of Christ's alligence to His true church.

[/]

"And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH." Rev. 17:4, 5

"And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered." Rev. 12:1, 2

"There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all." Eph. 4:4-6

[:"blue"] The King says, "my undefiled is but one; she is the only one of her mother". In prophecy we find two mothers. One is the mother of all harlots or of the 60 queens and 80 lovers. The other is the mother of the bride or the true church. [/]