245、⑤所罗门被允许恢复偶像崇拜。这是为了他可以代表具有全世界各种宗教形式的主的国或教会，因为建立在以色列和犹太民族当中的教会是一个代表性教会；因此，该教会的一切律例典章都代表教会的属灵事物，也就是教会的内在；这百姓本身代表教会，王代表主，大卫代表即将降世的主，所罗门代表降世之后的主。由于主荣耀了祂的人身之后拥有了天上地上的权柄，如祂自己在马太福音（28:18）中所说的，所以所罗门作为祂的代表显得荣耀和辉煌，拥有胜过地上众王的智慧，还建了圣殿。此外，他尤其允许并建立了许多民族的敬拜形式，以此代表世上的各种宗教。他的七百个妻子和三百个妃嫔（列王纪上11:3）具有同样的含义，因为在圣言中，“妻子”表示教会，“妃嫔或妾”表示一种宗教。这一切清楚表明为何建造圣殿的任务落在所罗门身上，圣殿既表示主的神性人身（约翰福音2:19，21），也表示教会；又为何他被允许建立偶像崇拜，还娶了那么多妻子。在圣言的许多地方，“大卫”都表示即将降世的主，这一点可见于《新耶路撒冷教义之主篇》一书（43，44节）。
245. (5) That Solomon was permitted to establish idolatrous forms of worship: This was permitted in order that he might represent the Lord's kingdom or the church, together with all the religious practices observed throughout the world. For the church instituted among the Israelite and Jewish people was a representative church. Consequently all the judgments and statutes of that church represented the spiritual constituents of a church, which are its internal components - the people representing the church, the king the Lord - David the Lord who would come into the world, and Solomon the Lord after His advent. And because, after the glorification of His humanity, the Lord had power over heaven and earth, as He Himself says in Matthew 28:18, 1therefore as His representative Solomon was surrounded by glory and magnificence, and possessed greater wisdom than all the kings of the earth, and also built the Temple. Moreover, he permitted and instituted as well the forms of worship of many nations, which represented the various religious practices in the world. The like was symbolized by his wives, of which he had seven hundred, and by his concubines, of which he had three hundred (1 Kings 11:3). For in the Word a wife symbolizes the church, and a concubine a form of religion.
It can be seen from this why it was granted Solomon to build the Temple, which symbolized the Lord's Divine humanity (John 2:19, 21), 2and also the church. So, too, why it was permitted him to establish idolatrous forms of worship and marry so many wives.
(That by David in many places in the Word is meant the Lord who would come into the world, see The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem Regarding the Lord 43-44.)
Footnotes:
1. "And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, 'All power has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.'"
2. "Jesus answered and said to them, 'Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.' ... But He was speaking of the temple of His body."
245. 5. Solomon was allowed to start idolatrous worship. This was in order that he might provide an image of the Lord's kingdom or the church in all the religions of the whole world, since the church established among the people of Judah and Israel was a representative church. This means that all the laws and statutes of that church were images of spiritual principles of the church, its inner reality. The people themselves represented the church, their king represented the Lord--David the Lord who was to come into the world, and Solomon the Lord after his coming. Since after the transformation of his human nature the Lord had power over heaven and earth (as he himself says in Matthew 28:18), Solomon as an image of him is portrayed in impressive splendor and had more wisdom than all the other kings on earth. He built the temple as well, and particularly allowed and initiated the religions of many nations, which provides an image of the various religions in our own world. His seven hundred wives mean much the same, as do his three hundred concubines (see 1 Kings 11:3), since a wife in the Word means the church and a concubine means a religion.
This enables us to see why it fell to Solomon to build the temple, which means the divine human nature of the Lord (John 2:19, 21) as well as the church, and why he was allowed to initiate idolatrous worship and marry so many wives.
In Teachings for the New Jerusalem on the Lord 43, 44, you may see that in many passages in the Word David means the Lord who was to come into the world.
245. 5. Solomon was permitted to establish idolatrous worship. This was done that he might represent the Lord's kingdom or the Church with all forms of religion in the whole world. For the Church established with the nation of Israel and Judah was a representative Church, and therefore all the judgments and statutes of that Church represented the spiritual things of the Church, which are its internals. The people themselves represented the Church, the king represented the Lord, David representing the Lord who was to come into the world and Solomon the Lord after His Coming. Because the Lord after the glorification of His Human had power over heaven and earth, as He Himself says in Matthew 28:18, therefore Solomon who represented Him appeared in glory and magnificence, and possessed wisdom above all the kings of the earth, and also built the temple. Moreover, he permitted and established the forms of worship of many nations, by which were represented the various religions in the world. His wives, who numbered seven hundred and his concubines who numbered three hundred (1 Kings 11:3), had a similar signification, for a "wife" in the Word signifies the Church and a "concubine" a form of religion. Hence it may be evident why it was granted to Solomon to build the temple which signified both the Lord's Divine Human (John 2:19, 21) and the Church; and why he was permitted to set up idolatrous forms of worship, and to marry so many wives. That by David in many places in the Word is meant the Lord, who was to come into the world, may be seen in THE DOCTRINE OF THE NEW JERUSALEM CONCERNING THE LORD (n. 43-44).
245. (5) Solomon was permitted to establish idolatrous worship. This was done that he might represent the Lord's kingdom or the church, with all the varieties of religion in the whole world; for the church instituted with the nation of Israel and Judah was a representative church; therefore all the judgments and statutes of that church represented the spiritual things of the church, which are its internals; that people itself representing the church, the king representing the Lord, David representing the Lord who was to come into the world, and Solomon the Lord after His coming. And because the Lord after the glorification of His Human had power over heaven and earth (as He Himself says in Matthew 28:18), so Solomon His representative appeared in glory and magnificence, and possessed wisdom above all the kings of the earth, and also built the temple. Furthermore, Solomon permitted and set up the worship of many nations, by which the various religions in the world were represented. His wives, seven hundred in number, and his concubines, who numbered three hundred (1 Kings 11:3), had a like signification, for a "wife" in the Word signifies the church, and a "concubine" a religion. This makes clear why it was granted to Solomon to build the temple, which signified both the Lord's Divine Human (John 2:19, 21) and also the church; and why he was permitted to establish idolatrous worship, and to marry so many wives. That by "David," in many places in the Word, the Lord who was to come into the world is meant, can be seen in the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Lord 43, 44.
245. V. Quod Salomoni permissum fuerit instaurare cultus idololatricos; erat propter causam, ut repraesentaret Regnum Domini seu Ecclesiam cum omnibus religiosis in universo terrarum Orbe, nam Ecclesia apud Gentem Israeliticam et Judaicam 1instituta fuit Ecclesia repraesentativa, quare omnia judicia et statuta illius Ecclesiae repraesentabant spiritualia Ecclesiae, quae sunt interna ejus, ipse populus Ecclesiam, Rex Dominum, David Dominum venturum in Mundum, et Salomo Dominum post adventum Ipsius; et quia Domino post glorificationem Humani Ipsius fuit potestas super coelum et terram, ut Ipse dicit Matthaeus 28:18, ideo Repraesentator Ipsius Salomo apparuit in gloria et magnificentia, et fuit in sapientia, super omnes reges terrae, et quoque aedificavit Templum; ac insuper cultus plurium gentium permisit ac instituit, per quos repraesentabantur varia Religiosa in Mundo; similia significabant uxores ejus, quae numero 700 fuerunt, et concubinae quae numero 300 erant, 1 Regnum 11:3; uxor enim in Verbo significat Ecclesiam, et concubina religiosum. Ex his constare potest, cur datum sit Salomoni aedificare Templum, per quod significabatur Divinum Humanum Domini, Johannes 2:19, 21, et quoque Ecclesia; tum quod permissum ei sit instaurare cultus idololatricos, ac tot uxores ducere. Quod per Davidem intelligatur Dominus venturus in mundum multis locis in Verbo, videatur DOCTRINA NOVAE HIEROSOLYMAE DE DOMINO 43-44.
Footnotes:
1 Prima editio: Judaicam