1Ki 10:18 | KingComments | STEP | The throne belongs to the wonderful government of Solomon and is a high point. It is a throne that has never been made in any kingdom. It can only be applied to the throne of the Lord Jesus, of Whom Solomon is still such a beautiful picture here. It is not very obvious that there is talk about ivory covered with gold. It may be a throne of wood covered partly with ivory and partly with gold. Ivory can only be obtained by death. It is different with gold; there the thought of death does not come to the fore. Ivory as the fruit of death and gold as the picture of Divine glory are the basis of the throne of the Lord Jesus. He rules because He is God Himself and at the same time He is the One Who died as Man, but also rose up and lives forever. Six steps lead up to that glorious throne. On each of these six steps are two lions, that is twelve lions altogether, one for each tribe. Beside the throne are two more, that brings the total to fourteen, that is two times seven. The throne itself is on the seventh step. The lion is also a symbol of Christ Himself. To take place on the throne, seven steps have to be climbed. We see these steps in the life of the Lord Jesus, Who will finally take place on the throne. If the Lord had knelt before Satan ( ), He would not have had such a throne. It would be, so to speak, a throne without steps. The Lord wanted to go every step of the six, while the seventh makes Him sit directly on the throne itself. The throne described here is not the throne comparable to the place He occupies on the right side of God. He has already reached that place. This is the throne of David on earth, prepared from the foundation of the world. In the six steps we can see the way He has gone to take His place on that throne. Maybe there are other applications to make, but a possible application for each step is the following: 1. The first step is His willingness to do the will of God: “‘Behold, I have come … to do Your will, O God” ( ). 2. The second is that He became Man. To Him this was a humiliation. He Who sits on the throne of David is the Son of man. To this end He partook of blood and flesh: “Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same” ( ). 3. He partook of blood and flesh to give His life: “Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” ( ). His death was the necessary third step. 4. It could not stop there. He has been raised and resurrected: “But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep” ( ). This is the fourth, middle step. 5. The fifth is that He went to heaven, glorified at God’s right hand: He “has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” ( ). He now sits with His Father on the throne of His Father, not on His own throne ( ). 6. The sixth step is that He rises from it and comes to earth on the clouds of the sky: “For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and WILL THEN REPAY EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS” ( ). 7. Then He will climb the seventh step by taking place on His throne: “But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne” ( ). If we compare in the description of the throne in with what is written in 2 Chronicles 9 ( ), the following question arises: Is the shape of the head of the throne round or is it a description of a footstool attached to the throne? It is a difficult word to translate. It seems that on the throne, on its head, is a sheep. This is how the Septuagint translates these words. This gives a nice explanation in connection with Revelation 5, where there is a lion and a lamb ( ). He Who sits on the throne is also the Lamb. Such a throne, such a government has never been seen.

‏ 1 Kings 10:18

The Throne

The throne belongs to the wonderful government of Solomon and is a high point. It is a throne that has never been made in any kingdom. It can only be applied to the throne of the Lord Jesus, of Whom Solomon is still such a beautiful picture here.

It is not very obvious that there is talk about ivory covered with gold. It may be a throne of wood covered partly with ivory and partly with gold. Ivory can only be obtained by death. It is different with gold; there the thought of death does not come to the fore. Ivory as the fruit of death and gold as the picture of Divine glory are the basis of the throne of the Lord Jesus. He rules because He is God Himself and at the same time He is the One Who died as Man, but also rose up and lives forever.

Six steps lead up to that glorious throne. On each of these six steps are two lions, that is twelve lions altogether, one for each tribe. Beside the throne are two more, that brings the total to fourteen, that is two times seven. The throne itself is on the seventh step. The lion is also a symbol of Christ Himself.

To take place on the throne, seven steps have to be climbed. We see these steps in the life of the Lord Jesus, Who will finally take place on the throne. If the Lord had knelt before Satan (Mt 4:8-9), He would not have had such a throne. It would be, so to speak, a throne without steps. The Lord wanted to go every step of the six, while the seventh makes Him sit directly on the throne itself.

The throne described here is not the throne comparable to the place He occupies on the right side of God. He has already reached that place. This is the throne of David on earth, prepared from the foundation of the world. In the six steps we can see the way He has gone to take His place on that throne. Maybe there are other applications to make, but a possible application for each step is the following:

1. The first step is His willingness to do the will of God: “‘Behold, I have come … to do Your will, O God” (Heb 10:7).

2. The second is that He became Man. To Him this was a humiliation. He Who sits on the throne of David is the Son of man. To this end He partook of blood and flesh: “Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same” (Heb 2:14a).

3. He partook of blood and flesh to give His life: “Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Phil 2:8). His death was the necessary third step.

4. It could not stop there. He has been raised and resurrected: “But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep” (1Cor 15:20). This is the fourth, middle step.

5. The fifth is that He went to heaven, glorified at God’s right hand: He “has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb 12:2b). He now sits with His Father on the throne of His Father, not on His own throne (Rev 3:21).

6. The sixth step is that He rises from it and comes to earth on the clouds of the sky: “For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and WILL THEN REPAY EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS” (Mt 16:27).

7. Then He will climb the seventh step by taking place on His throne: “But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne” (Mt 25:31).

If we compare in the description of the throne in 1Kgs 10:19 with what is written in 2 Chronicles 9 (2Chr 9:18), the following question arises: Is the shape of the head of the throne round or is it a description of a footstool attached to the throne? It is a difficult word to translate. It seems that on the throne, on its head, is a sheep. This is how the Septuagint translates these words. This gives a nice explanation in connection with Revelation 5, where there is a lion and a lamb (Rev 5:5-6). He Who sits on the throne is also the Lamb. Such a throne, such a government has never been seen.