And he made the Hall of the Throne where he was to pronounce judgment, even the Hall of Judgment. It was finished with cedar from floor to rafters.
Solomon's palace complex included one room built for a single purpose: a hall where the king sat to hear cases and give verdicts. Older translations call it "the porch of judgment." Why did Israel's king give justice a room of its own? And whose reign does that room point to?
A Room Inside the House of the Forest of Lebanon
This hall was not a separate building. It stood inside a much larger one, and its design differed from the temple's in a telling way:
Leslie M. GrantThis building had windows (vv. 4-5), but the temple did not. Government looks out to consider the welfare of the people; in the temple everything speaks of God's glory, with no view outward at all. Inside this house of the forest of Lebanon, Solomon built a hall called the Hall of Judgment, and there he set his throne (v. 7). Cedar paneled it completely.
Cedar, Not Gold
Gold covered the temple walls. Cedar lined this hall from floor to rafters, and that difference carries meaning:
Leslie M. GrantNo gold covered this building. Gold speaks of the nature of God, and the house of the forest of Lebanon speaks of the government of God. So cedar wood stood out here (vv. 2-3). Cedar is a lasting wood, and this tells us that the government of the Lord Jesus will be stable and lasting through the whole 1000 years.
Whom the Throne Judged
The building was named after Lebanon, the mountain region north of Israel. Its name says something about how it looked, and something about who came under its rule:
H. L. RossierThe house was made of cedar wood. Inside and outside, cedar columns stood in long rows, which may have given the house the look of an imposing forest. The name also gives us a beautiful picture of this glorious reign. Lebanon faced Tyre and even belonged to it. Thus there was a relationship between this house and the nations in submission to the great king. It was there that Solomon sat as sovereign and judge of the nations as well as of his own people.
The room's name states its business:
H. L. RossierThis porch of the throne was the "porch of judgment." There stood the seat of government over the nations, the place that upheld righteousness.
What a Visitor Saw
One writer pictures what a visitor saw from the entrance:
H. L. RossierYour eye passed through the forest of cedar pillars in the central part of the house to the second porch at the far end. There a throne of gold and ivory rose up, made with wonderful skill. On that throne you could gaze at the glorious king — peaceable Solomon, the Lord's beloved Jedidiah, whose wisdom no one ever surpassed — the righteous king carrying out righteousness.
A Picture of the Coming Reign
Commentators read this room as a preview of a reign still to come:
Arno Clemens GaebeleinFrom there the king carried out judgment. Here we see in advance the glorious rule of the kingdom, when our Lord judges in righteousness. The house of the forest of Lebanon stands for His glory among the nations.
Another writer sets the palace and the temple side by side:
J. N. DarbyTo my mind, it is the house of Solomon that pictures the church joined to Christ. The temple pictures the Father's house on high, where He brings us to live. "We are his house." And the house of the forest of Lebanon pictures His glory among the nations. The porch of judgment gives this glorious reign its character.
The Pillars That the Temple Lacked
One writer builds a contrast on the pillars:
H. L. RossierPillars stood everywhere in this house, unlike the temple, which had none except the two at its entrance, Jachin and Boaz. The house of God supports itself. It needs no other support, for it stands perfectly stable. The glory of God is enough in itself; only, God the Father joins His children to it and gives them a home there. It will not be so with the reign of Christ over the nations. The saints will be called to share in His reign and to judge the world with Christ (1 Cor. 6:2; Ps. 2:9; Rev. 2:26-27). The Lord will have companions in His government, and they will always live near the king, just as Solomon's companions lived in the house of the forest of Lebanon.
Summary
- Windows — the temple had none, but this hall had them. Government looks out at the welfare of the people; the temple looks only at God's glory.
- Cedar — no gold here. Gold speaks of God's nature; this house speaks of His government. The lasting wood says the rule of Christ will be stable.
- Reach — Lebanon faced Tyre, so the hall linked Israel's rule to the nations. Solomon judged both from one seat.
- Sight — down the long rows of pillars a visitor saw the throne. On it sat the peaceable king, carrying out righteousness.
- Companions — the temple needed no pillars; this hall was full of them. Saints will share Christ's reign, judge the world, and live near the King.