Did Solomon Go To Heaven When He Died?

Did King Solomon go to Heaven when he died?

Introduction

Solomon is one of the most well-known and prominent figures in the Bible, commonly known for being the wisest man to ever live.

However, with some of his acts that are detailed in the Bible being very questionable, some wonder whether Solomon will be in heaven or even hell.

Let’s explore who Solomon was to try and discern whether Solomon truly went to heaven when he died.

Who was Solomon?

Solomon was a prominent figure in the Old Testament of the Bible as he was a King and descended from King David, the man after God’s own heart.

The circumstances of Solomon’s birth were quite interesting as he came after the son of King David and Bathsheba, who had died. He was their second son, yet the first to survive.

Solomon is perhaps most commonly known for supposedly being the wisest man to ever live.

The Bible details how Solomon got his wisdom directly from God, and it was seemingly wisdom beyond what any other human had gained.

He used this wisdom to rule well but also ignored the same wisdom in many aspects of his life.

For example, one of Solomon’s biggest downfalls was the fact that he took for himself 700 wives and a further 300 concubines, many of whom were foreign to the nation that he ruled.

This was not only against God’s commands but further led him to worship the idols and gods of the nations of his women.

Solomon may have had a godly form of wisdom, but that certainly didn’t make him perfect.

How did Solomon get his wisdom?

Solomon received his wisdom directly from God.

At the beginning of his reign as king, Solomon was a very good king, following in the paths of God and walking closely with Him.

Interestingly enough, God actually came to Solomon in the night and simply gave Solomon the chance to make a request for anything he desired.

Although most of us would have asked for something material or worthless in light of eternity, King Solomon chose to ask for wisdom, pleasing God in his request.

Since this was such a pleasing request, God not only gave him wisdom but also gave him riches and honor to be held above all other kings in his day.

God also made him a promise that if he were to walk in the ways of God as his father David did, God would lengthen his life and make his days longer.

Unfortunately, Solomon did not fulfill this part of the deal, but we see many times in the Scriptures where Solomon’s divine wisdom is shown and used to govern God’s people well.

It is truly remarkable to see God grant such a request to someone in the Scriptures.

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How were people “saved” before the time of Jesus?

So, now that we know who Solomon was and how he received his wisdom, did he go to heaven?

Well, we must first answer the question of how one gets to heaven in the first place.

Keep in mind, Solomon lived before Jesus Christ, meaning that Solomon’s salvation was not dependent upon his belief and faith in Jesus’s work on the cross since it hadn’t happened yet.

So then, how did people get into heaven before Jesus died for all sin?

This is a difficult question to answer but make no mistake; the requirement for salvation has always been faith, and the object of that faith has always been God.

Genesis 15:6 tells us that Abraham believed in God and that due to this belief, it was credited to him as righteousness. What has changed, however, is the content of the believer’s faith.

As students of the Bible, we believe in a concept called progressive revelation. This means that throughout history, God has progressively revealed Himself to humanity, not all at once, but over time.

What does seem clear in Scripture is that the requirements for salvation have been dependent upon how much of God has been revealed at that point in time.

For example, Abraham knew less about God than Moses did. However, both had faith in God and placed their belief in God based on what they did know about Him.

In the same way, we now know more about God than anyone ever has in history through the Bible and from what Jesus did on the cross, and now our salvation is dependent on our belief and faith in what we now know about God.

This may seem confusing but know that salvation for all time has always been based on faith in God.

Although the Old Testament sacrificial system atoned for sin, it did not take it away.

Only the blood of Jesus Christ was powerful enough to take away the sins of the world.

Instead, it was simply the faith and belief that people like Abraham had in the God that they knew that made them righteous in God’s eyes and justified to get into heaven.

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Is it likely that Solomon went to heaven, considering the life that he lived?

So, did Solomon believe in God and have faith in Him to the point that he would have gone to heaven when he died?

The only way to even begin to consider the answer to this question is simply to look at the life that he lived.

Although Solomon received godly wisdom, he fell many times.

He sinned greatly against the Lord through the marrying of all of his pagan and foreign wives, he built altars for these gods, and he even went to the point of participating in this pagan worship himself.

In fact, we are told that God only let him keep the kingdom at this time due to the promises that He had made to Solomon’s father, David.

However, we also see in Solomon’s writings, especially those in Ecclesiastes, that Solomon did come to the realization of what life is all about: to fear God and keep His commandments.

If he realized this early enough to change his life, there is a good chance that he placed his faith in the Lord before he died.

His writings show a personal relationship with God that was full of grace and truth. However, I suppose we will never know until we get to heaven and see for ourselves.

Did Solomon repent before he died?

The Bible did not state if Solomon confessed his sins, offered sin offerings, or called on God for mercy before he took his last breath. But the reality of last-minute repentance was stated in the Bible during Jesus’ crucifixion and the last moments before He died.

The Bible recorded that one of the thieves crucified with Jesus cried for mercy and gained salvation or made it to heaven just a few moments before he died.

“Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:42-43)

This same scenario has played out in the lives of many people who lived horribly – chronic, unrepentant sinners who later realized their mistakes on their dying beds, genuinely repented, accepted Jesus, confessed their sins, and made it to heaven.

Many believers who have spent a significant portion of their lives serving God, struggling with temptations, enduring trials, and persecution, often find it hard to come to terms with the reality that God shows evil people mercy, even after they have caused so much pain. However, that is what God’s mercy entails.

Ezekiel 18:23 says, “Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?” says the Lord GOD, “and not that he should turn from his ways and live?”

God loves everybody equally.

He is also ready to offer salvation to anyone who is ready to receive it.

In fact, He goes to sinners, knocks on their hearts, enters if they give Him permission, and dines with them (Revelation 3:20).

And they may accept to give God a chance when they are about to die. If they genuinely repent, they will be saved and enjoy eternal life with Him.

Therefore, while it may seem like Solomon lived recklessly at the peak of his glory as the wisest and wealthiest king, his last days might be moments of sober reflection, re-dedication, and repentance.

The book of Ecclesiastes he wrote reflected the possibilities of Solomon, acknowledging that his riches, wisdom, women, and lavish lifestyles were all vanity.

In Ecclesiastes 12:13–14, he stated that keeping God’s commandments and doing His will are our ultimate purposes.

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, Whether good or evil.”

So, did Solomon repent before he died? Very possible, but not clearly stated in the Bible.

It is easy for believers to point fingers at others who missed their ways or fell into sin.

It is also convenient for Christians to label certain sins as big, forgetting that having 300 concubines and worshiping idols have the same gravity as fornicating with one person and stealing a dollar.

However, God is faithful in overlooking our sins and wrapping us in His love.

He will forgive and grant us access to heaven when we confess our sins and repent.

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