2 Chronicles 7:11

GOD'S RESPONSE TO SOLOMON'S PRAYER

"Thus Solomon finished the house of Jehovah, and the king's house: and all that came into Solomon's heart to make in the house of Jehovah, and in his own house, he prosperously effected. And Jehovah appeared to Solomon by night, and said unto him, I have heard thy prayer, and have chosen this place to myself for a house of sacrifice. If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people; if my people who are called by name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attentive unto the prayer that is made in this place. For now have I chosen and hallowed this house, that my name may be there for ever; and mine eyes and my heart shall be there perpetually. And as for thee, if thou wilt walk before me as David thy father walked, and do according to all that I have commanded thee, and wilt keep my statutes and mine ordinances; then will I establish the throne of thy kingdom, according as I covenanted with David thy father, saying, there shall not fail thee a son to be ruler in Israel."

"Thus Solomon finished ... all that came into Solomon's heart" (2 Chronicles 7:11). These are the ominous words in the paragraph. Solomon did not do everything according to God's Word, but according to everything he imagined, being guided, only in the most general sense, by the pattern that David had given him for the temple. Nevertheless, before giving Solomon the stern warning that he deserved, God announced his favorable response to Solomon's prayer. In a word, it merely stated that God would do the things Solomon had prayed for. Then came the warning.

"Jehovah appeared to Solomon by night" (2 Chronicles 7:12). There is nothing here to indicate that this was some kind of a dazzling personal appearance. The very fact of its having been at night supports the presumption that God appeared unto him in a dream, as he had appeared the first time at Gibeon.