Tim Maas Supporter Retired Quality Assurance Specialist with the U.S. Army

The "lamp" being referred to in the verse cited in the question is a metaphorical reference to God maintaining a line of royal succession from David's descendants in fulfillment of His promise to David in 2 Samuel 7:8-16.

Although the kings of Judah who were descended from David did not all live up to David's degree of devotion to God (which had resulted in David being described as "a man after His [God's] own heart" (1 Samuel 13:14)), and although some of those kings (such as Abijah (also called Abijam), as noted in the question) were even described as doing evil, God's love for David was so great that He still kept His promise to him by maintaining (in the midst of the spiritual darkness that otherwise characterized Jerusalem and Judah) the "lamp" referred to in the passage, in the form of having one of David's descendants remain on the throne by giving Abijah a son who could succeed him as king, and thus perpetuate David's line.

And, in fact, even though God later allowed Judah to be punished for its sin by being taken into captivity in Babylon, that same lineage was preserved down to both the mother and earthly father of Jesus (who was the ultimate fulfillment of God's promise to David), as noted in the genealogies contained in Luke 3:23-38 and Matthew 1:1-17.

July 05 2019 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Jeffrey Johnson Supporter

This verse recorded in 1 Kings 15:4 tells David about a future promise relating to his kingdom when he dies.Into David’s reign, Jehovah chose to make a covenant with David. First, He said: “I shall certainly raise up your seed after you, which will come out of your inward parts; and I shall indeed firmly establish his kingdom. He is the one that will build a house for my name, and I shall certainly establish the throne of his kingdom firmly to time indefinite.” (2 Samuel 7:12, 13) As indicated, David’s son Solomon became the next king, and he was used to construct a house, or temple, for God in Jerusalem. 

Jehovah went on to make this covenant with David: “Your house and your kingdom will certainly be steadfast to time indefinite before you; your very throne will become one firmly established to time indefinite.” (2 Samuel 7:16) Plainly, God was thus establishing a kingly dynasty for Israel in David’s family. It was not to be just a constant succession of Davidic kings. Eventually, someone in David’s line would come to rule “to time indefinite, and his throne [would be] as the sun in front of [God].”​

Most important of all, Second Samuel points forward to and gives brilliant foreglimpses of God’s Kingdom, which he establishes in the hands of the “son of David,” Jesus Christ. (Matt. 1:1) The oath that Jehovah made to David concerning the permanence of his kingdom (2 Sam. 7:16) is cited at Acts 2:29-36 with reference to Jesus. That the prophecy, “I myself shall become his father, and he himself will become my son” (2 Sam. 7:14), really pointed forward to Jesus is shown by Hebrews 1:5. This was also testified to by Jehovah’s voice speaking from heaven: “This is my Son, the beloved, whom I have approved.” (Matt. 3:17; 17:5)

October 02 2025 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report