THEOSISAugustine of Hippo
Can the realization of the promise of peace be linked to the period of Solomon's reign? Those who seek such immense blessings in this earthly life are being naïve. Is it not reasonable to think that this peace was accomplished during Solomon's reign? Indeed, Scripture portrays the tranquility of his reign primarily as a foreshadowing of what is to come. However, this notion is soon dispelled when, following the statement, "The wicked men shall no more encamp against him," it notes, "As before, from the time that I set judges over My people Israel." Before kings were anointed, judges governed the people from the moment they entered the Promised Land.
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Malevolent individuals, meaning foreign adversaries, consistently harassed and troubled them, for, as Scripture recounts, periods of peace were frequently interrupted by wars. Notably, there were even longer spans of peace during the era of the judges than during Solomon's forty-year reign—such as the eighty years of peace experienced under the judge Ehud. Therefore, it cannot be inferred that this promise pertained specifically to Solomon’s time, let alone to any other monarch. No other king enjoyed as peaceful a reign as Solomon, and indeed, throughout the history of this nation, there has never been a reign without the threat of foreign domination. In such unpredictability concerning human affairs, no nation has ever reached a state of security devoid of concern for enemy incursions in this earthly existence. Consequently, the promised land symbolizing peaceful and secure dwelling is a permanent one, ordained by the Eternal in the New Jerusalem, where the people of Israel will truly reside, for the name signifies "seeing God." It is with this hopeful expectation of such a reward that believers should approach their current arduous journey of faith.