In the Bible honey was the sweet syrup produced by bees, either wild (1 Sam 14:25-26) or domesticated (2 Chron 31:5). it was a delicacy rather than a necessity of life, a sign of luxury and abundance. Occasionally it is referred to as a medicine: “Pleasant words are like honey from a honeycomb-sweet to the spirit and healthy for the body” (Prov 16:24), Continue reading SIGNS & SYMBOLS OF THE BIBLE (HONEY)
The number 144,000 is used in only one book of the Bible: Revelation. The number relates to a group mentioned in Revelation 7:4-8 made up of twelve thousand people from each of the twelve tribes of Israel. The significance of twelve is heightened by using twelve times twelve as a number. This large, exact number is immediately followed by an even larger and more expansive number in verse 9 (“a large crowd from every
Continue reading BIBLE SIGNS & SYMBOLS (ONE HUNDRED FORTY-FOUR THOUSAND)
Creation starts the Bible, in the book of Genesis
The end of the world finishes it, in Revelation. That could lead us to think the Bible is printed in chronological order. But it’s not. If it were, Job would likely come after Genesis. That’s because Job seems to have lived in about the time of Abraham, whose story appears in Genesis. Instead, Job’s story comes after Esther, though this Persian queen wasn’t born for at least 1,500 years after Abraham and Job. The Bible is a library of 66 books written in many genres and over a span of more than a thousand years. How
Most people in Bible times go up early, before the sun was up, so that they could make the most of the hours of daylight and allows for the extreme heat at midday in the summer. Abraham got up early to obey God’s command to sacrifice (Genesis 22:3); Moses got up early in the morning to meet God on Mount Sinai (Exodus 34:4); Job offered worship early in the morning (Job 1:5); Jesus prayed before sunrise (Mark 1:35).
Continue reading MANNERS & CUSTOMS OF THE BIBLE (DOMESTIC ACTIVITIES)
Shameful and unnatural are two words that sum up what Paul has to say about homosexuality. Some Bible translators punch up his criticism with even stronger words: indecent and perversion. “Men committed indecent acts with other men, and
Camels were a common sight throughout Bible times, particularly in cities and villages along caravan routes, where these long-distance beasts of burden might pause for a night before trudging on to their destination. In addition to being a means of
Nobody like to be punished: Getting grounded or having privileges taken away aren’t on anyone’s list of “Top Ten Ways to Spend My Weekend.” But after some time has gone by, we can usually see that our parents’ discipline is helping us become better people.
When it comes to numbers in the Bible, It’s quite possible that 666 is the most famous and infamous of the numbers. People who know little else about the Bible know that
Continue reading BIBLE SIGNS & SYMBOLS (SIX HUNDRED SIXTY-SIX)
Incense is a combination of aromatic spices, herbs, and oils that yields its strongest fragrance when warmed or burned. The incense used in the temple was made of stacte, onycha, galbanum, and frankincense; any combination other than this was not to be used for worship, and this combination was not to be used for any other purpose. When the high priest entered the Holy of Holies, he put a handful of incense on the hot coals
Having friends is great. There’s so much to share-books, music, sports, complaints about parents, even clothes. How much do you share your faith with your friends? Do they know how much you care about God? When Jesus called his first followers, he didn’t place an ad in the local newspaper or hire an employment agency. He simply asked
Continue reading HOW TO BRING OTHERS TO JESUS ( JOHN 1:35-46)
