Inability to speak. In the OT muteness is traced to God (Exod 4:11). God made Ezekiel mute (Ezek 3:26) in response to Israel’s failure to listen to his message. Later He restored Ezekiel’s speech (24:27; 33:22) as a sign of the people’s receptiveness to hear. Daniel became speechless in response to the appearance of a heavenly messenger (Dan 10:15).
Continue reading DEFINITION OF THE DAY (MUTENESS)
THE SYMBOLIC MEANING: Jesus Himself establish established the primary figurative interpretation of the cross as a call to complete surrender to God. He used it five times as a symbol of true discipleship in terms of self-denial, taking up one’s cross, and following Him (Mark 8:34; 10:38; Matt 16:24; Luke 9:23; 14:27). Building on the Roman practice of bearing the crossbeam to the place of execution, Christ intended this to point to the necessary death of self, involving the sacrifice of one’s individuality for the purpose of following Jesus completely; and a willingness to imitate Jesus thoroughly, even to the extent of martyrdom.
Continue reading DEFINITION OF THE DAY (CROSS,CRUCIFIXION)
The number cannot be taken literally. Even the literalism formerly taught by the Jehovah’s Witnesses cult (prior to its own growth spurt) has been revised. If not a literal head count, the number must be symbolic, and likely meant to point to the completion of God’s work of salvation among all the nations.
Continue reading IS HEAVEN’S POPULATION LIMITED TO 144,000
MEANING: “Good fortune (or “warrior”)
SYMBOL: Tents, like a battlefield camp
STONE/COLOR: Emerald (or diamond) /Possibly a stone with little color
Continue reading INFORMATION ABOUT GAD, ASHER, ISSACHAR (3 OF THE 12 TRIBES OF ISRAEL)MEANING: “Praise”
Symbol: Lion
STONE/COLOR: Carnelian (or ruby)/Red
Continue reading INFORMATION ABOUT JUDAH,DAN,NAPHTALI (3 OF THE 12 TRIBES OF ISRAEL)
Any priest could offer incense accompanied by some of the grain offering on the altar of incense. It is possible that priests offered incense by itself, although there are no clear indications for this practice (Leviticus 10:1-3; Numbers 16:16-18; Deuteronomy 33:10; 1 Samuel 2:28; Ezekiel 8:10-11).
Continue reading THE ALTAR OF INCENSE
Hell isn’t in the Bible. At least not in the original languages.
Hell is an English word that Bible experts today use to translate a couple of Bible terms about eh afterlife: Gehenna and Tartaros.
Continue reading A LITTLE KNOWN FACT ABOUT (HELL)
Because most people in the ancient world constantly lived on the edge of starvation, obesity was neither an option nor, for most, something to be avoided. Only the rich could afford the luxury of being fat, and for this reason fatness became a mark of status and wealth.
Continue reading DEFINITION OF THE DAY (OBESITY)
This is the longest section of the book of Revelation. It describes the visions of John regarding a series of catastrophic events that God would use to judge the earth before the end of the age and the triumphant second coming of Christ.
Continue reading VISIONS OF SUFFERING (6:1-19: 10)
These verses occur in the context of presenting a sacrificial animal as an offering to the Lord. The Israelites believed the blood of such an animal was sacred, since it carried the very essence of life itself. In a sense, the blood was the ransom price that atoned for their sins. It was to be drained from the animal and poured on the ground at the base of the altar.
Continue reading BIBLE CUSTOMS AND CURIOSITIES (EATING BLOOD FORBIDDEN)