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Tree of Life
[Bible]The tree of life stood in the midst of the Garden of Eden in Genesis and symbolizes the life that God gives. Proverbs uses the phrase figuratively, and the tree reappears in the New Jerusalem in Revelation.
Antichrist
[Bible]In the Epistles of John, "antichrist" refers to anyone who denies or opposes Christ. Christian tradition has linked the term to an adversary expected at the end of the age and has interpreted it in a variety of ways.
Book of Life
[Bible]The Book of Life is the heavenly register in which, according to Scripture, God records the names of those who will be saved. The concept begins with "thy book" in the Old Testament and culminates in "the Lamb's book of life" in Revelation.
Suffering Servant
[Bible]The Suffering Servant is the "servant of the Lord" in the "Servant Songs" of Isaiah, who suffers and bears the transgressions of others. The New Testament reads this servant in connection with Jesus Christ.
Alpha and Omega
[Bible]Alpha and Omega is a title used in the Book of Revelation by God and by Jesus Christ as a self-designation. Alpha and omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, and the title signifies the First and the Last, the One who governs the beginning and the end of all things.
Intermediate State
[Doctrine & Theology]The intermediate state is a doctrine of Christian eschatology concerning the condition of a person from death until the resurrection of the body at the Second Coming of Christ.
Seven Deacons
[Bible]The Seven Deacons were seven men chosen by the early church in Jerusalem to ensure the fair distribution of relief to those in need. They included Stephen and Philip, and their appointment is commonly regarded as the origin of the office of deacon.
Decapolis
[Bible]The Decapolis (Greek for "ten cities") was a region of Hellenistic cities located mainly east of the Jordan River. It appears three times in the Gospels as a place of Jesus' ministry.
Burning Bush
[Bible]The burning bush is the event in Exodus 3 in which God appeared to Moses at Mount Horeb in a flame of fire within a bush that was not consumed, called him, and commissioned him to lead Israel out of Egypt.
Virgin Birth
[Doctrine & Theology]The virgin birth is the Christian doctrine that Jesus Christ was conceived by the Holy Spirit, without the involvement of a man, and was born of the Virgin Mary. It is confessed in the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed.
Breastplate (High Priest)
[Bible]The breastplate was a square ornamental piece of fabric that the high priest of Old Testament Israel wore on his chest over the ephod. It held twelve gemstones engraved with the names of the twelve tribes and contained the Urim and Thummim.
Didache
[History]The Didache, meaning "the Teaching (of the Twelve Apostles)," is an early church document generally thought to have been written in the late first or early second century. It contains instructions on baptism, the Eucharist, fasting, prayer, and church offices.
Great Tribulation
[Doctrine & Theology]The Great Tribulation is an eschatological term for a period of intense suffering said to occur immediately before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Interpretations of its duration and nature, and of whether the church will pass through it, vary among theological positions.
Water of Life
[Bible]The water of life is a biblical expression that likens the life God gives to water. In the book of Revelation it is depicted as a river flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb in the New Jerusalem.
Rechabites
[Bible]The Rechabites were the descendants of Jehonadab (Jonadab) the son of Rechab. In obedience to their ancestor's command, they drank no wine, built no houses, and lived in tents. They appear in Jeremiah 35 as an example of obedience.
Tent of Meeting
[Bible]The Tent of Meeting is the tent where God met with Moses and Israel and spoke to them. In the Old Testament the term is used chiefly as another name for the tabernacle.
Valley of Elah
[Bible]The Valley of Elah is a valley in western Judah where Saul's Israelite army faced the Philistine army in 1 Samuel 17. It is known as the place where David struck down Goliath.
Breaking of Bread
[Bible]The breaking of bread is an expression derived from the Jewish mealtime custom of breaking bread by hand and sharing it. In the New Testament it refers to the meals of Jesus and to the communal meals and the Lord's Supper of the early church.
Straight Street
[Bible]Straight Street is a street within the city of Damascus mentioned in Acts 9:11. The house of Judas, where Saul stayed immediately after his conversion, stood on this street, and Ananias was sent there.
Euphrates
[Bible]The Euphrates is a great river of western Asia. In the Bible it appears as one of the four rivers into which the river flowing out of the Garden of Eden divided, and as the northeastern boundary of the land promised to Abraham's descendants.