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High Place
[Bible]A high place is an Old Testament term for a local site of sacrifice, often located on elevated ground; it translates the Hebrew word bamah. In the books of Kings, the high places frequently serve as a criterion for evaluating the faithfulness of the kings.
Son of David
[Bible]A term meaning a descendant of King David. In the New Testament it is applied to Jesus as a messianic title for the king who, in keeping with the Old Testament promise, was to come from the house of David.
Jehoiakim
[People]A king of Judah in the kingdom's final years and a son of Josiah. He was placed on the throne by Pharaoh Necho of Egypt and is known as the king who burned the scroll containing the words proclaimed by Jeremiah.
Vineyard
[Bible]A vineyard is a plot of land where grapevines are planted and cultivated. In the Bible it is part of agricultural life, and it frequently serves as a symbol of the people (Israel) whom God tends and from whom He expects fruit.
Centurion
[Bible]A centurion was a Roman army officer who commanded a unit of roughly one hundred soldiers. The New Testament mentions several centurions, including the centurion of Capernaum, whose faith Jesus commended; the centurion at the cross; and Cornelius.
Widow
[Bible]A woman whose husband has died. The Old Testament law designated widows, along with the fatherless and the stranger, as people to be protected. In the New Testament, widows appear both as recipients of the early church's relief and care and as examples of faith.
Cornerstone
[Bible]A cornerstone is an important stone set at the corner of a building to align its walls and stabilize its structure. It appears in Psalm 118 and Isaiah 28, and the New Testament takes up the image as a reference to Jesus Christ.
Type (Biblical Typology)
[Doctrine & Theology]A type is a concept in biblical interpretation holding that Old Testament persons, events, and institutions prefigure Jesus Christ, who was to come, and his work of salvation.
Manger
[Bible]A manger is a trough that holds feed for livestock. In the Gospel of Luke, it is where the newborn Jesus was laid, and in the Christmas story it serves as a symbol of Jesus' coming in lowliness.
Donatism
[History]A schismatic church movement that arose in North Africa in the early fourth century. Holding that sacraments administered by clergy who had abandoned the faith during persecution were without effect, it separated from the Catholic Church. Through its controversy with Augustine, it left a lasting mark on ecclesiology and sacramental theology.
False Prophet
[Bible]A false prophet, in biblical usage, is a prophet who claims to speak the word of God without having been sent by God, or who leads people away from God.
Brothers of Jesus
[Bible]A collective term for James, Joseph (Joses), Simon, and Judas, who are called the "brothers" of Jesus in the New Testament, together with his unnamed sisters. Christian traditions differ in their understanding of how these individuals were related to Jesus.
Devoted Thing
[Bible]A "devoted thing" (Hebrew herem) is an object or person wholly dedicated to God, which therefore can no longer be put to private use or redeemed. The term is best known from the account of Achan in Joshua 7.
Plumb Line
[Bible]A plumb line is a cord with a weight attached, used to check whether a wall stands straight. Because it appears in Amos 7, in a vision of God measuring Israel for judgment, it came to signify God's standard and His judgment.
Christophany
[Doctrine & Theology]A Christophany is an appearance of Christ, the Son, in visible form during the Old Testament period before his birth in human flesh. The term also refers to the interpretation that understands certain appearances in this way.
Monastery
[History]A monastery is a community of people who withdraw from the world to cultivate their faith through prayer, labor, and ascetic discipline, or the dwelling place of such a community. Monasticism originated in the deserts of Egypt in the third century, and monasteries became a central institution of the medieval Western church.
Seer
[Bible]A seer is "one who sees" what God has shown. In the Old Testament it is an older name for a prophet. Samuel, Gad, and Iddo, among others, were called by this title.
Censer
[Bible]A censer was a portable vessel used in the tabernacle and the Temple to hold live coals from the altar, either for burning incense or for carrying fire. In the Book of Revelation, it appears as a golden censer offered before God together with the prayers of the saints.
Sojourner
[Bible]A sojourner is a person who has left his or her own land and lives in a land belonging to others. Old Testament law commands the protection of sojourners, and the New Testament calls believers sojourners in the world.
Talent Market
[Christian Life]A talent market is an event held in the Sunday schools of Korean churches at which children spend "talents," a play currency earned through attendance, Scripture memorization, evangelism, and similar activities, on snacks or school supplies.