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Man of Lawlessness
[Bible]The man of lawlessness is the figure whom Paul, in 2 Thessalonians 2, says will appear before the day of the Lord. He opposes God and exalts himself as God. He is commonly identified with the Antichrist.
The Nations
[Bible]In the Bible, "the nations" refers collectively to the peoples and countries outside Israel. The term is closely tied to the biblical theme that God's salvation extends to all peoples.
Book of Remembrance
[Bible]The book of remembrance is the book that, according to Malachi 3:16, is written before God for those who fear the LORD. The expression conveys that God does not forget the faithful but remembers them.
Armageddon
[Bible]Armageddon is a place name that appears only once in Scripture, in Revelation 16:16. It is described as the place where the kings opposed to God gather in the last days for "the battle of that great day of God Almighty."
Assarion
[Bible]The assarion was a small copper coin used in the Roman Empire during the New Testament era. It appears when Jesus cites the price of sparrows to speak of God's care (Matthew 10:29; Luke 12:6).
Emet
[Bible]Emet (אֱמֶת) is a Hebrew word meaning "firmness, faithfulness, truthfulness, truth." In the Old Testament it describes the character and word of God as well as human honesty. It is frequently paired with hesed.
Darius the Mede
[People]Darius the Mede is a king in the Book of Daniel who receives the kingdom after the fall of Babylon. He had Daniel cast into the lions' den and, after seeing Daniel delivered, issued a decree honoring God.
Penal Substitutionary Atonement
[Doctrine & Theology]Penal substitutionary atonement is an understanding of the atonement which holds that Jesus Christ died on the cross bearing, in the sinner's place, the punishment from God that the sinner deserved, and that God's justice was thereby satisfied and the forgiveness of sins accomplished.
Strange Fire
[Bible]Strange fire is an expression from the incident in Leviticus 10 in which Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, died after offering incense in a manner God had not commanded. The underlying Hebrew phrase means "strange" or "foreign" fire.
Song of Deborah
[Bible]The Song of Deborah is a victory song recorded in Judges 5. Deborah, a prophetess and judge, sang it to God together with Barak after they defeated the army of the Canaanite commander Sisera.
Ebed-melech
[People]Ebed-melech was a Cushite eunuch in the palace of King Zedekiah during the final years of the Kingdom of Judah. He rescued the prophet Jeremiah, who had been left to die in a cistern, and for this deed he received God's promise of deliverance.
Longinus
[People]Longinus is the name that later tradition gave to the soldier who pierced Jesus' side with a spear at the crucifixion, or to the centurion who confessed, "Truly this man was the Son of God." The name does not appear in the Bible.
Orphan
[Bible]In the Bible, an orphan is a child who has lost his or her father and has no one to provide protection. Together with the widow and the stranger, the orphan is repeatedly named as one of the vulnerable whom God cares for in a special way and whom the community is obligated to protect.
Cornerstone Laying Ceremony
[Worship & Rites]A cornerstone laying ceremony is a service held during the construction of a new sanctuary or church building, in which the cornerstone, or foundation stone, is set upon the foundation and the building work is committed to God.
Massah and Meribah
[Bible]Massah and Meribah are the names given to places in the wilderness where, after the Exodus, the people of Israel quarreled with Moses over the lack of water and tested God. Massah means "testing," and Meribah means "quarreling."
Crown
[Doctrine & Theology]In the Bible, a crown is placed on the head of one who has won a victory or endured faithfully. In Protestantism it is used chiefly as a symbol of the honor and reward God has promised to the saints.
Kyrie Eleison
[Worship & Rites]Kyrie eleison is a Greek prayer meaning "Lord, have mercy." Since early times it has been used in worship as a brief response asking God for mercy.
Humiliation and Exaltation of Christ
[Doctrine & Theology]The humiliation and exaltation of Christ is a Christological term referring jointly to the state in which Jesus Christ was made low by becoming man, even unto death (humiliation), and the state in which he was raised high, from his resurrection to his place at the right hand of God (exaltation).
Titius Justus
[People]Titius Justus was a Corinthian mentioned in Acts 18:7, a Gentile described as one who "worshipped God." His house, which stood next to the synagogue, became the place where Paul taught after leaving the synagogue.
Fishers of Men
[Bible]A phrase Jesus used when He called disciples who were fishermen on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. It likens the work of bringing people to God to catching fish and appears in Matthew 4:19 and Mark 1:17.