Year: 2014

Bible Term: Ordain and Ordination

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date February 3, 2014

To ordain means to bestow on someone a priestly authority or to authorize as a priest or rabbi. It is granted by one of a higher authority.

Ordination is the act or ceremony in which one is ordained.

In the Old Testament of the Bible, Aaron was ordained as the first priest. This was conferred on him by Moses, as instructed by God, in an elaborate ceremony lasting seven days.

Key verse about ordination: “Since this is the ram for the ordination of Aaron and his sons, take the fat of the ram, including the fat of the broad tail, the fat around the internal organs, the long lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys and the fat around them, along with the right thigh” (Exodus 29:22, NLT).

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

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Bible Terms

Bible Term: Omniscient

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date February 3, 2014

Omni, means “all,” while scient, although not a common word, means “knowing, skillful, aware, knowledgeable.” Therefore, omniscient means total knowledge or knowing everything. God is omniscient.

The noun form of omniscient is omniscience.

In addition to being omniscient, God is also omnipresent and omnipotent.

Key verse that describes God’s omniscient character: Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything (1 John 3:20, NLT).

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Bible Terms

Bible Term: Omnipresent

Omni, means “all,” so omnipresent effectively means, “all present or existing everywhere.” Being omnipresent is a characteristic of God, which is to say that God is simultaneously present everywhere.

The noun form of omnipresent is omnipresence.

In addition to being omnipresent, God is also omniscient and omnipotent.

Key verse that describes God’s omnipresent character: “I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there. If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me (Psalm 139:7-10, NLT).

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Bible Terms

Bible Term: Omnipotent

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date February 3, 2014

Omni, means “all,” while potent means “possessing strength, powerful, and having great control or authority.” Therefore, omnipotent means to have unlimited, universal power and authority. God is omnipotent.

A synonym for omnipotent is almighty; the noun form of omnipotent is omnipotence.

In addition to being omnipotent, God is also omnipresent and omniscient.

Key verse about omnipotent: “And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!” (Revelation 19:6, NKJV).

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Bible Terms

Bible Term: Old Testament

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date February 3, 2014

The Bible is a book of books, 66 books* altogether, written over a period of hundreds of years by many different authors. These 66 books are divided into two parts, the Old Testament and the New Testament.

The Old Testament contains 39 books** and addresses the formation, existence, and demise of the nation of Israel, the time frame prior to the life of Jesus. The Old Testament books are categorized as follows:

The books of Moses (the first five books of the Bible)
Historical books (focusing on the nation of Israel)
Wisdom literature (books of poetry, good advice, and wise sayings)
The Prophets (the life and messages of some of God‘s key spokesmen)

For a good summary of the Old Testament, see Acts 7:2-46; Acts 13:17-23 is even more concise. Also, see the overview of books in the Old Testament.

Here is a list of the books in the Old Testament:

* The Roman Catholic Church includes additional books in their Old Testament. See Apocrypha for more information.

**The Hebrew Bible includes the same writings of the 39 Old Testament books but combine some books together, resulting in 24 books.

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Bible Terms

Bible Term: Obedience

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date February 3, 2014

In a spiritual sense, obedience is the act of doing what God commands and what we know to please to him. We don’t obey to earn our salvation, but rather in response to it.

We can find out what God wants us to do by studying the Bible and through the leading of his Holy Spirit.

Key verse about Obedience: If you do whatever I command you and walk in obedience to me and do what is right in my eyes by obeying my decrees and commands, as David my servant did, I will be with you. I will build you a dynasty as enduring as the one I built for David and will give Israel to you (1 Kings 11:38, NIV)

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Bible Terms

Bible Term: Northern Kingdom

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date February 3, 2014

The Northern Kingdom, also known as the Northern Tribes or the Ten Tribes of Israel, were one of two nations that resulted when Israel was split due to the unwise leadership of King Rehoboam (2 Chronicles 10). The other nation was Judah (the Southern Kingdom).

The Northern Kingdom would eventually be conquered by the nation of Assyria, which deported the Israelites, forcibly dispersing them to many different areas.

There is no biblical mention of these people ever returning in any significant numbers, and as a result they are therefore sometimes called the Lost Tribes of Israel.

Key verse about Northern Kingdom: I am about to summon all the peoples of the northern kingdoms,” declares the Lord. “Their kings will come and set up their thrones in the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem; they will come against all her surrounding walls and against all the towns of Judah (Jeremiah 1:15, NIV)

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Bible Terms

Bible Term: New Testament

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date February 3, 2014

The Bible is a book of books, 66 books* altogether, written over a period of hundreds of years by many different authors;. These 66 books are divided into two parts, the Old Testament and the New Testament.

The New Testament contains 27 books and cover Jesus’s life and the work of his followers.

It starts with four Gospels (biographies of Jesus from various perspectives).

Next, comes Acts, a record of the formation and functioning of the early church.

Then is a series of letters, called epistles, written by key leaders to various churches or people. These letters comprise the bulk of the books in the New Testament.

The concluding book is Revelation.

Here is a list of the books in the New Testament.

* see Apocrypha

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Bible Terms

Bible Term: Nephilim

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date February 3, 2014

A people called the Nephilim are mentioned twice in the Bible (Genesis 6:4 and Numbers 13:33). From a biblical standpoint, there isn’t much known about them.

What we do know from these two verses is that they are the descendants of a man named Anak, a powerful people. Depending on the version consulted, the Nephilim are also referred to as giants or children of supernatural beings. They were mighty and famous.

As a result of this brief information and cryptic description, much mystery and speculation surround their true identity and actual characteristics.

Key verse about Nephilim: We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them” (Numbers 13:33, NIV)

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Bible Terms

Bible Term: Mystery

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date February 3, 2014

There are things about God, following Jesus, and accepting his salvation that the Bible simply describes as a mystery, that is, as hidden truths or a mystic secret. This drives some people crazy; they want to understand all and be able to fully explain everything. Anything less causes frustration.

Other people relish the realization that some things of God are but a mystery. That draws them to him; it’s an allure. Daily, they strive to unravel his mystery and know him more fully. This is as it should be.

To explore this mystery motif more fully, consider the following verses that evoke the mystery explanation:

The word mystery is used in other contexts in Daniel 2:18-47, 4:9, 1 Corinthians 13:2, 14:2, and Revelation 1:20, 17:5, 7.

Key verse about Mystery: No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began (1 Corinthians 2:7, NIV)

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