Common Knowledge of the Bible
Let us learn background knowledge that helps us understand the Bible.
Clouds and the Flesh
In the Old Testament, there were many prophecies concerning the coming of Christ. Two thousand years ago, however, it was very difficult for the religious leaders to accept Jesus as Christ because He was to come in secret. That is why the Apostle John wrote as follows: “Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist” (1 Jn 4:2-3). This shows that at that time it was difficult to believe that Christ came in the flesh. Therefore, one of the most important ideas which the saints of the early Church had was that Christ came…
Household Gods
Now Rachel had taken the household gods and put them inside her camel's saddle and was sitting on them. … So he searched but could not find the household gods. Jacob was angry and took Laban to task. … Now that you have searched through all my goods, what have you found that belongs to your household? Put it here in front of your relatives and mine, and let them judge between the two of us.Ge 31:34–37 Household gods were idols worshiped in every home in Mesopotamia where Jacob’s uncle Laban lived. The Bible records that when Jacob and his family were returning home, his wife Rachel stole her father’s household gods, and that the worship of various idols including…
The Feast of Dedication
The Feast of Dedication was a Jewish festival observed on the 25th day of the month of Kislev (the ninth month according to the sacred calendar, which corresponds to December according to the solar calendar); it was not part of the Law of Moses. Then came the Feast of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was in the temple area walking in Solomon’s Colonnade. Jn 10:22–23 The Greek Empire (Greece), which had conquered the Medo-Persian Empire, was divided into four separate kingdoms by four generals after the death of Alexander the Great: Kingdom of Cassander (Macedonia), Kingdom of Seleucus (Syria), Kingdom of Lisimachus (Asia Minor), and Kingdom of Ptolemy (Egypt). Each of the kings of these new kingdoms…
The Tabernacle
1. The Ten Commandments and the tabernacle When Moses received the tablets of stone inscribed with the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai, God showed him the tabernacle in heaven. As Moses came down from the mountain, he delivered the words of God to the people of Israel. There was a need to build a tabernacle where the tablets of the Ten Commandments would be kept. So Moses called on the people to gather materials to make the tabernacle, such as gold, silver, linen and cotton. The people brought freewill offerings every day, and the materials gathered to build the tabernacle were more than enough for all the work which had to be done, so Moses told them not to bring…
Baal & Ashera
1. Baal is a word which indicates ‘master,’ ‘LORD’ Many peoples around the land of Canaan were polytheists. Among many gods, they believed Baal who was called the god of thunder, rain and wealth. Ethbaal king of Tyre was the priest of Baal. His daughter Jezebel was married to the king of Israel not only for the political purpose, but also for the religious one. Jezebel was a missionary of Baal religion. When she was married to King Ahab of Israel, she planted Baal religion in Israel and her purpose was attained for a while. In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab son of Omri became king of Israel, … Ahab … married Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal…
Footstool
1. The earth is described as God's footstool in Isaiah chapter 66 This is what the LORD says: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house you will build for me? Where will my resting place be?”Isa 66:1 2. The ark of the covenant in the Most Holy Place is described as God's footstool “King David rose to his feet and said: ‘Listen to me, my brothers and my people. I had it in my heart to build a house as a place of rest for the ark of the covenant of the LORD, for the footstool of our God, and I made plans to build it.’ ”1 Ch 28:2 “Let us go to…
The History of Israel
The Reason We Learn the History of Israel The reason we learn the history of Israel is because the natural Israelites’ history contains the things that will happen to us, the spiritual Israelites. Through the prophetic points in the history of the natural Israelites, we must know in advance what will happen to us and have the right faith as God’s sons and daughters, solidifying our status and position as children of God. The history of Israel can be classified as follows: From Adam to Noah From Noah to Abraham From Abraham to Moses From the Exodus to the Time of the Conquest of Canaan and the Period of the Judges The Period of the Kings The Period of the…
Hebraic Jews and Grecian Jews
In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Grecian Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. Ac 6:1 According to Acts 6, there are Grecian Jews and Hebraic Jews. Let us find out who the Hebraic Jews and the Grecian Jews are respectively. The Hebraic Jews are the Jews who speak Hebrew (Aramaic in the days of the early Church) and the Grecian Jews are those who speak Greek. Aramaic and Jews Around 600 B.C. the Jews were taken captive to Babylon, where they lived as slaves for 70 years. After they were defeated by the Babylonians, they began to speak Aramaic, the official…
Purim
Purim is the day to commemorate the event when Esther and Mordecai defeated Haman on the day that Haman chose to kill every Jew in Persia [Media-Persia] by casting the pur (the lot, Est 3:7; 9:1). In the Law of Moses, there are seven feasts in three times that God appointed through Moses. However, “Purim” is an Israelite feast which does not belong to these seven feasts in three times. Let us study the origin of “Purim.” 1. Historical background The Jews were taken captive to Babylon. However, Babylon was destroyed by Persia [Media-Persia] not long after, so the Jews were ruled by Persia. The Jews were a minority race, but they were trying to follow the will of God…
