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Biblical Horizons

Who Rules the Land? The Meaning of the Noahic Covenant, Part 1

It is commonly held in Reformed thought that the Noahic Covenant is given to all men equally. The Noahic Covenant concerns "man," not simply "church," and establishes civil government as an institution among "mankind" — that is the theory. Sometimes the Noahic Covenant is regarded as a "covenant of common…

by James B. JordanNovember 23, 1990
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Daniel

The Babylonian Connection

The Fall of Jerusalem we have dated (provisionally) at 3426 Anno Mundi. In current B.C. dates this is 586 B.C. From this point forward in Biblical chronology we are required to make use of prophetic numbers rather than historical ones. Jeremiah prophesied that the captivity would last 70 years, but…

by James B. JordanNovember 16, 1990
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Biblical Horizons

Taking the Situation Seriously

Evangelicals have in recent years become more interested in looking into their Bibles for wisdom to deal with modern problems. This is undoubtedly a welcome development, after many years of neglect. But there are dangers and costs as well. One of these is the tendency to fall into a modern…

by Peter LeithartOctober 19, 1990
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Hermeneutics

The Unseen Things

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1). The famous definition of faith with which the eleventh chapter of Hebrews opens has received a number of different interpretations. The crux of the problem is the interpretation of the words translated in…

by Peter LeithartOctober 19, 1990
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Proverbs

Advice From a Sojourner, Part 8

15. The leech has two daughters, "Give," "Give." There are three things that will not be satisfied, Four that will not say, "Enough": 16. Sheol, And the barren womb, Earth, that is never satisfied with water, And fire that never says, "Enough." We are assuming, at least for the purposes…

by James B. JordanOctober 16, 1990
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Biblical Chronology

Confusion Among the Kings

As we have seen in previous installments in this series, the Old Testament is quite concerned with chronology, and carefully records chronological data for our use. For this reason, we can assume when we come to the chronology of the kings of Judah and Israel that the writers of the…

by James B. JordanOctober 2, 1990

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ShakespeareStory

Call Me Malvolio

Call me Malvolio. I was lately the steward of the house of the great and famed Countess Olivia of Illyria. You may have heard of her. I had charge of my Lady’s household retinue, the maids and men who clean, cook, and care for the house. I do my work…

April 10, 2020
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Exodus

The Veil and the Screen

Exodus 26 describes the formation of the tabernacle - the layered curtains, the boards and bases, the bars that secure the boards. The chapter ends with a description of the paroket , the veil that separates the Holy Place from the Most Holy (Exodus 26:31-37; v. 33). The screen is…

April 8, 2020
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Coronavirus

A Time For Presence

We're forcibly separated from each other. Residents of many cities around the world are sheltered in place, permitted to leave home only for basic necessities. It's tempting to hunker down in our personal bunkers, avoid contact with others, and wait out the storm. The opposite is true. More than usual,…

April 6, 2020
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Exodus

Bars

The tabernacle has walls of gold-plated wood (Exodus 26:15-25). Those walls are held together by gold-plated bars (26:26-30). There are five bars on each of the long sides of the tabernacle (vv. 26-27), and five bars across the back wall (Exodus 26:27). The bars are held in place by gold…

April 3, 2020
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Coronavirus

Trust or Terror

In my First Things column last week, I examined the “apocalyptic” character of the coronavirus epidemic. “Apocalypse” doesn’t mean “end of the world,” but “uncovering” or “unveiling.” In the column, I focused on how the epidemic can unveil our sins, our decadence, our distorted values and desires. Plagues unveil what…

April 1, 2020
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DeathLiterature

Memento Mori

Virtually all the characters in Muriel Spark’s 1959 novel, Memento Mori , are over 70. They suffer the physical humiliations of aging and the pains of regret. Unexpectedly, hilariously, they’re as competitive and petty as schoolchildren. Well into his 80s, Godfrey Colston scorns the crippled critic Guy Leets for the…

March 30, 2020

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