Abomination of Desolation – In 168 B.C. Antiochus Epiphanes desecrated the Temple of God by sacrificing a pig on the Holy of Holies and erecting a statue of Zeus there. The Lord Jesus Christ warned that in the last days, the Antichrist would behave along the same lines and desecrate the Last-days’ Temple, which would mark the midway point of the Tribulation. In the book of Revelation, the Apostle John describes this event as the time when the False Prophet places Antichrist’s image in the temple and proclaims him as god. (See also the book of Daniel, chapter 12.)
Activity of Angels – As described in Scripture, God’s angels will be active on earth in the last days. Their activity during the Tribulation period, as depicted in the Book of Revelation, includes witnessing to the nations on earth the gospel of salvation in Jesus Christ, protecting God’s evangelists (such as the 144,000 Jewish virgin men), gathering the Lord’s elect from the four corners of the world, and pronouncing God’s trumpet and bowl judgments on the world [the angel, Gabriel is said to be one of the seven angels, that stand before the presence of God, who shall carry out the Lord’s judgments at His command (Revelation 8:8, Luke 1:19)]. The evil angels will also be active in the last days. Scripture describes Abaddon’s angels being released from the abyss to torment the inhabitants of the earth with plagues. Lucifer, the chief of the fallen angels, will be indwelling the Antichrist in order to fulfil his goal of worldwide worship. The authors believe that another possible activity of evil angels is deceiving the world concerning the rapture of the church with the delusion that the church has been taken away by extraterrestrials. On the subject of the depiction in this novel of God’s holy angels actively protecting the lives of those who come to believe in Jesus Christ during the Great Tribulation: the authors want to state categorically that this depiction is a piece of fictional dramatization. On this issue, Holy Scripture is silent. Nevertheless, we can stand on God’s promise that, in His will, He will protect His sheep. In Psalm 91:11, we read, “For He orders His angels to protect you wherever you go.”Agenda
21 / Agenda 2030 – Adopted by the United Nations Conference on
Environment and Development on 14 June 1992, Agenda 21 is the international community’s
response to globalists’ requests to halt and reverse the effects of
environmental degradation in the context of increased national and
international efforts to promote sustainable and environmentally sound
development in all countries. It is a comprehensive programme of action to be
implemented by governments, development agencies, United Nations organizations
and independent sector groups in every area where human (economic) activity
affects the environment.
Aliyah – This refers to the wave of exodus of Jewish people into Israel from the four corners of the world.
Angel of the Lord, The – The 'Angel of the Lord' appears in the Old Testament books of Genesis, Exodus, Judges, Samuel and Zechariah. To the preponderance of scholars in Christian circles, the Angel of the Lord is the pre-incarnate Second Person of the Godhead.
Animism – It is the belief that natural objects (rocks, trees, etc.) possess a spirit or soul.
Antichrist – Scripture calls him the ‘man of sin’, the ‘son of perdition’, ‘the Beast’; the Antichrist will appear just before the Lord Jesus’ return as King, to set up a global political and religious system that will deceive earth dwellers into believing that he is the saviour of mankind (Revelation 17:8, Revelation 11:1-8). In this novel, the word ‘Antichrist’ is used as a title (The Antichrist’s motorcade passed by to the salutation of his subjects) and as a proper name (Antichrist’s motorcade passed by to the salutation of his subjects). His other titles, in this novel, are ‘leader of the Global Unity’, ‘leader of the G.U.’, ‘One-world leader’, ‘global leader’ and ‘leader of the New-world Order’.
Apostasy
/ Apostate – Apostasy refers to the spiritual
falling away of people from the biblical faith. An apostate is a person who
falls away from belief in traditional biblical Christianity. Some scholars
believe that the condition described by the Apostle Paul as a sign of the last
days, in 2 Thessalonians 2:3, is the apostasy. Others believe the verse refers
to the Rapture, or the physical falling away of believers from earth.
AWOL
– The acronym stands for the jargon ‘Absent Without
Leave’. The jargon usually refers to desertion from their company by personnel
in the defence forces.
Bene Ha Elohim (Bene ’elohim) – The term and its variant bene ‘elim, means the Sons of God (Genesis 6:1-4). In all its usages it refers exclusively to angels. It is found in other passages in the Bible, such as Job 1:6 and 2:1, where the Sons of God present themselves to Yahweh in the heavenly divine assembly. In Job 38:7 we read that the Sons of God have been with Yahweh at the creation of the world. They also appear in Psalm 89:7, where Yahweh is proclaimed incomparable to all other ‘gods’, and in Psalm 29:1 where the bene ‘elim sing praises to Yahweh.
Bpm
– Beats per minute.
Brethren – In this novel, ‘brethren’ refers to the host of heaven (full-fledged angels). This term is used to distinguish the hosts of heaven from the Halflings who are called the ‘kindred’. (See entry under ‘Kindred’.) Both are collectively known as ‘brothers’.
Bright and Morning Star – This is a title of the Son of God, Jesus Christ. In Revelation 22:16, we read: “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.”
C4
– The abbreviation C4 stands for Cellulose grade 4,
which is a plastic explosive.
CAT-scan
/ CT-scan – A CAT-scan or CT-scan is a computerized
axial tomography, or X-ray. For instance, a CT-scan on the brain is capable of
locating cranial bleeds or the presence of a tumour.
Cherub
/ Cherubim – A cherub is a member of the Cherubim,
which, like the Seraphim, are a higher order of God’s angels. In Scripture, it
is documented that Lucifer (Satan) was a covering cherub and was, therefore, a
high ranking angel.
Cloward-Piven
Strategy – First proposed in 1966 by Columbia
University sociologists, Richard Cloward and Frances Piven, this strategy
taught that, to hasten the fall of capitalism, activists should work to
sabotage and destroy the welfare system. The collapse of the welfare state
would ignite a political and economic crisis that would rock the nation; poor
people would rise in revolt and, then, the rest of society would accept their
demands.
Contemplative
Spirituality – Also known as Contemplative
Christianity, it is a spiritual deception whose demonic origins can be traced
to eastern mysticism. It teaches that man is God and among its practices are contemplative prayer, centering prayer and Kundalini Yoga. Adherents' practices include emptying the mind; mutilating the self; engaging in sexual deviancy; reciting
mantras; believing in reincarnation; reading auras; burning incense and scented
candles; sitting in yoga positions and praying to spirits or angels.
Many adherents end up leaving Christianity to
embrace and practise paganism, Satanism, metaphysics, New Age and eastern
spiritualism and other false religions. This is very much the goal of Satan –
to lead the world away from worshipping the true and living God, the God of the
Bible. Contemplative Spirituality is the harbinger of the ecumenical world
church movement, preparing people for a universal religion that will be
embraced during the reign of the Antichrist. Little wonder that many Emergent
and Ecumenical churches today are leading people into Contemplative
Spirituality.
CPI – The Consumer Price Index calculates the changes in the price level of household consumer goods and services. The CPI measures the annual rate of inflation.
Day of the Lord – The Day of the Lord is a phrase that has different meanings for different people. It refers to the period anywhere from the rapture of the Church to the 1000-year Millennial Reign of Jesus Christ.
Demon
– The term ‘demon’ refers to the disembodied soul
of the Nephilim that has died, condemned to wander the earth until Judgment
Day. Many Christians make a distinction between demons and fallen angels. They
believe that demons are distinct from the wicked angels but both are generally
regarded as evil spirits. For a definition of fallen angels, refer to entry
under ‘Fallen Ones’.
Demonic Possession (Demonization) – The popular consensus among the churched is that a believer in Christ, indwelled by the Holy Spirit, cannot be demonized. However, the authors believe that Biblical teachings are consistent with the suggestion that believers can be demonized (distinct from possession). Illustrations from Scripture using the Apostle Peter, the believers called Ananias and Sapphira, and the woman with the spirit of infirmity, may be used to demonstrate the reliability of this belief. We know that Peter was a believer and saved since the Lord Jesus testified that all his disciples, except Judas, were saved, and “none of them is lost” (John 17:12). Yet we read in Matthew 16:23 that Peter was influenced by the voice of Satan to rebuke the Lord Jesus Christ. In Acts 5:1-4, Ananias and Sapphira were also believers in the Lord but they were filled with a lying Spirit sent by Satan to lie to the Apostles. In Luke 13:11-13, the Lord Jesus delivered a woman, a believer, who had had a spirit of infirmity indwelling her for eighteen years before meeting the Lord who went on to cast the spirit out of her body. Tripartite man is made up of body, soul (mind, will and emotions) and spirit. We see, then, that the realms of a believer’s body and soul can be demonized (or influenced by an evil spirit): for instance, like the woman with the infirmity, demons can also cause a believer to suffer from a disease such as cancer, or other afflictions such as blindness and deafness, until the demon of the affliction is cast out. Like Ananias, believers can be influenced by demons to lie to God. In the realms of the emotions, they can also be influenced by Satan’s demons of loneliness, depression, hopelessness and despair to contemplate and commit suicide. However, the authors believe that the realm of the believer’s spirit cannot be possessed. The spirit of a believer who is born again is sealed by the Holy Spirit. No evil spirit can possess a person’s spirit that has been sealed by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13). As far as the protagonist, Mishael’s demonization by Abaddon’s demons, the authors have taken pains to portray his demonization in the realms of his body and emotions only, and not in the realm of his spirit.
Divine
Council, The – A term used by Semitic scholars to
refer to the pantheon of divine beings that administers the affairs of the
cosmos wherein that of the Israelite religion is known through the Psalms. See
Dr. Michael Heiser’s interesting site, www.thedivinecouncil.com.
Dominionism
– Also known as the ‘Kingdom Now’ theology, wherein
adherents advocate that Christians wage a cultural war to reclaim the earth for
Jesus Christ before He returns to set up His Millennial Kingdom. Many also
claim they will become Christ Manifest (hence calling themselves the
‘Manifested Sons of God’) while they take over the earth.
ECOPS
– An abbreviated word to stand for Economics and Politics.
Ecumenicalism
/ ecumenicism / ecumenism – Ecumenicalism and its
other variants, ecumenicism and ecumenism, refer to the uniting of all
religions as one. See also entry under ‘Emergent Movement’.
Eisegesis
– Eisegesis is the process of adding personal or
outside interpretation to Scripture.
Eheyeh – Eheyeh and its variant Ehyeh are Hebrew words denoting the name
of the The High God, much like I AM
or Yahweh (YHVH).
Elect,
The – This refers to the Lord’s chosen people, the
Jews, who are descended from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Jacob was later renamed
Israel).
Emergent
Movement – A church movement catering to the post-modern
youth and mindset, which teaches that there are no absolute truths and all
beliefs are equal and valid. Its axiom is ‘all paths lead to one God’. This is
the sister movement of the ecumenical movement. They have their basis in New
Age spirituality.
EMP
– The acronym EMP stands for Electromagnetic Pulse.
It refers to the burst of electromagnetic radiation that results from a nuclear
detonation and/or a suddenly fluctuating magnetic field. Electric or magnetic
fields rapidly change which, together with changes to electrical/electronic
systems, produces long term or permanent damaging current and voltage surges.
Eretz-Israel
– Eretz is Hebrew for land. Eretz-Israel
means the Land of Israel.
Exegeted (root word, exegete / exegesis) – To exegete is the process of drawing out of Scripture its contents and explaining or interpreting them as they plainly say.
Fallen
Ones (Fallen Angels) – As the term suggests, they
are the angels that fell with Lucifer. Scripture teaches that a third of the
heavenly host joined Lucifer or Satan in rebelling against God. Genesis 6
describes some of these rebellious angels having carnal knowledge with the
daughters of men, the germination of which was the Nephilim race. These wicked
angels that left their original estate were confined in the abyss by God. The
Nephilim were physically destroyed in Noah’s flood but many scholars believe
their spirits remained on earth to wander until Judgment Day. These spirits of
the Nephilim were the demons described, in various places of Scripture, as
possessing the bodies of humans to torment them. To many scholars, demons are
distinct from fallen angels.
False
Prophet – Just as the Beast (Antichrist) will be
the head of the One-world political system instituted on earth in the last days,
the False Prophet will be the head of the false One-world religious system. See
Revelation 16, 19 and 20.
Fuehrer-worship
– Leader worship.
Fundamentalism,
Christian (Christian Fundamentalist / Fundamentals) – The word ‘fundamentalist’ was first employed in 1920 by Curtis Lee
Laws in reference to a Christian who held to the historic core doctrines of the
Christian faith: (1) the inerrancy of Scriptures, (2) the miracles of Christ
(including His virgin birth), (3) the literal, bodily resurrection of Christ,
(4) the substitutionary atonement of Christ, and (5) the deity of Christ. The
five core doctrines constitute the fundamentals of the Christian faith, also
referred to as Christian Fundamentalism.
Gaia
– A.k.a. ‘Mother Earth’. This is the name of the
earth goddess or mother goddess of the New Age followers and worshipped by many
environmentalists.
Global
Unity (G.U.) – An invention of the authors, the Global Unity or G.U. is an alternate fictional name of the Antichrist’s coming new order of government also called the One-world Order. (See also entry under ‘New World Order’.)
Globo – Fictional One-world currency, which is another invention of the authors. In events to come, a one-world currency will be used to replace all the world’s currencies. It precedes the Antichrist’s cashless society which will emerge when he implements his Mark. (See entry under ‘Mark of the Beast’.)
Gog-Magog
War – The prophet Ezekiel, in chapter 38 of his
book, prophesies of a war taking place in the last days between Israel and the
nations of the earth that include Russia, possibly Germany, Libya, Turkey,
Saudi Arabia, Iran and Sudan, et.al. Some scholars believe this war takes place
sometime during the first three and a half years of the Tribulation period;
others believe it occurs before the Tribulation. The authors subscribe to the
latter theory but are not dogmatic about it.
Great
Commission, The – The Lord Jesus Christ, before He
ascended into heaven, gave His disciples this mission: “Go therefore and make
disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the
Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have
commanded you” (Matthew 28:19, 20). This is known as the Great Commission,
which believers in the Lord Jesus Christ have obeyed and fulfilled since the
apostolic church age, taking the gospel of salvation in the death and
resurrection of Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth.
Great
White Throne Judgment, The – According to the Word
of God, all who ever lived, believers and unbelievers in Jesus Christ, will
face God’s judgment. At the end of the thousand years of the Lord Jesus
Christ’s earthly reign (the Millennial Reign of Christ), everyone who has died
without Christ, since the start of human history, will be resurrected to face
the Lord’s final judgment known as the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:7-15). Those who
have died in Christ or been taken up at the Rapture will have already faced
judgment at the Bema Seat of Christ, aka the Judgment Seat of Christ, (2 Corinthians 5:10) before the Millennial Reign. Those who are
born during, and lived through, the Lord Jesus’ Millennial Reign, will also be
judged at the Great White Throne Judgment. At this judgment, all whose names
have been erased from the Lamb’s Book of Life will be cast into the Lake of
Fire.
Halfling – An invention of the authors for the purpose of this story, a Halfling is a fictional special creation of God, part human, part angelic.
Harpazo – See entry under ‘Rapture’.
Hegelian Dialectic, The – The Hegelian Dialectic is a philosophy named after Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel. The principle explains how people progress towards an egalitarian condition. In practice, the Hegelian dialectic provides the power elite, the oligarchy, with a means and strategy for controlling macro society. The Hegelian dialectical formula is: A (thesis) versus B (anti-thesis) equals C (synthesis). If (A) my idea of freedom conflicts with (B) your idea of freedom, then (C) neither of us can be free until everyone agrees to be a slave. The Hegelian Dialectic encourages the taking of solid positions, as evidenced in contemporary political dialogue.
Homo Deus – Latin for Man God.
Humangels – Coined by the authors for this novel, ‘humangel’ is the alternative name for Halfling. In this story, the term is employed by the enemies as a pejorative slur on the part angels.
Humanism, Secular – It is an intellectual movement that focuses on secular concerns, reason and science.
I AM (rendered in Hebrew as Eheyeh or Ehye) – According to Exodus 3:14, I AM is
the divine name of God. It is also the name Jesus Christ attributed to Himself
in John 8:58 when He said, “Before Abraham was, I AM.”
IDF
– Israeli Defense Forces.
Idiot Box – The term ‘idiot box’ is a label used for the television box or television set.
Imam – It is a position of leadership and / or worship in the Islamic faith.
Islamic Caliphate – The Islamic caliphate is the political system of governance in Islam wherein the people in Islamic territories in the Mideast and Africa are ruled by a supreme leader called the Caliph (or successor to Prophet Mohammad).
Jekuthiel’s
Apache – (Not to be confused with the Apache used by humans.)
Supernaturally created and provided by I AM, Jacob Thiele’s APACHE, is an
acronym that stands for Angelic Personnel And Civilian Hybridized Evacuator. It
is a multi-purpose helicopter capable of morphing into a variety of shapes and
forms to function as a personnel carrier, search and rescue / reconnaissance craft
and gunship vehicle.
Kindred
– In this novel, the term ‘kindred’ is used to distinguish
the Halflings from the full-fledged angels who are called the ‘brethren’. The
angels address the half-angels as kindred. Ariel and Mishael are each other’s
kindred, just as Michael and Gabriel are brethren. In addition, Michael is
Mishael’s brethren. The kindred (Halflings) are variously addressed by the
epithets innocents, young ones, little ones, dear ones, beloved ones,
underlings and younglings.
Lamb’s
Book of Life, The – Everyone who has ever been born
will have his or her name written in the Lamb’s Book of Life (Revelation 3, 13, 20, 21, et.al.). (Jesus Christ is
the Lamb of God; He was the unblemished sacrificial lamb and God’s perfect
sacrifice whose shed blood on the cross paid for the sins of mankind. The
Lamb’s Book is the Lord Jesus’ Book.) At the end of a person’s life, he or she
who has rejected the Lord Jesus will have his or her name struck off His Book.
Laodicean
Church / Age – The Church of Laodicea or the Age of
Laodicea is ascribed to the apostate church or age of the last days before the
Day of the Lord approaches. The Lord Jesus describes this church and age in
Revelation 3:14-22. The Laodicean age and church are typified by great material
wealth but a lukewarm attitude towards God, a lack of knowledge of Scriptures
and spiritual blindness. It is widely held in Christian circles that the
Laodicean churches of today are exemplified by those that teach the Prosperity
gospel, Dominionism, Liberal Christianity and Emergent and Ecumenical heresies.
The Lord Jesus has a warning for the Laodicean age churches: many of their
members are lost. He says in verse 16: “Because you are lukewarm, and neither
hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of My mouth.” The Lord is outside their
lives for He also says, in verses 20 and 21a, that He is waiting to be asked
into their lives: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My
voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with
Me. To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne.”
Mahdi – He is the Muslim ‘messiah’. Adherents of Islam believe that the present age will close and a new one dawn with the coming of their Mahdi who will convert or kill all unbelievers and subjugate the world under Allah (the name of the god of Islam, which means the Moon God), accompanied by the Muslim version of Jesus.
Man of Sin, The – This is another title of the Antichrist. Jesus Christ calls him the Man of Lawlessness (2 Thessalonians2:3). In other translations, he is called the Man of Sin.
Manga
– Generic name for Japanese comic books.
Mark
of the Beast – According to Revelation 13, this
Mark will be instituted by Antichrist and those wishing to participate in
global commerce in the last days must receive this Mark on his hand or
forehead, possibly in the form of a RFID chip implanted under the skin. Latest
technology points to the invention of a microchip implant in the form of an
electronic tattoo. Scripture warns that receiving this Mark irreversibly
condemns a person to eternity in the Lake of Fire. The Mark is also called the
name of the beast or the number of his name: “And that no man might buy or
sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his
name” (Revelation 13:17). In this novel, the Mark is alternately called the
Loyalty Marker.
MASH
– The acronym for Mobile Army Surgical Hospital is
rendered as MASH.
Médecins Sans Frontières – Of French origin, Médecins Sans Frontières, which stands for Doctors Without Borders, is an international medical humanitarian NGO (non-government organization) with the stated aim of providing emergency aid to people in crisis. Its global teams are involved in projects in over seventy countries worldwide.
Megiddo
(Battle of Armageddon) – The Battle of Armageddon
will be waged in the valley of Har Megiddo. In Revelation 16 the rulers of the world shall be gathered together in the place known in Hebrew as Armageddon to wage war against Almighty God towards the culmination of the Great Day of the Lord.
Millennial Kingdom – Pre-millennial Christians, who accept a literal interpretation of Revelation 20:1-4, believe that this age will end with the physical return of Jesus Christ to the earth when He sets up a kingdom that will continue for one thousand years. This is His Millennial Reign and Millennial Kingdom.
MO – Abbreviation for
the term Modus Operandi, which means
method of procedure.
MRI – MRI stands for Magnetic Resonance Imaging, which is a medical imaging technique used in radiology to scan the body’s internal structures to construct an image of the scanned area. It provides contrasts between the soft tissues in the brain, muscles, heart and cancers.
Mystery Babylon, Mother of Harlots – It is, indeed, a mystery, but Endtimes scholars believe that this refers to the religious system of the Antichrist. See Revelation 17:3-6. She is the woman (global religious system) that rides the beast (the Antichrist’s global political system) described in Revelation 17. Scholars believe that this global religious and political system will operate from Rome and/or from the restored literal Babylon.
NDA – Short for Non-Disclosure Agreement, it is a legal contract that prohibits a person from sharing confidential information.
Nephilim
– These were the offspring of the union between the
sons of God (Fallen Angels) and the daughters of men. See account in Genesis 6.
New
Canaan – Fictitious name, created by the authors,
of the Antichrist’s political, economic and social hub. The authors believe
that there will be a restored Babylon in the time of the Tribulation, and it
shall be the Antichrist’s centre of operations. New Canaan is the metaphorical
Babylon, invented for this novel to refer to the restored ancient city. (Today,
Iraq is the modern name of Babylon.) See also entry under ‘Mystery Babylon, Mother of Harlots’ for
popular views of Antichrist’s political and religious centre.
New
World Order – For the purpose of this novel, the
New World Order is the collective name of the ten-nation globalist organization
that helped set up the global dictatorship of Antichrist. Antichrist’s kingdom
is called the New-world Order, the One-world Order, the International World
Order or Global Unity.
NG-tube
– Short for naso-gastric intubation, this is a
medical procedure in which food is fed to the stomach via a tube inserted
through the nostril and oesophagus.
Occam’s
Razor – According to William of Occam, a Christian
priest, ‘pluralitas non est ponenda sine
necessitate’, or ‘plurality should not be posited without necessity’. I.e.,
of two or more competing theories, the simplest is given preference.
Panentheism
– This religion espouses the belief that God is in
everything.
Pantheism
– Adherents of this religion teach that God is
everything.
Pogrom
– A pogrom is the action of severe persecution and
massacre that is deliberately organized.
Possession – See entry under ‘Demonic Possession’.
Postmodernism
– The movement which teaches that truth and morals
are relative, known as ‘post-modern relativism’, it espouses the notion that
all cultures, beliefs and ideas are equally valid. This is expressed in one’s
attitude towards religion, knowledge and aesthetics.
Principality
– He is a high ranking angel. In the book of
Ephesians, the Apostle Paul teaches that man is engaged in warfare with
spiritual wickedness in high places described as principalities, powers and
rulers of the darkness of the world.
PTSD – Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (syndrome).
Rapture
– Transliterated from the Greek Harpazo,
which refers to the catching up, snatching away, or translation into heaven, of
the Body of Christ in the last days. “For the Lord Himself shall descend from
Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the Trump of
God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and
remain shall be caught up [Greek, Harpazo] together with them in the
clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).
Reconstructionism,
Christian – Christian Reconstructionism arose from
conservative Calvinism. Among its teachings are Postmillennialism, Dominionism,
the separation of church and state and Replacement Theology (which extrapolates
that the church has replaced Israel and any covenant relationship God made with
Israel has been annulled at the First Coming of Jesus Christ). Its leading
proponent is the libertarian, Gary North. Like North, Christian
Reconstructionists advocate for the role of limited government in society.
REM
– Rapid Eye Movement sleep (REM-sleep) is the stage
before and after deep sleep. Most night dreams occur during REM sleep.
Remnants,
The – They are believers in the Lord Jesus Christ,
encompassing both the elect and the saints, Jew and Gentile.
Revelation
– It is physically the last book of the Bible,
called the Book of Revelation. Written in AD 90, it is the revelation of Jesus
Christ given directly to the Apostle John.
RFID
– An acronym for Radio Frequency Identification.
The RFID chip is the successor to the bar code found in virtually all packaging
in goods and services.
Roly-poly – A colloquial term in reference to the caterpillar of a wood louse.
Sai – Featuring a centre prong and two side prongs, the sai is a weapon used for striking and stabbing. It has a Japanese origin but it is also used in Chinese martial arts. However, its roots can be traced to other Asian and Southeast Asian countries as well.
Second
Law of Thermodynamics (Second LoT) – In the First
Law of Thermodynamics, the total amount of mass-energy in the universe is
constant. The Second Law of Thermodynamics states that the amount of energy
available for work (usable energy) is running out. Therefore, according to the
Second LoT, the universe is winding down, which contravenes the Darwinian
Evolutionary position of a universe that is becoming more ordered and complex.
Seraph
– The Seraphim is the highest order of angels. A
seraph is a member of the Seraphim.
Shekinah
Glory – This refers to Jehovah God’s presence in a
certain locality and is rendered as God’s SH’KHINAH in the Jewish New
Testament.
Shofar
– A shofar is a ram’s horn trumpet used by
the Jews.
Social
Justice – A tenet of democratic socialism, social
justice advocates for the redistribution of wealth to bring the poor nations
and individuals to a social and economic level on a par with the wealthy.
Sola
Scriptura – This is Latin for ‘Scripture Only’.
Son
of God, The – A title of the Lord Jesus Christ.
(Not to be confused with the created angelic sons of God or Christians who
through faith are adopted into the family of God and called sons of God.) Jesus
is the “only begotten” (Greek-prototokos: unique, first in time,
pre-eminence) Son of God, the uncreated Second Person of the triune God.
Son
of Sol – It is a poetic (literary) device which
denotes the sun. ‘Sol’ is short for solar.
Sons
of God – (Distinct from the title given to angels)
Scripture teaches that all believers who have accepted Jesus Christ as their
Lord and Saviour, are called the sons of God. They are given the right of adoption
as co-heirs with Jesus Christ to be called the sons of God. (Ref. John 1:12-13.)
Syncretism
– Syncretism is a development of ecumenicalism; it
was conceived to bring together the world’s major religions, including
Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism, so that common grounds
might be extracted to facilitate dialogue and cooperation.
Tapu
– In Maori culture, something that is tapu is
considered sacred.
Ten
Horns, The – In Revelation 7:12, the Apostle
John revealed, “And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will
tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which
hath the seven heads and ten horns. The beast that thou sawest was, and is not;
and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit.” Since ‘horn’ in Scripture symbolizes
government or kingdom, bible scholars have long recognized the ten horns as
representing the ten nations or global regions modelled after the European
Union whose emergence in world governance will make way for the New World
Order. These ten kingdoms will become a world power that will take over the
world’s political, economic and social systems. This new order comprising the
ten core economic powers will also be the one from which a world leader, who is
slated to be the Antichrist, will arise. It is interesting to note that, since
the nineteen-seventies, the Club of Rome has been advocating for the division
of the world into ten political and economic regions for ease of global
administration.
Territorial
Spirits (Territorial Gods / Territorial Angels) –
Concerning the territorial spirits or angels existing in the world today, the
authors are convinced that Scripture speaks plainly of their reality.
Territorial spirits or angels are connoted in this novel in reference to their
existence as documented in the Old Testament. For instance, the book of Daniel,
in chapter 10, describes the existence of the ‘Prince of Persia’. Other
books mention gods of specific ancient nations: in Judges 16:23, Dagon was the
god of the Philistines; 2 Kings 19:37 and Isaiah 37:38 describe Nisroch as the
god of the Assyrians; Molech was the god of the Ammonites (1 Kings 11:7); Chemosh
the god of the Moabites (1 Kings 11:33); Milcom the god of Ammon (1 Kings 11:5, 33) and Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians (1 Kings 11:5, 33, 2 Kings 23:13). 2 Kings
describes Baal-Zebub as the god of Ekron (chapter 1). Since these ancients
built high places in their territories for their gods, the authors believe
there were specific gods that ruled over the ancient nations as territorial
gods or spirits. However, there is only one true and living God, the Creator of
everything, including these so-called ‘gods’ and, so, the authors believe those
‘gods’ of the ancient nations were really high ranking evil angels in the guise
of deity. Today, disciples of Dominionism and the New Apostolic Reformation
espouse the idea of binding territorial spirits to reclaim the territories on
earth for God. The authors do not believe this idea has any Scriptural
precedent.
Theistic
Evolution – It is the idea that God used and/or
directed macro evolution to create life.
Third
Temple of the Lord – Scripture teaches that there
will be a third Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem during the Tribulation Hour.
During the midway point of the Tribulation, Antichrist will enter this temple
and desecrate it by being proclaimed god. Consequently, a Jewish temple must be
in existence for this event to take place. Plans are already presently put in
place by the Jewish Sanhedrin and Temple Mount Faithful to commence the
rebuilding of the Lord’s third Temple. The site of the third Temple is
purported to be the Temple Mount, which is historically the site of the first
and second Temples. (The first Temple [of Solomon] was destroyed in 587 B.C. by
the Babylonians. The second Temple [of Herod] was destroyed by the Romans in AD
70.) The third Temple (of the Tribulation period) is not to be confused with
the one mentioned in the book of Ezekiel (chapters 40-48), which the Lord Jesus
will build for Himself during His Millennial Reign.
Time
of Jacob’s Trouble, The – See entry under
‘Tribulation’.
Tribulation
– Also called the ‘Time of Jacob’s Trouble’, the
‘Hour/Day of the Lord’ and ‘Daniel’s Seventieth Week’, it is said to last seven
years. The Tribulation is a time when God is judging the world that has
rejected His Son, Jesus Christ. It is an epochal time for Israel and Jews
everywhere, because God is bringing His elect into a realization of Jesus
Christ as their anointed Messiah. Hence, called the Time of Jacob’s Trouble,
Jacob being one of the patriarchs of Israel (Jacob, the son of Isaac, son of
Abraham, was the old name of Israel). The Great Tribulation has a defined beginning
given by Christ as the Abomination of Desolation (alluded to in Matthew 24:15)
and ending after the Antichrist’s reign of 1260 days.
Tribulation
Saints / Saints – In this novel, Tribulations
Saints and saints are used interchangeably. The Tribulation Saints or saints
are the people who come to faith in Jesus Christ as Lord after the Rapture.
The Bible describes them as a ‘great multitude, which no man could number’
(Revelation 7:9).
Universalism
– The Universalist believes that since all religions
lead to the same one God, though He may be known by different names, all paths
and all religions, therefore, lead to heaven. Universalism is a heretical
belief that has its foundation in New Age spirituality. It is also advocated in
the Emergent church movement. A deviant belief system, Universalism espouses
the idea of a loving God and love wins ultimately in that God will allow all to
enter heaven. They eschew the clear Scriptural teaching of a just and holy God
who judges sin, which a truly loving God will do. Universalists generally
engage in unwarranted allegorizing of the Bible, do not believe in the
authority of Scriptures, and/or ignore large portions of the Word of God
because they cannot consistently defend their beliefs from it.
Watchers, The – According to the apocryphal books, ‘The Watchers’ is the name given to angelic beings, both holy and evil, that visit earth to observe the actions of mankind. The evil Watchers, one of whom was the fallen angel, Azazel, were reportedly responsible for the construction of the many ancient cities and monoliths that exist on earth.
Yah – Yah is an abbreviated form of Yahweh, from the Hebrew consonants YHVH (yod, hay, vav, hay), which have come to be known as the symbol of the name of God. Theologians call this four-letter word, YHVH, the Tetragrammaton, which is Greek for ‘the word of four letters’. Yahweh is the personal name of God. The name is a verb which means, ‘Unfinished, continuous action’.
Yeshua Ha Mashiach – This phrase is Hebrew for ‘Jesus, Messiah’.
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