"When men began to increase on earth and daughters were born to them, the divine beings saw how beautiful the daughters of men were and took wives from among those that pleased them. The LORD said, 'My breath shall not abide in man forever, since he too is flesh; let the days allowed him be one hundred and twenty years.' It was then, and later too, that the Nephilim appeared on earth - when the divine beings cohabited with the daughters of men, who bore them offspring. They were the heroes of
old, the men of renown." - Genesis 6:1-4
"In those days, when the children of man had multiplied, it happened that there were born unto them handsome and beautiful daughters. And the angels, the children of heaven , saw them and desired them; and they said to one another, 'Come, let us choose wives for ourselves from among the daughters of man and beget us children.' And Semyaz, being their leader, said unto them,'I fear that perhaps you will not consent that this deed should be done, and I alone will become (responsible) for this great sin.' But they all responded to him, 'Let us all swear an oath and bind everyone among us by a curse not to abandon this suggestion but to do the deed.' Then they all swore together and bound one another by (the curse) And they were altogether two hundred;" - 1 Enoch 6:1-7
"The angels descended on Mount Hermon during the days of Jared. There were 19 leaders mentioned in 1 Enoch, who were also called 'the chiefs of ten.' Once they reached the earth:
"they took wives unto themselves, and everyone (respectively) chose one woman for himself, and they began to go unto them. And they taught them magical medicine, incantations, the cutting of roots, and taught them (about) plants. And the women became pregnant and gave birth to great giants whose heights were three hundred cubits. These (giants) consumed the produce of all the people until the people detested feeding them. So the giants turned against (the people) in order to eat them." - 1 Enoch 7:1-5
The Angels then taught women charms, enchantments, the cutting of roots, and the knowledge of plants. They taught men how to make various weapons and armor, and also arts and sciences. These acts led to an increase in lawlessness and warfare. The men of earth then cried out to heaven, and the 4 archangels (Michael, Uriel, Raphael, and Gabriel) cried out to God. In response, God sent Uriel to warn Noah that there would soon be a flood that would destroy the wickedness on earth. Raphael was commanded to bind Azazel hand and foot, and to cast him into the a hole in the desert (Duda'el) that the Lord had made. Raphael threw rugged and sharp rocks and covered Azazel's face so that he would not see light. Michael was commanded to bound Semyaza and his associates in the valleys of the earth. They will remain there until the day of judgment when he will be cast into the fire. The race of giants produced from this union gave way to a brood of evil spirits. The evil spirits most likely are the departed spirits of the giants, themselves. These spirits are not material or corporeal beings, but they torment mankind because they have proceeded from them. According to 1 Enoch, these spirits will not be punished until the day of judgment, in contrast to the Watchers, who are punished both before and on the day of judgment.
"But now the giants who are born from the (union of) the spirits and the flesh shall be called evil spirits upon the earth, because their dwelling shall be upon the earth and inside the earth. Evil spirits have come out of their bodies. Because from the day that they were created from the holy ones they became the Watchers; their first origin is the spiritual foundation. They will become evil upon the earth and shall be called evil spirits. The dwelling of the spiritual beings of heaven is heaven; but the dwelling of the spirits of the earth, which are born upon the earth, is in the earth. The spirits of the giants oppress each other, they will corrupt, fall, be excited, and fall upon the earth, and cause sorrow. They eat no food, nor become thirsty, nor find obstacles. And these spirits shall rise up against the children of the people and against the women, because they have proceeded forth (from them). - 1 Enoch 15
"Here shall stand in many different appearances the spirits of the angels which have united themselves with women. They have defiled the people and will lead them into error so that they will offer sacrifices to the demons as unto gods, until the great day of judgment in which they shall be judged till they are finished." - 1 Enoch 19:1
GENESIS 3:14 So the LORD God said to the serpent: "Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all cattle, and more than every beast of the field; on your belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life. 15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel."
1 Enoch 85-90 gives a similar account of the fall of the angels. In these passages, a star (either Semjaza or Azazel) fell from heaven and began to pasture among the oxen (mankind). A number of stars then fell and were transformed into bulls. They began to cover the cows (the angels married mortal women), who then gave birth to elephants, camels, and asses (the giants). The oxen then became restless and began to fight, but they became prey to the wild beasts. The archangels then appear in the disguise of men. One seizes the first of the fallen stars and casts it into the abyss. A second gives the elephants, camels, and asses a sword so that they will slay each other. A third archangel stones the other fallen stars and casts them into the gulf. The story then goes on to describe the Maccabean revolt, which leads to a description of the final struggle between good and evil. It seems that there is a threefold aspect to the sin of the Watchers in these accounts. First, it was a defilement of the essence of the angels to marry and engage in sexual acts with human women. Second, these unions between the angels and mortal women were considered evil, themselves. Because of the Nephilim and and evil created by these unions, God caused the great Flood of Noah's time. Finally, the angels sinned because they taught humanity and revealing the secrets of the natural universe which God did not intend for man to know.
The Book of Jubilees gives another account of how the Watchers fell that is similar to 1 Enoch. It explains that the Watchers originally descended to the earth to teach mankind and do what is just, but they 'sinned with the daughters of men because these had begun to mix with earthly women so that they became defiled.' (Jubilees 4:22) Malalael "named [his son] Jared because during his lifetime the angels of the Lord who were called Watchers descended to earth to teach mankind and to do what is just and upright upon the earth" - Jubilees 4:15Jubilees also says that they were sent by God, Himself. "Against his angels whom he had sent to the earth he was angry enough to uproot them from all their (positions of) authority"
- Jubilees 5:6
Jubilees tells an account of the fall of the angels similar to that of 1 Enoch. God was displeased with the angels because of their lust for the daughters of men. The union of the angels and women is said to be the Nephilim. "For it was on account of these three things [fornication, uncleanness, and injustice - see Jubilees 7:20] that the flood was on the earth, since (it was) due to fornication that the Watchers had illicit intercourse - apart from the mandate of their authority - with women. When they married of them whomever they chose they committed the first (acts) of uncleanness. They fathered (as their) sons the Nephilim (nephilim (in Hebrew means the fallen ones). - Jubilees 7:21-22In Jubilees, Mastema is the chief of the spirits. As God commanded the angels to bind all the evil spirits, Mastema came and asked the Lord that some of the spirits might be allowed to remain with him to do his will. God granted his request and allowed one tenth of the spirits to remain with Mastema, while the other nine parts would be condemned. "When Mastema, the leader of the spirits, came, he said: 'Lord creator, leave some of them before me; let them listen to me and do everything that I tell them, because if none of them is left for me I shall not be able to exercise the authority of my will aong mankind. For they are meant for (the purposes of) destroying and misleading before my punishment because the evil of mankind is great.' Then he said that a tenth of them should be left before him, while he would make nine parts descend to the place of judgment." - Jubilees 10:8-92 Enoch also mentions a group of angels called the Grigori, who are similar to the Watchers. Their prince is called Satanail. A difference in this account as compared with the two previous accounts is that only 3 angels came down to earth to take wives and beget giants. "These are the Grigori, who with their prince Satanail rejected the Lord of light, and after them are those who are held in great darkness on the second heaven, and three of them went down on earth to the place Ermon, and broke through their vows on the shoulder of the hill Ermon and saw the daughters of men how good they are, and took to themselves wives, and befouled the earth with their deeds, who in all times of their age made lawlessness and mixing, and giants are born and marvellous big men and great enmity. And therefore God judged them with great judgment, and they weep for their brethren and they will be punished on the Lord's great day." - 2 Enoch 18:3-4In the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs, the fall of the angels is mentioned twice. One is only a brief reference stating that the Watchers "changed the order of their nature." (Naphtali 3:5) The second is in Reuben, where he accuses womankind of seeking to ensnare men.
"Thus they allured the Watchers before the Flood, for as these continually beheld them, they lusted after them and conceived the act in their mind; for they changed themselves unto the shape of men and appeared to them when they were with their husbands; and the women, lusting in their minds after their forms, gave birth to giants, for the Watchers appeared to them as
reaching up to heaven." Reuben 5
In this account, the writer denies that there was a physical union between the angels and mortal women. He says that the real fathers of the giants were humans, but the giants were conceived from the mutal passion from angels and women. Names and Misdeeds of the Fallen Angels (aka the Five Satans) in 1 Enoch 69:4-12. (1 Enoch gives other lists of the names of the fallen angels as well.)
This passage is odd because it mentions angels that are not mentioned elsewhere. § Yeqon - "one who misled all the children of the angels, brought them down upon the earth, and perverted them by the daughters of the people" §Asb'el - "one who gave the children of the holy angels an evil counsel and misled them so that they would defile their bodies by the daughters of the people" §Gader'el - "he who showed the children of the people all the blows of death, who misled Eve, who showed the children of the people (how to make) the instruments of death (such as) the shield, the breastplate, and the sword for warfare, and all (the other) instruments of death to the children of the people" §Pinem'e - "demonstrated to the children of the people the bitter and the sweet and revealed to them all the secrets of their wisdom. Furthermore he caused the people to penetrate (the secret of) writing and (the use of) ink and paper" §Kasadya - "he who
revealed to the children of the people (the various) flagellations of all evil - (the flagellation) of the souls and the demons, the smashing of the embryo in the womb so that it may be curshed, the flagellation of the soul, snake bites, sunstrokes, the son of the serpent, whose name is Taba'ta"
Names of other fallen angels - Semyaz, Aristaqis, Armen, Kokba'el, Tur'el, Rumyal, Danyul, Neqa'el, Baraqel, Azaz'el, Armaros, Betryal, Basas'el, Hanan'el, Tur'el, Sipwese'el, Yeter'el, Tuma'el, Tur'el, Rum'el, and Azaz'el -
1 Enoch 69:2
There will come a day when you will be forced to meet the demon, it maybe one within you or without you, yet its there.
Hell Za Poppen
Demons are referred to in the Gospels generally, in James 2:19, and in Revelations 16:14, the demons are spoken of as spiritual beings at enmity with God, and having power to afflict man, not only with diseases, but, as is marked by the frequent epithet "unclean," with spiritual position also. They recognize the Lord as the Son of God (Matthew 8:29; Luke 4:41), and acknowledge the power of his name, used in exorcism, in the place of the name of Jehovah, by his appointed messengers (Acts 19:15), and look forward in terror to the judgment to come (Matthew 8:29).
Giants are first spoken of in Genesis 6:4, under the name Nephilim. We are told in Genesis 6:1-4 that "there were Nephilim in the earth," and that afterward the "sons of God" mingling with the beautiful "daughters of men" produced a race of violent and insolent Gibborim or "mighty men". Some speculate that these were the giants such as Goliath who taunted the Israelites and fought with David.
The Gibborim are Angelic Hybrids, is this True or False?
Explain who or what Giants are in these entree's
Explaine the meaning of Nephillim.
The Watchers in Enoch behave as the Aliens of today. is this true? Give me your views.
Demon ( Greek daimon ) 1. A god or deity in general 2. One's genius 3. One's fortune 4. The soul of some man belonging to the golden age, now acting as a tutelary divinity ; a god of inferior rank.
Evil spirit--Luke 8:29 ; 10:17-20
Gods of the heathens-- Deut.32:17 ; Psalms 106:37 ; 1 Corinthian 10:20 ; Revelation 9:20
Inferior evil spirits who are subject to the Devil---Matthew 12:24-27 ; Luke 4:33 ; James 2:19 ; Revelation 16:14
Demoniac ( Latin for possessed by a demon ).
Matthew 4:24
Mark 9: 14-29 ; Matthew 17:15,18 ; Luke 9:37-42
Mark 1:23,24 ; Mark 3:11, 12 ; Mark 5: 1-7
Matthew 8: 28-32
Mark 9: 29
Luke 10: 17-20
1 Samuel 13: 8-14 ; 1 Samuel 15: 10-31 ; 1 Samuel 16:14
Tobit 6: 7,15-18
Flavius Josephus-- A Jewish historian
Jos. --War 6:6.3
GENESIS 3:1 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Has God indeed said, 'You shall not eat of every tree of the garden'?" 2 And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; 3 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.' " 4 Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes,
and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.
GENESIS 3:14So the LORD God said to the serpent: "Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all cattle, and more than every beast of the field; on your belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life. 15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel."
The concept of the angel is common to the three current monotheistic religions of the West: Judaism, Christinaity, and Islam. Various prophets, theologians, and mystics have added to the lore of angels over several thousand years. There are countless informal sources, including folklore and popular stories, as well as material from traditions like Zoroastrianism and the religions of ancient Sumer and Babylon that have contributed to the concept of the angel. Furthermore, religions from other parts of the world, particularly India, contain similar concepts that may have influenced or been influenced by the Western angelic traditions. The following list is a broad outline of some of the best known and most important written sources of angelic lore in the West.
Judaism
The Hebrew Bible (or Old Testament)
The Apocrypha (200 BCE-200 CE): Books of the Hebrew Bible that are generally ascribed less authority than canonical scriptures. These include the Book of Tobit, 1 and 2 Maccabees, and Baruch.
Pseudepigrapha (200 BCE-200 CE): Writings attributed to patriarchs and prophets, often describing journeys to Heaven.
Ascension of Isaiah (Christian influenced)
Ascension of Moses (1st Century CE)
Book of Enoch (or 1 Enoch, Ethiopian Enoch) (1st Century BCE)
Book of Jubilees (5th or 6th Century BCE-70 CE)
Fourth Book of Ezra
Testament of Abraham
Mishnah: the Jewish oral law.
Talmud (complied from 1-c. 600 CE): Commentaries on Jewish oral tradition.
Midrashim: rabbinical and theological interpretations of the Bible.
Mystical Traditions
Hekhalot: Mystical reflections on the palaces of Heaven.
Hekhalot Zutartei
Hekhalot Rabbati
Sefer Hekhalot (or Third Book of Enoch)
Kabbalah (Middle Ages): Mystical and magical practices centered around contemplation of the mystery of God..
Zohar (13th-15th Century CE): authored by Mosheh de Leon (1240-1305 CE) and later contributors, the third most sacred book after the Bible and Talmud.
Merkabah: Mystical reflections on the chariot on which the prophet Elijah ascended to Heaven.
3 Enoch (5-6th Century CE)
Maimonides (1135-1204): Jewish philosopher
Christianity
The New Testament (1st Century CE)
Apocryphal New Testament: Various alternative gospels, acts of apostles, letters and apocalypses.
Apocalypse of St. Peter (2nd Century CE)
Christian Pseudepigrapha
Book of Adam and Eve
Book of the Secrets of Enoch (or 2 Enoch, Slavonic Enoch) (2nd-10th Century CE)
The Church Fathers and Other Christian Writers
Origen (185-254 CE)
The Four Doctors
St. Ambrose (339-397 CE)
St. Jerome (342-420 CE)
St. Augustine (354-430 CE)
Gregory the Great (540-604 CE)
Pseudo-Dionysius (or Dionysius the Areopagite) (late 5th to early 6th Century CE)
St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274 CE)
Islam
The Qur'an (610-632 CE)
Ibn Sina (or Avicenna) (988-1037 CE)
Shihabal al-Din al-Suhrawardi (1145-1234 CE)
Non-orthodox Sources
Essenes
The Dead Sea Scrolls (100 BCE-68 CE)
Gospel of Barnabus
The Triumph of God
Gnosticism
Nag Hammadi library (<5th Century CE)
Valentinus (2nd Century CE)
The Detection and Overthrow of the Falsely Named Knowledge by St. Irenaeus (c. 140-c. 200 CE), fair but critical anti-Gnostic church father
Ishmaili, Islamic Gnostics
Occult and Magical Traditions
The Magus by Francis Barrett (1801)
WORDS to KNOW
absolution:
In the Roman Catholic church, the act of a priest in pronouncing the remission of sin, its eternal punishment, or the canonical penalties attached to it; in other churches, the declaration or imploring God's forgiveness by a priest or minister
abstinence:
Self-denial
accountability:
Liability of being called to account
adherent:
One who is devoted or attached, as to a cause or a leader
Advent:
The birth of Christ; the second coming of Christ
agapes:
The social meal or love feast of the primitive Christians which usually accompanied the Eucharist
agnostic:
One who holds the theory that God is unknown or unknowable
agrapha:
A collection of sayings ascribed to Jesus Christ, but not found in the Bible
Albigensian:
One of the sect of religious reformers during the 11th to 13th centuries in the south of France, suppressed for their heretical doctrines
Anabaptist:
One of a sect that arose in Zurich in 1523 among the followers of Zwingli, who started the Reformation in Switzerland and advocated opposition to infant baptism, and believed that only such persons as had been baptized after a confession of faith in Christ constituted a real church
angel:
One of an order of spiritual beings endowed with immortality, attendant upon the Deity; a heavenly guardian, ministering spirit, or messenger
annihilationism:
The doctrine that the finally impenitent will be totally annihilated after death
Annunciation:
The announcement of the Incarnation to the Virgin by an angel
anointing:
Putting oil on as a sign of consecration, as in a religious ceremony
antinomianism:
The belief that frees the Christian from the obligations of the moral law
Apocalypse:
The book of Revelation, the last book of the New Testament
Apocrypha:
Fourteen books of the Septuagint in the Vulgate but not in the canonical Hebrew Scriptures nor in the Authorized Version
apologetics:
The branch of theology which deals with the defensive facts and proofs of Christianity
apostate:
One who is guilty of desertion of one's faith, religion, party, or principles
apostolic:
According to the doctrine or practice of the apostles
archangel:
An angel of highest rank; in Christian legend, usually Michael
Arianism:
The doctrines of Arius (4th century) and his followers, denying that Christ is one substance with the Father
Armageddon:
In Biblical prophecy, the scene of a great battle between the forces of good and evil, to occur at the end of the world
Ascension:
The bodily ascent of Christ into heaven after the Resurrection
asceticism:
The belief that one can attain to a high intellectual or spiritual level through solitude, mortification of the flesh, and devotional contemplation
Assumption:
The doctrine that the Virgin Mary was bodily taken up into heaven at her death
atheist:
One who denies or disbelieves in the existence of God
Atonement:
The reconciliation between God and man effected by Christ's life, passion, and death
baptism:
A sacrament in which water is used to initiate the recipient into a Christian church, to symbolize purification, to acknowledge consecration to Christ, etc.
beatification:
In the Roman Catholic church, an act of the Pope declaring a deceased person beatified (declared as blessed) and worthy of a certain degree of public honor, usually the last step toward canonization
Beatitudes:
Eight declarations of special blessedness pronounced by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount
belief:
Religious faith
bereavement:
An afflictive loss, as by death
Bible:
The writings of the Old and New Testaments, as accepted by the Christian Church as a divine revelation: in certain churches embracing also parts of the Apocrypha
breviaries:
Books of daily offices and prayers for the canonical hours
canon:
The books of the Bible that are recognized by the church as inspired
canonization:
The formal enrolling of a deceased and beatified person in the Roman Catholic canon, or calendar of saints
canticle:
A non-metrical hymn, as one with words taken directly from the Bible text, to be chanted, as in certain church services
catechism:
A short treatise given in catechistic (question and answer) form an outline of the fundamental principles of a religious creed
Catharism:
The aiming at or proclaiming peculiar purity of life or doctrine as practised by the Novatians (3rd century), the Albigenses (12th century), and various others
cherubim:
In Scripture, angelic beings, especially as represented on the ark of the covenant, typifying the presence and power of the Deity
Christ:
The Anointed; the Messiah; the deliverer of Israel whose coming was foretold by the Hebrew prophets
Christianity:
The Christian religion
Christmas:
A church festival observed annually on December 25 in memory of the birth of Jesus Christ
circumcision:
The act of cutting off the prepuce or, in females, the inner labia, especially as a religious rite; the initiatory rite of Judaism, also practised by Moslems
clergy:
The whole body of men set apart by ordination for the service of God in the Christian church: distinguished from laity
commentary:
A treatise in annotation or explanation, as of the Scriptures
Communion:
The Eucharist, or the act of celebrating or partaking of it: often called Holy Communion
confession:
A formulary of public worship embodying a general admission of common sinfulness, used in the Roman Catholic, Anglican, and other liturgies
confirmation:
A sacramental rite administered to baptized persons, confirming or strengthening their faith, and admitting them to all the privileges of the church
congregationalism:
A form of church polity in which each local congregation is autonomous in all ecclesiastical matters
consecration:
The act of separating from a common to a sacred use
contemplation:
A life of prayer and meditation as practised by certain Roman Catholic orders
contrition:
A feeling of repentance for sin, with an intention to amend, arising from love of God and consideration of His goodness, or from inferior motives, as a fear of punishment
conversion:
The act of turning or being turned to religious belief
cosmology:
The general science or philosophy of the universe
covenant:
God's promise of blessing to be fulfilled on the performance of a condition, as of obedience
creation:
The act of creating; especially, in a theological sense, the original act of God in bringing the world or universe into existence
creed:
A formal summary of religious belief; an authoritative statement of doctrine
cross:
An ancient instrument of torture in the form of a cross, on which criminals were fastened and exposed until they died from exhaustion
crucifix:
A cross bearing an effigy of Christ crucified
crucifixion:
Death upon the cross; especially, that of Christ on Mount Calvary
dedication:
The setting apart for sacred use
deist:
One who subscribes to or professes the belief in the existence of a personal God, based solely on the testimony of reason and rejecting any supernatural revelation; also believing that God created the world and set it into motion, subject to natural laws, but takes no interest in it
demon:
An evil spirit
denomination:
A body of Christians having a distinguishing name
deuterocanonical:
Pertaining to or constituting a second canon: applied to the books or parts of books of the Old or New Testament whose authenticity and inspiration were at first contested and afterward admitted by the Roman Catholic Church; in Protestant churches, the contested parts of the Old Testament being considered extra-canonical
devil:
In Jewish and Christian theology, the prince and ruler of the kingdom of evil; any subordinate evil spirit
dispensational:
Pertaining to one of several systems or bodies of law in which at several times God has revealed His mind and will to man, or the continued state of things resulting from the operation of one of these systems
divinity:
The quality or character of being divine
doctrine:
That which is held to be true by any person, sect, or school; especially, in religion, a tenet, or body of tenets
Donatism:
The principles of a fourth century, schismatic sect of North Africa, named for Donatus, who was a bishop and the founder
doxology:
A hymn or verse of praise to God; a formula of praise, used as the closing words of a sermon
Easter:
A Christian festival commemorating the resurrection of Christ
ecclesiastical:
Of or pertaining to the church, especially considered as an organized and governing power
ecclesiology:
The study of the organization, government, liturgy, and ritual of the Christian church
ecumenical:
Belonging to or accepted by the Christian church throughout the world
encyclopedist:
One whose studies embrace all sciences
episcopal:
Having a government vested in bishops
epistle:
A written message: more formal than a letter, and especially applied to ancient epistolary writings of sacred character or of literary excellence
....., catholic:
Addressed to all Christian
....., Pauline:
Relating to the apostle Paul, his teachings, or writings
eschatology:
The branch of theology that treats of death, resurrection, immortality, the end of the world, the final judgment, and the future state
eternity:
An endless or limitless time; immortality
Eucharist:
A Christian sacrament in which bread and wine are consecrated, distributed, and consumed in commemoration of the passion and death of Christ
evangelism:
The zealous preaching or spreading of the gospel
evangelistic:
Denoting the adherents of a school of Protestant theology stressing the divine inspiration, authority, and sufficiency of the Scriptures, the fallen state of man, salvation by faith in the redeeming work of Christ, and spiritual regeneration, and denying in whole or in part the efficacy of the sacraments and the authority of the church
evolution:
The doctrine that all forms of life originated by descent, with gradual or abrupt modifications, from preexisting forms which themselves trace backward in a continuing series to the most rudimentary organisms
exegesis:
The explanation of the language and thought of a literary work; especially Biblical exposition or interpretation
exhortation:
Admonition; earnest advice
exorcism:
The act of casting out evil spirits by prayers or incantations
faith:
Belief without evidence
fall:
* In Christian theology, the transgression of Adam and Eve recorded in Genesis 3 (TIDOTB, E-J, p. 235)
fasting:
Going without food, wholly or in part, as in observance of a religious duty
flagellation:
Self-scourging as a means of religious discipline
foot washing:
A religious ceremony performed by certain sects in remembrance of the washing of the disciples' feet by Jesus
forgiveness:
The act of granting pardon for or remission of (something)
free will:
The power of self-determination regarded as a special faculty
glossolalia:
* Speaking in tongues, a striking phenomenon of primitive Christianity (TIDOTB, R-Z, p. 671)
Gnosticism:
A philosophical and religious system (1st to 6th century) teaching that knowledge rather than faith was the key to salvation
Gospels:
The narrative of Christ's life and teaching as given in the first four books of the New Testament
grace:
The unmerited love and favor of God in Christ; hence, free gift
Hagiographa:
The third of the three ancient divisions of the Old Testament, comprising all books not reckoned in the Law or the Prophets
heaven:
The abode of God and the blest spirits; the dwelling place or state of existence of righteous souls after their life on earth
hell:
The place of eternal punishment, of extreme torment, etc.; the abode of evil spirits
heresy:
A doctrinal view of belief at variance with the recognized tenets of a system, church, school, or party
hermeneutics:
The science or art of interpretation, especially of the Scriptures
Hexateuch:
The first six books of the Bible considered as constituting one series
Holy Week:
In the Christian church, the week before Easter
homiletics:
The branch of rhetoric that treats of the composition and delivery of sermons
hope:
Desire accompanied by expectation
Humanism:
The intellectual, scientific, and literary movement of the 14th to 16th centuries which exalted Greek and Roman culture and learning
hymn:
A song expressive of praise, adoration, or elevated emotion; specifically, a metrical composition, divided into stanzas, intended to be sung in religious worship
hypostatic union:
The union of two natures in the one person of Christ
icon:
In the Greek Church, a holy picture, mosaic, etc.
Immaculate Conception:
In the Roman Catholic Church, the doctrine that the Virgin Mary was conceived in her mother's womb without the stain of original sin: distinguished from Virgin Birth
immortality:
Eternal life
Incarnation:
The assumption of the human nature by Jesus Christ as the second person of the Trinity
indulgences:
In the Roman Catholic Church, remission, by those authorized, of the temporal punishment still due to sin after sacramental absolution, either in this world or in purgatory
Inquisition:
A court or tribunal of the Roman Catholic Church for the discovery, examination, and punishment of heretics; specifically, the ecclesiastical tribunal for the discovery and punishment of heretics, active in central and southern Europe in the 13th century
intercession:
Entreaty in behalf of others
Jansenism:
The doctrines taught by Cornelis Jansen, emphasizing predestination and the irresistibility of God's grace, and denying free will
Johannine:
* Of, relating to, or having the characteristics of the Apostle John or the New Testament books whose authorship is ascribed to him (WTNID, p. 1218)
judgment:
The final award or sentence of the human race; also, the times of this
justice:
One of God's attributes, by virtue of which He wills equal laws and makes just awards
justification:
The forensic, juridical, or gracious act of God by which the sinner is declared righteous, or justly free from obligation to penalty, and fully restored to divine favor
laity:
The people, as distinguished from the clergy
laying on of hands:
* A form used in consecrating to office, in the rite of confirmation, and in blessing persons and consisting in laying the hands upon the head of the person on whom the divine blessing is invoked (WTNID, p. 1281)
lectionary:
A book or table of lessons for church service
Lent:
A fast of forty days (Excluding Sundays), observed annually from Ash Wednesday till Easter as a season of penitence and self-denial
limbo of the children:
A region on the edge of hell to which are consigned the souls of infants who died before baptism
limbo of the fathers:
A region on the edge of hell to which are consigned the souls of the righteous who died before the coming of Christ
litany:
A liturgical form of prayer, consisting of a series of different supplications said by the clergy, to which the choir or people repeat the same response
liturgy:
A collection of prescribed forms for public worship
Logos:
The creative Word of God, the second person of the Trinity, incarnate as Jesus Christ, identified with cosmic reason
Lucifer:
Satan, especially as the leader of the revolt of the angels before his fall from heaven
Manicheism:
A dualistic religious philosophy developed by the Persian Manes and his followers in which goodness, typified as light, God, or the soul, is represented as in conflict with evil, typified by darkness, Satan, or the body: taught from the 3rd to the 7th century
Mariology:
The whole body of religious belief and dogma relating to the Virgin Mary
materialism:
The doctrine that the facts of experience are all to be explained by reference to the reality, activities, and laws of physical or material substance
meditation:
Contemplation
megilloth:
* Scrolls, in regard to the Old Testament canon (TWDB, p. 388)
Messiah:
The Anointed One; the Christ: the name for the promised deliverer of the Hebrews, assumed by Jesus, and given to Him by Christians
millenium:
The thousand years of the kingdom of Christ on earth
miracle:
An event in the natural world, but out of its established order, possible only by the intervention of divine power
missal:
The book containing the service for the celebration of mass throughout the year
missions:
Regularly organized churches and congregations not having the status of parishes in canon law
modernism:
The humanistic tendency in religious thought to supplement old theological creeds and dogmas by new scientific and philosophical learning and thus to place emphasis on practical ethics and world-wide social justice: distinguished from fundamentalism
Molinism:
* A doctrine that it is man's free cooperation which makes it possible for him to perform a good act with God's helping grace (WTNID, p. 1455)
Monophysite churches:
Christian sects originating in the 5th century which affirms that Christ had but one nature, the divine alone or a single compounded nature, and not two natures so united as to preserve their distinctness
morality:
The doctrine of man's moral duties
mysticism:
The belief that knowledge of divine truth or the soul's union with the divine is attainable by spiritual insight or ecstatic contemplation without the medium of the senses or reason
Nativity:
The birth of Jesus
Neoplatonism:
An Alexandrian system of philosophy of the third century, commingling Jewish and Christian ideas with doctrines of Plato and other Greek philosophers and Oriental mysticism
Nestorian churches:
Churches having the doctrine that Christ had two distinct natures, the divine and human, subsisting independently
New Testament:
That portion of the Bible containing the life and teachings of Christ, including the gospels, the Epistles, the Acts of the Apostles, and the Revelation of St. John the Divine
novenas:
In the Roman Catholic Church, a devotion consisting of prayer said on nine successive days, asking for some spiritual blessing
Old Testament:
The first of the two main divisions of the Bible, containing the books of the old or Mosaic covenant, and including the historical books, the prophets, and the books of wisdom
omnipotence:
Unlimited and universal power, as a divine attribute
omnipresence:
The quality of being everywhere present at the same time
omniscience:
Infinite knowledge: an attribute of God
order:
Any of the various grades or degrees of the Christian ministry
ordination:
The rite of consecration to the ministry
pagan:
One who is neither a Christian, a Jew, or a Moslem
parable:
Simile; specifically, a short narrative making a moral or religious point by comparison with natural or homely things
paralipomena:
* Things passed over but added as a supplement (WTNID, p. 1637) [capitalized, the Chronicles, in some versions of the Bible]
parish:
In the Anglican, Roman Catholic, and some other churches, a district, usually part of a diocese, with its own church, and in charge of a priest or other clergyman
Passion:
The sufferings of Christ, especially in the agony of the garden and on the cross
pastoral:
Pertaining to a pastor and his work
Pelagianism:
The body of doctrines held by the followers of Pelagius, who denied original sin, confined grace to forgiveness, and affirmed that man's unaided will is capable of spiritual good
penance:
A sacramental rite involving contrition, confession to a priest, the acceptance of penalties, and absolution
penitence:
Sorrow for sin, with desire to amend and atone
Pentateuch:
The first five books of the Bible taken collectively
pentecostalism:
* The doctrines and practices of Pentecostal religious bodies; especially, religious excitement or emotionalism accompanied by ecstatic utterances interpreted as the gift of tongues (WTNID, p. 1673)
Pietism:
A movement in the Lutheran Church in Germany during the latter 17th century, advocating a revival of the devotional ideal
piety:
Reverence toward God or the gods; religious devoutness
pilgrimage:
A long journey, especially one made to a shrine or sacred place
polemics:
The art or practice of disputation; especially, the use of aggressive argument to refute errors of doctrine
prayer:
The act of offering reverent petitions, especially to God
prayer meeting:
* A meeting or gathering for prayer to God; especially, a Protestant Christian service of worship usually held regularly on a week night and frequently highlighted by evangelistic or revivalistic preaching (WTNID2, p. 1782)
predestination:
The foreordination of all things by God, including the future bliss or sorrow of men
presbyterian:
One who believes in the government of the church by presbyters (elders)
prophecy:
Discourse delivered by a prophet under divine inspiration: the common Biblical sense
Protestantism:
The principles and common system of doctrines taught by Luther, and by the evangelical churches since
Providence:
God; the Deity
psalter:
The psalms appointed to be read or sung at any given service
pseudepigrapha:
Spurious writing; especially spurious religious writings, falsely ascribed to Scriptural characters or times and not considered as canonical by any branch of the Christian church
purgatory:
In Roman Catholic theology, a state or place where the soul of those who have died penitent are made fit for paradise by expiating venial sins and undergoing any punishment remaining for previously forgiven sins
Qoheloth:
* The Hebrew title of the Biblical book of Ecclesiastes (TIDOTB,
K-Q, p. 973.)
rapture:
The act of transferring a person from one place to another
rationalist:
One who forms opinions by relying upon reason alone, independently of authority or of revelation: opposed to supernaturalism
reconciliation:
Atonement
Redeemer:
Jesus Christ
redemption:
Salvation from sin through the atonement of Christ
regeneration:
The impartation of spiritual life by divine grace
reincarnation:
A rebirth of the soul in successive bodies; specifically, in Vedic religions, the becoming of an avatar again
repentance:
A turning with sorrow from a past course or action
requiem:
Any musical hymn, composition, or service for the dead
resurrection:
The rising of Christ from the dead; the rising again of all the dead at the day of the final judgment
retreat:
A place of religious retirement
revelation:
The act of revealing or communicating divine truth, especially by divine agency or supernatural means
revival:
A renewal of special interest in and attention to religious services and duties and the subject of personal salvation
ritual:
A prescribed form or method for the performance of a religious or solemn ceremony
Rogation days:
The three days immediately preceding Ascension Day, observed as days of special supplication by litanies, processions, etc.
rubric:
A direction or rule printed in devotional or liturgical office, as in a prayer book, missal, or breviary
Sabbath:
The seventh day of the week, appointed in the decalog as a day of rest to be observed by the Jews; now, Saturday
sacrament:
A rite ordained by Christ or by the church as an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace
saints:
Holy, godly, or sanctified persons
salvation:
Deliverance from sin and penalty, realized in a future state
sanctification:
Purification or the making holy
sanctity:
Holiness
Satan:
In the Bible, the great adversary of God and the tempter of mankind
schism:
A division of a church into factions
sect:
A body of persons distinguished by peculiarities of faith and practice from other bodies adhering to the same general system
seraphim:
Angels of the highest order
sermon:
A discourse based on a passage or text of the Bible, delivered as part of a church service
service:
A formal and public exercise of worship
sin:
A lack of conformity to, or a transgression, especially when deliberate, of a law, precept, or principle regarded as having divine authority
....., mortal:
That incurring the penalty of eternal death
....., original:
The natural corruption and depravity inherent in all mankind as a consequence of Adam's first sinful disobedience
....., venial:
A pardonable offence, or an unpremeditated one
Socinianism:
The teachings of the [two] Italian theologians named Socinus, as the denial of the Trinity, of the depravity of man, of vicarious atonement, and the efficacy of sacraments
soteriology:
The branch of theology that treats of salvation by Jesus Christ
soul:
The moral or spiritual part of man as related to God, considered as surviving death and liable to joy or misery in a future state
spirit:
In the Bible, the creative, animating power or divine influence of God
stewardship:
The management of estates or affairs not his own
stigmata:
The wounds that Christ received during the Passion and Crucifixion, Stigmata is spontaneous manifestation of bloody wounds on a person's hands, feet, forehead and back - similar to the wounds of the crucified Jesus. Those who describe stigmata categorize these experiences as divine or mystical. History tells us that many ecstatic bear on hands, feet, side, or brow the marks of the Passion of Christ with corresponding and intense sufferings. These are called visible stigmata. Others only have the sufferings, without any outward marks, and these phenomena are called invisible stigmata.
Healing is usually reported within a few hours after the wounds appear.
Some people who suffer from stigmata report feels of sadness, depression, weakness, their body in physical pain, prior to the bleeding.
The blood will pour forth from openings on the body for an unknown amount of time -then just as suddenly disappear and heal.
The openings can be just in one area of the body - such as the hands or feet - or in several areas of the body at the same time.
The person is almost always in pain and discomfort when this occurs.
Though some people feel stigmata is psychosomatically induced. This is rarely the case.
Stigmata can affect women as well as men.
The blood may be of a different type than the person who is having the experience
Sunday School:
A school, generally attached to some church, in which religious instruction is given on Sunday, especially to the young
temptation:
A state of mental conflict between heavenly and infernal influences
theodicy:
The branch of philosophy that treats of the being, perfections, and government of God and the immortality of the soul
theology:
The study of religion, culminating in a synthesis or philosophy of religion; also a critical survey of religion, especially of the Christian religion
Torah:
The Mosaic law; the Pentateuch
transcendent:
Pertaining to God as exalted above the universe
transfiguration:
The supernatural transformation of Christ on the mount as recorded in the gospels
tribulation:
A condition of affliction and distress
Trinitarian:
Holding or professing belief in the Trinity
Unitarianism:
The doctrine of a Protestant denomination which rejects the Trinity, but accepts the ethical teachings of Jesus and emphasizes complete freedom of religious opinion, the importance of personal character, and the independence of each local congregation
vesper:
An evening service, prayer, or song
viaticum:
The Eucharist, as given on the verge of death
virtue:
The disposition to conform to the law of right
Waldensianism:
Pertaining to, or a member of, a sect of religious dissenters founded about 1170 by Peter Waldo
witness:
Give testimony to
worship:
The paying of religious reverence, as in prayer, praise,
Superstition
Break a leg-Superstition against wishing an actor 'Good luck!' has led to the adoption of this phrase in its place. The popular explanation is that it derives from the 1865 assassination of Abraham Lincoln. John Wilkes Booth, the actor turned assassin, leapt to the stage of Ford's Theatre after the murder, breaking his leg in the process. The logical connection with good luck is none too clear, but such is folklore.
There is no evidence, however, to suggest that this is the true derivation, and since the earliest usage of the phrase dates to the 1920s, there is much to suggest that it is not.
In the theatrical community it is commonly told that the phrase refers to bending the knee, an old style of bowing. To break a leg was to bow a lot, meaning a successful performance. However, there is no evidence to support this explanation either and the fact that it only dates to the 1920s rules against it. It is much more likely that the phrase arose from a simple superstition against wishing someone good luck.
Breathe/Preach fire and brimstone-Brimstone is the obsolete name for sulphur, a noxious substance. In Genesis God rains down 'brimstone and fire' to punish (19: 24). The more familiar pairing of fire and brimstone occurs as a means of torture in Revelation, 14: 10. The idea of breathing it probably originates in the same book, where 'fire and smoke and brimstone' issue threateningly from the mouths of warriors' horses (9: 17).
A person who breathes fire and brimstone is therefore expressing an angry determination to do something furious, but a person who preaches it does so to threaten damnation in hell for his or her hearers' sins: 'the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone' is hell in Revelation, 21: 8.
Bury the hatchet - end a quarrel-An American Indian custom was to bury a tomahawk or other weapon on the conclusion of a peace. The expression is found in writing as early as the 18th century and came into general use by being popularised is such works as Longfellow's Song of Hiawatha (1858).
By jingo-Like hocus-pocus and abracadabra, jingo was originally a word from conjurers' gibberish when calling for something to appear. It passed into more general use in several emphatic expressions underlining the firmness of a speaker's declaration; by jingo is still sometimes heard as a mild asserveration in this way. It was probably slightly stronger when it was used in a popular British music-hall song during the Baltic crisis of 1877-8: 'We don't want to fight but, by jingo, if we do/We've got the ships, we've got the men, and got the money too .../The Russians shall not have Constantinople'.From this, those who supported the sending of the British fleet into Turkish waters to halt the Russian advance in 1878 were nicknamed jingoes. Jingoism was coined at the same time to denote belligerent patriotism or warmongering, as it still does.
Alchemy is the ancient mystical art of transmutation and is seen as the forerunner of modern chemistry and metallurgy. 'The Philosopher's Egg' was the name given to the crucible in which Alchemists hoped to be able to produce the 'Philosopher's Stone' - the substance which could turn all other metals into gold or silver. It was shaped like an egg and for special reasons. The egg has symbolic associations with the four elements all necessary in the transmutation process for alchemists:
SHELL - EARTH
MEMBRANE - AIR
WHITE - WATER
YOLK - FIRE
Old Philosopher's Egg Riddle
'Mine was the strangest birth under the sun;
I left the womb, yet life had not begun;
Entered the world, and yet was seen by none.'
EASTER EGGS--'Traditions and Messages'
Easter is a Christian Festival which celebrates Christ's Resurrection, and today eggs are exchanged with family and friends to commemorate the unification of all God's children at this time. It was said that Roman Catholic nuns near Rome decorated hen's eggs and took them to church on Easter Sunday so that the eggs could be blessed by the priests and then distributed to the locals for food. Traditionally children were given hard-boiled eggs painted red to symbolize the blood of Christ. The Romans and Egyptians would exchange eggs to symbolize the continuance of life after death. Early Christianity is thought to have adopted the idea and incorporated it into Easter celebrations.
Yet many have forgotten where the custom of exchanging eggs to family and friends has come from. The actual origin of giving eggs is generally believed to stem from Pagan traditions, and it is also believed by some that the word 'Easter' derives from the old Saxon language word 'Oster' meaning 'to rise'.
The rising and rebirth of the sun on Easter day was a time of much celebration and dancing in an old Aryan belief but only because the sun rose and not for any other reason. To commemorate the rising of the sun on this day, red and gold eggs were exchanged as eggs symbolized the birth of the new sun, again linking together the various Creation myths associated with the egg. The Pagan goddess 'Eastre' or 'Eostre' (Spring or Dawn) is thought by some to have been the reason why the festival received the name 'Easter'. The rebirth of spring and all things growing after winter was a reason for great celebration in the Pagan world. Eostre's favourite animal was the 'hare', and there have long been associations between the hare and Easter, although latterly most people tend to associate the rabbit with Easter (hence 'Easter Bunnies' can often be found sold commercially at this time). The hare in Pagan animal mythology represented love, growth and fertility which ties in very obviously with Easter Bunnies, the beginning of spring and new relationships
MEDICINAL EGGS
Eggs have been used in a range of remedies for different types of sickness whilst also being seen as wonderfully tasty and highly prized delicacies.
Bile
Take the yolk of a newly-laid egg and some honey with a little wheat flour and mix them together. Spread the mixture on a rag and lay it on when cold.
Rheum (for the eyes)
Roast an egg and then cut out the yolk. Take a spoonful of cumin seed and a handful of bear's foot; bruise them gently and put them into the hole of the white of egg. Lay this on the neck by binding it to the neck for twenty-four hours. Repeat the process.
Cholic
Take the white of four -five eggs and beat them. Spread the egg on a piece of leather and then sprinkle a spoonful of pepper and a spoonful of ginger over the egg. The ginger should be beaten and sifted finely. Take the piece of leather and place this over the navel.
Swan : Speculum Mundi, 1635
'The egges of an owle broken and put into the cup of a drunkard
or one desirous to follow drinking,
will so work with him that he will suddenly loathe his good liquor
A meaningless Latin-sounding formula which used to be spoken by conjurers or jugglers to give an air of mystery or magic to their performance. It may have originated with a specific early 17th century conjurer who not only used the formula but also adopted it as his stage-name; it certainly became popular as a name or nickname of conjurers. There have been conjectures that the expression is a parody of the Latin 'Hoc est corpus meum' ('This is my body', the words of consecration in the Mass) but this is impossible to prove.
Hoax is almost certainly a contraction of hocus, it is also believed that hanky-panky comes from this root.
Chinese fire drill - chaotic situation, especially one involving a group's incompetence in carrying out instructions or a plan
Usage of this expression now seems confined to the USA; although it is supposed to have UK origins, and various sources state it being in use on both sides of the Atlantic after World War I. The expression supposedly derives from a true navel incident in the early 1900s involving a British ship, with Chinese crew: instructions were given by the British officers to practice a fire drill where the crew members on the starboard side had to draw up water, run with it to the engine room and douse the 'fire', at which other crew members (to prevent flooding) would pump out the spent water, carry it away and throw it over the port side. After initially going to plan, fuelled by frantic enthusiasm as one side tried to keep pace with the other, the drill descended into chaos, ending with all crew members drawing up water from the starboard side, running with it across the ship, entirely bypassing the engine room, and throwing the un-used water straight over the port side. It's certainly an amusing metaphor, if these days an extremely politically incorrect one. It's akin to other images alluding to the confusion and inconsistency that Westerners historically associated with the Chinese language and culture, many dating back to the 1st World War. Other expressions exploiting the word Chinese to convey confusing or erratic qualities: Chinese whispers (confused messages), Chinese ace (inept pilot), and Chinese puzzle (a puzzle without a solution); Chinese fire drill is very much part of this genre.
Fool's paradise - state of illusory happiness
Medieval Christian (Roman Catholic) theologians considered the problem of the souls of the mentally deficient, who could not be held responsible for their actions during their lives. It was decided that after death they could not be punished in purgatory, yet they were not fitted for heaven, so they were destined for a special limbo or Paradise of Fools. The term has been metaphorical since the 15th century and has long since lost whatever theological sense it had.
Fools rush in where angels fear to tread
From Alexander Pope's Essay on Criticism (1711), line 625.
Footloose and fancy free - free from care and responsibility
Footloose describes someone who, without responsibilities to restrain him, can wander wherever he wishes. If that person is also fancy free he has a free heart, having no sweetheart to tie him down. The word fancy originally meant 'fantasy' or 'imagination' before coming to mean 'whim' and finally 'love'. The phrase is appealing because of the alliteration and the balance of the two words.
Incubi and Succubi- Among the Fallen were demons that preyed on the sexual fears of men and women. An incubus was a male demon that came to women at night and had intercourse with them; the succubus was his female counterpart. According to medieval legend, the succubus would collect the semen of her victim and transfer it into the incubus. The incubus would then use this cursed semen to impregnate mortal women, who would bare demonic or evil children, and sometimes sorcerers. According to one version of the Arthurian legend, Merlin was born from the coupling of a succubus and a nun. These sexual demons were used to explain everything from nocturnal emissions to deformed babies. A victim of one of these demons would not be aware of the violation, although he or she might experience it as a dream. In fact, the word incubus is Latin for "nightmare".
Asb'el - "one who gave the children of the holy angels an evil counsel and misled them so that they would defile their bodies by the daughters of the people" §
