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EuphratesAid to Bible Understanding
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not to the Euphrates but to the town of Parah (Josh. 18:23), near Anathoth, a few miles from Jerusalem. However, the repetition of the name Perathʹ (Euphrates) four times in the account very evidently shows that the place named had a significant relation to the prophetic picture being enacted, whereas the obscure village of Parah would hardly seem to give particular significance to the event. Though some point out that the Hebrew word na·harʹ (river) is not used in connection with Perathʹ, in this text, it may be noted that it is likewise lacking at Jeremiah 51:63, yet the reference there obviously is to the Euphrates River. Hence, there seems to be no good reason for assuming that the account at Jeremiah 13:1-7 refers to anything other than the Euphrates River.
It is quite possible that Jeremiah’s hiding of the belt near the river took place at least in the general region of the crossing of the Euphrates by the Babylonian armies under Nebuchadnezzar in their march that eventually led to the desolation of Judah and Jerusalem. At any rate, the trip, or possibly two trips, to the Euphrates by Jeremiah certainly should have given impressive weight to the warning message this action was to convey to the spiritually corrupt people of the kingdom of Judah.—Compare Jeremiah 2:18, 19.
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EuroaquiloAid to Bible Understanding
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EUROAQUILO
(Eu·ro·aqʹui·lo).
The name given to the violent northeasterly gale that swept down upon the ship in which Paul was sailing en route from Fair Havens to Phoenix, a harbor off the southern coast of Crete. (Acts 27:14) That wind, known to Maltese mariners as the “gregale,” is the most violent wind on the Mediterranean and would be extremely dangerous to a ship with large sails, which could easily capsize during such a storm. For this reason, when the boat could not keep its head against the wind, the sailors, being in fear of running aground on the quicksands off the northern coast of Africa, “lowered the gear and thus were driven along.” (Acts 27:15-17) The five types of “gregale” recognized by meteorologists are produced by low-pressure areas over Libya or the Gulf of Gabes, which induce strong air currents from Greece. Translations of the Bible based on the Received Text, such as the Authorized Version, call the wind “Euroclydon” (from euʹros [southeast or east wind] and klyʹdon [a surge of the sea]). However, the word Eu·ra·kyʹlon, translated “Euroaquilo” (from Latin eurus [southeast or east wind] and aquilo [the northeast wind]), is found in some of the best manuscripts. “Euroaquilo” is a better rendering, as it fitly describes the source of the wind as being from the east-northeast.
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EutychusAid to Bible Understanding
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EUTYCHUS
(Euʹty·chus) [fortunate].
A young man in Troas who is the last person reported in the Scriptures as having been miraculously restored to life. Upon Paul’s visit to Troas on his third missionary tour, he prolonged his discourse to the brothers until midnight. Overcome by tiredness and possibly by the heat of the many lamps and the crowded condition in the upper chamber, Eutychus fell into deep sleep and tumbled down from a third-story window. The physician Luke, the writer of Acts and apparently an eyewitness of what happened, reports that Eutychus was not merely unconscious, but “was picked up dead.” Following a procedure similar to that of Elisha in resurrecting the Shunammite’s son, Paul threw himself upon Eutychus and embraced him. Paul’s words, “Stop raising a clamor, for his soul is in him,” indicated that life had been restored to Eutychus.—Acts 20:7-12; see also 2 Kings 4:34.
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EvangelistAid to Bible Understanding
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EVANGELIST
[Gr., eu·ag·ge·li·stesʹ].
A preacher of the gospel or good news; a messenger of good. It is closely related to the word eu·ag·geʹli·on, “good news” or “gospel.” Jehovah is the great Evangelizer or Bringer of good news. After Adam’s fall into sin it was good news to learn, at Genesis 3:15, that there would be a seed to crush the serpent’s head. It gave hope to humankind. (Rom. 8:20) Enlarging on the promise of the seed to Abraham, Jehovah declared good news to him. (Gal. 3:8; Gen. 12:1-3) The word is used twice in the Greek Septuagint at Esaias (Isaiah) 52:7 with regard to the restoration of the Jews from Babylon. This text is quoted by the apostle Paul in reference to the evangelizing work of Christians. (Rom. 10:15) The angel Gabriel was an evangelist in announcing the good news of the coming birth of John the Baptist to Zechariah and of Jesus to Mary. An angel was an evangelist to the shepherds at the time of Jesus’ birth. (Luke 1:18-38; 2:10) John the Baptist was an evangelist, for it is recorded that he “continued declaring good news to the people.” (Luke 3:18) All the disciples of Jesus took part in the public ministry of declaring the good news, and were therefore evangelists.—Acts 8:4.
SPECIAL MISSIONARY EVANGELISTS
While all Christians are commissioned to be evangelists in preaching the good news to the people, the word is used in a special way at Ephesians 4:11, 12, where Paul describes “the gifts in men” that Christ gave to the congregation when he ascended on high: “And he gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelizers, some as shepherds and teachers, . . . for the building up of the body of the Christ.” The specific work of such evangelizers was missionary work. Often these would open new fields where the good news had not been previously preached. Evangelizers precede shepherds and teachers in the listing at Ephesians 4:11, for, after the good news has been preached and disciples have been made, the shepherds and teachers do a further building work from that point. Philip is one mentioned especially as an evangelizer. We find that he pioneered the work after Pentecost in the city of Samaria with great success. Philip was directed by an angel to preach the good news about Christ to the Ethiopian eunuch, whom he baptized. Then Philip was led away by the spirit to preach in Ashdod and all the cities on the way to Caesarea. (Acts 8:5, 12, 14, 26-40) Paul did much evangelizing. (2 Cor. 10:13-16) Timothy was an evangelizer or missionary. Paul laid special emphasis on evangelizing in giving his parting exhortation to Timothy: “You, though, keep your senses in all things, suffer evil, do the work of an evangelizer, fully accomplish your ministry.” Timothy, who engaged with other Christians in preaching the good news, was also carrying on shepherding and teaching work as an overseer in Ephesus.—2 Tim. 4:5; 1 Tim. 1:3.
EVANGELIZING IN THE “TIME OF THE END”
The most extensive evangelizing yet undertaken must be carried out in the “time of the end,” according to the express statement of Jesus at Matthew 24:14: “This good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth . . . and then the end will come.” In the present time the nations have their economic, political and medical missionaries and the like. But throughout the instructions of the apostles to Christians the command is to “preach the word” (2 Tim. 4:2; 1 Cor. 9:16; 1 Pet. 1:12, 25; 4:17) and the angel flying in midheaven with the everlasting good news makes the proclamation: “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of the judgment by him has arrived, and so worship the One who made the heaven and the earth and sea and fountains of waters.” (Rev. 14:6, 7) This is the good news that the Christian evangelizer or missionary is to carry. Just as the Bible describes some as missionaries or evangelizers in a special sense, such as Philip, who went to other localities, some Christians today may go to other countries to preach. Nevertheless, all Christians are commissioned and obligated to be evangelizers wherever they are, in that they preach the good news to all sorts of men.—Rom. 10:9, 10.
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