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Foreteller of EventsAid to Bible Understanding
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At first she was afraid to practice her art, but at Saul’s insistence that she “bring up Samuel for me,” she conjured up a vision. She described its form as ‘an old man wearing a sleeveless coat.’ Saul was convinced that it was the prophet Samuel. (1 Sam. 28:3, 7-19) But it could not actually have been Samuel, for he was dead, and the dead “are conscious of nothing at all.” (Eccl. 9:5) Samuel, when alive, would certainly have had nothing to do with a spirit medium, and Jehovah God and his holy angels would give such a one no cooperation. God himself told his people: “In case they should say to you people: ‘Apply to the spiritistic mediums or to those having a spirit of prediction who are chirping and making utterances in low tones,’ is it not to its God that any people should apply? Should there be application to dead persons in behalf of living persons? To the law and to the attestation!” Jehovah goes on to say: “Surely they will keep saying what is according to this statement that will have no light of dawn.”—Isa. 8:19, 20.
Nearly four hundred years after Saul’s reign, King Manasseh of Judah “did on a large scale what was bad in Jehovah’s eyes, to offend him,” including the consulting of professional foretellers of events, who flourished under his rule. (2 Ki. 21:6; 2 Chron. 33:6) All of these had to be cleaned out of the land by Manasseh’s grandson, righteous King Josiah.—2 Ki. 23:24.
The only mention in the Christian Greek Scriptures of demonic predicting of the future is the instance in which the apostle Paul, in the city of Philippi, freed “a certain servant girl with a spirit, a demon of divination.” She had furnished her masters with much gain “by practicing the art of prediction.” Manifesting the fact that such practice is truly demonic and diametrically opposed to God, the masters of the girl from whom the demon was cast out caused Paul much trouble in Philippi, bringing Paul and his companion Silas before the magistrates, who beat them and threw them into jail.—Acts 16:12, 16-24.
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ForgivenessAid to Bible Understanding
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FORGIVENESS
The act of pardoning an offender; ceasing to feel resentment toward him because of his offense and giving up all claim to recompense.
According to God’s law given to the nation of Israel, in order for one who had sinned against God or against his fellowman to have his sins forgiven, he first had to rectify the wrong as the Law prescribed and then, in most eases, present a blood offering to Jehovah. (Lev. 5:5–6:7) Hence, the principle stated by Paul: “Yes, nearly all things are cleansed with blood according to the Law, and unless blood is poured out no forgiveness takes place.” (Heb. 9:22) Actually, though, the blood of animal sacrifices could not take away sins and give the individual a perfectly clean conscience. (Heb. 10:1-4; 9:9, 13, 14) By contrast, the foretold new covenant made possible true forgiveness, based on Jesus Christ’s ransom sacrifice. (Jer. 31:33, 34; Matt. 26:28; 1 Cor. 11:25; Eph. 1:7) Even while on earth, Jesus demonstrated that he had authority to forgive sins by healing a paralytic.—Matt. 9:2-7.
Jehovah forgives “in a large way,” as indicated by Jesus’ illustrations of the prodigal son and of the king who forgave a slave a debt of ten thousand talents (60,000,000 denarii, or $8,456,400), whereas that slave was unwilling to forgive a fellow slave a debt of but a hundred denarii ($16). (Isa. 55:7; Luke 15:11-32; Matt. 18:23-35) Nevertheless, Jehovah’s forgiveness is not prompted by sentimentality, for he does not leave notorious acts unpunished. (Ps. 99:8) Joshua warned Israel that Jehovah would not forgive apostasy on their part.—Josh. 24:19, 20; compare Isaiah 2:6-9.
God has a required way for seeking and receiving his forgiveness. One must acknowledge his sin, must recognize that it is an offense against God, must confess it unqualifiedly, have a deep heartfelt sorrow for the wrong done and a determination to turn from such a course or practice. (Ps. 32:5; 51:4; 1 John 1:8, 9; 2 Cor. 7:8-11) He must do what he can to right the wrong or damage done. (Matt. 5:23, 24) Then he must pray to God, asking for forgiveness on the basis of Christ’s ransom sacrifice.—Eph. 1:7.
Moreover, forgiving others for personal offenses, regardless of the number of times involved, is a Christian requirement. (Luke 17:3, 4; Eph. 4:32; Col. 3:13) God’s forgiveness is not extended toward those who refuse to forgive others. (Matt. 6:14, 15) Even in the case of serious wrongdoing in the Christian congregation, when it becomes necessary to “remove the wicked man,” in due time, if the individual proves that he is truly repentant, he may be accorded forgiveness, and at that time all in the congregation can confirm their love for him. (1 Cor. 5:13; 2 Cor. 2:6-11) On the other hand, Christians are not required to forgive those who practice malicious, willful sin with no repentance. Such become God’s enemies.—Heb. 10:26-31; Ps. 139:21, 22.
It is proper to pray for God’s forgiveness in behalf of others, even an entire congregation. Moses did so respecting the nation of Israel, confessing their national sin and asking forgiveness, and was favorably heard by Jehovah. (Num. 14:19, 20) Also, Solomon, at the dedication of the temple, prayed that Jehovah might forgive his people when they sinned and then turned back from their wrong course. (1 Ki. 8:30, 33-40, 46-52) Ezra acted representatively in confessing publicly the sins of the repatriated Jews. His heartfelt prayer and exhortation had the result that the people took action in order to receive Jehovah’s forgiveness. (Ezra 9:13–10:4, 10-19, 44) James encouraged the spiritually sick one to call for the older men of the congregation to pray over him and, “if he has committed sins, it will be forgiven him.” (Jas. 5:14-16) However, there is a “sin that does incur death,” sin against the holy spirit, a deliberate practice of sin for which there is no forgiveness. We should not pray for those sinning in this way.—1 John 5:16; Matt. 12:31; Heb. 10:26, 27; see REPENTANCE; SIN, I; SPIRIT.
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FornicationAid to Bible Understanding
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FORNICATION
Sex relations by mutual agreement between two persons not married to each other. The Biblical term is not limited to such promiscuous sex conduct between single persons only. The Bible speaks of fornication in a general way, whether committed by single or by married persons; but it also uses the term adultery.
When God performed the first human marriage he said. “That is why a man will leave his father and his mother and he must stick to his wife and they must become one flesh.” (Gen. 2:24) Here the standard set for man and woman was monogamy, and promiscuous sex relationship was ruled out. Also, no divorce and remarriage to another was anticipated.
In patriarchal society God’s faithful servants hated fornication, whether between single, engaged or married persons, and it was considered a sin against God.—Gen. 34:1, 2, 6, 7, 31; 38:24-26; 39:7-9.
UNDER THE LAW
Under the Mosaic law, a man committing fornication with an unengaged girl was required to marry the girl and to pay her father the purchase price for brides (fifty silver shekels), and he could not divorce her all his days. Even if her father refused to give him the girl in marriage, the man had to pay the purchase price to the father. (Ex. 22:16, 17; Deut. 22:28, 29) However, if the girl was engaged, the man was to be stoned to death. If the girl screamed when she was attacked, she was not to be punished, but if she failed to scream (thereby indicating consent) she was also put to death.—Deut. 22:23-27.
The sanctity of marriage was emphasized by the law that punished with death a girl who married under the false pretense of being a virgin, having committed fornication secretly. If her husband falsely charged her with such a crime, it was considered as bringing great reproach on her father’s house. For his slanderous action, the man was to be “disciplined” by the judges, perhaps by beating, and fined one hundred silver shekels, the money then being given to the father. (Deut. 22:13-21) Prostitution of a priest’s daughter brought disgrace on his sacred office. She was to be killed, then burned as something detestable. (Lev. 21:9; see also Leviticus 19:29.) Fornication between married persons (adultery) was a violation of the seventh commandment and merited the death penalty for both parties.—Ex. 20:14; Deut. 5:18; 22:22.
If a man committed fornication with a servant girl who had been designated for another man, but who had not been redeemed or freed, punishment was to take place, but they were not to be put to death. (Lev. 19:20-22) Evidently this was because the woman was not yet free and in full control of her actions, as a free engaged girl would be. The redemption price had not yet been paid, or at least not fully paid, and she was still a bondservant to her master.
When the mercenary prophet Balaam could not bring a curse upon Israel by divination, he found a way to bring them under God’s displeasure by appealing to wrong desire for sexual relations. By means of the women of Moab he seduced them into practicing the filthy phallic worship of the Baal of Peor, for which 24,000 of the sons of Israel died.—Num. 25:1-9; 1 Cor. 10:8 (possibly 1,000 heads of the people were killed and hung on stakes [Num. 25:4] and the rest destroyed by the sword or the plague).
FORBIDDEN TO CHRISTIANS
Jesus Christ restored God’s original standard of monogamy (Matt. 5:32; 19:9) and he showed the wickedness of fornication by classing it with wicked reasonings, murders, thieving, false testimony and blasphemy, pointing out that these come from within a man, from his heart, and defile him. (Matt. 15:19, 20; Mark 7:21-23) Later, the governing body of the Christian congregation, comprised of the apostles and older men in Jerusalem, wrote to Christians in 49 C.E., warning them against fornication, and placing it alongside idolatry and the eating of blood.—Acts 15:20, 29; 21:25.
The apostle Paul points out that fornication is one of the works of the flesh, the opposite of the fruitage of the spirit of God, and warns that the practice of fleshly works will prevent an individual from inheriting the Kingdom. (Gal. 5:19-21) He counsels that the Christian should deaden his body “as respects fornication, . . . which is idolatry.” (Col. 3:5) In fact, he warns that it should not be a topic of conversation among Christians, who should be holy, just as the Israelites were not to use the names of the pagan gods of the nations surrounding them.—Eph. 5:3; Ex. 23:13.
Fornication is an offense for which an individual may be expelled (disfellowshiped) from the Christian congregation. (1 Cor. 5:9-13; Heb. 12:15, 16) The apostle explains that a Christian committing fornication sins against his own body, using reproductive members for a perverted purpose. He is greatly affected spiritually in an adverse way, brings defilement into God’s congregation and lays himself open to the danger of deadly venereal diseases. (1 Cor. 6:18, 19) He encroaches on the rights of his Christian brothers (1 Thess. 4:3-7) by (1) bringing uncleanness and disgraceful folly, with reproach, into the congregation (Heb. 12:15, 16), (2) depriving the one with whom he commits fornication of a clean moral standing and of the right of being clean in order to enter into a pure, clean marriage, (3) depriving his own family of a clean moral record, as well as wronging the parents, husband or fiancé of the one with whom he commits fornication. He disregards, not man, whose laws may or may not condone fornication, but God, who will exact punishment for his sin.—1 Thess. 4:8.
SYMBOLIC USE
Jehovah God spoke of the nation of Israel in covenant relationship to him as a “wife.” (Isa. 54:5, 6) When the nation became unfaithful to him, ignoring him and turning to other nations such as Egypt and Assyria for help and entering into alliances with them, Israel was like an unfaithful wife, an adulteress, a prostitute, one carrying on fornication promiscuously. (Ezek. 16:15, 25-29) Likewise Christians, in a dedicated relationship to God, or professing such relationship, if unfaithful by engaging in false worship or by being friends of the world, are called adulteresses.—Jas. 4:4.
Babylon the Great, described in the Bible book of Revelation as a harlot, therefore symbolically represents something religious. Her various sects, “Christian” and pagan, have claimed to be organizations of true worship. But she has consorted with the rulers of this world for power and material gain, and with her “the kings of the earth committed fornication.” Her unclean, filthy course of fornication has been detestable in God’s sight and has caused great bloodshed and distress in the earth. (Rev. 17:1-6; 18:3) For her course she will suffer the judgment of God on those practicing fornication, namely, destruction.—Rev. 17:16; 18:8, 9.
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FortificationsAid to Bible Understanding
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FORTIFICATIONS
While fortifications and defense systems basically were much the same throughout Bible history, the competition between methods of defense and offense continually brought about changes and developments.
Since fortification of a town was costly and difficult and required an adequate defense force, not all towns were fortified. The larger cities were usually walled cities, with the smaller towns in that area, known as dependent towns, being unwalled. (Josh. 15:45, 47; 17:11) Inhabitants of these towns could flee to the walled city in the event of an invasion by the enemy. Fortified cities thus served as a refuge for the people in the area. Cities were also fortified when they were strategically located so as to protect highways, water sources, routes to supply bases and communication lines. Cities in Bible lands generally covered an area of but a few acres. Some, however, were much larger. The capital cities of Egypt, Assyria, Babylonia, Persia and Rome were exceptionally large.
The strength and height of the fortifications of many cities in Palestine were such that the unfaithful spies sent by Moses to spy out Canaan reported that “the fortified cities are very great” and “fortified to the heavens.” From their faithless viewpoint the cities looked impregnable.—Num. 13:28; Deut. 1:28.
Babylon was one of the most strongly defended cities in Bible times. Not only did it have unusually strong walls, but it was situated on a river that provided a fine moat for defense as well as a water supply. Babylon felt she could hold her captives forever. (Isa. 14:16, 17) But the city was taken in one night by the strategy of Cyrus the Persian, who diverted the Euphrates and entered the city through gates in the walls along the quays.—Dan. 5:30.
Three essentials were required for a fortified city: (1) walls to act as a barrier to the enemy, (2) weapons so that the defending forces could retaliate to repel the attackers and (3) an adequate water supply. Foodstuffs could be stored during times of peace; but a constant, accessible source of water was essential for a city to withstand a siege of any length.
LOCATION
It is obvious that a city located on an elevation was more easily defensible. But, since the terrain did not always provide such desirable locations, cities built on level ground had to give more attention to their defensive walls. As time went on and cities fell into ruin and decay, new cities would be built on top of the rubble of old ones, giving them greater elevation. This resulted in great mounds or tells being built up over the centuries. Archaeologists digging in these tells have uncovered layer after layer of building. In the case of Jericho, twenty-six strata of building were found during what has been classified as the “Pre-Pottery B” period.
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