APOSTLE. Strong’s gives “A delegate, messenger, one sent forth with orders, a) specifically applied to the twelve apostles of Christ, b) in a broader sense applied to other eminent Christian teachers, e.g. 1) of Barnabas, 2) of Timothy and Silvanus.” To qualify for the office of an apostle, one needed to have been baptized by John the Baptist and seen Christ both before and after His death and resurrection (Acts 1:22). Their number was twelve and this number was fixed. Only Judas, who never believed in Christ (John 6:64, 70-71), was replaced after his death. This kept the number at twelve, but no other apostles were voted in to replace those who died off later. In heaven there will be only the twelve thrones for apostles (Matthew 19:28). Others who were called apostles in the New Testament, such as Paul, were indeed apostles, called by Christ but not part of the original twelve, and this office has ceased. (See PASTOR).
ARK. Noah’s Ark, which was used to take him, his wife, his sons and their wives, and animals of the earth, while the world that then was, flooded (Genesis, Chapters 6, 7 and 8, see UNPARDONABLE SIN).
ARK OF THE COVENANT that Moses made and where were placed the Ten Commandments, Aaron’s rod that budded and a pot of manna. (Later Aaron's rod and the pot of manna were taken out I Kings 8:9.) Also the "law" (the first five books of the Bible) was placed "in the side" of the Ark, but it is not sure how this was done. "Take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee." (Deuteronomy 31:26) This Ark was placed inside both the Tabernacle of the wilderness journeys, and later inside the Temple of Solomon (Numbers 10:30). Its whereabouts today are uncertain.
It is of interest that II Thessalonians 2:3-4 said of the Antichrist (See ANTICHRIST) that, “he as God sitteth in the temple of God”. Not only will he be in the future third Temple in Jerusalem, but it appears he is sitting on the Ark of the Covenant! Some believe the Ark is hidden somewhere and others believe the Ark was destroyed along with the first Temple, and this is a possibility, but what then is the Antichrist sitting on if it is not the Ark of the Covenant? The Temple of God had no place to sit in it. It was not a place for the priests to take “coffee breaks”. There were only two rooms in the Temple, and neither had chairs in them. If the Antichrist wants to receive worship as the Bible says he does, then he would need to be in the room known as the “Holiest of all”, and this was where the Ark was located (Hebrews 9:3-4). There were two cherubims, one on each end of the Ark, with a “mercy seat” in the middle, and this was where God met with man. And if the Antichrist wants to pretend to be God, then he would need to be in the place where God was. And the Bible says that this was where God was sitting, “he sitteth between the cherubims” (Psalm 99:1). God’s presence was manifested in what the Jewish priests called a “Shekinah glory cloud”, but would there be enough room for a person’s body (The Antichrist, or an idol/image of the beast, Revelation 13:14-15) to sit there? “And the cherubims spread out their wings on high, covered with their wings over the mercy seat” (Exodus 37:8-9). It is not certain how this was arranged and there are different depictions (models and paintings) of how their wings covered the Ark, with some having room for a person to sit there and some not.
ARMAGEDDON will be the last and largest battle of the Great Tribulation period which will be in the future (Zechariah 12:9-11, Revelation 16:14-16), in which Antichrist and his armies will fight against our Christ and His heavenly armies (Revelation 19:19-21). It is believed to be on the plain of Megiddo, which is northwest of Jerusalem. (See END TIMES).
ASCENSION refers to the ascension of Christ. This took place after His resurrection and forty days of ministry, when he then ascended up into the heavens while the apostles beheld Him. And Jesus will return some day, visibly, as he went to heaven, “this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:11, see also Matthew 24:26-27).
Please read the other doctrines and pray for this
website to be used of God and to help Christians!
It is of interest that II Thessalonians 2:3-4 said of the Antichrist (See ANTICHRIST) that, “he as God sitteth in the temple of God”. Not only will he be in the future third Temple in Jerusalem, but it appears he is sitting on the Ark of the Covenant! Some believe the Ark is hidden somewhere and others believe the Ark was destroyed along with the first Temple, and this is a possibility, but what then is the Antichrist sitting on if it is not the Ark of the Covenant? The Temple of God had no place to sit in it. It was not a place for the priests to take “coffee breaks”. There were only two rooms in the Temple, and neither had chairs in them. If the Antichrist wants to receive worship as the Bible says he does, then he would need to be in the room known as the “Holiest of all”, and this was where the Ark was located (Hebrews 9:3-4). There were two cherubims, one on each end of the Ark, with a “mercy seat” in the middle, and this was where God met with man. And if the Antichrist wants to pretend to be God, then he would need to be in the place where God was. And the Bible says that this was where God was sitting, “he sitteth between the cherubims” (Psalm 99:1). God’s presence was manifested in what the Jewish priests called a “Shekinah glory cloud”, but would there be enough room for a person’s body (The Antichrist, or an idol/image of the beast, Revelation 13:14-15) to sit there? “And the cherubims spread out their wings on high, covered with their wings over the mercy seat” (Exodus 37:8-9). It is not certain how this was arranged and there are different depictions (models and paintings) of how their wings covered the Ark, with some having room for a person to sit there and some not.
ARMAGEDDON will be the last and largest battle of the Great Tribulation period which will be in the future (Zechariah 12:9-11, Revelation 16:14-16), in which Antichrist and his armies will fight against our Christ and His heavenly armies (Revelation 19:19-21). It is believed to be on the plain of Megiddo, which is northwest of Jerusalem. (See END TIMES).
ASCENSION refers to the ascension of Christ. This took place after His resurrection and forty days of ministry, when he then ascended up into the heavens while the apostles beheld Him. And Jesus will return some day, visibly, as he went to heaven, “this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:11, see also Matthew 24:26-27).
Please read the other doctrines and pray for this
website to be used of God and to help Christians!
