Heaven, Heavens, Heavenlies “Heaven” is the created reality beyond earth. “The heavens and the earth” ( Gen 1:1 ) circumscribe the entire creation, or what we call the universe. God does not need heaven in which to exist. He is self-existent and infinite. Place is an accommodation of God to his finite creatures. God transcends not only […]
Hosea, Theology of Foundational to Hosea’s message and teaching about God are his marriage to Gomer and her departure after the birth of three children. The opening surprise of the book is that God initiated Hosea’s marriage to this harlot ( 1:2 ); but the greater, unexpected surprise is that he tells Hosea to find his adulterous […]
Hebrews, Theology of The theological epicenter of the Epistle to the Hebrews may be summed up in one word: Christology. No biblical document outside of the four Gospels focuses as totally and forcefully on the person and redemptive achievement of Jesus. Likely this factor more than any other secured its prominent place in the early […]
Hardening, Hardness of Heart In the Scriptures various aspects of human anatomy are used to define the whole person, but the most frequently used is heart. The heart is the seat of emotion ( Psalm 25:1 ; Prov 14:10 ; Isa 66:14 ; John 14:1 ; Rom 9:2 ), intelligence ( Prov 16:1 ; Luke 9:47 ), morality ( Psalm 58:2 ; Rom 1:24 ), human choice ( Deut 8:2 ; Luke 21:34 ; Acts 11:23 ), and one’s […]
Haggai, Theology of – Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology The prophets Haggai and Zechariah joined forces in 520 b.c. to encourage the rebuilding of the temple following the Babylonian exile. After the Persian king Cyrus had allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem in 538 b.c., work on the foundation of the temple was […]
Habakkuk, Theology of The prophet Habakkuk faced the violence and injustice of King Jehoiakim (609-597 see Jer 22:13-18 ) as well as the cruel onslaught of Babylonia. Interestingly the book that bears his name begins with an extended description of the coming of the Chaldeans. This has an unsettling effect on Habakkuk ( 1:6-11 ), causing him to focus […]
Greatness Something or someone that is larger in size, quality, or quantity may be called “great.” It is a term used for something beyond the ordinary. In the Bible, God, humans, and Christ receive this designation with theological significance. God. The Bible describes God as the greatest of gods ( Deut 10:17 ); his greatness is unsearchable […]
Genesis, Theology of The theology of Genesis can be studied on three levels. The first level of study focuses on its message in and of itself. This is the attempt to determine what the meaning of the book is apart from its place in the larger canon of Scripture, and particularly relates to the question […]
Gentleness Sensitivity of disposition and kindness of behavior, founded on strength and prompted by love. The Old Testament. Gentleness is suggested by the waters of a stream ( Isa 8:6 ) or by wine flowing over lips and teeth ( So 7:9 ). It stands in contrast to baseness ( Deuteronomy 28:54 Deuteronomy 28:56 ), harshness ( 2 Sam 18:5 ), and wildness ( Job […]
Grace – Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology The word “grace” in biblical parlance can, like forgiveness, repentance, regeneration, and salvation, mean something as broad as describing the whole of God’s activity toward man or as narrow as describing one segment of that activity. An accurate, common definition describes grace as the unmerited favor of […]