Above is a Lictor carrying a Fasces.
We told our readers in the "EPISUNAGOGE" page that this "side topic" about the Roman Fasces and Lictors is "expendable" to the main topic. There just happened to be another Bible study topic that "yours truly" had going (not in this website), which was, "Christ Our Forerunner" having entered in, beyond the veil. It included some comparisons between Christ as our High Priest and Aaron the High Priest in the Old Testament, and his vestments, i.e., the breastplate of the High Priest, with its twelve stones, representing the twelve tribes of Israel. During that study I was for a short time looking at the differences between "Levitical priesthood" in the Old Testament and "non-Levitical" priesthoods. Melchizidek was a priest 400 years before the Levitical system existed. Joseph married Azenath the daughter of the Priest of On. The father-in-law of Moses, Jethro, was the Priest of Midian, etc. During my "priesthood" research I merely happened to briefly look at pagan religious cults and their priesthoods, including the Roman ones. It was there that I ran across the mention of the Lictors who carried the Fasces. Sometimes they attended the religious cults and their ceremonies.
So I just happened to already be aware of some things about Roman Lictors and the symbol they carried, the Fasces, when I came across the interesting mention of the "Chief Lictor" in the Lexicon, in association with the word AGO.
Here again is that mention in the Lexicon:
The Liddell-Scott Lexicon gives us the following under the word AGOS: AGOS = leader, chief (Henry George Liddell Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon.) And, NOTE: under "Words With Similar Definitions" to agos, it has "ARCHegeteuo (to be chief leader) and ARCHirabdouchos (chief LICTOR).
We treated of the "ARCH" and "AGOS" associations somewhat in the "episunagoge" page, but I would just like to repeat one point that stands out for me. The following paragraph was also in the "episunagoge" page:
Consider the citation in the Liddell Scott Lexicon already mentioned above, "ARCHegeteuo (meaning to be chief leader)." It says that AGOS as "leader or chief" is similar in meaning to "ARCHegeteuo (to be chief leader)." Please note that it does NOT simply compare AGOS to just any generic "leader" word, but likens it to words denoting the TOP or HIGHEST or CHIEF leader, or ARCH leader. Were the top leaders of each department of the United States' military assembled in a meeting, the top General of the Army, the Admiral of the Navy & Coast Guard, and the top Generals of the Air Force and the Marines, we would be looking at, not only "leaders" of the military, but, the TOP FOUR "leaders." However, if the President of the United States enters the room, he being the Commander-in-Chief of the U. S. Armed Forces, and being OVER even those TOP FOUR, here we'd have something akin to the "ARCHegeteuo," or, The Chief Leader, or the Leader of the leaders, the ARCH LEADER. It is therefore striking that the Lexicon chooses to tell us that AGO is similar in meaning to ARCHegeteuo, or, The Chief Leader. They apparently were not content to liken it to "common" words denoting "leader."
The "Leader of the leaders" picture was not just an arbitrary notion on my part. The Liddell Scott Lexicon mentioning the "Chief Lictor" refers to something literal: A small procession might walk through the streets of Rome. It could be a Senator on his way to the Forum, or some other powerful dignitary, or it could be a procession of the Vestal Vigins. But AHEAD of them, LEADING their procession, were sometimes SEVERAL Lictors, not merely one. Let's just say there are four in this instance. ALL FOUR of the Lictors are LEADING the procession, walking AHEAD of it. But, at the very FRONT of the four was the LEADING LICTOR. This would ordinarily be the "Chief Lictor." The "Chief Lictor" also refered to the highest RANKING Lictor, their superior. Think of some institution having a number of "guards." Then think of the "Captain of the Guard." "Chief Lictor" sometimes carries such a connotation, the man who is OVER the other Lictors.
In Roman society a "Lictor" was the man who carried the Fasces into the Senate Chambers, leading in a noble company of Senators. As suggested already above, a Lictor might also lead the procession of some state dignitary, or even the Vestal Virgins of Rome as they went to some important event.
The origin of the use of Lictors in Rome is lost in obscurity. But any understanding of it is inseparable from the important emblem the Lictor carried, the Roman Fasces.
The Fasces was a meaningful symbol, formed by bundle of sticks, tightly bound together. At least in the time of the Empire, at the zenith of Rome's power, the symbolism was that the rods were so tightly bound as to be "ONE." The Romans placed a battle-axe in the bundle. Just as an axe has but ONE handle, this BUNDLE of sticks represented that the Senate and People of Rome (a purality) and the Roman military, were but ONE weapon, one force. It meant that they were SO united as to be ONE, so that the axe handle, though comprised of many sticks, was ONE weapon. The same meaning conveyed by the term "E pluribus unum" (though MANY, yet only ONE) was symbolized in the Fasces. That symbol was revered in the Roman Empire as an important icon, much the way that today the American flag and the Seal of the President of the United States are seen and recognized.
Some believe that much earlier, in Rome's primitive era, the bundled rods denoted punishment rods for beating criminals, the tight straps around the Fasces symbolized the power of the Lictor to bind and arrest offenders, and the battle-axe symbolized the death penalty. By this is suggested that when the Lictor entered, carrying the Fasces, all men should recognize the power of the authorities to mete out grave penalties. This view might remind us of Paul's admonition to the Roman Christians to "be subject unto the higher powers" and that the officer of the law "beareth not the sword in vain." He says, "Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power?" (Rom. 13: 1-4). Note how the weapon of punishment (the sword) is held up by Paul as what we should be mindful of. That is how some have taken the symbolism of the Fasces. "Be warned; The Lictor beareth not the Fasces in vain."
The word Lictor probably did derive from the Latin verb ligare, which means to bind. The Lictor may have originally been the man who prepared or bound, the Fasces, "the binder," which of course could have a double "binding" connotation: "This is the binder who binds the bands on the Fasces." Or it could have referred to the man who had to bind the hands of criminals, being not only the person who carried the emblem before a magistrate, but the magistrate's bodyguard as well, and who would bind and arrest a criminal at the magistrate's order. In either of those cases the sight of the man carrying the bound Fasces would represent the power to tightly bind. This understanding lends a different meaning to the word Lictor. Rather than being just the person who CARRIES the "bound" emblem, the Lictor himself is the "binder" or the one who has the power to bind. Emphasis on the Lictor (the person) himself, and not so much on the Fasces.
Can we fail to recall that the Apostle Paul was "apprehended" (siezed and "arrested" Philip. 3:12) by Christ and was ever-afterward the "prisoner" of Jesus Christ? Paul calls himself the Lord's "prisoner" at least seven times. And we are the Lord's "servants" (as in "servants of our God," Rev. 7:3), Strong's 1401, "doulos," slaves, bondmen, bondslaves, those who are tied or bound, derived from 1210, "deo" to bind, tie, fasten with rope or chains.
In favor of the "E pluribus unum" interpretation, it might be noted that it has been said since antiquity that there were 50 rods in the "classic" Fasces, perfectly representing Rome's 50 Senators. And the Roman Senate represented Rome in Foreign Affairs, and the battle-axe in the Fasces showed to foreign delegates that the Senate had all the might of Rome behind it (the battle-axe). "E pluribus unum" which was always associated with the Fasces would be utterly depleted of meaning if the rods only indicated that criminals could get a beating. And to my thinking, if it meant they could be beaten with a rod, there would be NO sense in binding 50 rods into one. What purpose would that serve? It would be more sensible for the Lictor to walk in simply carrying one single rod and one axe, denoting these two possible punishments. However, it does seem certain that the axe did denote the power to put to death, whether that meant by execution, or by the armies of Rome.
A Fasces used to be on the back of our American "Mercury head" dimes. Point of information; it was probably not the "god" Mercury on our dime, but rather the head of "Liberty" wearing a winged cap, according to most sources. Some think it is the wing-helmeted image of "Roma." Because the American public mistook the winged Liberty on the dime for the Greek winged Mercury, they came to be commonly called "Mercury head" dimes. In any case, the Roman Fasces was on the reverse.
Above (left) is a Roman coin, (a denarius) from before the time of Christ (85 BC) in the center of which can be seen a very ancient Fasces, to the left of which is an ear of wheat or barley. Between the two coins is simply the "classic" Roman Fasces from the period of the Roman Senate just mentioned. And on the right, an American dime showing the Fasces, and olive branches. The symbolism is that a UNITED America is strong militarily, as represented by the battle-axe, while the olive branch shows that we wish peace. Directly beside the Fasces is the slogan "E pluribus unum" (though MANY, yet only ONE), again denoting that our strength is in being united as one, but also showing that the designer of the dime clearly grasped the meaning of the Fasces associated with the ancient Roman Senate. So it is possible that the designer was actually tipping his hat to the United States' Congress and Senate, showing an appreciation for their Constitutional role in our government.
The Fasces carried by a Lictor before an official became such a symbol of importance, that there came a period in Roman history when the importance of an individuial was displayed by how many Lictors walked before him in processions, carrying Fasces. Some officials had three, five, or seven Lictors precede them in parades. One very important official had twelve!
Often Roman coins had more of the "religious" aspect portrayed on them. I have not seen the reverse of the denarius I show above, so I cannot say what is there, but, I have seen a denarius of the same period that on the "head" side shows the goddess of agriculture, Ceres, holding A BUNDLE OF WHEAT grasped in her hand. I cannot say if that is what is on the reverse of THIS denarius, nor can I say that the one here is showing wheat, and not barley. Agriculture goddesses were shown holding stalks of wheat or stalks of barley. My impression is that, on COINS, barley showed up more frequently than wheat.
However, whether it is wheat in one case and barley in another, usually, the use of "stalks of grain" in their symbols carried a RELIGIOUS connotation, because the Romans (just as did most of the pagan world) equated their crops with their deities of agriculture. Hence when you see a wheat or barley emblem (as on the coin above)you may know that there is a religious idea intended.
I have deliberately put here a sheaf of wheat to help bring to the reader's mind how wheat was HARVESTED in Bible times. In the time of the HARVEST the stalks of wheat were first SEIZED in the GRIP of the harvester, CUT LOOSE, TAKEN, BUNDLED TOGETHER and then BOUND TOGETHER with a BAND. In Israel, during the Feast of the Firstfruits, one of these "sheaves" or "BUNDLES" was PRESENTED before the LORD. This "firstfruit" bundle represented the entire wheat harvest of all the fields in the nation. Christ is portrayed as the "firstfruits" in the New Testament. His rising from the dead is the surety that the entire people of God shall be raised, after that pattern. The reader's mind might also gravitate to the mentions in the episunagoge page of how the saints will be TAKEN in the GRIP (the HARPAZO) of the LORD and BUNDLED to be PRESENTED to Christ when he comes. The BUNDLING has aspects of being so tightly bound together as to become ONE. Jesus refers to his Second Coming as the HARVEST, and to his saints as WHEAT that will be gathered at that time. Perhaps these "associations" will not be lost on the reader, but as I've said, nothing in this page is critical for our study in the episunagoge page, and so it would probably be a misdirection of time and energy, to try to take these correlations too far. I only offer it "for what it's worth," as they say.
Some lexicons and dictionaries have associated the Lictors themselves with Rome's religious cults. But the basis for the association is obscure. It is known that local officials, and magistrates, SECULAR authorities, were often the patrons of the local temple, paying for the altar itself to be built, and donating money to the upkeep of the temple and priests. Roman carvings show local secular officials standing at altars, dedicating the altar, pouring libations upon it, and performing the sacrifice of a bull. And standing directly behind the SECULAR majistrate in the carvings is the Lictor that ACCOMPANIED HIM to the ceremony. It is possible that BECAUSE the Lictors are thus seen in carvings in these scenes, too much has been presumed regarding a religious aspect. The Lictor in the carvings merely BELONGS TO THE SECULAR OFFICIAL who is visiting the temple as a patron, and NOT to the cult. For instance, the Vestal virgins of Rome, in the cult of Vesta (Greek Hestia), were attended in public by Lictors as well. But rather than this issuing forth from the cult, it was an honor bestowed upon them by the STATE. Their bodyguards were SECULAR STATE Lictors. The state appointed these Lictors for them, gave the Vestal virgins the best seats at public events, etc. The "state" Lictors attending them in public simply showed the people that the government was supportive of and honored Roman religion. To demonstrate the government's support for the religion, there was even a sort of marriage ceremony performed. A Vestal virgin stood in as a "bride" and a male secular magistrate stood in as a groom, and they were symbolically "wed." Thus in Rome, RELIGION was seen somewhat as the "wife" of the STATE. Those Lictors who got ASSIGNED TO the priests and temples and Vestals by the state were called the "Lictores curiati" and there were usually 30 thus assigned by the state to protect and dignify religious authorities. The "chief" of these thirty might also have been the "CHIEF Lictor" referred to by the Liddell & Scott Lexicon. But my point is that a religious personage walking in public attended by a Lictor was NOT necessarily part of CULT symbolism, but probably merely showed that the religious leader had the PROTECTION of the STATE. I have not personally researched it deeply enough to reach a definitive conclusion, but perhaps it is a mistake to assume that Lictors were a religious feature of cults at all, when they might have merely been in all cases the representatives of the secular political state, simply lent or assigned to important religious leaders or events. I might be wrong. Perhaps some cults had their own purely religious Lictors, aside from these state-appointed "Lictores curiati."
Although I think it might be possible to derive some interesting "parallels" between the "Fasces-carrying Chief Lictor" and some things about Christ in the Word, please be CLEAR about something: This is no more than mere speculation. My comparisons of things like the breastplate of the High Priest to the Roman Fasces, is COMPLETELY DISPOSABLE. These attempts at "likenesses and similitudes" are absolutely UNIMPORTANT to this treatise. My "detour" off into this "Roman thing" was only inspired at first by the Lidell & Scott Lexicon's mention of the Chief Lictor, and the linkage the Lexicon made with the Greek "ARCH" words. What the Lexicon says on the "ARCH" words however IS important. If the reader feels I am wrong concerning "Lictors" and "Fasces" and the possible biblical comparisons I have speculated on, I invite you to "TOSS ASIDE" the whole "Roman thing" and move on with the rest of the episunagoge treatise. I just thought that some things I was pondering and speculating on could possibly augment that mention in the Lexicon. If you find something in this "Roman business" of some value, then good. But if you feel it is NOT of any value, I would much rather that you brush it aside as the mere speculation that I admit it is, than to let it bother you or in any way hurt your reception of the rest of the episunagoge treatise, such as what the components are in the Greek, and in the context of the verse, etc.
With that said, here is how my "speculating" on the "Roman thing" developed: First, I considered the Lexicon's statement that AGO (as chief or leader) is similar in meaning to ARCHirabdouchos, Chief Lictor, leader of the staff bearers in a procession. And it is my impression that these "staff bearers" always WENT BEFORE or LED the procession. My mind made a sort of synthesis of all of the foregoing. I thought of Christ who certainly is "the Chief Leader, the One who binds us together, and Who has GONE ON BEFORE US or is GOING BEFORE US." Hebrews 6:19, 20, says, "within the veil, whither the FORERUNNER is FOR US entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever." Christ is our FORERUNNER. He has gone on before us. We follow in his footsteps. Aaron the High Priest wore on his chest the breastplate having the Twelve Stones that REPRESENTED the twelve tribes of Israel when he went into the Holy of Holies. He entered therein ON THEIR BEHALF, these stones representing THEM. SOME lexicons and dictionaries say that there existed certain purely RELIGIOUS lictors. I have already shown that this could be a misinterpretation of carvings and coins. But if they are right, such lictors might have led religious processions, holding aloft, not the Roman state Fasces, but perhaps the symbol of the religious group, much the way we see some "Christian" processions led by a person holding up a cross. I can hear the old hymn, "onward Christian Soldiers ... with the Cross of Jesus going on before." In such ceremonies, in a sense, the one bearing the cross before a procession, is the "lictor."
If we accept the claim of some that there were purely religious lictors, we might speculate that what the pagan religionists intended by their Lictor leading the procession carrying their religious emblem (perhaps even into and out of the temples) might not be altogether dissimilar in symbolism to what I have alluded to above; the High Priest in the Old Testament bearing the twelve stones on his breastplate, being emblematic of Christ, our High Priest, having gone on before us, our Forerunner within the veil, and that there he represents us, intercedes for us, etc.
Have you gathered my intent? I do not intend here any appreciation for pagan rituals. I am only helping show reason for some lexicons and dictionaries mentioning the pagan Chief Lictors in association with "ARCH" words that we use to describe the offices and attributes of Christ. Were a Christian to tell an ancient Roman that our "High Priest" bearing the breastplate of twelve stones (which symbolize his people) has gone before us as leading a procession into the heavenlies, that is, as the FORERUNNER of the "procession," the Roman might well be reminded of the familiar "CHIEF LICTOR," mightn't he?
Thus in the Roman Christian's mind Christ could be to us, our own ARCH-irabdouchos. It is HE who has the power to BIND. All power in heaven and earth is his, and he has given his BINDING authority also to the ekklesia. In fact the elect have been made Christ's bondslaves. Again, Paul was "apprehended" (seized and "arrested" Philip. 3:12) by Christ and was ever-afterward the "prisoner" of Jesus Christ, and calls himself the Lord's "prisoner" at least seven times. And we are the Lord's "servants" (as in "servants of our God," Rev. 7:3), Strong's 1401, "doulos," slaves, BONDMEN, bondslaves, those who are TIED OR BOUND, derived from 1210, "deo" to BIND, TIE, FASTEN WITH ROPE OR CHAINS. And when Christ ascended on high, he led captivity captive (Ephesians 4:8). May we not see him as a sort of "CHIEF LICTOR" or our own "ARCH-irabdouchos?"
Well, as I said, if I am wrong concerning those analogies, I yield with no contest. It is certainly NOT necessary to our main topic.
SOME WORDS FROM WEBSTER:
It may interest some that besides the Greek Lexicon telling us that AGO (leader, chief) has a meaning similar to ARCHegeteuo (to be chief leader) and to ARCH-irabdouchos (Chief Lictor - which points inescapeably to the Fasces) the Webster's Dictionary also provides a tie from the Fasces, to "ARCH" words, in LATIN. I can only assume that compilers of the Liddell-Scott Lexicon KNEW such things when they mentioned the associations. I have quite a few dictionaries, but by far my favorite English dictionary is Noah Webster's 1828 Dictionary of the American Language (sometimes popularly called the "Webster's Christian Dictionary"). If you are unfamiliar with it, do a search simply with the words "Webster's" and "dictionary" and "1828" and you'll readily see why it is so special. But continuing; under the listing for "FASCES" the dictionary tells us it is from "FASCIS" the LATIN word for "BUNDLE," and "FASCIA" the word for "BAND." Looking at the picture of the Fasces, that's quite simple isn't it? It's the "bundle in the band" or the "banded bundle." But note the SAME Latin beginning for BOTH (FASC) !!! The very next entry in Webster's enlarges "FASCIA" saying one of its meanings is the band of an "ARCHitrave." ARCH-itrave! To explain, this is a "band" or a "banding" in architectural design. It is an element in the "entablature" of a building.
The average "layman" thinks of the entire decorated crown around a building as the "cornice," but actually there are distinct separate components. Generally, the "cornice" is the most decorative uppermost part of the entablature, whereas the ARCHitrave is commonly not decorated, hence resembling a "band" or "sash."
However, in an additional usage the ARCHitrave is also the highest part of the entire supporting structure. That is, if you divide the building between that which supports and that which is supported, everything from the bedrock and foundation on upward to and including the ARCHitrave is the "supporting" structure, with that which is ABOVE the ARCHitrave being considered that which is supported. In THAT treatment, Webster calls it "the EXTREMITY of the flooring." In this usage the ARCHitrave is sometimes the actual CHIEF SUPPORT BEAM, (arch meaning chief) although for decor's sake it is made to have that "sash" or "band" appearance. Thus the CHIEF SUPPORT BEAM has the visual APPEARANCE of being the "band" of the entablature. So you see that "ARCHitrave" has both "chief" and "highest extremity" meanings; "chief" among the support beams, as well as the "highest up extremity" of all of the supporting elements proceeding from the flooring.
But, in any case, Lo! and behold!
FASCES -> FASC -> FASCIA -> BAND -> ARCH-itrave!
Webster took us straight from FASCES to ARCH!
To pull it together, it may help you to correlate it with the above thought of the Lictor being the one who BINDS criminals (or straps together the bundle with BANDS), and the Liddell-Scott Lexicon reference to ARCHirabdouchos (Chief Lictor) in connection with our exploration of these words. Both "BAND" and "CHIEF" are in sight with ARCHirabdouchos (Chief Lictor).
THIS CONCLUDES MY LITTLE "ASIDE" TO CONSIDER THE ROMAN FASCES AND LICTORS. HOPEFULLY THE READER CAN RELOCATE HIS PLACE IN THE "AGO" SECTION OF THE "EPISUNAGOGE" PAGE.
BACK TO THE "NOT FORSAKING THE EPISUNAGOGE" PAGE
END.
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It got named the AntiChristian-Christians Meetup. Truly a tragedy, because this group is not in any way against Christians. They are not anti Christian, nor AntiChristian. Hardly! They ARE Christians! What the not-too-bright guy who started it under that name MEANT by it, was that it was non-traditional, or non-conformist Christian, was contrary to traditions of men, contrary to or anti Christian formality, against the USUAL or COMMON way you see Christians DO their Christianity. In other words, to choose a better term, OUTSIDE THE BOX Christians. A more misleading term than AntiChristian could not have been used. So, these geat outside the box thinking Christians were stuck with coming into that group and having to tolerate it being called the AntiChristian-Christians Meetup. Im not sure, but recently it looks like maybe the group has finally accomplished getting the AC name discarded. I see the name Progressive Christians Meetups being used. 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Matt 18:20, Mat 18:20, 1 John 2:27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. 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B. Simpson, Grattan Guinness, Johann Heinrich Alsted, Hendrikus Berkhof, Destruction, William Whiston , Gospel, Lord Jesus Christ, Lord Jesus Christ, Lord Jesus Christ, Exceeding abundantly, Bishop J.C. Rylie, Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones, Albert Barnes, J. A. Bengel, King James Bible, popery, papists, indulgences, Gianavel, Rora, Waldensian, Walloons, Piedmont, Waldenses, Reformation, priestcraft, Strongs concordance, theological, hermeneutics, exigesis, Progressive Dispensationalism, Archangel, Saucy, Blaising, Bock, Gospel, Lord Jesus Christ, Lord Jesus Christ, Lord Jesus Christ, salvation, George Ladd, George E. Ladd, Kingdom, kirk, kirke, circ, circe, cirk, circle, congregation, assembly, assemble, gather, gathering, sword, gird, hasten, forth, hitherto, commentary, heresy, heretics, twain, asunder, church, fellowship, supper, blessed, Jerusalem, Canaan, Zebulon, Naphtali, Gospel, Lord Jesus Christ, Lord Jesus Christ, Lord Jesus Christ, Moses, tabernacle, ark, Jordan, Sinai, testament, testimony, Canon, seraphim, holy, Aaron, millstone, brimstone, wrath, redeemer, saviour, beloved, believeth, prophesied, prophecy, prophecies, prophets, congregation, saints, Zwingli, Knox, Melancthon, Hus, Wesley, saith, speaketh, Absalom, Jericho, chosen, priesthood, arise, conquerors, Pharisees, Sanhedrin, Saduccees, Zealotes, pillar, reverence, worshipped, servant, plagues, unclean, temple, synagogue, commandeth, commandments, ministering, sceptre, begotten, reproof, righteousness, evermore, everlasting, Gospel, Lord Jesus Christ, Lord Jesus Christ, Harold Camping claims the Church Age is over, ... what I believe is not the same thing ... many who believe that the church age has ended ... Harold Camping says the Church Age is over, Harold Camping claims the Church Age ended, Harold Camping says the Church Age ended, Harold Camping claims the Church Age has ended, ... what I believe is not the same thing ... Harold Camping says the Church Age is over, Harold Camping claims Christians should get out of their churches, ... what I believe is not the same thing ... Harold Camping says Christians should get out of their churches, ... many who say that the church age has ended ... People say Harold Camping is a heretic, ... many besides Harold Camping who say that the church age has ended ... People say Harold Camping is wrong, ... many who teach that the church age has ended ... Whats up with Harold Camping ... many who say that the church age is over ... what I believe is not the same thing ... Is Harold Camping just another date setter ... many who say that the church age ended ... Am I a follower of Harold Camping Do I believe what Harold Camping teaches ... many who think that the church age has ended ... Is this a pro-Harold Camping website ... not just Harold Camping. ... what I believe is not the same thing ... Many teach that the Church Age is over. Just open a Google search and put in quotes the phrase the Church Age is over and youll get about 225 hits. Do the search with -Camping and youll still get something like 175., ... what I believe is not the same thing as Harold Camping was not the first to teach that the church age has ended. He is only one of many. Others have OTHER scriptures, other reasons for believing it, that have NO connection to what Camping teaches, and yet what I believe is not the same thing as the others, either ... creation research, intelligent design, virgin birth, five fundamentals, the fundamentals, iniquity, transgressions, nails, faith, believeth, verse, Word of God, literal, Christian apologetics, Noahs flood, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Deuteronomy, Apostle Paul, Acts, Romans, Corinthians, Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings, Gospel, Lord Jesus Christ, Lord Jesus Christ, Lord Jesus Christ, Chronicles, Impute, Ezra, Nehemiah, What is church What is ekkelsia What is the ekklesia What is ecclesia What is the ecclesia study on the word church, study on the word ekklesia, study on the word ecclesia, commentary on Hebrews 10:25, study on Hebrews 10:25, Grattan Guinness, Johann Heinrich Alsted, Hendrikus Berkhof, Destruction, William Whiston , Gospel, Lord Jesus Christ, Lord Jesus Christ, Lord Jesus Christ, Exceeding abundantly, Bishop J.C. Rylie, Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones, Albert Barnes, J. A. Bengel, King James Bible, popery, papists, indulgences, Gianavel, Rora, Waldensian, Walloons, Piedmont, Waldenses, Reformation, priestcraft, Strongs concordance, theological, hermeneutics, exigesis, Progressive Dispensationalism, Archangel, Saucy, Blaising, Bock, Gospel, Lord Jesus Christ, Lord Jesus Christ, Lord Jesus Christ, salvation, George Ladd, George E. Ladd, Kingdom, millenial, People argue, saying They tell you to go to church, They teach that everyone must go to church, People argue, saying They say that going to church is mandatory, They say you must go to church, Huguenots, Rochelle, Languedoc, Protestant, wherefore, hitherto, wither soever, withersoever, regeneration, thee, thy, thine, ye, lest, hearken, sins, cleansed, leper, angel, Gabriel, satan, devil, possessed, resurrected, resurrection, judgement, throne, spirit, soul, demonic, Frank Viola, house2house, Melchisedec, Melchizedek, Noah, Babel, Nimrod, Semiramis, Gospel, Lord Jesus Christ, Lord Jesus Christ, Lord Jesus Christ, Ascension, organized religion, false, Reformed, non denominational, covering, covenant, crucified, crucifixion, tomb, raised, spirit, Christianity, contend for the faith, sword, gird, hasten, forth, hitherto, commentary, heresy, heretics, twain, asunder, church, fellowship, supper, blessed, Jerusalem, Canaan, Zebulon, Naphtali, Gospel, Lord Jesus Christ, People ask, is church mandatory Is going to church mandatory People ask, Do I have to go to church People ask, Do I have to go to church to be a Christian People ask, Do I have to go to church to be a good Christian Do we have to go to church People ask, Do Christians have to go to church, People ask, Is church attendance mandatory Is going to church mandatory People ask, Do I need to go to church Do Christians have to go to church People ask, Do Christians have to attend church idolatry, Creator, omnipotent, omniscient, Abstinence, baptism, baptized, ecclesia, mortal, Gospel, Lord Jesus Christ, Lord Jesus Christ, Jesus, Christ, Lord, God, Bible, Scriptures, truth, Gospel, Lord Jesus Christ, Lord Jesus Christ, Lord Jesus Christ, saved, blood of Jesus, cross, calvary, golgotha, Apostolic, sinners, Regarding the prefix EPI in front of the word, a webpage by someone named L. Ray Smith said, I never saw it myself until I read a paper by J. Preston Eby, entitled: "FORSAKE NOT THE ASSEMBLING. Smith quotes Eby as saying, EPI means super-imposition that which is above, higher than, highest, upon. ... EPI-SUNAGOGE means THE ABOVE SYNAGOGUE, THE HIGHER MEETING, THE HIGHEST ASSEMBLY, THE HIGHER-THAN-ALL-GATHERINGS! This represents at least one source out there that (in part) says the same thing I am saying on this, Greek word, in the Greek, the Greek meaning, Lord Jesus Christ, Chronicles, Impute, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Psalms Proverbs, Solomon, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obabdiah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Malachi, Galatians, Colossians, Thessalonians, Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Apocalypse, Revelation, Jude, Hebrews, spake, Holy Ghost, sacrifices, Christians, pray, prayers, intercession, worship, presence, healed, miracle, glory, praise, historicism, historicist, Elliott Vitringa, John Wycliffe, Martin Luther, Gospel, Lord Jesus Christ, Lord Jesus Christ, Lord Jesus Christ, John Calvin, John Knox, Damnation, Philip Melanchthon, Sir Isaac Newton, Atonement, Wickedness, Thomas Cranmer, Benjamin Keach, John Wesley, Joseph Mede, Jonathan Edwards, Condemnation, Charles Spurgeon, Matthew Henry, Discernment, Dr. A. B. Simpson, Grattan Guinness, what does episunagoge mean what does Hebrews 10:25 mean what does gathering mean what does not forsaking mean the meaning of Hebrews 10:25, the meaning of gathering, the meaning of not forsaking, hasten, forth, hitherto, commentary, heresy, heretics, twain, asunder, church, fellowship, supper, blessed, Jerusalem, Canaan, Zebulon, Naphtali, Gospel, Lord Jesus Christ, Lord Jesus Christ, Lord Jesus Christ, Moses, tabernacle, ark, Jordan, Sinai, testament, testimony, Canon, seraphim, holy, Aaron, millstone, brimstone, wrath, redeemer, saviour, beloved, believeth, prophesied, prophecy, prophecies, prophets, congregation, saints, Zwingli, Knox, Melancthon, Hus, Wesley, saith, speaketh, Absalom, Jericho, chosen, priesthood, arise, conquerors, Pharisees, Sanhedrin, Saduccees, Zealotes, pillar, reverence, worshipped, servant, plagues, unclean, temple, synagogue, commandeth, commandments, ministering, sceptre, begotten, reproof, righteousness, evermore, everlasting, Gospel, Lord Jesus Christ, Lord Jesus Christ, Lord Jesus Christ, Melchisedec, similitude, Levitical, offerings, perfect, unholy, weary, confidence, perdition, heavens, declare, Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas, Lucas, fellowlabourers, yoke, antichrist, biddeth, elect, election, advent, Alpha, Omega, Thyatira, candlesticks, waters, censer, woe, Wormwood, lamp, supplications, perseverance, manifold temptations, succour, sojourning, idols, idolatries, idolatry, Creator, omnipotent, omniscient, Abstinence, baptism, baptized, ecclesia, mortal, Gospel, Lord Jesus Christ, Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.
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