The prophet's dictionary guide to the supernatural

New Testament church, the ancient world knew how they got their lands and that their dispossession from them constituted the most extreme of all curses. It was tantamount to being perpetually cursed by their god and disenfranchised from his or her commonwealth. It was not a light thing for ancient peoples to have their gods cease to defend them to the point of keeping them in their land. For a god to completely deport his or her offspring, nation, from their land was the severest punishment an angry theocrat could mete out because it severed one’s ties with their god and closed the gateway through which his or her blessings streamed into the earth. See Genesis 28:17, where Jacob seemingly happened upon the gate of God that he understood to be the place of God’s house. Today, the gateway to the treasuries of the Lord and such are at the ready disposal of all those born again of His Spirit. His Fatherhood relationship entitles them to such access, a large part of what the epistle to the Ephesians seeks to convey. See Portal. 554. Gem—A word for precious stones. Virtue and potential fortune were ascribed to them. Precious stones then, as it is today, were important to the ancient world. They were especially revered in religious ceremonies. Gems, by their colors, were assigned various spiritual powers. Crystal, for instance, was credited with wisdom. Diamonds were revered for their wealth and endurance. Pearls, likewise, represented wisdom. The difference between the crystal’s wisdom and the pearl’s wisdom is that crystal’s is occultic or mystical wisdom versus the practical wisdom of the pearl. Pearl wisdom was generally for everyday life affairs. Emerald, for instance, bespoke prosperity in nearly every area of human existence. Jasper signified joy and friendship. Both the diamond and the emerald, with jade, represented purity and royalty. Sapphire and pearl signified fidelity. Beryl is the youth stone. Crystal and zircon are wisdom. The sobriety and healing stone is the amethyst, which was also known as the dream stone. The Bible talks about living stones because these were the embodiment of light, spiritual life, and ability. The book of Revelation says that there is a group of believers who get new stones with their names on them. 555. Gemstones—See Gem above. 556. General Prophetic Education—As can be seen from Samuel’s institution of the schools of the prophets, Elijah’s and Isaiah’s schools, as well as the Savior’s three-year education of the apostles, education is important to prophetic ministry. The prophet Daniel, having been educated under Israel’s nabiim institution was nonetheless required by Nebuchadnezzar to be trained by