Topical Encyclopedia
In biblical contexts, the term "platform" is not explicitly mentioned in the Scriptures; however, the concept can be understood through various instances where elevated structures or stages are used for specific purposes. These platforms often serve as places for proclamation, worship, or significant events.
1. Platforms for Proclamation:One of the most notable examples of a platform used for proclamation is found in the book of Nehemiah. After the return from exile, Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform built for the occasion to read the Law to the people of Israel.
Nehemiah 8:4 states, "Ezra the scribe stood on a high wooden platform built for the occasion." This platform allowed Ezra to be seen and heard by the assembly, emphasizing the importance of the public reading and teaching of God's Word.
2. Platforms in Worship:Platforms also appear in the context of worship and religious ceremonies. In the construction of the Temple, Solomon built a bronze platform for himself, which he used during the dedication of the Temple.
2 Chronicles 6:13 describes, "Now Solomon had made a bronze platform and set it in the midst of the court; it was five cubits long, five cubits wide, and three cubits high. He stood on it, knelt down in the presence of the whole assembly of Israel, spread out his hands toward heaven." This platform served as a focal point for the king's prayer and dedication, symbolizing the centrality of worship in the life of Israel.
3. Symbolic and Prophetic Platforms:In some instances, platforms or elevated places are used symbolically or prophetically. For example, the prophet Ezekiel is instructed to perform symbolic acts on a platform-like structure to convey God's messages to the people.
Ezekiel 43:13-17 provides detailed measurements for the altar, which can be seen as a platform for offering sacrifices, symbolizing the restoration of proper worship practices.
4. Platforms in the New Testament:While the New Testament does not explicitly mention platforms, the concept can be inferred in the context of Jesus' teachings and public ministry. Jesus often taught from elevated places, such as hillsides or boats, to address large crowds. In
Matthew 5:1-2 , it is recorded, "When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain and sat down. His disciples came to Him, and He began to teach them." These natural platforms allowed His voice to carry and His message to reach many.
5. Spiritual Implications:The use of platforms in the Bible underscores the importance of visibility and audibility in the proclamation of God's Word. Platforms serve as a means to elevate the message and the messenger, ensuring that the truth is communicated effectively to the people. They also highlight the significance of communal worship and the public declaration of faith.
In summary, while the term "platform" is not directly used in the Bible, the concept is present in various forms, serving as a tool for proclamation, worship, and symbolic acts. These platforms play a crucial role in the dissemination of divine messages and the facilitation of communal religious practices.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
n.) A plat; a plan; a sketch; a model; a pattern. Used also figuratively.
2. (n.) A place laid out after a model.
3. (n.) Any flat or horizontal surface; especially, one that is raised above some particular level, as a framework of timber or boards horizontally joined so as to form a roof, or a raised floor, or portion of a floor; a landing; a dais; a stage, for speakers, performers, or workmen; a standing place.
4. (n.) A declaration of the principles upon which a person, a sect, or a party proposes to stand; a declared policy or system; as, the Saybrook platform; a political platform.
5. (n.) A light deck, usually placed in a section of the hold or over the floor of the magazine. See Orlop.
6. (v. t.) To place on a platform.
7. (v. t.) To form a plan of; to model; to lay out.
Greek
1041. bomos -- aplatform, an altar... a
platform, an altar. Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine Transliteration: bomos Phonetic
Spelling: (bo'-mos) Short Definition: an altar Definition: an altar
...968. bema -- a step, raised place, by impl. a tribunal
... 968 (from , "to step, ascend") -- properly, aplatform to which someone walked up
to receive ; (figuratively) the administration of justice -- literally, given...
Strong's Hebrew
3595. kiyyor -- pot, basin... Word Origin from the same as kur Definition pot, basin NASB Word Usage basin
(6), basins (5), firepot (1), laver (9), pan (1),
platform (1).
...4608. maaleh -- an ascent
... Word Origin from alah Definition an ascent NASB Word Usage ascent (9),
platform (1), slope (1), stairway (4), upper section (1)....
1363. gobah -- height
... gabah Definition height NASB Word Usage dignity (1), haughtiness (1), haughty (1),
height (6), high (2), loftiness (1), lofty (1), pride (1), raisedplatform (1...
5982. ammud -- a pillar, column
... apiece, pillar. Or ammud {am-mood'}; from amad; a column (as standing); also a stand,
iePlatform -- X apiece, pillar. see HEBREW amad. 5981, 5982....
Library
The SaybrookPlatform
... THE DEVELOPMENT OF RELIGIOUS LIBERTY IN CONNECTICUT CHAPTER VI THE SAYBROOK
PLATFORM. A Government within a Government. The Saybrook...
The CambridgePlatform and the Half-Way Covenant
... THE DEVELOPMENT OF RELIGIOUS LIBERTY IN CONNECTICUT CHAPTER IV THE CAMBRIDGE
PLATFORM AND THE HALF-WAY COVENANT. It is always right...
The SaybrookPlatform and the Toleration Act
... THE DEVELOPMENT OF RELIGIOUS LIBERTY IN CONNECTICUT CHAPTER VII THE SAYBROOK
PLATFORM AND THE TOLERATION ACT. They keep the word...
The Abrogation of the SaybrookPlatform
... THE DEVELOPMENT OF RELIGIOUS LIBERTY IN CONNECTICUT CHAPTER XI THE ABROGATION
OF THE SAYBROOKPLATFORM. That house cannot stand."Mark 3, 25....
American Congregational Creeds.
... XXV., XXX., and XXXI.] we refer ourselves to thePlatform of Church Discipline agreed
upon by this present assembly; and do therefore think it meet that this...
Drunkenness.
... II. DRUNKENNESS. I. A TEMPERANCEPLATFORM.... This is a TemperancePlatform upon which
every sober, informed, and conscientious person may stand....
Standing with the People
... First Day: The SocialPlatform of Jesus.... "As thou didst send me into the world, even
so sent I them." Must theplatform of Jesus be ourplatform and program?...
The Tribunal of Caiphas.
... them was a room almost as large as the vestibule itself, where the seat of the members
of the Council were placed on a species of roundplatform raised above...
The Corporate Union of Church Bodies: Bases and Terms.
... It must not be forgotten that the first creed formulated in America, the Cambridge
Platform, 1648, gave as one of its two ends 'the holding forth of the Unity...
The Next Day, and the Next after That, were Passed by the Cardinal...
... Then they went up together to theplatform on the summit of the Cathedral, and looked
at the great bell known as the "Bourdon de Notre Dame";"and here they...
Thesaurus
Platform (9 Occurrences)... A declaration of the principles upon which a person, a sect, or a party proposes
to stand; a declared policy or system; as, the Saybrook
platform; a political
...Calah (2 Occurrences)
... name of Nimroud. The main ruins are situated on a large, rectangularplatform
on the bank of the old bed of the Tigris. 4. The Temple...
Flat (33 Occurrences)
... 17. (n.) A straw hat, broad-brimmed and low-crowned. 18. (n.) A car without a roof,
the body of which is aplatform without sides; aplatform car. 19....
Rostrum (1 Occurrence)
... 1. (n.) A stage or elevatedplatform for public speaking; theplatform in the forum
where orations, pleadings, funeral harangues, etc., were delivered; -- so...
Stage (5 Occurrences)
... 1. (n.) A floor or story of a house. 2. (n.) An elevatedplatform on which an orator
may speak, a play be performed, an exhibition be presented, or the like....
Tower (74 Occurrences)
... 5. A Babylonian Description of the Tower: E-temen-ana-ki, to give the Babylonian
(Sumerian) name, consisted of six stages built upon aplatform, and provided...
Olives (30 Occurrences)
... compare 1 Kings 11:7 2 Kings 23:13), is usually included in the Mount of Olives,
but its lower altitude-it is on a level with the temple-platform-and its...
Pulpit (1 Occurrence)
... 2. (n.) The whole body of the clergy; preachers as a class; also, preaching.
3. (n.) A desk, orplatform, for an orator or public speaker....
Athali'ah (17 Occurrences)
... 2 Kings 11:14 And she looked, and, behold, the king stood on theplatform, as the
manner was, and the captains and the trumpets by the king; and all the people...
Stoop (10 Occurrences)
... Afterward, an out-of-door flight of stairs of from seven to fourteen steps, with
platform and parapets, leading to an entrance door some distance above the...
Resources
What is a pulpit? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is a Congregational Church / Congregationalism? | GotQuestions.orgWhy is daily prayer important? | GotQuestions.orgPlatform: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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