BIBLICAL PLACES, SPICES AND PERFUMES

*At times a dream will take place in the setting of an ancient biblical town, city or country. I am listing the name meaning for each of the location listed below. All meanings in this section are taken from Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary, The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia or Smith’s Bible Dictionary I am also detailing one biblical association for each.

Baca = Weeping – The Israelites had to pass through this

“valley of weeping” on their pilgrimage to visit the sanctuary of the Lord in Jerusalem. David prophesied however that:

When they walk through the Valley of Weeping, it will become a place of refreshing springs. The autumn rains will clothe it with blessings. They will continue to grow stronger, and each of them will appear before God in Jerusalem. (Psalm 84:6-7, NLT)

Bethany = House of affliction or misery – Town where Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead (John 11)

Bethel = House of God – The place where Jacob dreamt: that there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven; and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! And behold, the Lord stood over and beside him and said, I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father [forefather] and the God of Isaac; I will give to you and to your descendants the land on which you are lying. (Genesis 28:11-13, AMP)

Bethlehem = House of Bread – Birthplace of both David and Jesus (1 Samuel 17:12, Matthew 2:1)

Bethsaida = House of fishing – The city where Jesus fed a multitude with five loaves of bread and two fish (Mark 6:32 – 41)

Calvary or Golgotha = Place where Jesus was crucified (Luke 23:33)

Cana = Zeal; jealousy; possession – The village where Jesus performed His first miracle by turning water into wine at a wedding celebration (John 2:1 -10)

Canaan = Merchant; trader; or that humbles and subdues – God spoke to Abraham and said: “The whole land of Canaan, where you are now an alien, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God.” (Genesis 17:8, NIV)

Capernaum = The field of repentance; city of comfort – A city that saw so many miracles and yet the people refused to turn to the Lord (Matthew 11:23)

Corinth = Ornament = Although the Church in Corinth operated in spiritual gifts their moral standards were often not much different than those of the world (1 Corinthians 5) Damascus = A sack full of blood – It was on the road to Damascus that Paul had a divine encounter with the Lord (Acts 9:3-4)

Dead Sea = Nothing living can exist in the Dead Sea, the minerals found in the Dead Sea have healing and therapeutic qualities

Egypt = That troubles or oppresses; anguish – Country where God’s people Israel were afflicted with bondage and oppression (Exodus 2:23)

Elim = Strong trees – An oasis of rest, refreshing, and nourishment in the midst of the desert (Exodus 15:27)

Emmaus = People despised or a hot spring – It was on the road to this city that Jesus after His resurrection rebuked two disciples because of their unbelief and disappointment

with the Lord: Then Jesus said to them, “You foolish people!

You find it so hard to believe all that the prophets wrote in the Scriptures. Wasn’t it clearly predicted that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering his glory?”

(Luke 24:25, NLT)

Ephesus = Desirable – Jesus had this to say to the Church of this city: Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. (Revelation 2:4-6, NIV)

Galatia = White – It was the Galatian Church in which Paul found that legalism and a works gospel had replaced a gospel of grace through faith (Galatians 3:1-14).

Gethsemane = Oil press – Garden where Jesus struggled in deep intercession the night before His death. After a time of intense agonizing prayer He proclaimed to the Father: Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.

(Mark 14:36).

Gibeon = Hill city – The Gibeonites deceived the Israelites (who did not seek the Lord on the matter) into signing a treaty with them (Joshua 9)

Gilgal = Circle or rolling - Then the LORD said to Joshua,

"Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you." So the place has been called Gilgal to this day. (Joshua 5:9, NIV) Goshen = Drawing near – When the Lord brought plagues to punish Egypt none of them fell on Goshen which was the region in Egypt where God’s people dwelt (Exodus 8:22)

Hebron = Friendship or society – The region where Abraham encountered the Lord and entertained angels (Genesis 18)

Jericho = Place of fragrance – The walls of the city fell after God’s people marched, shouted and sounded the trumpet, opening the way for victory (Joshua 6)

Jerusalem = Vision of peace – The place where God’s glory dwelt in the Old Testament temple (Psalm 26:8)

Joppa = Beauty – Place where Peter raised Dorca from the dead (Acts 9:36 – 40)

Jordan River = Descender – Place where John the Baptist baptized repentant sinners, river that miraculously parted to allow the Israelites passage into the Promised Land (Joshua 3:15-17)

Laodicea = Justice of the people – The Church of this city was found by the Lord to be lukewarm (Revelation 3:13-16) Mt Mariah = Mountain on which the Holy Temple stood (2 Chronicles 3:1), Place where Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son as an act of obedient worship unto the Lord (Genesis 22:1-3)

Mt. Sinai = Mountain where Moses received the revelation of God’s laws during a forty day period of divine and angelic visitation (Exodus 34:27-29)

Nazareth = Separated or sanctified – Jesus said to them,

"Only in his hometown, among his relatives and in his own house is a prophet without honor." He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. And he was amazed at their lack of faith. (Mark 6:4-6, NIV)

Pergamum = Height; elevation – This city was so wicked that it was labeled by Jesus as the city “where Satan has his throne” (Revelation 2:13)

Philadelphia = Brotherly love – “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, ‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens” “I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it;for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.” (Revelation 3:7-8, NIV)

Philippi = Named after Philip of Macedonia – The people of the Philippian Church were very generous in giving of their finances to the cause of the gospel (Philippians 4:14-16) Philistia = Land of sojourners – The Philistines constantly fought and harassed the people of God. (Ezekiel 25:15) For this reason the Philistines are often seen as a type of the flesh or sinful nature which is at odds with the Spirit: For the desires of the flesh are opposed to the (Holy) Spirit, and the (desires of the) Spirit are opposed to the flesh (godless human nature); for these are antagonistic to each other (continually withstanding and in conflict with each other), so that you are not free but are prevented from doing what you desire to do.

(Galatians 5:16-18, AMP)

Samaria = Watch mountain or watchtower – The people of Samaria practiced a religion that was a mixture between the biblical faith and paganism (2 Kings 17:25-29)

Sardis = Prince of Joy – “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write, ‘these things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. 2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God” (Revelation 3:1-2, NKJV)

Smyrna = Myrrh (symbolic of death) – The Christians of this city were slandered, persecuted and imprisoned (Revelation 2:8-11)

Sodom = Burning – A city destroyed by God because of its great sin (Genesis 19: 23-25)

Thessalonica = Victory over the Thessalians – In spite of great suffering and persecution in that city the Church shined in the darkness. As Paul wrote them in his letter: We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

(1Thessalonians 1:3, NIV)

Thyatira = A perfume; sacrifice of labor – In the words of Jesus to the Church of this city: “Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols”. (Revelation 2:20, NIV)

Ziklag = Measure pressed down – David’s camp in Ziklag was raided and the enemy carried off the possessions and families of David and his men. David however: found strength in the Lord his God and took back all that was stolen by the enemy (1 Samuel 30:3-6, NIV)