Topical Encyclopedia In biblical times, pillars served not only as architectural elements but also as significant landmarks with spiritual and cultural implications. These structures were often erected to commemorate divine encounters, covenantal agreements, or significant events, serving as tangible reminders of God's presence and promises.Genesis 28:18-22 provides one of the earliest examples of a pillar being used as a landmark. After Jacob's dream at Bethel, where he saw a ladder reaching to heaven, he set up a stone pillar and poured oil on top of it, declaring, "This stone I have set up as a pillar will be God's house, and of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You" . This act of setting up a pillar was both a memorial of the divine vision and a consecration of the place as sacred. Pillars also marked significant covenantal events. In Genesis 31:45-52, Jacob and Laban set up a heap of stones and a pillar as a witness to their covenant. Laban said, "This heap is a witness, and this pillar is a witness, that I will not pass beyond this heap to harm you, and that you will not pass beyond this heap and this pillar to harm me" . The pillar served as a boundary marker and a testament to their agreement, underscoring the importance of physical landmarks in maintaining peace and order. In the context of the Israelites' journey, pillars were used to signify God's guidance and presence. The most notable example is the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night that led the Israelites through the wilderness, as described in Exodus 13:21-22: "And the LORD went before them in a pillar of cloud to guide their way by day, and in a pillar of fire to give them light by night, so that they could travel by day or night" . These pillars were not only physical manifestations of God's presence but also served as constant reminders of His protection and leadership. Pillars also played a role in the religious and cultural practices of the surrounding nations, often associated with pagan worship. The Israelites were commanded to destroy such pillars to maintain the purity of their worship. In Deuteronomy 12:3, God instructed them, "Tear down their altars, smash their sacred stones, and burn up their Asherah poles; cut down the idols of their gods and wipe out their names from those places" . This command highlights the distinction between the use of pillars in Israelite worship and their use in idolatrous practices. Throughout the biblical narrative, pillars as landmarks serve as powerful symbols of remembrance, covenant, and divine presence. They are tangible markers that connect the physical world with the spiritual, reminding the faithful of God's enduring promises and guiding hand. Nave's Topical Index 2 Samuel 20:8When they were at the great stone which is in Gibeon, Amasa went before them. And Joab's garment that he had put on was girded to him, and on it a girdle with a sword fastened on his loins in the sheath thereof; and as he went forth it fell out. Nave's Topical Index 1 Kings 1:9 Library In Judaea But we Need no Longer Show in this Narrow Way the Drawback of this ... Three Aspects of Faith On his Father'S Silence, Because of the Plague of Hail. God's Providence The High Woods Resources What is the Shekinah glory? | GotQuestions.orgShould Catholic tradition have equal or greater authority than the Bible? | GotQuestions.org What is Absalom's Monument? | GotQuestions.org Pillar: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus Subtopics Pillar by Absalom, to Keep his Name Alive Pillar by Jacob, his Covenant With Laban Pillar by Joshua, the Crossing of the Jordan River Pillar by Moses, the Covenant Between Jehovah and Israel Pillar by Samuel, the Defeat of the Philistines Pillar: Broken and Carried to Babylon Pillar: Monuments Erected to Commemorate Events by Jacob, his Vision of Angels Pillar: Monuments of Idolatry, to be Destroyed Pillar: Pillar of Salt, Lot's Wife Turned To Pillar: Prophecy of One in Egypt Related Terms Standing-pillar (3 Occurrences) El-elohe-Israel (1 Occurrence) |
    |