That Mystery Floating Alongside

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  “The side of the ship made an opaque belt of shadow on the darkling glassy shimmer of the sea. But I saw at once something elongated and pale floating very close to the ladder. Before I could form a guess a faint flash of phosphorescent light, which seemed to issue suddenly from the naked body of a man, flickered in the sleeping water with the elusive, silent play of summer lightning in a night sky. With a gasp I saw revealed to my stare a pair of feet, the long legs, a broad livid back immersed right up to the neck in a greenish cadaverous glow. One hand, awash, clutched the bottom rung of the ladder. He was complete but for the head. A headless corpse! The cigar dropped out of my gaping mouth with a tiny plop and a short hiss quite audible in the absolute stillness of all things under heaven. At that I suppose he raised up his face, a dimly pale oval in the shadow of the ship’s side. But even then I could only barely make out down there the shape of his black-haired head. Howev...

Have A Seat (Day 11)

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“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. The scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of uprightness…” (Psalm 45:6)

We’ve often heard about “Air Force One” and many Americans know that The President on occasion travels by jet referred to as “Air Force One.” Ever wonder about the planes that make up the fleet?


Teddy Roosevelt was the first President to fly in a plane in 1910 (Taft was actually in office) but the call sign “Air Force One” was not created until the late 1950’s, when travel became more widespread. Technically, any Air Force plane carrying the President is called “Air Force One” although specific planes are set apart for this purpose.

I use this as an example to illustrate the difference between a “stool,” a “seat”, and a “throne.” The Hebrew word for all three is the same word כִּסֵּא (kicce'). But how do we tell the difference? For starters, we can watch for where the King sits and wherever He sits changes the meaning of the device. A stool remains a stool until used by the King, then it becomes a throne and will always be a throne from henceforth and forevermore. The throne is the ceremonial chair signifying sovereign power.

Get the idea now? “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever.”

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