Her reign was characterized by the extension of the idolatrous practices of her parents, Ahab and Jezebel. Athaliah introduced and promoted the worship of Baal in Jerusalem, constructing temples and altars for this pagan deity.
In Mark 7:21-23, Jesus says, “For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a person.”
The Book of Revelation provides the most vivid portrayal of the Unholy Trinity. In chapters 12 and 13, the dragon, the beast from the sea, and the beast from the earth work together to wage war against God’s people. Their alliance is a grotesque parody of the Holy Trinity’s unity and purpose.
The Amplified Bible’s distinctive feature is its use of amplifications—words and phrases inserted into the text to illuminate the meaning of the original language.
The phrase “In the beginning” implies a moment before which there was nothing—no time, no space, no material reality. This has led many theologians and philosophers to ask: What does it mean for God to exist “before” time? How can something arise from nothing?