Rei – Restoration

Rei

(‘J" is a friend’). The name is given to one of the supporters of Solomon at the time of Adonijah’s attempt to secure the throne (1 Kings 1:8). He is mentioned along with Shlmei, and was likely an officer in the royal guard. These troops seem to have had an enormous influence in determining the succession to the throne.

The reading, however, is not above suspicion, and Jos. (Ant. VII. xiv. 4) reads ‘Siiimei, the friend of David,’ and thus gets rid of Rei as a personal name (so Lucian) . Several attempts have been made to identify him with other figures, as Ira or Jair (Wiuckler, Gesch. ii. 247) or Raddai (Ewald, Gesch. iii. p. 266 note). W. F. Boyd.

Reins

See Kidneys.

Rekem

1. One of the five kinglets of Midian slain by Moses (Numbers 31:8, Joshua 13:21). 2. A Calebite family (1 Chronicles 2:43). 3. A clan of Machir (1 Chronicles 7:16 [AV and RV Rakem, but this is simply the pausal form of the Heh. name]). 4. An unidentified city of Benjamin (Joshua 18:27).

Religion

The word ‘religion,’ wherever it occurs in AV, signifies not the inner spirit of the religious life, but its outward expression. It is thus used of one form of religion as distinguished from another; as in 2 Maccabees 14:38, where the same word is translated in the middle of the verse ‘Judaism,’ and in the end of it ‘the religion of the Jews.’ It is also used by St. James (1:26, 27) to contrast moral acts with ritual forms.

Remaliah

The father of Pekah (2 Kings 15:25 ff. 16’- ‘, 2 Chronicles 28:6. Isaiah 7:1 ff. 8:6).

Remeth

See Ramoth, 1.

Remnant

See Israel, p. 387’‘.

Remphan

See Rephan.

Repentance

Repentance, in the sense of turning from a purpose, is frequently predicated of God in the OT (Genesis 6:6, 7. Exodus 32:14 etc.). Repentance for sin is commonly expressed by ‘turn’ or ‘return’ (e.g. Deuteronomy 4:30, Isaiah 55:7. Ezekiel 3:2, Hosea 14:2). Repentance has a prominent place in the NT, alone (Matthew 4:17. Luke 15:7. Acts 2:38 etc.), or in conjunction with faith (Mark 1:15. Acts 20:21 etc.), as an indispensable condition of salvation. The word ordinarily used {melanoia) means literally ‘change of mind.’ The change, however, is one in which not the intellect only, but the whole nature (understanding, affections, will), is involved. It is such an altered view of God and sin as carries with it heartfelt sorrow for sin, confession of it, and decisive turning from it to God and righteousness (Luke 15:17, 18. Ro &"■ ", 2 Corinthians 7:10, 11 etc.). Its reality is tested by its fruits (Matthew 3:8. Luke 6:43–46). From this ‘godly sorrow’, which works ‘repentance unto salvation’ (2 Corinthians 7:10, 11). is distinguished a ‘sorrow of the world’ which ‘worketh death’ (v. 10). i.e. a sorrow which has no relation to God, or to the intrinsic evil of sin, but only to sin’s harmful consequences. There may be keen remorse, and blaming of one’s self for one’s folly, yet no real repentance.

Disputes have arisen in theology as to the priority of faith or repentance, but unnecessarily, for the two, rightly viewed, are but the positive and negative poles of the same state of soul. There can be no evangelical faith which does not spring from a heart broken and contrite on account of sin; on the other hand, there can be no true repentance which has not the germ of faith in God, and of hope in His mercy. In it. The Law alone would break the heart; the Gospel melts it. Repentance is the turning irom sin; Gospel faith is the turning to Christ for salvation. The acts are inseparable(Ac 20). James Ohr.

Rephael

A family of gatekeepers (1 Chronicles 26:7).

Rephah

An Ephraimite family (1 Chronicles 7:25).

Rephaiah

1. A Judahite (1 Chronicles 3:21). 2. A Simeonite chief (1 Chronicles 4:42). 3. A descendant of Issachar (1 Chronicles 7:2). 4. A descendant of Saul (1 Chronicles 9:43) called in 8:37 Raphah. 5. One of those who helped to repair the wall (Nehemiah 3:9).

Rephaim

Aname given in several Biblical passages to some pre-Israelitish people. In Genesis 14:5 they are said to have dwelt in Ashteroth-karnaim. Genesis 15:20 classes them with Hittites and Perizzites (similarly Joshua 17). Deuteronomy 2:11, 20 calls certain peoples ‘Rephaim’ whom the Moabites and Ammonites called respectively ‘Emim’ and ‘Zamzummin.’ Deuteronomy 3:11 says that Og, king of Bashan, alone remained of the Rephaim (so also Joshua 12:4 13:12). while Deuteronomy 3:13 says that Argob was aland of Rephaim. A valley near Jerusalem was also called the ‘Vale of Rephaim’ (see 2 Samuel 5:18, 22 23:13. 1 Chronicles 11:15 14:9. Isaiah 17:5). Because Deuteronomy 2:11 counts them with the Asakim, who were giants, and 2 Samuel 21:16–22 says that the sons of a certain Rapha (see RVm) were giants, it has been supposed by some that Rephaim means ‘giants,’ and was given to a race as their name by their neighbours because of their stature. Cf. art. Giant.

The word repha’lm in Hebrew means also ‘shades’ or disembodied spirits. At least it is used to describe the dead, as in Psalms 88:10. Schwally is probably right, therefore (Leben nach dern Tode, 64 ff. and ZATW, xviii. 127 ff.), in holding that the word means ‘shades,’ and that it was applied by the Israelites to people who were dead and gone, and of whom they knew little. George A. Barton.

Rephan

(AV Remphan). A word which replaces Chiun of the Hebrew text of Amos 5:26. both in the LXX and in the quotation in Acts 7:48. The generally accepted explanation of this word is that Rephan (the preferable form) is a corruption and transliteration of Kewan (Kaiwan, Kaawan — see Chiun) — r having somehow mistakenly replaced k, and w (the Hebrew wau or vav) having been transliterated ph (the Gr. phi).

W. M. Nesbit.

Rephidim

A stage in the Wanderings, between the wilderness of Sin and the wilderness of Sinai (Exodus 17:1, 8 19:2; cf. Numbers 33:14 f.). Here water was miraculously supplied, and Israel fought with Amalek. Those who accept the traditional Sinai generally place Elim in Wady Gharandel, and Rephidim in Wady FeirSn, about four miles N. of Mt. Serbal (Palmer, Desert of the Exodus, Index). The tribesmen would naturally wish to defend the springs in the valley against such a host as Israel. Moses might have surveyed the conflict from the height of Jebel Tahuneh, on the N. of the valley. Only we should hardly expect the Amalekites so far to the south. If the scholars who place Sinai east of the Gulf of ‘Akabah, identifying Elath and Elim, are right, then Rephidim must be sought somewhere in that district. (Sayce, HCM, p. 269.) W. EwiNQ.

Reprobate

The Heb. word so rendered in Jer &<> (AV; RV ‘refuse’) has its meaning explained by the context. ‘Refuse silver shall men call them, because the Lord hath rejected them.’ Like metal proved to be worthless by the refiner’s fire (v.2s), they are thrown away (cf. Isaiah 1:22). In the NT, in accordance with the meaning of the Gr. word (adokinws), ‘reprobate’ is used of that which cannot abide the proof, which, on being tested, is found to be worthless, bad, counterfeit, and is therefore rejected. ‘A reprobate mind’ in Romans 1:28 (with tacit reference to the previous clause, ‘they did not approve to have God in their knowledge’) is, as the context shows, a mind depraved and perverted by vile passions. To such a mind God abandoned those who wilfully exchanged His truth for a lie (v. 25). In 1 Corinthians 9:27. St. Paul declares that he ‘buffets’ his body and ‘brings it into bondage,’ lest, having preached to others, he himself should be rejected (reprobate). The figure is that of an athlete who, through remissness in training, fails in the race or fight (for the opposite figure, cf. 2 Timothy 2). In 2 Corinthians 13:5–7. the word (‘reprobates’) occurs three times, in each case as opposed to genuine, true. Christ is in them, except they be reprobates, i.e. false to their profession, hence rejected by God. Let them ‘prove’ themselves by this test (v.). St. Paul trusts that they will know that he abides this test (v. 6) but let them think of him what they will, if only they themselves do what is honourable (v. 7). ‘Reprobate’ here is contrasted with what is ‘approved,’ ‘honourable’; it is identified with ‘doing evil.’ In 2 Timothy 3:8, certain are described as ‘corrupted in mind, reprobate concerning the faith,’ where both moral corruption and false speculation as the result of this corruption seem intended. They fail, brought to the test of ‘sound’ or ‘healthful’ doctrine (V- " 4:3). Similarly Titus 1:16 speaks of those who, denying God by their works, are ‘unto every good work reprobate.’ Their hypocrisy is brought home to them by their wicked lives. ‘Professing that they know God,’ they are proved by their works to be counterfeits, imposters. The word occurs, finally, in Hebrews 6:8. where those whom it is impossible ‘to renew again to repentance’ are compared to ground which, receiving the rain oft upon it, and being tilled, brings forth only thorns and thistles, and is ‘rejected.’ From all this we may conclude that ‘reprobate,’ generally, denotes a moral state so bad that recovery from it is no longer possible; there remains only judgment (cf. Hebrews 6:8). It is only to be added that the term has no relation in Scripture to an eternal decree of reprobation; at least, to none which has not respect to a thoroughly bad and irrecoverable condition of its objects. Cf. Predestination. James Oer.

Resaias

See Raamiah.

Resen

The last of the four cities built by Asshur, or, according to the RV, by Nimrod, and described as lymg between Nineveh and Calah (i.e. Kouyunjik and Nimroud), on the E. bank of the Tigris (Genesis 10:12). From its position the site referred to should be at or near the present Sdamlyeh, which lies between the two points named. Resen seemingly represents the Assyrian place-name RSsh-lni, ‘fountain-head,’ but is probably not to be confused with the Rlsh-eni mentioned by Sennacherib in the Bavian inscription, which is regarded as being the modern ROs d-‘Ain a little N. of Khorsabad. That the words’ the same is a great city’ should refer to Resen alone seems unlikely — more probably Nineveh, Rehoboth-ir, and Calah are included, the two latter forming, with Resen, suburbs of the first.

T. G. Pinches. RESH. — The twentieth letter of the Hebrew alphabet, and as such employed in the l igth Psalm to designate the 20th part, each verse of which begins with this letter.

Resheph

An Ephraimite family (1 Chronicles 7:25).

Rest

The conception of rest as a gift of God runs through the Bible, the underlying idea being not idleness, but the freedom from anxiety which is the condition of effective work. It is promised to Israel in Canaan (Exodus 33:14, Deuteronomy 3:20), and Zion is the resting-place of J" (Psalms 132:8, 14), the Temple being built by ‘a man of rest’ (1 Chronicles 22:9) a contrast is implied with the desert wanderings in Numbers 10:33–36). At the same time no earthly temple can be the real resting-place of J" (Isaiah 66:1. Acts 7:49). The rest of the Sabbath and the Sabbatical year are connected with the rest of God after creation (Genesis 2:2. Exodus 20:11. Leviticus 26:4; see art. Sabbath). The individual desires rest, as did the nation (Psalms 55:6) ; it is not to be found in ignoble ease (Genesis 49:15 Issaohar), but in the ways of God (Psalms 37:7, Jeremiah 6:16) it is the gift of Christ (Matthew 11:28). Sinners fail to find it (Isaiah 28:12 57:20). as Israel failed (Psalms 95:11). Hebrews 4 develops the meaning of this failure, and points to the ‘sabbath rest’ still to come. This heavenly rest includes not only freedom from labour, as in OT (Job 3:13, 17 [in Psalms 16:9. see RV]), but also the opportunity of continued work (Revelation 14:13). C. W. Emmet.

Restitution

See Crimes and Punishments, 8.

Restoration

Ina variety of phrases- ‘regeneration’{palingenesia, Matthew 19:28). , ‘restitution of all things’ (Acts 3:21). ‘summing up all things in Christ, the things in the heavens, and the things upon the earth’ (Ephesians 1:10). ‘new heavens and a new earth’ (2 Peter 3:13. Revelation 21:1), ‘make all things new’ (Revelation 21:5) — the NT points forward to a perfected condition which shall supervene upon the present imperfect condition of mingled good and evil (cf. Matthew 13:39, 40, 4 "), including a renewal of nature, the quelling of all evil (Philippians 2:10, 11). and restoration of order and harmony in the universe, with Christ as Head. The hope is connected with OT prophecy (Acts 3:21. 2 Peter 3:13), and the transformation itself is invariably associated with the Parousia (cf. Matthew 19:28 etc.). The question of chief interest is, how far these predictions of a coming ‘restitution (apokatastasia) of all things’ point forward to a future universal salvation. Gladly as one would read this meaning into them, sober exegesis shows that they will not bear so large an interpretation. The passage which speaks of ‘restitution’ tells also of those who will not hearken, and shall be destroyed (Acts 3:23). The Parousia, when the new state of things is represented as introduced, is always connected in the NT with an awful judgment. St. Paul speaks of all things being summed up in Christ, of Christ subduing all things to Himself, etc. (Ephesians 1:10. 1 Corinthians 15. Philippians 2:10, 11) but unbiassed study of the passages and their context shows that it is far from the Apostle’s view to teach an ultimate conversion or annihilation of the kingdom of evil. It must be owned, however, that the strain of these last passages does seem to point in the direction of some ultimate unity, be it through forcible subjugation or [in some other way, in which active opposition to God’s Kingdom is no longer to be reckoned with. James Ohr.