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American Tract Society Bible Dictionary
A supernatural communication; applied to single divine revelations and to the entire word of god, Acts 7:38 Romans 3:2 Hebrews 5:12 , etc. It is also spoken of the covering of he ark of the covenant; as if God there sat enthroned, and delivered his oracles, 2 Samuel 16:23 . See MERCY SEAT. In other places, it means the "Holy of Holies" in the temple, where the ark was placed, 1 Kings 6:5,16,19 8:6 .
Strikingly unlike the true and living oracles of God were the famous counterfeit oracles of numerous heathen temples. The priests who pretended to convey to applicants the responses of their gods, often gave a reply capable of two opposite interpretations, when neither private information nor their own experience or sagacity gave them the clue to a safe answer. Thus Pyrrhus, king of Epirus, was encouraged to a war, with Rome, by an oracle which was found after his defeat to foretell defeat as much as victory: Aio te, Aeacida, Romanos vincere posse.
These files are public domain and are a derivative of the topics are from American Tract Society Bible Dictionary published in 1859.
Rand, W. W. Entry for 'Oracle'. American Tract Society Bible Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/ats/o/oracle.html. 1859.