Ezekiel’s Prophecy of the Temple Essay

Ezekiel 40-48 Introduction The Temple   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The prophesy of the temple ought to be interpreted literally and not figuratively. This is because it was given at a time when Ezekiel was still in captivity. Since Ezekiel was in captivity while stating this prophecy, this time was literal and not figurative. Similarly, Ezekiel’s apocalyptic prophecies tend to have close similarities with prophecies found in the revelations, which is another suggestion that the prophecy is more literal than figurative. In Ezekiel 40-42, Ezekiel describes a temple that is to be constructed and would be used for worshiping for not only the Israelites but also the entire world. Since the temple being described has never been constructed, it becomes evident that the prophecy is yet to be fulfilled.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In early chapters of Ezekiel 40, the prophet talks of being taken to Jerusalem in a vision. It is in this vision that he is shown a new temple. The reason why the prophecy is more literal than figurative is because most prophecies are liberal. For instance, the same way God showed Ezekiel a real temple, a similar temple was shown to David, which was later on to be built by Solomon in Jerusalem when he was king. Hence, in my opinion, the temple that God showed Ezekiel will also be built in Jerusalem.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The other reason why Ezekiel’s prophecy was more literal than figurative is due to the details covered in the chapters. Measurements of the temple walls as well as courtyards and gateways make the vision appear more literal. Although this vision is yet to be fulfilled, the book  of revelations states that there will be no temple constructed in the New Jerusalem since it is God and the lamb that will represent the temple. Due to this revelation, it is evident that the prophecy is literal since no temple will be constructed. Animal Sacrifices   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Ezekiel 44-46, Ezekiel talks of sacrifices that will be offered in the new temple. This prophecy is also literal since it is difficult to believe that sacrifices will come into existence again in the future. In my opinion, this prophecy is literal since instead of sacrifices, the vision depicts memorial sacrifices similar to those that occurred during the first coming of Jesus Christ such as the last supper. During the last supper, Jesus asked his disciples to use bread and wine in his commemoration. This implied that God prefers this form of commemoration rather than the regular sacrifice.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In my opinion, the sacrifice visualized in the temple by Ezekiel is more literal than symbolic since it represents the presence of Jesus rather than the literal animal sacrifice. Through this, it is evident that the temple visualized by Ezekiel will be fulfilled by Jesus’ second coming. In Ezekiel 45-46, he talks of a prince who will carry out his roles with justice and righteousness. For instance, when it comes to tax, this prince will ensure that he takes only what one can afford, this is in relation to one’s financial ability. Due to this revelation, it becomes evident that the prophecy ought to be understood as literal and not figurative. References La Sor, William Sanford, David Allan Hubbard, Frederic William Bush, and Leslie C. Allen. Old Testament Survey: The Message, Form and Background of the Old Testament. Grand Rapids, Mich: W.B. Eerdmans, 1996. Price, Randall. â€Å"Ezekiel’s Prophecy of the Temple.† World of the Bible. n.d. Available at http://www.worldofthebible.com/Bible%20Studies/Ezekiel%27s%20Prophecy%20of%20the%20Temple.pdf â€Å"Reflections on the First Testament.† 2009. Available at http://garyeyates.blogspot.com/2009/12/temple-in-new-testament html. Source document

Florida Department of Management Services Essay

Introduction In the early 1990s, the Florida Department of Management Services (DMS) had built up a large information systems network that served state government agencies in 10 regional sites and connected these to the data center in Tallahassee. The network was based on the use of the proprietary Systems Network Architecture (SNA) from IBM and a mainframe at the data center that housed most of the applications. Body 1. Analyze the security mechanisms needed to protect the DMS systems from both state employees and users accessing over the Internet. Two security mechanisms needed to protect the DMS systems are Virtual Private Networks and IP Security. According to Stalling (2009) Virtual Private Networks (VPN) makes use of encryption and special protocols to provide security for those using the Internet or some other public network to interconnect sites. These public networks provide an access path for telecommuters and other mobile employees to log on to corporate systems from remote sites. The state employees would have to use the VPN to access the DMS by authenticating using their work credentials. IP Security (IPSec) provides the capability to secure communications across a LAN, across private and public WANs and across the Internet. Some examples of IPSec are: (1) Secure branch office connectivity over the Internet: A company can build a secure virtual private network over the Internet or ove r a public WAN. This type of business rely heavily on the Internet and reduce its need for private networks, saving costs and network management overhead. (2) Secure remote access over the Internet: An end user whose system is equipped with IP security protocols can make a local call to an Internet service provider (ISP) and gain secure access to a company network. This reduces the cost of toll charges for traveling employees and telecommuters; (3) establishing extranet  and intranet connectivity with partners: IPSec can be used to secure communication with other organizations, ensuring authentication and confidentiality and providing a key exchange mechanism; (4) enhancing electronic commerce security: even though some Web and electronic commerce applications have built-in security protocols, the use of IPSec enhances that security. IPSec guarantees that all traffic designated by the network administrator is both encrypted and authenticated, adding an additional layer of security to whatever is provided at the application layer. Similarly, whether other industries give rise to spheres in which competition takes place in open, intellectual-property-free spaces depends on various factors including the existence in a space of companies with proprietary solutions and the presence of technologies so complex they are vulnerable to inadvertent patent infringement. (Alexy, O., & Reitzig, M. (2012). 2. Critique the transition process performed by the DMS in the case study. Then, recommend two (2) alternatives to the IP infrastructure or applications not already mentioned in the case study. What is there to critique? All DMS did was install some routers and configured them. Can someone please help with this? Maturing Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems are able to integrate business systems with building management systems for improved management controls (such as consolidated dashboard-type reporting). Driven by business requirements for resource efficiencies and management by measurement’, this business intelligence adaptation has been essential for the business leadership to steer, priorities and justify new investment. Allocating costs for usage, amortizing capital towards specific business causes and employing financial wizardry to get best tax advantage – these all mean that the new generation of ERP tools needs to be ‘facilities-aware’. They should come with tools to digest ‘consumption’ data; so, whichever department had most use of video conferencing, or toner ink, or WAN bandwidth, or access to out-of-hours air conditioning – it’s all in the mix now. So many systems – integrated BMS (iBMS), facilities reservation systems, maintenance management systems, cashless vending and EPOS, CCTV and access control – are able to push the mountains of data they generate each day to other central management systems. Now IP networks are at the heart of enabling such data capture, collation and consolidation. (Manivannan, 2012) 3. Critique the merits of  the major services found on the DMS Website. According to the website, DMS is a shared service provider that supports state agencies and state employees through: Human Resource Support and Business Operations: the Department of Management Services is responsible for managing the state personnel system, including: Insurance Benefits, Florida Retirement System, Human Resource Management. DMS strives to provide the high-quality service our customers expect and deserve while decreasing the operating costs of state government so that more resources can be focused where they are needed most. Insurance Benefits-The Division of State Group Insurance (DSGI) offers and manages a comprehensive package of pre- and post-tax health and welfare insurance benefits for active and retired state employees and their families, including: a variety of health insurance options; flexible spending and health savings accounts; life insurance; dental, vision and kind of insurance p roducts. Florida Retirement System=The Division of Retirement (Division) was established to administer the Florida Retirement System (FRS), which was created in December 1970 to consolidate existing state-administered retirement systems. Since its creation, the Divisions responsibilities have expanded to include: administering; monitoring; overseeing; ensuring compliance. Human Resource Management- Florida’s state employees are our most valuable resource. They are the face of state government. The Division of Human Resource Management works with the agency personnel offices to develop human resource policies, practices and strategies. As human resource professionals, it is our responsibility to ensure that the State’s HR policies and practices are designed to attract and support the employees who serve the people of Florida. People First is the state’s self-service, secure, web-based personnel information system and enterprise-wide suite of human resource (HR) services. The system streamlines and automates many of the state’s HR functions and is comprised of the following modules: payroll preparation, attendance and leave, recruitment, benefits administration, human resources management, organizational management. 4. Recommend an additional service to add to the DMS Website. With technology today, there is a increased of the use of portable IP-enabled devices and group content distribution applications on Wireless Mesh Networks (WMNs). This surge is facilitated by its relative low cost of installation and as such is an attractive option in environments  lacking existing communication infrastructure and/or in times of natural emergencies. DMS would greatly benefits from this because, their employees will be able to access the website for information quicker when they are away from their desk. The WMNs is equally capable of providing high bandwidth access to the web. The capability of the WMNs can be enhanced by reinforcing the system with multicasting and mobility features. However, there are challenges of seamless integration when such existing multicasting and mobility features of MANET and fixed networks are migrated to the WMNs domain. Thus, a wide range of efforts have been directed at finding solutions to these challenges in order to increase the widespread deployment of the WMNs based communication infrastructure. By producing a one volume comprehensive account of incorporating multicasting with mobility support deployable via Wireless Mesh Networks, this work at aiming at research directions in the area of integrated mobile multicasting on Wireless Mesh Networks. (Sanni, Hashim, Anwar & etc,2011). Summary or Conclusion Florida DMS will benefit from the use of WMN added to their IP infrastructures. Every day technology is advancing with new ideas in dealing with communications between people. DMS will continue to succeed in the future. References Stallings, W. (2009). CIS 505: Business Data Communications: Custom edition (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Florida DMS http://www.dms.myflorida.com Manivannan, M. M. (2012). Building around IP. Engineering & Technology (17509637), 7(2), 78-81. doi:10.1049/et.2012.0211 Alexy, O., & Reitzig, M. (2012). Managing the business risks of open innovation. Mckinsey Quarterly, (1), 17-21. Sanni, M. L., Hashim, A. A., Anwar, F. F., Naji, A. W., & Ahmed, G. M. (2011). Mobile Multicast in Wireless Mesh Networks. Australian Journal Of Basic & Applied Sciences, 5(9), 957-966.

The End of the Road

â€Å"Hell, And How I Got Here† by Brenda Medina and â€Å"Puzzle Pieces† by Barbara Parsons Lane are two short stories from the book Couldn’t Keep It To Myself by Wally Lamb. Medina and Lane are two women who are serving time in a maximum security prison. Brenda Lane is serving time for homicide and Barbara Parsons Lane is serving time for manslaughter. Brenda was involved in a gang-related killing while Barbara was convicted of killing her abusive husband. Each of these women lived their lives being subjected to abuse, yet each woman portrayed themselves differently.Brenda was determined to gain power and not feel like an outsider in her own life. She was determined to take control and she was longer going to be the â€Å"odd girl out† (148). Barbara was living life as a victim and saw only one way to end the abuse. She was victimized in a way that made her feel as if she had no way of escaping her nightmare. Brenda found ways to empower herself in order to find a place in the world as Barbara was belittled to the point where she felt she was too weak to be able to walk away . In â€Å"Hell, And How I Got Here,† Brenda went through life finding ways to gain power.Brenda felt like an outsider for much of her childhood. She spent many unhappy years at a private school, feeling that she didn’t belong. It was not until her high school years, that she finally felt liberated. It was at this time of her life when Brenda started trying to find ways to empower herself and gain the status she was dreaming of. During high school, Brenda started dating Manny, a member of a local gang, The Unidad. Brenda recalled that from the age of fourteen until she went to prison at the age of seventeen, â€Å"Manny ran through my veins† (152).Even though her mother disapproved of Manny, Brenda dated Manny, the boy with the â€Å"outlaw aura. † Going against her mother’s wishes made Brenda feel powerful. She was going to r un her own life from now on. As a child, Barbara was a lost little girl, just like Brenda. Her life was full of disappointments. At the age of four, Barbara was molested by a man she trusted, her grandfather. Looking for support and comfort, Barbara was finally able to find the strength to confide in her mother about what her grandfather had done to her.Instead of comfort, Barbara was told by her mother to never mention the molestation to anyone. â€Å"Don’t you ever say a word† (218). So she didn’t. Barbara became a quiet but a very angry little girl. Barbara’s mother was later diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and later hospitalized. Barbara was left to tend to the house she still shared with her alcoholic father and her two siblings. She had no one to go to and no one to talk to. Barbara resented her mother’s illness. She said the â€Å"illness had freed her brother and sister and made me a slave† (220).Barbara was the one left after her brother and sister moved out. Many years later, Barbara’s mother committed suicide. While dealing with her mother’s death, Barbara confided in her Aunt Ruth about her grandfather molesting her at a young age. Aunt Ruth told Barbara was molested by the same man, her father. Barbara did not understand why her mother just stood and watched while Barbara walked away, hand in hand, with the man she knew all too well. Two years before her mother took her own life, Barbara got married for the second time. She married a younger man named Mark.The disease she resented earlier in life was about to resurface and, once again, make her feel trapped. During their relationship, Manny grew to become controlling and abusive towards Brenda. He began to dictate the people she was allowed to see and what she could wear. Screaming at her after he ripped the skirt off of her, Manny yelled, â€Å"No girl of mine’s gonna strut herself like a little slut! † (161) Manny also b ecame physically and started cheating on Brenda as well. Anytime Brenda threatened to break up with Manny, he begged and cried for her to stay.Brenda always stayed and she always forgave him. She loved to hear Manny tell her how much her loved and that he only wanted him for herself. Brenda loved the feeling she had by hearing Manny beg for to stay. She felt powerful. Feeling anything but powerful, Barbara was beginning to live a life of being controlled by an abusive husband. Mark became abusive emotionally and physically towards Barbara. The things he said to her were intended to make her feel insignificant and make her feel that she had no choice but to stay. â€Å"Some days he drinks from noon until late at night.If I challenge him or question him, I’m told I’m an ‘inconvenience’—his code for: watch out† (225). Being told she was an inconvenience by her husband happened on a regular basis. Mark was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, j ust like her mother. He drank alcohol in order to medicate himself and began having an affair with a fifteen year old girl. Mark openly talked about it to Barbara, adding to her feelings of inadequacy. She ended up having to quit her job because of the abuse and the unpredictability of her home life.Barbara was once again feeling imprisoned, just as she did as a hild. Brenda’s relationship with Manny was everything she was looking for. She had found her place in the world. However, Brenda was still feeling left out when it came to Manny, the gang, and their secrets. Brenda had never thought about joining a gang until she talked a â€Å"sister† of the gang. Erika persuaded Brenda to join because of the feeling of â€Å"family† the Unidad gave Erika. Brenda liked the idea and also knew she would no longer feel like an outsider. Brenda longed for the feeling of belonging and knew that her being a member of the gang would bring her and Manny closer.There would no lo nger be secrets between them. Barbara was living the life in which she was subjected to verbal and physical abuse from her husband. She had to listen to him talk about the affair he was having, being completely humiliated by it. Barbara even contemplated suicide at one point. Barbara lived her life feeling as if there was no way out. Mark’s belittling words were etched in her mind. Those words had the power of making Barbara believe she was destined to stay. If she chose to leave, he would kill her. Barbara felt as if she did not have any options at all.She felt completely powerless. Brenda was feeling anything but powerless. Manny, being a member of a gang, had power. Brenda felt that by being his girlfriend gave her power. Despite the fact that Manny was abusive, Brenda felt empowered knowing that she had found her place in this world with Manny. She believed that without her boyfriend, she would not have a place. The one thing Brenda always wanted was to belong. She longer felt like an outsider when she was with Manny. At the beginning of their relationship, Manny told her â€Å"I’m safe with you.And you are safe here† (156). That was precisely what Brenda was looking for. She was no longer the â€Å"odd girl out† (148). She was Manny’s girl. She was a member of the Unidad. She had power. What Brenda decided to do with the power she had obtained with the joining gang would be a life changing decision. The only way Barbara had the power to remove herself from the abuse was to file for divorce. Taking the step to file was a huge and terrifying decision for Barbara to make. It was so worrisome in fact that she tried to stop the process.After Mark was served the papers, he took Barbara to a secluded cabin in the woods, making sure she was fully aware that he had brought guns along on the trip. The trip that Mark planned had one purpose: he wanted to remind Barbara that her only option was to remain a devoted wife. If she tried leaving him, he would â€Å"terminate† her. Mark made it clear many times how easy it would be for him to do. During the trip to the cabin, after Barbara asked him if he went to cabin just to target shoot, Mark replied with, â€Å"No, I came all this way to show you how easy it would be to make you disappear† (230).Barbara knew divorce was out of the question. He would kill her before he granted her one. Although the trip put a divorce out of the question, it made Barbara realize there was only one option left. In order for her to free herself and to escape the trap of an abusive marriage, she would have to kill Mark before he killed her. Brenda and Barbara were both victims of abuse. That is where the similarities end. All Brenda wanted was to become someone other than the â€Å"outsider. † She was abused by her gang member boyfriend. She used that to threaten her boyfriend of leaving him.Brenda felt powerful when would hear Manny beg for her to stay. She fina lly felt like she was somebody. She was no longer an outsider of the â€Å"odd girl out† (148). Barbara was abused and belittled to the point where it made her think of herself as a weakling. She felt it was impossible to free herself from her nightmare. Brenda tried to escape but she always backed down because of how her husband made her think she was weak. Feeling empowered and feeling victimized are at the opposite end of the spectrum, yet they sometimes end up meeting at the end of the same road.

Atrial Fibrillation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Atrial Fibrillation - Research Paper Example The purpose of the study â€Å"Refining Clinical Risk Stratification for Predicting Stroke and Thromboembolism in Atrial Fibrillation Using a Novel Risk Factor-Based Approach† is to refine the 2006 Birmingham/NICE stroke risk stratification schema into a risk factor-based approach, by reclassifying and/or incorporating additional new risk factors as relevantto thromboembolism (Lip, Nieuwlaat, Pisters& Lane, 2010, 264). Statistical Procedures The study involves analysis of the 2006 Birmingham classification thus, comparisons with other schema such as the Euro Heart Survey on Atrial Fibrillation population were done as part of the analysis and statistical procedures. The study selected 1,084 patients without mitral stenosis, history of heart valve surgery, or use of vitamin K antagonists or heparin at discharge of qualifying visit. Other stroke risk stratification schemas used are the Stroke Prevention in Atrial Fibrillation (SPAF), American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association/European Society of Cardiology (ACC/AHA/ESC) guidelines, and the eighth American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) guidelines. ... refinement of the 2006 Birmingham schema has took consideration of a risk factor-based approach taking account different potential factors for atrial fibrillation such as history of stroke, cardiac dysfunction, heart failure, hypertension, diabetes, vascular disease, female gender, and age. Descriptive analyses are used in the study with proportions, means, and standard deviations. Binomial approximation is used in the event rates, logistic regression in each schema, C-statistics for predicting probability of correct classification, and multivariable logistic regressions for the assessment of individual risk factors. Results of the statistical procedures are presented in tabular form. Analyses are derived from the tabular form presentation differentiating the univariate and multivariate analyses versus the designated level of significance (?). Then, patients or samples are categorized according to statistical results and are compared with other schemas. Strengths and Weaknesses The c ontent of the study offered an array of strengths which can be beneficial not only to the healthcare industry but to the public as well. One of its strength is the identification of other potential risk factors for the development of stroke and thromboembolism in patients with atrial fibrillation. In this way, the public will gain awareness on how to reduce their risks of the said diseases. In addition, the comparisons made in the existing schema in the real world of atrial fibrillation have made the study valid and applicable for present conditions and have made the study stronger in avoiding biases. The exploration of the effects of single and multiple factors using univariate and multivariate analyses also contributes to the avoidance of biases. Done statistically, results are