• Revelation for Artists: Bible studies by an artist for artists.

  • By: Christ John Otto
  • Podcast
Revelation for Artists: Bible studies by an artist for artists. cover art

Revelation for Artists: Bible studies by an artist for artists.

By: Christ John Otto
Listen for free

  • Summary

  • Hello my name is Christ John Otto and I am a writer, artist and the leader of a community called Belonging House Fellowship and the author of several books for artists including Very God: An Artist Explores the Nicene Creed. This is the first in a series of Bible studies by an artist for artists. Over the next few months I am going to walk through the book of Revelation. Revelation is one of the more controversial books in the Bible. Throughout history there have been multiple attempts to remove it from the canon (the official list of books that are inspired and authoritative). Some people become obsessed by it, and others are repulsed by it. And still others misinterpret it and draw conclusions that the book never intended. I want to bring my unique perspective to this book, and take the book at face value--look at what it says rather than reading into it what I think is says. Many people who study the Bible are left-brained and overly rational, and this influences how they interpret and study the Bible. And because of this bent, the symbolic, visual, and supernatural are overlooked or ignored. I believe if you do this, you miss what Revelation is all about. I believe that the Book of Revelation has a lot to say to us right now, and a lot to say to artists and creative people. This book ends with a vision of beauty and culture. It says something about artists at the end of time, and after time. Like I said, I am an artist first, and I want to take this book at face value. The writer of this book claims these are visions, so we are going to handle them like visions. We are going to unpack the symbols, colors, sounds, and experiences related to us through these visions. We are going to look at the Jewish thought and Jewish concepts woven throughout the text. And we are going to explore the impact Revelation has had on the Christian imagination, and western culture. Outside of the Gospels, Revelation has had a greater impact on art and culture than any book in the New Testament. Join me on this adventure through this profound piece of literature.
    2023
    Show More Show Less
Episodes
  • Episode 8: Smyrna: Gaining a Kingdom Perspective

    Episode 8: Smyrna: Gaining a Kingdom Perspective
    Jul 3 2023

    This episode we look at the letter to the angel in the church of Smyrna.

    Smyrna was north of Ephesus,

    and still exists in the modern city of Izmir. 

    And contrary to what is described in this letter to the church,

    Smyrna was a prosperous city at the time of the John's vision,

    and it was one of the main rivals for "First city of Asia" with Ephesus.

    This letter highlights a very important thing

    when we talk about the Kingdom of God.

    Often a Kingdom perspective

    is very different than an earthly one.
    Show More Show Less
    7 mins
  • Episode 7 Love and Truth: The Letter to Ephesus

    Episode 7 Love and Truth: The Letter to Ephesus
    Jun 9 2023

    Ephesus was the pre-eminant church at the time of John's vision.

    The church was founded by and home to St. Paul for five years.

    It was the second largest city in the empire after Rome.

    It was the home of John.

    And by the time of this book,

    The church in Ephesus was changing.
    Show More Show Less
    11 mins
  • Episode 6: The Ekklesia

    Episode 6: The Ekklesia
    Jun 5 2023

    Before we can jump into the letters to the seven churches,

    we need to talk about about the symbolic meaning behind the word Church.

     

    As we will see again and again in Revelation,

    this is all about Jesus.

    And John makes it clear that the revelation of Jesus is related to a mystery.

    John is going to use the word mystery a lot.

    And as we have seen already, the first place he uses it is in reference

    to the seven stars, the seven lampstands, and the seven churches.

    There is something hidden here,

    that John wants to reveal.

    And again, going back to the title of the book, what he wants to reveal is Jesus Christ.

     

    The word "church" does not appear anywhere in the new testament.

    The word used in the new testament is the word "ekklesia."

    Ekklesia is a word that references a specific place and time.
    Show More Show Less
    9 mins
Art Christianity Spirituality
Show More Show Less

What listeners say about Revelation for Artists: Bible studies by an artist for artists.

Average Customer Ratings

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Audible.com.au reviews

Amazon Reviews
No Reviews are Available
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.