#I shared ONE (1) Ezra CG

[hummingbird-games]

this review/gameplay account contains spoilers for An Everyday Love (Ezra’s route) so here’s your first and last chance to run along *shoos you*

SO!

Umm.

Words?? Maybe??

Heart reactions (ramblings): I knew I was going to love this game. I KNEW I Was Going To Fall In Love With Ezra (again). I knew that in the deepest and darkest spaces inside me, this story would resonate. The cozy and cute art style. The grounded, though tough struggles of our main character. The humor and witty parts that made me crack up. Our deep and loving friendship with Amara. The moments that made me look into my imaginary camera in my dining room alone at dark-thirty, eyes wide and incredulous, trying not to disturb my sleeping family, sometimes crying but mostly smiling and so, so, so happy to have made it to play this game.

This game was made with love and care, and you can tell. You can feel it. And all the side characters that appear on Ezra's route were either a joy or a pain lol but welcomed in my gaming experience just the same. (GRACE AND STEPH I LOVE Y'ALL!!!) 

Oh gosh oh gosh oh gosh, and yeah this game was sweet as hell, but I am an adult and I do like to partake in adult things from time to time and what I'm trying to communicate here is that I was there for the sexy scenes....lemme repeat that...I was there for the sex!!! (Love this for all of y'all reading this oh my God 😭😂) Nah but really, the heat + the sweet were present and accounted for and I’m a happy camper LOL!

And the fairytale portion of the story? Cue the sound of my heart breaking because it was so well done. Probably where I shed the most tears, and I was doing so well keeping it together so I could read the words on my screen without obstruction!!

Brain tings (aka the 'review' portion): In recent memory, and by that I mean in the three-ish years I've been actively playing visual novels, I can't name another game that delves into chronic illness and disability centering the main character that’s also in the slice of life romance genre. It's not an experience I can claim, but it is one I have empathy for and believe that reading/seeking out representation of others' experiences is the only way we're gonna get through this life in one piece doing the least amount of harm. 

Seriously.

 And as someone who deals with from mental illness and will have to deal with it for the rest of her life, it's comforting to be reminded that stories don't have to show this borderline (sometimes over the fence) toxic positivity of dealing with those struggles. Sometimes you feel like shit. Sometimes you push people away. Sometimes you take chances on people and they burn you with the intention to hurt. But sometimes you take chances and they pay off. But you gotta keep going, and if I take anything away from this game, it's that message: Keep. Going.

Retrospective thoughts: I wrote this category out thinking I'd have another concise paragraph in me, but that was a lie. The main thing I wanted to get out was that as someone who discovered she falls on the demisexual/demiromantic spectrum, I've made it my annoying second job to sniff it out in the media I consume. (Spare crumbs?????)  And I have a Hunch about a Mr. Ezra Hale. (I related to him more than was healthy is all I want to admit zkfjdhjdhgfjg)

ALSO OH MY GOD HE'S SUCH A CUTE DRUNK I CAAAAAANNNNNNN'TTTTTTTTT

AND WE HAVE A (SOFT) GAMER BOYFRIEND!?!?!!

...ahem, lemme just *places another hashtag* 

#SoftBlackMen 😏✌🏽💞

I don't care, I win. I win at life. Otome men have ruined me again for the real thing and I don't care. Am I a little crushed Ezra isn't real? ... NEXT QUESTION!

Another thing, I usually avoid bad endings like the plague (I've got enough bad endings in real life, like wayament 😭✋🏽) so I was lowkey hoping I'd get Ezra's bad ending on accident so I wouldn't have to do it on purpose (#noguidegang) but then I would have made it everyone's problem. 

So. Someone was looking out for y'all LOL. But this is a game I will actively replay, so I will be obtaining all the endings and living my best life.

(also part 3, because game dev lives her best life on Twitter as does the rest of the VN community, I will go make some noise on there sometime because she deserves it and I'm nothing if not obnoxious as hell when I want something known)

[aquagirl1978]

#1 - Favorite line in set

Violet:

Aqua:

#2 - Favorite scene/moment

Violet: Meeting Red was really cool. I know she's supposed to be the foil to Ezra but I liked how tough she is and her sprite is gorgeous. 

Aqua: When MC finds Ezra on the beach.

#3 - Did you buy hearts? Which scene(s)? Worth it?

Violet: No, not this time.

Aqua: Yes, the first two. Both worth it, but I liked the second one better.

#4 - Standout character

Violet: I have to give it to Red. She stole every scene she was in.

Aqua: Red. Not only is she gorgeous, but she shined throughout the episodes. I am intrigued by her, and really want to know what she meant by her final comments to MC.

#5 - Thoughts on the CG?

Violet: I really liked it now that I saw it in full. He IS so handsome. Those golden eyes remind me of *another* famous Wolf with eyes like that..... *coughgeraltofriviaakathewhitewolfcough*

Aqua: I loved it. Ezra looked great, standing there on the beach.

#6 - Fave screenshot

Violet: This one

Aqua: This one

#7 - Secondary character shining moment.

Violet: Darla really had a great moment when she talked about love and fairy tales. I'm not the biggest Darla fan but I liked this part a lot.

Aqua: Mouse. I really enjoyed her this set. She is a much welcome addition to the group. And I loved when she said she wanted to slap Red. Just one slap. A little slap.

#8 - Thought on the villain.

Violet: She's intriguing and strong and beautiful. I'm also looking forward to when she finally believes Ezra about what happened with Grandmother. 

Aqua: Red is a great character - she's not an outright villain. There's definitely more to the story with her, and I am very curious to see where this all goes.

#9 - Most OMG scene?

Violet: Edward and Ezra cliff diving.

Aqua: The entire opening fight scene, from the reveal of Red, Mouse and Edward joining the fray, to the cliff dive.

#10 - Any predictions for next week?

Violet: We'll get more backstory on The Hunters guild, MC struggles with her memories, Ezra and MC sleep together (hey she needs a distraction and that's a might fine one)

Aqua: We will learn more about Red. Ezra and MC will share more intimate moments (but I don't think they will sleep together...yet). Arin will become involved with the group somehow.

[spectral-musette]

I saw Justice League!

I VERY MUCH ENJOYED IT.

Spoilers below:

So disclaimer, most of my DC knowledge comes from the small screen (not the comics). Grew up with Lois and Clark and Batman the Animated Series. Caught up with the animated Justice League and Justice League Unlimited from the early 2000’s after it aired. Super enjoyed Young Justice. I’ve seen some sporadic DC animated movies, though certainly not all of them. I liked Season 1 of Gotham a lot but I bailed in Season 2 cause I got busy and was feeling sensitive about some of the gruesomeness of show.

(I’m not currently watching any of the other DC shows, the 70’s Superman movies have never been my thing, nor have any of the live action Batman movies, really.)

Overall I have way more background with DC characters than with anyone from Marvel. I adore various individual Marvel characters a lot, but for the team ups, I just feel more invested in the Justice League than I do the Avengers.

Also overall, I found both Wonder Woman and Man of Steel to be the more moving, poignant films, but….

Damn, Justice League was a lot of fun.

I mean, Wonder Woman made me actually tear up, but Justice League was a romp that left me feeling pleased and happy and very entertained. I definitely have space on my shelf for both kinds of superhero movies.

Starting off with who I know least about:

Aquaman was excellent and I hope everyone who fancast Jason Momoa is patting themselves on the back. Good call. He’s got a powerful screen presence and pulled off Damaged Loner who is Too Cool for School but Secretly Cares really well. I found him very interesting, I’m ready to find out more about his story and ship him with Mera, carry the heck on.

Cyborg was very sympathetic, and for only having about three quarters of his face to work with (what a nice face though), Ray Fisher had so much gravity and emotion. Also what a beautiful voice??? So glad they didn’t process it too much to sound more robot-y, because I just enjoyed listening to him so much. I liked that he played such a pivotal role in the plot. Of the newcomers, Aquaman and the Flash carried a lot of the humor, but Cyborg saved the day.

I’m mostly familiar with Wally West as the Flash (as in JLU and Young Justice), but I thought Ezra Miller’s Barry Allen was very endearing. Snacks for Barry 2k17. I thought his first-battle freak out was really well handled, and I love the way Bruce resolved it with the “just save one”. (Barry’s Speed Force run was a bit weird though, lol) Like, all in all, will any cinematic superhero speedsters compare to Quicksilver in Days of Future Past? Probably not. But I still liked Barry.

For those I know more about as characters in general:

I do like Ben Affleck as Bruce, and his Batman is growing on me. I liked that the opening scene with Batman involved a little more martial-arts-graceful-it’s-jujitsu-god-bless-you Batman than the heavily armored version in Batman Vs. Superman. Still really love Jeremy Irons as Alfred and only wish there might’ve been more, and more Alfred and Bruce banter. I could’ve listened to Alfred pick on Bruce about his crush on Diana for the entire runtime of the film.

(I am here for WonderBat, I blame the Justice League cartoon.)

BUT FOR REAL, MY GIRL DIANA. *RUNS HANDS DOWN FACE* I just love her a lot.

It’s admittedly been a while since I watched Batman vs. Superman, but I felt like her characterization in Justice League was a bit more in tune with how she was portrayed in her solo film – older and wiser and sadder, but with the same insightfulness and willingness to show vulnerability and softness when it was needed. And I like that the film gave her space to grow, exploring her fear not just of losing people she cares for, but of taking the responsibility of asking anyone to answer her call and risk their lives.

(Just now thinking about how much that must resonate with a Bruce who seems to have lost a Robin somewhere along the way)

And last but not least, CLARK I AM SO HAPPY YOU STOPPED BEING DEAD. The resurrection was a BIT wacky. I’m not sure what I expected, but it wasn’t that. I was kinda hoping they would bring the coffin into the Kryptonian ship and something would just happen, but oh well. I felt like newly resurrected “unbalanced” Clark was maaaybe not even necessary, but I assume they wanted to have some hero vs hero fight scenes, and all in all it didn’t last that long (especially compared to the last movie in the franchise).

bEcAuSe Clark Just Loves Lois So Much, and I am always in favor of that as a plot point.

Also I really like both that Lois is dragging her grieving self to the Daily Planet to do her work but at the same time acknowledging that she’s not okay, and she’s not ready to write about other people’s grief and fear and pain just yet. And the fact that she carries some shame about that is very Lois, but I love how tender and understanding Clark is – of course he would never be ashamed of her. I really love everything we’ve seen so far between Clark and Lois, and I’m so happy that the DC movies are not only embracing the most iconic couple in superhero history but also making them fresh and real enough that I can actively ship them.

If I have to say something critical, it is that the villain was a bit cartoony (not just in the CG sense) and dull. Like, it provided the necessary “save the world” conflict. Aaand may have suffered a LITTLE from sharing a name with 70’s rock band. Like, I may have giggled a little, just like, once.

But not spending a lot of time developing the villain meant we had more time to devote to the heroes and the team dynamic and I was okay with that.

Wasn’t wild about the new Amazon costumes either, but they also weren’t quite as objectionable as I was expecting. Might’ve been more annoyed if I hadn’t known about it going in.

The CG on Henry Cavill’s face on the reshot footage was also noticeable and distracting, but, honestly, if that’s my biggest qualm about the movie, I’m okay with that?

[cccto-semi-pro]

The Remnant of God in the World: Daniel

RECAP & PREPARING FOR CG Daily Reading for Week

Esther 6-10, Psalm 54  

Daniel 1-3, Psalm 55

Daniel 4-6, Psalm 56  

Daniel 7-9, Psalm 57

Daniel 10-12, Psalm 58

Haggai 1-2, Psalm 59  

Zechariah 1-4, Psalm 60  

Resources for Week

Read Scripture Video: Daniel

Read: Daniel 7

FOCUS OF TIME TOGETHER

To participate in an intense study on how to begin reading Jewish apocalyptic literature and to practice these hermeneutic skills together by taking a careful look at Daniel 7.

GROUND RULE / GOAL / VALUE FOR THE WEEK

Goal: Our goal this week is to practice intellectual humility by laying our ideas and presuppositions aside for a bit in order to explore truth in interdependent community. Participate in discussion with an intent to assist in the group’s shared exploration rather than either refusing to participate or trying to coerce the group to see things your way.

CONNECTION AND UNITY EXERCISE (MUTUAL INVITATION)

Share your highs and lows from the week.

OPENING PRAYER

Sit silently for three minutes. As you do, listen for any thoughts or pictures or ideas that go through your mind that may be inspired by the Holy Spirit. After this silent prayer, take a couple minutes to invite one another to share anything they may have heard.

Then read this prayer aloud:

Lord, grant us pure hearts and clear minds; Direct us in discerning what is good and true and beautiful; Guide us along the path of wisdom and lead us in the way of humility; We are frail and fallible creatures; Be near to us, Lord; Amen.

INTRO TO DISCUSSION

This week’s material is an intense study on the hermeneutics of apocalyptic literature using Daniel 7 as our focus. It is perhaps the most rigorous study of the year. We chose to structure the material this way because we didn’t feel it would be faithful to the goal of YOBL or the book of Daniel to skip the hermeneutic work necessary to grow in our Bible-reading skills. Accordingly, there will be more content to digest than usual. Because of this, we’ve changed the normal structure to make the content more digestible. There will also be no structured small group time. Focus your energy on reading and understanding the ideas presented. Then, honestly process your emotional responses to your past and current interactions with apocalyptic literature and the variety of interpretations in the church.

LARGE GROUP DISCUSSION

Questions for Basic Understanding

These questions are to help us interpret and understand the text as it was intended to be interpreted and understood.

Read:

The Book of Daniel in Context Last week, we began our final series on Old Testament books called “The Remnant of God in the World,” chronicling the final chapters in the Old Testament story about God’s plan to heal the world through His people Israel. In Ezra and Nehemiah, we read historical sketches of the first Jewish exiles who returned to Jerusalem to start over again by rebuilding the Temple, relearning the Torah, and reconstructing the city walls. We saw this exciting moment of liberation turn anticlimactic as division and turmoil broke out among those trying to be God’s renewed people in Jerusalem. Before long, the same evil and idolatry that led to the punishment of exile in the first place resurfaced, begging the questions: Is exile really over? Has this surviving remnant of the people of God truly been purged and purified of anything? Where do we go from here?

Interestingly, the book of Daniel serves as dual bookends to Ezra and Nehemiah, acting as both preface and conclusion to the return-to-Jerusalem story. In Daniel 5 and 6, we read how Daniel’s skilled and faithful work as a government official combined with his great spiritual wisdom and divine connection to the Jewish God earned him honor with the Babylonian rulers Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar as well as the other kings who eventually overthrew Babylon. Following the “writing on the wall” events of chapter 5, the Babylonian empire was conquered by what is called the Median-Persian Empire. King Darius the Mede, now ruling over the land, was so moved by Daniel’s divine vindication and protection in the lion’s den that he actually endorsed Judaism throughout the empire. Chapter 6 concludes with: “So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.” When Ezra 1:1 says that “The Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm [releasing Jews to go home and build the Temple],” it is fair to say that Daniel was the primary vessel God used to do so. In other words, Daniel’s faithful witness within the Babylonian government was one of the central causes for the release of the Jews from exile. The great restart recorded in Ezra-Nehemiah was only possible because of him.

But also, the book of Daniel serves as a concluding synopsis to Ezra-Nehemiah that at least partially answers the questions raised about whether the exile was truly over and how then God’s people would live. Remember that in Jeremiah 29:10, Jeremiah recorded a promise from God to release Israel from exile after seventy years. The return to rebuild the Temple seemed to mark the end of this punishment and the beginning of the promised liberation. Daniel was hopeful for this too: “In the first year of Darius son of Xerxes (a Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonian kingdom — in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the Lord given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years” (Dan 9:1-2). Therefore, Daniel becomes hopeful that he may indeed live to see the end of exile and goes to bring about God’s promised action by confessing on behalf of Israel. This leads to a shocking and disheartening word from God:

“While I was still in prayer, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me… He instructed me and said to me, ‘Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding. As soon as you began to pray, a word went out, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed. Therefore, consider the word and understand the vision:

“‘Seventy ‘sevens’ are decreed for your people and your holy city to restrain transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the Most Holy Place.’” (Daniel 9:21-24, abbreviated)

In other words, what Ezra-Nehemiah chronicled in story form, Daniel documents in a divine vision-message: The seventy years of exile haven’t accomplished their purpose — Israel hasn’t been purified of its sinful nature and is not yet ready to be the holy people of God who bring “everlasting righteousness” to the world. The seventy years of exile didn’t accomplish all that needs to be accomplished, and therefore exile will continue. Rather than just 70 years, Israel will experience various forms of oppression and persecution for seven times that, or roughly 490 years. This heartbreaking notion proves true over the next several hundred years of Israel’s history leading to Christ: First, as we saw, the Median-Persian Empire takes over, then Alexander the Great and the Greeks, then the Syrian/Seleucid Empire, and finally Rome. For five centuries following the return of the exiles to Jerusalem, life for the Old Testament people of God is a form of continued political punishment. Exile repeats itself over and over. This historical reality is, not coincidentally, both why Daniel was written and also why it was written the way that it was.

Note that the overall book was written about Daniel, but not by Daniel. Though it contains his writings, the writings are pieced together and narrated by someone who refers to Daniel in the third person. Many scholars think that the book was either written or newly annotated around 160 BC, several generations after the first remnant returned to Israel. During this time, the Jews suffered yet another horrendous persecution, this time under Antiochus and the Syrian (or Seleucid) Empire. It is likely that these circumstances of exile, similar to Daniel’s in Babylon, were the motivation for converting the old oral testimony of Daniel’s faithful obedience into the more artistic and formalized literary book we have today. This book, with its hopeful (though cryptic) visions of God’s eventual victory over the violent beasts of world empires and the heroic example of Daniel’s faithfulness, would have been a tremendously valuable resource for another generation of oppressed Jews. In this sense, the historical testimony of Daniel’s life and visions which occurred around 580-520 BC were able to speak powerfully to God’s people in later eras of violent oppression, both in the 2nd century BC under the Syrian Empire as well as in Jesus’ day under the brutal Roman regime. This is, in large part, what made the Book of Daniel one of the most popular literary texts in Jesus’ own day as well as one of the texts most widely referenced in the New Testament.

Ask:

How does hearing the context for Daniel help in your understanding of Ezra and Nehemiah?

Read:

The Book of Daniel as Apocalyptic Literature The literary context that inspired the book of Daniel was the social/political landscape of God’s people centuries after Daniel’s life in Babylon. The landscape of persecution under brutal Syrian rule was eerily similar to the earlier torment of Babylonian oppression. It is this similarity of situations, not the exact details of each historical period, that inspired the form and content of Daniel, especially the seemingly strange visions in chapters 7-12. This differentiation will be crucial as we dive into exploring these texts.

Before we do, however, we must introduce a term: Apocalyptic. We use the term apocalyptic to mean pertaining to the end of the world — an apocalypse (typically where everything somehow explodes). But apocalyptic, or apocalypticism, is also a noun labeling a literary genre that became quite common in the ancient and Biblical world. Examples of Biblical apocalyptic include Daniel 7-12, Revelation, parts of Isaiah, and Ezekiel’s visions of the flying, flaming chariot made of heavenly creatures depicting God’s glory.

These texts strike us as absurd, nonsensical, and even scary. However, the ancient readers to whom these words were written would have felt no such discomfort. They would have been familiar with the symbolism and imagery in a way that would be hard for us to believe. It’s worth it, therefore, to state a truism: We are utterly illiterate at reading apocalyptic literature and stand before these texts at a tremendous disadvantage. They require more homework and hermeneutic effort than perhaps any other books of the Bible. In terms of reading through the Bible in order to become more Biblically literate, the apocalyptic texts are like the big bad bosses at the end of a video game. Indeed, scholar Aaron Chalmers dubs apocalyptic “prophecy on steroids.” It is perhaps apt then that they are mostly found toward the end of the Old and New Testaments. In fact, throughout history, more corrosive ideas and evil actions have stemmed from misreadings of apocalyptic literature than from probably any other.

The term apocalyptic comes from the Greek word apokalypsis which means to reveal or unveil knowledge that was previously hidden. Apocalyptic is symbolic picture-language, almost like political cartoons, that serve to speak both to current realities and to universal types. Specifically, such language was often used to speak simultaneously to various details of real-life present circumstances as well as to elevate the meaning of such things above those particular details to illustrate what is typological or paradigmatic. In other words, apocalyptic isn’t mostly concerned with symbolically predicting specific future events but with illustrating paradigms that tend to repeat themselves throughout history. Typically written in the context of crisis, Biblical apocalyptic aims to encourage hope in its hearers by lifting their countenance above the daunting realities of their current struggle and to illustrate the ways in which God is sovereign and powerful over even the worst the world has to offer. Apocalyptic aims to visually depict to oppressed people the truth that even the worst oppression is not the end of the story.

Consider the following snippets from Aaron Chalmers’ Interpreting the Prophets to help orient us toward this unfamiliar genre:

“Whereas the prophets usually envisage God acting in salvation or judgment within history, these passages seem to anticipate a climactic and decisive intervention of God that brings history (at least as we know it) to a definitive culminating point… Apocalyptic entails the revelatory communication of heavenly secrets by an other-worldly being to a seer who presents the visions in a narrative framework; the visions guide readers into a transcendent reality that takes precedence over the current situation and encourages readers to persevere in the midst of their trials. The visions reverse normal experience by making the heavenly mysteries the real world and depicting the present crisis as a temporary, illusory situation. This is achieved via God’s transforming the world for the faithful…

In apocalyptic, God reveals his previously hidden future plans usually through dreams or visions. Unlike the visions we find in the prophets, however, these are full of elaborate and, at times, strange and mysterious symbolism and/or numbers. Many of the dominant images of apocalyptic belong to the realm of fantasy or myth, or we encounter surreal, unnatural combinations. For example, Daniel 7 contains a vision of four great beasts, including a bear with tusks in its mouth and a lion with eagle’s wings, coming out of the sea, while Daniel 8 describes a goat with a horn that grows as high as the host of heaven. The meaning and significance of these dreams and visions is thus often obscure; serious interpretive work is required…

It primarily served to encourage its readers in the midst of their trials. Apocalyptic literature, like prophecy, is highly situational — it was written in order to address and respond to a specific problem in the life of the community of faith. This situation was usually one of crisis, such as rapid, destabilizing change, a severe drought or plague, or persecution.

For example, critical scholars often associate the book of Daniel (or at least chapters 7-12) with the crisis precipitated by the persecution of the Jews undertaken by Antiochus IV Epiphanes during the early second century BC. The book can be read as a commentary on the dramatic and distressing events that occurred in Israel and the broader world during his reign, which included the desecration of the Jerusalem Temple, the outlawing of distinctive Jewish rites, and the execution of those who opposed him. Daniel 7:25 appears to allude to Antiochus with its reference to the little horn ‘speaking words against the Most High, wearing out the holy ones of the Most High, attempting to change the sacred seasons and the law.’

Apocalyptic seeks to encourage, comfort, and exhort the community to continued faithfulness, in spite of whatever opposition or problems its members may be facing. It affirms that such crises are only temporary — God remains in control and he will soon act to judge the wicked and vindicate the righteous.”

Ask:

How would you describe the way you were previously taught to think about apocalyptic literature? How does the idea that apocalyptic literature is not primarily concerned with end times prophecies but symbolism regarding contemporaneous political events alter this viewpoint?

Have you ever felt embarrassed or uncomfortable about Biblical texts like Daniel or Revelation or Christian ideologies concerning the “rapture” or “antichrist”? Share any stories or reflections.

Read:

Beginning to Interpret Apocalyptic Literature More from Chalmers: “Apocalyptic texts present unique challenges to the modern interpreter. ‘No other genre of the Bible has been so fervently read with such depressing results.’ Our problems are largely a result of the fact that the apocalyptic genre has no real modern equivalent…

Impressionistic art can serve as a helpful analogy for orienting our reading of apocalyptic texts. An impressionistic painting is best appreciated from a distance. These works are composed of fine lines, dabs of paint and brush strokes that ‘combine to depict scenes of unusual vividness and emotion’. If we stand too close, however, if we concentrate simply on the lines and dabs themselves, we are unlikely to grasp what the artist intended to convey - all we will end up seeing are lines, dabs, and strokes which look rather peculiar and random in their placement. Instead, we need to take a step back and consider the work in its entirety. When we do this, we are able to appreciate how those apparently random and disjointed paint strokes, dabs and lines in fact end up working together to produce a coherent and striking whole.

Likewise, apocalyptic texts needs to be appreciated from a distance. When reading apocalyptic texts, it is worth stepping back and trying to grasp the point of the vision as a whole. What is the overall effect? What is the big picture? What is the overarching sweep of the vision or narrative? Ultimately, we need to move beyond the details to determine the primary message(s) of the entire vision. The ever-present risk is that modern readers will get so bogged down in the details of the visions that they fail to grasp the bigger picture. Or, to draw another analogy, they will see the trees but miss the forest. Individual details may be important (after all, the only reason we have a bigger picture is because it is made up of smaller details), or they may not. What is always important, however, is the significance of the vision as a whole. And, of course, it is often when we have grasped the big picture that the details within this make more sense.

Once we have grasped the big picture of the vision, it is time to focus on the details. The further we move from the general (the ‘big picture’) to the specific (‘details’), the less certain our interpretations may become. In other words, while we may be confident that we have grasped the meaning of the vision as a whole, the significance of certain specific elements within this may elude us. ‘This is not unexpected, given the allusive nature of apocalyptic visions. For much of the vision is an earthly way to think about a heavenly reality, or a present way to think about a future reality. So given our earthly and present limitations, we cannot expect to understand the meaning of each detail.’”

Ask:

Describe a moment when you’ve experienced something like impressionistic art where choosing not to focus too much on specific details helped you to better see and appreciate the overall picture.

Read: Daniel 7. As you do, keep in mind the analogy of impressionist art and focus on the big picture being painted with these images and symbols.

Ask:

What big-picture impression stood out in your mind as you read Daniel 7? In other words, what point is it trying to make?

In your mind, how important is a text like Daniel 7 to your life as a Christ-follower?

How does it make you feel to meditate on the fact that our entire faith tradition is so heavily dependent on a book, and specifically an old book that most Christians and perhaps we ourselves struggle (and often fail) to read correctly?

9. SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION

There will be no small group discussion tonight.

10. CLOSING

Spend a minute in silence, discerning any invitations the Holy Spirit may have for you — whether to dive deeper into the study of Daniel and apocalyptic on your own, to take a break from YOBL, or to make some commitment based on what you heard in the text. Make any commitments to God in prayer before one another.