The Painted New TestamentSample

The Second Coming
by Dave Yauk 

In the final day of this study, we want to leave you to meditate on the awesomeness of Ron Dicianni’s painting. Consider the use of light in Ron’s paintings, and how it perfectly captures the resolve, the earnest, the strength, and the majesty of our King Jesus in his Second Coming. 

Did you know that Christ’s Second Coming is going to be a day of explosive art? In Revelation alone we have over 12 songs that burst from heaven’s heart. Three types of songs (both psalms, hymns and spiritual songs) are found in heaven’s economy. These different styles and forms help to build up the household of God as the people of God richly sing both in heaven and on earth. In the book of Revelation we can observe and explore in brief each song type and its contribution to the culture of the divine. In doing so, the hope is to demonstrate how heaven’s economy is anchored around this cycle of new, familiar, and old forms of art.

As you consider today’s paintings, we would encourage you to spend some time researching the songs of Scripture, along with the paintings, the architecture, the poetry/writing, and the sculpture of church history. The way in which the ancients would respond to fresh encounters with God was by building pillars or altars. For example, when Abraham received God’s promise and blessing, his communal encounter with God came within a hostile scene, for the Canaanites were then in the land. On removing from Sichem, Abraham came “unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west and Hai on the east: and there he built an altar unto the Lord, and called upon the Name of the Lord.” His altar is a response to God’s blessing revealed. 

Anytime God does something unique and significant in his timeline, he marks it with a piece of art—something conveying timelessness. Consider now how you can join the movement of creative memory in the links below.

Ron DiCianni is currently working on A Painted Visual Bible for Families. Learn how you can help more at The Garden City Project. Also, join Ron and friends, and 150 other presenters from over 70 countries in a global conference on creativity, Make Jesus Culture.