The Appearance of Cherubim - A Biblical Study.
Researching what Cherubim look like biblically. Whether in visions or representations to develop a way of drawing them for the Word for Word Bible comic.
Have your Say: Translation used
In this blog I'd like to gauge the opinions and feeling of people towards the different translations that I could potentially use for the Bible Comic.
I've included a few of the options, examples of the text from those translations and a brief word on the broad stroke pros and cons of using them, which you can agree with or refute.
Use of colour in the Word for Word Bible Comic
This is a selection of facts and information about how and why the comic is coloured the way that it is.
Natural and dirty.
As much as possible I try to make the colours of clothing, skin, hair, pots, pans, animals etc. look natural. It is in line with the comic's principle of being as historically accurate as possible. So coloured clothes are still quite drab by today's standards. But in contrast to this there are things that throughout time have been bright and colourful like jewels and gold and certain dyes. We will see the allure of these things against the natural back drop and why they were so prized. For example, the royal purple from murex shells that kings and emperors have worn for centuries was even more striking a purple then against such a natural hued backdrop than it is to us now. The Canaanites were, in fact, known as the “Purple People” due to their trade in purple cloth.
Also to add to the realistic feel of the pictures, things will often be worn and grubby, again to show the contrast of the rich and the poor and what life was like in ancient times.
Ethnicity
The ethnicity, including skin, hair and eye colour will try to be as accurate as possible. Generally speaking, most of the people in the Bible are middle eastern, especially in the Old Testament. The Philistines are one of the exceptions to this rule. They originate from Crete and during this time period therefore have Greek/European complexions with a range of hair and eye colours. Egyptians are the other main exception, and will be of darker skin than the Israelites and may include black Africans in their number (Nubian, Ethiopians, Cushites etc) as they were a part of every echelon of Egyptian society at one time or another.
People who are poor and therefore generally spend a lot of time outdoors in the sun will be of darker complexion than the nobles and ladies whose lifestyles preserve their pale skin.
Clans Colours of Israel and their Enemies
Conveniently, the 13 tribes of Israel are each associated with a different colour. This is based on the gem stones that represents them on the Breastplate of the High Priest. In the table below I've collected together information on the tribes, the order they were born in, their gem stone, their Emblem and the colour I have therefore chosen to use to represent each one in the comic. I believe my colour selections are as true to history as they can possibly be.
These clan colours and emblems make us a basic heraldry for Israel, which is not only very useful in the comic but also really interesting as the Biblical narrative goes on. While reading the comic the clan associations are very interesting. For example, in the book of Judges the clan of Ephraim repeatedly throw their weight around and act arrogantly towards the other clans. The roots of this makes sense when we realise that Joshua, who obviously headed up the whole conquest of Canaan, was an Ephraimite. The use of clan colours helps you link things like the disgraceful acts of the Benjamites in the Book of Judges and then the choice of a Benjamite King in Saul. It also helps break down wrong stereotypes of clans. For example, people might think of the tribe of Levi as “the priestly ones”, but the visual consistency helps link events like Phinehas with his spear or their patriarch's actions in Genesis 34 after the rape of his sister.
I have tried to also remain consistent with the enemies of Israel. For example, I have given each of the five lords of the Philistines a colour that is associated with them and their city. This colour features alongside the general Philistine colours, (terracotta, red and aqua).
This helps to link the events to the geography. For example, the Philistines at Samson's wedding and subsequent retribution at Timnah are wearing orange plumes in their helms as Timnah is on the doorstep of Ekron which has orange as its colour; but the commander of the thousand or more Philistines that come to arrest Samson at Lehi have blue plumes as they are from Ashkelon where he slew the thirty Philistines for their garments.
Walking with God or walking away
With regards to the Israelites, I have also earmarked times when God's people are falling away from him by their acceptance of another culture's dress. When they are walking with God they wear natural colours (browns, tans, greys, blacks, whites, some pale colours) that have simple or no patterns. When they are embracing other gods and customs, they dress in patterns and colours and wear jewellery and the men cut their beards etc. There is an example of this in the sample story, where we see the head man in Lehi of the tribe of Judah. His beard is cut at the corners, and he wears a lion's mane and claws, which are 'unclean' for Jews. His dress is a mixture of Philistine and Hebrew, in bright colours and patterns, and he even speaks their language. This is based on a tile picture from Egypt which some people think shows a Philistine, while others think it depicts an Israelite.
Supernatural and Spirit
One of the most important colour elements is the use of the Spirit colour. This is a bright Cyan/ turquoise and it means there is something of the Spirit or something of God in the story. The idea is to show things that are very real in the spiritual realm but not necessarily the physical. The best example of this is with Balaam's Donkey. When I draw that story the angel that stands invisible to Balaam but that the donkey can sense will be shown in the Cyan colour. When it manifests in a way that Balaam can see it will be in the standard black lines. This colour is also used when Samson is empowered by the Spirit, with a power acting in the spiritual realm depicted as Cyan lightning. Lastly, it is used when God speaks, and for the speech of angels.
There is a corrupted version of this colour that is a pure putrid yellower green. This demarcates possible demonic activity.
Flashbacks
There are times that the pictures in the comic will show things that happened before the events being described in the story. These may be a memory of one of the characters or just events that proceed the current narrative. These are shown in a brown “greyscale” with a hazy red border.
Parables and Prophecy
When there is a parable or a prophecy a unique colour scheme is used. This has not been finalised but it is currently planned to be a dreamy blend of pinks and the spiritual cyan.
Dreams
Dreams will likely have a unifying colour scheme but this has yet to be decided.
So there you have it...
So there you have it, the many aspects that make up the colour choices for the comic - and you thought it was all just slapped in there! :-) I hope this blog has highlighted not just the comic's colours but also their specific use to deepen scriptural understanding in an easy way.
Have Your Say: Verse order on Maps, Standard or Dynamic?
You can have your say and influence to way the comic is compiled. Please read below and comment with your opinion.
I am currently applying the text to the page of the comic covering Judges Chapter 1, one of the panels is a map of Canaan and the verses about the places in the story are overlayed on the map. Because the text, can jump around (geographically) the places that it talks about rather than conveniently listing places from north to south, I am considering changing the order of the Bible verses to more clearly fit the map. Before going any further, clearly the verses will still have to make sense and run into each other as they are read even in the alternative order.
In the example here, verses 16 to 21, there are several stand alone statements made about the events that are occurring. The order doesn't seem important as it does not seem to be listing the events chronologically. So I am thinking of changing the order of the verses to make the content and use of the map more clear. Here are two images with the different methods employed, please take a good look at them and think about which is best in the context of a comic and a comic that claims to be completely unabridged.
Standard: Map with verses out of order.
Dynamic: Map with verses out of order.
(Please note: The different sizes above are due to auto formatting on the blog they are the same size in the comic)
In the example with the correct order the reader need to search for the places mentioned. It cannot have arrows like the other image as they would cross around all over the image and be a mess. But the advantage is the text is un-tampered with.
In the example with the alternate, or Dynamic order you can see that it all still makes sense and the verse order is supplied down the left hand side to inform the reader of the alternate order and allow them to re-read them in the original order if they wish.
If I did charge the ordering I intend to keep any reordering to an absolute minimum and always within the some panel (box) on the page, and I don't think it'll ever be necessary except on maps like this one.
Also please bear in mind that the comic will have a full page map on its own at the front or the back for reference, however that influences you.
In these images both work to a greater or lesser degree. In other places like several chapters in the Book of Joshua, where there is extended talk about the myriad of towns and cities and tribal divisions, I am thinking this flexible ordering will make things a lot clearer for the reader and be able to fully embrace the benefits of this alternative media. If I had to keep the verses in order on sections like Joshua the map image would probably have to be repeated several times in order the get all the info in clearly. However the biblical purist in me wants the verses to be as unadulterated as possible, I don't want the comic to be “my interpretation” of the Bible but as faithful as possible to God's word.
So this is where you can have your say and influence the end produce of the Word for Word Bible Comic. Rigidity stick to the standard order or re-jig slightly with notes to make the text and maps clearer?
Please comment whatever your thoughts on this, I want to see how people feel about this and whether it compromises the unabridged nature of the work.
Game of Thrones and The Word for Word Bible Comic
I received a question last week about the comic and it's association with the TV show Game of Thrones, below is the question and my reply. As this touches on some important areas I thought I'd post it up as a blog.
Question : “I have a question about the purity of this 'comic'. I see you talk about Game of Thrones on your page but this is not something that Christians should be watching! Are you trying to include porn in the comic? Not sure I want to buy that, even if its supposedly 'true to the text'. John Piper has been speaking out against this ... http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/12-questions-to-ask-before-you-watch-game-of-thrones”
Answer: I understand why you are asking this question. First up I'll answer your question about how I will deal with the sex etc in the Bible. This is the statement I wrote on my Kickstarter page, I've included the section on violence too as it gives a fuller answer...
VIOLENCE – This graphic novel will not shy away from any issue the Bible addresses. Unfortunately, due to the corruption of mankind, these issues include violence, kidnapping, cold-blooded murder, even rape and infanticide. This work will not glamorize evil of any kind, nor will it be explicit or dwell on these things, but it will cover all the lessons that the Bible teaches.
NUDITY - Nudity will be implicit but not explicit. Where people are naked in the story they may appear as a silhouettes or partially obscured but they will still be naked. My aim is to be faithful to the text but not provoke lust in the reader.
In regards to associating it with Game of Thrones (GoT), that's a bit more controversial I guess but here is how I see it. The creators of GoT are out to make money and get the most viewers they can, GoT is based on an adult book which has a complex plot and lots of scenes filled with dialogue. The producers of the TV show obviously feel they have to jazz this up by adding pornographic nudity etc. They are not Christian so to them this is totally normal and good for ratings. I agree the nudity in GoT is too much for Christians and I wouldn't recommend that other Christians watch it, lest I cause my brother to stumble - so please note I am not recommending people go and watch GoT!
So those are the bad things, but here's my point: My work is intended to reach people who are not Christians, to show the relevance and excitement within the Bible and for people to consider it in a way they haven't before. The storyline, plot and setting of GoT are excellent and people are already watching it and talking about it. Sometimes to reach people we have to meet them where they are even if it's in a place that is not the purest of places. Another thing to consider is that the reason the Bible deals with these things is because they are real things that can effect people today, unfortunately, like rape, prostitution, promiscuousness, fornication, abuse and incest.
In regards to pornography, I am acutely aware of what Christ says about lust and our eyes causing us to sin, so I will be careful (as stated above) not to provoke lust in the reader. Regarding the porn industry, Piper brings up a useful point in his blog article: “Do I Care About the Souls of the Nude?” and the abuse of young ladies (and men) within the industry? These are things Christians should consider, but for my part this is not a factor because any nudity in my comic is obviously not real. Additionally, my illustrations are highly stylised so the people are not photo-realistic, just lines and block colours so it's less likely to cause the same kind of lust or covetousness as GoT.
I hope my work will in every way honour God and the Bible. It is possible that it will cause some people to be uncomfortable but only in as much as the Bible does or should.
Jerusalem through the Ages
I am now starting to draw a new section of the comic. I have completed the Samson story and considered which bit to cover next. I have some good ideas for the Ehud section, but as Ehud story comes in just five pages in from the beginning, I decided to start at the beginning of the book. I know, madness.
As I go along illustrating the comic I have to refine my broader research into specifics. One of the first things to research was the city of Jerusalem, as it shows up in Judges 1:7.
As Jerusalem features in the Bible from Genesis to Revelation and a time period of over four thousand years I had already decided to draw the Holy City from the same angle whenever it appears in the story, so as you read through the books of the comic you will see it growing and developing over time.
I've heard some preachers say one element of the Bible is “A Tale of Two Cities”, concerning Jerusalem and Babylon, as almost characters in this millennia spanning narrative.
In (very) brief, Jerusalem appears in Genesis 14:8 under the name Salem, later in the Conquest period it is called Jebus and is inhabited by the Jebusites (Judges 19:10) It is captured by David and renamed Jerusalem and goes on to grow under David and Solomon and other later Kings. It is destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar II in around 587BC (Jeremiah 52:6) and the walls are later rebuilt by Nehemiah. The city continues to grow and change hands through to Jesus' time and is then struck again in 70AD when the Temple is destroyed. The city then continues to grow until the modern day again changing ownership several times. The city features heavily in the book of Revelation also which will be in the End times. (Revelation 11)
In Judges, Jerusalem is a town called Jebus. In order to draw it as it would have looked I first needed to find out what the topography of Jerusalem’s steep hills and deep valleys. I was very happy to discover this is something that has been extensively research and even modelled before. This relief model below shows the hills as they are without any building on and just a faint line marking out the where the city walls stand today.
This amazing site even has a fly over video of how the city would have been in Solomon's day. (20 secs in)...
I found a map with the location of Jebus
...and was able to overlay it with the topographical relief (this image shows the map and maps of later ages overlaid with the topology. The red dot is the location of where the temple would be built)...
I found an entry on Wikipedia about the Walls of Jerusalem and thus discovered that Jebus would have had wall in the Late Bronze Age (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walls_of_Jerusalem) and so from this I was able to draw the hills and accurately plot the location of walled Jebus.
My image views Jerusalem from the east, just over from the Mount of Olives. You can see I've used the blue guides to line up the ridges and referred to other photos of the area to get the heights correct.
Jebus
Now all I have to do is set it on fire and it's all done! (Judges 1:8b).
I think it will be very interesting to see the urban sprawl of this great city through to millenia, and it's a great privalige to be able to use this under valued and often misunderstood medium to visually present the historically development of, arguably, the most significant city on the planet.
Portrait for BibleGateway
A few weeks ago I created a competition to win a portrait drawn of the winner. There were three winners and @BibleGateway was one for Retweeting the competition image. I have now finished the image and I am very pleased with it.
I am glad to give it to them because they have been great supporters of The Word for WORD Bible Comic and my Kickstarter campaign which ends very soon (25th May at 21:00 GMT). Bible Gateway have interviewed me for their blog they featured about the Comic on their site, and even invited my to be one of their a Bloggers Grid members due to my respect for the scriptures.
Below the image is more info...
Bible Gateway Logo as a portrait.
So in the image is the rounded door and key hole to match the logo. The ornate iron door braces that I have added have has crosses and vines, which the door "abides in" , these also represent both creation and redemption. The door has seven panels to reflect the Bibles heptatic structure.
Also, I wanted to represent something of the nature of the website within the image. So we can see that the light that the doorway lets through illuminates the words on the wall but not only highlights them but makes them clear and accessible/readable in the modern language (English used). The enlightened words are a basic computer/digital font linked to the fact it is a website.
I used the Koine ancient Greek on the right from the New Testament. The ancient Greek words do actually match the English. No prizes for working use the famous verse used. The English translation is the NIV as this is BG's primary translation.
Lastly the door doesn't just let through the light but also lead to a place in the presence of The Light (John 8:12).
If you are wandering who I am about the accuarcy and faithfulness of the Bible Comic see the previous Blog...
How do I know it's accurate to the Bible, and that I should back it?
How do I know it's accurate to the Bible, and that I should back it?
If you are a Christian worried about some heretical rendition of the Bible, good. It's right to be concerned and to know what you are putting your money into.
I am trying in every way to ensure this comic is true to the text, referencing back to the original Hebrew and Greek. Be assured I am more concerned about the “Author” being displeased with the work I do than any critique or displeasure from the fans.
Below you can see some of the points I address on the web page, but here are a few quotes and links from Bible experts and teachers.
“One might argue that W4W is actually a more authentic presentation of the Bible than our bare printed texts, which invite us to fill a visual vacuum by supplying pictures in our own imagination of people and events. We tend to do this as if they happened in our own time and place, or else in a generic 'Bible world' where nothing really changes culturally from Abraham to Paul.”
Rev. Dr. Christopher R. Smith (Author of “Understanding the Books of the Bible” Study Guides from IVP)
“In cases like this, the artistic depiction in W4W supports, rather than undermines, the larger theological themes of the Bible.”
PastorTerry Delaney (ChristianBookNotes.com)
Who is creating this?
In regards to my position within the greater church, I'm a member of the Newfrontiers movement in the UK, in City Church Bristol. This means I am an evangelical Christian and have an inerrant view of Scripture. I also have a scholarship within the Koinonia Institute Study centre.
My Testimony
As a child, I went to a Methodist church in Cornwall, but I didn't become a committed Christian until I went on an Alpha course on 2005 in Bristol. I gave my life to the Lord then and have been growing in my knowledge and faith in God and the Bible ever since.
I read the Bible properly for the first time and was amazed at the provocative tales of corrupted man and an uncompromising God. These adult stories of a powerful messiah were not what I remembered from Sunday school. Reading through the Book of Samuel was like reading a Game of Thrones novel and so I became very excited about reading the Bible. There’s a big gap between Bible-based comics and storybooks for kids, and the real harsh texts of the book we read as adults.
I felt called to fill that gap and create a graphic novel of the books of the Bible that would be not be for little kids but would be a good way to reach teens (aged 15+) and adults, with the full story of the Bible. Chuck Missler, a teacher I greatly respect, often says “the only real barrier to Truth is the assumption you already have it”, I believe many believers assume they know the stories of the Bible but are surprised when they sit down and read it in full.
The aim of this project is to get the full word of God into the hands of young people and help them read it by including dramatic and exciting pictures alongside the text. This also help the stories be more memorable.
I have grown to love the Bible through reading and studying it. I strive for accuracy in my work and so I use Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology, study bibles and commentaries from the Crossway (ESV), Zondervan (NIV), IVP Academic, Tyndale Press, Lion, The Bible Speaks Today, Thomas Nelson, and a whole host of others. I also check difficult verses with my Hebrew/Greek Interlinear Bible and ISA Basic software.
I love listening to good teachers while I work like Chuck Missler, Terry Virgo, Dr Martin Lloyd Jones, Chuck Smith, Walter Martin, Lange, John MacArthur, Tim Keller and many more. These help me keep learning more and more about God and our Messiah. I try to “receive the word with all readiness of the mind, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things [are] so.”
I am always open to improving my understanding of the text and am open to suggestions and challenges on how to better the work.
Assurance
If ever I do accidentally represent something in a way that is considered dishonouring to God or of poor theology, I will change it for all further issues. If you like the project but are still concerned about the doctrine and theology then become a “Consultant” by pledging and selecting that 'Add On' option. Doing this will give you a direct line to me and you will be consulted on any difficult elements in regular emails. For example, how to depict the execution of Jephthah's vow as good scholars disagree over the fate of Jephthah's daughter.
Endorsements
BibleGateway.com – You can see a blog about the comic here.
Simon Walker – New Frontiers Leader
Rev. Dr. Christopher R. Smith - Author of “Understanding the Books of the Bible” Study Guides from IVP. You can see a blog about the comic here
Jeremy Myers – Till He Comes Blog, See blog about the comic here
Rev Dr David Firth -Lecturer in Old Testament Higher Education and General Editor of the Tyndale Old Testament Commentary.
Pastor Terry Delaney- ChristianBookNotes.com see blog about the comic here
Sorted Magazine – UK Christian Men's Magazine linked with CVM (Christian Vision for Men)
More about the Book
TRANSLATION – The translation I will use will be modern in language and as close to the original text as possible. I am currently planning to use the World English Bible (WEB) translation as I feel it is a good balance between a “formal equivalent” and a “dynamic equivalent" and is an updated version of the excellent American Standard Version (ASV). If I can acquire the rights I may produce the work using the New King James Version (NKJV), New International Version (NIV), or English Standard Version (ESV).
AMBIGUITY – There are times when the minutiae of the Bible stories are ambiguous. Consider Jephthah's vow for example (Judges 12). Did he sacrifice his daughter by fire or dedicate her to the Lord in service? The more you search, the more difficult it is to discern. What is clear however is that Jephthar does not know his Torah! With an ambiguity like this, I have decided to draw the comic to be equally ambiguous. In this example, the comic may leave the casual reader with the impression that the daughter has been sacrificed as a burnt offering, as a servant to the Tabernacle or unsure. My hope is that if readers are unsure or possibly bewildered by the human sacrifice they will get online and decide for themselves.
VIOLENCE – This graphic novel will not shy away from any issue the Bible addresses. Unfortunately, due to the corruption of mankind, these issues include violence, kidnapping, cold-blooded murder, even rape and infanticide. This work will not glamorize evil of any kind, nor will it be explicit or dwell on these things, but it will cover all the lessons that the Bible teaches.
NUDITY - Nudity will be implicit but not explicit. Where people are naked in the story they may appear as silhouettes or partially obscured but they will still be naked. My aim is to be faithful to the text but not provoke lust in the reader.
PORTRAYING GOD AND ANGELS – Firstly it is obvious that in this work I will be depicting the “form of things in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below” but I believe that as they are not for the purpose of worship/idolatry this is not a contravention of the second commandment. I am not planning to depict God the Father in any human form. It may be necessary to show him one day in Isaiah 6 or Revelation 4, but this will not be as a white-bearded old man but more likely a being of pure light. The Holy Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit, and other unseen things of spirit are represented in the comic with a bright turquoise colour throughout. For example, when the Angel stands in front of Balaam's donkey the first time it is invisible to Balaam, in this comic series the angel in that case would be a turquoise line image to show his presence but invisibility. Angels that are not manifesting in human form will be portrayed in line with descriptions found in Revelation, Isaiah 6, and Ezekiel's visions - not guys with feathery wings!
RESEARCH NOT TRADITION – I will always challenge the validity of traditions that surround the stories. If I feel they do not detract from the true meaning of the text I may include them or make subtle references to them, but generally, if they are not Biblical they will be excluded. An example of this would be the Magi in the Nativity story. In the Word-for-Word Bible Comic, they will not be portrayed as kings and they won't arrive when Jesus is still a newborn baby; neither will they represent different ethnic groups but all be Parthian Magi.
Examples
For an example of the care and attention to detail within the Biblical text please read the blogs below...
My Biblical analysis must boldly go where no man has gone before.
Why did the lion attack Samson?
Expert in the Field - Details of a panel
Should you back it?
If you like the idea but are still not sure if you should be backing it because you are worried it might misrepresent the text please pray about it seriously.
Also please consider: there are many representations of the Bible stories that you have probably already 'backed' by watching them on tv, at the movies or bought and many of these will have an imperfect representation of the events. If my own work is in error, but you donate in good faith I will be the one culpable. I continue to pray my pictures will draw people in and they will learn to love and study the Bible for themselves.
In the parable of the Talents, (Matthew 25:14-30) each of the stewards who are rewarded risks the money they have been entrusted. Please join with me risking much to gain a great profit for our King.
It is currently 11 days left of the campaign and has pledges of around £7000 which is really great but there will be nothing if the goal of £15,000 is not pledged by the end of the campaign.
Please get involved and help me get the word of God in full into the hands of believing and unbelieving young people and comic lovers of all ages.
