Episode Five: Fear Not

We continue our study with the end of the first chapter,

and the end of the opening vision.

 

17* When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand upon me, saying, "Fear not, I am the first and the last, 18 and the living one; I died, and behold I am alive for evermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades. 19 Now write what you see, what is and what is to take place hereafter. 20 As for the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

 

John tells us that he"fell down as though dead."

I am going to restate one of our core ideas throughout this study:

We are taking this book at face value,

observing first,

and accepting that John is experiencing an encounter with Jesus Christ

and describing to us what happened.