Looking beyond the visible world gave a behind-the-scenes perspective on the realities encountered and experienced by the audience of the apocalyptic message. In the heavenly realm God’s rule is already manifest—the whole cosmos is not out of order, only the earth. The inhabitants of heaven are subservient to God’s will, and only the inhabitants of the earth and the demonic powers fail to recognize God’s authority.8 Placing everyday life within these broader contexts changes how aspects of the everyday
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