The Throne Room of Heaven
Notes
Transcript
Your truth. My truth. THE TRUTH.
Narnia: a door into another world in the back of that old wardrobe. The imagination of C. S. Lewis thrills me. His take on the Kingdom of God in the Kingdom of Narnia. His letters across the spirit world in Screwtape Letters. When did you stop using your imagination? Is that a fair question? Let our time in Revelatin today re-spark your imagination! Young men will see vision and old men will dream dreams.
The view of what we have here includes many sights we cant fully explain. Or at least explain well enough to do away with disagreement. So we will see them and deal with them but we will not belabor them. We are not looking for a code, but allowing the symbolism to point us to Jesus. We will not build our understanding or doctrine on these, but will allow ourselves to be pointed to what John was pointed to: He is Holy and He is worthy.
After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne. And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald. Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads. From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God, and before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal.
And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like an eagle in flight. And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say,
“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,
who was and is and is to come!”
And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
“Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they existed and were created.”
Exiting the letters to the churches and entering the rest of the Revelation (often called the apocalypse), the ‘church’ is not mentioned again until the close of the book.
A. C. Gaebelein says,
The scene changes suddenly. We are no longer on earth but are transported into heaven. The true church is gone and the apostate Church while still on earth to pass into the judgments of the great tribulation, is no longer owned by the Lord and therefore not mentioned. That is why the word “church” disappears entirely from this book after the third chapter. The open door and the voice which calls “come up hither” and John’s presence in glory in the spirit, clearly indicate symbolically the fulfillment of 1 Thess. 4:15–17.
Of course, not all theologians agree with this statement. And it’s not where we will focus, but I thought it noteworthy to see someone connect John’s vision with the church...
As we look at this book, we are looking at the Revelation of Jesus Christ. Jesus revealed. Today, particularly, the Throne of Jesus unfolds before us.
We see the elders around the throne, 24 in number. Maybe they are the representation of the 12 tribes of Israel and the 12 disciples. They are clothed in white, reminding us there is no sin in the presence of God. They have golden crowns of a life well lived, full of joy and splendor and salvation.
We see the living creatures, created beings. (OT Ezekiel 1-10)The description of their eyes tell us they are full of awareness. Awareness of self and awareness of what is happening all around them. They eyes seem to be symbolic of awareness.
One more symbol to mention: the emerald rainbow. For just a moment, let your imagination have the rainbow. What could the Spirit be wanting us to see by reminding us of the rainbow? Where did it come from? Why was it important centuries before? Didn't God self-impose a limit on judgement when He made the rainbow promise? If you’ve ever read the next few chapters you know judgement is described. But here God is, reminding the reader even His judgement will be within His goodness. Even in judgement, He will keep His word.
No matter what they all are, the point of what they all are doing is WORSHIP! (OT reference Isaiah 6)
“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,
who was and is and is to come!”
John allows us to see the whole of the trinity when the created beings declare the holiness of God. Holy is the Father, Holy is the Son, Holy is the Spirit.
Great thing about worship is, it’s contagious! The 24 join the worship of heaven and declare: God is worthy.
“Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they existed and were created.”
But how? How do we ‘send’ glory and power? Honor may be easier to wrap our minds around. “To God be the glory, great things He has done...” Could it be that simple? Well, sorta. In the same way we bring our victor’s crowns to Jesus, we will bring whatever glory we have and whatever power we have to Him. He is the origin/source of them anyway, so we give them back.
So let’s come out of the imagination and back to where you live today and tomorrow. He is Holy, so do you live like He’s worthy? Do you live to help others know Him as holy and worthy? Not sure how to? Use your imagination, after all God gave it to you!