Tag: throne in heaven
God rules from His Throne!
Scripture reading for December 20th: Revelation 15, Psalm 103, Ecclesiastes 5
Revelation 15: 5-8 “After this I looked, and the sanctuary of the tent of witness in heaven was opened, and out of the sanctuary came the seven angels with the seven plagues, clothed in pure, bright linen, with golden sashes around their chests. And one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God Who lives forever and ever, and the sanctuary was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power, and no one could enter the sanctuary until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished.”
There is a glorious throne in Heaven’s sanctuary where God rules supreme and those angels who serve Him await His every command. They run to do His will, obeying His voice. In this passage of Revelation, we see the four living creatures obey God and give the bowls of His wrath to be poured out on earth. These are the final judgments decreed by God on those refusing to repent and submit to His power and glory and offer of mercy. There is no vanity or self promotion among God’s servants. There is universal awe and respect for God’s Word, power and plans. Worship flows even as the bowls of judgment are about to be poured out. God is righteous, holy and blessed in all His works and all His dominion. Amen! Hallelujah!
Psalm 103:19-22 “The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, and His kingdom rules over all. Bless the Lord, O you His angels, you mighty ones who do His Word, obeying the voice of His Word! Bless the Lord, all His hosts, His ministers, who do His will! Bless the Lord, all His works, in all places of His dominion. Bless the Lord, O my soul!”
Prayer: Father God, I am in awe of Your glorious throne and those who willingly attend to Your Word and plans. I am grateful for Your justice and for your mercy towards those who are humble and contrite. I bless You today for Your amazing works of mercy, creation, and justice on the earth and towards mankind. I will worship You now and forever in grateful obedience. May holy fear fill my heart and life!
Ecclesiastes 5: 7 “For when dreams increase and words grow many, there is vanity; but God is the One you must fear.”
Worship beyond the door!
Scripture reading for December 5th: Revelation 4, Psalm 92, Proverbs 25
Revelation 4: 8-11 “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.
After John’s encounter with the resurrected Jesus on the prison island of Patmos, he looked and saw a door standing open in heaven. He heard a Voice speaking to him, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” (Revelation 4:1) John was invited by Jesus to enter the throne room of heaven. There, he observed the One seated and twenty-four elders who were also seated on thrones, dressed in white with crowns of gold on their heads. He also saw four other ‘living creatures’ around the throne with various animal features and one the face of a man. John observed these creatures at worship, day and night, without ceasing. Their cry was “Holy, Holy, Holy” and they gave honor and thanks to the One on the throne. In response, the twenty-four elders cast their crowns before the throne and fell down in worship of God as Creator and ‘Most High’ Ruler of the universe.
Psalm 92:1-2 “It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to the Lord, to sing praises to Your Name, O Most High; to declare Your steadfast love in the morning, and Your faithfulness by night, . .”
Prayer: Father God, thank You for this amazing Revelation of Jesus Christ through John the Apostle. The unseen world is real, while this earth is temporary. Thank You for Your invitation to John and to all believers in Jesus to ‘Come up here!’ I join now those around Your throne worshiping You! You are worthy, O Lord My God, to receive glory and honor! You created all things! I declare Your love and grace.
Proverbs 25:6-7 “Do not put yourself forward in the king’s presence or stand in the place of the great, for it is better to be told, “Come up here,” than to be put lower in the presence of a noble.”
“The “Upper-taker!”
Scripture reading for December 4th: Ezra 7-10, Psalm 97, Revelation 4
Key Scriptures: Revelation 4:1-4 “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.”
John was exiled in a prison colony on the Isle of Patmos and was worshiping the Lord when he had a divine revelation of Jesus Christ. Jesus appeared and spoke to him and told him to write down everything he would be shown. Following letters dictated to John’s seven churches, Jesus called John through an open door to heaven itself. The voice of Jesus was like a trumpet, calling John heavenward. Jesus wanted to show John the events that would transpire in the future and have him write them down for all believers. Immediately, John was transported in the Spirit from earth to heaven where he was shown God’s throne in all its glory and the events to come. This call heavenward is a foretaste of the Rapture of the saints, also initiated by a trumpet sound.
Psalm 97:1, 6 “The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice; let the many coastlands be glad! . . . The heavens proclaim His righteousness, and all the peoples see His glory.”
Faith confession and prayer: Lord Jesus, I await the trumpet call for Your people to come to You and to behold Your glory forever and ever. Help me and my family to faithfully successfully complete my journey to You and proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Ezra 8:21 “Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him a safe journey for ourselves, our children and all our goods.”
Through the door!
Scripture reading for December 13th: Revelation 4:1-11
If you knew of a special door that would take you into the throne room of Heaven for a visit, would you be excited or scared? John was worshiping on the Lord’s day on the island of Patmos, when he had an encounter with Jesus Christ! Jesus had told him earlier that He was the gate (door) for the sheep to find abundant life! (John 10:7-10)
“After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” (Revelation 4:1) John heard Jesus speaking and directing him through the open door. This door lead to a vision of the future and would reveal the events that would soon take place.
“At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven and someone sitting on it. And the One who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian. A rainbow, resembling an emerald, encircled the throne.” (Revelation 4:2-3) John was immediately transported in the Spirit through the open door. God’s throne was the first sight John noticed and it captured his vision. The throne of God represented all authority and power over heaven and earth and is mentioned forty times in Revelation. John described the One on the throne in terms of color, light, and precious stones. The great riches of heaven are not just the streets of gold, but the One who rules there!
In the center of the throne, four living creatures, covered with eyes, worshiped God continually. These angelic beings cried day and night, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God almighty, who was and is and is to come.” (Revelation 4:8)
Around the throne were twenty four elders also seated on thrones. They were dressed in white and had golden crowns on their heads. John got to observe them falling down before God’s throne and laying their crowns at His feet in worship. Their worship honored God as worthy! “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and by Your will they were created and have their being.” (Revelation 4:11) What a privilege to see this vision of heaven through John’s eyes!