A Picture of the Throne of God
By Greg Johnson
http://www.LovingGodFellowship.org
In the Bible, the book of Revelation is given by God to “show his servants what must soon take place.” (Revelation 1:1 NIV) In Revelation, the Holy Spirit reveals the glorified Christ, that which is and that which is to come. As I was reading this revelatory book again this past week, Chapter 7 and verses nine through seventeen jumped out at me and God began to put things in my heart that I desire to share with you.
In this passage of scripture we are given a picture of the throne of God. The Holy Spirit describes to us who is present and the activity that is taking place. "After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands." (Revelation 7:9 NIV) You can see the picture. It’s a sea of people so grand in number that they can not be counted. Every nationality and every language is represented.
THE POSITION OF THOSE AROUND THE THRONE IS SIGNIFICANT.
God and Jesus are in the center and this sea of people is surrounding them. Angels are surrounding the sea of people. The sea of people, all in white robes are in the inner circle and the angels are in the outer circle. The angels were created to serve God, but they were never redeemed. There was no need to redeem them because they have never sinned. The inner circle is saved for the redeemed. The ones in white robes are in the inner circle because they have been redeemed. They have been bought back from a life of sin. The purchase price was costly. It was through the blood of God’s own Son.
LISTEN TO THE TESTIMONY OF THOSE AROUND THE THRONE.
"And they cried out in a loud voice: Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." (Revelation 7:10 NIV) They are specifically proclaiming that salvation is only by God and Jesus. They understand that their salvation from the world and the wrath of God was through God’s grace and their faith in Jesus, the Lamb of God that takes away sin. They are full of joy!
Beloved, salvation is only by God and Jesus. God desires to save us from sin, guilt, death and wrath. As a person places their faith in Jesus, God saves them by His grace. They are placed among the beloved and will be around the throne shouting God’s salvation! Full of joy because they know without God’s grace, they would not be there.
The angels fall prostrate before God and begin to worship Him "saying: "Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!"" (Revelation 7:12 NIV) These angels are not able to sing redemption’s song, but in all humility they praise and honor God. They give their creator all glory! They also are full of joy in bearing witness to the multitude of the redeemed shouting praise to God.
Here we see glorious angels who have never sinned praising God in all humility. How much more should we who have sinned and been redeemed by the precious blood of Christ humble ourselves and worship Him?
WHERE DID THIS SEA OF PEOPLE COME FROM AND HOW DID THEY GET THERE?
"These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." (Revelation 7:14 NIV) They have overcome the world and have come out of the great tribulation. While they were on earth, they washed their robes. They accepted Jesus as their Savior. They placed their faith in Jesus and accepted everything He did for them at the cross of Calvary. They made Jesus their Lord; they fixed their eyes on Jesus and they followed Jesus. In doing so, they overcame the world.
Beloved, we live in an evil and perverse world that increasingly grows out of step with God’s Word. Only now on earth can we wash our robes in the blood of Jesus Christ. Without the blood there is no cleansing. Without cleansing, there is no redemption. There is no salvation. Wash your robes. Daily go to the foot of the cross and wash your robes in the blood of Jesus Christ. Daily go to the cross and crucify self. Crucify your fleshly nature at the foot of the cross. As we decrease at the cross, Jesus increases in our life. We make Jesus Lord; we deny ourselves and we take up our cross and follow Him. And one day beloved, we will find ourselves around the throne full of Joy and wearing spotless white robes!
THE SPECIAL CARE GIVEN TO THOSE AROUND THE THRONE MAGNETIZES ME TO THE THRONE OF GOD.
Notice the loving care they receive. They continually stay in God’s presence. "Therefore, they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them." (Revelation 7:15 NIV) They will never again experience separation from the presence of God.
God protects them from pain and suffering. "Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat." (Revelation 7:16 NIV) This life is full of pain and suffering. People around the world are in pain and suffering today. The beloved will spend eternity in God’s presence where there will be no pain and suffering.
God wipes away their tears. "For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." (Revelation 7:17 NIV) There will be no crying around the throne. Just joy unspeakable and full of glory!
There is so much about God’s presence and spending time with Him for all eternity that I don’t understand or comprehend, but I know one thing – I want to be a part of the great multitude wearing white robes. I want to be found in this beautiful picture painted for us in God’s Word. Only now on this earth are we given opportunity to wash our robes.
Beloved, it is only at the cross of Jesus Christ that we can wash our robes in His atoning blood! We can only do that while on earth! Overcome the world! Be saved from the wrath of God that is to come in the Great Tribulation! Be found among the great multitude wearing white robes around the throne! You will be under God’s special care for all eternity! Hallelujah!
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