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(study notes)---The Throne of God CHAPTER ONE We will all one day appear before the throne of God . It can only be imagined what this will truly be like . Of all the things described in scripture , the heavenly throne is one of the most mysterious and profound. It is portrayed with timeless imagery and metaphors ; their meanings often shrouded. This unseen celestial realm is foreign to us whose experience has been completely limited to the earthly . In the heavenly realm, God has allowed himself to be "seen ". In scripture we read of accounts of people beholding the Lord .These five examples shed light on its meaning ;these descriptions of the heavenly throne . Isaiah - 6 ,Ezekiel-1, I KIngs- 22 ,Daniel- 7, and the book of the Revelation -4,5 . I believe these represent and have special meaning in that God himself is allowing the prophet to peer into the very deepest chamber of his dwelling . We have doors and partitions to separate what is public from the private . The heavenly realm is normaly invisible, but visible to those whom God would allow spiritual insight . It can't be concluded that they literally "saw " God; this would contradict other teachings of scripture. (Jn.2) They had visions,dreams , and saw forms and manifestations , which is different from a face to face encounter ,though I don't think we can know for sure what is was truly like . Also it shouldn't be assumed that the Lord dwells in a specific "location "as we know it ,yet he chose to reveal and portray his spiritual dwelling in this way .
One of the more familiar descriptions of the throne is in the vision of Isaiah. It reads ; ISAIAH 6---- " In the year that king Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up ;and his train filled the temple .Above him stood the seraphim ; each had six wings ; with two he covered his face ,with two he covered his feet,and with two he flew. And one called to another and said ;Holy ,holy,holy is the Lord of hosts ;the whole earth is filled with your glory " And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called , and the house was filled with smoke . And I said ;woe is me ! For I am lost ;for I am a man of unclean lips;for my eyes have seen the King , the Lord of Hosts !" (ref) Quote full ..... In similar way ,though much less known, is the vision of Micaiah as he was summoned before the kings Ahab and Jehosaphat ------1 KING 22 Miciah stood before the kings and said "hear the word of the Lord.; I saw the Lord sitting upon his throne and all the host of heaven standing on his right hand and on his left .and the Lord said , " Who will entice Ahab that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead ?" [ 1king.22-19 ]( Quote....) " Then a spirit came forward and stood before the Lord saying "I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets " Then the Lord said "you are to entice him , and you shall succeed ,go out and do it ". so you see the Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets ;for the Lord has decreed disaster for you. " ( v-22,23) In this second , vision , the prophet Micaah was addressing two kings that had gone out of the will of the Lord. They were inquiring of the prophet for confirmation on a military pursuit . Micaih describes a throne with celestial beings surrounding it and even a conversation that takes place .Here God is not only reveled his throne but again letting Micaih hear the dialogue of the Lord . Ezekiel also behold Lord -- one of the most complex in terms of its fantastic imagery and metaphor . It is also one the more mysterious . EZEKIEL 1 Ezekiel saw a whirlwind storm coming out of the north . Initially out of the fiery storm cloud ,he beheld four strange creatures with different faces and multiple wings . These creatures moved about and had wheels beside each of them . Ezekiel saw that they glowed of burning fire and were full of eyes and awesome in appearance." Ezekiel went on to describe under them was a firmament like crystal. He wrote, " Then I looked , and behold ,on the firmament that was over the heads of the cherubim there appeared above them something like a sapphire ,in form resembling a throne; and seated above this was a likeness as it were of a human form . And upward from what had the appearance of his loins I saw as it were gleaming bronze ,like the appearance of fire enclosed round about ......Like the appearance of a bow that is in a cloud ... ...such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord . And when I saw it ,I fell upon My face , and I heard the voice of one speaking ." (v-26-28) Upon this radiant throne the prophet saw what appeared to be a human form . It was an awesome form ,like glowing molten bronze; like fire enclosed round about .It was identified as the Glory of the Lord . Ezekiel also went on to write " These were the living creatures that I saw underneath the God of Israel ..."(EZ-10) Ezekiel during the time of the exile encountered the glory of the Lord . Out of the midst of a great storm he saw fantastic images and an overwhelming form . It descriptions take to us tothe point of our comprehension . He describes again ,celestial beings and gives us a description of the One upon the throne . The Lord tells him to speak to his people ;similar to Isaiahs call . ------ And he said to me " Son of man ,Stand upon your feet and I will speak to you ....I send you to the people of Israel, , to a rebellious house... And you shall speak my words to them whether they hear or refuse to hear ." ( ch-2) In the forth passage , in a similar manner, Daniel writes of another detailed account of the throne. Dan 7 In the dream Daniel saw the winds of heaven stirring up the sea and four great beasts coming out of it . He described the forms three imaginary predators .He then saw a fourth beast with ten horns " terrible ,dreadful , and exceedingly strong " (v-). He wrote " I considered the horns and there came up among them ,a little horn ....( chap 7 v-8-14 He writes " As I looked thrones where placed and one ancient of days took his seat ;his raiment was white as snow , and the hair of his head like pure wool ,his throne was fiery flames ,its wheels where burning fire .A stream of fire issued forth from before him ;a thousand served him , and ten thousand times tenthousand stood before him; the court sat in judgment and the books where opened ".... " I kept looking until the beast was slain and thrown into the blazing fire .... , I looked and there before me was one like a " son of man "coming with the clouds of heaven .He was given authority ,glory and sovereign power ;all peoples,nations and men of every language worshiped him ..., his dominion is an everlasting kingdom ...and shall not be destroyed" `In Daniels dream ,given to him by God ,he sees a depiction of future history that was to unfold .These involved rulers , peoples, and the host of heaven. He too saw the form of the One upon the throne and also a drama of events. A great confrontation is described ,though not an earthly one . ( At its outcome we read of the "son of man ",the Messiah before the throne . These represent the most detailed descriptions of Gods dwelling heavenly in the OT (thought at least 2 other times he was "seen " (Deut 24 ,Zech ) . These prepare Gods people for the most extensive revelation of the new testament ; that of the Revelation to the Apostle John In the fifth vision , the apostle John wrote ...and is allowed to gaze into this divine throne room. The Apostle is told come up to this place . He is invited ;he is summoned to the majestic throne room . Gods nature is that he is a God of revelation . His desire is that we know him . He opened the door . He extends the invitation to behold that which is truly invisible John writes "At once I was in the Spirit and lo,a throne stood in heaven ,with one seated upon the throne ! And he who sat their appeared like jasper and carnelian , and round the throne was a rainbow what looked like emerald .Round the throne were twenty-four thrones and seated on the thrones were twenty four elders,clad in white garments ,with golden crowns upon their heads .From the throne issue flashes of lightning and peals of thunder , and before the throne burn seven torches of fire which are the seven spirits of god ;and before the throne their is as were a sea of glass ,like crystal ."... John writes of a throne surrounded by the 4 living creatures , and the elders proclaiming " Holy,Holy holy is the Lord God Almighty ",who was ,who is ,who is to come ". We see in the passage similarities to Ezekiels vision. We see the cherubim(4 living creatures) ,The firey throne (like jasper and carnelian) and the thunder and lightning . " After this I looked and behold a great multitude which no man could number ,from every nation ,from all tribes and peoples and tongues ,standing before the throne and before the Lamb ,clothed in white robes ,with palm branches in there hands , and crying with a loud voice "salvation belongs to our God who is seated upon the throne and to the Lamb "v -And all the angels stood round the throne and round the elders and the four living creatures and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God saying " Amen Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God for ever and ever " (REV 7) John in his vision writes "And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders ,I saw a Lamb as though it had been slain ,....(rev-5-6) and V-8 When he had taken the scroll... they sang ..."thou wast slain....thou didst ransom..and made them a kingdom...(to.v-10 ) In verse thirteen we read of a spontaneous worship; a crescendo of praise from All of creation . In this they are worshipping both the Lord God and the Lamb upon the throne . ( v-13,) "Then I heard every creature ....To him who sits upon the throne and to the Lamb ...be blessing honor ,glory ,and might forever and ever ! Amen " The Apostle during his time of banishment was given revelation by God .. He was told to write down what he saw and deliver it to the church . It contains many descriptions of the throne and the surrounding host. It also points to the drama that is to unfold to time everlasting . Each of the passages looked at, could be compared to a piece of a collage . They each have many things in common and yet each is unique . Together they form a view of the eternal throne . The Lord dwells in eternity , no past or future and the prophets beheld snapshots of this . Each description in its own context reveals much, however together they form a panorama , a continuum and declare his transcendent nature as we shall see. |
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