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(Notes)---The
Throne of God Imagine someone being born blind; never having seen the multitude of people, forms, and colors we look upon in everyday life. How could we describe to them this visual world we experience ? In a similar way, none of us have ever seen God and none of us have ascended into heaven (Jn.2). Yet there are descriptions written down by the prophets; rare glimpses into heaven itself. Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel and others saw these glimpses. These often came in the form of prophetic visions, dreams,and spiritual revelations. In them the usually unseen becomes visible and described. They give us a lens to look into the celestial unknown. This realm is vastly different from what we are familiar with. It is a place of radiant glory and splendor. There, it is said, all the heavenly host are focused on the One seated upon a throne, surrounded with cherubim, seraphim and multitudes of angels. How much do we know of this place; how much can be known? A couple of years ago I decided to explore and understand what the heavenly habitation of God is all about. I realized the true value would be not just about studying "celestology", but to know God in a deeper way. We are exhorted in scripture to "set our hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God ... set your minds on things above (Col.3) This writing may not be necessarily be easy to read as it references some of the more difficult passages in Scriputure. These are some of the very ones that speak of his mysteriuos visible throne. The challenge in all this is trying to see a larger picture presented. As noted earlier these all happened at various times, contexts, and by various authors. Entire books have been written on many of these chapters and the task is trying to sort out which things are relevant to the larger picture. How are we to understand them individually and then collectively? How can clear truths be brought forth from some of the most complex passages in the scriptures? What is the Lord God trying to tell us of himself? What is the signifigance for his Church?. To get to the answers invovles a step on the part of the reader to think beyond the natural world. It requires us leaving stereotyped popular views of the heavenly realm and looking at it afresh ,from a prophetic view; from the descriptions inspired by the Holy Spirit. It also requires leaving the subjective. The images and descriptions of the visible throne are very relevant, for this is where our eternal future ultimately lies. |
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