A Revelation Invitation

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. … 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. (Revelation 4:2-3,5-6a ESV)

Before we proceed any farther in this book, before we proceed any farther in our lives, we must wrestle with this question: Who sits on the throne that rules the world? When John received this vision, almost everyone would have answered that Caesar rules the world from his throne in Rome. Everything people saw or experienced reinforced this conclusion. The laws, the soldiers, the roads, the tax collectors, the idols and temples, the architecture and cultural demands all shouted that the one sitting on the throne in Rome ruled the world. Because Christians saw this same evidence, it dared them to draw any other conclusion. Christians were witness to, often victims of, a great power struggle between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of this world making this question and this scene central to both Revelation and their lives. Who sits on the throne that rules the world?

By opening this door into heaven, God created a different narrative, one with which he intended to counter the prevailing one from Rome. Through John’s eyes, we can visualize the throne that truly rules the world. God’s appearance was of jasper and carnelian, types of stone, like marble, which are usually red in color. What message does this send? That God is unassailable, not vulnerable as if made of flesh (like Caesar). His crimson beauty is glorious, yet suggests wrath. The throne is also encircled by an emerald-like rainbow taking us back to the story of Noah where the rainbow was a symbol of hope, of a promise kept, of mercy given. From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings of thunder—echoes of Mount Sinai when Moses received the law—showing that God is prepared to act, warning the world to engage him fearfully. His judgments will result in the destruction of evil and whoever or whatever opposes him. There was what appeared to be a sea of glass before the throne signifying that God is unapproachable. If not for the cleansing blood of his son, if not for God’s great mercy, even his own people could not approach him in worship and adoration as the twenty-four elders do.

How should we respond to this clash of thrones? One message is clear: The throne in heaven is greater than the throne in Rome, is greater than the seats of power in Washington, Beijing or Moscow. In which ruler shall we put our trust? Which throne shall we fear? The throne of God or the throne of the governments and kingdoms and powers of this world? This isn’t a question of who sits on the throne of your heart, as important as that question is. It’s a question of who is truly sovereign over the earth. Indeed, the powers of this world are but parodies of the ultimate power of the God of heaven. So, when events seem out of control, when disasters strike, when we suffer persecution, God may seem absent but he is not. And we must believe, despite what we see or experience, that he rules.

How many of us have allowed social media and cable news to determine our “reality” leading to heightened anxiety and fear? This is not healthy, and it is not reality. When we embrace political parties and their leaders who claim that they will “save the nation,” we eventually learn that their claims are false, their powers limited, their promises unfulfilled. We must not be deluded by their claims. We must be devoted to God’s word and to prayer to clarify what is truly real and to know the One who truly rules—the great God of heaven. Through John’s eyes, we can see the throne that rules the world and the one who sits on it. We have nothing to fear. Trust him.

Great God of heaven who rules the world, give me a vision of you seated on your throne. Help me trust that your purposes will be fulfilled no matter how things may appear. You are mighty. Your wrath is to be feared. Your mercy is wonderful. No power on earth will thwart anything you wish to accomplish. Help me to trust you to the end when the final victory will be won. Amen.