Four Days...

 

"From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings, and peals of thunder"

(Revelation 4:5a)

When me and my father were talking about doing this 10 Day Devotional, he called it "The Sights and Sounds of Heaven".

John is SEEING (flashes of lightning), he's FEELING (rumblings), and HEARING (peals of thunder).

We need to seek, and let the reality of heaven overwhelm all of our beings. Let me ask this question, do you think that if we each had an experience like John that we would live more fearfully or more trusting of God? Would we be moved by earthly things whereby we are overwhelmed, or would we recall the sight of flashing lightning, the rumbling feeling, and the sound of thunder, all coming FROM the Throne? It would change how we lived on earth, right?

What I love about this account in Revelation 4 is that John is not on his face worshipping. He's permitted to see all of this. The YouTube critics say that IF this and that were of God then we'd all be on our faces worshipping God, well, John wasn't, and he was in the Throneroom of heaven! To John, his encounter in the Throneroom was a first, but for every other being in this scene, it was normal.

What a weak word, "normal", I tried to think of a better word. To those around the Throne it was their reality. There is a word, however, that I like, that I learned from more theological people than myself, the word is "Normative". Meaning that we live with practices and habits that are the "norm" for our lives. Such things like Bible reading, prayer, fasting, meditation, attending church etc. the usual suspects. Very rarely do I hear "seeing into the Throneroom" listed as a normative practice in the life of the Believer. Even my own life, I'm ashamed to admit.

IF we are seated with Christ, on that Throne, in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6), which we are, then why don't we spend more time seeing everything FROM the Throne?

I believe the Holy Spirit is calling us to make this adjustment in our lives so that, in the Spirit, we can see from a heavenly perspective. That it becomes normative.

One final thought. When God appeared on Mount Sinai in the Old Testament, we hear of similar manifestations of God's presence. It says in Exodus 19:16,

"One the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning. A cloud covered the mountain, and a very loud horn sounded. All the people among their tents shook with fear"

The people were not permitted to go up on the mountain. If they even touched the mountain they would die. It was a holy place. Now, here is the difference between the Old Testament and the New Covenant, we are allowed to climb the mountain because of Jesus. In fact, the writer of Hebrews says,

"Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who was tempted in every way that we are, yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need"

(Hebrews 4:14-16)

Let us approach the Throne with confidence, just like John. Why wouldn't we want to spend time where Jesus IS?

You can't always depend on it happening on a Sunday morning, for there are millions of churches where His presence is not there. You can't rely on it during a sermon, because there are millions of preachers who do not spend time in the Spirit. Stop relying on others, when because of Jesus, WE can each approach the Throne of Grace, and behold with our own eyes the One seated. We too can SEE, FEEL, and HEAR what it is like to stand in the Throneroom, and see from the Throne.

More Lord!