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REFLECTION
The
Throne in Heaven
by Mary McGinnis
Have you ever experienced something
that you just could not put into words? Going to the North Rim of
the Grand Canyon was one such experience for me. Sitting on the rim
of the Canyon right before sunrise, the canyon was dark, gray, and
lifeless.
And then as the sun rose, it was like God took out
His paint brush, and splashed color all over the rock faces of the canyon
walls.
It was stunningly breathtaking!! It was so overwhelming; it is nearly impossible to fully describe. I look back on the pictures of those moments, those snap shots of time we tried to capture, but even those photographs do not do the scene nor the experience justice. The beauty and awe of it all is far more than even a picture could grasp.
When I read today’s
reading from Revelation, I tried to put myself in John’s shoes. God
allowed John to see and experience things that were far above our human
understanding. He took him out of his current circumstances (being exiled for
his faith on a tiny island) and drew back the curtain of something
bigger.
That vision John got to
see was not the beauty of this earth, not the extravagant kingdoms of this
world, but a vision of HEAVEN. And not just heaven, but the One who
sits on the Throne of Heaven, in all His glory and majesty.
When I have gone to the
top of a mountain and looked down, the awe and majesty of it all has been
overwhelming, breathtaking, awe striking. How much more it must have
been to experience being in the presences of the God of Heaven, the One Who
Sits on the Throne!
Even though the language
John uses to describe what he saw seems strange and obscure to us, it is only
because words could never hope to grasp it. The snapshot of what
John saw was so immaculate, so magnificent, so transcendent, no human being
would be able to fully understand it.
Why does God share this
vision with John? Why did God tell him to write it down so he could
share it with us? God wanted us to get a taste of how vast,
immeasurable, and indescribable He is!
He wants us to get a
tiny glimpse of His Glory and see that high above this microscopic,
insignificant, seemingly out of control planet, the King of Kings, and the Lord
of Lords, is the One who sits on the Throne. He is the One who reigns above it
all.
And the most beautiful
thing of all? That majestic, indescribable, transcendent King loves
you and me. He wants us to know Him and have a relationship with
Him. That is why He stooped down, laid aside all His Glory for a
time and walked this earth. He came to suffer and die so we could
know Him and live with Him in all His majesty!
Prayer Practice Just as the letters to the churches showed the spiritual reality of things taking place on earth, today’s text shows the reality of things taking place in heaven. As you read this description of heavenly worship, look for what it can teach you about what it means to worship and praise God here on earth.
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