14. I Sit inside His Throne
Audio OnlyI approach this topic this morning with a deep sense of sobriety in the Spirit and of responsibility inside of God. I am not thinking of any abuse of this topic in the Christian experience, although that abuse has been great. Rather, I am thinking of Father, and His great desire to prove His Word to be faithful and True, and I am thinking of creation and its desperate need to be free.
The entire scene of Revelation Chapter 4 is a visionary picture to us of the authority of Christ, that is, Revelation 12:10 – the authority of His Christ is now come. That is, the authority of Christ inside of us.
In Service to the Gospel. The authority of Christ in which we are seated is a truth of the gospel. For that reason, we bring this chapter of John’s vision into the service of that gospel. When the vision serves the gospel, then we see it in its full glory. When the vision blocks out the gospel, that seeing must be false.
Most teaching I have known places a mighty chasm between the end of Chapter 3 and the beginning of Chapter 4. But if it is true that we are seated inside of Christ inside the Father’s authority, then John is looking at us (including himself) upon that throne. But this is the Father’s throne, not the devil’s throne, and so we think of this authority only out from the Father.
The Authority of Christ. Then we see that the Lamb does not enter the picture until Chapter 5. For that reason we will not bring the truth of the Mercy Seat into this session. In fact, the next two sessions on Chapter 5 will include the Lamb and the Mercy Seat, titled “At the Heart of the Church” and “We Weep over the Church.”
In this lesson, then, we want to focus on the dynamics of life and power that invest the authority of Christ given to us. We possess the authority; God keeps the power for His Spirit, but the place of meeting between these two God-realities is filled with energeoing life and meaning.
What to Consider. At this point, I do not know what the boxes on the Jesus Secret page will be. We must write to find them. I do want to consider each of four topics inside this chapter separately, partly related to the four paragraphs.
As I look through this chapter, I see so many directions we could go. I know we will only briefly mention some things and emphasize others. I know that I want to emphasize the seven lamps of fire burning in the presence of the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. Let’s start with our statements of faith.
Our Statements of Faith. I hear God calling me; I enter an open door. I see heavenly realities. I see the One seated upon the throne. I am inside of the One seated upon the throne. All authority in heaven and earth are given to Jesus inside of me, Jesus, my only life. I synergeo with God making all things good. The authority of God inside of me is living and dynamic, filled with praise and honor. I am inside of the One who is existing, who has always existed and who is continuously and actively coming, and He is inside of me. I give thanks and speak good grace inside of His presence. I give back to Him in honor the authority and value which He has so freely given to me.
Inside of Spirit. After this I looked, and I saw a door open inside of heaven, and the voice I first heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, “Come up here, and I will show to you what must happen as a result of these things.” Immediately, I was inside Spirit…
First, this open door inside the heavens and this invitation to step through that door into the Spirit is given to every believer in Jesus. This is first a call to full immersion into the Spirit, for the Spirit alone sees and knows. To be inside of Spirit is to dwell thoughtfully inside the knowing of God and of His ways. All who would be included will answer this particular call.
Out from Overcoming. Then we have two related phrases, “After this,” and “as a result of these things.” “This” and “these things” are clearly referencing the ability of Jesus inside of us to overcome and to be seated inside of the authority of God. In other words, this is asserting that everything to be found in the unfolding of the vision comes as a result of the overcoming of the sons of God as we have seen in the last several sessions, but especially in “I Overcome as Jesus.”
For us now, here is the most important line. The voice I first heard was like a trumpet, saying, “Come.”
Synergeoing with God. A trumpet is a call to walk together with God, whether to assemble into battle or to enter into rest and abundance or to journey forth as the Ark. These three actions are always interrelated. They are also for the sake of others. Salvation is God through us.
Thus we see Revelation 12:11 – Protect the Church; provide for the Church; be the Mercy Seat for the Church. But before we see Revelation 12:11, we see Romans 8:28. And then we realize that this entire throne business and all the fight yet ahead is nothing more than an opening to us of the centrality of synergeoing with God.
Seized into His Throne. Now we know what our first box must be – “Authority to Make All Good.” Along with that, we place the word “synergeoing with God” as the definition of everything we see inside the vision of this Throne.
When we first hear this call to synergeo with God making all things good, we respond to that call with, “Yes, Lord.” But when we find ourselves inside that God who synergeos with us, we understand that, from the start, we have been seized into God and into His throne.
What does it mean to possess all God-Authority?
The Authority to Love. In the classroom, we must build an understanding of this Authority piece by piece, even though we know that everything is always working dynamically together. Ultimately, the Authority given to us is to make God known, that is, the Authority to Love. I have the Authority to Love; I have the Authority to cause God to be known by all created things.
But to describe that overall Authority, the Spirit breaks it down for us in a number of different ways. Thus we must begin with the meaning of synergeoing with God, the dynamic union of God’s power with my authority.
God with Us. The entirety of this picture of the place of God’s authority is speaking of you and me synergeoing with God through faith, making the outcome of all things to be goodness and blessing for all. As we do this in the mundane ups and downs of our daily lives, and then, going forward, as the big things hit us as they also hit the world, our little doing becomes great surges of power altering all things in heaven-earth.
And the whole point of the seven overcomings is that we might KNOW with all CONFIDENCE, that this is indeed what is taking place, that God is inside our every moment, RECONCILING the world to Himself.
Authority to Make All Good. I possess from God the authority to love, the authority to make all things good for the sake of others, together with God. I place my faith with God that He and I synergeo together in every moment, and that our Devoted Spirit goes out from us causing all that was meant for evil to be turned into the outcome of goodness, regardless. I have the authority to send Rivers of life into my world. I have the authority to lift others up and to establish them in the knowledge of God. I make God known; I am the embodiment of love.
A List of Things. Let’s continue on to the second paragraph. We notice that every descriptive statement is of things in or around or coming out from this throne, but never of the throne itself. The throne itself is the simplicity of one thing – Authority.
Let’s list the things regarding this Authority.
1. The One inside of the Throne is like jasper and sardius gemstones, that is, two specific crystalline structures.
2. A rainbow like an emerald encircles the Throne.
3. Twenty-four elders are seated on twenty-four thrones all around the one Throne in the center.
4. Seven Lamps of Fire burn inside the presence of the Throne.
Heavenly Realities.
5. The Throne and all around it are sitting on a sea of glass like crystal.
6. Four living beings are circling around the throne, although they are also in the midst of it.
7. The four living beings and the twenty-four elders speak concerning the One seated upon the Throne.
Understand that these are not metaphors only. Rather, there is a reality in the heavens that is difficult to describe inside of human and earthly concepts. A vision sees these heavenly realities in terms of earthly concepts for us, but they don’t mean earthly things.
The Rest of the Page. I think we can now set out the remainder of our page. I can see three further boxes out from this list. The first will be “The Kingdom Unfolding.” This is the primary concept indicated by the four crystals included in our list. Then we have a box titled “Seven Lamps of Fire.” The Spirit is the power of God moving out from Authority into creation to accomplish all that Authority directs. Thus we want to look again at our seven arenas of influence, the seven principles of the Kingdom. Finally we will have a box titled, “The Faces of Authority.” These faces are the four things Jesus commanded God to do. – Glorify, Keep, Make Devoted, and Forgive.
God and Us Together. As you can see, this is way too much stuff for a single lesson. And so we must find a way to focus everything to one thing. The one thing is always Father-Made-Known, that is the Authority of Love.
Here is the verse of our focus. – “Devoted, devoted, devoted, Oh Lord God, the One who holds and carries all, the All-Carrying One, the One who is existing, has always existed, and is continuously and actively coming.” Devotion is God-Personal to each one. God-Known says, “It’s all personal between you and Me, My son. I carry you, even as you cause all to know My own Energeia of Being, as we together synergeo all things good.”
Jasper and Sardius. It is hard to find what I need in order to know what God means by using crystals and gemstones to reveal His own Being and of the ordering of His Kingdom. We know that in other places gemstones refer to the gifts of the Spirit, but not in this setting, where the seven lamps of fire take that role.
The One sitting upon the throne is described as jasper and sardius gemstones. These are the same rock, a form of quartz called chalcedony. They are different only by color. Sardius is brighter, a mottled blood red color intermingled with other shades of red and white, often in stripes, and jasper is a duller shade of red-brown, very earthy.
An Emerald. And there you have it, a representation by gemstones of the blood of Jesus flowing out from His side upon the cross down into the earth, mixing with the earth – the Church born out of love, life out from death.
That is one part of classifying gemstones, by their color.
An emerald, then, is a form of diamond marked by the color green from earthy impurities. In fact, John would not have known our modern “perfect-cut” gemstones. An emerald stone can be a band, as a rainbow is a band, and the lines of colorations and imperfections in it are like a depth of flow. Yet an emerald is a carbon crystal, the same carbon of your pencil lead and your body and all life.
Polymorphism and Life. Thus we have a principle called polymorphism, the ability to take on various shapes according to location and influence.
A rainbow in Scripture represents Covenant. Green is the color of life. Carbon is the building block of life and of emeralds. Blood is also life. Picture Jesus’ blood – my earth. Out from the Blood mixing with the earth comes a Covenant of Life, the Authority of Christ invested in us.
“We are saved by His life” becomes that same Life as Covenant Salvation flowing out from us into the Church. God is rooting His Authority utterly into the Gospel.
The Sea of Glass. Then we have the sea of glass, glass that is crystalline and not clear. We know from later in John’s vision that this sea of glass is the place of the Church. This place of and for the Church, then, comes first out from Jesus’ side and second, out from a Covenant of Life.
When I think of glass as crystal, I think of frost upon the window pane. And when I look for pictures of frost on glass, I am overwhelmed by the beauty and the meaning. Talk about polymorphism, for even though there is great similarity from one picture to the next, each is uniquely and wondrously different in form and spread.
The Formation of a Crystal. Now we come to the formation of a crystal. You can get a kit and watch crystals forming yourself. God is using that picture to describe the unfolding of His Kingdom in the Church and in her gathering unto Him.
A crystal is an ordered three dimensional arrangement of atoms or molecules, like the stacking of bricks in a wall. This is the same picture as building the House of God. Although these arrangements, called “unit cells,” can be stretched at various angles, they are cube-shaped, like tiny boxes. – Think salt crystals. As cubes, they have four faces; they are “foursquare.” So yes, John’s vision is filled with crystal metaphors.
Connections and Individuality. The formation of a crystal begins with the first unit cell. Then, following the same characteristics as that first cell, another forms similar to it, and then another and another.
When we think of frost on glass, we see that this formation goes in one direction and then another, forming branches and leaves. Some look just like fern branches. You see connections and individuality, both. What the first is, the second becomes, yet slightly different, adding more, forming groups and structures, the building up of the body of Christ, the unfolding of the Kingdom, as He is, so are we in this present world.
Sym-polymorphic. Jesus is symmorphic with me and with you, that is, Jesus and I share the same form together. But when I look at you, I see a very different person. And so Jesus is polymorphic as well, able to adapt Himself to every individual form whom the Father has given to Him.
But what are we talking about? – John’s gospel. Here is the same thing using a very different metaphor. If a grain of wheat planted into the ground should not die {sardius and jasper, blood in the earth}, it remains alone. If it should die, however {Sym-polymorphic, becoming something entirely different – the plant}, it bears much fruit {Sym-polymorphic, many more seeds just like itself}.
The Kingdom Unfolding. The Kingdom of God begins as the blood of Jesus mixes with the earth of my heart, as shown by the jasper and sardius stones together. This Blood Covenant is a Covenant of Life as the green carbon crystal of a rainbow emerald around God’s authority. Out from my heart, out from that Covenant, goes forth a sea of glass like the formation of ice crystals on a window pane. As I am like the Lord Jesus, so others become the same as they know Christ as me. Jesus shares form with me, symmorphy. Yet Jesus also shares form with each one of my brethren, polymorphy. The many in whom He dwells become just like Him.
The Eyes of the Lord. We must be brief in our layout. In the presence of the Throne are seven lamps of fire which are the seven Spirits of God. We also know from John’s vision and from Zechariah’s vision that these are also the eyes of the Lord sent out into all the earth.
Here is how God works. He brings something forth out from Himself. That something cannot be good or evil in itself. To make that thing good, God first sees it as good, and then He calls it good. – And it is good. This is Romans 8:28, you and I synergeoing with God.
By My Spirit. It is not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit. – It is the Spirit that gives Life. You and I, synergeoing with God through shared Faith, that is, Jesus, see all things as good, and then we call all things good – for the sake of others. But it is the Spirit alone who causes our shared expectation of good to become the outcome in creation.
And thus the formation of the crystalline body of Christ, the branching out of many Christ communities, the unfolding of the Kingdom, many more modeled out from Christ in us, happens only inside the bath of the Spirit.
Seven Arenas of Influence. Thus I want to equate the seven lamps of fire with the seven principles of the Kingdom, the seven places or arenas of power and influence, wherein the Spirit alone must bring the goodness of God, yet out from the authority of Christ inside of us, synergeoing with God.
We are talking about the places of essence, entrance, connection, means, response, condition, and knowing. We speak good grace into each of these places of influence throughout the whole earth and the Spirit makes all good.
Only through Small Weakness. I just finished watching Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings again. I was struck again with the overwhelming truth that it was NOT the armies of the west or the beings of strength and wisdom leading them that defeated evil. It was two weak, tired, distraught, stumbling little hobbits, determined to bring this awfulness to an end – for the sake of others.
What I mean to say is that this picture is not us being great beings of POWER, striding across the earth, casting out devils and sending forth Rivers of Life. This is you and me, stumbling along the way, bringing Jesus into every part of our lives – for the sake of others.
Only through Faith. The Throne of God is the Mercy Seat. The Throne of God is our hearts. Our hearts are the place of His authority. Is that not what the gospel says? – Christ lives inside of your hearts through faith?
“Through faith” means me, the human me as I am, small and weak, often stumbling and often distraught. Yet you and I never separate ourselves from our Father, and with Him we speak – for the sake of others. This is the living POWER and the dynamic Energeia of the place of Authority, going out from us to the Church, calling each one into Christ Community inside the presence of God.
Seven Lamps of Fire. This unfolding of the Kingdom going out from me together with others, the formation of the crystalline body of Christ, the branching out of many Christ Communities modeled out from Christ in us takes place inside the bath of God’s Devoted Spirit as seven lamps of fire, the seeing of God. From me the Spirit establishes the Blood and Word that is Jesus as the essence and life of each one. By my example each enters Christ Community with thanksgiving. Out from me, all connections together are through the Covenant that is Christ. Together we know the Father; together we are Love inside the Spirit. We accomplish all things through giving, yet inside of weakness, as humans, through our faith. We enable others to receive the true and refuse the false. We travail with the Spirit; we make creation free.
The Kingdom Doubled. The two double numbers in this chapter are interesting. It’s not two cherubs on the Mercy Seat, but four living beings around the Throne. It’s not twelve tribes of Israel or twelve apostles, but twenty-four elders each enthroned in a circle around, each wearing a crown. Twelve is the number of the Kingdom and twice twelve is the Kingdom doubled.
If I am sitting upon the Mercy Seat of God, what enabling powers do I want on my right hand and my left. For me, there is nothing more important than the two middle commands of Jesus to God. God – KEEP me from all else. God – DEVOTE me utterly to Yourself.
Interpreting “the Four Faces.” Yet Jesus commanded four things of the Father, not just two.
You see, I have heard many “interpretations” of these four living beings around the throne, none of which satisfy me here. If I can’t find something real at the Heart of God inside of mine, then I would just skip this stuff and go on. I love the fantastic, but I hate nonsense and hoopla.
A crystal cell, like a grain of salt, has four faces all around. This throne has four living faces filled with eyes all around it. Those eyes correspond in meaning to the eyes of the Spirit. And yes, I am satisfied with the meaning that now comes.
Jesus Commanded God. The first thing Jesus commanded God was “Glorify Me!” And we have the face of a lion, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the King of our hearts. The second thing Jesus commanded God was “Keep them.” And we have the face of a calf, kept and cared for.
The third thing Jesus commanded God was “Make them Devoted to You,” and we have the face of a man. A man, a real man, is best characterized by the word DEVOTED. The fourth thing Jesus commanded God was “Father, forgive them,” and we have the face of the eagle, carrying God’s people on its back all the way into SAFETY.
Making Our Authority Simple. But what does this mean when we say that these are the faces of Authority?
Let’s make it simple. Jesus lives in my heart; His kindness is upon my face. My Father keeps me from all evil tucked utterly inside of Himself. My Father makes me devoted utterly to Himself, and then, through Him, I am devoted to His Church. Out from that devotion, I place the entirety of my life as – for the sake of others, that my brethren might know the glorious Salvation in which they live.
That is the authority of God that will cast all evil out from heaven-earth and send forth Rivers of Life into every place, bringing life and healing to all.
Four Faces of Authority. Jesus lives in my heart as my Lion King; the strength of His kindness is upon my face. God keeps me from evil, as a calf is kept, tucked utterly inside of Him. God makes me devoted to Himself as the face of a True man, and then, through Him, I am devoted to His Church. Out from that devotion, I place the entirety of my life as – for the sake of others, that my brethren might know the glorious Salvation in which they live. My Father glorifies me; keeps me; makes me devoted; and carries others to Himself through me.
A Pattern Language. Revelation Chapter 4 has one purpose, and that is to cause us to know that the wondrous truths of the gospel made personal as “Father with me” are displayed as the greatest glory of the heavens, the deepest meanings inside of God. We will see this same purpose continuing in Chapter 5.
This leaves us with a continuing puzzle, a puzzle I am eager to unravel. I said earlier that we want to use the language of an electrical universe in order to understand the dynamic effects of God’s Authority through us. The problem is that God just uses too many metaphors and series of patterns, all jammed together. Out from all, I want a pattern language that informs us of all things real and true.
Reading for Next Time. The next lesson is titled “At the Heart of the Church.” I placed this page into the flow separate from a portion of Scripture, although it fits with Revelation Chapter 5, which you might read once. Also, you might want to read Lesson 34, The Way of Life, in Studies in John again.
Part of my reason to place this topic here is to show our change in the statements of faith from “I” to “We.” Another reason is to place the “overcomer” together with “THEY,” coming up, that is, the firstfruits of Christ. But having just completed this lesson, I see much more, that the wondrous meanings opened to us in Revelation 4 must be explored a bit more before we can continue.
Let’s Pray Together. “God, our Father, You have placed before us an open door in the heavens, and we have entered into the knowing of Your Spirit.
“Father, we look upon our hearts and we see Jesus. We see His Blood mixed with our heart of flesh; we see His word written there. We see Your Covenant of Life going out from us into all the world as a promise of life and goodness. Father, You have given us all authority to Love, to enable all our Christian brethren to know You, together with us.
“Lord Jesus, You share form with us. Yet we also look upon our brethren all across the earth and we know that You are polymorphic as well, for you share form with many.
“Lord Jesus, let Your Kingdom flow out from us into all Your Church, all who drink of Your same Spirit with us. Let our knowledge of You flow out to each of our brethren, and reciprocally, that we might receive You from them in just the same way. Let Your love for us inside of them meet Your love for them inside of us. Let Your body be built inside of Love.
“God, our Father, we travail with our shared and Devoted Spirit that many Communities of Christ would form and take shape inside of Your presence and all across the earth. Father, let the revelation of Your Kingdom begin with us. God, we call You into Your Church. We call Your Kingdom come, that You might be Yourself upon this earth inside of heaven. We call it to be so; it is so.”