Day 1. The Lamb in God's Awesome Throne Room (Revelation 4; 5:6)


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Adoration of the Lamb, stained glass window, Church of St Philip and St James, Oxford, England.
Adoration of the Lamb, stained glass window, Church of St Philip and St James, Oxford, England.

When you first open the Book of Revelation, John introduces his vision of the glorified Jesus among seven golden lampstands, which are symbols of the Seven Churches of Revelation. Chapters 2 and 3 include a message for each church, often a warning as well as a promise.

We first see the Lamb in the Book of Revelation in God's amazing throne room. John writes:

"Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders." (Revelation 5:6)

There is much going on around the throne. And since we're in no hurry to finish, I'd like us to take our time here to see with our mind's eye what John is telling us. Let's slow down and meditate on various aspects of Revelation 4 and 5 over the next six days.

A Throne in Heaven (Revelation 4:2-6)

"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." (Revelation 4:2-3)

Placed around the throne are 24 thrones and 24 elders. Try to imagine. It is an awesome setting indeed!

"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. And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind." (Revelation 4:5-6)

I won't be trying to interpret each of these symbols; our focus is on the Lamb. But imagine them in your mind's eye.

Worship Before the Throne (Revelation 4:8b-11)

The whole atmosphere is filled with worship, the four living creatures singing day and night praises to our God.

"Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,
who was and is and is to come!" (Revelation 4:8b)

The twenty-four elders join in the worship, ascribing praise to the Lord for all his glory, honor, power, and creativity.

"Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they existed and were created." (Revelation 4:11)

The Lamb at the Throne (Revelation 5:6)

It is in this context of praise and that we first see the Lamb.

"And between the throne
and the four living creatures
and among the elders
I saw a Lamb...." (Revelation 5:6)

So often we think of Christ dressed in a sweaty white robe and dusty sandals, tramping up and down the roads and paths of Galilee, preaching as he goes the good news of the Kingdom and healing all the sick that crowd around him. Then the grimy and bloody specter of flogging, crucifixion, and death.

But here, after the glory and pain of Jesus' sojourn on earth -- after the crucifixion, after the resurrection -- we see him in heaven "at the right hand of God."

  • Stephen the Martyr sees him there:

"Behold, I see the heavens opened,
and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." (Acts 7:55-56)

  • The writer of Hebrews tells us,

"Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith,
who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross,
despising the shame,
and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:2)

  • Peter reminds us,

"Jesus Christ ... has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him. (1 Peter 3:21-22)

  • In a promise to the Church at Laodicea, Jesus says,

"The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne." (Revelation 3:21)

The Lamb, of course, is Jesus, of whom John the Baptist spoke: "Behold, the Lamb of God" (John 1:29, 36). He is no longer hanging on the cross, he is in his rightful habitat -- glory -- that condition he longed for on earth. We catch a glimpse of this glory when he prays:

"Now, Father, glorify me in your own presence
with the glory that I had with you before the world existed." (John 17:4-5)


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The Lamb before the throne is his rightful place of glory, surrounded by worship. And yet he invites us to come to him and talk to him there. We are friends of the Lamb of Glory, and are welcome before his throne. What a privilege! We, too, worship at his feet.

Prayer

Father, we kneel in awe of Jesus, Lamb of God, who exists in unspeakable light and glory in your presence. Thank you for your mercy and grace. Thank you for making us holy. Thank you for making us worthy to approach our Jesus on his throne and receive his help. Help us to learn to worship you more and more. Thank you! In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Part of this course is focused meditation and response to God's Word in order to push ourselves to go deeper in the Lord. If you like you can answer these to yourself, or click on the link to see how others have answered the questions on the forum, and perhaps post your own answers.

Day 1 Meditation (Revelation 4; 5:6). Why is everyone around the throne worshipping? Why are they chanting and singing? Why do you think that we get bored with worship after a few minutes? What does that indicate about our hearts? What can we do to change this?
https://www.joyfulheart.com/forums/topic/1875-day-1-throne-room/

Conquering Lamb of Revelation

Bkmrk

Copyright © 2023, Ralph F. Wilson. <pastor@joyfulheart.com> All rights reserved. A single copy of this article is free. Do not put this on a website. See legal, copyright, and reprint information.