Around the throne were twenty-four thrones; and upon the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white garments, and golden crowns on their heads.
– Revelation 4:4
Imagery is a powerful communicator. The language of scripture is full of rich imagery. We do well to take it in and reflect on it, letting it teach us and move us. John, who received the revelation (apocalypse in Greek) from an angel of the Lord, saw things our hearts yearn to see. Part of what John saw, the part I think may be the most powerful, was the true center of worship, the throne room of heaven. Thrones, elders, living creatures, robes and crowns: the scene was majestic and glorious. In the scene there are thrones. Not just one, but twenty five in total. That might seem counterintuitive at first. If so, perhaps the imagery can enlighten us.
The center of the scene is a throne. The throne. It is not to be confused with any other throne. To us, thrones elicit thoughts of power and authority. Rulers sit on thrones, not common folk. Whoever is on a throne is, by virtue of their place on the throne, held in honor by others. (Of course, that is easier if the person on the throne is a just and benevolent ruler. But that’s another subject.) People on thrones have authority. The one on the throne reigns supreme. This is how things work. The scene in heaven with a throne at the center evokes imagery of one who is a ruler, who reigns over a kingdom.
But what does it mean that there are more than one throne? And not just two or three, but twenty five? It feels like a contradiction, doesn’t it? We don’t have more than one king of Morocco, more than one president of the United States, more than one governor of Texas. If we had more than one of such offices, they would be in competition for authority. Twenty five thrones? How can that be? The answer, of course, begins with the reality that when talking about our scene in heaven we are addressing a unique situation.
Unpacking the meaning of Revelation is not my interest here. Rather, I want to simply observe that the One on The Throne of heaven is not just king, but the king of kings. He is not just lord, but the lord of lords. He stands sovereign over all rulers who otherwise enjoy sovereignty over their own spheres of authority. Others may be king of this or that land, prince of these or those people, but the God of heaven is king, prince and lord over all of them. This is not even a cause of hesitation to the ones who are seated on the other twenty four thrones in heaven. When heavenly worship is activated, the ones on the twenty four thrones bow in worship to the One on The throne, removing their own crowns and casting them before Him (Rev. 4:9-10).
This is not only a beautiful picture, but quite reassuring as well. We live in a world where those who have no power often strive to attain it, and those who have it strive for more. It is so ingrained in our human condition that even kids shows (at least when I was growing up) had villains who devised schemes to rule the world. In our daily life we often feel the effects of being caught in the tension of power struggles. The Bible reminds us of who has ultimate power and authority. The apostle Paul was not being hyperbolic by saying that “at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth” (Philippians 2:10). When we choose in this life to submit to the lordship of Christ, we are aligning ourselves with an eternal reality that many have not yet embraced.
In this world are many seats of power, and multitudes who strive to gain them. This is not likely to change anytime soon. In fact, scripture seems clear in teaching us that this ongoing pursuit of power will not end until the King of kings returns. Those of us who have read the end of the book know where power and authority abides. And rather than waiting until an undisclosed day in the future, we find it to be a wise and blessed thing to go ahead and humble ourselves before His throne now.
Why not join us? There is room for your knee at His feet.
See you along the Winding Path.
The Winding Path 