THE THRONE ROOM
Today’s Reading: Revelation 4
Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).
There appears to be a “throne” in the back room behind the altar of Saint Paul’s Church in Tarsus, the home city of Saul of Tarsus, now known as the Apostle Paul. In today’s reading we get a glimpse into Heaven through the eyes of the Apostle John, and we see “A throne set in Heaven, and One sat on the throne.”
GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.
Key Verse: Revelation 4:11
You are worthy, O Lord,
To receive glory and honor and power;
For You created all things,
And by Your will they exist and were created.
Jim and Kathy Cantelon take us from the 7 churches here on earth through “The door standing open in Heaven.” They write,
Jim & Kathy Cantelon
The vision continues. Here we see the “throne room” of Heaven. It’s a key description for a number of reasons, not the least of them being that this “throne room” is the main “set” of the drama. For interest’s sake, you might try drawing the set as it’s described in verses 1-6. Probably you’ll do what I did – you’ll draw in two dimensions (a flat picture, rather like a disk). But try something else: try drawing it, or imagining it, in three dimensions (like a sphere) – the difference will be rather like that between a square and a cube. And don’t forget, our interpretations will always be less than satisfactory, for John is attempting to describe something that’s indescribable.
The main elements of the description are:
(a) A throne
(b) Someone on the throne
(c) A rainbow around the throne
(d) 24 other thrones around the throne
(e) 24 elders on these thrones
(f) Seven lamps before the throne
(g) A glass sea before the throne
(h) Four creatures around the throne
Add to this the colours of jasper, carnelian, rainbow, white, gold, and crystal – all lit with flashes of lightening and vibrating with peals of thunder, and you have three-dimensional description. It’s an awesome picture.
But the key factor in this picture is the verbal message: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is, and is to come” (verse 8b). We’re dealing here with God the Father, Himself. The only adequate response is prostration (verse 10). No description can even come close.
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Lord God, bless Jim and Kathy Cantelon and their family in every way, I pray. Thank You for Your call on their lives and for blessing me with their insights through the Day Unto Day series published in the mid-nineties, and now here on the 100words.ca blog for a few days. Thank You, also, for this look into Heaven which Your servant John has shared. I pray that my gaze will focus, not just on the surroundings of Heaven, but primarily on You, “LORD GOD ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS AND IS AND IS TO COME!” Through the Lord Jesus Christ, who opened up Heaven for all who call on His Name for eternal life. Amen!!!
100 PERSONAL WORDS:
I know I will be blessed by Jim and Kathy’s commentaries every day for 19 days here on my blog. After that, I expect, God willing, to finish off the first two-year journey through the Holy Scriptures with four blogs focusing on the final Words of Jesus recorded in each of the four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Then the plan is to start again for 24 more months! I’ve shared here before, but I think it’s worth repeating, that I promoted a one-year through the Bible plan during the 1960’s and 1970’s, and discovered that the majority of those who started with me in January each year got discouraged somehow and left the plan somewhere around the third to fifth book in the Old Testament. I prayed many times for the answer as to why this was so. I believe I heard from God something like this, “David, you need to expand the readings to two years. Start with Jesus in Matthew, then move to Genesis. This will encourage My precious people to maintain a consistent reading pattern and a majority will read every Word of the Bible with time to meditate on each day’s readings.” I began to promote this plan through the 100 Huntley Street TV show throughout the 1980’s and 1990’s. It worked! I knew this because readers would ask for the next instalment of the written commentary materials. Eight books we published in the 1990’s were called, Day Unto Day. Jim and Kathy Cantelon wrote the New Testament commentaries in that series, and Nizar and Ellen Shaheen the Old Testament. After the completion of these eight books, I learned that over 70% percent of those who ordered the first volume also ordered the last one, proving that the new Bible reading program was much more conducive to actually completing reading the entire Bible.
Yours for continuing to do the same now on the World Wide Web!!!,
David
The exterior of St. Paul’s Church in Tarsus. Tarsus was the university city of the Roman province of Asia Minor. Today Tarsus is in eastern Turkey.
The interior of St. Paul’s Church in Tarsus.
Thanks Dear David for this bible blog, which I have been following very faithfully. I send it daily to groups of my friends and family not only in Canada, but in Bombay, India too and all over the world. . I have family and friends all over the world. May God bless you in all you and Norma Jean have done, also your sons and grandchildren. Blessings
thank you for your daily blog David – I enjoy slowly reading the Bible and all the view points about the scriptures for the day. Also feel their is time to meditate on the words and praying time. Irene
Amen! I am in love with John’s scripture in Revelation 4. To imagine the Throne of Heaven in all its colours, creatures, dimensions and splendor, with praise unending–Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God, Almighty–is enthralling. Thanking you for your prayers. Wishing you, David, Norma-Jean, and all the saints, a most blessed day, in the Lord!
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.” Isaiah 43: 18-19 NIV
Everything Comes Alive-We Are Messengers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zs-a0b4G-A
Thank you for your daily blog. I can’t believe it’s almost been 2 years already! Praise God for what He is doing through you.
Many blessings for the day David. I am so greatful for your blog, explaining the scriptures as we read through. I feel that I have learned so much. Looking at the pictures as well. They are wonderful, I feel like I travel there.
WOW!
I am so pleased to read that you are feeling well enough to take us all through another 24 months of this excellent blog of daily fresh manna.
I feel that my biblical knowledge is greatly enhanced by your daily commitment as I continue my journey of knowing Jesus.
Shalom,
Graham.
My thoughts are the same as you Graham Wow is right. Thank you for the song
Beverlee Everything Comes Alive – We Are his Messangers
Meditating on the heavenly scene of the Throne room. Like the part of the rainbow around the throne as the Lord gave a beautiful rainbow in the sky after I led my father in a sinner’s prayer before he passed away. There’s is also more to the story. I am glad you are going to continue another two years David.
Thank you for inspiring us and giving us spiritual food every day. I am also grateful you will continue to lead us in this blog. I thought I would have to backtrack on your older posts to finish 2 years from my starting point! But it is so much nicer reading it when I know you are behind the scenes preparing it each morning…there to hear our comments. We can see your lovely heart for God and others in your writing, David. You remind me of my father (he’s now in heaven) and it’s comforting to me. Thank you so much for being surrendered to God, you are a blessing!
Dear David: I so appreciate the ‘fresh bread’ daily. I too am looking forward to the next days in Revelation, and am thrilled that your will begin the 3rd ‘go round’ on June 3/16. May OUR LORD continue to Bless you richly!
Amen!
Bless you David for your faithfulness and commitment in sharing this daily manna with us and the daily sincere prayer which comes from your heart.
Great photo of Jim and Kathy Cantelon, and the wisdom and knowledge they share, explaining the book of Revelation.
YES INDEED “HOLY, HOLY, HOLY IS THE LORD GOD ALMIGHTY WHO IS AND WAS AND IS TO COME”!!!
Am so thankful that you will go another round with 100 Words and GOD willing you will find the strength to continue. I started with 100 Words last January and have another 7 months to go to complete the reading of the entire Bible. It has been a blessing to me and I thank GOD for you and the family as they continue to help. Enjoy the commentary and pictures and look forward to the next 7 months.
Soooo excited to do this again! Our king sits on the throne, Amen! Xo.
Amen !
Thank you David for this incredible blog. I have been following since the start and God willing will do the 2nd, 2 year blog. Although I don’t know other people who are doing the blog personally through the comments and the fact we are doing this readings together I feel a strong connection. We must remember we are not alone, especially during these difficult times. We have a most wonderful Saviour our Lord Jesus and a huge family around the world.