Saturday, May 11, 2024

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.

10 thoughts on “Saturday, May 11, 2024

  1. So interesting. I am reading out of The Passion Translation and it gives me an even better understanding of Revelation.
    It is the year 2024, and this Revelation 4, has so many number 4’s
    Written in it.
    So appreciate that the Mainse family has continued this daily devotion. Thank you so very much. I have been following it for a few years now.

    • The picture of the Throne, for me, was disappointing! I would have expected a shining, spectacular looking place! Looking forward to the real Throne Room! Blessings all.

  2. A few years ago I joined the readers and David through the 100 Words Bible reading. I was so happy to be able to complete the two year course. For some time now I have just occasionally opened up the daily readings. A few days ago I started again, and my spirit is so thankful! I’m excited to start all over again. Praise God, His mercy endureth forever! I’m so thankful for the ministry of 100 Huntley Street – has had such great impact on my life. Prayers for Israel on this Sabbath day.

  3. Amen to above prayers . today I am praising the Lord for my good health and long life . Today with the help of my greater I am celebrating being 85 years young ! Thank you Father God .Thank you also for 100 words .I think I started with the very first time around and just keep following because it keeps me on track, thanks to the Mainse family. Blessings to all.

  4. Amen. I don’t remember exactly when I started but I have followed through a few times and will continue again. It is such a blessing and each time through I learn more. I love it.
    Continuing to pray for financial help and also for my granddaughter who is now learning to drive a standard transmission car. She is handling it well but still nervous. There are a few places in her daily travels that she had to stop on a steep grade but she is doing good
    Please pray that the Lord will keep her safe and give her more confidence each trip. Pray that she pays attention to all vehicles on the road and keeps phone off while driving

  5. Agreeing with all the comments above.
    I have followed 100Words.ca since it started and still
    learn more each time. Thanks to the Mainse family for
    making this bible study possible. It helps many people
    read and understand the bible in a simple way.
    Praying for every one on this blog that God would meet
    all their needs, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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