The Throne of Heaven

Revelation 4:1-7:17

The title is the throne of heaven, yet there is a lot of stuff going on today.  I don't know quite what it means when it describes the one who sat on the throne as having  "the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald." Does it mean shiny? colorful? hard? valuable? I don't know, I could think about that one for a while. I can understand the part about falling down before the throne-that makes sense; I'm not sure I could stand in front of the throne of God.

Maybe this is too small a thing for me to focus on. Anyway, what I noticed off the bat was the idea of the golden bowls of incense being the prayers of the saints. I LOVE incense. I know you have heard me say I love things but this incense thing is something special. I could just sit in the middle of it. Maybe it is the whole growing up in the 60's or in a church where they used incense - but it is more than that, the idea that it is the prayers on their way to heaven. That is something special. Prayer is sort of visible, but not solid, you can see it but not take hold of it, you can't capture it or make it stand still or stay the same, it is there but it is also on its way to somewhere else.  I Love that about incense. I think it says something about prayers too.


I can understand the idea of worshiping before the throne and the joy of being in the presence of God, however a lot of what this describes I can't fully comprehend. I think that is ok though. It leaves room for more reading later. Perhaps it will mean more later or bits will make sense at different times.

I read with interest the saved on their way to heaven, and I can hold onto the understanding that there is a whole multitude that cannot be numbered from every nation that is saved. I don't understand the seals and the riders-other than of course God can and will do all those things. He is God after all, and he is in charge, no matter what I might think. I read a bit from Ezekiel today (18 1-4, 19-32) God said "For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord God; so turn, and live." I think that has a lot to do with what is happening in this reading today. God desires us. He loves us. It is for us to turn toward him.


This last line of our reading today says: "For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." This is indeed something we can hold onto.

See you tomorrow. 
-maggie