Day 89

“Out from the throne *came flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder. And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God; ⁶ and before the throne there was something like a sea of glass, like crystal; and in the center and around the throne, four living creatures full of eyes in front and behind.” Rev 4:5-6 NASB.

There is no distinction made between God’s throne room and the heavenly temple. The throne is the place of power and authority, and the lightning, noises and thunders that come out from the throne would certainly enhance that impression. The person who sits on the throne is the one in charge, the one who has the right to tell others what to do.

The throne is mentioned together with seven lamps of fire and four living creatures. The lamps of fire recall the seven churches. They also recall the lampstands in the Hebrew tabernacle and Solomon’s temple.

Most people are familiar with the covering cherubs on the Ark of the Covenant, covering the spot where the glory of God would shine. But Solomon had an even grander idea for the temple he built. He had some artists carve a pair of covering angels from olive wood. These towered over the ark, 5-6mtrs high. They also had their wings spread out to a full span of 5-6 mtrs. They were stationed in the Most Holy Place in such a way that the wingtip of one cherub touched the wall, the wingtip of the other touched the opposite wall, and their other wings touched in the centre of the room.

This made a total of four cherubim or covering angels associated with the ark in the Most Holy Place. So the four living creatures probably allude to the four cherubim in Solomon’s temple. In that case, our text describes both the heavenly throne room of God and the heavenly sanctuary. The two are one and the same.

Since the authority of God is based in the sanctuary, the government of the universe is not based on raw power but on the spiritual principles of the sanctuary. The God who exercises power and authority in the universe is also the God who offers the kind of acceptance and forgiveness illustrated in the Old Testament sanctuary services. The safety of the universe is grounded in a combination of power and grace, authority and compassion. Our God can be trusted.