40 Days of Lint, Day Ten: The Throne

When you walk into a person’s house, you usually enter the living or family room. Whatever piece of furniture sits in the middle of that room is probably symbolic of the lord who lives there. It may be a lazy boy recliner with a remote on the arm, or an oversized chair with an ottoman. It may be a leather couch flanked by neat piles of books and magazines. The central piece of furniture in a woman’s home might be a multi-pillowed couch with luxurious blankets for snuggling.

What then, do you think we will find in the middle of heaven? Several scripture passages tell us it will be the Lord’s throne, who reigns without equal:

“…there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne…From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. In front of the throne, seven lamps were blazing…Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal…Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne… the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; ‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’ ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes’ ” (Revelation 4:2-6; 5:6; 7:17).

In this glimpse of heaven, Jesus reigns on the throne in the middle. He is identified as the Shepherd who will lead us to living water and dry our tears. In His glorified state, in the center of heaven, Jesus still appears as the Lamb who was slain. He’s not a potbellied couch potato with a remote in one hand and a beer in the other (or even a scepter!). Even in His glorious, heavenly radiance, Jesus bears the marks of the sacrifice He made for us.

If not for the wounds of love, John might have been terrified by this vision of Jesus. Instead, He sees his Master, his friend, his Savior. And he falls in love with Him all over again. For those of us who have never had the privilege of seeing Jesus in human form, it is comforting to know where to find Him when we get to heaven. He’ll be the One in the middle – the One so beautiful He escapes description - surrounded by rainbows, gems, and storms of praise. People and angels surround Him in adoration. Yet He reaches out nail-pierced hands to wipe the earth-tears from our eyes and welcome us home. 

For those who have accepted Jesus’ gift of forgiveness and new life in Him, we need not fear death. We need not wonder if heaven will be tedious or if we will be accepted. I’m confident that when we see what John saw, we will be overcome with the splendor of our Lord and heavenly delights beyond anything we can experience here on earth.

Lint Removed: Fear

Cleaning Process: Gratitude