“Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve.” Matthew 4:10
In the vision that God gave to Isaiah, in the year that King Uzziah died, he saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, “…high and lifted up, and HIs train filled the temple.” (Is. 6:1) This was a tremendous, and over-whelming sight. And yet, Scripture does not indicate to us that a great many people have had such a vision of the Eternal God upon His throne. Why? It is perhaps because of the matter of trustworthiness. God does not entrust great visions of Himself in heaven to many because, like with the issue of His glory being only attributed to Him, so the vision of Him in heaven, elevated, and surpassing all that is of His creation, must not only be received well, but communicated accurately. So, we see the prophet Isaiah receiving such a vision, and, though overwhelmed by it, communicates the truth and magnitude of it to his listeners, and readers. The same is true of Ezekiel the prophet, who had a similar vision of God upon His throne. He too would communicate the vision in truth in the most exact form possible, never yielding to the temptation of exaggeration or oversimplification. Then we come to John the Apostle, exiled to the island of Patmos, who received the vision of God which corresponded perfectly with the other prophets, and yet there is a magnification of the vision, additional details and powerful truths that contribute to the overall, and dominant themes of the vision. When we combine the three visions, we find that there is not only a reason for which God gave them, but there are salient features which are common to all, and must be grasped, if we are to worship God in Spirit and truth.
The first thing that we need to grasp of this matter of these visions, is that all three of the prophets KNEW that their specific vision was of God. How did they know this? It was not sought for, nor was it as the Apostle Paul once wrote concerning the gospel, “…I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (Gal.1:12) Isaiah’s vision came sometime during the 8th century BC. Ezekiel’s vision came during the 6th century. And that of John the Apostle came around 95 AD. The vision, heavenly and Divine in its unveiling, was confirmed to heart and mind of those who received it, with such clarity and powerful conviction, that they would fear being unfaithful in the communication of it. This is borne out by the Lord’s words at the end of the book of Revelation: “And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.” (Rev. 1:19)
The content of each vision centers upon the One who is sitting upon a throne. In that vision is the revelation of the Sovereign God, who possesses all power and authority in heaven and in earth. As such, He is revealed as the Creator, maker of heaven and earth, the Sustainer of life, and the provider of eternal Life to all who will truly believe in Him. In the book of Hebrews, the author adds another very important truth to this vision of God on His throne, and it is that of the glorified Christ, who, “…after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God.” (Heb. 10:12) This One, the Father, seated as Creator upon the throne is in heaven this day as such. His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, is seated at the right hand of the Father upon the throne. God the Holy Spirit, is actively working to reveal these great truths to the believer’s heart and mind today, providing the truth and the power to worship God.
Dear Father, Strengthen us to worship. In Jesus’ name, Amen.