A Throne Set in Heaven

Help me to see You more clearly, Lord, as I focus on these truths.


"... and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne. And He Who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald" (Revelation 4:2-3).


When we're caught up to heaven, the first thing we're going to see is the Lord Jesus, just as John saw Him when he was caught up in the Spirit. And his description of Jesus tells us how great He is in glory. We see Jesus pictured as precious, glorious, valuable gems.


Now the jasper stone spoken of here is not what we would think of as jasper today, because this stone is clear as crystal (Revelation 21:11). It is like our diamond, and its translucent clarity speaks of the Lord Jesus in all of His righteousness, purity and splendor. The sardius stone, which is blood red, speaks of the blood sacrifice of this sinless Savior.


In the Old Testament, the high priest wore a breastplate with twelve stones - one jewel for each of the twelve tribes of Israel. This was a way of saying that God has His people upon His heart. The first and last of these stones were the sardius and the jasper stones. So these stones speak of Jesus, and of His people - His oneness with them, and His love for them.


God first set a rainbow in the sky after the flood to represent His covenant promise with His people. So when we see this complete rainbow around the throne, a never-ending circle of green, it speaks of the eternal life that belongs to the children of God. It represents the perfection of His grace and speaks of the God Who will never break His covenant.


Another thing the rainbow means is that the storm is over for the saints of God. But the storm is not over for those on earth, because God is about to judge this world. The rumblings of the Tribulation are just beginning: "And from the throne proceeded lightenings, thunderings, and voices ... " (Revelation 4:5). So a storm is brewing on earth, but round about the throne it is peaceful indeed.


~Adrian Rogers~ "Tapestry - Promises and Prophecy"