The most famous throne in history is the Peacock Throne. It was said to have been more costly than the whole Taj Mahal. The Emperor of India, Shah Jahan wanted to emulate King Solomon, the Biblical king of renown for his great wisdom and wealth. The Peacock Throne contained 2535 pounds of gold. It had 12 emerald pillars surrounding it and 12 pillars surrounded and embedded with fine, round sea pearls, each 6-10 carats each. It had a 73.6 carat light green diamond called the Akbar Shah Diamond. It also had the Koh-i-noor diamond, a 105 carat diamond that was given as a gift to Queen Elizabeth and now embeds her crown. Today’s estimated value of the Peacock Throne is $13M.
The Peacock Throne is impressive, but doesn’t hold a candle to the descriptions we have in scripture of the throne of the King of kings and Lord of lords, the Great God Almighty! Biblical descriptions of His throne include the prophets Daniel and Ezekiel’s visions of the throne looking to be ablaze, with multidirectional wheels shining like burning chrysolite (peridot), with rims full of eyes and a throne that looked like sapphire. Daniel and John both said there was a rainbow like an emerald encircling the throne.
Sitting on this extra-spectacular throne, we are given the description of the Almighty:
Isaiah said the train of His robe filled the whole temple. Ezekiel and Daniel described one in the form of a man, glowing like hot metal full of fire with a brilliant light like a rainbow surrounding Him. Daniel and John said the One on the throne wore clothing white as snow, and His hair was white like wool. John said His body was like a jasper and carnelian stone, eyes flames of fire, out of His mouth a sharp sword, feet like fine hot brass in a furnace with a Lamb in the center of the One on the throne. He also described a voice like the rushing of many waters or a tumultuous army.
The descriptions that Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel and John give for the throne and the God who sits on it, I’m sure, falls flat compared to what they actually saw. They tried to wrap words around what no human eye has ever seen, nor comprehended.
I have elaborated on God’s throne, and then the description of Him, in order to give us some perspective as to WHAT and WHO is being honored in the scene John sets in Revelation 7. John describes what he saw in front of the throne as a unified group of the most diverse creatures you could think of: angels, mythical-type beings, people of every nation, tribe and language. They were all crying in UNITY, “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” “Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever.” They could not HELP but be in awe and reverent worship of the One seated on the throne!
Taking a quick look at what many are facing this week, in addition to individual circumstances:
Each of these things, individually, can create fear, unrest and/or division. Even moreso in combination.
Let’s get into our head the picture of The Heavenly Throne again.
God does not move from that throne no matter our circumstances, or who is in authority in our community. In heaven, everything worships Him with every breath. Are we worshipping Almighty God and trusting that He will handle the things in our life that create fear, unrest and division? Let’s not let ANYTHING remove our focus and attention from the God who unites us in awe and reverent worship of His Majesty.
Descriptive images taken from Isaiah 6, Ezekiel 1,10, Dan 7, Rev 1, 4, 5, 7, 19, 20, 21
