OUT OF THE THRONE Revelation 4v5.
This is a fundamental change in the mode of the throne in heaven. No-one alive today, or for many hundreds of years previously have ever experienced such a throne. Hitherto for over two thousand years there has been "a throne of grace" (Hebrews 4v16). It can also be termed "a throne of mercy" from which mercy is dispensed to sinful human beings. A throne which has been ready to welcome and receive sinners back to God; a throne which is available to succour the saints of God in their difficulties throughout life. All this now has changed. It is now a throne of judgment. "Out of the throne proceedeth lightnings and thunderings and voices."A long time now God has suffered the ways of the world, in the language of Paul "the riches of His goodness and forbearance and longsuffering." (Romans 2v4); but that time has now come to an end and a new dispensation begins, (a new way of God dealing with the world). This epoch-making change is summed up in the words of Isaiah 42v13-14. "The Lord shall go forth as a mighty man, He shall stir up jealousy like a man of war: He shall cry, yea, roar; He shall prevail against His enemies. I have long time holden My peace; I have been still and refrained myself: now will I cry like a travailing woman; I will destroy and devour at once." Now the primary mode of the throne is of divine justice. God will not compromise with sin, He will oppose it, and will punish those who have despised His grace; this is no longer the God of Mount Calvary, this is now the God of Mount Sinai.
- Exodus 19v16-18 - "And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled. And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount. And Mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace and the whole mount quaked greatly."
- Hebrews 12v18-19 - "For ye are not come unto the Mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto the blackness and darkness and tempest, and the sound of a trumpet and the voice of words; which voice they that heard entreated that the word should not be spoken to them anymore (for they could not endure that which was commanded).
- Hebrews 12v26-27 - "Whose voice then shook the earth : but now He hath promised saying yet once more I shake not the earth only but also heaven. And this word yet once more signifieth the removing of those things which are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain."
God will shake the heavens and the earth in the day of His wrath. The fact has already been traced, but it is worth repeating, that each time in the book of Revelation when this throne appears in the mode of judgement, something is added; (refer to chapter 8v5; chapter 11v19; chapter 16v17-21). This programme signifies judgment on the earth in increasing intensity. When this point is reached, the world is now in the dispensation of wrath; that is the primary dealing of God with this world is now on the basis of His vengeance, of His wrath. When Jesus proclaimed the opening of the dispensation of grace in His sermon at Nazareth recorded in Luke chapter 4, it is noted that He closed the book in the middle of an Od Testament verse, something which would be extremely unusual. Quoting from Isaiah 61v1&2, He proclaimed "the acceptable year of the Lord." In the chapter this is followed without any punctuation by the words "and the day of vengeance of our God." Revelation 4v5 proclaims the day of vengeance has arrived. The day of vengeance follows after the day of grace.
The course of human history has seen God dealing with mankind in many ways. From Adam to Noah He dealt with men on the basis of conscience; this period of time ended in a global flood. From Noah to the tower of Babel He dealt with men on the basis of human government; this ended in the destruction of Babel. From the time of Abraham to Moses, He dealt with men on the basis of promise; this ended in slavery of a nation in Egypt. From Moses until Jesus Christ He dealt with men on the basis of law; this ended in national exile and departure from God. From Jesus Christ to the present day He is dealing with the world on the basis of grace; this period will end with the judgement of the wrath of God on the entire world. Revelation chapters 4&5 bring before us the very throne room of the universe and the mode and the mood of this throne is now clearly one of judgment. The heavenly court is in session and severe judgements are about to fall. This is the story of the rest of the book.
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