Description of the Throne (Rev. 4:3)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 04/11/2005

 

My Worship Time                                                      Focus:  Description of the throne

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  Revelations 4:3

 

            Message of the verse:  “And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian. A rainbow, resembling an emerald, encircled the throne.”  (NIV)  “His appearance blazed like jasper and cornelian, and all around the throne shone a halo like an emerald rainbow.”  (Philips)

            In this verse John seems to be having a hard time in describing the scene before him and so he uses gem stones to help describe what he is looking at.  The KJV uses the word sardine stone while the Philips and the NIV use the word carnelian to describe this stone.  This is what the Greek Dictionary says about this word:  “a sardius, a precious stone of which there are two types, the former is called a carnelian (because flesh coloured) and the latter a sard.” 

            The jasper stone is clear which could represent light and Psalm 104:2 may give some insight on this:  “Covering Yourself with light as with a cloak, Stretching out heaven like a tent curtain.”  The sardius stone is colored red and both of these stones are found in the breastplate that the High Priest wore.

            The last part of this verse describes a rainbow, resembling and emerald that circle the throne.  The rainbow is first spoken of in Genesis 9:11-17 and it is what the Lord put into the air after the flood to show that He would never destroy the world again by a flood.  The first rainbow was seen after the judgment and this one is seen before the judgment.

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  God’s judgment is always just and God has always shown that He has much patience before His judgment falls on man, and so it will be with the judgment that will come that is described in Revelations 6-19.  When God begins His judgment it will then come swiftly, for His cup of wrath will be full, as His patience will be finished. 

            God is patient with me as well, and does not discipline me until He knows that is the only way to get my attention, but His discipline is different than judgment, for His judgment on me was taken out on Christ while He was on the cross.  This both saddens me and makes me glade at the same time for I am now righteous before God because of the judgment taken out on Christ, but it was me that caused Him pain, and that saddens me.

 

The Word of God was convicting to my heart as I read it this morning.

 

My Steps of Faith Today  To trust in the Lord with all of my heart, and lean not upon my own understanding, in all of my ways acknowledge Him and He will direct my paths.