One Throne in Heaven
Introduction
One of the greatest contemporary spiritual blockages to continuous revival is confusion about God the Father. Since Jesus said, “I and the Father are one…Whoever has seen me has seen the Father…” (John 10:30; 14:9), this means that many sincere Christians are as confused about Jesus as we are about God (1 Cor 8:6). My experience teaches me that this is a serious problem for the global Church. The other day on a Zoom call to the U.S. it was mentioned that some churches are trying to recapture the spirit of the Jesus Movement of the 60’s-70’s. My comment, since I was there, was that this move, not without its glories, never “ascended” to the Father i.e. it never matured (John 14:6; 20:17). What is the foundational spiritual problem that has resulted in a gross shortage of spiritual father/mothers; “For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel.” (1 Cor 4:15)? The Spirit has opened up to me new insights about glory, power and authority.
The Throne of God
Our Father and God repeatedly reveals himself to us his creatures in scripture as seated on a throne in heaven (Pss. 11:4; 103:19; Isa 6:1; 66:1; Acts 7:49). This is an image of unique and unlimited power and authority. Central to the New Testament revelation of Jesus as Son of God’s Son is his exaltation to sit “at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb 12:2). Since scripture (John 12:41) teaches that the enthroned glory of the LORD in Isaiah 6:1 belongs to Jesus, we must conclude that the eternal glory the Son shared with his Father is now his as a human being (John 12:23;17:5). This truth cannot be overemphasised! It is conveyed in these words from the Athanasian Creed as it teaches that Jesus is God-human, “not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh; but by the taking of humanity into God”. I fear our flat earth eyes (stuck on the horizontal cf. Luke 21:28) keep us believing Christ’s humble earthly witness, “the Father is greater than I” (John 14:28) is still true. This is not the case as the exalted Son and his Father are co-equal in glory, power and authority. The Great Commission testifies, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” (Matt 28:18). Even more potently are the ascended Jesus’ words, “The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.” (Rev 3:21). Since the exalted Lord and his Father share the eternal throne, it follows there is only ONE Throne in heaven. Radical implication follows for us.
Reign with Me
Jesus promised the Church the share in the one undivided undiminished glory he has with his Father (John 17:22). As such he promised the original disciples, “in the regeneration, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” (Matt 19:28). Likewise, Paul reminded the compromised Corinthians, “the saints will judge the world…we are to judge angels” (1 Cor 6:2-3). In the “millennium” those who hold the testimony of Jesus shall sit on thrones of “judgement” (Rev 20:4). This fulfils the great promise, “The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.” (Rev 3:21). Our affirmation at the End of the justification of the saints (ourselves), and the condemnation of the wicked will be as absolute as God’s own decree uttered in Christ, “‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master…Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.’” (Matt 25:21,23, 41). We will forever share in Jesus’ enthroned joy “at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb 12:2 cf. Mark 14:62). These immense things fulfil the great prophecy of Jesus’ exalted status as “Son of Man”, ““I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him.14 And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed….the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, forever and ever.’” (Dan 7:13-14, 18). All the authority Christ the exalted King is shared with his people. For Jesus in “becoming Son of man with us, he has made us sons of God with him” (Calvin cf. 2 Cor 8:9 etc.).
Implications for the Way
Tragically, the original “Way” of Christ (Acts 9:2; 19:23; 22:4; 24:14, 22 cf. Isa 40:3) has been corrupted by numerous scandals. Sexual abuse involving rigid self-defensive institutions or the excesses of “celebrity pastors”. I see the root of all this far deeper than the 3 “G’s” of Glitter Gals and Gold. It was envy/jealousy of the divine likeness in humanity that motivated Satan to tempt us in Eden and moved the Jewish leaders to hand over Jesus for crucifixion and attack the apostles (Gen 3:1ff; Mark 15:10; Acts 5:17; 13:45 cf. Gen 37:3-). Shares his throne with no-one, Satan cannot bear that true Fatherhood-Sonship is fully mutual and without hierarchy or preference. The old joke about (male) pastors asking each other at conferences, “how big is yours (congregation)” really springs from their evil envy (James 3:14-16). The true Way of Christ (John 14:6) prohibits following an earthly leader’s vision, it releases all God’s people to follow what they see of Jesus in a senior brother/sister (1 Cor 4:15-16).
Why Not
If “all things” that Jesus possesses are really ours, now and forever (1 Cor 3:21-23), why do we generally live in spiritual poverty rather than in humble and great spiritual authority? This promise comes to mind, “if we endure, we will also reign with him” (2 Tim 2:12). A promise expounded as the book of Revelation whereby the saints conquer the all-conquering beast by loving sacrifice as their Master conquered and so inherit his throne (Rev 3:21). When we have the mind of “warring lambs”, we will see these things clearly in the Spirit (Rev 5:6; 12:11)!
Conclusion
The reason why we have a scarcity of genuine mature spiritual fathers, and hence spiritual sons, is now clear. For this great promise to become ours, “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. 6 And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.” (Mal 4:5-6 cf. Luke 1:17), we must see that as far as the kingdom of God is concerned there is no possible competition. The whole Body of the Church ministers in the one unlimited eternal space of glory, power, and authority of the throne room of God which we share in and with Jesus. This teaching is a call to all present Christian leadership (fathers/mothers) to embrace a new vision of reality and to collaborate with and emerging generation of saints (daughters/sons) to the glory of God (Isa 43:6-7).