At the Center of the Throne
"They are before the throne of God and serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne will shelter them with His presence. Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat down on them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; 'He will lead them to springs of living water.' 'And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.'" (Revelation 7:15-17)
Revelation 7 describes people who have "washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." That is, believers in Jesus. (Rev 7:14)
It then says that "they are before the throne of God... and He who sits on the throne will shelter them with His presence." (7:15) This vision goes on to list many of blessings: "never again will they hunger, never again will they thirst, the sun will not beat down on them nor any scorching heat."
These things come to them BECAUSE they have been washed clean by the blood of the Lamb. But HOW do they enjoy them? Revelation 7:17 says, "FOR the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd."
"The Lamb at the center of the throne": this is a peculiar phrase.
There is "He who sits on the throne... the throne of God." And then there is "the Lamb at the center of the throne." What does this mean?
It means, first, that the truest nature of God is revealed in Jesus. What's more: the nature of God is most completely revealed in the sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross.
The cross of Jesus makes the true heart of God clearly known. This love is who God really is.
To know God best, therefore, consider what the cross means. (cf. 1John 4:9-10)
Second, the Lamb is at the center of the throne.
The throne is the place of power. God's power and sovereign reign are pictured by "the throne of God." And what is there, in the center of that singular place of power and authority? The Lamb.
"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me," Jesus said. (Mat 28:18)
The knowledge of God is made known in Jesus. The power of God is employed by Jesus.
"And He will be their shepherd."
He will guide us to the true knowledge of God. He will guide us into Himself.
And His leading will be effective. He will accomplish what He has set out to do for us.
We may utterly rely on Jesus, this is true. And we ought to continue to reflect upon Jesus, for He is what is true.
This is why we say that the true mark of spiritual progress and growth is *we are more about Jesus* than before.
And this is why we may absolutely and completely trust Jesus, and why we are absolutely and completely called to follow Him.
Prayer:
O Lord, help us to see, to know, to believe, to trust, that: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb!” Give birth to, and grow in us, Holy Spirit, that which must become, so that we join together with the heavenly host, even here today, and say, “Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen!” (Rev 7:10, 12)
Photo by Nazar Skalatsky on Unsplash