Come Up Here

 Revelation 4:1-3..7

After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.”  At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne.  And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald.  

(John describes 4 living creatures within the Throne room ) …(7) and day and night they never cease to say,

“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, 
who was and is and is to come!”

When Jesus tells you to come here, you come.  It isn’t a question, it isn’t a maybe, it’s a command from the Sovereign Lord over all things.  

John is transformed into spirit form to enter into the Holy of Holies, the great Throne Room of God Almighty.  The human brain cannot comprehend the magnificence, the beauty, the indescribable opulence, and majesty of the King of Kings upon His throne.  John uses the best words he had to describe the beauty – “jasper stone and sardius” for the throne, a rainbow around the throne to describe the effervescent light emanating from His holiness, and later in the chapter, he describes the floor as if it were “a sea of glass, like crystal.”

We walk amongst beauty on this earth – architecture, historical monuments, lights, nature, mountains, rivers, and seas; but there is nothing in our world that will compare to the unbelievable glory of heaven, and especially God’s throne room.  From this throne room, much of the remaining verses of Revelation will be unveiled to John through Jesus Christ.  For Christ to bring John to the throne room, to see God, the Father seated upon His throne, with all authority of good and evil, right and wrong, eternal salvation or not.

Around the throne room were also 24 elders, dressed in white garments, and seated upon their thrones (v.4).  We don’t know who these elders are, but they possess some authority to be seated upon thrones alongside of God, the Father.  The white garments tell us that they are pure and holy, having met the standards to be elevated and seated with God.  Later in chapter 4, these elders are seen by John, lying their crowns at the feet of God’s throne, and crying out  - “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.” (v. 11). 

If these 24 elders are unworthy to be in the presence of God, the Father, who are we to believe we are “good enough”?  You see, even in your most perfect minute of life, you are still well short of God’s glory.  We strive each day to earn God’s love, His approval, His acceptance, when in reality, we can’t.  John was called up to the throne room as a guest of Jesus Christ.  He (John) was not worthy, but Jesus is.  Jesus is the intercessor for our transgressions and our iniquities.  He alone is worthy to stand before God the Father, because He is One with God.  

You and I will one day fall before God and tremble in awe of His great majesty and presence.  We will have no ability to hold onto our “crowns” of self-celebration and achievement, but be humbled to lay them down at the foot of God’s throne.  In heaven, we have no ego, no self-righteousness or grandiose celebrations; no, we will all fall before His glory and magnificence.  We pat ourselves on the back for our achievements in this world, for the good things we have done, for the kindness and sacrifice we have made.  We lift ourselves up as righteous, above others, and in doing so, we create a persona that we are worthy of God’s love.  

In reality, God provided Jesus Christ, through His life, death, and resurrection, as our only means to heaven.  If we count our good works as payment for entry into heaven, we can never accomplish enough.  But, only through Jesus’ covenant and promise, we are given eternal life; and thus, good works follow in line with His desires and not ours.  Realize that you cannot work your way to heaven, and accept Jesus as your Savior and Lord, and one day you too will be able to come up to God’s throne room, fall before Him, and call out “Worthy are You, our Lord and God”.  That will be a glorious day indeed.