“THE THRONE OF HIS GLORY”

Concerning the “Throne” and its occupant, MR. BARNES has said: “The throne here is the same which is referred to in Matt. 25:37, and called there the ‘Throne of His Glory.”‘ The occupant of the Throne he understands is the Lord Jesus Christ, “the final judge of mankind.” Some commentators hold that it is God, the Father. The Pastor has thus expressed himself on this matter: “The one who sat in the Throne represents The Christ, primarily Jesus, the Head, but also the overcomers who sit with Him or share His glory and power (Rev. 3:21)—yet all one.” “The Throne or Kingdom of Christ will be a pure–a righteous one, here symbolized by white, the symbol of peace and purity.”–Z March ’82-7, S.

Not a few Old Testament prophecies describe in strong symbolic language this passing away of the present arrangement or order, social, political and religious. In Isa. 24:1-3 we read,

“Behold the Lord makes the earth empty, and makes it waste, and turns it upside down, and scatters abroad the inhabitants thereof,”–and that this does not refer to the literal earth will be seen from the words that follow: “And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the taker of usury, so with the giver of usury to him. The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the Lord hath spoken this word.”

This symbolic statement of the Prophet is in full harmony with this one of the Apostle John; the turning of the earth upside down evidently referring to the fact that a great revolution in the present order will take place, in which the proud and haughty, the “upper crust,” will be debased, and the meek and humble will be lifted up. Another prophecy to the same effect is found in Isa. 40:4, in which is stated that “every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: the crooked [perverse] shall be made straight, and the rough places plain.” This strong figurative language is only another way of describing the fact that society (earth) is to undergo a great change, be reconstructed on a basis in which equality of classes shall exist, and in which “individual merit will be recognized, blended with humility and benevolence.”

In Isa. 24:17-20 we read of this same great revolution of the present order. The language is strongly figurative, and reads: “Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth. And it shall come to pass, that he who flees from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that comes up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth (the present order of society) do shake . . . The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again.”

The earth in this prophecy means the present old social structure or order. It shall be removed as one would move a building to make way for the new building of God, the new earth, wherein righteousness and justice shall be the order. The 46th Psalm is another prophecy describing the same fleeing away of the present, old corrupt order. The new order will be the reign of Christ, the appointed judge of mankind, who shall judge the world in righteousness and the people with His truth. The vision of the Apostle John presents a brief symbolical description of the various features of that judgment Day, the most stupendous one of all being that of the awakening of all who have gone down into death under the sentence imposed upon father Adam.

“I SAW THE DEAD STAND BEFORE THE THRONE”

 The Apostle John’s next words are: “And I saw the Dead, the Great and the Little, stand before the Throne; and Books were opened; and Another Book was opened, which is the book of Life; and the Dead were judged from the Things which had been Written in the Books, according to their Works. And the Sea gave up Those Dead which were in it; and Death and Hades gave up the Dead which were in them; and they were judged each one according to their Works.”–Rev. 20:12, 13.

As introductory to an examination of these words, we would again remind all that in order to a full comprehension of their significance we must appreciate what may be properly termed one of the great fundamental truths of the Bible, viz.: that all mankind have all down the stream of time had resting upon them the sentence imposed upon our first parents, “dying thou shalt die” (the only exception being that since the Advent of Christ, consecrated believers have that condemnation lifted from them and are justified freely from. all things); in other words, that in Adam, the human race originally had a representative trial for life and have been already judged as unworthy to live, and as previously stated, if they had been left in this condition, there would never have been an awakening from death. However, when we consider the plain and convincing statements of Scripture that teach that the ransom sacrifice of Christ is to fully offset the effects that the disobedience of Adam brought upon all men, this vision of the judgment or trial day of the world is seen to be a most wonderful blessing instead of a curse a blessing purchased for all by that sacrifice. “For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that He might be Lord both of the dead and living.”–Rom. 14:9.

Let us note a few of the many Scriptures that have reference to what the sacrifice of Christ secured for every man, as well as assure us that a time has been appointed in the Divine Plan when all will be permitted to benefit by that sacrifice: “As through one man [Adam] sin entered into the world [in whom all sinned], and through sin, death; so also, death passed upon all men.” (Rom. 5:12.) This Scripture teaches very plainly that the cause of sin in the world was Adam’s disobedience, and that this one sin of Adam brought the sentence of death to all men.

Another Scripture that teaches the same, but in addition shows God’s grace or favor to all through the Man, Christ Jesus, reads:

“But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came (shall come) from many offenses resulted in justification. For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.)

Therefore, as through one man’s offense (father Adam) judgment (the sentence) came to all men (extensively), resulting in condemnation (the sentence death, dying thou shall die), even so through one Man’s righteous act (the man Christ Jesus) the free gift (sentence) came to all men (co-extensively), resulting in justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many (all) were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.” (Rom. 5:15-19)

Continued with next post.