Scripture Reading: Ezek. 1:26-28; Matt. 26:64a; Acts 2:36; Rev. 3:21
In the vision in chapter one things in the natural realm are used to describe things in the spiritual realm. These spiritual things are deep, but we can understand them through the natural and physical things that are used to describe them. According to God’s plan the spiritual things revealed here begin with the wind (v. 4) and end with the rainbow (v. 28). As we will see in the next message, there is a rainbow that manifests God’s splendor. In our experience, the throne (v. 26) and the rainbow both depend on our having a sky that is crystal clear.
In the last message we saw that above the heads of the living creatures is a clear firmament, a clear sky, that is expanding and yet was stable. Now in this message we need to see that above this clear sky there is a throne. Ezekiel 1:26 says, “Above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it.” We need to consider the meaning of the throne and apply it to our experience.
We Christians need to maintain a clear sky with the Lord. This means that we need always to have a clear fellowship with Him. We should have nothing between us and the Lord. When there is nothing between us and the Lord, our sky will be crystal clear, and our conscience will be pure, void of any offense (Acts 24:16).
We need to be deeply impressed with the fact that if, as Christians, we would have a clear sky, a crystal heaven, before the Lord, we need to have a conscience that is without offense. Whenever there is condemnation or an offense on our conscience, our sky immediately becomes cloudy, darkened, and foggy. At such times we should confess our failure and our sin to the Lord and receive His forgiveness and the cleansing of His precious blood (7, 1 John 1:9). This will cleanse our conscience so that it will be void of offense. We will again have a clear sky and a clear fellowship with the Lord, with nothing between us and Him.
Sometimes a small matter, such as a poor attitude toward our spouse, can cause us to have clouds in our sky. Perhaps the other party is wrong, but our attitude is also wrong, and we lose our joy and our peace. Also, we may have no anointing to pray for a period of time. Our conscience begins to condemn us and bother us. This is the loss of a clear Christian sky, the loss of a clear heaven. We no longer have a clear heaven over us, because something is wrong between us and the Lord. This situation will remain until we go to the Lord and ask His forgiveness for our bad attitude. Then the Lord’s anointing within us may cause us to sense that we need to confess and apologize to our spouse. Although we may hesitate, because we have lost the Lord’s presence, eventually we confess, apologize, and ask for forgiveness. As soon as we do this, the “weather” changes; the clouds disappear, and the clear sky returns. Something within us is living once again, and we can praise the Lord. Once more we have a clear sky, a sky like the firmament of terrible crystal over the heads of the living creatures. We should have this kind of experience not only in our daily life but also in the church life.
Whenever we have such a clear sky in our Christian life and in our church life, we will also have the throne, which is above the clear sky (Ezek. 1:26). The throne is the center of the universe, and it is where the Lord is. We often talk about the Lord’s presence, but we need to realize that the Lord’s presence is always with the throne. Where the Lord is, there His throne is. His presence can never be separated from His throne. The Lord’s throne is in the third heaven, but His throne is also in our spirit. Hence, the Lord’s throne is with us all the time.
As Christians and as local churches, we all should be under a crystal clear and expansive sky. Above this clear, expansive sky is the throne of the Lord. By having such a clear sky, we are spontaneously under the government of the Lord’s throne. Now we are under the ruling and reigning of the throne.
We should always be under the ruling of the Lord’s throne. Because we are under the throne, we do not need policemen and law courts to rule over us. If we need to be ruled by the police and by the courts, this means that we are not under the throne.
We should be under the throne of the Lord all the time. Perhaps we want to say a certain thing, but the ruling of the throne does not allow us to speak a word. As we begin to speak, the throne exercises its ruling, and we are forced to swallow our words. At other times, we may become angry and may be close to losing our temper, but we realize that we are under the ruling of the throne, and we are subdued. Who is ruling over us? We are ruled not merely by the teachings of the Bible but by the throne.
In our Christian life and in our church life, if the sky is clear, the throne will be there. But if our sky is cloudy and darkened, we will not see the throne. When we do not see the throne, we can be loose and do many things according to our taste and convenience. Today many believers are careless in their daily Christian life because they do not have a clear sky with the throne above it. Whenever believers are in darkness and thus are not under the throne, they can be quite loose, speaking what they want to speak, expressing what they want to express, and going where they want to go. But a person who is under the throne has no liberty to behave in such a way.
In a sense, because we have been saved, we are liberated, but in another sense we are under the throne and have no liberty at all. I can testify that sometimes I wanted to go to a certain place, but because of the throne I did not have the liberty to go there. Praise the Lord for the clear sky and for the throne! Above our heads is the firmament, and above the firmament is the throne.
The highest step in the spiritual experience of a Christian is to have the throne in our firmament, in our clear sky. To have the throne, or to arrive at the throne, is to allow God to have the highest and most prominent position in our Christian life. For God to have the throne in us means that He has the position to reign in us. Therefore, to reach the throne in our spiritual experience means that in everything we are completely submissive to God’s authority and administration. Then we are no longer a person without the throne, without authority, without government.
A believer who does not have a clear sky with a throne above it can easily be loose and careless in his daily living. On the contrary, a believer who has a sky that is crystal clear has the sense of being under divine government and restraint; therefore, he cannot be loose or careless in anything he says or does. A believer who has a clear sky above him is under an authority which restricts and restrains him in things such as speaking or a display of anger. This authority is a matter of the throne.
The clearer our firmament is, the more we are under the throne. The more we have clear fellowship with the Lord, the more we will be under His authority. We need to ask ourselves if there is a throne in our Christian life. If we have the throne above the clear sky, we are greatly blessed, and we should worship God for this blessing.
A certain young sister came from a wealthy family. After she was saved, she received the blessing of learning to live under the throne and to accept the restrictions of the throne in everything. Things that others could do she could not do, and things that others could use she could not use. Although her parents loved her very much, they could not understand her way of living. One day she testified to them, saying, “I do not do certain things because others tell me not to do them. There is One in me who is reigning and restricting me from doing these things.” After that conversation, her father, a perceptive person, realized that she was a genuine Christian. He esteemed her highly and gave her absolute freedom.
I want to emphasize the fact that the highest point in our spiritual experience is having a clear sky with a throne above it. Have you reached this stage? Have you come to the point where you sense that there is an authority restricting you? Have you come to that state in your spiritual life where you are regulated in all things by the throne? I would urge you to consider this matter before the Lord in your fellowship with Him.
The throne is not only for God to reign over us but also for God to accomplish His eternal purpose. If we have a throne in our spiritual life, God will not only rule over us but will also fulfill His purpose in us, with us, and through us. Those who do not have the throne in their Christian life will not allow God to obtain His purpose with them. I hope that the Holy Spirit will deeply impress you with this matter. If you want God’s purpose and plan to be carried out in you and with you, you must be a person who submits to the throne. You must be a person under the reign of God. Only then can God carry out His purpose in relation to you.
The living creatures are still on earth, moving or standing, but above their heads there is a clear heaven with the throne. From what is portrayed here we can see that the throne in the heavens is transmitted to the earth through and with the living creatures. With them and through them the heavens with the throne are opened up to the earth. In this way the throne in the heavens becomes one with the earth, for the throne is transmitted to the earth.
This transmission can be compared to the transmission of electricity. Electricity is in the generator at the power plant far away from our homes, but electricity is transmitted to us through the electrical lines. By means of this transmission, the electricity which is in the generator is also with us in our homes. We may say that the living creatures in Ezekiel 1 are the heavenly electrical lines. It is through them, by them, and with them that the heavenly throne is transmitted to the earth. Wherever they are, there is the throne. Wherever they go, the throne follows them.
Sometimes we may contact a dear brother who is gentle, mild, and meek, yet in his presence we have the sense that something weighty and powerful is present ruling over the situation. We may be a loose and careless person, but when we come into the presence of such a brother, we realize that something is ruling over us. This is the throne, or we may say that this is the Lord’s presence. Whether we call it the throne or the Lord’s presence, it is the transmission of the heavenly throne to the earth through this dear brother.
We may have the same kind of experience in visiting the churches. We may visit a particular local church where the saints are gentle, nice, and happy, yet we sense that there is something weighty and powerful, something of authority, something that is ruling over everything and everyone in that church. This is the throne.
We should not talk about authority in a human, natural way. In the church there is no human authority. The authority in the church is the throne above the clear sky.
Suppose the leading brothers or the elders in a local church are not under a clear sky, yet they exercise authority based on their position. This kind of exercise of authority does not work because it has no weight and no ruling; there is no throne in a clear sky. However, suppose the leading ones and the elders are continually under a clear sky, having a conscience that is pure and void of offense. If this is their situation, they will be under the heavenly throne, and with them there will be something weighty and something of authority. Thus, there will be no need for them to claim authority over the saints.
To claim authority over the saints indicates that one does not have any authority. As long as we are under a clear sky with a throne above it, there is no need for us to claim to have authority — the authority is simply there. We should never try to bring others under our authority. Such a thing is a hierarchy; it is something of organization. We should not try to rule over the saints. Instead, we should humble ourselves and remain under the throne in the clear sky.
It is shameful for anyone to claim to be the authority in a local church. There is no such thing! In the church there is no human authority. The Lord Jesus said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and the great exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you; but whoever wants to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you shall be your slave” (Matt. 20:25-27). In Matthew 23:11 He said, “The greatest among you shall be your servant.” This is the way to have authority. The authority is not mine nor yours nor others’. The only authority is the throne above a clear sky.
I can assure you that if we are under a clear sky with the throne above it, the genuine authority will be with us. No opposition or persecution will be able to defeat us or shake us because heaven and the throne are with us. If the sky above us is clear and the throne is with us, we will have the authority and the weight.
The weight of a person before God is equal to the degree of that person’s subjection to God’s authority. A particular brother may be quite proper in his speaking and behavior, but he is light as a feather, altogether lacking in spiritual weight. This indicates that he is not subject to the throne. However, the situation with another brother may be very different. When you contact him, you sense that he is weighty and you respect him. This brother is weighty because he has learned to subject Himself to God’s authority. The more we submit to the throne, the weightier we will be.
Let me tell you about the experience of a female missionary in China. As one who preached strongly concerning regeneration, she was under God’s authority and thereby was a person with authority and weight in the Lord. One day a boat on which she was traveling was seized by pirates, who retained control of the vessel for several days. As they searched her room for money and jewels, she sat there calmly, without any fear. She told the leader of the pirates that it was too hot to confine the passengers to their rooms. She also told him that he should be responsible for cleaning the boat. The leader of the pirates obeyed her and told his men to clean the boat. A ferocious pirate leader came under the authority of this missionary because she herself was under the throne. She subjected herself to God’s authority; therefore, God’s authority was with her.
We need to realize that the amount of weight we have depends on our subjection to the throne. The words out of one brother’s mouth may have weight and power, but the same words out of another brother’s mouth may have nothing. The reason is that one brother is under a clear sky with the throne, but the other is under a dark, cloudy sky without the throne. It is easy to learn to repeat or quote others’ words. But whether the words that issue out of our mouth have weight or amount to nothing depends on whether or not we are under a clear sky with the throne. The proper Christian life and the proper church life is a life under the throne that is above a clear sky.
I would remind all the dear ones who bear responsibility in the local churches never to exercise their authority. We need to realize that none of us has any authority. The authority is the throne. Consider the situation with Moses in the book of Numbers. When the people of Israel rebelled against him, he did not exercise his authority. Instead, Moses and Aaron bowed down and called upon the highest authority. Then the Lord came in to vindicate (Num. 14:5; 16:1-4, 22; 20:2-6). It is a serious mistake to exercise authority over others in the church. Nothing is more shameful than this. To exercise authority over the saints is not glorious — it is shameful. None of us is the authority. The authority is the man on the throne. We must have the man on the throne in our clear sky. In the church life we need a clear sky with a heavenly throne.
The Lord needs such a church today. He needs a group of coordinated living creatures. While they are standing or walking on earth, the heavens are opened to the earth. Through them the heavenly throne is transmitted to earth. This is the church life.
Do not take the natural, human way to exercise any kind of authority. Even if others come to you trying to recognize you as an authority, you must refuse it. You need to tell these ones that you are not the authority. This is not what authority is. Proper authority is a matter of a throne above the clear sky. It is absolutely not a human matter of organization and hierarchy. We need to have a clear sky with a throne.
It is shameful to have power among the saints, to be the authority among the saints, or to intend that the saints should listen to us. We always consider Paul a great apostle. But his name means “little,” and he regarded himself as less than the least of the saints (Eph. 3:8). Paul might say, “You give me too great a title. I am not worthy of that.”
Whether the brothers and sisters listen to you or not, depends on where you are and on what you are. Are you under a clear sky? If you are under a clear sky, there is no need for you to argue, and there is no need for you to claim anything or even say anything. The clear sky and the throne above the sky will vindicate.
All the local churches need this revelation of the throne above the clear sky. In the church life we do not have any organization or any kind of hierarchy. We do not have a mission board or any other board; we have no headquarters and no organization of any kind. We have only a clear sky with a throne above the sky.
I can testify that I am afraid only of one thing — that I would lose the presence of my Lord. Many times when I have been alone in my own room, I have declared to the whole universe and to myself that the only thing I fear is losing the Lord’s presence. As long as I have the presence of the Lord, I am afraid of nothing. I care only for His presence, not for anything else. In other words, I care only for the clear sky with the throne above it. I have the full assurance that as I am speaking these words, the throne is with me. Praise the Lord that this is sufficient! We all need to learn this.
We are so little, and we are unworthy, yet the Lord has visited us. I must confess that, in the past, sometimes I told the Lord that I did not like doing this job, and I asked Him why He has taken hold of me. At such times the Lord gave me a serious warning about speaking in this way. Then I said, “Lord, forgive me. Do whatever You like. I am willing to lose everything, but I do not want to lose the clear sky and the throne.” Under the Lord’s covering, I testify that I really mean this.
In your local church you should not care for anything except having a clear sky with the throne above it. As long as we have the clear sky and the throne, opposition and criticism mean nothing. The only thing we need to care for is the clear sky with the throne above it.
Ezekiel 1:26 speaks of “the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone.” Here we see that the throne has the appearance of a sapphire stone. Exodus 24:10 is helpful in understanding the significance of the sapphire stone in Ezekiel 1. This verse says, “They saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness.” A sapphire stone signifies a kind of heavenly condition which exists when God is present in a particular situation. According to Exodus 24:10 when Moses, Aaron, and the chief men of Israel saw God, they saw under His feet the appearance of a sapphire stone. This gave the people an insight into the appearance of the Lord’s presence. A sapphire stone is blue in color, and blue is a heavenly color indicating the situation and condition of God’s presence. This verse also says that at that time the heavens were exceedingly clear. God was present in that kind of situation and atmosphere. Therefore, the sapphire stone signifies the situation or the condition of the heavens with God’s presence in it. The throne being in the likeness of a sapphire stone shows the presence of God in a heavenly situation.
Whenever we have the throne of God in a clear heaven, the situation will be heavenly. There will not be anything earthly or anything gloomy or impure. Rather, everything will be heavenly, clear, clean, and absolutely transparent. This portrays the kind of situation we should have in the presence of God. Whenever we have a clear sky with God’s throne in it, we are in a heavenly situation having the appearance of a sapphire stone.
I would ask you to look once again at the picture in Ezekiel 1. The Lord is upon the throne above the firmament in the heavens, and the living creatures are walking or standing on earth. Through them the Lord in the heavens becomes one with the earth, and in this way the heavens are connected to the earth. This means that the heavens have been brought down to the earth and that the heavens are now moving on earth through, by, and with the living creatures. This needs to be the situation among the local churches today, the situation among the overcomers, and the situation and condition of our daily Christian life.
