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.