We see a pattern throughout the Bible of God’s people being in and out of the Land that God gave to them, a place He wanted them to be, a place where He would dwell. There were times they refused to go into the Land. There were times they left the Land and times they reentered the Land. There were times they were exiled from the Land and brought back to the Land. And finally, in the end of times, there will one day be a final regathering to the Land.
Think about your own life and how it looks as it relates to staying in the place where God wants you, a place of God’s will. Have there been different times when you have moved in and out of His will? Times when you moved back into old habits, or old mindsets or old sins?
Are you in the Land right now, or are you in your Egypt, a place of bondage? A place that might have started out good, but it’s not good any more. Maybe you are in your Babylon. Maybe you have idols in your life: Work, family, success, money, yourself. Or maybe you went just so far and you settled for Haran. Do you find yourself going in and out of the LAND. Do you spend more time outside than inside God’s will?
It’s time to get to that place that God has called you!
On this thought, I want to read Revelation 4:1-11. Genesis and Revelation parallel so many things. As we read this scripture, I want you to notice what is in the center of the Throne Room in Heaven. And then notice all the different references of each thing that is described and its position to the throne of God.
Revelation 4:1-11 “After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first 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 there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne. Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads. From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. In front of the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God. Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal. In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying: “‘Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,’ who WAS, and IS, and IS TO COME.” Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”
Everything is defined by its position to God.
God is the center of the throne room in Heaven. Everything and everyone in Heaven revolves around him and is defined by their position to God. Interestingly to note that everything doesn’t revolve around us. Life is not about us. I know. Shock, right? Life, true life is centered around God. Jesus said in John 14:6 “I am the way and the truth and the life“, and in John 11:25, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet he shall live, and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.” And again in John 6:35 , “I am the bread of life.” You see, Jesus is life. He is the only true and Eternal Life and whether we know it or not, Jesus is the center of our life. Our life revolves around him. We may be near or we may be far, but the truth of the matter is, life still revolves around him and our position to him. Our decision is to decide where we are in relationship to him. Are we before him, near him, bowed down before him? Are we far from him, turned away from him, have our backs to him? We may be in an Egypt or a Babylon or a Haran but one day we will all appear before him.
Now let’s look at one more passage of scripture, I promise it will be worth it! Revelation 21 “Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth, “for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away…
And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west. The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb…
I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”
Revelation 21 speaks of the new Heavens and the new Earth and a new city. God wants to bring you to his Eternal Land of Promise. The place of His Glorious presence. The place of complete restoration and renewal. The place of peace and rest. The place where He is! The place of life! The beautiful place that He will forever dwell with us for eternity. God wants to dwell with us! Isn’t that simply incredible? God wants to dwell with us. He has always wanted to dwell with us! From the very beginning of scripture, God’s plan would unfold so that he could forever dwell with us.
God is calling you today to come near to him and experience Life! True life can only be experience when you come before his throne. Ask Jesus to become Lord and Savior of your life.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.“
1 John 1:9