rjones
Member
- Joined
- Jul 28, 2007
- Messages
- 314
"God reigns over the nations; God is seated on his holy throne" (Ps. 47:8).
The throne - The place of ultimate authority
"This is what the Lord says: Heaven is my throne and the earth is my footstool" (Isa. 66:1).
The throne of God represents not only the full authority of God over all His creation but also every aspect of God's nature.
"Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne…" (Ps. 89:14).
Delegated authority
Angels carry out the will of God in His Kingdom. The Bible continually portrays them as worshipping and ministering before the throne. Heb. 1:14 calls them 'ministering spirits' sent specifically to look after us, who are the 'heirs of salvation'. The three highest angelic dignitaries mentioned in the Bible are:
Michael - whose name means 'who is like God'. He is the warrior-archangel,who appears at the time of spiritual conflict or battle.
At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered (Dan. 12:1).
Gabriel - whose name means 'God is mighty'. This archangel is God's messenger, carrying divine communications to men.
The angel answered, "I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. (Lk. 1:19)
Lucifer - whose name means 'day star' (later called Satan or the Devil) (Rev. 12:9; Isa. 14:12). He was "anointed as a guardian cherub" (Eze. 28:14). Music was created in him to lead the heavenly hosts in worship before the throne (Eze. 28:11-19).
To these three dignitaries, God delegated government and power in the eternal Kingdom.
The redeemed as sharers of God's throne
God's eternal purpose was for the Church to be partakers of His glory, and sharers of His Throne (Rom. 8:17,28-30). As the Son is co-equal with the Father, yet subject to His authority in everything (1 Cor. 15:24-28) - so the Church was designed to be joint-heirs with the Son, yet He is "in everything...(to) have the supremacy" (Col. 1:15). It was designed so that He would be the Head of the Body, the 'Husband' of the 'Bride'.
This plan - in the mind of God even before the creation of the world - placed the Church in the line of delegated authority "far above all rule and authority, power and dominion" (Eph. 1:20-21; 2:6) - which included all the angelic realm and all creation (Eph. 3:10-11; Heb. 1:4-8; 2:5-11). It was this plan which God had for the Church that triggered the very first power-struggle ever attempted for the Throne of the universe.
LUCIFER'S CHALLENGE FOR THE THRONE
Lucifer desired the position that God planned for the Church. Isa. 14:12-14 reveals the five proud objectives that formed Satan's rebellion:
The Five Declarations of Rebellion
"I will ascend into Heaven..." .
"I will exalt my throne above the stars of God".
"I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation in the sides of the north".
"I will ascend above the heights of the clouds".
"I will be like the most High".
With God's Reply
In Eze. 28:16-29 (KJV), God gives five replies to Satan's five proud boasts:
"I will cast thee to the ground" .
"I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire".
"I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God".
"I will lay thee before the kings that they may behold thee".
"Therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee; it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee".
God cast Lucifer (his name is now 'Satan', which means "the hater" or "the accuser") and every mutinous angel out of Heaven. Now, not only will the Church fulfil the glorious eternal plan that God has purposed for her, but will also fill the vacancy left in heaven by the fall of Lucifer - leading the hosts of heaven in worship, music and song before the throne ( Heb. 2:12).
Ever since his expulsion from heaven, Satan has been at war with God and His Church. The Church symbolises to him not only the point over which he rebelled, but also the target of his contention - the Throne.
The first battle
Adam, created in the image of God, receives delegated authority. He is given dominion over the entire earth, but the ultimate authority rests at the Throne with God Himself. The placing of the forbidden Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil at the centre of the garden represented to Adam and Eve the ultimate authority of God (Gen. 2:17). Man shared God's authority only as he was in submission to His authority (note the principle in Matthew 8:9).
This had to be the area Satan would challenge. The only way Satan could get dominion over the earth was to get Adam to commit the same sin he had - to usurp the dominion and authority of God. When Adam chose to rebel, he forfeited his rightful authority over the earth to Satan. The Cross, however, destroyed Satan's right over man, and when we come under God's authority, through the work of Jesus, we are "rescued from the dominion of darkness" (Col. 1:13).
Continued warfare
"To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne" (Rev. 3:21).
The throne - The place of ultimate authority
"This is what the Lord says: Heaven is my throne and the earth is my footstool" (Isa. 66:1).
The throne of God represents not only the full authority of God over all His creation but also every aspect of God's nature.
"Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne…" (Ps. 89:14).
Delegated authority
Angels carry out the will of God in His Kingdom. The Bible continually portrays them as worshipping and ministering before the throne. Heb. 1:14 calls them 'ministering spirits' sent specifically to look after us, who are the 'heirs of salvation'. The three highest angelic dignitaries mentioned in the Bible are:
Michael - whose name means 'who is like God'. He is the warrior-archangel,who appears at the time of spiritual conflict or battle.
At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered (Dan. 12:1).
Gabriel - whose name means 'God is mighty'. This archangel is God's messenger, carrying divine communications to men.
The angel answered, "I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. (Lk. 1:19)
Lucifer - whose name means 'day star' (later called Satan or the Devil) (Rev. 12:9; Isa. 14:12). He was "anointed as a guardian cherub" (Eze. 28:14). Music was created in him to lead the heavenly hosts in worship before the throne (Eze. 28:11-19).
To these three dignitaries, God delegated government and power in the eternal Kingdom.
The redeemed as sharers of God's throne
God's eternal purpose was for the Church to be partakers of His glory, and sharers of His Throne (Rom. 8:17,28-30). As the Son is co-equal with the Father, yet subject to His authority in everything (1 Cor. 15:24-28) - so the Church was designed to be joint-heirs with the Son, yet He is "in everything...(to) have the supremacy" (Col. 1:15). It was designed so that He would be the Head of the Body, the 'Husband' of the 'Bride'.
This plan - in the mind of God even before the creation of the world - placed the Church in the line of delegated authority "far above all rule and authority, power and dominion" (Eph. 1:20-21; 2:6) - which included all the angelic realm and all creation (Eph. 3:10-11; Heb. 1:4-8; 2:5-11). It was this plan which God had for the Church that triggered the very first power-struggle ever attempted for the Throne of the universe.
LUCIFER'S CHALLENGE FOR THE THRONE
Lucifer desired the position that God planned for the Church. Isa. 14:12-14 reveals the five proud objectives that formed Satan's rebellion:
The Five Declarations of Rebellion
"I will ascend into Heaven..." .
"I will exalt my throne above the stars of God".
"I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation in the sides of the north".
"I will ascend above the heights of the clouds".
"I will be like the most High".
With God's Reply
In Eze. 28:16-29 (KJV), God gives five replies to Satan's five proud boasts:
"I will cast thee to the ground" .
"I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire".
"I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God".
"I will lay thee before the kings that they may behold thee".
"Therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee; it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee".
God cast Lucifer (his name is now 'Satan', which means "the hater" or "the accuser") and every mutinous angel out of Heaven. Now, not only will the Church fulfil the glorious eternal plan that God has purposed for her, but will also fill the vacancy left in heaven by the fall of Lucifer - leading the hosts of heaven in worship, music and song before the throne ( Heb. 2:12).
Ever since his expulsion from heaven, Satan has been at war with God and His Church. The Church symbolises to him not only the point over which he rebelled, but also the target of his contention - the Throne.
The first battle
Adam, created in the image of God, receives delegated authority. He is given dominion over the entire earth, but the ultimate authority rests at the Throne with God Himself. The placing of the forbidden Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil at the centre of the garden represented to Adam and Eve the ultimate authority of God (Gen. 2:17). Man shared God's authority only as he was in submission to His authority (note the principle in Matthew 8:9).
This had to be the area Satan would challenge. The only way Satan could get dominion over the earth was to get Adam to commit the same sin he had - to usurp the dominion and authority of God. When Adam chose to rebel, he forfeited his rightful authority over the earth to Satan. The Cross, however, destroyed Satan's right over man, and when we come under God's authority, through the work of Jesus, we are "rescued from the dominion of darkness" (Col. 1:13).
Continued warfare
"To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne" (Rev. 3:21).
