Becoming the Throne of God (excerpt of The Theology of Robert B. Thompson)

BECOMING THE THRONE OF GOD (EXCERPT OF THE THEOLOGY OF ROBERT B. THOMPSON)

Becoming the Throne of God

God intends for Christ, Head and Body, to be his Throne. The holy city, the new Jerusalem, is Christ—Head and Body. The new Jerusalem shall govern the creation for eternity.

The work of placing his Person, his Throne in us, has begun today. We may notice in the Book of Revelation that to the last of the churches our Lord says, “I stand at the door and knock.” Then he says that to him who overcomes will be given to sit with Christ on his Throne just as He overcame and sits with his Father on the Father’s Throne.

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. 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. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” (Revelation 3:20-22—NIV)

From my point of view, the passage above is telling us that Christ wants to enter and have fellowship with us. As He does, we become the Throne of God. Christ himself is the Throne of God, and when He is dwelling in us, we become the Throne of God.

I am glad He said He would eat with us and we with him. He dines on our obedience and worship. We dine on his body and blood. He did not claim that because He enters us we would become a powerful person who will control or save the world.

It appears to be inherent in human beings that we want to govern other people. The desire to rule other people is a curse. We need to ask God to remove it from us. God’s true rulers have the heart of a servant.

In some individuals the desire to govern others is so strong they become politicians. Then their intense desire to gain and maintain a political office often leads them to make decisions that do not truly benefit those over whom they rule, just as long as they can remain in office.

Obviously, to such people the concept that God is setting his throne in us can be seen as a means to power and glory. This is the reverse of what God has in mind.

Even the disciples of Jesus argued among themselves as to who would be the greatest. Jesus responded that whoever is to be greatest must be the servant of all. The politicians of today, regardless of their philosophy of government, speak of how they are going to benefit the people. Very seldom is this the truth. The truth is they want to rule other people and enjoy the perquisites of their office.

To say to such a person that he or she is supposed to serve, not seek preeminence, would be a mortal wound. He would have to experience a change of heart before he would be glad to serve others without thought of how it would benefit himself.

I do not believe there is a major government on the earth today that is not filled with lying, bribery, treachery, self-seeking, love of preeminence, supplanting, gossip, backbiting, dishonesty, and every other satanic trait. As far as I know, such has been true of most governments throughout history.

When God is on the throne of our heart we are free from such guile and treachery. We have a love for those whom we are serving. Our heart is pure toward God and toward people.

So no, the fact that God is installing his Throne in us does not mean that now we can order people and circumstances to conform to our will. Rather we are learning to wait patiently on Christ as He shows us his will and then guides and empowers us so we may perform his will.

You may remember that Satan offered Christ the kingdoms of the world. Jesus replied that He never would worship Satan, only God. Those today in positions of political leadership are often doing the will of Satan although they may not realize it.

I have been saying for years that in our day the Christians who minister are going to be divided into two groups. The majority will seek power so they can go forth and minister to a “lost and dying world,” doing great things for God, as they imagine. There will be a minority who will continually seek increased fellowship with the Lord Jesus so they may do his will and only his will.

You can see the difference. The majority will attempt to use God to accomplish what they believe to be pleasing to Christ. The minority will worship and obey Christ; and out from their close fellowship with Him will be borne the powerful testimony of the closing days of the Church Age.

A prophecy was given recently to a Christian denomination. The Spirit said to this large group of believers that there were problems in their midst and they needed to repent and make things right. What the leadership interpreted from this prophecy was that the denomination is to go forth and save the world.

Now we can understand why the Word says, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

How do we get ears to “hear” the Spirit, and eyes to “see” God? I know that if we are to see God we have to be holy, to have a pure heart.

I do not know how we get “ears” to hear. Maybe it is by waiting on the Lord and not running ahead of him. Or maybe it is by Divine appointment. I am not certain. But to derive from this recent prophecy that we are to go out and save the world reveals that not everyone has “ears” to hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches.

The fifteenth chapter of the Gospel of John exhorts us to “abide” in Christ. Now, what does it mean to abide in Christ and He in us? It means that we are to be continually inviting the Lord Jesus into every word we speak, every thought we think, and every action we take. Our whole personality and life is to be filled with Jesus. We are members of his Body; and it is his greatest wish that we would open the door to Him at all times so He can live his Life in us.

If Jesus is living his Life in us, is it not true that we now are the Throne of God, in that Jesus is the Throne of God?

The fourteenth chapter of the Gospel of John speaks of many “rooms” in the Father’s House. The Father’s House is Christ, plus the members of his Body. The proper inhabitants of each room are the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

When we are ready, and at rest in God’s Person and will, we then can express our personality in our “room.” Now there are four persons in our room, the Father: the Son, the Holy Spirit, and ourselves.

Next, after we are in proper relationship to God, God gives us people to love and care for. Some members of Christ’s Body can receive a few people as an inheritance. Others are destined to be patriarchs in the new world of righteousness. They will share with Christ millions of people whom God accounts worthy of salvation.

It is paradoxical but true that by being more concerned with God than with people we do the most good for people. It flies in the face of today’s emphasis on how good people are; how we always ought to be concerned with their rights and comforts regardless of God’s will for them; how God is so in love with people He never would permit them to suffer. The paradox is that the more we love God the more able we will be to bless and help people.

It sometimes is stated that Christ left the ivory palaces and went to the cross because of his great love for people. The truth is, Christ came and offered Himself to God in obedience to the Father. His will was to throw away the cup, not drink it!

The majority of believers, whom we mentioned earlier, will think of our being made the Throne of God as an opportunity for self-aggrandizement. They will seek miraculous powers, as so many Christians are doing today.

Christian people, who are not content to follow after Jesus bearing their cross, and are seeking powerful gifts of the Spirit, are becoming the False Prophet. They will assist Antichrist during the closing days of the Church Age.

The “love” of the “beautiful” Christ for us is an expression of the philosophy of Humanism. We are so in love with ourselves it is difficult for us to comprehend this.

The minority will think of our being made the Throne of God as that which their heart cries out for—a close fellowship with God. They will enter the eternal dance with their Lord. Although they place pleasing God as the most important aspect of their life, and serving people second in importance (as always is true of the Lord Jesus), they will, as does Jesus, succeed in being the greatest possible blessing to the world.

The concept that everyone eventually will be saved, because God is too good to let people suffer very much, is a satanic lie. It comes from Satan who is hoping that people will persuade God to save him from the Lake of Fire. The truth is, he, and all those who love him, will spend eternity in the fire.

As far as rebellious people are concerned, those who will not obey Christ, the Prophet Isaiah tells of their eternal destiny:

“As the new heavens and the new earth that I make will endure before me,” declares the LORD, “so will your name and descendants endure. From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come and bow down before me,” says the LORD. “And they will go out and look on the dead bodies of those who rebelled against me; the worms that eat them will not die, the fire that burns them will not be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind.” (Isaiah 66:22-24—NIV)

Notice in the above that the “dead bodies” are not permitted to vanish. The worms feed on them continually and the fire burns them eternally. The familiar physical death is the first death. Confinement in the Lake of Fire is the second death.

People always are judged in their bodies and rewarded in their bodies.

The above is the Word of God to us. Let God be true and every man a liar!

In those days, when your numbers have increased greatly in the land,” declares the LORD, “men will no longer say, ‘The ark of the covenant of the LORD.’ It will never enter their minds or be remembered; it will not be missed, nor will another one be made. At that time they will call Jerusalem The Throne of the LORD, and all nations will gather in Jerusalem to honor the name of the LORD. No longer will they follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts. (Jeremiah 3:16,17—NIV)

A throne is the center of decision-making. The person who sits on a throne exerts his or her will in selecting among alternative actions. Thus a throne is the position of exercising will.

The very essence of the Kingdom of God is the doing of God’s will. “Your Kingdom come. Your will be done.” The Kingdom of God came into existence when the Lord Jesus Christ cried out to his Father, “Not my will but yours be done.

Christ was being tested to see if He would do God’s will even though it meant the loss of God’s Presence—perhaps for eternity! Realizing who Christ is and his background, this test passes our ability to comprehend.

Christ passed the test, an angel being sent from Heaven to strengthen him. As a result, Christ now has all authority and power in the heavens and upon the earth. He is Lord over all other lords; King over all other kings.

We read in the second chapter of the Book of Hebrews that to “man” is given authority over all the works of God’s hands. We do not as yet see this authority given to man, but we see Jesus. Jesus is representative “man,” the first of many brothers. Yet He is exalted above all his brothers and is the Firstborn from the dead.

God has led his people through many dangers, toils, and snares, as the old hymn says. There has been a purpose for each crisis, each intervention. These trials are not aimless. The Divine plan of redemption is pointed toward a specific goal. The goal is men and women who are to sit with the Lord Jesus on his Throne.

It is in our day that the climax of redemption is approaching. Thus the most important issue in our life today is that of learning to do God’s will on every occasion.

In the Book of Revelation Jesus told us He is knocking at the door, that is, at the door to our personality; in particular, the door to our will. Then a verse or two later, He tells us that the person who overcomes, as He overcame, will sit with Him on his Throne, which is the Throne of God.

This is what is taking place today. Jesus is asking us to let Him enter. When He enters us He has fellowship with us. He dines on our obedience and worship. We dine on his body and blood. He now is present with us and also in us. We are abiding in Christ and Christ is abiding in us. Now we will bear the fruit of his moral image, and also the fruit of being in perfect rest in the center of God’s Person and will.

In order to be at perfect rest in the center of God’s Person and will we must obey Christ in every situation. This means, at every point of decision in our life, from the smallest to the greatest, we must look to Jesus for the right choice, the correct action, the action that is in line with the will of God.

We do not open to Christ on one occasion and from then on He is dwelling in us. He is knocking at the door every time we make a decision. He constantly is knocking at the door. We constantly are opening to Him that He may dine with us and that his will may be known to us. This is the Kingdom of God—the doing of God’s will in the earth.

Every time we look to Christ when we are faced with a decision, and choose to do what seems to be what He desires, the next decision becomes easier. We keep on looking to Jesus and obeying him. This is what it means to overcome. We overcome, as Jesus helps us, every factor that would cause us to be disobedient.

The New Testament speaks of “overcoming.” What we are to overcome is our willingness to act independently of God.

Man has been created to be the throne, the resting place of God. We cannot possibly find perfect fulfillment until God is reigning within us. It is only as God is living and ruling in him that man is more than an intelligent animal.

Babylon is man acting independently of God in the ecclesiastical world. Laodicea is man acting independently of God in the realm of God’s elect. Antichrist is man acting independently of God in the secular world. The False Prophet is man acting independently of God in the world of spirits.

Becoming the Throne of God is a definite experience. It takes place as we keep inviting the Lord Jesus into our life, looking carefully to Him in all matters, day and night. This means we are praying without ceasing, as the Apostle Paul exhorted us.

Such is the new covenant—the putting of God’s will in our heart so we want to do it, and the writing of God’s law in our mind so we understand what it is that God wants.

God does not make his will known to each of us in the same manner. Some believers hear God’s voice in their inner consciousness. Others may just sense what God wants. Still other believers may seek to obey the Scriptures, praying constantly for guidance.

Perhaps the fifth and sixth verses of the third chapter of the Book of Proverbs are of great significance in our day. We are told to trust in the Lord with all our heart and not lean to our own understanding. We are promised that if we will acknowledge the Lord in all our ways, He will direct our paths, making the right way straight before us.

The antichrist world spirit derives its wisdom and knowledge from education and the media. Since the media are proliferating in our day, the minds of most people are being conformed to the tremendous lie that the world spirit is.

Paul advises us not to be conformed to this world but to be transformed by the renewing of our mind. In order to be transformed by the renewing of our mind we have to constantly invite Jesus into our decisions, great and small.

The ability to keep looking to Jesus and listening to Him is going to be of supreme importance in the coming days. Little by little a one-world government is approaching. The idea is to put an end to wars between nations.

However, as we notice, every government on earth is corrupt, filled with lying, treachery, slander, self-seeking, and every other destructive attitude and practice. This will be true of the coming one-world government. It will be governed by evil people—people who profess to be seeking the good of others but who do not have God’s wisdom because they do not glorify God, only themselves.

This especially may be true in the United States of America. In time past the leaders of our government, although they were not without sin and self-seeking, did give glory to God and exhorted our citizens to pray.

It is not so today. God is being ignored. The leaders are their own god. The idea, as someone expressed it, is that thinking is more profitable than praying. There are few other lies as great as this.

From the time of Adam and Eve, mankind has been under the impression that we are supposed to carve out our own destiny. This is the opposite of God’s desire. God wants people to seek Him and his will in every circumstance of our life. Only then do we obtain righteousness, love, peace, and joy.

But our country and its leaders are not doing this, choosing to better the world by their human efforts. They do not glorify God nor do they seek his help in solving our numerous problems.

Thus the United States is on its way to having a much lower place among the nations. Finally its values and traditions will be swallowed up by a one-world government, which will be presided over by self-seeking men and women who do not know the Lord Jesus.

We Americans are not to fret over this. Rather, each one of us is to live as closely to the Lord Jesus as he can. In so doing the individual will become part of the Throne of God. Also, he will save himself and his loved ones throughout the chaotic days ahead of us.

The new Jerusalem is the glorified Christian Church that will be established on the new earth after the thousand-year Kingdom Age. Notice that the Throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, located in the saints on the earth for eternity.

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. (Revelation 22:1-3—NIV)

(“Becoming the Throne of God”, 3985-1)