“And I looked, and lo a Lamb stood on Mount Zion and with Him an hundred and forty and four thousand having His Father’s name written in their foreheads,” Rev. 14:1-5.

“And they sang a new song BEFORE THE THRONE (OF GOD) and before the four living creatures and before the elders (of the heavenly Sanhedrin)…” Rev. 14:3 AMP.

UNIVERSAL REIGN FOR THE OVERCOMERS, continued

Jesus promised to share His throne, which is the throne of the Father, with all those who like His faithful Apostles were in the New Covenant and had conquered, or overcome, the world, the beastly system of man, even as He Himself overcame the world (John 17:33).

So we see that the major qualification for ascending to the throne is that of overcoming in addition to being a faithful servant. For to whom you yield yourself to serve, his servant you are; and it is such a one that grants you a throne.

Hence, the devil wanted Jesus to worship (serve) him that he might grant Him his throne. Above all, those who rule the people must know the laws of God (Ezra 7:25). For they must rule with the mind of God. And do not forget that you can manifest the gift and power of God without the mind of God, even as Judas could cast out devils without knowing the plans of God.

What are we saying? God’s throne is within His Kingdom. It is a realm for overcomers who have the mind of God. It is attainable even while in the flesh. It is the universal authority of God in the Spirit of righteousness and holiness as empowered by the spirit within to bless the nations (Rev. 22:2b).

“BEFORE THE THRONE” IS TO BE IN HIS PRESENCE

“And they sang a new song BEFORE THE THRONE (OF GOD) and before the four living creatures and before the elders (of the heavenly Sanhedrin)…” Rev. 14:3 AMP.

“This tremendous choir – 144,000 strong – sang a wonderful new song in front of the throne of God and before the four living beings and the twenty four Elders; …” Rev. 14:3 TLB.

Before moving on to consider the place where the 144,000 are in relation to the throne of God, I would like to quote a few more Scriptures to give further insight as to the location of the throne of God. In Matt. 5:34 – 35 we read, “But I say unto you, swear not at all; neither by HEAVEN; for it is GOD’S THRONE; nor by the EARTH; for it is His FOOTSTOOL; neither by JERUSALEM; for it is the CITY OF THE GREAT KING.”

So here in the words of Jesus, Heaven is the throne of God, Earth is God’s footstool, and Jerusalem is His great city. Now can we imagine that Jesus was talking of a heaven up in the sky where we need to go to some day? NEVER!

In the first place, what do you think Jesus was saying when He said “…swear not at all…?” That word ‘swear not’ is the same thing as saying do not make vows that you cannot fulfill or that you will make vows and neglect to perform them. That is why you read in verse 33 that “…ye have heard that it hath been said by them (the prophets) of old time, Thou shalt not foreswear thyself, but shall perform unto the Lord thine OATH.”

And this is in line with what is recorded in Deut. 23, “When you make a vow to the Lord your God, do not put off doing what you PROMISED; the Lord will hold you to your vow, and it is a sin not to keep it. It is no sin not to make a vow to the Lord, but if you make one voluntarily, be sure that you keep it,” verses 21-23 GNB.

So He simply said, “Just say ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ – anything else you say comes from the evil one” (v. 37). In other words, whatever promises you are making to the Lord, let it simply be as you have said. Do not go further to appeal to a higher authority to prove your point. For the higher authority is the heaven, earth and Jerusalem, which are held in awe by the worshippers of God and are all one in the nature of God.

They speak of holiness and righteousness and the unchanging realms of God’s nature, but you are subject to changes (John 2:24-25) in relation to your promises which is the nature of the evil one.

Paul, therefore, in emphasizing the absolute truth in us in relation to the Gospel we preach as enshrined in the nature of Christ said, “For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, even by me…, was not yea and nay, but in Him was yea. For ALL PROMISES OF GOD IN HIM ARE YEA and IN HIM AMEN, unto the glory of God by us” (2Cor. 1:19-20).

Therefore, “whatsoever ye do IN WORD OR DEED, do all in the name (nature) of the Lord Jesus,…” (Col. 3:17).

“Therefore if any man be IN CHRIST, he is a new creature; old things are passed away…” (2Cor. 5:17). In other words, his old fluctuating character, his unreliable nature ought to cease.

Now how many of us so called Christians are keeping to our words? How many of us can determine to do anything and be sure with all joy that it is done without giving excuses? How many keep on regretting for failing to do a thing we ought to have done? That is the sure proof of the unreliable nature of the old man.

HEAVEN – GOD’S THRONE

It was the tradition of the Jews that no Gentile is allowed to enter the temple of God. That would amount to unholiness. But when Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans; they did not only enter but looted and burnt it down, which was a terrible thing to the Jews. Above all it proves that God has abandoned them.

Therefore, in the lamentation of Jeremiah the prophet we read, “How hath the Lord covered the daughter of Zion with a cloud in His anger and cast down from heaven unto the earth the beauty of Israel, and remembered not His FOOTSTOOL in the day of His anger,” Lam. 2:l.

Now what we read in Matt. 5 is that you must not swear, with Heaven or the Earth, for the Earth is His FOOTSTOOL. Again, it is important to observe that you cannot separate the footstool of a throne from the throne.

Therefore, the rule of God is His throne, which is Heaven resting on the Earth. What we read as FOOTSTOOL in Lamentations is actually the same as the TEMPLE OF GOD; “…on the day of His anger, He abandoned even His temple,” GNB.

To be continued…