Louie Giglio continues another week of All Consuming Fire, a collection diving deeper into the book of Revelation. In this talk, he focuses on the throne, the Trinity, perpetual worship, and the throne as our anchor through the study of Revelation 4.
We have a role today in this revelation—to look. To behold.
And the first voice, which I had 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 behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne.
Revelation 4:1-2 ESV
The kingdom of heaven is closer than you think.
In the throne room of God, we see...
A throne. There is just one throne at the epicenter of eternity, and The Lord God Almighty is seated on it. He is confident. Assured. Unfazed by the counterfeits and the chaos. Undisturbed by the tempest and the tyrants.
He is brilliant and radiant (Revelation 21:10-11).
He is majestic and mighty (Hebrews 12:25-29).
He is terrifying in the best way
Three in One. The completeness of the Spirit of God—Jesus inviting us in, God the Father seated on the throne, and the Holy Spirit at the throne blazing. All equal, recognizing that one God is inviting us into the story.
“To him who overcomes will I grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also 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 3:21 (MEV)
Perpetual worship. In the throne room, we see that God dwells in perpetual worship. There were four living creatures, and they never stop saying, "Holy, Holy, Holy." Holy describes who is seated on the throne—one set apart, distinct, other, and in another category.
The four living creatures... They never stop saying. They've never missed anything.
Twenty-four elders— They never stop falling. They never stop casting. They never stop saying.
We never start worship; we always join worship. You cannot be in God’s presence and not respond in extravagant worship. Worship is giving back to God what He has freely given us.
The reality of the Throne is our anchor in the storm.
They never stop saying.
We can lay down and rest, finding comfort in knowing that God is taking care of all things.
Everything that's not Holy, Holy, Holy gets consumed in the throne room of Almighty God.
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"If you're not sensing that extravagant response, then you don't need to try harder. You need to see better."
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Louie Giglio
Discussion Questions
Do you often forget the nearness of heaven? How does reading Revelation help put the closeness of the Kingdom of Doc into perspective?
Who or what is on the throne of your life if it isn't God?
Which adjective used to describe God leaves you most in awe?
Which role of the trinity do you struggle to understand the most? The Father, the Son, or the Holy Spirit?
We have the opportunity to join in worship that's already taking place. How does this change how you worship?
Do you go to sleep with the reassurance that God is taking care of all things?
Scripture References
The Throne in Heaven1.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.”2.At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. 3.And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne. 4.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. 5.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 spirits4:5 That is, the sevenfold Spirit of God. 6.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. 7.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. 8.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, holyis the Lord God Almighty,’4:8 Isaiah 6:3who was, and is, and is to come.”9.Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, 10.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:11.“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 createdand have their being.”
10.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. 11.It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.
25.See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? 26.At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.”12:26 Haggai 2:627.The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain.28.Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29.for our “God is a consuming fire.”12:29 Deut. 4:24
21.To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne.
