A Rainbow Around the Throne

"...and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald." - Rev 4:3b

While the description of God's throne room in heaven sounds beautiful and really magnificent, there is something else that we see in this description found in Revelation chapter 4.  We are told that there is encircling the God's throne a rainbow. 

To get the significance of this, we must remind ourselves what the rainbow's significance is.  It was the sign of God's promise with men that he would not again destroy the earth with water.  God voluntarily gave a promise to men, and gave the rainbow as a sign of this promise.  This was really the first of God's global promises given to men that he gave a sign for all to see

Now in God's throne room we see a rainbow encircling God's throne.  Not only is it a thing of beauty and light, but it is a sign of His promises.  I believe that it is a reminder that the ONLY way to approach God is on the basis of His promises, to come both humbly and boldly, believing in His promises.  If we come before God on another basis, we will miss Him. 

This is yet another great reason to focus on the promises of God and to make much of His promises.  They are the very key to approaching Him and knowing Him.

Better Than Disneyland

We just recently took our first ever family vacation to Disneyland.  And let me tell you, boy was that a neat experience for all 5 of us.  We had a blast!!  We had begin telling the kids about our plans to make a trip to Disneyland for over a year now, and as the plans for this trip got closer and became more and more a reality, the kids got more and more excited about it.  However, Anni and I had purposely kept back a lot of information about what we'd see and do while we were there.  This really made the trip all the more fun, because there was a real element of surprise and wonder with a lot of what Disneyland is.  Although our kids eagerly waited for the trip, there was still a great deal of mystery to it.

So too, we have been given some awesome promises about the eternal life that we have been given, and the inheritance we're offered in heaven.  Yet there is so much that we don't know.  We're told that no eye has seen, and no mind has comprehended the things God has in store for us.  Paul was given a vision of heaven, and then stated that he could not describe in human terms the things that he saw.  I really believe that the promises are there to whet our appetite for things eternal.  However, no matter how excited we get about heaven or how much attention we devote to it, it will never be as much as we should.  I believe that if we really knew firsthand what awaited us there, we would not wish to think on or focus on anything else.  It would be central to our decisions, the primary topic of our conversations, and an amazing motivator to live godly and righteously in this present age.  Let's cling to His promise of Christ's heavenly kingdom that is (despite marketing efforts to suggest otherwise) better than the happiest place on earth.