At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it.

~Revelation 4:2 NIV

My husband and I went to see the movie Wicked over the holidays. Afterward, I had to re-watch The Wizard of Oz. Dorothy and her new friends went to see the “great and powerful” wizard, hoping he’d solve their problems. Fire, smoke, and a booming voice intimidated the fearful foursome. But when Toto whisked the curtain open, the charlatan was exposed. Dorothy and company discovered an ordinary man with no powers and no authority. What a devastating disappointment when they saw the throne room.

My disappointment surfaced when the wizard awarded Cowardly Lion, Scarecrow, and Tin Man cheap tokens. Upon receiving the gifts, the friends were magically smarter, braver, and able to love. Of course, it’s a movie, but how did I fall for the belief that the powerless wizard’s gifts could somehow transform and give these three what they desired?

The apostle John had a drastically different experience. Exiled to the small island of Patmos, he tracked the days. On the Lord’s Day, during John’s worship, Jesus unveiled the revelation. The veil of heaven was whisked open, and John witnessed an indescribable, unbelievable, majestic vision of the throne room of heaven. 

Color, brilliance, and rumblings of thunder poured from this throne. Voices sang, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come” (Revelation. 4:8). Those surrounding the throne fell, cast their crowns, and worshipped. Why? Because God is sovereign and almighty and holds all authority.

Ponder this perspective for a minute. Our Father is seated in heaven and actively works in our lives. We may not see or believe it, but God does not passively sit and allow events to happen without sifting them through His court. He reigns without rival. He rules over all things.

Maybe we wonder how we, an everyday Joe or Jane, could access almighty God. In the Old Testament, a curtain guarded the holy of holies. This temple curtain hung because the blackhearted Israelites couldn’t approach a holy God. Only the high priest could.

However, when Jesus took His last breath on the cross, God rented the curtain in the temple in half from top to bottom. These were not flimsy curtains, which might hang in our living room or bathroom (or like the one in the movie). The veil guarding the holy of holies was thirty feet high. No one but God could have torn that veil in half from the top at the exact moment Jesus died. And when He did, He opened access to Himself through Jesus.

 

God is now accessible anytime and anywhere. When we wonder if He is listening, he hears us. When our lives have swerved off course and are careening out of control, God still rules. And when our faith has tanked, God remains faithful on the throne. He is always working for our good. When wars continue, fires rage out of control, and the political scene changes once again, remember God is ruling and reigning.

 

This world will tempt us to look sideways to the smartest, the most influential, or the politically savvy to solve our needs. But one day, they will be exposed for what they are: ineffective and devoid of power and authority like the wizard. Only the one occupying the throne can turn our situation around. God alone has intimate knowledge of our circumstances and will carry us through. Only faith in Jesus unlocks immediate and unlimited access to God.

The next time you wonder if God is working on earth, remember He still sits on the throne of heaven—a throne established forever. Let that truth guide your decisions and fill your mind with peace.

Father, I thank You that You rule and reign over me and this world. Nudge me when I need reminding.

 

Genre: Non-fiction

Copyright 2025: The Throne Room: Sally Cressman: All Rights Reserved