Revelation 4:1-8
The Throne in Heaven
4 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 spirits[a] 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, holy
is the Lord God Almighty,’[b]
who was, and is, and is to come.”
I love walking into the FBCW sanctuary. The building’s high ceilings remind us of God’s expansive power and helps us turn our hearts and minds in an upward direction toward God the creator. The handmade cross in our baptistry reminds us of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. The dove reminds us of God’s Holy Spirit, present at Jesus’ baptism and present in the hearts of those who have faith in Jesus.
One of my favorite features in our building is the stained glass. It was a later addition to the building and has had to have some serious refurbishment over the years. This rainbow of colors changes the hue of the sunlight streaming through the windows at different times of the day and at different times of the seasons. The stained glass serves as a reminder of God’s throne in heaven that was encircled by a rainbow that shone like an emerald (v. 3).
When the founding members of First Baptist Church Weslaco built this building almost 100 years ago, I don’t think they wondered what worship would be like in 2023. But they prepared a place for us to, like them, join in the great corporate throne-room worship scene each and every Sunday to say, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come!”
We’ll see you Sunday for worship, live or online, at 9:30 am (Spanish and GYM) or 11:00 am (English). If you attend the GYM service at 9:30 am, you won’t get to appreciate the architecture, but you do get donuts and coffee!
In Christ,
Ray