Majesty, Awe, & Fear

There is majesty, awe, and fear (a fear that leads to respect).

We can ignore the majesty.

We can mock the awe.

We can ridicule the fear.

Many people do.

“The heavens declare the glory of God;

and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.

Day to day pours forth speech,

and night to night declares knowledge.” (Psalm 19:1-2)

While humans ignore the majesty, mock the awe, and ridicule the fear, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament (the earth and all that is on it) proclaims his handiwork.”

Humans have a choice, and many choose to ignore, mock, or ridicule, while each day speaks of the glory of the Creator, and each night declares we should stand in awe.

“The Lord also thundered in the heavens,

and the Most High uttered his voice,

And he sent out his arrows and scattered them.

he flashed forth lightnings and routed them.

Then the channels of the sea were seen,

and the foundations of the world were laid bare.

at your rebuke, O Lord,

at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.” (Psalm 18:13-15)

Fear! The thunders of heaven, arrows that scatter those in their path, lightning, roaring seas, and earthquakes that lay bare the foundations of the world, all bring fear and its accompanying apprehension.

But…throughout the pages of our sacred text we are told, “Do not fear.”

The Psalmist goes on to write:

“They confronted me in the day of my calamity.

but the Lord was my support.

He brought me out into a broad place.

he delivered me, because he delighted in me.” (Psalm 18:18-19)

When John saw the door of heaven open, and was told, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this,” the sights he saw were awe inspiring, but they also struck a cord of fear—of respect for the One seated on the throne. (See Revelation 4.)

John could only use the limited human vocabulary to describe the unlimited majesty of God. He described God as being like jasper and carnelian. We can only imagine the beauty of the emerald rainbow—a sign of hope and a covenant with God—that was over the throne. John also saw twenty-four elders, dressed in white robes with golden crowns, seated around the throne. Did these twenty-four elders represent the twelve tribes of Israel, and the twelve apostles? It is logical to think so. They are a reminder to us that God’s rule—the kingdom of God—does not take place without God’s people. Yes, YOU are important in the reign and rule of God—the kingdom of God. But I digress.

What John saw next in the throne room of God was indeed awe inspiring: “Coming from the throne are flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and in front of the throne burn seven flaming torches, which are the seven Spirits of God; and in front of the throne there is something like a sea of glass, like crystal.”

Majesty! Awe! Fear!

Here, we should stop for a moment to remind ourselves, “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow.” (Galatians 6:7) There is always a pay day some day. The mockery of today will turn into the bitter tears of tomorrow.

Stop, look, and listen. Do you hear it? Can you not see it? When will we be honest with ourselves and see what lies in front of us? Are we willing to rip off the band aid and do something about it, or is it easier to pretend all is well? At what point do we allow reality to dawn? It’s time to hear the prophet:

“For they sow the wind,

and they reap the whirlwind.” (Hosea 8:7)

Let’s remember, John is trying to paint a word picture of the vision—Revelation—he saw. We humans are limited by our vocabulary; for there are some things beyond human words and understanding. We should not forget that many things we thought were proven have been unproven, and the knowledge we depend on to save us can also destroy us. With all the great advances in modern technology, there is still evil in the world, wars are still being fought, people still suffer, new diseases develop to replace the ones we thought we had overcome, and on and on it goes—beyond human words and understanding.

But, give John an “A” for effort. Once we allow ourselves to get past the literalism, and see the symbolism, the Revelation begins to unfold and make sense to us…maybe.

“Flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder,” declare the majesty, and awe, and fear (respect) of the One on the throne.

The Holy Spirit is represented by the seven burning torches. Torches give light. The Holy Spirit lights the path to God the Father; that is to say the Holy Spirit reveals the Father and the Son to us. Through those “seven burning torches,” we are shown a vision of God the Father on the throne of heaven. His very presence on the throne indicates he is the one who ultimately rules. Evil has its day. But evil’s day will end.

There is an aura of holiness in the throne room of God. One can’t simply walk up to throne and demand attention; for there is something that looks like a sea of glass, like crystal before the throne. What would happen if we walked on a “sea” like crystal? But we should also hasten to note the “sea” is smooth, and not chaotic. There is no upheaval in the “sea” before the throne of God.

The seven burning torches show us the one seated on the throne.

That which looks like a sea of glass, like crystal, before the throne reminds us once more of the majesty and awe of, and fear/respect for the Almighty God.

How do we cross the sea of glass, like crystal, to bow before the throne of God?

Jesus said, “I am the way…”

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