The Lord God Almighty Reigns

I recently came across an intriguing statement about our task as Christians when it comes to speaking Biblical truth to our culture. John Swinton put it like this, “The Christian task is not to try to make the Bible relevant to society—quite the opposite. Christians are called to help society to recognize that it actually already lives within the strange world described in the Bible. It has just forgotten this primal fact. The Bible is not just inspirational and hopeful; it is revelatory and transformative.”

As I thought about the implications of his statement I was drawn eventually to Revelation 4 & 5. Here there is quite a contrast between our world and what Swinton calls “the strange world described in the Bible;” a world that God’s Word tells us is the true picture of and statement of reality.

Consider how chaotic our world seems. It appears as if our world functions on chaos theory or randomness. Wherever you look things appear to be out of control. There is political unrest all over the world. Economics and the financial markets look like a thrill ride at the amusement park in many parts of our world. Wars and violence of some kind are taking place on every continent.

Then add natural calamities and catastrophes. There are mudslides, droughts, floods, tsunamis, hurricanes, tornadoes, and earthquakes somewhere in the world every day.

Then top it off with the endless rush of life. Daily we run from home to work or school. We rush through the events of the day. When we get home we gulp down a meal and rush off to the event that we are engaged in for that evening. Life ends up at times seeming like a merry-go-round that we can’t stop so we can get off.

Now consider Heaven’s or God’s perspective. We find his viewpoint in Revelation 4 & 5. Here we encounter the true picture of reality. It is presented in a symbolic picture of God. In 4:2-3 we read, “There before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. And the one who sat there had the appearance of . . . “ The same truth is stated in 4:9-10; 5:1, 7, and 13.

Sitting on the throne is another way of saying sitting in the seat of authority and power. Sitting on the throne is thus shorthand for saying God is reigning. Right now our God reigns. He hasn’t been overthrown. He hasn’t lost his authority. God isn’t pacing the corridors of heaven wringing his hands and mumbling, “What am I going to do now?” God isn’t leaning over the ramparts of heaven trying to determine what is taking place. He is seated on the throne. He is in control. In fact, it hasn’t been necessary for him to even get up to deal with the rebellion of Satan and the human race.

His plans cannot be thwarted or hindered. They are firmly held in his “right hand” (Revelation 5:1). Nothing and no one can take them from his power and control.

Things may appear pretty grim at times. From where we sit it may look really bad. We could be tempted to give up and lose hope. At these times we must remain God-centered in our thinking and in our words and deeds. Here is the proper perspective to face life with its ups and downs. We must view and redescribe life from the true picture of reality found in God’s Word.

At such times there are several other passages you can meditate on to reinforce the truth revealed in Revelation 4 & 5. Our God reigns is also taught in Psalm 2:2-6,

The kings of the earth take their stand
And the rulers gather together
Against the LORD
And against his Anointed One.
“Let us break their chains,” they say,
“and throw off their fetter.”
The One enthroned in heaven laughs;
The Lord scoffs at them.
Then he rebukes them in his anger
And terrifies them in his wrath saying,
“I have installed my King
on Zion, my holy hill.”

Another passage that we need to recite often is Daniel 4:34-35.

His dominion is an eternal dominion;
His kingdom endures from generation to generation.
All the peoples of the earth
Are regarded as nothing.
He does as he pleases
With the powers of heaven
And the peoples of the earth.
No one can hold back his hand
Or say to him: “What have you done?”

May God help you to maintain the God-centered perspective of life that will give you strength to press on for Christ and the Kingdom.

Your elder,

Jim Gordon