At the Feet of Jesus Revelation 4:10-11 And they lay their crowns before the throne and say, “You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power.” There is debate about the meaning behind the many crowns awarded to the saints at the bema of Christ. There are some who believe that these awards will be physical crowns, though most would agree that the term is figurative. I’m convinced that these crowns are simply symbolic of the degree of honor and special privileges that we will be given for our faithfulness in serving Christ on earth. How those privileges manifest themselves we won’t know until we get there. Based on my understanding of certain Scriptures, I believe that some will be given greater degrees of responsibility than others, but I can’t know for sure. It is fun to dream and speculate, though. Perhaps that’s why God didn’t tell us—to encourage us to use our imagination. But whether these crowns are literal or figurative, I’m convinced that one particular event will literally happen as it’s described in Scripture. At the end of the ceremony, we will all face the throne of Jesus, prostrate ourselves before him, and lay our rewards at his feet. Along with the twenty-four elders, we will come before him with tears in our eyes and joy in our heart, worshiping him in one voice and one heart. When we finally come face-to-face with our Redeemer, we won’t be able to contain our love and appreciation. We will gladly lay our crowns before the throne. There at the feet of Jesus will lay thousands upon thousands of precious jewels—crowns of life, righteousness, glory, and gold—all cast before him in a symbolic and simultaneous gesture of holy reverence. It is this kind of scene that Paul envisioned in his letter to the Philippians: Because of this, God raised him up to the heights of heaven and gave him a name that is above every other name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11) However you envision the day of our salvation, and whatever you believe about the form it will take, you have to acknowledge this one truth: It will be a day like no other in the history of the world. And it will likely be typical of eternity in heaven. Today’s Reading: Revelation 4:9-11 Reflection: Who are the “living beings” that John speaks of? It is widely held that the twenty-four elders represent the whole of the saints in heaven. Reflect and imagine how this scene might look. What crown do you hope to lay at the throne of Jesus?
Posted on: Fri, 24 Jan 2014 00:57:08 +0000
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