At Home Before the Throne

Every now and then, when our church gathers for worship, during the announcement of the congregational prayer, the service leader invites us to come forward “to the throne of God” if we have any special praises or requests on our hearts. I wonder how you picture this phrase in your head.

Perhaps your first thought would be to imagine a vast expanse of indescribable splendor, filled with multitudes of angels, hushed, all eyes on the human visitors to their blessed realm. This would be somewhat like the visions described in Daniel 7:22 or Revelation 4 and 5. Or do you perhaps picture a high and lofty throne in a smaller but still very imposing temple setting, as described in Isaiah 6? Or perhaps a scene in which God appears inscrutable, surrounded by beings, forms, and shapes that defy comprehension, as in Ezekiel 1? In any of these cases, the throne of God, the place God resides, has an element of otherworldly beauty, pure holiness, and absolute power.

Coming before the throne of God, so it seems, can be a rather overwhelming experience. Why did God choose to present Himself like this, not only on these but on many occasions in Scripture? And how does this affect me as I prepare to move toward the front of my church for prayer?

God’s Otherness

The greatness of God makes me feel small. The otherness of God makes me feel as though it is difficult to come close to Him. God is above; I am below. This way of describing God’s relation to me emphasizes His transcendence. Transcendence means that God is over and beyond His creation; that He is independent from it. Picturing God in this way, even as I write these lines, fills me with awe. When I pray, it helps me tune out my doubts and concerns and fills me with confidence that whatever I bring before Him will not burden or perplex His infinite majesty. Turning away from the turmoil and temptations of this world, I can say with Habakkuk: “But the Lord is in His holy temple. Let all the earth keep silence before Him” (Hab. 2:20).

Despite its transcendent magnificence and without detracting from its holiness, the throne room of God is a warm and welcoming place.

The emphasis on God’s transcendence can be taken too far, creating an undue distance between God and me. Yes, God rules the universe, and we are finite, flawed, and in need of mercy . . . but note that in all these throne scenes, God’s primary concern is humanity and the person standing before Him. There is no sense in which God’s greatness and otherness make Him less involved with us!

God’s Closeness

Furthermore, there are numerous occasions on which God is described as coming very close to humanity. Think, for example, of God coming to chat and to eat with Abraham in Genesis 18, or God meeting with Elijah as a still small voice in the desert in 1 Kings 19:12, 13! Also, would a God, entirely defined by His transcendence, care about the widow’s debt in 2 Kings 4:1-7? Would He ensure that the sons of the prophets’ effort to collect food for a communal meal is not wasted because of their oversight in adding a poisonous plant (2 Kings 4:38-41)? Would He make an iron axhead float (2 Kings 6:6)?

Clearly God manifests His presence with us, even in the mundane details of human existence. But God went much further than this when He sent His Son, Jesus, to live as a human among humans. Jesus ate the same food we do, and experienced hunger, sadness, and joy (Matt. 11:19; 4:2; John 11:35; Luke 10:21). Finally, when Jesus was about to leave earth and return to His Father's side, He promised His disciples in John 14:23 to not only stay close but come even closer: “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.” Is it not remarkable how Solomon thought it a paradox that the God who cannot be contained in the universe could come to live in the temple he had built (1 Kings 8:27), but Paul feels confident in 1 Corinthians 3:16 to claim: “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?”

Warm, Welcoming Magnificence

These texts show that God is not only transcendent but also very close to us. He is immanent. Immanence is the opposite of transcendence, describing God’s closeness to His creation. The combination of texts that emphasize God’s transcendence with those that emphasize His immanence gives strong evidence that the infinite deity, Creator of the universe, is also able and willing to come infinitely close to me.

In fact, as we ponder the grandeur of the heavenly throne room, we should realize that all the power and wisdom displayed are not just for show but are being exercised on our behalf. They are not a measure of the distance between you and God. Just the opposite. They are meant to increase our confidence in God’s ability to fulfill His promises, which include, for example, that where He is, we may be also (John 14:3). And the multitudes of angels: “Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?” (Heb. 1:14). There is no coldness in their glance, no annoyance at the uncouth troublemakers from a backwater planet. Despite its transcendent magnificence and without detracting from its holiness, the throne room of God is a warm and welcoming place.

As I walk down the aisle to “come before the throne of God,” I make myself aware that, in a sense, I am entering the presence of the One who is absolutely beyond me. It is good that I feel the infinite difference between me, as a creature, and God, as the Creator, for this is the basis of my worship. I know there is much I do not understand about God; even the mysteries of His creation are largely hidden from me. This puts me in awe. And that is as it should be. But God smiles; He is happy that I have come. This makes me feel at home. And that is also as it should be.