THE THRONE

In the year 1215, King John of England travelled outside London to Runnymede, on the banks of the River Thames, and signed the Magna Carta. He had to! His barons had told him that if he did not sign, he would be in big trouble. They were tired of his heavy taxes, his ineffective leadership, and his less than spectacular rule. So they forced him to sign. In doing so, King John severely curtailed the traditional powers of the monarchy. Many people date monarchical decline from 1215.

Political systems now favour democracies over monarchies. Given the abuses of power by the latter, there is much to be said for the former. But as thrones and empires have been toppled, respect for the majestic has all but disappeared. This may not be politically significant, but it does have spiritual implications.

In the days of the Old Testament, kings were anointed by prophets and the trappings of their reign and the splendour of their person were often seen as reflections of the glory of the Lord. Even the extravagance of their palaces, their vestments, and their inordinate wealth were regarded as evidence of divine favour. The queen of Sheba was overwhelmed by Solomon’s splendour. He had built for himself  “a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold. And there were six steps to the throne, with a footstool of gold, ......... There was not the like made in any kingdom”. 2 Chron. 9:17-19.  From this splendid platform, Solomon ruled his vast empire. He was powerful, splendid, and majestic.

Solomon’s reign came to an end. His throne was lost, and his empire has long been divided. But God’s throne is founded on two strong pillars -  “Justice and judgement are the habitation of thy throne” (Psalm 89:14), and he promised King David, “Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations”. Psa  89:4.

When David’s family collapsed, was the promise rendered null and void? Not at all! Hundreds of years later, a humble girl in Nazareth was told by an angel,  “thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a Son, and shalt call His name Jesus. He shall be great, and .... the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David: And He shall reign .....for ever; and of His kingdom there shall be no end”. Luke 1:31-33. One day, Mary’s Son, our Lord Jesus, will sit on His everlasting throne in His eternal kingdom. He will be the focus of attention! He will be marvellous, majestic, and magnificent. And we will be overwhelmed with the glory and the majesty (see Rev. 4).

Adapted from an article by Stuart Briscoe