Ⅰ
We must take, experience, and enjoy Christ as our King:
A
The highest point in our spiritual experience is having a clear sky with the throne above it—Ezek. 1:22, 26-28:
１
The kind of sky we have as Christians depends on our conscience; our conscience is connected to our sky—Rom. 9:1; 2 Cor. 1:12.
２
When there is nothing between us and the Lord and nothing between us and one another, our sky will be crystal clear, and we will have not only a good conscience but also a pure conscience—Acts 24:16; 1 Tim. 1:5, 19; 3:9; 2 Tim. 1:3; cf. Matt. 5:8; Prov. 22:11; 2 Tim. 2:22.
B
The throne is the center of the universe, and it is the Lord's ruling presence; the throne in our spirit is actually Christ Himself—Isa. 22:23; Heb. 4:16; Rom. 5:21; Rev. 22:1:
１
If we have a clear sky, the throne will be present, and we will spontaneously be under the ruling and reigning of the throne; for God to have the throne in us means that He has the position to reign in us—cf. Dan. 4:17, 25-26; 5:18-31; Isa. 6:1-8.
２
To have the throne above a clear sky is to allow God to have the highest and most prominent position in our Christian life; in our spiritual experience, to reach the point of having the throne above a clear sky means that in everything we are completely submissive to God's authority and administration.
C
In Ezekiel 1:26 "the likeness of the throne" is "like the appearance of a sapphire stone"; a sapphire stone is blue in color, which is a heavenly color, indicating the heavenly situation, atmosphere, and condition of God's ruling presence—Exo. 24:10.
D
God desires to manifest Himself through man and to reign through man; He wants man to express Him and to exercise His authority; God's complete salvation is for us to be saved in life and to reign in life by the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness—Gen. 1:26; Rev. 11:15; 3:21; 22:3-5; Rom. 5:17, 21.
Morning Nourishment
Ezek. 1:22 …There was the likeness of an expanse, like the sight of awesome crystal,…over their heads…26 And above the expanse…was the likeness of a throne, like the appearance of a sapphire stone; and upon the likeness of the throne was One in appearance like a man, above it.
Acts 24:16 …I also exercise myself to always have a conscience without offense toward God and men.
Above the heads of the living creatures [in Ezekiel 1:26] is a clear expanse, a clear sky, that is expanding and yet was stable…. Above this clear sky there is a throne. We Christians need to maintain a clear sky with the Lord. This means that we need always to have a clear fellowship with Him. We should have nothing between us and the Lord. When there is nothing between us and the Lord, our sky will be crystal clear, and our conscience will be pure, void of any offense (Acts 24:16).
We need to be deeply impressed with the fact that, as Christians, …we need to have a conscience that is without offense. Whenever there is condemnation or an offense on our conscience, our sky immediately becomes cloudy, darkened, and foggy. At such times we should confess our failure and our sin to the Lord and receive His forgiveness and the cleansing of His precious blood (1 John 1:9, 7). This will cleanse our conscience so that it will be void of offense. We will again have a clear sky and a clear fellowship with the Lord, with nothing between us and Him. (Life-study of Ezekiel, pp. 111-112)
Today’s Reading
Whenever we have such a clear sky in our Christian life and in our church life, we will also have the throne, which is above the clear sky (Ezek. 1:26). The throne is the center of the universe, and it is where the Lord is. We often talk about the Lord’s presence, but we need to realize that the Lord’s presence is always with the throne. Where the Lord is, there His throne is. His presence can never be separated from His throne. The Lord’s throne is in the third heaven, but His throne is also in our spirit. Hence, the Lord’s throne is with us all the time.As Christians and as local churches, we all should be under a crystal clear and expansive sky. Above this clear, expansive sky is the throne of the Lord. By having such a clear sky, we are spontaneously under the government of the Lord’s throne. We should always be under the ruling of the Lord’s throne. Because we are under the throne, we do not need policemen and law courts to rule over us.
The highest step in the spiritual experience of a Christian is to have the throne in our expanse, in our clear sky. To have the throne, or to arrive at the throne, is to allow God to have the highest and most prominent position in our Christian life. For God to have the throne in us means that He has the position to reign in us. Therefore, to reach the throne in our spiritual experience means that in everything we are completely submissive to God’s authority and administration. Then we are no longer a person without the throne, without authority, without government.
A believer who does not have a clear sky with a throne above it can easily be loose and careless in his daily living. On the contrary, a believer who has a sky that is crystal clear has the sense of being under divine government and restraint; therefore, he cannot be loose or careless in anything he says or does. A believer who has a clear sky above him is under an authority which restricts and restrains him in things such as speaking or a display of anger. This authority is a matter of the throne.
A sapphire stone signifies a kind of heavenly condition which exists when God is present in a particular situation…. A sapphire stone is blue in color, and blue is a heavenly color indicating the situation and condition of God’s presence. (Life-study of Ezekiel, pp. 112-114, 120)
Further Reading: Life-study of Judges, msg. 1; Life-study of 1 & 2 Samuel, msg. 6; Life-study of Ezekiel, msgs. 10-12