Immediately I was in the Spirit, and a throne was set there in heaven. One was seated on the throne, and the One seated looked like jasper and carnelian stone. A rainbow that looked like an emerald surrounded the throne. Revelation 4:2-3 HCSB
I enjoy outdoor photography. Taking pictures of God’s beautiful creation is fun. Finding just the right location to frame a scene with other items that are closer and achieving the right angle with the correct amount of light is a skill that God has helped me to develop over the years. There have been times when I have had to stand in precarious positions to get the best picture. The old adage, “A picture is worth a thousand words” is certainly true. It would be hard for me to adequately describe what I have captured in some of my pictures.
Just imagine being John and trying to describe what he saw as he was ushered into the throne room of God. He used the most descriptive words he could find to tell his readers how majestic and wonderful the sights were that he was given the pleasure to see. Jasper as we know it today is an opaque stone, but in Revelation 21:11 it is described as being a transparent crystal like a diamond. Carnelian was a fiery red mineral found in Sardis. The rainbow was not like what we see as a rainbow with many different colors. It was an arc around the throne and was the color of emerald green. John did the best he could at describing something that really was indescribable.
Challenge: God is still on His throne and is as majestic as He has always been. Try to imagine what the throne room of God looks like. Praise Him for who He is, what He has done, and what He going to do in the future.