WE SIT ON GOD'S THRONE

Correlation, or "coincidence?"

By Watchman Dean

Christians continue to take certain parts of Revelation completely literal. Recently a oneness person tried to argue that in Revelation it says that God and Jesus are "the temple" in the New Jerusalem, and since there is only one temple, God and Jesus would HAVE to be "the same" entity. This would be a SOUND argument if it weren't for the fact that Revelation is not literal but figurative and the ONENESS of God and Jesus are also FIGURATIVE. If not, then WE TOO are "the temple" and by the reasoning of this person we are therefore just as much God and Jesus is.

John 17:

20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;

21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they

also may be one in us: that the world maybelieve that thou hast sent me.

22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:

23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.

24 Father, I will that they also, whom thouhast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.

So in the above verses we see three truths about our "oneness" with Christ and with the Father.

1. This oneness is not just for the Apostles but for wewho have believed because of their testimony.

2. The "glory" Christ had "before the foundation of the world" was granted to US, we who believe by the testimony of the Apostles, (before we were even born).

3. We are ONE with the Father "even as" he (Christ) isone. If Christ's oneness means that he IS GOD INCARNATE (as Christianity clearly claims) then we are "one" even "as he is one." We too, would have tobe God incarnate.

Now, to the coincidences.

In Revelation 21 (where it says that God and Jesus are the temple) we find imagery and terminology that is used ELSEWHERE by Christ and the Apostles to describe our relationship with Jesus and with the Father!

Compare these verses:

Revelation 21:

21 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

2 Corinthians 5:

17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is

a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

According to Paul WE are the "new creation" described in Revelation 21. If you have ANY doubts about this those doubts should be quelled by readingRomans 8:

Romans 8:

19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,

21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.

23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

So, we are the new creation and that creation "groans and travails" in us to be birthed. Interestingly enough that is how Christ describes it as well.

John 16:

20 Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.

21 A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as

soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.

22 And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.

23 And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.

We have a "new creation" inside of us that is travailing in sorrow awaiting the SECOND COMING OF CHRIST IN US! This is CLEAR from scripture. For the "mystery" of God is "Christ in you the hope of GLORY."

Colossians 1:

26 Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:

27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

28 Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect inChrist Jesus:

Yet, this is not the ONLY place we read of this figurative "woman in travail" we find her in Revelation as well...

Revelation 12:

1 And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:

2 And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.

This woman is the bride of Christ, ready to bring forth "Christ" in her. Is it just

COINCIDENCE that we find the SAME FIGURATIVE IMAGERY over and over again in the New Testament? Then it must be a coincidence too that in Revelation 21 it describes the New Creation as "the New Jerusalem" as "a bride adorned for her husband."

Revelation 21:

2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

It must also be a coincidence that in Revelation21 the angel declares of the New Jerusalem that "the tabernacle of God is with men" and that Paul said the BRIDE of CHRIST is "God's husbandry, God's building" and called the bride"the temple in which the Holy Spirit dwells."

Revelation 21:

3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them,

and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

1 Corinthians 3:

9 For we are labourers together with God:ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.

10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.

11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 3:

16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

So, either Paul was confused or WE are "the temple" of God, we are his "tabernacle."

OTHER SIMILARITIES FROM REVELATION 21

Revelation 21:

4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.

7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

Paul said of our WALK "old things have passed away and all things have become new." That is the EXACT phrase we find in verse 4 above and it even says "I shall wipe the tears from their eyes" so the new creation are a "they" whom have "tears."

Then we have he that sits on the throne saying "I am Alpha and Omega." Trinitarians and Oneness people alike point to that and say "see, Jesus calls himself that earlier in Revelation, Jesus sits on the throne." Well, they could be RIGHT (even though in Revelation5 we see the Lamb is not on the throne but steps up and takes the book from him that sits on the throne). They could still be right, at this point Jesus could be on the throne. But notice in verse 7 it says "he that overcometh shall inherit all things."

Would this not include THE THRONE?

Furthermore, are we not "he that overcometh?" In fact Jesus promises that they who overcome shall sit with him on GOD'S THRONE.

Revelation 3:

21 To him that overcometh will I grant to

sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

Notice it says that Jesus "overcame." If Jesus is God himself what did he overcome? God is not an overcomer for God was never overcome and cannot be overwhelmed nor can he be threatened. It says that we will "sit with Christ on God's THRONE." But itdoesn't just say that, look what else it says in Revelation 3.

Revelation 3:

5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

Christ says if you overcome he will NOT blot your name out of the book of life. SO, your name CAN be blotted out of the book of life and those who preach "once saved always saved" are WRONG. But that isn't all that it says about the overcomer.

Revelation 3:

9 Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.

Christ will make them come and "worship" at our feet! Trinitarians and Oneness alike point to Thomas bowing at Christ's feet and declaring "My Lord and My God" as evidence that Christ is God because Christ received "worship." They also point to the angels and the 24 elders in Revelation worshipping the Lamb as evidence that Jesus is God. WELL, we must be God too, for Jesus is going to make them of the synagogue of Satan to come and worship at our feet as we sit on God's throne with him.

But wait, there's more. Revelation 3 also says WE make up the TEMPLE of God.

Revelation 3:

12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he

shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.

We are not only the TEMPLE we have the name of thecity of God New Jerusalem written upon us!

I ask you, how can all this be coincidence? The answer is, it cannot. The same imagery exists throughout the New Testament for a REASON. God istrying to tell us something but you have to have "ears to hear" what the Spirit is saying to the churches.

Clearly, the Christian religion does not have "its ears on" for they have MISSED the above correlations completely and insist on taking Revelation 21 and 22 LITERALLY.

If you still aren't convinced of the figurative nature ofthose chapters and how they are describing our heavenly relationship with the Father (and I don't know how you could not be convinced) look at Revelation 22 and compare it with Christ's own words:

Revelation 22:

1 And he shewed me a pure river of waterof life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.

2 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the treeof life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

Now, notice Christ said that the "river of life" would flow OUT OF US, the believers:

John 7:

38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

The gospel of John clearly identifies the "river of life"

as the HOLY SPIRIT which flows out of Christ and OUTOF US! Coincidence, or correlation?

Shalom

Watchman Dean