‘Immediately I was in Spirit and, behold, there was a throne set in Heaven, and one sitting on the throne.'
There is no suggestion this time that he is carried forward to the Lord's day. Rather he is carried ‘upward' into Heaven. And there he sees a throne set in Heaven. Whatever happens on earth, God is on His throne.
‘One sitting on the throne'. This is the description used throughout the book for God the Father (see Revelation 5:13; Revelation 6:16; Revelation 7:10). The Lord reigns! (1 Chronicles 16:31; Psalms 93:1; Psalms 96:10; Psalms 97:1; Psalms 99:1) That the throne was ‘set' in Heaven does not mean set for a special purpose, for, unlike in Daniel, there is no suggestion that the other thrones are less than permanent. In a sense (from a literal point of view) the throne was set for all time
Throughout the Bible God is regularly depicted as being on a throne because He is sovereign over the universe. In 1 Kings 22:19 Micaiah declares, ‘I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and all the host of Heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left'. The point is that he does view the Lord in terms of a king on His throne with heavenly attendants.
Isaiah says, ‘I saw the Lord, sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. And above him stood the ‘seraphim' (probably meaning ‘those who burn up', therefore purifiers - see Revelation 4:6-7); each one had six wings, with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet and with two he flew, and one cried to another and said, “holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts. The whole earth is full of his glory” (Isaiah 6:2 on).' Again the Lord is depicted as a king on His throne, this time with fewer heavenly attendants, but in this case they are within the Temple for a special purpose, the purifying and commissioning of Isaiah for His task ahead. (Revelation 4:7-8 seem to equate the seraphim with the cherubim, see later on those verses).
Ezekiel 1:4-28 depicts four living creatures, the cherubim, each in the likeness of a man, each with four faces and four wings, two of the wings connecting with those of the other living creatures and two covering their bodies. The four faces are those of a man, a lion, an ox and an eagle. Their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches, and they were accompanied by bright fire and lightning. (In Ezekiel 10:12 their whole body, and their backs and their hands and their wings, and the wheels, are full of eyes round about).
They were also accompanied by sets of wheels (called ‘the whirling wheels' Ezekiel 10:13 - possibly with whirlwinds in mind) which went wherever the living creatures went. Over their heads as they flew, joined together by their wings, was the likeness of a firmament (beaten out plate), like the colour of awesome crystal, stretched out over their heads, which they were clearly bearing along. And above the firmament was the likeness of a throne as the appearance of a sapphire stone, and on the likeness of the throne was ‘the likeness of the appearance of a man on it above, and I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire within it round about, from the appearance of his loins and upwards. And from the appearance of his loins and downward I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was brightness round about him. As the appearance of the rainbow was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord'. This whole description is clearly based on the mercy seat above the ark of the covenant in the Tabernacle, confirming that that was seen as the throne of the invisible God, and in Ezekiel it is seen as a moving chariot bearing the Lord around.
There the Lord is depicted as on a transportable throne, borne by the cherubim (Revelation 10:1), with the aim of showing that He has deserted the Temple and is now with His people in the land of the Chaldeans.
Daniel says, ‘I watched until thrones were placed, and one who was ancient of days did sit, his clothing was white as snow and the hair of his head like pure wool. His throne was fiery flames and the wheels of it burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came out from before him, thousand thousands ministered to him and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The judgment was set and the books were opened'. Interestingly Daniel also sees God's throne as transportable (wheels of burning fire). Note also that there were either two or a number of other thrones ‘placed'. The other may have been awaiting the coming of the son of man. This seems the most probable as no other reason for the plural thrones is given, whereas his enthronement is described, or they may possibly be for the more important members of His court who are seen as sitting in judgment (Daniel 7:9).
A throne is also assumed (and specifically mentioned in Hebrews 12:2) in such passages as Hebrews 1:3, where the Lord Jesus is sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high (compare Mark 16:19; Luke 22:69; Acts 2:33-35; Acts 7:56; Romans 8:34; Ephesians 1:20; Colossians 3:1; Hebrews 8:1; Hebrews 10:12; Hebrews 12:2; 1 Peter 3:22). The stress in these cases is that Jesus is sat down (or stands) at the right hand of God, i.e. takes His place with the Father, receiving supreme authority. He is His ‘right hand man' (Psalms 80:17).
It is clear from all this that God is seen as having a throne wherever He wills in order to reveal His sovereignty and to carry out His purposes. He is always accompanied by heavenly attendants, although of varying descriptions. When limited to only one kind they are there to perform a particular service. When His purpose is to carry out judgment He is attended by a considerable host, some of whom are possibly enthroned, as with minor kings to a Great King on earth. The passages depicting Jesus as at the right hand of God may be thought to suggest a permanent throne, but what they in fact declare in picture form is God's permanent sovereignty and Jesus' participation in that sovereignty. So the throne set in Heaven follows this pattern.
However, although the vision that John sees may appear to be of what seems physical, it is really, as with the other visions, a way of revealing spiritual truth. Thus for example, when in 2 Kings 6:17 Elisha's servant sees horses and chariots of fire, this does not mean that in Heaven there are permanently horses and chariots. Rather he is being shown in terms that relate to his own day the power of God to save and deliver from the hands of men. In the same way John is having spiritual reality brought home to him in a way he can understand and appreciate, and pass on to others. In fact there is no physical throne like an earthly throne in Heaven for God is not physical. He is Spirit (as we also will be in our resurrection bodies - 1 Corinthians 15:42-45). It is put in earthly terms for our benefit. What there really is we cannot begin to conceive