The Lamb in the Center of the Throne

This chorus is in my heart during the preparation time for this sharing. It was 1994 when we first

attended the Christian Family Conference. I still remembered the first time we were here. The brothers

and sisters sang this chorus from their hearts. We never heard of this chorus before. I didn’t even know

the words are from the book of Revelation. There was such indescribable worship of the Lord together.

It was wonderful.

Lord’s willing; it will be the twentieth time this summer. Nineteen years are not a short time. There were

many changes. Outwardly, there are a lot of difficulties. Inwardly, the Lamb is more worthy day by day.

This is not only my testimony, but this is also the testimony of many brothers and sisters.

The worthiness of the Lamb never changes. It is the revealing of the Lamb by the Father and our

receiving of such revelation that make the difference. The Lamb becomes more worthy to us as the

more we know of the Lamb according to God’s heart. It is in this spirit that we share on this matter of

the Lamb. We must go behind the scene, so to speak, go way back to God’s beginning in creation, go

way back to the counsel of God, to see what God said about the Lamb.

Revelation 7:17a for the Lamb in the center of the throne …

Philippians 2:6-11 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing

to be grasped, (7) but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the

likeness of men. (8) And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming

obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (9) Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and

bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, (10) that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE

SHOULD BOW, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, (11) and that every

tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.2

Philippians 2:5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,

Revelation 21:2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made

ready as a bride adorned for her husband.

Introduction

(Revelation 1:3) Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the

things which are written in it; for the time is near.

We must read every book in the Bible. As we read the word we should ask the Father to reveal His Son

in our spirit. The book of revelation is special as it is the last book of the Bible. It is the book of

consummation. Its title is the revelation of Jesus Christ. It sums up the revelation of Jesus Christ.

The time is near. The return of the Lord is imminent. Our hearts must be opened to the revelation that

is contained in this book. We need to hear the words of the prophecy; we need to look earnestly to all

that is revealed in this book. Prophecy is the speaking forth of God’s heart. In the American Standard

Version, “heed the things” is rendered as “keep the things”. It is not entering into one ear and exiting

the other ear. It is the holding on in our hearts what is uttermost in God’s heart.

I did mention last time that the word “the Lamb” is mentioned over 20 times in the book of Revelation.

In the New Testament, the other two occurrence of “the Lamb” is in the gospel of John. This certainly

means as we read the book of Revelation we should behold “the Lamb”.

Outline

Firstly, we share that the Lamb is God’s rightful King. There is a battle raging over ages, and that battle

is the battle of who occupies the throne. The battle rages before the creation of world and continues

unto the coming of the Lord. It is the battle of who has dominion over the universe. The Lamb won the

war and He is now in the center of the throne.

Secondly, in position, the church is also seated with the Lamb in the throne. In order for believers to

serve the Lord in this world we must arrive at the throne in experience. I will share the path of the Lamb

to the throne, and we must walk the same path. I will use the believers in the early dates after the Lord’s

resurrection as an example of how they did have the mindset of Jesus. The church was persecuted. “But

the word of the Lord continued to grow and to be multiplied” (Acts 12:24)

Lastly, there is a word of warning on how crafty the natural is! The natural man can’t obey God. Hence

the natural man can never arrive at God’s throne. King Saul is a good example to illustrate how the

natural man is rejected by God as king. I will also share a dealing that I have regarding to disobedience

that could be an exhortation to other.

(1a) The Lamb is God’s King3

(Revelation 7:17a) for the Lamb in the center of the throne …

Today we center on a segment of the Rev. 7:17a. According to Vine’s New Testament Dictionary, throne

is the seat of authority. Throne is something neutral. It is the person who is in throne that impacts our

livelihood. There can be only one King in the throne of our hearts. When the Lord is accepted as the

King, there would be abundant provisions and protection from the one who reigns and rules over all

things. When the Lord is rejected as King, there would be confusion, destruction, and desolation, as the

time we are in today.

1 Samuel 8:7

(7) The LORD said to Samuel, "Listen to the voice of the people in regard to all that they say to you, for

they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being king over them.

We associate the king with the throne. The nation of Israel had a long history of kings. Do you recall

King Saul? He was the first man chosen by the people to be king. What a mistake that was! Before Saul,

God was their King. The people rejected God as their King (1 Sam 8:7).

We expect it is the king who is in the throne. Instead of a king, John saw the Lamb in the center of the

throne. There are nine verses (Rev 3:21; 5:6,13; 6:16; 7:9, 10, 17; 22:1,3) in the book of Revelation

implying the Lamb is in the Throne. We often think that a king answers to no one. Here we have the

King who answers to His Father. He is the Lamb of God, and because of that God makes Him King over

all things. We know Him as the Lamb of God, and more so, we need to know Him as God’s King. Christ is

forever the Lamb and the King. He is the Lamb/King. Praise Him.

(1b) the Battle of Who Occupies the Throne

Today there are a lot of tumults in the world, particular in the Middle East, in North Africa, in Asia, and

in many other places. In this country there are so much violence and lawlessness, and the steep

declining of moral standards. Are they merely independent incidents? I am afraid not. Psalms 2:1-2

“Why are the nations in an uproar And the peoples devising a vain thing? (2) The kings of the earth take

their stand And the rulers take counsel together Against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying,” .

There is a spirit behind all these, and that spirit is really against God and against His Anointed. His

Anointed is His Son whom John saw as the Lamb in the center of the throne. There is a battle for

ascendency or authority or who sits in the center of the throne.

Isaiah 14:12-14” "How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have

been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations! (13) "But you said in your heart, 'I

will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of

assembly In the recesses of the north. (14) 'I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make

myself like the Most High.'”

The conflict is not new. We learn from Is 14:12-14, even before the creation of man, there was an angel

who craved for the honor, the power, and the authority that are vested in the throne. The battle of the

throne has been going on even before the creation of man.

Colossians 1:16 for in him were all things created, in the heavens and upon the earth, things visible and

things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things have been created

through him, and unto him;

We shared last time that the universe and man were created for the pleasure of His Son. Everything is

created in the Son, through the Son, and unto the Son (Col 1:16). His Son is the rightful owner of the

creation, and He should have dominion over all things.

(Genesis 1:26) Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them

rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and

over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."

(Genesis 1:28) God blessed them; and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and

subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that

moves on the earth."

Man was created according to God’s image and likeness. Man was created not only for His Son’s

pleasure, but also the Son wanted to share His dominion with the created man. According to Gen 1:26

man was given the authority to rule over everything on this earth. Not only this, according to Gen 1:28,

it was God intention to use man to subdue His enemy.

(Genesis 3:24) So He drove the man out; and at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the

cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life.

(Colossians 1:13) For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of

His beloved Son,

Man fell to temptation, and Adam and Eve were driven away from the Garden of Eden. The door to the

Garden of Eden is forever closed to man in his own nature. (Gen 3:24). There is no possibility that man in

his own nature can ever share the dominion with God’s Son. Worse than this and according to Col 1:13,

now the earth is under the domain of darkness. The dominion that man had was forfeited to Satan.

Ephesians 1:20-21 which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and made him to sit

at his right hand in the heavenly places, (21) far above all rule, and authority, and power, and

dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:

The first man failed. God sent forth His own Son to the world. Jesus was different from all other men

who are in the nature of Adam. Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit and He was born of a virgin. He

was tempted, but never sinned. He was the perfect Man. His chose to obey His Father and laid down

His life on the cross. Jesus was sinless and He was perfect. Death cannot hold Him. According to Eph

1:20-21, God raised Him from the dead and gave Him rule and authority far above every created thing.

Adam forfeited the dominion that belongs to God’s Son to the enemy. Christ, the second Man, is given

the dominion over all created thing. Dear brothers and sisters please don’t just consider redemption as

limited to salvation. It is so much more. Dominion is redeemed back to God.5

(Ephesians 2:6) and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ

Jesus,

Not only dominion is redeemed and given to Christ, the desire of Christ to share the throne with man

according to His nature, the body of Christ, the Church has not change. According to Eph 2:6, we all

together, the church, were raised up with Him and seated with Him in the heavenly, in the throne.

Dear brothers and sisters, I want to drive home this point. What a privilege the Church has, what a

position the Church has, we are, but sinners saved by His grace, now sitting with Him in His throne.

(1c) Why are we not taken out of the world?

Matthew 18:18 "Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and

whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.

Matthew 18:20 "For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst."

You may ask, since the Lamb is in the center of the throne, and the church is seated with Him in the

heavenlies, then why do we still face so much conflicts, and tabulation in the world? There are several

reasons. Firstly, when Adam and Eve were created, they were God’s mean to subdue God’s enemy.

Though Adam and Eve failed, God’s purpose for man has not changed. According to Matt 18:18, the

church is given the authority to bind and to loose now. We are not taken out of world because Christ

wants to use His church to subdue the enemy. The church serves Him now as a testimony that Heaven

does rule.

Secondly, we often consider reigning and ruling as an external thing. But there is always the battle

raging within. The flesh, the self life that is in us, though it is decommissioned, often rises up to have

ascendancy. The flesh is the playground of the adversary. We are not taken out of the world so that we

may allow the cross to work within to subdue the self life.

Thirdly, ruling and reigning is not a child business. It is the business of mature sons. We are not taken

out of the world so that we may be matured through much conflicts, and tabulation.

Matthew 5:13-14 "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be

made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by

men. (14) "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden;

Fourthly, toward the end of the book of revelation there is a city, the New Jerusalem, coming down from

heaven. We also notice that there is the river of life flow from the city, and there is the tree of life along

the side of the river (Rev 22:1-2). Based on Matt 5:13-14, the church is meant to be the salt and the light

to this dying and darkened world. The church serves Him now in the ministry of life. The church is being

prepared to serve Him and to minister in life in the kingdom age and the age of eternity.

(2a) The Pathway to the Throne

Philippians 2:5-11 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, (6) who, although He

existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, (7) but emptied

Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. (8) Being found in

appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a

cross. (9) For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above

every name, (10) so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and

on earth and under the earth, (11) and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the

glory of God the Father.

The Lamb is in the center of the throne now. He is there reigning and ruling now. We may ask what is

the pathway to the throne, so that the church may rule and reign with Christ now when we are in the

world and also for the ages to come. The church needs to know experientially this sitting with Christ in

the throne. John saw the Lamb instead of someone in kingly clothes, in the center of the throne, and

that tells us something very special. I have inquired about it, and I was brought to Phil 2:5-11.

The pathway for the Lord was down, down, down, down to the death of the cross. Then the Father lifted

Him up above everything, things in heaven, things on earth, and things under the earth. Every tongue

should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Lordship is dominion. The pathway to throne is the following: 1)

based on verse 6 the Lord put Himself under His Father; 2) based on verse 7 the Lord is totally devoted

to the Father by becoming a bond-slave to the Father; 3) based on verse 8 the Lord is absolutely

obedient to the Father and (4) He laid down His life on the cross. Putting this in a simple way, it is: 1)

subjection, 2) devotion, 3) obedience, and 4) cross. The Lord becomes the Lamb of God. The Lamb is

given authority because He is willing to subject to the authority of His Father.

(Romans 5:19) For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so

through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.

Paul started the description of the Lord’s pathway to the throne with the exhortation of “having this

attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus.” This is our pathway to the throne also. For us the

process works in the reverse order. Our starting point is the cross. The cross is two sided. On the grave

side is death. Everything that is not of the Lord is excluded. On the resurrection side is life. Christ is our

life. Everything that is of the Lord is included. Based on Romans 5:19 we know the issue with Adam and

Eve was disobedience. The Lord overcame the enemy by being obedient to God. Obedient means not

my will, but God’s will be done. We must allow the cross to work obedience into our life. Without

obedience we cannot live a life that is total devoted to the Lord. Without obedience we cannot have the

Lord to be preeminent in our life. For us, obedient is the key to the throne.

(2b) Example of Having the Mindset of Jesus

Acts 1:4 And gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for

what the Father had promised, "Which," He said, "you heard of from Me;

Acts 1:14 These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer, along with the

women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.

Acts 1:24 And they prayed, and said, "Thou, Lord, who knowest the hearts of all men, show which one

of these two Thou hast chosen

Isn’t this exemplified by the believers in early days after the Lord’s resurrection! The disciples thought

that Jesus would establish an earthly kingdom. This thought went to pieces when Jesus died on the

cross. After the resurrection, everything changed. Isn’t this work of the cross!

Jesus commanded them to stay in Jerusalem and wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4). They

did. Isn’t this obedient!

According to Acts 1:14, they all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer. Isn’t this

devotion to the Lord Jesus!

When it was time to choose a person to take the place of Judas as a witness with them of Jesus’

resurrection, they acknowledged Christ is the Lord, and they presented the choice to Him (Act 1:24).

Acts 12:24 But the word of the Lord continued to grow and to be multiplied.

In that early time the church was persecuted by the religious system, the Judaizers, via the political

system, the Roman Empire. As an example, we find in Act 12, the church was persecuted. Herod the

king killed James and put Peter in prison. It was an amazing story how Peter was set free by an angel,

Herod was put to death by an angel. “But the word of the Lord continued to grow and to be multiplied”

(Acts 12:24). We find the believers overcame, Christ was preached, and the fire of the Holy Spirit was

burning bright. Isn’t this reigning and ruling with the Lamb in the center of the throne!

(3a) Examples of Disobedience

Man after the nature of Adam is crafty. When the nature of Adam has the upper hand, we can easily be

deceived, and we may judge what is disobedient as obedient. This Adamic life always look for excuses or

covers for his disobedience acts. I would like to give an example of disobedience that demonstrates that

disobedience is the nature of old Adam. The man after the old Adam can never be on the throne. I was

led to Saul as an example.

1 Samuel 15:18-23

(18) and the LORD sent you on a mission, and said, 'Go and utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites,

and fight against them until they are exterminated.'

(19) "Why then did you not obey the voice of the LORD, but rushed upon the spoil and did what was evil

in the sight of the LORD?"

(20) Then Saul said to Samuel, "I did obey the voice of the LORD, and went on the mission on which the

LORD sent me, and have brought back Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the

Amalekites.

(21) "But the people took some of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the choicest of the things devoted to

destruction, to sacrifice to the LORD your God at Gilgal."

(22) Samuel said, "Has the LORD as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As in obeying the voice

of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams.

(23) "For rebellion is as the sin of divination, And insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry. Because

you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has also rejected you from being king."

The particular event of Saul is recorded in 1 Sam 15:18-23. Saul was a man after the nature of Adam, he

could not obey. Saul was sent to fight and totally exterminate the Amalekites. Saul only did that half

way. He brought back Agag the king of Amalek, and he allowed his people to take some of the spoil. He

even suggested a cover, that the people brought back the spoil to offer sacrifice to the Lord. Partial

obedience is no obedience. The Lord rejected Saul being king. This is a lesson for us. In order to reign

and rule with the Lamb in the center of the throne we must be totally obedient to the Lamb.

Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me;

and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered

Himself up for me.

The self life can’t obey God. But there is a life in us that can obey God. It is Christ life in us, and that is

our hope. Christ life is the life of the Lamb in the throne. Christ in us is the hope of glory. We

acknowledge that we have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me

(Gal 2:20). By the virtue of no longer I who live, but Christ lives in us, we would have the same mindset

as that of Jesus (Phil 2:5).

(3b) Personal story

John 8:36 "So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.

May I share a personal story that could be helpful! Several months ago there was an increase of

frequency that we were not at the prayer’s meeting or at the fellowship meeting. I had many covers or

excuses. The weather was bad. I was exhausted. I couldn’t get out work in time to get to the meeting.

Based on John 8:36, the Son has made me free, why didn’t I have the liberty for not going to meetings?

Why couldn’t I stay home and mediate on God’s word? I could use the travel time on God’s word. I felt

that these were very good reason, but they were very crafty, just like Saul did. This went on for a period

of time.

One morning, the Lord seemed to say, “Yes, I have made your free, but I have not given you the liberty

of not assembly together with brothers and sisters in prayer and in fellowship gathering.” This has an

impact on everything. We are free, but yet we are not free. We have the liberty of not following the way

according to the nature of Adam, but yet we do not have liberty of not following the will of the Lord.

Formerly I said, “Lord, look at all these difficulties, I am tired, I am late, the road is bad, I can’t go.” Now

I say, “Lord, I want to go. Please remove the stumbling blocks that would prevent me from going.” The

Lord is faithful, and He indeed removes the stumbling blocks.

Conclusion

Matthew 16:18 "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and

the gates of Hades shall not overpower it.

Recently the brothers have been sharing on this matter of the house of God. The Lord is building His

church now, and the gates of Hades do not overpower it. In the end of the book of Revelation, there is

the New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven. The New Jerusalem speaks of uninterrupted presence

of God and the Lamb. It speaks of the reigning, ruling, and ministering with the Lamb. The house of God

is the New Jerusalem. How do the saints arrive at this end? By having the mindset of Jesus. How is the

Lord building His church today? He is working into His people the mindset of Jesus.

Dear brothers and sisters, I must finish up. The Lamb is in the center of the throne now. The war is

finished. The dominion of the universe is given by God to the Lamb. It is the desire of the Lord, and it is

our birth right, to experience the ruling and reigning with the Lamb, now, in the kingdom age, and in the

age of eternity. Are we prepared for this? Do we obey Him in all things? Do we totally devote to Him? Is

He preeminent in our hearts and in our midst? To arrive at throne we must be willing to allow the Holy

Spirit to have the freedom to work in us, to subdue the disobedient, and allow His life to reign within us.

Absolute obedience is needed to rule and reign with the Lamb.

We open our time with singing to the Lord that the Lamb is worthy. He is truly worthy of all our beings.

Let us embrace the cross and give the freedom to the Holy Spirit to work in us such so that He is

enthroned in each of us, and in the midst of us, and we learn to rule and reign with Him now, and for the

ages to come. It is not complicated. May the Lord help us!

Obedience is Better than Sacrifice