Verse 5
Who is the one seated on the throne here? We believe it to be
Christ in fulfillment of Matthew 25:31, which reads: "When the Son of man shall come
in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his
glory."
Hebrews 1:2 says that Jesus was "set down on the right hand
of the Majesty on high."
Isaiah 9:6 says: "The government shall be upon his
shoulder." It is he who will set up a new ruling authority on earth.
He will be enthroned with all power in heaven and earth, and
before his work is done it will be true, "that at the name of Jesus every knee shall
bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every
tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father"
(Philippians 2:10, 11).
It is certainly true that as the world bows low before the throne
of our Lord Jesus; they will in effect be bowing before God the Father as well. They will
acknowledge God’s arrangement and accept the ruling authority of Christ knowing he is
God’s anointed ruler. In this sense Romans 14:11 applies, which says: "For it is
written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall
confess to God."
In a sense then, one knee is bowed before Christ and the other
knee is bowed to the source of power behind Christ’s throne. Judah said to Joseph:
"For thou art even as Pharaoh" (Genesis 44:18). Such will be the role of the
antitypical Joseph.
Verse 13
It does not seem that the directions here mentioned refer to
anything more than temperamental or characteristic divisions of the people.
Verse 24
Most authentic manuscripts omit the words "and honor"
in verse 24 and retain it in verse 26.
THE
NEW JERUSALEM
