Before His Throne

Assuming you pray, do you think of yourself kneeling before God’s altar? When you make a request of Him, do you follow much of the layout of the Lord’s Prayer?

After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. (Matthew 6:9-13 KJV)

I’m used to that, and I expect you are, too.  Can you imagine ending your prayer with “How long, O Lord”? I can’t, but the John described such a scene:

And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? (Revelation 6:9-10 KJV)

There was an answer for them, too:

And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled. (Revelation 6:11 KJV)

My preference would be not to know that more would be killed, that those slain because they loved Him, slain for His very word. My preference is they would see their fellow servants spared. God’s knowledge of all that is, was, and will be includes the machinations of Satan and the evil that men do against their own.

I thank God for the information He has given us that Satan does not have that same foreknowledge! That he does not understand how futile his actions were before, how his jealous greed will never gain him heaven’s throne.

But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. (1 Corinthians 2:7-8 KJV)

Instead of destroying God’s redemption, the crucifixion fulfilled. Had they known, they would not have fought to have Christ crucified.

Isn’t that a powerful thought? There is a battle being waged. There are brethren who will be slain. That is not the end, and the end has been written.

Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life? (1 Corinthians 6:2-3 KJV)

How is your preparation for this coming?