Throne

THRONE is used for that magnificent Seat whereon sovereign Princes usually sit, to receive the Homages of their Subjects, or to give Audience to Ambassadors; where they appear with Pomp and Ceremony, from whence they dispense Justice; in a word, the Throne, the Sceptre, the Crown, are the ordinary Symbols of Royalty and Regal Authority. The Scripture commonly represents the Lord as sitting upon a Throne: Sometimes it is said, that the Heaven is his Throne, and the Earth his Isai. lxvi. 1.Footstool: Cælum sedes mea; terra autem scabellum pedum meorum. The Psalmist says, in more places than one, that God had confirmed his Throne in Heaven, from all Psal. cii. 19.Eternity. Dominus in cælo paravit sedem suam: And elsewhere, Parata sedes tua ex xcii. 2. xliv. 7.tunc: And Sedes tua Deus in sæculum sæculi. This Throne was supported by Justice xcvi. 2.and Equity. The Throne of the Lord which was shewn to Ezekiel, was at the Ezek. i. 2, 3.same time the most terrible thing, and yet the most magnificent, that can be imagined. It was an animated Chariot, carried upon four Cherubims of an extraordinary Figure: The Wheels were of an inexplicable Beauty and Magnitude, which were also animated and conducted by a Spirit. The Throne of the Lord, which was upon the Wheels and Cherubims, was like glittering Crystal, with a Seat of Saphire. He that sat upon the Throne was surrounded with Splendor like that of Fire, or of Metal in Fusion; and about him were as it were the Colours of the Rainbow. See also the Description of the Throne of the Lord, as Isaiah vi. 2, 3, 4.given by Isaiah.

The Cherubims that were upon the Ark of the Covenant, were also considered as a kind of Throne of God: From whence it is said in many Places, that God sits between the Cherubims:¹ Qui sedes super Cherubim; whether we consider the Cherubims of the Ark now mentioned, or the Cherubims of which Isaiah and Ezekiel give a Description, which are under and about the Throne of the Almighty: And ‘tis probably the same Cherubims Coloss. i. 16.that St. Paul represents by the Name of Thrones; Sive throni, sive dominationes.

The THRONE of Solomon deserves a particular Attention: The Scripture describes it to us as the finest and richest Throne in the Word: Non est factum tale 2 Sam. x. 20.opus in universis regnis. It was all of Ivory, and plated with pure Gold. The Ascent was by seven Steps; the Back was round, and two Arms supported the Seat: Twelve golden Lions, one on each side of every Step, made a principal part of its Ornament.

The Jews sometimes swore by the Throne of God, or by the Heaven. The Matth. v. 34. xxiii. 22.Son of God forbids such sort of Oaths; for, says he, He that swears by Heaven, swears by the Throne of God, and swears also by him that sitteth upon the Throne. There is Exod. xvii. 26.a Passage in Exodus that might be understood in the sense of an Oath made by the Throne of God: Quia manus solii Domini, & bellum Domini, erit contra Amalec; The Lord has lifted up his Hand from his Throne (he has swore by his Throne) that he would make War against Amalek. Thus in Judith, Nebuchadnezzar swears by his Judith i. 12.Throne, that he would make War against all those that had rejected his Ambassadors.

In Scripture the Son of God is represented as sitting upon a Throne, at the Right-hand of his Father. And Jesus Psal.cix. 1. Heb. i. 8. Rev. iii. 21. Luke xxii. 30. Rev. iv. 4. Dan. vii. 9.Christ assures his Apostles, that they should sit upon twelve Thrones, to judge the twelve Tribes of Israel: And in the Revelations, we find the twenty-four Elders to sit upon so many Thrones in the Presence of the Lord: And in Daniel, when God is about to enter into Judgment with Men, Thrones are prepared for the Judges: Throni positi sunt: The Ancient of Days sits down, his Throne is as a Flame of Fire, his Wheels as consuming Fire; a River of Fire proceeds from his Face; Millions of Millions of Angels attend upon him, and Thousands of Thousands are round about him.

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