“Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this” (Rev. 4:1). What the apostle John is now being shown, we too will soon see, when we will have been caught up to heaven with all believers.

A throne stands there in heaven, and on the throne sits One. It is God, who claims and asserts His rights over creation because He is the Creator. The ground before His throne looks like a sea, yet not of water, but of glass, like crystal—transparent, but hard. Here are two thoughts about this:

Today, in the time of grace, lost sinners can still receive forgiveness of their sins. When they come to God in repentance, they are born again, born “of water and the Spirit” (Jn. 3:3, 5). They experience the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Spirit (Tit. 3:5). Those who hear this message of God’s grace today, but reject it, will soon no longer be able to accept it. Then there will be no more “water” for them with which to be washed clean of one’s sins. Only judgment and eternal punishment will remain. None of our readers should run this risk!

But for him who, according to the words of Jesus, is “bathed” and thus “completely clean” (Jn. 13:10), there is still the need today to be cleansed from sins committed. The Lord Jesus demonstrates this to His disciples by washing their feet. However, when we will soon have been taken up into the glory of heaven, no believer will ever again defile himself by sin or bad influences. We will no longer need the “water” of God’s Word in this regard because we will have attained perfect sinlessness and will thus enjoy perfect and unclouded joy in heaven. This is what we are looking forward to!