Matthew 19:28 “So Jesus said to them, "Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”
In the passage of scripture quoted above our Lord told His disciples that, as the apostles of the Lamb, they would have a specific level of authority in the kingdom of God, for He told them that they will sit on thrones and judge the twelve tribes of Israel. Clearly not all saints will have that same level of authority given to them on that day. It is important to note from this passage that the Lord’s apostles will be given positions of authority in the church, for the twelve tribes of Israel referred to in this passage is speaking about the church. And so from this passage we can clearly see the principle of a hierarchy of positions of authority that will exist in the church in the age to come. Nevertheless the point remains that the rewards that can be earned by the saints relate to thrones of authority that will be given on that day.
Psalms 122:3-7 “Jerusalem is built as a city that is compact together, (4) Where the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, To the Testimony of Israel, to give thanks to the name of the Lord. (5) For thrones are set there for judgment, the thrones of the house of David. (6) Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: "May they prosper who love you. (7) Peace be within your walls, Prosperity within your palaces.”
In the passage of scripture quoted above the Holy Spirit reveals to us that there will be numerous thrones that will be set in the city of Jerusalem. And so it is from those thrones that the Lord’s saints will reign over the kingdom of God in the age to come. Thrones are always linked to crowns, for the one who sits on the throne is crowned with the authority allocated to that throne. And so we see that part of the rewards earned by the saints will be the various crowns that will be given by the Lord Jesus on that day.
2 Timothy 4:8 “Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.”
The scriptures reveal a number of different crowns that will be given to the Lord’s saints in that day. In the passage of scripture quoted above the Holy Spirit through the apostle Paul tells us about the crown of righteousness that is available to the Lord’s saints. Paul tells us that the saints that have loved our Lord’s appearing will qualify to receive this particular crown on that day. I want you to notice that by the time that Paul reached the end of his life that he was assured that this particular crown had been laid up in store for him on that day. And so it is the will of the Lord that all of His saints should approach the end of their days on the earth with the selfsame assurance of receiving this crown from Him on their day of judgement.
James 1:12 “Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”
In the passage of scripture quoted above the Holy Spirit through the apostle James tells us about another crown that will be given to the saints on that day. The crown that He mentions is the crown of life, and the apostle James tells us that the saint’s who endure temptation in this life and who loves the Lord will qualify to receive this crown on that day.
Michael E.B. Maher
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