The Greek word thronos shows up an astounding 46 times in Revelation. Most of the time, thronos is translated as “throne” and the vast majority of times it underscores the reality of God’s sovereign rule over all things. No matter how bad and out of control things appear on earth, God is still in control. God is on His throne and nothing threatens that rule.
In Revelation 3:21, thronos appears and we are told something mind boggling: those who “overcome” as He “overcame” will be given an unthinkable reward: the reward of sharing His throne. To participate in ruling the earth as servants of Christ.
Jesus left us to be His faithful martyreo or witnesses. He sits on the throne of Heaven. Meanwhile, Satan still sits on an earthly throne of power. But only for a time. Jesus is coming back to take that throne. And when He does, He will invite His faithful martyria (witnesses) to share the throne with Him.
What makes a faithful witness? One who obeys His commands. What is Jesus’ primary command? To love others. To serve with our gifts to the benefit of the Body. Jesus, the King, came to earth and exhibited the life of a servant. His faithful servants who demonstrate they are willing to serve others during this life are the ones He desires to rule the New Earth, where righteousness dwells.
Throughout the book of Revelation, disasters prevail—famine, war, and death among them. But none of these things surprise the One sitting on the Throne of Heaven. In fact, most of the time the disasters are authorized.
No matter how bad things get, God exhorts us to be faithful and endure difficulty. He is not surprised and is still on His throne. We can trust that He is in control, whether or not we can see how His ways are leading to our best. If we are faithful witnesses, we are pursuing our best, and nothing else comes close.