We were in Three Rivers, California in 1994 - Inspired by the fourth chapter of the book of Revelation, the vision John saw of the Throne of God, I started painting in February and finished in May. I sought for where to begin and found the Ark of the Covenant, upon which rests upon the Mercy Seat. Lying on the Mercy Seat was the Lamb of God as it had been slain. Like a king on a throne. Very prayerful matter, and very much beyond me. I had no idea what the Ark is reputed to have looked like, I just did the best I could to paint a simple rendition of what I read in the Old Testament descriptions. It was during this time that I first experienced the sensation of His hand working in, through mine. I looked down at my hand and it felt strangely not my own, like a glove with someone else's hand in it, yet comfortable and familiar as we decorated the altar and the crowns of the elders together. As I watched, the glimpse in my mind began flowing intricately through to lay itself down on the paper. I had never drawn a sheep before, yet the little lamb came out so sweet that I wept as I watched him appear, and I still do, remembering that moment. The Love...

... Round about the throne were twenty four seats, and upon the seats I saw twenty four elders sitting, clothed in white robes, and they had on their heads crowns of gold...I knew before I began that they must be portrayed in one of those moments where they fall down in worship, casting their crowns before the throne and losing themselves in Him. I used the image of the twenty four elders in white and indistinguishable from each other purely to avoid any adornments of distinguishment resembling those that people are decorated with in the world and found their oneness before the throne revealed. Now that I look back, I see that the immense enjoyment I got from painting the "jewelry" - the crowns and the cups of incense that are the prayers of the saints - is probably where the seed of my jewelry design business was planted.

A second vision of the throne appears in Chapter 7, when an innumerable multitude stands before the throne in their white robes, worshipping God. It is this passage I used on the scroll, and continued in the image of the elders to consolidate the unity of all before the throne. This was not intended to diminish the "glory of the nations"...I truly believe we will see an incredible diversity of peoples decked out in their traditional regalia when we meet each other before the throne. But the time, the space needed to render the details of such a gathering had to be surrendered for the purpose of depicting total oneness before God, one of Jesus' own prayers for us "that they may be one even as you and I are one." There could never be room enough...but the revelation of God can impart more to the mind when inspired by a simple image than endless details, and the Name Above All Names was beginning to call to me, so I signed it, gave thanks and took a break for a couple of weeks.

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