Season's Tickets

I used to work at the local hockey arena which seats about 1500 people. Our local teams were the Sarnia Bees Jr. B & the Sarnia Sting Jr. C levels. The fans packed the stands every game and loved to cheer on their teams. Most of  these loyal fans have season tickets to all the games, my husband Gus included. The choosing of these seats is very important because if you pick the wrong spot you either get a blocked view, or may find yourself situated in the opposing team's fan section.Gus studies the seating chart all summer long, visits the arena in late August to watch the practices and checks out the seating plan. In early September a notice comes by mail stating that the tickets are ready to be purchased and that if Gus doesn't pick them up by the 15 of the month, the seat will be sold to another person. He rushes down to the arena and picks up his tickets for his perfect spot. (Beleive it or not after all this Gus usually stands up to watch the game and chat with his buddies. He prefers to stand at the railing along the top instead of his chosen season ticket holder's seat).

This reminds me of  the story in the Bible where the disciples were walking along a road with Jesus and asked Him where they would be seated once they got to heaven.

"27 Then Peter said to Him, "Behold, we have left everything and followed You; what then will there be for us?" 28 And Jesus said to them, "Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 "And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name's sake, will receive many times as much, and will inherit eternal life. 30 "But many who are first will be last ; and the last, first.

I like to think that the seating plan at the throne ceremony in heaven is arranged like the arena for a great hockey game or concert.  Jesus Christ the King on the right of Blessed Father God in the middle and Holy Spirit on the left are seated on stage with the spotlights on them. The twelve apostles are seated on the side (judging table) on stage as well. The archangels Micheal, Gabriel & Raphael are standing beside them and the throne creatures are in front of them all singing Holy Holy Holy. The 144 thousand special martyrs killed for the gospel in the end times are in the front row best seats under the altar. Next comes the poor and wretched, those who were not given any justice on earth. Then the Saints and all the other martyrs who were killed on earth  for Jesus the Saviour. You will see those like Mother Theresa, Pope John Paul, Martin Luther King, great harvest workers, preachers and teachers of God's word down through the ages. They will be seated in the closest seats to the King. What about me and my family? Just ordinary people who love the Lord and try to do our best and what is right here on earth as humbly as possible? Where will people like us be seated? In the "peanut gallery" of course. The giant projector screen wil be our viewing area but the big screen will be as big as the universe itself and it will seem that we are right there in front of our Lord and Saviour.