How are we to hermeneutically interpret the "seeing of thrones" when we are told that God is a Spirit?

Question

Throughout the Bible we are presented with Prophets seeing God in heaven siting on His Throne:

Again he (Micaiah) said: "I saw the LORD sitting upon His throne, and all the hosts of heaven standing on His right hand and on His left." (2 Chronicles 18:18)

In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord, sitting upon a throne, high and lifte4d up, and His train filled the temple. (Isaiah 6:1)

I (Daniel) beheld until the thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair if His head like the pure wool; His throne was like the fiery flame, and His wheels as burning fire...(Daniel 7:9)

And (Steven) said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God (throne?). (Acts 7:56)

When the Son of Man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory... (Matthew 25:31)

Immediately I was in the spirit, and behold, a throne was set in heaven, and One sat on the throne. (Revelation 4:2)

We know that Jesus informed us that God is a Spirit and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth. (John 4:24) The conundrum manifests itself then, How can prophets et al. "see" the Throne of God? Seeing involves visible objects...objects with a degree of physicality...form and substance.

Figuratively, "thrones" are symbolic of sovereign power. And in the Old Testament (Tanach) thrones are mention in that respect. (Psalm 9:4, 89:14; Isaiah 66:1, see also Matthew 5:34, 23:22) It is recognized that some references to "throne" are figurative.

But for physical humans on earth to look up and to see a throne is puzzling! Is there a fifth dimension where physical and spirit intermingle in a different zone that is neither physical nor pure spirit?

Answer 1

The OP is making the unjustified assumption that a Spirit has no physical form or cannot take a physical form. This is patently untrue as there are many instances where God appears and is visible and does physical things such as:

• Job 42:5 - My ears had heard of You [= the LORD, V1], but now my eyes have seen You.
• Gen 18:1, 10 - Then the LORD appeared to Abraham by the Oaks of Mamre in the heat of the day, while he was sitting at the entrance of his tent. ... Then the LORD said, “I will surely return to you at this time next year, and your wife Sarah will have a son!”
• Gen 32:30 - So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.”
• Ex 3:5, 6 - “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” Then He said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.”
• Josh 5:13 - 6:2 - And the LORD said to Joshua, “Behold, I have delivered Jericho into your hand, along with its king and its mighty men of valor.” (V2)
• Judges 6:14 - The LORD turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel from the hand of Midian. Am I not sending you?” [See also V16]
• Judges 16:22 - “We are going to die,” he said to his wife, “for we have seen God!”
• etc.

In the case of Gen 18, the LORD ate food. Now, we are not told ANYTHING about the nature of a spirit entity such as angels (Heb 1:14) or any other. All that we are told is that such spirit-beings can appear, do physical things and vanish.

Therefore, seeing a spirit is entirely possible as it was done often in the OT.

Answer 2

gotquestions says, God’s throne is:

a place of power and authority. (2 Chronicles 18:18) (Job 1:6)

a place of majesty and honor. (Hebrews 12:2)

a place of perfect justice. (Psalm 9:7; cf. 89:14) (Revelation 20, verse 11)

a place of sovereignty and holiness. (Psalm 47:8; cf. 103:19)

a place of praise. (Revelation 14:3) (Psalm 66:2).

a place of purity. (Revelation 14:5).

a place of eternal life. (Revelation 22:1).

a place of grace. (Hebrews 4:16) (Hebrews 9:24) (Leviticus 16:2, "Mercy seat").

The throne of God need not be thought of as a literal throne. God the Father is incorporeal (John 4:24). Not having a physical body, God does not literally “sit.” References to a divine throne are akin to biblical allusions to God’s “hand” or “mouth” or “eyes”—they are anthropomorphisms, descriptions of God couched in human terms out of deference to our limited knowledge. God has to describe Himself in ways we can understand.

Isaiah sees the Lord “high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple” (Isaiah 6:1). At that time, the prophet was having an inspired vision. God’s throne (and His robe) are not to be taken as literal, physical objects. Rather, God was communicating to Isaiah the magnificence, splendor, and exaltation of His Being. Other descriptions of the throne of God are found in other prophetic visions, e.g., in those of Ezekiel and John.