HARPS AND VIALS Revelation 5v8.
"And when He had taken the book the four beasts (living creatures) and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of the saints."
This is the great crowning moment. The book of the counsels of almighty God are passed to the Lamb; the future of the world is now in His hands. The response is immediate; the four living creatures and the four and twenty elders prostrate themselves before the Lamb and render to Him the same honour as they had given to God in chapter 4. Our attention is drawn to the fact that every one of the elders had harps and golden vials. The harp is sometimes used in scripture as a representative of all stringed instruments. The golden vials would be like the incense bowls used by the priests of old and these are interpreted as "the prayers of the saints." Immediately we get the picture of what is happening here. It is the twin elements of worship namely praise and prayer. The harps are suggestive of praise, the golden vials represent prayers. This is the first response to the investiture of Christ. Heaven is a place of music and golden incense. In heaven only deity is worshipped and therefore the Lamb who stood in their midst and who received the book is recognized as one of the Godhead. This is only the beginning and we are about to see Him worshipped in ever increasing circles and in ever greater numbers; this is the very essence of heaven.
The work that He did as the Lamb of God fits Him now to act as the lion of the tribe of Judah. With the same meticulous perfection He accomplished the work of redemption, so will He accomplish the work of retribution. The secret of what he did when He was here was that He did everything according to the Father's will; He spoke the Father's words (John 3v32-34); He did His Father's works (John 5v19); He did everything that pleased the Father (John 8v29); He refused anything that was not His Father's will and he endured everything that His Father commanded Him to do (John 14v31). He glorified His Father in life and death on the earth. He will now continue to do the work of His Father by enacting the contents of the book now in His hand. Before these judgments are revealed we are treated to the unlimited and overflowing worship of heaven. Jesus is acknowledged and worshipped, God is glorified, the songs reverberate throughout heaven, the prayers of the saints arise like a sweet aroma to God; presumably these are prayers that have in lifetime been unanswered but will be answered. God loves the praise and the prayers of His people. A similar thing is said in chapter 8v4 "and another angel came and stood at the altar having a golden censor; and there was given unto Him much incense, that He should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense which came with the prayers of the saints ascended up before God out of the angels hand." Proverbs 15v8 says "the sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord but the prayer of the upright is His delight." In the same chapter in verse29 it says "He heareth the prayer of the righteous." A clue to the meaning of this passage is found in Luke 18v7-8 "And shall not God avenge His own elect which cry day and night unto Him though He bear long with them, I tell you that He will avenge them speedily." The true people of God on this earth have gone through struggles and trials and oppositions from man and demons; prayers have been made and the Lord has heard them all. There is no prayer that was made according to His will that will not be answered.
The pattern of things in the heavens as portrayed in this chapter should become the pattern for our lives even now; that is our lives should consist of praise and prayer. This pattern of things is particularly seen in Paul's prison epistles, that is those he wrote whilst still in prison for the sake of Christ.
- Ephesians 1v3-14 - Praise.
- Ephesians 1v15-23 - Prayer.
- Ephesians 3v14-19 - Prayer.
- Ephesians 3v20-21 - Praise.
- Philippians 1v3-8 - Praise.
- Philippians 1v9-11 - Prayer
- Colossians 1v3-8 - Praise.
- Colossians 1v9-11 - Prayer.
- Colossians 1v12-14 - Praise.
The bible is full of examples of praise and prayers and this should become the pattern for our lives. It is how they spend their time in heaven, it is how we must spend our time on earth on earth. The doxologies in scripture are endless, the psalms are full of prayers, many are addressed to the chief musician and all of this tells us as believers, this should be our primary occupation. We will praise Him better when we are there, when the mists of time have cleared. Meanwhile it is visions like this that inspire us.
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