The prayers of the saints
"And another angel came and stood by the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which is before the throne. And the smoke of the incense which came with the prayers of the saints ascended before God out of the angel's hand. And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake". Revelation 8v3-5.
God will not bring severe judgment on earth until the prayers of the saints are heard! This is one of many occasions, in the book, where the imagery of the tabernacle is used In Hebrews 9v23 it is stated that the tabernacle of Israel of old represented "the pattern of things in the heavens." When God designed the tabernacle for Israel He was telling us that this is what heaven was like, this was the very layout of the heavenly throne. The word "patterns" in Hebrews chapter 9 is "similitudes." Here in Revelation chapter 8 we have a perfect illustration of that. In verses 3-5, there are two altars mentioned . the first is the golden altar of incense (verse 3) and the second is the brazen altar of sacrifice (verse 5). We know this because the golden altar of incense has no fire, which the brazen altar does. If we keep in mind this simple Old Testament picture, we will more readily understand what is here. The golden altar of incense was the nearest to the throne of God. The brazen altar of sacrifice was the furthest away from the throne of God. The picture in the Old Testament is of the God who "dwells between the cherubims" and because of the blood of sacrifice He is able to call sinful men to Himself. The illustration is of the Divine justice satisfied. What we have here is a world who has rejected the blood of sacrifice, and God will now come forth in judgment. In coming out from his throne He first comes to the golden altar of incense and only at the last reaches the altar of sacrifice before He will bring His judgment on the outside world.
The golden altar of incense represents "the prayers of all the saints." God will not judge the world until He has heard the prayers of all the saints. As an aside, we should take note of how important to God are the prayers of the saints. Not one prayer is ignored, not one prayer was ever in vain. It is true that many of the prayers were weak, some were faulty, some were asking for the wrong things, some were perhaps selfish, but all of them have value before the throne of God. Notice the angel mingles the prayers of the saints with the incense from the golden censer. A reference to Exodus 30v34-38 reveal that this incense was to contain ingredients prescribed only by the Lord and was to be used only for the Lord. A study of the components of the incense would reveal that they speak of the perfections of the life of Christ. Added to, what may be considered imperfect prayers, is the incense of the perfection of Jesus Christ, thus making the prayers acceptable to the Lord. He hears these prayers "the smoke of the incense which came with the prayers of the saints ascended up before God out of the angel's hand." When God would bring His awesome judgements on a rejecting world He will first hear the prayers of all the saints of all the ages perfected by the incense of the beauty of Christ.
In v5 the same angel who took the censer to the golden altar, to bring the prayers and the cries of God's people to His ears, now moves to the brazen altar where the fires of the wrath of God fell upon the sacrifice, which again speaks of Christ at Calvary. This sacrifice having now been rejected, the angel now fills the same censer with the fires of the altar and casts it to the earth. The world which has had hundreds of years of the offer of grace and hundreds of years of the prayers of their fellow human beings on their behalf, but have refused, are now under the vengeance of a sin- hating God. The last words of verse 5 are very solemn "and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake." Divine mercy refused, there is now nothing left but a fearful looking forward to of judgment.
God will not bring severe judgment on earth until the prayers of the saints are heard! This is one of many occasions, in the book, where the imagery of the tabernacle is used In Hebrews 9v23 it is stated that the tabernacle of Israel of old represented "the pattern of things in the heavens." When God designed the tabernacle for Israel He was telling us that this is what heaven was like, this was the very layout of the heavenly throne. The word "patterns" in Hebrews chapter 9 is "similitudes." Here in Revelation chapter 8 we have a perfect illustration of that. In verses 3-5, there are two altars mentioned . the first is the golden altar of incense (verse 3) and the second is the brazen altar of sacrifice (verse 5). We know this because the golden altar of incense has no fire, which the brazen altar does. If we keep in mind this simple Old Testament picture, we will more readily understand what is here. The golden altar of incense was the nearest to the throne of God. The brazen altar of sacrifice was the furthest away from the throne of God. The picture in the Old Testament is of the God who "dwells between the cherubims" and because of the blood of sacrifice He is able to call sinful men to Himself. The illustration is of the Divine justice satisfied. What we have here is a world who has rejected the blood of sacrifice, and God will now come forth in judgment. In coming out from his throne He first comes to the golden altar of incense and only at the last reaches the altar of sacrifice before He will bring His judgment on the outside world.
The golden altar of incense represents "the prayers of all the saints." God will not judge the world until He has heard the prayers of all the saints. As an aside, we should take note of how important to God are the prayers of the saints. Not one prayer is ignored, not one prayer was ever in vain. It is true that many of the prayers were weak, some were faulty, some were asking for the wrong things, some were perhaps selfish, but all of them have value before the throne of God. Notice the angel mingles the prayers of the saints with the incense from the golden censer. A reference to Exodus 30v34-38 reveal that this incense was to contain ingredients prescribed only by the Lord and was to be used only for the Lord. A study of the components of the incense would reveal that they speak of the perfections of the life of Christ. Added to, what may be considered imperfect prayers, is the incense of the perfection of Jesus Christ, thus making the prayers acceptable to the Lord. He hears these prayers "the smoke of the incense which came with the prayers of the saints ascended up before God out of the angel's hand." When God would bring His awesome judgements on a rejecting world He will first hear the prayers of all the saints of all the ages perfected by the incense of the beauty of Christ.
In v5 the same angel who took the censer to the golden altar, to bring the prayers and the cries of God's people to His ears, now moves to the brazen altar where the fires of the wrath of God fell upon the sacrifice, which again speaks of Christ at Calvary. This sacrifice having now been rejected, the angel now fills the same censer with the fires of the altar and casts it to the earth. The world which has had hundreds of years of the offer of grace and hundreds of years of the prayers of their fellow human beings on their behalf, but have refused, are now under the vengeance of a sin- hating God. The last words of verse 5 are very solemn "and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake." Divine mercy refused, there is now nothing left but a fearful looking forward to of judgment.
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