Revelation 8:1-5 "Prayers of the saints"

Revelation 8:1-5

Psalm 141

       The Prayers of the Saints

Just look at the beginning of verse 1 with me:

When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour

Now, before we think about this silence in heaven for about half an hour, it is worth reminding ourselves of how we got to this point……

If you are here for the first time, you may be thinking, who is this lamb?

What is the seventh seal?

How did we get to this point of silence?

Well, strap your seatbelts on, because I am going to give you a very quick rundown of what we have covered so far in the book of Revelation.

If you recall from chapter 4, John (that is John the disciple of Jesus) was shown a vision of heaven by Jesus himself, Jesus was the one who had a voice that sounded like a trumpet, a voice which demanded John’s attention.

And if you remember, at the centre of this vision of heaven was God sitting on his throne.

By the way, if there is one crucial truth we need to know about heaven, it is that God will be amongst his people- that is heaven!

Anyway, in the vision, John saw all around the throne of God all of God’s creation bowing and worshipping Him. There were these 4 strange looking creatures which represented different parts of God’s creation,  the Lion representing the wild animals, the ox representing the domestic animals, the eagle representing the birds and man representing humanity. And there were 24 elders who represented all of God’s people, casting their crowns before God and continuously praising Him. 12 representing the 12 tribes of Israel under God’s old covenant, and 12 representing the 12 apostles under God’s new and better covenant.

And then in chapter 5, it is like John zoomed in on this vision of heaven and saw God sitting on his throne holding a scroll in his right hand. This scroll contained the judgement and redemption of the world. And no-one could open that scroll, apart from the lamb who was slain- Jesus.

And so in chapter 6, we saw Jesus take this scroll and open the first six seals.

It is like Jesus took the scroll from God’s hand and started to open it seal after seal.

The first four seals that Jesus opened on the scroll, released these four different coloured horsemen, white, red, black and pale/green. These four horsemen represented conquest, bloodshed, economic corruption and disease. These are the judgements of God that have been happening on this earth again and again over the last 2,000 years.

Then Jesus opened the fifth seal, and John saw the martyrs who died because of their testimony for Jesus and his word, under the altar, crying for God to avenge their blood.

Then Jesus opened the sixth seal and this seal showed an “end of the world” judgment where the sky was being rolled up like a scroll, where stars where falling out of the sky, where mountains where being thrown into the sea. The sixth seal that was opened showed a collapse of the creation as we know it.

And then we got to chapter 7, and we had a pause in the seal opening.

In this vision, chapter 7 paused to answer the question, who can strand the judgement of God?

And as we found out in chapter 7, the only ones that can stand the judgement of God, are those that God has sealed with His Holy Spirit, the 144,000, the great multitude, the ones who have been washed in the blood of the lamb.

And so now, as we begin chapter 8, we get back to the scroll, and finally, Jesus, the lamb opens the last and seventh seal.

Are you still with me?

After all of that, the conquests, the bloodshed, the economic corruption, the disease, the martyrs, the crumbling of creation as we know it, there is a pause, a silence in heaven for hour an hour, and why?

Because as the seventh seal is opened, God is finally going to give his final and perfect judgement.

If this was a courtroom scene, this is the point where all the evidence has been given, and the accused sits silently in the dock waiting for the final verdict.

Waiting to hear what comes from the judges mouth, waiting to hear, knowing that what happens in the next will change their life forever.

However, here, it is the world and all creation that is God’s courtroom, the world holds it breath, waiting to hear the creator speak, waiting for the creator to act, waiting for the creator to judge.

This silence is a recognition from all creation that God is God, and whatever he does is just, whatever he does is right, whatever he does, he does for His Glory.

Why?

Because there is no one greater, who deserves all the Glory: He is God

Friends, there are times when our only right response to God, is to be quiet.

There are times when we just need to stop asking questions, be quiet and trust that He is God, and He is Good.

When Job went through immense suffering, and he had no idea why all that suffering happened to him. He had no idea that God was testing his faith…. Job kept talking, and talking, he demanded that God tell him why he had to suffer……..He wanted answers and he wanted them quickly.

And just look at what God said to Job in response:

This is from Job 38:1-7

Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:

² “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?³ Dress for action like a man;    I will question you, and you make it known to me.

⁴ “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?    Tell me, if you have understanding.⁵ Who determined its measurements—surely you know!    Or who stretched the line upon it?⁶ On what were its bases sunk,    or who laid its cornerstone,⁷ when the morning stars sang together    and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

And so Job was left with the only right thing he could do:

Look at Job’s response, to God’s rebuke of him.

Look at Job 40:3-5

³ Then Job answered the Lord and said:

⁴ “Behold, I am of small account; what shall I answer you?    I lay my hand on my mouth.⁵ I have spoken once, and I will not answer;    twice, but I will proceed no further.”

Friends there are times in our lives, when we just need to Be still and know that he is God.  There are times, when you just don’t need to know all the answers.

Brothers and sisters, you may have had some awful things done to you in this life, you may have suffered tragedy, you may have suffered many things which just didn’t make any sense to you. And perhaps you are searching for reasons why these things happened, perhaps you are searching to make some kind of sense to it all.

Perhaps today, God may be prodding you to draw a line in the sand, may be God is prodding you to leave those things alone and instead he is prodding you just to be still, and know that he is God.

You may never get answers in this life to your suffering, but be assured brother and sister, God sees you, he sees your suffering, he sees the unjust, and one day, one day, He will make everything right- and before He does, all creation will take a deep breath and wait in silence.

And after this silence, look what happens….

Look at verses 3-5 with me:

³ And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, ⁴ and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel. ⁵ Then the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth, and there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.

An angel took the golden censer, a gold box which carries incense, along with the prayers of the saints, filled it with fire from the altar of God, and then threw it down to earth. Then, there was peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.

Now, it is important for us to know, that even though it says here, the angel took the golden censer which had incense in it, along with the prayers of the saints, these two things are not separate. The incense is symbolic for the prayers of the saints.

Look at Revelation 5: 8 with me, it clearly says this:

⁸ And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints

Incense is a way of expressing how our prayers went up to heaven.

Psalm 141: 2, the psalmist prays this to God

Let my prayer be counted as incense before you,    and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!

In other words, brothers and sisters, our prayers are like a sweet aroma to the Lord.

So with that in mind, just think about what this passage is saying….it is saying this…..

God gathers up the prayers of his saints: that is you and me, and all those who have been covered by the blood of lamb for the forgiveness of their sins…and he takes our prayers and he uses those prayers to bring his judgement. That is what peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and earthquake represent- God’s coming in judgement.

And so when brothers when we pray, come Lord Jesus come, we are praying for him to come in judgment. We are praying that God will come and right all the wrongs of this world. Those Christians who have been slaughtered for their faith, are praying under the altar that God will bring justice on their avengers.

Friends it is right and good to pray for God to bring justice to those who have done you wrong.

However here are a few qualifying thoughts……..

It is good and right to pray to God to bring justice, but it is wrong to take vengeance into your own hands.

Romans 12:9 makes this clear

Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”

But secondly and most importantly, remember that God’s justice was executed perfectly at the cross.

This means that if that person who has wronged you, has submitted themselves to the lamb of God, and have been covered by the blood of the lamb, then Jesus has paid for their sins, Jesus has taken the wrath of God onto his shoulders for them, God has executed justice for their sins at the cross. They no longer have to face the final judgement of God’s wrath, - it has already been justly dealt with.

This same Jesus who dealt justly with those who may have hurt you, has also dealt with us justly and mercifully as we surrendered to Him at the foot of the cross.

And so it is good and right to pray for God’s justice, while at the same asking God to bring your avenger to salvation.

Finally brothers and sisters, we must be re-assured again from this passage, that your prayers make a difference.

Our prayers make a difference

God hears our prayers, and he stores them up, they are a sweet aroma to him.

God loves us to pray!

I think this is why I often find it difficult to pray, the devil knows how mighty and powerful our prayers are. He knows that when we pray, things happen!

This is why I get so easily distracted when I pray

This is why I often feel my prayers are weak

This is why I often heed the voice that says “your prayers don’t make any difference”

This is why when we don’t see situations change, we often give up on prayer.

Brothers and sisters, let me encourage you to keep praying.

Is there a loved one, a friend, who you have been praying for year after year to come know Jesus, but seems further away from God? Keep praying!

Is there someone who is sick? Keep praying

Is there a relationship that appears unretrievable? Keep praying

Is there someone who has done you harm? Keep praying for justice, Keep praying for their salvation.

Let us pray!