The Prayers of the Saints

Revelation 8 “Do you wonder if God has heard your prayers? 

The Apostle John reveals what he saw as he stood in heaven before God’s throne and the incense altar. Just like the elderly Zacharias stood before the altar of incense, this specially chosen angel did the same step by step. He filled the censer with fire from the brazen altar, and then, reaching down, he took two handfuls of incense to sprinkle on the burning coals. Zacharias did it in the earthly temple, but this angel did the steps in the holy temple in heaven.  Zacharias had prayed often and fervently for a son but wondered if his prayer had reached heaven’s door. The Angel Gabriel assured him that his prayer for a son had been heard.

Do you wonder if your prayers reach heaven? “The utterly astonishing thing about this text is that it portrays the prayers of the saints as the instrument God uses to usher in the end of the world with great divine judgments. It pictures the prayers of the saints accumulating on the altar before the throne of God until the appointed time when they are taken up like fire from the altar and thrown upon the earth to bring about the consummation of God’s kingdom.” [J. Piper]

God in heaven stored the prayers of the saints from 2000 years ago, and now the time has come for them to be used to consummate the avenging power upon those who have denied God and His Son.  And the smoke ascended to the nostrils of God there to find their fulfillment.

Do you know and believe that your prayers have been heard and not forgotten? Revelation 8 is your answer.