Revelation 8:3–13
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, and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel. 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.
Now the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to blow them.
The first angel blew his trumpet, and there followed hail and fire, mixed with blood, and these were thrown upon the earth. And a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up.
The second angel blew his trumpet, and something like a great mountain, burning with fire, was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood. A third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.
The third angel blew his trumpet, and a great star fell from heaven, blazing like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many people died from the water, because it had been made bitter.
The fourth angel blew his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, and a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of their light might be darkened, and a third of the day might be kept from shining, and likewise a third of the night.
Then I looked, and I heard an eagle crying with a loud voice as it flew directly overhead, “Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, at the blasts of the other trumpets that the three angels are about to blow!” (ESV)
Revelation 9
And the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star fallen from heaven to earth, and he was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit. He opened the shaft of the bottomless pit, and from the shaft rose smoke like the smoke of a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened with the smoke from the shaft. Then from the smoke came locusts on the earth, and they were given power like the power of scorpions of the earth. They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any green plant or any tree, but only those people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. They were allowed to torment them for five months, but not to kill them, and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings someone. And in those days people will seek death and will not find it. They will long to die, but death will flee from them.
In appearance the locusts were like horses prepared for battle: on their heads were what looked like crowns of gold; their faces were like human faces, their hair like women’s hair, and their teeth like lions’ teeth; they had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the noise of their wings was like the noise of many chariots with horses rushing into battle. They have tails and stings like scorpions, and their power to hurt people for five months is in their tails. They have as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek he is called Apollyon.
The first woe has passed; behold, two woes are still to come.
Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar before God, saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour, the day, the month, and the year, were released to kill a third of mankind. The number of mounted troops was twice ten thousand times ten thousand; I heard their number. And this is how I saw the horses in my vision and those who rode them: they wore breastplates the color of fire and of sapphire and of sulfur, and the heads of the horses were like lions’ heads, and fire and smoke and sulfur came out of their mouths. By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed, by the fire and smoke and sulfur coming out of their mouths. For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails, for their tails are like serpents with heads, and by means of them they wound.
The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk, nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts. (ESV)
Big Idea: We must pray because the Father dignifies us by including us in the causation of his work.
I. The Power of Our Prayers
We must pray because Christ ensures that our prayers accomplish his Father’s redemptive plan. He dignifies us by giving us access to the controls of Providence.
A. At the altar: First, we are taken to another important piece of furniture in heaven. There is an altar in heaven that was physically represented on earth in the Temple (Ex. 30:1-10; He. 8:5; 9:28).
B. Of all the people: Next, notice that he uses all the prayers of God’s people, not just those of pastors or priests (1 Kg. 18:42-45; Ja. 5:17-18). These are not just the prayers of those who pray the most or those recognized to be the most active in the church. These are all the prayers of God’s people made in Jesus’ name.
C. Then the angel: The next phrase should cause your heart to leap. “Then the Angel” follows the description of our prayers. That is once our prayers are conformed to God’s, his angel pours them out on the earth so that they cause the will of God to be executed in human history!
II. The Secret to the Success of Our Prayers
We must be motivated to pray because the gospel guarantees their success.
A. Welcome: The secret to the success of our prayers is symbolized by incense (5:8). Incense is used in some worship traditions to convey the beauty of God’s presence. But in this case, the sweet smell of incense rises to the nostrils of God. The Bible says that God delights in the prayers of his people. God welcomes our prayers because he loves us. That’s the primary reason our prayers are successful with him.
B. Atonement: Another reason our prayers are successful is that they are atoned for (21:18, 21; Ps. 141:2; Ja. 5:16). Gold is the color of perfection. To say that something meets the “gold standard” is to say that it is as good as it can possibly be. So these prayers that have been interpreted by the Holy Spirit made in Jesus’ name and have found their way into this golden bowl being offered up before God represents that these prayers have been perfectly conformed to the will of God. The secret to the success of our prayers is the same as the reason why any of our obedience or good works are found to be acceptable to God.
C. Angels: The final reason our prayers are successful is that God assigns his holy angels to carry them out on earth. First he has assigned “another angel” at his altar to receive all prayers and bundle them together for his review. Then by Christ’s direction, that angel pours out the prayers as assignments to other angels to execute (10:1; 18:1).
III. The Goal of Our Prayers
Finally, we must pray because God’s goal for our prayers is mercy.
A. Severity: Now we finally come to the trumpets of judgment. As with the seals and later with the bowls of wrath there are seven trumpets. The first four trumpets mentioned in this chapter have to do with the physical harm God promises to bring on those who refuse to submit to his Son as Lord and Savior.
B. Mercy: But remember these are not bowls; these are trumpets. Trumpets in the Bible provide warning. They warn when an enemy is approaching to call people to ready themselves. These trumpets are not bringing judgment they are warning of what kind of judgment is coming.
Questions for Reflection/Discussion:
- What conceptions or beliefs about prayer were challenged by this passage?
- Which of the three points above most motivated you to pray? Why?
- What is your current prayer routine? How might you recommit yourself to prayer by establishing a plan, place, time, etc. for prayer?