1.
And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.
2.
And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets.
3.
And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; 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.
4.
And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand.
THE PRAYERS OF THE SAINTS
‘The prayers of the saints.’
Revelation 8:4
The language of the opening verses of this chapter is beautifully figurative of the work of our great Intercessor, the Lord Jesus Christ, Who offers or presents the prayers of the saints before the throne of God. Prayer to be acceptable to God must be offered ‘through Jesus Christ our Lord.’ What does this general ending to our prayers mean to us?
I. It is a confession of our unworthiness and sinfulness in all our words and thoughts. We claim audience only through another.
II. We recognise the great fact that there is no access to God but by Him Who is ‘ the Way.’—He was the Bearer of sin first, that He might be the Bearer of prayer always.
III. The access made, Christ took His place at God’s right hand, as High Priest of His people.
IV. In doing this, Christ makes our prayers what they were not in themselves: fit to enter into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. But for that, the very best prayer that ever went out of the heart of man would defile heaven; but now God perceives the incense: and just as He sees, not the sinner, but the righteousness of Christ, in which that sinner stands, so He sees, not so much the prayer as the incense which mingles with that prayer; and He is well pleased with the supplication for the incense’ sake.
V. What we do in the name of Another is the same as if that Other did it. Pray in Christ’s name, the prayer is as if Christ prayed it.
5.
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.
6.
And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.
7.
The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.
8.
And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood;
9.
And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.
10.
And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters;
11.
And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.
12.
And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.
13.
And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!