|
by
Doug Ward |
The book of Revelation presents a series of visions of end-time events
culminating in the return of Jesus the Messiah to judge the world and rule over
a renewed earth. The visions frequently depict worship, including the prayers
of the people of God.
These
prayers first appear in a worship scene in Revelation 5, where heavenly
beings-the four living creatures and twenty-four elders-hold "golden bowls
full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints" (verse 8). The
bowls, like other images in the book, have connections with scripture and
tradition.
|
Incense,
Prayers, and Divine Judgment |
At the temple in Jerusalem, incense offerings accompanied the daily burnt offerings.
People went to the temple to pray at those times, and the incense came to be
seen as representing the prayers and symbolically carrying them to heaven. This
tradition is evidenced in Psalm 141:2, where the psalmist writes, "Let my
prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as the
evening sacrifice!" Luke later records that when Zechariah served at the
temple, "the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the
hour of incense" (Lk 1:10). The custom of prayer at the times of sacrifice
is also mentioned in Ezra 9:5-15, Daniel 9:21, and in the Apocrypha in Judith
9:1-14.
The
book of Revelation pictures worship in the heavenly temple, after which the one
on earth was patterned (Ex 25:40; Heb 8:5). We can understand, then, why
incense is identified with the prayers of the saints in Revelation 5:8.
Like
the temple in Jerusalem, the heavenly sanctuary in Revelation includes a golden
incense altar. On that altar, incense is offered "with the prayers of all
the saints" (8:3). This offering comes at a time "when there was
silence in heaven for about half an hour " (8:1), reflecting a further
tradition that at the time of the incense offering, there was silence in heaven
while God heard the accompanying prayers.
God's
response to the prayers begins with "peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes
of lightning, and an earthquake," (8:5) which suggest a powerful theophany
like the one at Mount Sinai following the Exodus (Ex 19-20). A series of
judgments ensues (8:6-13). Then in Revelation 9:13, "a voice from the four
horns of the golden altar" initiates further judgment through warfare.
Later
an angel comes out from the altar and announces the start of a grape harvest
(14:18). The grapes are thrown into "the great winepress of the wrath of
God," from which blood flows (14:19-20), so this grape harvest is another
judgment upon the evil in the world. The imagery of Revelation 19 suggests that
Jesus will complete the grape harvest at his return. In particular, Revelation
19:15 states that he "will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of
God the Almighty."
The
text does not directly reveal the contents of the prayers of the saints.
However, based on the response to those prayers, we can conclude that they
include petitions for God to make things right and put a stop to the evil in
the world. They ask for the return of Jesus to judge the unrepentant and rescue
his people. The "golden bowls full of incense" in Revelation 5:8 help
lead to the "golden bowls full of the wrath of God" in Revelation
15:7.
|
A
Second Altar |
The incense altar was located inside the Jerusalem temple. Outside the temple
was the altar of burnt offering, upon which animals were sacrificed. The blood,
which represented the lives of the animals, was poured out at the base of the
altar (Lev 4:18, 30, 34; 17:11).
The
book of Revelation also pictures a heavenly altar of burnt offering. The
sacrifices there include martyrs who give their lives for their Christian
witness. Like the blood of Abel (Ge 4:10), their blood cries out for
vindication, in effect asking God, "How long before you will judge and
avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" (6:10)
Like
the prayers of the incense in Revelation 8:3 and the prayer of the persistent
widow in Luke 18, these are prayers for justice rather than personal revenge.
The book of Revelation goes on to picture measure-for-measure justice being
meted out, with those who "have shed the blood of saints and
prophets" being given "blood to drink" (16:6). The saints will
indeed be vindicated (18:20; 19:2).
The
blood of the saints cries out, "How long?", as is often done in the
Psalms (6:3; 13:1-2; 74:9-10; 79:5: 80:4; 89:46; 94:3). Justice will not come
immediately; the saints are "told to rest a little longer" (6:11).
Delay of the final judgment, a key theme in Revelation, allows time for people
from all nations to repent and worship God (15:4). The saints pray not only for
justice, but also for the salvation of the nations.
The
prayers of the saints in Revelation can be summarized by the simple prayer at
the close of the book: "Come, Lord Jesus!" (22:20) This is what
scholar Richard Bauckham calls "the prayer for everything."1
This is the prayer that all of God's promises be fulfilled. It asks for Jesus
to return to judge and rule the world, to vindicate the saints and bring
salvation to the nations. It is the prayer we pray when we say together,
"Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."
In the book of Revelation, the completion of God's plan comes in answer to this
prayer for everything.
1See
Richard Bauckham, "Prayer in the Book of Revelation", chapter 12 in Into
God's Presence: Prayer in the New Testament, Richard N. Longenecker,
Editor, Eerdmans, 2001.
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