Monday, December 21, 2009

Fire Cast to The Earth

5 The angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth (Rev. 8:5)

A. Other angels are involved in the altar ministry of prayer and the release of fire. The most powerful force in history is the prayers of the saints in unity with God to release fire on the earth.

18 And another angel came out from the altar, who had power over fire… (Rev. 14:18)

B. The end of the age conflict will be answered by fire. Elijah said that the God who answers by fire is the true God (1 Kg. 18:24). Even the False Prophet will call fire down from heaven. David wrote of God sending fire from His heavenly temple to kill his enemies in answer to his prayers (Ps. 18:6-14).

13 He (False Prophet) makes fire come down from heaven…in the sight of men. (Rev. 13:13)

C. Rev. 8:3-5 describes activity similar to what Ezekiel saw in Ezek. 10. He saw an angel take coals of fire from the same heavenly altar to scatter over Jerusalem. This occurred after an angel sealed the righteous in Jerusalem to protect them from judgment in Ezek. 9:6 just as in Rev. 7:1-4.

2 Then He spoke to the man (angel) clothed with linen, and said, "Fill your hands with coals of fire from among the cherubim, and scatter them over the city." (Ezek 10:2)

Monday, December 14, 2009

The Power of Intercession

3 Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. And he was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. 4 And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel's hand. (Rev. 8:3-4)

A. Another angel: An eighth angel is described as being given much incense. John sees the dramatic approach of an angel with a golden censer coming to the altar and standing there. Where did the angel come from and how long did he stand at the altar?

B. When incense is poured out on burning coals, it produces smoke that has a sweet odor. Incense was added to the burning sacrifice by the priest in the Old Testament.

12 He shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from the altar before the LORD, with his hands full of sweet incense…and bring it inside the veil. 13 And he shall put the incense on the fire before the LORD, that the cloud of incense may cover the mercy seat... (Lev. 16:12-13)

C. A coal from the heavenly altar was used by a seraph (angel) in the cleansing of Isaiah’s lips.

6 One of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken…from the altar…7 said: "This has touched your lips; your iniquity is taken away…” (Isa. 6:6-7)
D. David spoke of his prayers as coming before God as incense.

2 Let my prayer be set before You as incense… (Ps. 141:2)

E. Given much incense: This angel cannot provide this incense, but it is given to him by God. Heavenly incense is connected with the prayers of saints in Rev. 5:8 showing us the importance of their “holy synergism”. The role of angels in prayer is unknown.

8 The four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. (Rev. 5:8)

F. The angel’s hand: The smoke of the incense went up with the prayers from the hand of the angel to show them being formally presented to God by the angel. The angelic involvement in this process with the smoke of the fragrant incense ascending with the saint’s prayers signifies that God is pleased with these prayers.

G. The angel offering the collective prayers of all the saints in God’s court is the official recognition that God approves of the prayers stored up in the golden bowl (Rev. 5:8; 6:10).

H. John like Daniel saw God’s courtroom in His temple where judgment decrees are issued.

9 His throne was a fiery flame…10 ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The court was seated, and the books were opened. (Dan. 7:9-10)

1 Gather yourselves together…2 before the decree is issued…before the LORD's fierce anger comes upon you…3 Seek the LORD, all you meek of the earth… (Zeph. 2:1-3)

Monday, December 7, 2009

Heavenly Help for End Time Prayer Movement

3 He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints… (Rev. 8:3)

A. An angel will be given “much” heavenly incense to offer with the prayers of the saints to provide a new measure of supernatural strengthening of the End-Time global prayer movement. The fifth seal focuses on the prayer of the martyrs and the seventh seal points to heavenly help we receive.

B. The prayers of the saints are imperfect in our human weakness. The only thing needed to be "added" to our prayers is the perfect intercessions (incense) of Jesus “given” to the angel by God.

34 Christ...at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. (Rom. 8:34)

C. The End-Time prayer movement releases God’s trumpet judgments on the Antichrist (8:6–9:21).

Christianity isn’t about escaping hell but reigning with Jesus our Bridegroom King in bringing His Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven and driving evil entirely off the planet through prayer.

Friday, December 4, 2009

Seven Angels Commissioned with Trumpet Judgments

1 When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. 2 I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets…6 The seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound. (Rev. 8:1-2, 6)

A. Silence in heaven: When the seven angels are given trumpets there will be silence in heaven. There will be a dreadful, yet glorious silence in heaven coming from the awful anticipation of the release of God’s judgments due to seeing the seven angels. The certainty of the soon coming judgment causes all to be speechless. There is no adequate response for what will come.

B. As silence fills heaven, so it will cover the earth as Jesus begins to release His final judgments.

20 The LORD is in His holy temple. Let all the earth keep silence before Him. (Hab. 2:20)

13 Be silent, all flesh, before the Lord, for He is aroused from His holy habitation! (Zech. 2:13)

7 Be silent in the presence of the Lord GOD; for the day of the LORD is at hand… (Zeph. 1:7)

10 Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations… (Ps. 46:10)

C. Sound is associated with the seal judgments. The first four are released by a voice like thunder. The fifth seal describes the intercessory cry from beneath the altar. In the sixth seal, the kings cry out. Here, the terrifying silence of the seventh seal is in great contrast with the other six seals.

D. About half an hour: It took a priest about 30 minutes to offer incense in the temple (Lev. 16:13).

9 The custom of the priesthood…to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. 10 The multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense. (Lk 1:9-10)