The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk. And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts (vv. 20-21).


Under judgment, the lost call on inanimate nature to crush and hide them, but they will not repent and call on God to save them.


There are two explanations for this response to judgment. The first is that the more we persist in sin, the harder our hearts grow toward God. The second is that if we insist on persisting in sin, there will come a time when the oppor- tunity to repent is removed. Those whose hearts are hard will grow even more stub- born as a judgment from God. This is what will happen when Judgment Day comes—when Christ opens the scroll that describes and initiates the events of his- tory’s end.


How we need to take this to heart. If anyone who reads this has hesitated to come to Christ, wait no longer! The end is drawing near, and one day soon the door of opportunity may be closed. How eager we should be to turn to Jesus while there is time—to join the throngs who will unite their voices with those of the angels in endless praise of God.


The Prayers of Persecuted Saints


In the same chapter in which we read of the futile prayers of the lost, we are given a glimpse of a prayer that is being answered. Revelation 6 describes John’s vision of a great multitude “who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held” (v. 9). These were martyrs, who held to their faith in Christ at the cost of their lives. Now they cried out to the Lord to act, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” (v. 10).


Those praying have no doubt that the holy God will judge their persecutors. They believed so firmly in Him that they were willing to surrender their earthly lives, looking to eternity. Their question is, “How long?” Their words express their request for God to hurry.


Here, in the context of Revelation, we realize that God is hurrying. Even now judgment has begun!


Prayers of the Saints as Incense


Twice in Revelation the prayers of God’s people are pictured as incense. The first use of this image occurs in 5:8. As the 24 elders began to sing redemption’s “new song,” they carried golden bowls filled with “incense, which are the prayers of the saints.” The other use of this image comes as a new series of judgments is about to be poured out on earth.


As a prelude to judgment, an angel took a golden bowl filled with incense which was to be burned on a golden altar with “the prayers of the saints.” John wrote, “The smoke of the incense … ascended before God from the angel’s hand” (8:4). As it ascended before the Lord, fire was cast on the earth, and angels announced new judgments with numerous blasts from their trumpets. Incense played an important part in Old Testament worship. Exodus 30 gives a formula for mixing sweet-smelling spices to be burned as incense before the Lord (vv. 34-37). This incense was to be burned only before the Lord, on a special altar placed within the Old Testament worship center, first the Tabernacle and later the Temple. Exodus required that the priest “shall burn on it sweet incense every morning; when he tends the lamps, he shall burn incense on it” (v. 7). The same obligation was laid on the priest when he lit the lamps at twi- light: “He shall burn incense on it, a per- petual incense before the Lord throughout your generation” (v. 8).


The sweet smell of the incense was to rise always to the Lord as an expression of praise and worship. In the same way, our prayers are to be offered to God per-


petually. What a wonder that God, who delights in our praise, should find our requests pleasing to Him.


The Final Prayer in Scripture


The final triumph of God over Satan and evil is described in Revelation 20. The last two chapters of this book are devoted to descriptions of the new heaven and earth that God will create. It is to be populated by the faithful angels and the saved of every age. The prospect that John held out is perhaps best summed up in 21:3-4:


I heard a loud voice from heaven say- ing, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor cry- ing. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.


What a wonderful prospect! Even today we have a special relationship with God. We are privileged to look up to God as our loving Father to express our needs and share our joys. Such a privilege is wonderful in itself. But even this bless- ing is small in comparison as we consider what God has in store for us. As John closed his book, he was filled with joy at the prospect of what lies ahead. God will triumph at history’s end. Jesus will come and we will be united with Him forever. God will create a new and wonder- ful world, and He himself will be present with us for endless ages to come. No wonder John’s prayer, the last prayer in Scripture, is “Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” (22:20).


Come . . . for we can hardly wait.


*Scriptures are from the New King James Version.


Article reprinted by permission. Every Prayer and Petition in the Bible, Lawrence O. Richards, © 1999 Thomas Nelson Publishers, Inc., Nashville, Tennessee. All rights reserved.


EVANGEL • SEP 2010 15


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32