“Now when He had taken the scroll, 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.”
Revelation 5:8 NKJV
Jesus was encouraging the people to continue in prayer, and not to give up, thinking that God would not answer. He illustrates His point by telling a parable about a widow and a judge who was not a godly man, nor was he one who really cared about the distress of others.
Now, this widow was seeking justice from the unjust judge. And although this unrighteous judge did nothing for her at first, when she kept insisting he help her, he finally changed his mind.
“And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’ ” Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said. And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?””
Luke 18:4-8 NKJV
This judge, although unjust and uncaring, avenged the woman because of her unwillingness to relent.
Now, as Jesus pointed out, if an unjust and uncaring judge will give justice because someone doesn’t give up on asking, how much more will our just and caring God avenge His children who continually cry out to Him for help?
Not surprisingly, we see the cry for justice appearing as a theme throughout the word of God.
Indeed, the psalms are full of the desperate pouring out of the soul before the Lord by those seeking vindication.
“Hear a just cause, O Lord, Attend to my cry; Give ear to my prayer which is not from deceitful lips. Let my vindication come from Your presence; Let Your eyes look on the things that are upright.”
Psalms 17:1-2 NKJV
David knew that his source of vindication was the Lord. He also knew that the Lord, knowing all hearts, knew that he was telling the truth about the situation for which he was seeking justice.
David also likened his request for justice to the incense that was offered on the altar of the Lord.
“Lord, I cry out to You; Make haste to me! Give ear to my voice when I cry out to You. Let my prayer be set before You as incense, The lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.”
Psalms 141:1-2 NKJV
In one of Ezekiel‘s prophetic visions, he sees the Lord ordering a judgment on the people doing abominable acts. But before the judgment is sent out, the Lord instructs that a certain mark be put on the forehead of the people who were constantly praying for the restoration of justice.
“Now the glory of the God of Israel had gone up from the cherub, where it had been, to the threshold of the temple. And He called to the man clothed with linen, who had the writer’s inkhorn at his side; and the Lord said to him, “Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it.” To the others He said in my hearing, “Go after him through the city and kill; do not let your eye spare, nor have any pity.”
Ezekiel 9:3-5 NKJV
Indeed, those who were not taking part in the abominations, and were crying out to God for vindication, were spared from destruction.
In our opening scripture, we see that as the worthy Lamb takes the scroll, the elders fall down, holding incense in golden bowls. John informs us that this incense is the prayers of the saints!
We see later in the Revelation of Jesus Christ, that it would be those same prayers the elders held before the throne of God, that would actually set in motion the final judgments.
“When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets. Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. 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. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand. Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth. And there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake.”
Revelation 8:1-5 NKJV
Child of God, we are living in a world full of injustice, but make no mistake, the Lord hears our prayers for vindication, and He will soon act.
We’ll talk more about this tomorrow.
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!
“And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth. Then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne.”
Revelation 5:6-7 NKJV
An angel instructed Phillip to go from Jerusalem to Gaza. Having done so, he came across an Ethiopian eunuch of great authority. This Ethiopian was sitting in his chariot reading from the prophet Isaiah. The Spirit then tells Phillip to go and overtake the chariot. Having done so, he asks the Ethiopian whether he understands what he is reading. The Ethiopian responds to him that he cannot unless someone guides him in it. Phillip then joins him in the chariot and explains the scripture he was reading.
“The place in the Scripture which he read was this: “He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; And as a lamb before its shearer is silent, So He opened not His mouth. In His humiliation His justice was taken away, And who will declare His generation? For His life is taken from the earth.” So the eunuch answered Philip and said, “I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?” Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him.”
Acts 8:32-35 NKJV
Philip’s explanation to the Ethiopian, produces faith in him, and this eunuch comes to believe in Jesus and is baptized.
This Lamb about Whom the Ethiopian read, was the same Lamb John pronounced to his own disciples.
“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples. And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, “Behold the Lamb of God!””
John 1:29, 35-36 NKJV
Yes! This Lamb is the only One Who could start and finish the process of our mess being made right. Only the precious blood of this perfect Lamb was able to redeem us!
“And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”
I Peter 1:17-19 NKJV
Yesterday we discussed how John was encouraged by the elder who told him that there was One who had prevailed to be able to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.
But remember, the elder said, “Behold the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David has prevailed . . . .” However, we see in our opening scripture that John looks and sees a sacrificed Lamb, rather than a Lion.
Child of God, before Jesus could be revealed as the Lion of the tribe of Judah, He had first to present Himself as the perfect Lamb of God. He had prevailed—as a man—by living a sinless life to present Himself to take our punishment. After routing hell, He was raised back to life, to ascend back to the Throne of God—the same Throne John saw the slain Lamb approach!
Only One is qualified to bring the Kingdom of God to the Earth. And He, Who will soon return as the Lion of the tribe of Judah, was made worthy to do so, by becoming the perfect Lamb of God.
We’ll talk more tomorrow.
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!
“Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?” And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it. So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it. But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.””
Revelation 5:2-5 NKJV
I recently saw a post listing several religions and the “champion” they are awaiting. This list was followed by the conclusion that nobody’s coming to help us, we must be our own “savior.”
Now, I know that sounds good to some ears. But, that’s where the “goodness” of that narrative ends.
Given, we should never decide that we are just going to “let the world go to hell in a hand-basket” because of the inevitability of that scenario.
We are to carry out the Great Commission to spread the Gospel, while also praying for our country and our world and living lives that bring God’s light into the darkness.
Having said that, to include Christianity as just another religion looking for some “rescuer” who is never coming, is at its best, gross ignorance, and at its worst, an abomination.
Indeed, we do need a savior; and we do, absolutely, have One, in Jesus Christ.
Remember, it was Jesus Who said that without Him, we could do nothing.
““I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.”
John 15:5-7 NKJV
Jesus told Nicodemus—in no uncertain terms—what He was sent to do.
“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
John 3:14-18 NKJV
Paul tells us what Jesus’ death means for us.
“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, “The man who does those things shall live by them.” But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ down from above) or, “ ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.””
Romans 10:4-11 NKJV
Jesus came the first time to do for us what we could not do for ourselves (in making a way for our salvation by fulfilling the Law). And, make no mistake, He will also return to set everything right. And, setting everything right, is DEFINITELY beyond our ability.
“For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another— He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.”
Hebrews 9:24-28 NKJV
In our opening scripture John sees that although there was no one found in all creation to start the process of making all things right, there was One found Who would be able to start, and yes, to finish, the process of saving us, the process of setting things right!
As we shared yesterday, things in the world look like they’re getting worse every day. In fact, you may not be able to worry about what’s going on in the world, as things in your own life seem to be falling apart. But allow me to say to you what the elder said to John, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed . . . .”
We’ll go further with this tomorrow.
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!