chase

. . .and when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. . .
Revelation 5:8

. . .those who had been victorious [sang]. . .'Who will not fear you, O Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.'
Revelation 15


In the first scene there is a portrait of the heavenly throne room, which is painted in terms similar to the earthly temple that stood in Jerusalem. For morning and evening worship there was offered from the temple incense to symbolize the rising of the prayers of God's people to his throne. What happened next? Perhaps there were some individuals who had various answers or thoughts on what happened to these prayers once they had ascended from the earth, but most likely it was considered to be in God's hands and therefore unnecessary to ponder. Or maybe even some who (so much like us today) felt as though they had fulfilled their religious quota by praying and could then move on with the remainder of the day.

There is, however, a picture of what happens to this rising incense: it is gathered in heaven and held in the presence of God. For the sake of accuracy, we must recognize that not all prayers are being described here, even though there seems to be a more universally principle understood. Rather, these prayers are specifically for the return of Jesus and the glory and judgment which will accompany his coming. These prayers for justice and righteousness - the heart of God's kingdom - are held in the very presence of God that he might be mindful of them.

In the second seen there is a portrait of those who have prayed and have proven themselves victorious, which is painted in terms that display a deeply spiritual significance to their lives. As God's will is being done on earth as it is in heaven, these persons cry out a worshipful song of praise, All nations will come and worship before you.

"Thus the saints have followed their own prayers to heaven. The faithfulness with which they lived and died in hope of the kingdom for which they prayed, has made them part of the answer to their prayers."*

The picture is this: the saint offers a prayer (a life) which rises as incense to the heavenly throne room. From there the saint runs furiously after this prayer to witness and worship the one who brings fulfillment. Perhaps this sounds odd, yet this could only be the coloring of our own culture which does not see prayer as a source of empowerment to godly action but a means of escapism from the duty and responsibilities of partnering with the divine. We chase because we can act. . .and we can witness. . .and we can worship.

. . .as it is in heaven. . .




*Richard Bauckham, "Prayer in the Book of Revelation" in Into God's Presence, ed. Richard N. Longenecker (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2001), 266.