Daily Scripture Reading Revelation 5:6 - 6:6
Most believers believe in prayer. They also practice it. However, sometimes it is hard to grasp why it is necessary to pray. God knows everything. He knows what we need and want before we pray, so why do we need to pray? Furthermore, will the Creator of the universe actually change His actions based on the prayers of humans?
There are passages in the Bible where the actions of God were swayed by the prayers of people. That is one reason we pray.
The fifth chapter of Revelation gives us a very different reason to pray. In addition to the fact that God listens to prayers, we should also pray because our prayers are incense.
In John’s vision, he saw a scroll sealed with seven scrolls. At first, no one was worthy to open the scroll, so John was crying. Then an elder told John that the Lion from the tribe of Judah was able to open the scroll.
Rev. 5:6 ¶ Then I saw in the midst of the throne and the four living creatures and in the midst of the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth.
Notice the word “Lamb”. The first chapter of John calls Jesus the Lamb of God (John 1:29,36).
Rev. 5:7 And He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sits on the throne.
Rev. 5:8 And when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one having a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.
Look at the word incense. Incense is a substance that creates an aroma when burned. Incense is similar to perfume, it is used to please the senses.
Take note that the prayers of the saints are incense. Most Christians believe in and practice prayer. The most common mindset about prayer is it is a method for telling God what we want. That is true, but this verse shows us a very different way of looking at prayer. If the prayers of the saints are incense, that means our prayers are a pleasing aroma to God.
Sometimes it is hard to grasp why it is necessary to pray. God is sovereign and all-knowing. He knows what we want and need before we ask, so why do we need to spend time praying? The answer is our prayers are incense, a pleasing aroma. We should pray because God is pleased when we pray.
In the Old Testament sacrificial system, the priests burned incense in the tabernacle/temple to create a pleasing aroma. When we pray, we create a pleasing aroma in heaven.
Rev. 5:9 And they sang a new song, saying,
“Worthy are You to take the scroll and to open its seals, because You were slain and purchased for God with Your blood people from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.
The pronoun “You” refers to Jesus.
Observe the word “worthy”. Jesus is worthy to open the scroll because He sacrificed Himself for all of mankind.
Rev. 5:10 And You made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God, and they will reign upon the earth.”
Rev. 5:11 ¶ Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands,
Rev. 5:12 saying with a loud voice,
“Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.”
Once again we see the word “worthy”. Since Jesus was slain as a lamb, He is worthy to receive power, riches, etc.
Rev. 5:13 And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying,
“To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be the blessing and the honor and the glory and the might forever and ever.”
Don’t miss the description of the group that will praise God and Jesus. The description includes heaven, on earth, under earth, and sea. All created things will sing the praises of God and Jesus.
Rev. 5:14 And the four living creatures kept saying, “Amen.” And the elders fell down and worshiped.
Rev. 6:1 ¶ Then I looked when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, “Come.”
Pay attention to the phrase “voice of thunder”. John’s vision communicated power.
Rev. 6:2 Then I looked, and behold, a white horse, and he who sits on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out overcoming and to overcome.
The word “bow” indicates war and death.
The word “crown” indicates power and authority.
The one sitting on the white horse had power and authority to go out and conquer.
Rev. 6:3 ¶ And when He opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come.”
Rev. 6:4 And another, a red horse, went out; and to him who sits on it, it was given to him to take peace from the earth, and that men would slay one another; and a great sword was given to him.
Take note that the rider on the red horse will not kill, he will simply take peace, which will cause men to kill one another.
Rev. 6:5 ¶ And when He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, “Come.” Then I looked, and behold, a black horse; and he who sits on it had a pair of scales in his hand.
Rev. 6:6 And I heard something like a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, “One choinix of wheat for one denarius, and three choinix of barley for one denarius, and do not harm the oil and the wine.”
A choinix was a unit of measure equalling about a quart. A denarius was a Roman coin. According to a parable of Jesus recorded in Matthew 20, a denarius was about a day’s wages. This means John saw in his vision that a quart of wheat will cost a day’s wages and 3 quarts of barley will cost a day’s wages.
Contrast that with today’s prices in which a quart of wheat or barley can be bought for less than an hour’s wage.
The point is when John’s vision comes true, food will be very expensive.
Sometimes it is hard to grasp why it is necessary to pray. Will the Creator of the universe actually be swayed by human requests? Since God knows what we need and want before we do, why do we need to ask God for what we need and want?
Just as the priests in the Old Testament sacrificial system burned incense in the tabernacle/temple in order to create a pleasing aroma, so too, when we pray, we create a pleasing aroma in heaven.
How should your prayers change in light of the truth that human prayers are incense, a pleasing aroma?
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“Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.”