We turn to God's Word again in
that portion that we read in Revelation chapter 5 reading
now verses 8, 9, and 10. The book of the Revelation chapter
5 reading verses 8, 9, and 10. And when he had taken the book,
the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before
the Lamb, having every one of them harps and golden vials full
of odours, which are the prayers of saints. And they sung a new
song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open
the seals thereof. For thou wast slain, and hast
redeemed us to God by thy blood, out of every kindred and tongue
and people and nation, and hast made us unto our God. kings and priests and we shall
reign on the earth. A text is found in particular
in these words that we have at the end of verse 8 where we read of the golden vials
full of odors or as the margin says full of incense which are
the prayers of saints in the sense we continue really what
we were considering last Lord's Day evening, we looked then at
those words in Job chapter 37, we cannot order our speech by
reason of darkness, is the statement that Elihu makes there at the
end of that 19th verse in that 37th chapter of Job, we cannot
utter our speech by reason of darkness. We continued in a sense
with that theme of prayer and the difficulties that are sometimes
experienced in prayer when on Thursday we were considering
those opening words of Isaiah chapter 38, the situation that
Hezekiah found himself in when Sennacherib and the armies of
the Assyrians were laying siege to Jerusalem and then the Prophet
comes with that awful declaration from God that the king is to
set his house in order because he's about to die. Remember how
the king turned his face to the wall, it says, and prayed. How he has to pray in the midst
of all those difficulties, all the darkness that he felt in
his own soul. Well, I want us to continue this
morning with that theme of prayers. And here we have the prayers
of the saints. In the words that we've just
read at the end of this 8th verse. the golden vials full of odors. It says which are the prayers
of saints. The margin, as we've said, gives
the alternative word of incense. And we're told, are we not, in
the Psalms, that when the Psalmist comes before God and desires
to address his prayers unto him, he cries out, let my prayer be
set before thee as incense. and in that portion that we read
in the Old Testament those opening verses in Exodus chapter 30 we
have mention of the golden altar of incense not to be confused
of course with the brazen altar that was there in the courts
of the tabernacle the place where they were to make their sacrifices
presenting to God their burnt offerings and their sin offerings
that was the brazen altar, but there in those opening words
of Exodus chapter 30 we have the golden altar of incense that
the priest was to dress every morning and every evening and
how it would fill the holy place with that sweet smell of the
incense. It represents, as it were, the
prayers of the children of Israel going up before the Lord God
who was seated there in the Holy of Holies upon the Mercy Seat. And though that imagery is taken
up later here, in chapter 8, At verse 3, we are told, another
angel came and stood at the altar having a golden censer and there
was given unto him much incense that he should offer it with
the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before
the throne of God. It is offered, or it's added
to, as the margin says, this incense added to the prayers
of all the saints. It's a representation there in
the Old Testament then of prayers, prayers of the children of Israel. And when we come to the end of
the Old Testament, in the book of the Prophet Malachi, we read
that incense is to be offered unto God in every place. There
will not only be those of Israel who are calling upon the name
of the Lord, but under the Gospel there will be those of the Gentiles.
calling upon the name of Jehovah as their God. In Malachi 1 verse
11, from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the
sun my name shall be great among the Gentiles and in every place
incense shall be offered unto my name and a pure offering for
my name shall be great among the heathen says the Lord of
hosts. or thou that hearest prayer unto
thee shall all men come says the psalmist he is the God who
hears the God who is pleased to answer prayers and so this
morning addressing ourselves to this particular theme the
prayers of signs the golden vials full of odours which are the
prayers of signs and when we come to God and seek to address
ourselves to him in our prayers when we come and call upon his
name we are acknowledging the truth that we are but his creatures
we are those who are so dependent upon him he is the God who has
made us and we are indebted to him he is the God in whom we
live and move and have our being and we acknowledge as we come
before him in that attitude of prayer that he is that one who
is sovereign he is able to do all things nothing is impossible
with him he rules and he reigns and when we look at the context
of these words that we have before us this morning we are reminded
of that dependence We see here the Lord Jesus Christ and we
see Him in His office as a King but we also see Him in His office
as that One who is the Great High Priest. Observe here the
significance of His Kingly office. We are told how in Heaven they
sing of the sovereignty of the Lord Jesus Christ. Verse 9 They
sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book and
to open the seals thereof." What is this book? This is the book
of God's decree. He is that One who is ruling,
that One who is reigning. Later on, in chapter 19, we have
that great anthem of praise, Alleluia! The Lord God Omnipotent
reigneth. And it is evident in this chapter
that what he said before us in this book with the seven seals
is that book of God's eternal purpose. Look at what we are
told. We read through the chapter.
There was no man in heaven nor in earth neither under the earth
that was able to open the book neither to look thereon. But then we are introduced to
this particular one at verse 5. One of the elders saith unto
me, Weep not. Behold, the lion of the tribe
of Judah, the root of David, hath prevailed to open the book,
and to loose the seven seals thereof. And I beheld, and lo,
in the midst of the throne, and of the four beasts, and in the
midst of the elders stood a lamb, as it had been slain, having
seven horns, and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of
God sent forth into all the earth. The imagery, of course, is remarkable
here. It's a highly symbolic book.
Not that the Lamb has literally seven horns and seven eyes, but
seven, the number of perfection. And we're told that the seven
eyes are the seven spirits of God. It's a reference to that
ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ by the Spirit whom Christ has
sent into the world. And the eye indicates that that
ministry is all seeing. The horn reminds us of the great
power. All that belongs unto the Lord
Jesus Christ. All power in heaven and in earth
has been committed into His hands. He reminds His own disciples
at the end of his earthly ministry as he is about to ascend to heaven
there in the final verses of the gospel according to to Matthew,
all power, all authority is given unto me in heaven and in earth
he says in prayer you see we come and we acknowledge him,
we acknowledge his sovereignty we know he is that one, the only
one who can help how we see it in the course of his earthly
ministry that woman of Syrophoenicia when she comes to him with her
daughter and the disciples are no help to her at all and she
cries to him Lord help me or Peter sinking in the waters as
he's come out of the boat and he cries out Lord save me oh
he is that one who we have to look to the only one who can
help the only one who can save and we are to pray to him to
acknowledge him as that one who is the king thy kingdom come,
thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven. These are the
petitions that the Lord himself instructs us to use in our prayers. He is the one then here that
has the authority. a lamb as it had been slain having
seven horns and seven eyes which are the seven spirits of God
sent forth into all the earth and he came and took the book
out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. The authority has been given
to him as that one who is now King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Now the book of Revelation is
the most mysterious book. It's not a book that's easy for
us to interpret or to understand. But we do find those significant
words right at the beginning of the book. We've already referred
to the fact that symbolic language is used and we know that all
these things, as it says there in the very opening words of
the book, all these things were sent and signified He sent and signified it. In
other words, signs are used. But the opening words, the first
words of the book, the revelation, it says, of Jesus Christ, which
God gave unto him. The revelation of Jesus Christ. There we have the genitive. What are we to make of those
opening words? Well, we can understand that
in terms of the objective genitive. In other words, the revelation
is that concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ is the object
of the revelation. Christ is the one who is being
revealed. The revelation of Jesus Christ. And When we come to the New Testament,
we see that this is that final revelation that God has given.
He is the image of the invisible God. No man has seen God at any
time. The only begotten Son, who is
in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared it. Remember the
words with which the Apostle opens his epistle to the Hebrews,
God who at sundry times and in diverse manner spake in time
passed on to the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last
days spoken unto us by His Son. whom He hath appointed heir of
all things, by whom also He made the world, through being the
brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person,
and upholding all things by the word of His power," and so forth. God hath in these last days spoken
unto us by His Son, says Paul. Here is that revelation of God
then. and it is in the person of his
only begotten son the Lord Jesus Christ and we can understand
the opening words of this book in that sense the revelation
of Jesus Christ the object being revealed the person that is being
set before us. And so when we read through the
book we should, like in all the scriptures, desire to behold
something more of Christ, something of the glories of Christ. He
said to the Jews concerning the Old Testament scriptures, search
the scriptures, in them you think that ye have life, and these
are they that testify of me. Well, if the Old Testament testifies
of him. How much more is that the case
in the New Testament? Why the New Testament is the
New Testament of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. And He
is here in the Revelation, He is the one being revealed to
us. But besides understanding those opening words as an objective
genitive, we can also interpret those words as what's called
a subjective generative. In other words, here we have
a revelation that has been committed to the Lord Jesus. The revelation
belongs to Him. It is what has been given to
Him by God that He might bring it and reveal it to others. He is the author of it. And that's surely what we see
in this particular chapter. He is the one who has all power. He is the one who has all authority. God has put all things under
his feet and given him to be the head over all things to the
church which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth
all in all. God has given him a revelation
The Lord Jesus Christ is that One who comes now to make that
revelation known. How He instructs John. There in that first chapter of
the book, in many ways, it's as we have a right, proper, careful
study of the opening chapter that we find, that whereby we
can properly understand the book. John is in the Spirit on the
Lord's Day. and he hears this great voice as of a trumpet and
as he turns he sees the seven candlesticks representative of
the churches and seven the number of perfection it's representative
of the whole church though of course as we see in chapters
two and three there are seven literal churches there in Asia
Minor to whom these various epistles are sent but Christ is there
in the midst of the seven churches. He's in the midst of the church. And John's seeing the Lord Jesus
there, then gives a description of the sight that he beheld,
something of the glories of the exalted Christ. And what does
the Lord do? He gives him instruction. In
verse 19, write, he says, the things which thou hast seen,
and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter. The Lord has a revelation which
he is now giving to the Apostle John to make it known. And so, when we come to this
chapter, John witnesses this remarkable scene. The book It's a scroll really that's being
spoken of and it's sealed with seven seals and it is the only
one who can open those seals. Weep not, behold the line of
the tribe of Judah, the root of David hath prevailed, it says. To open the book, to open the
scroll and to loose the seven seals thereof. All the Lord Jesus
Christ is that one. who is ruling and reigning now
in his mediatorial kingdom. He has accomplished all the work
that the Father had given to him in the eternal covenant. He has been obedient unto death,
even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also has highly
exalted him and given him that name which is above every name
and has put all things under his feet. and given him to be
the head over all things to the church and we are to remember
this when we come to pray that our Lord Jesus Christ is that
one who is ruling in his kingly office and so we come as those who would
acknowledge our complete dependence upon him He is head over all
things to the church. He rules, he reigns for the church.
In all his dealings with the nations, in all his dealings
with the affairs of men, his eye is upon his house. Even that
very little remnant. Fear not little flock, he says
to his disciples, it is your father's good pleasure to give
you the kingdom. All his children will rule and
reign with him. They are a kingdom. And they
are a kingdom of priests. Because here we also see the
Lord Jesus in that other office. We see Him in His priestly office. When they sing this new song
in verse 9, what do they say? Thou art worthy to take the book,
and to open the seals thereof, for thou wast slain. and has
redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue
and people and nation. The Lord Jesus came as a sacrificing
priest. He's not only the priest, He's
the sacrifice. John says, John the Baptist says,
Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world. Who has come to die the fulfillment
of all of those types in the book of Leviticus all those offerings
burnt offerings and sin offerings and trespass offerings all those
have their ultimate fulfillment in Him, He has made that one
sacrifice for sins forever He is the sacrifice but He is also
the priest who makes that great sacrifice but having done that
priestly work here upon the earth he has now entered into that
within the veil he has entered into heaven itself and we see
him there as an interceding priest or we see it when he comes to
the end of his earthly ministry in the 17th chapter of John where
we have recorded that great prayer that he prays his high priestly
prayer but now having finished the work that the Father has
given him to do having cried from the cross it is finished
having healed it up the ghost commending his soul into the
hands of his God he's experienced death but he who died is risen
again from the dead is ascended on high and now he ever lives
to make intercession always very session there in heaven where
he is ascending his presence before God is a constant play
on behalf of his people he is that one that spoken of here,
a lamb as it had been slain this is the one before the throne
of God, a lamb as it had been slain, his very presence declares
that he has made that great sacrifice for sins and so he is able he
is able also to save them to the uttermost it says that come
unto God by him or when we think then of these vials full of odors
which are the prayers of the saints how these prayers of the
saints prevail because of his priestly office And we see how those two aspects
of his priestly office are brought together in the 34th verse in
Romans chapter 8, that great 8th chapter of Romans. Look at
what Paul says there, verses 33 and 34. Who shall lay anything
to the charge of God's elect? he asks. It is God that justifies. Who is he that condemneth? It
is Christ that died, yea, rather is risen again, who is even at
the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. He
has died. That's part of his priestly office,
to make the one sacrifice, to die as a substitute in the room,
in the stead of his people. Christ hath died, yea, rather
is risen again, it says. who is even at the right hand
of God, who also maketh intercession for us." Well, this is our comfort
then when we come to pray that the Lord Jesus Christ is that
One whom we are to remember in His kingly office, the One to
whom all authority has been committed, the only one who can open this
seven sealed book, this great scroll of the decrees of God
and he can unfold these decrees and that's what we see of course
in the ensuing chapters the unfolding of the decree of God but he is
that one who is also the great priest who has made the sacrifice
who has died but is now risen and risen he is ascended on high
remember what we are told in that later verse in chapter 8 at verse 3 where again we have mention
of the incense Another angel came and stood at the altar having
a golden censer and there was given unto him much incense that
he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden
altar which is before the throne of God. The incense then, we're
told, is that which is offered with the prayers of all saints,
or as a margin says, that he should add it that he should
add it to the prayers of all saints." Well, what is this incense?
What is this incense? Can we not see the Lord Jesus
Christ in the incense? The church back in the Song of
Solomon says of Him, Thy name is as ointment poured forth.
His name is like incense. Is He not that One who was so
anointed by the Father? Or the Father giveth not the
Spirit by measure unto Him? He is the anointed, He is the
Messiah, He is the Christ. And now you see with those prayers
of the saints here He's added the incense. It's as those prayers
come in His Name. That Name which is ointment poured
forth, that Name which is above every name. It's as we come by
and in and through the Lord Jesus Christ that our poor prayers
prevail, even the prayers of the saints. The golden vials full of odours,
which are the prayers of saints. Oh, in our prayers let us come
as those who would acknowledge our complete and our utter dependence
upon Christ. Acknowledge Him as that one who
is truly sovereign, who is able to say. And as we come in that
name to really believe that God is able to do exceeding abundantly
above all that we ask or think. Nothing is impossible. Because
of Him who is our great intercessor with God. Well, as in prayer
there is this acknowledgement of complete dependence upon the
Lord Jesus Christ, so we have to also recognize that at the
same time we're frequently finding ourselves in situations where
there's much darkness. And why is that? If all this
power belongs to the Lord Jesus, If he is that one who is a king
and a priest, and his intercession must prevail for his church,
why is it that so often when we come to pray we feel ourselves
to be in so much darkness? Well, we have to live of course
that life of faith and prayer. Believing prayer is obviously
an exercise of faith. otherwise it's not believing
prayer. When we come to pray there's that necessity of faith.
Without faith it is impossible to please Him. He that cometh
to God must believe that He is and that He is the rewarder of
all them that diligently seek Him. We walk by faith and not
by sight. And so at times, because this
is the life that we have to live, the life of faith, we feel ourselves
to be in darkness. Maybe we're confused. Satan assaults us. Doubts come
into our minds. We have to fight, the good fight
of faith. It's no easy matter simply to
pray. Interestingly, commenting on these words in verse 8, the
golden vials, which are full of the odors, Dr. Gill makes the observation that
this may denote the believer's heart. That's how the good Dr. Gill understands it, that the
golden vials are the heart, the heart of believers. full of odours,
full of prayers and I like that suggestion, I
like that sort of imagery to have, as it were, a golden
heart, a golden vial a true heart, a single heart, a sincere heart
to know that simplicity that is so pleasing in the sight of
God. To come with that sacrifice that
is so acceptable, the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a
broken and a contrite heart, David says. God will not despise. And we have to look to our hearts
as we come to pray. The Apostle says, let us draw
near with a true heart. A true heart, that's a golden
heart, children. Let us draw near with a true
heart in full assurance of faith. All without faith, it is impossible
to please God. When we come to ask anything,
remember the language of James. There in the opening chapter
of his epistle, he speaks also of these things concerning faith.
Let him ask in faith, nothing wavering, for either wavereth
he like a wave of the sea, driven of the wind and toss. or to know then something of
this heart that is like unto a golden vial. And we often find ourselves in
that situation where we have to come before God in prayer
and we have to pray as it were in the very teeth of unbelief. Where there is faith, there will
be the opposition of faith. The devil will not be inactive.
He'll come and he'll seek to instill into our minds and into
our hearts unbelieving thoughts. He'll fill us with doubts and
fears. He won't be inactive. There's
a certain darkness. Now, as we sometimes have to
pray in the face of all these things it's interesting to consider
something more of the symbolism here. We read in that 30th chapter
of Exodus and of course in the general context there those latter
chapters of Exodus all have to do with the the tabernacle is
that instruction that Moses is receiving during the 40 days
that he is in the mount with God and God is giving him instruction
with regards to the manner in which he is to be worshipped
he is told about all the furnishings of the tabernacle and we see
there how that the the tabernacle was in many ways a dark place
We read in that opening part of that 30th chapter concerning
the altar of incense, how it was to be put before the vial.
It's not in the Holy of Holies, but it's before the Holy of Holies,
it's in the holy place. But how the tabernacle, which
is just a tent, was in many ways a very dark place. There were
boards all around it. There were to be curtains of
linen and of goat's ears. All the boards were to be covered
with ram skins and badger skins. This is why there must be the
lamp in the holy place. There would be no natural light
at all. It was a very dark place. The tabernacle, the tent of meeting. And there In that dark place
is set the golden altar where the incense is to be burnt and
it was as the priest comes in in the morning and in the evening
to dress the lamps that he was to burn the incense. The imagery
is very rich and it reminds us, does it not, that even in the
midst of darkness there are those prayers that are ascending as
the priest is dressing the lamps so he's burning the incense and
the incense is filling the place and it sets before us the things
that prayer can accomplish if he sang it just now in Newton's
hymn prayer can force a passage through iron bars and brazen
gates or our prayer prevails in spite of all the darkness
that we might feel in our own hearts. It prevails because of
Him who is our Great Intercessor, that One who is the High Priest
now ascended into heaven, now appearing in the presence of
God for His people. Paul in Hebrews 10 says, "...having
therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by
the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He hath
consecrated for us through the veil, that is to say His flesh,
and having a high priest over the house of God, let us draw
near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our
hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed
in pure water. Let us all pass the profession
of our faith without wavering, for He is faithful, the Oh, we
have every encouragement when we consider the Lord Jesus in
spite of all the darkness that we might feel and sometimes it's
as if we're enveloped in darkness and we scarce know how to pray
or what to say. That language that we looked
at last week in Job 37.19, we cannot order our speech right
by reason of darkness. to be like Hezekiah when he has
to turn his face to the wall and cry unto his God and yet
how those prayers prevail all our boldness is in the Lord Jesus
Christ who has gone before and marked out the way by his precious
blood in whom we have boldness and access with confidence by
the faith of Him, by the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. But then also, of course, we're
not to lose sight of that gracious ministry of the Holy Spirit in
prayer. Now, we need the Spirit Himself
to come. Yes, Christ is our mediator.
He is the one by and through whom we approach unto God but
he is granted to his children that ministry of the Blessed
Spirit. He comes as the Spirit of Christ. It's through Christ
we have access by one Spirit it seems. Access through him
by one Spirit unto the Father and that Spirit comes and helps.
He helps our infirmities. He maketh intercession for us,
it says, with groanings that cannot be uttered." Oh, what
do we see here in our text this morning? How they worshipped
the Lamb. How they fall down before Him
in that attitude of true worship. Look at the language here in
verse 8. When he had taken the book, the four beasts and the
four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every
one of them harps and golden vials full of odours, which are
the prayers of saints. They fell down before Him. All
they do are obeisance. they are humbled to the ground,
they acknowledge him, they confess him this is the act of worship
and remember those lines of John Berridge in 884 that lovely hymn
on true worship when we come to that final verse for thee
my soul would cry and send a laboring groan for thee my heart would
sigh and make a pensive moan that ministry of the spirit in
our worship, how we need it. He maketh intercession for us
with groanings. It's not fine words. It's not a rich liturgy. No, it's that that comes from
the heart. It's these golden vials. that are full of odors
that we need to come as we would worship this great God in spite
of all the darkness that we feel but as we as we come to a close
this morning mark the fact that these believers are spoken of
here as praying priests having every one of them harps it says and golden vials
full of odors which are the prayers of the saints they are praying priests when we come to intercede in
the Old Testament of course it was the priestly office it was
the Aaronic priest who were to make the sacrifices and to attend
to that golden altar but now you see under the New Testament
all believers are praying priests verse 10 and has made us unto
our God kings and priests and we shall reign on the earth how
does Peter speak of believers a chosen generation, he says,
a royal priesthood and holy nation, a peculiar people. This is the
description that the Apostle Peter gives of believers. Every
believer belongs to that royal priesthood. They're kings and
they're priests. The Lord Jesus is that one who
is the great king of kings. The Lord Jesus Christ is that
one who is the high priest of our profession. Such is the union
between Christ and His people. And what do we see here? As priestly
kings, they rule. They rule, they reign. That's what it says in verse
10. He has made them unto God kings and priests, it says, and
we shall reign on the earth. How do they reign? It is by prayer. This is the wondrous thing where
there is true prayer, real prayer. What does God say back in the
Old Testament? Isaiah 45.11, concerning the
works of my hand, he says, command ye me. It's what God says to
his people, concerning his works. Command ye me. Now, we don't
want to become presumptuous. We cannot dictate to God. But
then we're reminded somewhat of the power of prayer. By our
prayers we command God. He goes on to say later in that
same 45th chapter that he says not unto the seed of Jacob, seek
him my face in vain. We don't seek his face in vain
when we ask him to do things, when we pray to him, when we
plead with him, It's no futile exercise. He hears the answers. He is pleased to do the thing
that we ask him. This is the way God works. He
says to Ezekiel, remember, I will yet for this be inquired of by
the house of Israel. I will do it for them. I will
increase them with men as a flock. He will do it. There's no question
that is the purpose of God, and in this whole 5th chapter revelation,
as we've said, what it sets before us is the book of God's decree,
this scroll that's sealed with 7 seals, it's God's purpose. It's to be unfolded, and it's
unfolded by the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb, as it had been slain.
But how does the Lord work? He works in answer to the prayers
of His children. Oh, this is our comfort, friends.
Though oft we feel that we're praying in much darkness, in
much confusion, though we find that we cannot order our speech
quite right, we're coming with our sighs and our cries and we're
groaning and we're moaning, and yet the Lord hears and the Lord
answers these prayers. Oh, this is our comfort, how
that we ought to be those who would give ourselves to this,
if we would but seek Him. He gives us every encouragement
to seek Him. He tells us, ask and it shall be given you, seek
and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you.
If we come and seek Him with all our hearts, He will save
us. There's no disputing these things. It's all plainly declared
to us here in Holy Scripture. And here we see Him who is able
to unfold that great purpose of God, to open the seven seals. When he had taken the book, we
read, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before
the Lamb, having every one of them harps and golden vials full
of odours, which are the prayers of saints. And they sung a new
song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book. and to open
the seals thereof for they were slain and hast redeemed us to
God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people
and nation and hast made us unto our God kings and priests and
we shall reign on the earth. Oh the Lord be pleased then to
bless his truth to us. Amen.