Revelation chapter 8, and I would
like to read the first three verses and make some comments
on verses 2 and 3. And when he had opened the seventh
seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. And we looked at that, and it
appears that this silence represents God's people's reaction to pending
judgment and thanksgiving, silent thanksgiving, that our judgment
fell out on Christ on the cross and what is in store for those
without Christ will not touch us. I'm thankful that Christ
paid my second death. on the cross. And sometimes it's
just silence that makes us think about it. And we're just brought
to silence. We don't have words for it. And
then it tells us in verse two, and I saw the seven angels which
stood before God, and to them were given seven trumpets. And
another angel came. I would have no idea what this
angel was or who he was unless we had the rest of this verse.
There's only one that could do what we read in the rest of this
verse. This angel could be no more, none other than the Lord
Jesus Christ, given, and an angel means messenger. Once we get
rid of the adopted view that every angel had wings on their
back and harps in their hand. If we just remember that angels
mean messengers or a messenger, sometimes the angel of the Lord
is just a way of saying the Lord Jesus Christ. Oftentimes in the
Old Testament, that's the truth about it. The angel of the Lord
appeared. And that's just the Lord Jesus
Christ. And here, another angel came
and stood at the altar having a golden censer. 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.
Now there's only one altar in heaven. This description is for
our benefit. There's only one altar in heaven,
and that's the Lord Jesus Christ. There's only one temple in heaven,
and that's the Lord Jesus Christ. There's only one light in heaven,
and that's the Lord Jesus Christ. So these words are for us. He's not telling us that this
is in heaven. It's just a representation, a
picture. Now, this angel stood by the
altar, a picture, a shadow, having a golden censer, and there was
given unto him much incense, that he should offer it, this
incense, with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar
which is before the throne. And the smoke of the incense,
which came from the prayers of the saints, ascended up before
God out of the angel's hand. Now, this appears not to be a
creature of God, but the Son of God, because of what we see
him doing. So often we have to find out
what someone is doing. And then we can be led, we can
understand a little more about who this is. The incense that
he offers with the prayers of the saints is most important.
In fact, it's more important than the prayers of the saints.
Our prayers are not near as important as what this incense represents. This incense that goes up with
our prayers, and there's only one way that our prayers are
accepted in the presence of God, human beings speaking to God,
there is only one way that our prayers are accepted before God,
and that is through the blood and righteousness of Christ.
He has to be the filter for everything. We will not approach God outside
of the blood and righteousness of Christ. And so in a way, these
prayers that we give, they go through a scrubber. They go through
a filter. They go through a means that
God has provided to clean them up so that they're presentable.
Our prayers are not presentable. in the capacity that we offer
them. I was thinking this afternoon
as I was in my study, I can only remember, now there's probably
others, but I can only remember one public prayer offered in
the entire Bible. And that was Solomon dedicating
the temple. Now there's probably others,
but that's one stands out. And if you put what he had to
say about God, and what he had to say about Israel, There'd
be a stack this tall about God about this much about Israel.
He was praising God for what was going on. Now almost all
of the other prayers that I can remember, we are allowed to come
into the presence of those people by the grace of God and hear
their hearts poured out before the Lord. Now, this incense that
he offers with the prayers of the saints is more important,
much more important than our prayers. This incense could represent
nothing but the merit of the blood and righteousness of Christ. And it is through the merit of
his blood and his righteousness that our prayers are accepted
before Almighty God. And that's the way with our work,
that's the way with our faith, that's the way with everything
about us. The only way that we're accepted
before God is on the merit of the blood and righteousness of
the Lord Jesus Christ. Turn with me, if you would, to
the book of Ephesians, chapter two. This incense, as our prayers
are offered, this incense is cast onto the altar. It's a beautiful
picture. Our prayers are offered, and
this incense is cast onto the altar of incense with our prayers,
and they ascend up. This incense, the smoke of this
incense, ascends up. In this picture, God Almighty
shares with us how our prayers are accepted with God, and that
is through the merit of the blood and righteousness of the Lord
Jesus Christ. As our prayers are offered up,
we see our Savior casting this on the altar and it's brought
up with our prayers. And the church is just saying,
oh my goodness, that's the way it has to be. We can't pray. There's nothing about our prayers
that's acceptable to God except in Christ. And it's just a fog
of sweet-smelling incense of savor unto God of the merits
of the blood and righteousness of Christ reaching the nostrils
of our Father before our prayers get there. He catches that smell
of the merits of the blood and righteousness of His Son before
our prayers get to Him. And that's the only way it's
accepted. We have to go and have an incense
cast on there. If our prayers are just thrown
on there, they don't get any farther than the ceiling. But
with a merit of the blood and righteousness of Christ mingled
with them and brought up together, they're accepted as a sweet smelling
savor to God. because of Christ, in Christ,
through Christ, these come to me as a sweet savor. Ephesians chapter 2 and verses
13 through 18 share with us about this principle that we are so
dependent upon the merit of of the blood and righteousness of
Christ. We have no merit of our own. We are dependent on a substitute. We're dependent on someone who
will do it for us, on our behalf. And as he represents us, this
picture is shared with us of this altar of incense with coals
of fire and our prayers ascend to God. He throws that much incense
on that altar, and it sends up, and God the Father, oh, the sweet
savor of the ministry of the Son of God. And then he hears
our prayer as a result of it. Here, Ephesians chapter two,
verses 13 through 18, but now in Christ Jesus, ye who were far off are made nigh by the
blood of Christ. The merit of his blood has brought
us nigh. For he is our peace who hath
made both one and hath broken down the middle wall of partition
between us, having abolished in his flesh the enmity. I could just sit, I could camp
here. He has abolished in his flesh the enmity. No longer is
that characteristic about the spiritual man. And then he goes
on to tell us here, even the law of commandments contained
in ordinance for to make it himself of two, one new man, so making
peace, and that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by
the cross, having slain the enmity thereby, and came and preached
peace to you, which were afar off, and to them that are nigh.
For through him we both have access by one spirit unto the
Father. It's only by Christ that we have
access to the Father, and it's only by the merit of the blood
and righteousness of Christ that our prayers are accepted. We
know not how to pray as we ought. We've mentioned that before.
That's just scripture. And the church consents very easily to
that. We do not know. But thank God
for the incense that is offered with our prayers, that makes
our prayers accepted in the beloved, the groanings that cannot be
uttered, the Lord Jesus Christ, the wafting of our prayer in
the presence of God with a sweet-smelling incense of the merit of his blood
and righteousness. And there we rest in the merit
of his blood, the merit of his blood and his righteousness.
So it would only be to our interest that our prayers are made. Christ
offers this sweet incense. It's to our benefit. that he
cast that incense on the fire, picturing, picturing, just typing,
showing us, you can't approach the Father but by my merit. Even your prayers are stagnant
except for the merit of my blood and righteousness. And in that,
they're accepted and heard. In fact, God says, I have knowledge
of what you have need of before you ask. It's just apparent with
God the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit being
omniscient that they have knowledge of what we have need of. God's
not surprised by our prayer. We're surprised by him turning
our prayers sometimes, but he's not surprised by our prayer.
He's purposed that his people pray. Backing up there in the
book of Ephesians just a little bit to chapter one. So it is
only in our interest that our prayers are made. When our prayers are made, Christ
offers this sweet incense. You know, we can all think of
something that has caught our attention through our nose. Oh, just to breathe that. It just so catches us. And I like what catches God's
nose. The merits of his son's blood
and righteousness. And in that, he also pulls in
our prayers. He catches them. It's such a
beautiful picture. I was just astonished at how
beautiful this is. This angel, the Lord Jesus, doing
this on our behalf. The church is in such, such position
in Christ. We just can't imagine what we
have. and to have him casting that
out there. Now, Ephesians, the merits of
his blood and righteousness are ours to rejoice in and sing of.
Notice here in Ephesians chapter one, verse six, to the praise
of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the
beloved. Now that beloved is Christ, that's
in God. We've been accepted in God. And
the church says, I don't know how, and I don't know why, but
I like where I am. Accepted in the beloved, in Christ
Jesus. And John chapter 14, turn with
me to John chapter 14. John chapter 14. It shares this about this wonderful
position that the church is in and that the incense of God's
son representing the merit of his blood and righteousness are
sprinkled on our behalf. John chapter 14 and verse 6,
this says this, listen to this. I am the way, Jesus said unto
him, I am the way. truth and the life now there's
three huge trees you just can't get around I am the way the truth
and the life and all of these huge trees come out of one root
Jesus Christ the righteous and we're just not going to be able
to get around them in this life we're not going to understand
them all in this life I am the way, the truth, and the life.
No man cometh unto the Father but by me." That's grace. I was reading an
autobiography about a preacher, and he just
goes on and on and on in that biography. What a mess he was,
and what a blessing it is for him to just reflect on God saving
a mess. It's amazing. We just term it
as amazing grace. Turn with me, if you would, to
the book of 1 Timothy, chapter 2. First Timothy chapter two,
this just takes on a whole new thought. We've looked at this,
we've read this, we relish and delight in this. It must be second Timothy. Well, it says there is one mediator. What is that? Yes, okay. Chapter 2 verse 5. Alright, I was looking at 15. For there is one God and one
mediator between God and men. This picture in the book of Revelation
chapter 8 and verse 2 shows this other angel with much incense,
and he's the one that goes between the church and God with this
ambassadorship, this sweet savor, this smell. The church can smell it, but
it is important to God. We understand a little bit about
the merit of his blood and righteousness. But when we see God satisfied
with it, it makes it so valuable. God is satisfied with the merit
of the blood and righteousness of Christ. And as a result, he
accepts in that, in that incense, our prayers. Notice here, there's
one mediator between, there's one God and there's one mediator
between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. And he's the one
with all those bucketfuls of incense. Says much incense. I like that. We haven't got to
the end of it. The merit of the blood and righteousness
of Christ has no end. There's much incense, it tells
us over there in the book of Revelation chapter 8 and verse
2. There's one meteor because there's one that can offer this
incense, the merit of his blood and righteousness. Now, it tells
us that this blood of Christ, turn with me back to the book
of Psalm, Psalm 130. Psalm 130. Psalm 130 in verse seven. Much incense, and here it says
it's called plenteous redemption. Plenteous redemption, that's
just good that the grain reach full The harvest has been so
good Look at here verse 7 psalm 130 let Israel hope in the Lord
for with the Lord there is mercy and with him is plenteous redemption
He's got basketfuls of this incense, which represents the merit of
his blood and righteousness. There's much incense. There's
one mediator. We have peace with God through
the Lord Jesus Christ. And there's just one mediator,
one that all of this goes through. And that's the Son of God, the
Lord Jesus. And this Lord Jesus is this one
standing there with much incense. And when our prayers go up, he's
casting that incense to be carried up with it. And God the Father
smells his son's merit as our prayers are being presented in
his presence. Now God does never change his
mind because of our prayers, but he is in the business of
conforming us to the image of Christ. And we are changed, but
not God. We are conformed, but not God. And he uses this to conform us
to his image, to cause us to pray in his will and purpose. We know when we're selfishly
praying, and sometimes it's about our kids. We're selfish about
that. Oh God, you've imposed upon me
to pray for my son or daughter. Yeah, you've imposed. And throw
some incense on there as this goes up. Oh, hear my prayer. Because of Christ and for no
other reason. Now this picture informs us that
God's people are praying people. There's a passal of prayer. It's
going up with this incense. There's a lot of prayer going
up. Now turn with me, if you would,
back here in the psalm, just a little further back to Psalm
32. Psalm 32 in verse 6. Psalm 32 in verse 6. For this shall everyone that
is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found. Surely
in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto
him. Now notice that. Everyone that
is godly prays. That's a passage. It's common for God's people
to pray. I shared there, and I'm sure
there are other places, but that only one stands out. Most of
the prayers that we go to are private prayers. We overhear
the Lord praying. We overhear Paul praying. We
overhear Peter praying. We're caught in, we're brought
up to hear them pray. I have a book somewhere of the
prayers of Charles Spurgeon. He never intended for that book
to ever be printed. His stenographers took down,
they were so captured by his prayers that they wrote it down
and printed that book. But that's not the reason he
prayed. He prayed because he was a believer
in Christ Jesus, and it's normal for believers in Christ Jesus
to pray. Turn with me, if you would, to
Matthew 6. Matthew 6. We're so dependent upon this
incense to carry our prayers. I like to watch. Now the other
day I was listening to the radio and there was an opportunity
to win a balloon flight. And I looked at Nancy and she's
smiling and she looked at me and I said, I wouldn't go up
in one of those things for all the tea in China. She'd go up
on a heartbeat, you couldn't drag me in one. I'd be on the
bottom of that gondola. I wouldn't be able to peek over
the edge. Do you know what takes them up? hot air. Now, I just use that
as an illustration. Our prayers can't get past the
ceiling unless they're caught up in the draft of this incense. We're stuck here on earth if
it's just cold air. We need that hot incense to carry
our prayers into the presence of God. And that's the picture
we have. Oh, this incense. The merit of
the blood and righteousness of Christ brings our prayers. Now notice here, Matthew chapter
six, the Lord Jesus instructs his disciples to pray. Now there's
one reason, oh there's many reasons, but there is a reason that I
found that this instruction is given. Because all the truest desires
of all believers are the same. We don't need instruction over
here for us in our age and other instructions for someone else
in another age and for moms and dads and children and grandfathers.
We all have the same needs. That's why this is given. He
didn't give multiplicity of foods either, because we all need the
same thing. And he didn't give various fragrance
of incense, because we all need the merit of his blood and righteousness. Now notice here, I'll get there.
Matthew 6, Matthew 6, verse 5, 6, 7, and 8. Now notice this. This is the cold air prayers.
This is a cold air prayer. They don't. The balloon doesn't
get filled. It doesn't get off the ground. This is where I'm
happy, on the earth. Matthew 6, verse 5, it says,
and when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are.
For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the
corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily
I say unto you, they have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest,
enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray
to thy father, which is in secret, that thy father, and thy father,
which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly. It's gonna
be caught in the hot air. Brought off the altar. Presented
to God. For be not therefore likened
to them, for your father knoweth what things you have need of
before your ass. After this manner, therefore, Pray. Why is this simple model prayer
given? Because the church has the same
needs. What's it say in there? Our Father
which art in heaven. All right. Have to be a believer. We have to have God our Father.
Hallowed be thy name. Holy is God. Every one of us
have that to realize. Thy kingdom come. You're ruling
over heaven and earth. Thy will be done on earth. Oh
my, what value that is to God's people. Thy will be done on earth. As it is in heaven, now we have
needs. Every one of us have needs. Now
your needs may be different than my needs, but everyone has had
needs. That's why this is a simple model everyone in the church. If we compared notes, we're just
maybe a gnat's breath in this direction or this direction,
different in what we have needed. Forgive us our debts as we forgive
our debtors and lead us not into temptation, but delivers from
evil for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. So be it. Amen. The Lord mixes the perfume of
his sacrifice with our prayers and corrects our petitions, and
they're accepted to God.