Tag: thunder
Powerful Prayers
Scripture reading for December 10: Revelation 8
“When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of the saints on the golden altar before the throne, and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel. Then the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth, and there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.” Revelation 8:1-5
Often people wonder if their prayers are heard or answered by God. Prayer is an act of faith coming from a belief that God is alive and actively concerned about each person and their needs. God has told His people that when they call on Him in the times of trouble they honor Him and He will deliver them. (Psalm 50:15) Jesus Christ spent time each day in prayer with His Father, often all night! Jesus urged His disciples to pray, asking the Father in His Name for their needs and promised answers. (John 16:23-24)
As John was in heaven observing Jesus Christ open the seventh seal on the Father’s scroll, he faced a period of silence lasting about half an hour. It was as if all heaven stood at attention as the Lamb revealed the contents of the scroll and the judgments coming soon. Seven angels with seven trumpets stood ready before the throne. Another angel stood at the golden altar with a golden censer. This angel was given incense to offer with the prayers of the saints. God received the prayers as the sweet smell of incense. In response, the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and hurled it on the earth. Fireworks resulted resembling a great thunderstorm with lightning and thunder and a great earthquake.
How does your view of prayer and its effects get shaped through this picture shown to John? Will you pray powerful prayers that move heaven to shake the earth on behalf of believers or the lost?
Prayer: Father God, thank You for hearing and answering prayers of Your people. Increase my faith to pray even more powerful prayers that shake the heavens and the earth as You send forth the answers. Shake up my children and grandchildren to fulfil Your calling. Shake up my lost friends and neighbors with heaven’s lightning and thunder. Amen!
The Glorious Throne!
Scripture reading for December 4th: Revelation 4
“After this I looked and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first hear speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here and I will show you what must take place after this.” At once I was in the Spirit and there before me was a throne in heaven with Someone sitting on it. And the One who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian. A rainbow, resembling an emerald, encircled the throne.” (Revelation 4:1-3)
John received a supernatural revelation of the unseen reality that was invisible to all humans without divine assistance. The first thing John described was the throne. The throne had Someone sitting on it. John could only describe that “One” as having the appearance of sparkling gems and radiating the colors of a rainbow completely encircling Him. Jasper is crystal clear and carnelian is brilliant red. John had no physical description other than the glorious color and blazing light coming in flashes of lightning and peals of thunder. (Revelation 4:5)
Around this brilliant throne, there were twenty-four other thrones with elders dressed in white with crowns of gold. In the center of the throne, there were four living creatures and they never stopped crying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is , and is to come.” (Revelation 4:8) The elders responded to their worship by falling down and casting their crowns before the throne crying, “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and by Your will they were created and have their being.” The unseen realities around God’s Holy Throne throb with worship, light, and glory! By God’s amazing grace, we who believe on Jesus will see this eternal throne in our glorified bodies!
Prayer moves heaven but not hardened hearts!
Scripture reading for December 26th: Revelation 8-9
Revelation chapter 8 begins with the Lamb opening the seventh seal. ( I heard a questionable story where a person said that we can know for sure that no women will be saved because there was silence in heaven for half an hour!) This seal reveals seven angels who had seven trumpets. Another angel stood at the golden altar in front of the throne and was given incense to offer. We are told this incense was the prayers of the saints. Our cries, worship, adoration and thanksgiving have a special place close to the seat of all power in the universe!
The response to these prayers is instructive! The angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the golden altar and then hurled it to the earth. This act produced thunder, lightning and an earthquake. Prayers have the power to move God to shake the earth! We must never take the privilege of prayer lightly!
Then the angels with the trumpets began to sound them one by one. With each trumpet blast, there was a corresponding reaction on earth that brought judgment and destruction. As John watched the first four angels, an eagle that was flying in midair spoke in a loud voice. “Woe! Woe! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the last three angels.” (Revelation 8:13)
The fifth trumpet sounded and John saw a star that had fallen from the sky. This star was an angel who was given the key to the Abyss. When he opened it smoke rose and darkened the sky. Out of this smoke, creatures like locusts were instructed to sting only those without the seal of God. Their sting brought horrible suffering but not death!
The sixth trumpet released four angels of death who were bound by the river Euphrates and brought death to a third of mankind through an army of two hundred million mounted troops. These troops killed the third of mankind with plagues of fire, smoke and sulfur. Even this display of mighty power did not cause the unsaved to repent of their idolatry, murder or sexual immorality!
As God’s wrath is poured out, saints are praying! Their prayers cause action from heaven upon the earth. What amazing power is released by praying saints! However, wrath does not produce repentance in the last days!