Day 103

“When He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.” Rev 5:8 NASB.

To recap – Who are the 24 elders? The number mirrors the 24 divisions of priests who served in the earthly sanctuary. This number also has a symbolic element. 12 is the number of Israel. In Rev.21 the New Jerusalem has 12 foundations with the names of the apostles written on them and 12 gates with the names of the 12 tribes on them. (This links the Old and New Testaments.)  The title elder is always used for human’s never angelic beings. The white robes they wear are the attire of God’s faithful people (Rev.3:4,5). They wear victory crowns Rev.4:4 (Grk stephanos). All this suggests resurrected humans from the earth. Perhaps they are those that Matthew says were resurrected at the time of Jesus’ death (see Matt.27:51-53).

Saints in the Bible refers to anyone who believes in and follows Jesus.

The exciting message of this verse is that the worship of heaven includes the prayers of the saints. The prayers of the saints arise from a world that is very different from the scene John witnesses in heaven. In the world, the saints seem to be defeated. In the world, evil seems to reign. Viruses bring the world to its knees. But in Revelation, the eyes of believers are raised up to heavenly places. There, the decisive victory has been won. There, evil has been crippled. Prayer is not just a nice thing to do; it is a link to the mighty, victorious power of heaven.

It has been said, “Prayer is the breath of the soul” When we try to solve our problems by ourselves, life is truly hard. But prayer vaults our challenges into the throne room of heaven, where no problem is too big to solve; no battle is too hard to win. Thanks to the victory of the Lamb, prayer is the key to victory on earth. Don’t leave home without it!