What are the golden bowls full of? Thanks for asking! “Golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.” (Revelation 5:8) Your prayers are going up before our God! He is receiving them and receiving what’s coming from your heart.
John is seeing Jesus, the Lamb, holding a scroll in His right hand with writing on both sides which is sealed with seven seals. The twenty-four elders, each of them, are holding a harp and golden bowl full of incense.
Years ago, worship and prayer meetings cropped up all over places calling them Harp & Bowl meetings, which is based on this scripture in Revelation. It symbolizes the prayers of the saints going up to the throne of God, like incense before Him. I’ve attended these types of prayer/worship meetings, and they are beautiful. Everything comes together and goes up before our God. There is a oneness of the heart of God mixed with the prayers of the Saints (us), God’s Word, and worship, and the presence of God comes down.
As John is watching what’s before him, he sees, “Each sang a new song: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.” (Revelation 5: 9-10)
In the Old Testament, a new song celebrated a new act of divine deliverance or blessing.
- We have been made to be a kingdom and priests.
- The kingdom of God is within us.
- Our prayers are like incense going up before the throne of God.
John is viewing everyone and everything must bow in His presence.
(Shared from Revelation 5, Modified)
Prayers And Praise Are Before Him
“Worship the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs, know that the Lord is God. It is He who has made us; and we are His. We are His people, the sheep of His pasture.” (Psalm 100: 1-2)
Something Happens When We Come Before Him
Our worship enters His gates and His courts. John beautifully described what he was seeing, as God was giving him an alluring visual of prayers and praise coming together and going up before our God. Then all the angels joining in encircling the throne, and all the living creatures and elders singing, “Worthy is the Lamb…”
This brings us to a place of recognizing and proclaiming, “For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.” (Psalm 100: 4-5)
- His faithfulness is eternal.
Think about that for just a minute. There can never be a time where God is not faithful. (Sela)
He was faithful, He is faithful and will always be faithful. I don’t think our minds can truly grasp that!
(Shared from Psalm 100, Modified)
God Puts It In Our Heart To Assemble
Nehemiah needs a registered list of all the families who returned as exiles. Then he assembles everyone stating, “My God put it in my heart to assemble the nobles, the officials and the common people for registration by families.” (Nehemiah 7: 4)
- God loves when His people assemble.
Yet, Nehemiah had another reason to assemble as one man, to take them further in. After the Israelites were in their town, “All the peoples assembled as one man in the square before the Water Gate.” (Nehemiah 8: 1) Then Ezra read the Law of Moses, out loud. The Levites all gathered, instructing the people in the Law while the people were standing there. They wanted to make it clear and give meaning, so they could understand it.
Ezra encouraged them that this was a sacred day, for all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law. He encouraged them not to grieve for “The joy of the Lord is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8: 10)
So they left and went away to eat and drink to celebrate with great joy because they now understood the words that had been made known to them.
And they left with their hearts full after receiving God’s Word, His joy and strength. I’ll betcha ya they were praying for one another too!
(Nehemiah 7: 5-8:12, Modified)
UNBROKEN LOVE SERIES
You can find all of the Unbroken Love series posts by clicking the button below.
Comments are closed.