"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 all 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." The tabernacle and temple sanctuaries in the Old Testament had two altars, one for bloody sacrifice in the courtyard and the other for smoky incense inside, adjacent to the veil into the Most Holy Place (see Exodus 27:1–8; 30:1–10). In his vision of the heavenly sanctuary, John sees only one altar fulfilling both functions. Incense was associated with the prayers of the saints in the earthly sanctuary:
"Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!" (Psalm 141:2). In John's vision not only martyrs under the heavenly altar but also suffering saints on earth cry out for justice. Therefore, fire from the altar, from which the saints' prayers rise, will be flung to earth in judgment, indicating that the judgments to follow answer the prayers of the saints. So what does John's vision of the heavenly sanctuary and the time of the end mean for us today? This passage specifically addresses prayer and reveals what happens to prayers that are offered to God. God hears your prayers; God remembers your prayers until He responds to them; and God answers your prayers, often in ways that impart deliverance and righteousness on His people in the present and in the future. Keep praying because your prayers are rising to God where He uses them to change the world!
