Introduction

To understand Revelation we need to picture it like a vast mural which portrays the victory of Christ from a number of perspectives[1]. It recapitulates the same themes of the triumph of the Lamb of God over and over, moving gradually to a final climax[2]. The central message of the book is directed to suffering believers: nothing which afflicts us is outside the good purposes of God. This ultimate framework of meaning is the cure for the epidemic of depression assailing society and church.

In the first week of our studies we examined the imposing vision John had of Christ in his heavenly glory. The second study looked at the Lamb, “standing as slain” in heaven (5:6) unfurling the destiny of the nations. Christ’s will however is always fiercely opposed by evil powers. Our third study spoke of Jesus as the “King of kings and Lord of lords” (19:16) whose rule is full of mercy. Following the Lamb means implanting the justice of the kingdom of God in every place, no matter what the cost. Our topic for tonight, “priestly worship”, flows on from our third, because in the ancient world the highest task of a king was to build a temple[3]. Central to the functioning of any temple are priests, ministers specially chosen to bring the needs of the people before the divine being in his shrine.

In Revelation we are told that Christ has “made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father,” (Rev 1:6), and that as priests “we reign on the earth” (5:10). Priesthood is inseparable from prayer and Revelation emphases what all Christians instinctively know, that God’s attributes[4] can only be truly experienced in an atmosphere of prayer-filled worship.

The Eternal Temple

The purpose of life in the present can only be grasped by a vision of the End[5]. God’s purpose for creating is summed up in words from Revelation 21, “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. ” (Rev 21:3). The expression, “dwelling place of God” is used of two places in the Bible, heaven[6] and the Jerusalem temple[7].

In its grand vision of the consummation of God’s plan, Revelation paints a picture of heaven coming down to earth (21:10) and enveloping the entire cosmos so that everything becomes a temple and the divine life is fully available to all who seek him[8]. In the End, everything becomes “a dwelling place for God in the Spirit.” (Eph 2:22). In the light of this ultimate reality, the purpose of every true temple of God has been to spread his presence throughout the world. The cry of the priests who minister in this holy habitation[9] is that that all creatures become worshippers of the Lamb and his Father, so becoming a part of a cosmic temple indwelt by the glory of God[10].

False Worship

In biblical thinking the one true temple of God is opposed by many false centres of worship. Revelation states, “The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk, 21 nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.” (Rev 9:20-21). Idolatry is paired with sins familiar to our own society [11], for the root of these misdeeds is the failure to worship the one true God[12].

When Revelation speaks of worshipping demons it means that the heart gripping spiritual power behind all idols is demonic[13]. We live in a highly addictive culture –food, sex, alcohol, drugs, pets (this is serious e.g. people in my park spend thousands of dollars on their dogs while millions starve), homes, cars, entertainment. The marketing men are our priests, and the temples of today are our shopping malls and football stadiums. Surely the stampede for the Boxing Day sales is demonically driven[14].

When Paul says, “If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.”” (1 Cor 15:32), he points to the resurrection of Jesus as the only reality powerful enough to deliver the hopeless from the addictions they use to dull the pain of life’s emptiness. (On the front page of The West Australian today was a lead article concerning the suicide of a young and beautiful newsreader. With a budding television career, engaged to be married, she had, to quote, “everything to live for”, depression however drove her to throw herself off the cliffs in Sydney Harbour. Well perhaps this girl was deeper than those who spoke at the inquest into her death, perhaps in her heart she asked the question – “After career, What?”, “After marriage and family, What?”, “After this life, What? ”. With deep pathos and complete relevance to the subject of tonight’s message, the man who watched this woman rehearse her plunge over the cliff remarked that he said to the triple-zero operator[15], “She’s putting her head over and over – I really don’t want to watch. This is the time to say a little prayer to the man in the sky.” Then she threw herself off.) Our society desperately needs a vision of the Lamb “standing as slain” (Rev 5:6) who is the image of a merciful priest who died and rose again that our lives might be lived with ultimate purpose.

Where is this Temple: Jesus the Priest

In Revelation 1, Jesus appears in the robes of the Old Testament High Priest[16] walking in the midst of seven golden lamp stands (1:12). These represent seven churches in the Roman province of Asia (1:20), but as seven is the number of completeness they also stand for the whole church. As the light from the seven branched lamp stand in the Old Testament temple (Ex 25:31-35; 37:18-20; Num 8:1-4) imaged the presence of God, so the church brings God’s nearness into the world because the priestly Jesus dwells in our midst.

To understand this theme we must pay careful attention to the architecture of Revelation. Throughout the book the Lamb is intimately associated with the throne of God. He first appears, “standing as slain” between the throne and the four living creatures (5:6)[17], later the redeemed sing aloud, ““Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”” (7:10 cf. 5:13), and in the final vision of Revelation the throne of God and of the Lamb are one, and from it flow the waters of life that remove everything that curses (22:1, 3). This compound image of the throne means that Jesus reigns from heaven in full equality with his Father[18]. The significance of this cannot be overstated.

As you enter the vast World Prayer Centre in Colorado Springs there is an entrance hall with a list of sayings by many famous contemporary Christians focusing on nations, families, mission and power; only one caught my attention, for it alone accurately expresses the centrality of Christ: “Direct access to Heaven’s Throne through the Blood of Jesus is the grand privilege of prayer.”

In the thought world of Revelation direct access to the throne of God is first achieved by Jesus himself. In chapter twelve we read, “the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it. 5 She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne” (vv.4-5). The dragon is Satan (v.9), the woman represents the people of God[19], the ruler of the nations is Jesus[20], Satan’s attempt to devour Christ is the cross, but he is “caught up” to the throne of God by resurrection and ascension. Jesus has been raised to reign with the Father because he is the Lamb who shed his blood on the cross to take away the sin of the world.

There is yet a deeper layer of meaning to “the throne of God”. In the Old Testament God ordered the construction of the Ark of the Covenant, over it was the so-called “mercy seat”[21] and above that were two glorious angelic figures of the cherubim between which God is said to have been enthroned[22]. This earthly pattern of the ark[23] corresponds to the real temple in heaven[24] at the centre of which is the throne of the Lamb surrounded by a host of angelic powers[25]. There is even finer detail concerning the ark that we must examine.

In relation to our topic of the Lamb as priest, “the mercy seat” is the most significant feature of the ark’s design. The High Priest went once a year into the temple’s inner sanctuary where the ark stood (Ex 26:34) in order to sprinkle sacrificial blood upon the mercy seat to make atonement for all the sins of the people (Lev 16:14-15). Israel understood this to be the means of its forgiveness. Such a sacrifice however provided only temporary peace of conscience for the worshippers, for it is “impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (Heb 10:4).

The real “mercy seat” was the cross, where the Lamb of God died to take away the sin of the world. By his shed blood he “ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation” (5:9) freeing us from the judgement of God upon our sins (Rev 1:6). This sacrifice of Christ so intensely pleased the Father that he raised the slain Lamb (Rev 5:6) and exalted to his throne of God in heaven (Rev 12:5), making it the eternal seat of mercy and throne of grace (Heb 4:16). The deepest realities of heaven are now accessible to those who have been forgiven.

In Revelation 11:19 we read, “Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail.” (11:19). Outside the temple traumatising natural phenomena occur terrorising the inhabitants of the earth and confirming their convictions that God is judgemental, angry and unapproachable.[26] (I will guarantee the folks in Melbourne this week who endured hail stones the size of tennis balls didn’t break out in praise to God.)

The forgiven followers of the Lamb however have a vision that penetrates into the centre of the heavenly temple itself. We are able see the place of God’s enthronement, the ark, because the veil of guilt that once separated unholy people from the inner sanctuary of God’s presence has been taken away[27].

What is the big deal about seeing inside a temple in heaven? God’s words spoken at the time the temple was opened by Solomon help us greatly, “16 For now I have chosen and consecrated this house that my name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will be there for all time.” (2 Chron 7:16). The eternal desire and passion of God was that humanity might share his heart and his eyes, that we might sense what God senses, feel what he feels, think what he thinks and see what he sees[28]. This means to share his deepest life.

This is not some vague notion that varies from age to age and culture to culture, to see God’s eyes and heart in his temple is to see the one seated on the throne of mercy, the Lamb “standing as slain” the perfect sacrifice, our great high priest (Heb 8:1-2) continuously interceding, praying, for us (Rom 8:34; Heb 7:25). Jesus very life pleads for mercy and it cannot be that the Father denies his prayers.

The answer to Christ’s great high priestly prayer is, in the language of Revelation 12, that “Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth” (v.9). The “accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.” (v.10) so that he can accuse the followers of the Lamb no more. The death of the Lamb has transformed humanity’s vision of the throne of God from a tribunal of condemnation to a court of justification because the devil has become powerless to point us out to God as guilty[29]. “And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.” (Rev 12:11). The aim of priesthood is to impart forgiveness, and the Lamb of God has achieved this perfectly. The positive priestly blessing that Jesus imparts is to bring us into the eternal city to dwell with his Father forever, “Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates.” (Rev 22:14)

The Saints: God’s Dwelling Place

This sounds wonderful, but it can also seem very distant, for we are on earth and God’s throne is in heaven. Revelation 13:5-6 challenges this thinking, “the beast ….6 opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven.” God’s dwelling is equated with his people. Since like the apostle John we are caught up “in the Spirit” (1:10; 17:3) to see the things of God in heaven, we are already spiritually a part of this eternal temple[30].

This is implied in the vision of Revelation 8, “When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. 2 Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. 3 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, 4 and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel. 5 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.” (8:1-5)

In the light of the fact that full atonement has been made by the Lamb, the people of God enjoy deep communion with God’s eyes and heart of God in heaven, interceding with great insight, wisdom, authority and power. “Much incense” is added to the prayers of the people of God as they ascend to his throne, this can only refer to the death of Christ, as Paul says, “walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Eph 5:2). It is not the strength of our devotion that causes our prayers to reach heaven and be heard[31] by God; it is that they are united with the pleasing sacrifice of Christ.

In the ancient world everyone knew the symbolic power of offering incense as a sacrifice. About 50 years after Revelation was written, Polycarp bishop of Smyrna[32] was arrested on the charge of being a Christian. Amidst an angry mob, the Roman proconsul took pity on such a gentle old man and urged Polycarp to proclaim, “Caesar is Lord”. If only Polycarp would make this declaration and offer a small pinch of incense to Caesar’s statue he would escape torture and death. To this Polycarp responded, “Eighty-six years I have served Christ, and He never did me any wrong. How can I blaspheme my King who saved me? I fear not the fire that burns for a season, and after a while is quenched. Why do you delay? Come, do your will.”" Steadfast in his stand for Christ, Polycarp refused to offer incense and was burned alive at the stake.

I am afraid most modern Christians offer a pinch of incense to Caesar daily: in our attitudes to money, material goods, sex, lifestyle, literature, music, work and many other things. I do not think we understand the eternal significance of our compromise.

Another story may help us see more clearly. We have a letter sent by a Roman Governor (Pliny the Younger) to the emperor (Trajan), less than two decades after the authoring of Revelation. It says, “Those who denied that they were …Christians…offered prayer with incense and wine to your image (i.e. of the beast), and moreover cursed Christ…these I …discharged. ….those who persisted I ordered executed.” The real motivation for Pliny’s actions comes out a little later. “the temples, which had been almost deserted, have begun to be frequented, …the established religious rites, long neglected, are being resumed, and …from everywhere sacrificial animals are coming, for which until now very few purchasers could be found..”

The great fear of the Roman government was that the temples would be deserted, the gods would become angry, law and order would break down and the empire would plunge into chaos. Temples were not only places for worshiping the gods, they were sites of religious prostitution and meeting houses for trade guilds/unions who gathered for feasts with their patron god, some were places of healing. To desecrate a temple was a crime punishable by death. To abandon the temples was to reject the very fabric of society[33].

The early Christians knew that to resist idolatry was to suffer the consequences of the devil’s wrath[34]. These believers understood what was at stake, that to offer a mere pinch of incense to Caesar was to revere a god other than the one revealed in the Lamb and to forfeit spiritual authority to reign on earth kings and priests (Rev 5:9-10). The prayers of the early Christians for the lost world were powerful and effective because they were willing to offer the supreme sacrifice for the sake of others. Saints understand that the laying down of our lives is the essence of intercession, “And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.” (Rev 12:11)

Powerful Priestly Prayers Today

The principle prayer empowered by sacrifice is not limited to physical suffering. I was sitting at a table last week asking someone what had been happening in their life. They told me they were at a church and someone there shared this story. Their daughter’s life had been ruined through drugs and she became alienated from them. When her dealer became imprisoned for his crimes these parents were led by the Spirit to intercede for him, forgive him and visit him on a regular basis in jail. They applied to be his sponsors as part of his parole condition, and he came to live with them, as if he were their son. Shortly after this the man embraced Jesus as his own Lord and Saviour; this is the power of a priestly life.

Revelation’s vision of the priestly vocation of all Christians means that the ministry of intercession is not limited to some special “holy space”, like a church building. Revelation teaches us that in union with the Lamb, whose dwelling place (temple) will in the End unite all things in heaven and earth (Eph 1:10), every place is a place for priestly worship. We are called to embrace the life of a faithful priest constantly interceding for the needs of every space into which Christ has placed us, imploring the throne of God that the Spirit of God might invade our schools, homes, offices, factories, parliaments, music studios, local communities….. In this way, through continuous prayer, the church images the compassionate and forgiving eyes and heart of the Lamb in every place[35].When the nations see the divine mercy revealed in this way through the church, they will surely repent “Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.” (Rev 1:7)[36].

Prayers that are not Heard

This series was provoked by the suicide of a practising Christian unable to deal with deep depression, and there is nothing more likely to lead to spiritual depression than unanswered prayer. As Proverbs says, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick…” (13:12). There are many reasons why our prayers may not be answered, but I would like to focus on issues relevant to our treatment of Revelation.

In the context of Revelation[37] tribulation multiplies intercession. With robes washed in the blood of the Lamb (i.e. guiltless) saints can pray without ceasing because they enjoy direct access to the throne of God. Their focus on the Lamb of God as their sole mediator (1 Tim 2:5) is not distracted by any need to try to please God[38] by their own devotions[39]. We have moved from the need for an earthy altar of sacrifice to a heavenly altar of incense and praise.

For many of us however, when things get tough we give up, sulk, stop asking in prayer. Perhaps the biggest impediment to prayer is the failure to forgive. Several times I have had to remind folk in the last week, that the petition “deliver us from the evil one ” flows on from “forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven those who have sinned against us” (Matt 6:12-13). (Personal example concerning a senior church leader who secretly had me sacked without any consultation. I needed to say to him for the sake of my relationship with God, “B, you know I forgive you.”) In failing to forgive fully and freely, we take our eyes off the Lamb, we leave ourselves open to the voice of the Accuser, and we render ourselves incapable of experiencing our prayers as a participation in the coming of the new heaven and earth where nothing is accursed (Rev 22:3). The great call of priesthood is to deliver people from the curse of judgement that brought death from the Fall of Adam (Gen 3:17) until the resurrection of Jesus.

Application and Conclusion

There are things in the book of Revelation we do not want to see, but unless we deal with them we can experience no prayer revolution. Back in chapter 8 we read that “the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel. 5 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.” (8:4-5). Our intercession brings the fire of God to earth[40] and intensifies the divine judgement[41] that separates the wheat from the chaff (Matt 3:12) and stirs up the persecution which purifies the church.

Christians are being persecuted in their millions in nations like China, India, Pakistan, Iran, and in those nations the church is exploding. Can we conceive both these things happen in our part of the world? What would it take to see easy going Australians and their laid back style of government turn against the church of God? What must happen for our nation to take the claims of Christ seriously? It will take a radically different form of spirituality than modern Western Christianity’s docile problem-solving approach to life to make an impact such that the spiritual forces of wickedness rise up in violence against the people of God. But here is how it could happen.

The centre of power in our society has shifted to the stock exchange, the market rules all things, and since greed rules the market and covetousness is idolatry (Eph 5:5, Col 3:5) Satan already rules over our land[42]. Housing and retail sales comprising 60% of our GDP , if there was a genuine revival in Australia and fair dinkum Christians stopped buying from the fashion industry, no longer needed new cars, flat screens, McMansion houses, expensive holidays…. Peter’s words would become true for us, “For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. 4 With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you; 5 but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.” (1 Pet 4:3-5).

Sadly, there are many spheres of life for which believers do not pray, either for themselves or for others. The churches of our time are filled with folk who struggle to pray, all because we have lost sight of the Lamb, the revealer of the bleeding heart of God reaching out interceding for the lost.

Returning from Argentina years ago, I believe that the Lord showed me something in the Spirit. It was the globe of the world covered with a network of continuous prayer for every place, for schools, hospitals, offices, factories, houses, shops….the whole inhabited world was being lifted up to the throne of God in prayer. This is still the vision of God and the scope of the priestly ministry to which Christ has called us; this is the vision of the Lamb.