Here’s how the study works: Read the chapter mentioned in the heading several times during the week and share any words, thoughts, verses that stood out to you. Having a week for a chapter creates the opportunity to reread it several times and make additional comments as you feel inclined as well as make comments on other people’s insights.
Mark Buchanan writes about v.3-5 in his book, Your God is too safe. He has referred to Rev 5:8 where our prayers are referred to as perfume or incense and now he writes this:
The perfume becomes bombs. The long wait is finally interrupted, and everything is altered. At a point beyond our choosing, beyond our ability to predict or control or delay or hasten, the sweet but inert fragrance of all the prayers we’ve sent heavenward is ignited with holy fire, and sent hurtling back to earth. The status quo is forever shaken, split open, reordered. The demons flee. The blind see. The dead arise.
As He did with Elijah, the God who is not safe answers with the fire from heaven, and Baal loses.
I especially like the phrase, “at a point beyond our choosing…”
Mark Buchanan writes about v.3-5 in his book, Your God is too safe. He has referred to Rev 5:8 where our prayers are referred to as perfume or incense and now he writes this:
The perfume becomes bombs. The long wait is finally interrupted, and everything is altered. At a point beyond our choosing, beyond our ability to predict or control or delay or hasten, the sweet but inert fragrance of all the prayers we’ve sent heavenward is ignited with holy fire, and sent hurtling back to earth. The status quo is forever shaken, split open, reordered. The demons flee. The blind see. The dead arise.
As He did with Elijah, the God who is not safe answers with the fire from heaven, and Baal loses.
I especially like the phrase, “at a point beyond our choosing…”
My friend Greg feels it is not John’s intention to give us a chronological narrative and that there is a high degree of literary artistry in this chapter and the next.
As I was thinking about this it occurred to me it would be like painting a huge picture and have someone (a Westerner) described the painting from left to right. It may be an accurate description but to be chronological it would need to be described from foreground to background.
I think what John is doing is here is the equivalent of describing from left to right (or maybe from right to left).
My friend Greg feels it is not John’s intention to give us a chronological narrative and that there is a high degree of literary artistry in this chapter and the next.
As I was thinking about this it occurred to me it would be like painting a huge picture and have someone (a Westerner) described the painting from left to right. It may be an accurate description but to be chronological it would need to be described from foreground to background.
I think what John is doing is here is the equivalent of describing from left to right (or maybe from right to left).
Perhaps the silence and lack of action in v.1 was because they were waiting for the prayers of the saints to accumulate (v.3).
Perhaps the silence and lack of action in v.1 was because they were waiting for the prayers of the saints to accumulate (v.3).
the silence and lack of action on my part is cause I haven’t sat down to read chapter 8 yet. Hang on I’ll do it today and respond asap. Thanx
the silence and lack of action on my part is cause I haven’t sat down to read chapter 8 yet. Hang on I’ll do it today and respond asap. Thanx
The NIV commentary is very helpful. on verse4, “Although an angel is envolved in presenting the prayers, he does not make them acceptable”
also says the plagues are reminiscent of the plagues on Egypt.
I sometimes think all this is really written for the benefit of Israel,in the traditions and symbols they would understand.
The NIV commentary is very helpful. on verse4, “Although an angel is envolved in presenting the prayers, he does not make them acceptable”
also says the plagues are reminiscent of the plagues on Egypt.
I sometimes think all this is really written for the benefit of Israel,in the traditions and symbols they would understand.
Yes Deborah I had read elsewhere that the intention is to remind the readers of the plagues of Egypt. The plagues were a necessary part of God’s deliverance of his people from Egypt and therefore what happens here is also necessary.
Yes I am sure the people who it was first written to would understand the symbols way better than us. Yet we have other advantages, our own copy of the book, different translations, commentaries so I guess we shouldn’t complain!
Yes Deborah I had read elsewhere that the intention is to remind the readers of the plagues of Egypt. The plagues were a necessary part of God’s deliverance of his people from Egypt and therefore what happens here is also necessary.
Yes I am sure the people who it was first written to would understand the symbols way better than us. Yet we have other advantages, our own copy of the book, different translations, commentaries so I guess we shouldn’t complain!
v.7 The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down on the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.
So much devastation but I can trust God to act justly.
v.7 The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down on the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.
So much devastation but I can trust God to act justly.
v.4-5 The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God from the angel’s hand. Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.
For a longtime Christians have prayed, "Thy Kingdom come." Now evil is being dealt with so God's Kingdom can come.
v.4-5 The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God from the angel’s hand. Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.
For a longtime Christians have prayed, "Thy Kingdom come." Now evil is being dealt with so God's Kingdom can come.