Harp and Bowls

Topic: Harp and Bowls

Text: Revelation 5:8-14

Rev Renny Khoo

10 Sept 2017

Rev 5:8-14

 8 And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they 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.

10 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth."

11 Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. 12 In a loud voice they sang:"Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and praise!"

13 Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing:"To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honour and glory and power, for ever and ever!" 14 The four living creatures said, "Amen", and the elders fell down and worshipped.

Harp (Praise & Worship) and Bowls (Prayers)

This familiar and beautiful passage of Scripture (Revelation 5:8-14) gives us a glimpse of the worship that takes place in heaven that is also placed side by side with intercession, likens to a marriage between worship and prayer. The harp symbolizes praise and worship, and the bowls of incense symbolize the prayers of the saints. The prayers that come out from our hearts are not in vain because God collects and puts them in golden bowls of incense. In the great old days (Exodus 35), we started by having the Tabernacle of Moses which only the high priests were permitted to enter. In the days of King David, he brought in a new order of worship where the presence of God resides in the Ark of the Covenant above which he set a Tent (the Tabernacle of David) and when dancing, clapping, rejoicing and singing came into place. When Jesus came, he fulfilled the requirements of the Tabernacle of Moses once and for all, the Great Sacrifice replacing all animal offerings and sacrifices. We get a glimpse of this new order of worship when we read through the book of Psalms. There are prophecies that say God is going to restore the House of David in the last days. There is a reason why we begin all our worship services with praise & worship. Before we begin worship, we call one another to worship! When we gather for meals, we call one another to eat. Worship and corporate prayer are intricately related.

1.         God’s Presence is our focus [Presence vs. Petition]

When church prays, the real focus is on what is exactly in God’s heart. When we worship God, it tutors and aligns our heart to focus on Him. Worship ushers us into God’s presence. When God’s presence is our focus, God’s presence means there is change. It is through corporate prayer that we get to experience the manifest presence of God. He is omnipresent (everywhere). God is worthy to receive praise and worship. What are we driven by when we come for corporate prayer? Do we just come with a shopping or Christmas wish list and our petitions? Do we seek God’s face or God’s hand? When we come to honor and worship God, we want His presence, not just petitions. It is in God’s presence that He will show us our rightful petitions that are in His heart.

“God shows what He wants, we stand and ask, and God acts from heaven: this is true prayer, and this is what we must see fully expressed in our prayer meetings.” – Watchman Nee in “Gather in the Name”.

2.   God’s Presence means change is present. [Change in situations vs. change in atmosphere – transformation]

When we come and pray together, we want to seek God’s presence. God’s presence is our focus. When God’s presence is there, change is present. We want to see changes in our spouses, families, nation, etc. We all want changes but we all do not want to change. For great change to take place, the first change that should take place is within ourselves. We ought to be the change we want to see. Change is temporal or temporary. There is a difference between change and transformation. Chameleons change color temporarily (to protect themselves) while butterflies change from egg to larvae to caterpillar to pupae to butterfly permanently (experience transformation through a process called metamorphosis). When God is present, transformation is inevitable. Some places have negative vibes while others have good atmosphere or positive vibes. There is something about the atmosphere. When God is present, there is a change in the atmosphere and that atmosphere changes us as well. Transformation is a dimension shift when change is made permanent. We should not come with our own agenda and seek His endorsement. When we come with an agenda totally in line with His will, He will show us His thoughts. Romans 12:12. There is a call to come for corporate prayer. Some say, “I don’t know how to pray for Malaysia.” We don’t want to come in a very presumptuous manner. We don’t want to pray as if we’re twisting His fingers. We want to first seek His face and worship Him. In God’s presence, our hearts are tutored and our minds renewed. Come not only for 1 day or just for these 21 days. Teaching prayer is like teaching someone to swim. Just come and pray. That’s how we grow in prayer. God hears our heartbeat. Even language has limitations. There is a place for tears and silence in prayer. Tongue speaking can be a language of prayer. God is bigger than all of that. Let’s come every week and pray together. In 2 Chronicles 20:1-20, King Jehoshaphat of Judah sent praise and worship team instead of soldiers to war! Before the battle started, they sang and gave thanks to the Lord! Only the second tier was the army while the first tier was the praise team. The result was that the enemies fought and killed one another. It took Judah 3 days just to collect the spoils of war. The power of praise and worship, and seeking God’s face whenever we come together to pray!

God's presence is our focus. Presence Vs Petition 

David set a new order of worship when he set up a tabernacle where more people could come forth to worship and through his psalms, there were a lot of clappings.

God will restore the house of worship in the last days. Worship is not limited to songs, it includes our work, services, our doing and being. We always start with praise and worship. 

Calling of one another to Worship

Praise and Worship

This is the beginning of a service, our coming together.

Worship and corporate prayers 

Through corporate prayers, we get to the heart beats and presence of God. Although God is omnipresent, but we are the one who are not tuned in to Him. 

Seek God's face, His presence

Thy Kingdom and Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 

True prayer begins with the heart of God. Him pouring out His desires to us and reviewing to us what is in His heart and we asking Him for it to come to pass. 

God's presence means change is present.

We all want Changes but we all do not want to change. 

God's presence means change is present. 

Change in situations Vs Change in atmosphere 

Languages are very powerful. But there are times, languages are limited and unable to express ourselves before God.

2 Chronicles 20:1-20

Jehoshaphat Defeats Moab and Ammon 

1 After this, the Moabites and Ammonites with some of the Meunites came to make war on Jehoshaphat.

2 Some men came and told Jehoshaphat, "A vast army is coming against you from Edom, from the other side of the Sea. It is already in Hazezon Tamar" (that is, En Gedi). 3 Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to enquire of the LORD, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah. 4 The people of Judah came together to seek help from the LORD; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him.

5 Then Jehoshaphat stood up in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem at the temple of the LORD in the front of the new courtyard 6 and said:

"O LORD, God of our fathers, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no-one can withstand you. 7 O our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it for ever to the descendants of Abraham your friend? 8 They have lived in it and have built in it a sanctuary for your Name, saying, 9 'If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us.'

10 "But now here are men from Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, whose territory you would not allow Israel to invade when they came from Egypt; so they turned away from them and did not destroy them. 11 See how they are repaying us by coming to drive us out of the possession you gave us as an inheritance. 12 O our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you."

13 All the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, stood there before the LORD.

14 Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite and descendant of Asaph, as he stood in the assembly.

15 He said: "Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says to you: 'Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's. 16 Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. 17 You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.' "

18 Jehoshaphat bowed with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the LORD. 19 Then some Levites from the Kohathites and Korahites stood up and praised the LORD, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice.

20 Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, "Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the LORD your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful."


Questions:

1.         Share your questions/thoughts/experiences of God’s presence in your life.

2        Share your responses to the following statement made by Watchman Nee in “Gather in the Name: “True prayer begins at the heart of God, is made known to the hearts of men, is prayed back to God again, and God answers. This is more than a definition; it is, I believe, the principle of God’s working in the universe.”

3.       Share your resolve/action plan for growing in your confidence and participation in praying together with other brothers and sisters in Christ.