Prayers Like Incense.
The purpose of the trumpets is clarified in connection with the fifth seal (Rev. 6:9–11). Reference to both the golden altar of incense and the altar of burnt offering, as well as to the prayers of the saints in Revelation 8:3, 4, connects the trumpets with the scene in Revelation 6:9, 10. The seven trumpets answer the prayers of God’s people for judgment on those who have persecuted them. Therefore, the events portrayed in the trumpets likely fall on the opponents of God’s people throughout Christian history.
“Then another angel with a gold incense burner came and stood at the altar. And a great amount of incense was given to him to mix with the prayers of God’s people as an offering on the gold altar before the throne. The smoke of the incense, mixed with the prayers of God’s holy people, ascended up to God from the altar where the angel had poured them out.” – Revelation 8:3-4
Does God still answer prayers the way he used to, like he did to Abraham? Early one morning Abraham was awakened by a voice that said, “Take your only son up to that hilltop north of you, …” What would you have done?
How did Abraham know that this strange request had come directly from God? I suspect that Abraham, in his long life, had done a lot of walking and talking with God. He had come to know the difference between his own inner feelings and God’s influence. Abraham had experimented by testing his impressions, and he had figured out when it was God speaking and when it was not.
Does God still speak to people today? I have experimented with the following process: Space does not allow me to put the whole story here, but once God impressed me to do something. I got too busy and never followed the impression. The person that I was impressed to follow up on, committed suicide. The sense of my failure was over whelming. Since that time, I have always followed impressions. If I am impressed to do something, call someone, visit someone, send a text, or write something, I will do it. Sometimes it has been from my own mind other times it has been a divine instruction. I always pass any impressions I have through the filter of scripture, as far as I understand it, because the Holy Spirit will never work contrary to the word of God. This SMS series (and the previous 7 series)exist because I was impressed to follow a request from someone to do this. If the impression was from God, then He intended someone to be blessed – I know I have been in doing this. If you have been blessed then thank God, He set me to work on this.
Whether or not an impression is from God can be discerned by the results of trying out the impressions that come to us. My best “impressions” often come in prayer as I awake in the morning. Try it!
I’ve been blessed by these series and grateful that you followed the impression Ross. 🙏 May you be even more empowered in the future.
Thank you Linda
Yes i always answer impressions i,ve met 3 people like this that needed to hear God,s word happy Sabbath pastor Ross
God bless you Robyn