Then another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, along 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 up before God from the hand of the angel. Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it to the earth; and there were rolls of thunder, and rumblings, and flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.
The prayers of the saints here are synonymous with the burning of incense on the altar, which the angel takes and hurls to the earth. It is our prayers that initiate this judgment, it seems because they are prayers in tune with the will of Yahweh. He wants us to call out to Him in recognition of His righteous, prophetic judgments which will bring about great spiritual restoration. This is further supported by Rev 6:
And they cried out in a loud voice, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge those who live on the earth” and avenge our blood?"
The terms for singing and crying out are often times used in similar context throughout The Bible. Typically, singing is used to depict joyous praise and crying out is used to depict prayers for justice.
On another note, I have been studying many passages in The Bible that state Christ will come back to be glorified IN His saints. It is clear to me that Yahweh knows that the righteous remnant will reach a breaking point in this sea of sin we must swim in to become refined, like gold is tested in fire. However, even though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death to come out spiritually stronger, I believe there comes a time where outside influences start to take their toll, even on the saints. When we can no longer come out of Babylon - when the spirit of Babylon has filled the complete world (every nation, tribe, tongue and people have been impacted and influenced), as it does now for the first time in history, then there will come a time that the saints will cry out for His justice to be brought to the earth. That Day is the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord. I know this seems a bit off topic but it fits in with the overall theme of our hearts reaching out to God in focused resonance with His will. It is the song of our hearts that He hears and responds to. We see later in Revelation 11, at the sounding of the seventh trumpet how praise is brought to God for finally bringing His wrath upon the unjust:
And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying:
“We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty,
The One who is and who was and who is to come,
Because You have taken Your great power and reigned.
The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come,
And the time of the dead, that they should be judged,
And that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints,
And those who fear Your name, small and great,
And should destroy those who destroy the earth.”
Then we enter the time of the great harlot, the beasts of the earth and sea, after Satan has been cast out of heaven. Then comes Rev 14 where the 144,000 firstfruits sing a new song before the throne, celebrating God's judgment upon the world:
Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father's name written on their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of loud thunder. And I heard the sound of harpists playing their harps. They sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures, and the elders; and no one could learn that song except the hundred and forty-four thousand who were redeemed from the earth. These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no deceit, for they are without fault before the throne of God.
...
And another angel followed, saying, “Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.”
Psalm 40:3
He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; Many will see and fear And will trust in the LORD.
Psalm 96:
Sing to the LORD a new song; Sing to the LORD, all the earth. Sing to the LORD, bless His name; Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day.
Psalm 105:2
Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; Speak of all His wonders.
And again in Revelation 15 we see celebration for the righteous judgment of God on the earth:
Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous: seven angels having the seven last plagues, for in them the wrath of God is complete. And I saw something like a sea of glass mingled with fire, and those who have the victory over the beast, over his image and over his mark and over the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, having harps of God. They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying:
“Great and marvelous are Your works,
Lord God Almighty!
Just and true are Your ways,
O King of the saints!
Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name?
For You alone are holy.
For all nations shall come and worship before You,
For Your judgments have been manifested.”
And Rev 16:
“You are righteous, O Lord,
The One who is and who was and who is to be,
Because You have judged these things.
For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets,
And You have given them blood to drink.
For it is their just due.”
And I heard another from the altar saying, “Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments.”
And Rev 18:
“Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you holy apostles and prophets, for God has avenged you on her!”
And Rev 19:
After these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God! For true and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication; and He has avenged on her the blood of His servants shed by her.” Again they said, “Alleluia! Her smoke rises up for ages!” And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sat on the throne, saying, “Amen! Alleluia!” Then a voice came from the throne,
saying, “Praise our God, all you His servants and those who fear Him, both small and great!”
And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’ ”
Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book...Even so, come, Lord Yahshua! -Rev 22
Repent, then, and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped away, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send Yahsua, the Christ, who has been appointed for you. Heaven must take Him in until the time comes for the restoration of all things, which God announced long ago through His holy prophets. -Acts 3
This time of restoration will echo the time of creation in the fullness of its antitype to come, when all of creation will sing praises to Yahweh.
...when the morning stars sang together And all the sons of God shouted for joy - Job 38
A large part of me is leaning towards the notion that Yahweh may perhaps use music and sound once more to restore and renew the earth, just as He did at creation and again at the first restoration, when the earth was made formless and void (See pg. 40 of "Foundations" for an explanation of the Genesis Gap). Music is such a widely referenced theme throughout The Bible that it is hard not to believe that it plays a significant role in His design. The question remains though: What is music's purpose for man and how should it be used for His glory today?
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