Revelation 5:8
And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.
When He takes the book from the right hand of Him who sits on the throne, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fall down before the Lamb, each with a harp and a golden bowl full of fragrant offerings. The book is the roll of God's providences and authority, giving the prophetic history of nations and the church from beginning to close, complete with no blanks left for more writing. Their falling down breaks into worship of the Lamb who was slain and lives again, declaring Him worthy to take the book and open its seals because He redeemed people to God by His blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation, a praise that widens to many angels and to every creature in heaven and earth. The golden bowls are the prayers of the saints, with no humble prayer of faith overlooked but all heard and preserved before God as precious incense, made fragrant by Christ's merits and atoning blood. The harps belong to the perfectly ordered and harmonious music of heaven, which will be echoed when the redeemed bow before Jesus, receive golden harps in their hands, and fill heaven with perfect praise to the Lamb who died for them and lives again.
The Lamb Takes the Scroll
The book taken is the roll of the history of God's providences, giving in symbolic language the prophetic history of nations and the church and the influence of every nation and tongue and people from the beginning of earth's history to its close. The scroll holds God's authority and commandments and laws and counsel. It is complete, with no blanks in it and no space for more writing, and as it is unrolled all who look upon it are filled with awe.
The scene shows the Lamb standing as slain in the midst of the throne, having seven horns and seven eyes, taking the book out of the right hand of Him who sits on the throne. Whereupon the four living creatures and the four and twenty elders fall down before the Lamb, every one of them having a harp and a golden bowl full of fragrant offerings. Their falling down breaks into heavenly worship of the Lamb who was slain and lives again as a mighty conqueror. They sing a new song declaring Him worthy to take the book and open its seals because He was slain and has redeemed people to God by His blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation, and has made them kings and priests who shall reign on the earth. That worship widens to many angels round about the throne and then to every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, giving blessing and honor and glory and power to Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb forever.
The chapter is to be studied together with Ezekiel 9 and Ezekiel 2:1-10, showing that the Lord's eye is upon every transaction and His judgment will come upon those who do wrong by stealing and dealing falsely, with the wrongdoer's name written down unless he repents.
Prayers as Precious Incense
The golden bowls full of fragrant offerings are the prayers of the saints, presented before God as precious incense within worship centered on the Lamb who was slain and now sits on the throne. When He takes the book out of the right hand of Him who sits on the throne, standing as slain in the midst of the throne with seven horns and seven eyes, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fall down before the Lamb, each holding a harp and a golden bowl. Their falling down breaks into the new song declaring Him worthy to take the book and open its seals because He was slain and has redeemed people to God by His blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation and has made them kings and priests who shall reign on the earth. That worship widens to many angels round the throne and to every creature in heaven and earth and under the earth and in the sea giving blessing and honor and glory and power to Him on the throne and to the Lamb forever, and the harps connect with the harps given to the redeemed on the sea of glass.
No humble, sincere prayer of faith is overlooked, but every prayer is heard and preserved before God. The prayers of God's people are precious before heaven. Their fragrance comes from Christ's merits and the efficacy of His atoning blood.
The vision is of Christ as the slain Lamb enthroned and dispensing the blessings purchased by His sacrifice, pleading for His people and for the church in heaven on behalf of those He redeemed with His blood. His sacrifice remains fully effective through every age. The heavenly worship with harps and golden bowls also belongs to the joy of redemption, for when a sinner is brought back to God, heaven praises God and the Lamb for their mercy and kindness.
Harps of Heavenly Praise
The harps are the joyful, perfectly ordered and harmonious music of heaven, played with care and skill to glorify God, in contrast with careless, discordant singing. They belong to heavenly beings bowing before the Lamb and filling heaven with glorious music, and to angels and saints in the heavenly land joining in worship. The heavenly host with harps responds to Christ's sacrifice with joy, praise, and adoration, their song rising higher in praise for God's mercy in giving His beloved Son and for Jesus' willing self-sacrifice in leaving His Father's presence, enduring suffering, and dying to give life to others.
The golden harps are in the hands of the angels in the city of God, and they are silent when saints on earth weep through discouragement or are in danger, for their attending angels carry the tidings upward and the angels in the city cease to sing. When saints fix their eyes on the prize before them and glorify God by praising Him, the angels bear the glad tidings to the city and the angels there touch their golden harps and sing with a loud voice, Alleluia, until the heavenly arches ring with their songs. This carrying of news of discouragement, danger, or praise to the city, with sorrow or joyful song in return, shows the perfect order and harmony of the holy city and the angels' care for each saint.
The scene echoes in the future reward when the redeemed bow before Jesus, cast their glittering crowns at His feet, touch their golden harps with skillful hands, and fill all heaven with rich, perfect, melodious music and grateful, happy songs of praise to the Lamb. Their praise honors the Lamb who died for them and lives again, in whom they see matchless charms through the endless ages of eternity, including Adam and his redeemed family and the harps given to the redeemed on the sea of glass. There they will cast at the feet of their Redeemer the crowns He has placed on their heads and, touching their golden harps, will render praise and thanksgiving to Him that sitteth on the throne in their promised home in the new earth.
Jesus Himself will place on each saint a crown bearing His own name, the crown of life, the crown of the overcomer, with palms of victory, and will present each saint with a golden harp brought by angels. Little harps will be given for good, obedient, and patient children to play in eternal life in the beautiful city where they will wear a wreath of gold, never be sick, never be tempted to do wrong, be happy always, eat rich fruit, and pluck beautiful flowers. The golden harps will be placed in the hands of the nations that have kept His word and commandments when they enter the gate of the holy city thrown back on its glittering hinges to a life that measures with the life of God, with all heaven then filled with rich music and songs of praise to the Lamb by those everlastingly saved in the kingdom of glory.
The promise of the city of God, a crown, and a harp belongs to children called to prepare for that welcome and sing the Redeemer's praise. It belongs to those who now seek Christ much more and trust Him as little children and teach the same trust to their little children and bring them up in nurture and admonition, who will receive a crown of life, touch the golden harp, and fill all heaven with rich music and songs to the Lamb. It belongs to faithful families who enter the city with golden crowns placed upon their heads, casting their crowns at the feet of Jesus and again and again giving Him glory and praising His holy name while angels unite in songs of triumph and, touching their golden harps, fill all heaven with rich music and songs to the Lamb. It belongs to those who see the King in His beauty and behold the loveliness of the Saviour, fitted for the higher courts above where they go no more out forever in life eternal, every crowned one casting his crown at the Redeemer's feet and touching the golden harp. It belongs to the redeemed when they see Jesus as He is, crowned with glory after enduring temptation and wearing the crown of thorns for sinners, falling at His feet in worship as He places the harp in their hands with voices raised in music such as has never been heard on earth.
At Christ's coronation and victorious entry into the heavenly courts, angels touch and sound their golden harps to welcome the King, who enters with the redeemed as trophies of His victory and witnesses that His mission of suffering and self-sacrifice was successful and not in vain. The same sounding of harps belongs to the promised home in the new earth, where the redeemed render praise and thanksgiving to Him that sitteth on the throne. Praising God here prepares people to join the heavenly choir, take up golden harps, and cast their crowns at Jesus' feet.