At 5:49 PM -0500 9/22/97, Jonathan Robie wrote:
>I'm having problems understanding how the phrase TAIS PROSEUCAIS is used in
>Rev 8:3-4:
>
>Rev 8:3 ...hINA DWSEI *TAIS* *PROSEUCAIS* TWN hAGIWN PANTWN EPI TO
>QUSIASTHRION TO CRUSOUN TO ENWPION TOU QRONOU (4) KAI ANEBH hO KAPNOS TWN
>QUMIAMATWN *TAIS* *PROSEUCAIS* TWN hAGIWN EK CEIROS TOU AGGELOU ENOPION TOU
>QEOU.
The key to understanding this passage seems to be knowing how the "Altar of
Incense" (Exodus 30:1 ff) functioned. The thing that was normally on the
altar was burning coals:
Levi 16:12 (NIV) He is to take a censer full of burning coals from the altar
before the LORD and two handfuls of finely ground fragrant incense and take
them behind the curtain.
13 He is to put the incense on the fire before the LORD, and the smoke of
the incense will conceal the atonement cover above the Testimony, so that he
will not die.
Numb 16:46 (RSV) And Moses said to Aaron, "Take your censer, and put fire
therein from off the altar, and lay incense on it, and carry it quickly to
the congregation, and make atonement for them; for wrath has gone forth from
the LORD, the plague has begun."
I think that the prayers of the saints, which were EPI TO QUSIASTHRION TO
CRUSOUN, and to which the incense was added, take the place of the burning
coals in this analogy - when incense is added to these coals (the prayers of
the saints), the smoke rises up before God. I hope this is plausible, since
I taught it in Sunday School today ;->
Jonathan
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Jonathan Robie jwrobie@mindspring.com
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