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Revelation shows they do know what's going on and hear us and pray for us.
I tell you, in just the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance. (Luke 15:7)
Rev. 5:8 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.
David wrote these words while still very much on earth.Psalm 140: Let my prayer set forth before You as incense.
I tell you, in just the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance. (Luke 15:7)
You ever play that game "Telephone"? You know the one where you start with a message on one end and pass it along? You know that usually by the time the message gets to the end, its something completely different from what it was initially. Leaning on tradition is like playing a game of telephone. What the disciples taught is what Jesus taught, and what Jesus taught was not contrary to the scriptures because He is the Author of the scriptures.Thanks for your concern. I appreciate it.The Scriptures are part of the Church. The Church is the Body and Bride of Christ. Christ is the Head. What we believe comes from Him and our understanding of who He is and what He revealed to us, and that most certainly includes first and foremost the Holy Scriptures. What we believe is what was taught to us by the Apostles, and what their disciples and the disciples of those disciples translated and interpreted the Words of God and the Apostles to mean. It's really what it's about. The CF's interpretations and people's interpretations, whether they understood from what their teachers/elders in their traditions taught them verses in the bible meant, or they came about it on their own.
For the believer, death isn't separation but a time of rest before God returns and resurrects them to glory.We believe in the Body of Christ not being broken, not even separating us from God in our physical deaths. So when we read praying for each other, it encompasses all and is in the communion of the saints as a whole.
What exactly was taught in Exodus and the books of the prophets that is reflected in the Liturgy?Others will interpret this to mean as some have said here, only those on earth. We obviously disagree because of the CF's interpretation of no division in His Body, the Body being One, undivided, the praying for one another, the visions of the Elders with the prayers of those on earth in the bowls of incense, which always have represented our prayers going to heaven (that shows in Revelation). We did not just make up what we believe. The liturgy came about from what was taught in Exodus and mostly resembles what was explained in Isaiah and Revelation. When we are worshiping God, we are in the presence of the Trinity, the angels, and all the saints on this earth and in heaven. For about an hour and a half each Sunday, we are in heaven with God.
I don't believe you - personally, made up anything. I do believe that the practices of your church are based on the traditions of men though. Again, it's just like telephone. The message passed along at the beginning has become something completely different now.So, I do understand your concern and your perspective. What I would like is for you and others to understand ours. That we do not make up things. We do not just do things out of the blue. We follow what was taught and our interpretations of what the Bible OT and NT means obviously is different than some others. This does not mean we follow traditions of men, but rather we follow Apostolic Tradition - Holy Tradition - and follow what the Bible says fully. It just looks and seems different to those who may not understand or comprehend our ancient understanding and perspective.
Only some from the graves were raised, and notice, they were raised. They had not been in heaven previously but were in their tombs. Death cannot separate us from God because God has power over death. When the righteous die, they go into a time of rest. The instant they close their eyes in death they are oblivious to time and centuries pass by in nano-seconds, thus the next thought they have is that of their Creator calling them forth at the last day.When He died on the Cross for us and broke the chains of hades, and opened the tombs of those waiting there for Him. Death no longer held us captive. We are no longer separated from Christ. This is why St. Paul says neither death, nor.... and all the other things he mentioned, can separate us from Him.
Well, I guess you missed the part where I accidentally hit "send" before I was ready and had half a paragraph written and had to go back and add the rest. Well, that's good.
I don't think you need a physical mouth to speak or physical ears to hear once you leave physically this life. The spirit in us is life, and how those under the altar and the elders do things is through God. They are clothed in Him, in His presence. They are in union with Him and so why think they cannot talk or hear or move or pass incense bowls around. They do, is my belief.
Are you telling me that you are that legalistic and have such a mechanical mindset that you cannot see what that means? So, if I were looking at it as you do, I would be seeing some angels passing around a bowl of incense without knowing what they are or hearing anything, just this bowl of incense. Angels are that deaf and dumb? Wow. How can I put this more clearly - T H E Y A R E I N T H E P R E S E N C E O F G O D. They hear us, they are guardians of us. We each have our own guardian angel, and we sing with them on Sundays and whenever we are in our church's services. Can you not see through the heart and spirit these things? Believe me, I'm not trying to be mean or mock you. I'm pleading with your heart, and not your mechanical mind... the soul which hears and sees God.Thank you.
Where does this verse say they "hear us?
Where does this verse indicate that those in heaven and/or purgatory know the specific, particular petitions of the 2 billion believers still on earth, that they "hear" our prayers - including the unspoken ones - and ERGO pass on those specific, particular petitions to the Father with some increased promise of it being provided? That the "prayers of the saints" are the forwarded petitions of the two billion believers on earth that they specifically heard (even unspoken ones)?
It shows others, other than God, receive and pass on our prayers.How does this verse indicate that there are specific saints specially praying for certain persons and professions, that miners for example would have a great advantage in praying to St. Anne - who not only will HEAR those specific petitions from miners (more than some other in heaven and/or purgatory) and because it comes from a miner will especially pass the specific, particular petition on to the Father who is now even more likely to grant it because St. Anne prayed the specific petition?
That's right. His prayers rise as incense. It shows the connection. The prayers arise as incense, and then you connect the prayers rising in Revelation at the Throne of God and there in the bowls of incense! Not that hard to figure out! It all goes together, see. We don't compartmentalize the faith or the Bible, but take it as a whole.David wrote these words while still very much on earth.
The Bible is God's revelation to man, not an instruction manual for engineers.Where does this verse state that those in heaven specifically hear us?
You mean - I heard it through the grapevine?You ever play that game "Telephone"? You know the one where you start with a message on one end and pass it along? You know that usually by the time the message gets to the end, its something completely different from what it was initially. Leaning on tradition is like playing a game of telephone. What the disciples taught is what Jesus taught, and what Jesus taught was not contrary to the scriptures because He is the Author of the scriptures.
Except there's no evidence of that when you see what is written in Revelation. They are not sleeping. The communion of the saints - the cloud of witnesses are said to be there cheering us on in our race to the finish, as St. Paul says (paraphrasing). Oh no, they are not resting. They are continuously praying and interceding before God and will until His Second Coming. And then once all is done and the new heaven and earth are there, we all worship Him together once more.For the believer, death isn't separation but a time of rest before God returns and resurrects them to glory.
How we decorate our altars and how our churches are formed is from Exodus - God's command to Moses on how the temple should look. Christ never changed that or said anything about changing that, only the Sacrifice.What exactly was taught in Exodus and the books of the prophets that is reflected in the Liturgy?
Well, that wouldn't be true though, Stryder. You are believing something that is not true. See this:I don't believe you - personally, made up anything. I do believe that the practices of your church are based on the traditions of men though. Again, it's just like telephone. The message passed along at the beginning has become something completely different now.
Ok, so why is it you can say this and I cannot point out that that is your traditions and your own interpretation and perception of how you see what happened in those verses, but mine and the Church's understanding and perceptions are disregarded?Only some from the graves were raised, and notice, they were raised. They had not been in heaven previously but were in their tombs. Death cannot separate us from God because God has power over death. When the righteous die, they go into a time of rest. The instant they close their eyes in death they are oblivious to time and centuries pass by in nano-seconds, thus the next thought they have is that of their Creator calling them forth at the last day.
Sure, I see you have a different understanding, but do I say you lean too much on your own traditions you were taught or your own opinions on what these verses mean like I've been told countless times by many?Oh I believe the elders in heaven are actually alive. I just don't get how the saints under the altar have to be literal. I mean, why would they be under the altar? How do they all fit under there?
Ok, so why is it you can say this and I cannot point out that that is your traditions and your own interpretation and perception of how you see what happened in those verses, but mine and the Church's understanding and perceptions are disregarded?
One definitely has to be wrongOne of has to be wrong.
Josiah said:Dorothea said:Rev. 5:8 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.
Thank you.
Where does this verse say they "hear us?
Where does this verse indicate that those in heaven and/or purgatory know the specific, particular petitions of the 2 billion believers still on earth, that they "hear" our prayers - including the unspoken ones - and ERGO pass on those specific, particular petitions to the Father with some increased promise of it being provided? That the "prayers of the saints" are the forwarded petitions of the two billion believers on earth that they specifically heard (even unspoken ones)?
we interpret it to mean what it means.
Perhaps (I have no idea who or what "Tad" is) but we were discussing a verse. I asked questions. They have not yet been addressed.As Tad pointed out, the Saints know what is going on with us and hear us
What does? Where?It shows others, other than God, receive and pass on our prayers.
Where is this indicated?This is how certain Saints become the patron saint of whatever. Because of what they did on earth that God worked through them that witnesses saw and took note of. And after they passed on.
One definitely has to be wrong
Either the 'saints" can "hear" us ... or they can't.
I don't believe that the departed can hear us.
My mom, in Heaven, could hear me and you and
my sis and my kids and my old neighbors "praying"
to her?
Or.. asking her to pray for them/us...
It just makes no sense to me.
How could she hear all of us at the same time
unless she were God?
So ... imo, it's a superstitious type of thing that I don't participate in.
I have though, asked Father to tell my mom I miss her.
But do you realize that using solely the bible as your sole authority on God is an tradition of men in itself. It did not exist until the Reformation and thereafter? Indeed it is, Stryder.I don't want to say anything that may offend you. I just have a different understanding in regards to the scriptures and their place then you do. I don't hold tradition to be on the same level as the scriptures.
I believe the text has been given to us not by the will of men, but by the power of God. Thus I consider the whole of scripture to be applicable to us "new testament" Christians. I don't think God revealed truth in part
And you could say "it's my interpretation" and honestly you kind of do. If we're honest with ourselves we both know that we both can't be right. That's like saying that it's ok for me to think that 1+1 = 3 and it's ok for you to think it equals 2 and we're both right. One of has to be wrong.
You're entitled to your beliefs or opinions, sun. There are plenty of practices done by non Orthodox Christians that I don't agree with or think are scriptural and maybe a bit hokey, but I understand they believe what they believe. I pray for my friends and family and all the world. That's all that can be done. We will all know when we leave this earth what the very details are in life outside this physical existence.One definitely has to be wrong
Either the 'saints" can "hear" us ... or they can't.
I don't believe that the departed can hear us.
My mom, in Heaven, could hear me and you and
my sis and my kids and my old neighbors "praying"
to her?
Or.. asking her to pray for them/us...
It just makes no sense to me.
How could she hear all of us at the same time
unless she were God?
So ... imo, it's a superstitious type of thing that I don't participate in.
I have though, asked Father to tell my mom I miss her.
I do understand and know the Bible is not everything, it is only half and most Protestants would not like the Apostle nor Paul because they understood the truth is the Church not the BibleI don't really know what to say...
If you think the apostles went outside of Scripture, then you really do not understand the Father's teachings.
Ortho_Cat
As Scripture indicates, those in heaven are aware of the prayers of those on earth. This can be seen, for example, in Revelation 5:8, where John depicts the saints in heaven offering our prayers to God under the form of "golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints." But if the saints in heaven are offering our prayers to God, then they must be aware of our prayers. They are aware of our petitions and present them to God by interceding for us.
Smell, not hear.Some might try to argue that in this passage the prayers being offered were not addressed to the saints in heaven, but directly to God. Yet this argument would only strengthen the fact that those in heaven can hear our prayers, for then the saints would be aware of our prayers even when they are not directed to them!
You are guessing.In any event, it is clear from Revelation 5:8 that the saints in heaven do actively intercede for us. We are explicitly told by John that the incense they offer to God are the prayers of the saints. Prayers are not physical things and cannot be physically offered to God. Thus the saints in heaven are offering our prayers to God mentally. In other words, they are interceding.
It's my spin. Fine. And when you read scriptures and interpret it a certain way, it's your spin as well. Apparently the verse teaches this practice is the Church has been doing so for ages and the CF's taught about intercessory prayers of the saints in heaven. They interpreted it to mean that, so therefore, we believe it means that. You interpret it to mean nothing much at all. Your choice.In other words, SCRIPTURE by no means says what you indicated it does? It's your spin on it that agrees with the self same spin? Which is it? Does the verse teach this practice or not?
Did you not see tadoflamb's post a page or so back? I guess not. I addressed all the ones you asked. You are not satisfied because they are not the answers you want. I can't help you there. You believe what you will.Perhaps (I have no idea who or what "Tad" is) but we were discussing a verse. I asked questions. They have not yet been addressed.
The verses from Revelation and Tobit show that angels collect and distribute our prayers as incense to God. I don't know how much more clearer I can be. The verses were OBVIOUS on that.What does? Where?
Um...in the example I gave you. Are you reading anything I'm typing and supplying information for you to read?Where is this indicated?
I have not looked up her life. Maybe somebody can for you. I'm all tuckered out on researching and studying.Tell me, what did St. Anne do that made her the Saint for miners? What about her life indicates that she ergo hears the prayers (even silent ones) of all the miners here on earth - and ergo passes on to the Father those specific, particular petitions and because SHE does, they are more likely to be granted?
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