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DEFENDING  THE  BRIDE

 

 

 

Defending the Glory of God

 

8.  Can the Saints hear us ?     Are they even aware of us ? 

Some Protestants will contend that the Saints in heaven cannot hear us and furthermore are not even aware of us here on earth.  However, several passages from the Bible show otherwise.  The Saints in heaven have profound concern for what is going on down here. 

Revelation 5:8-10  
“… and the
twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and with golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints;  and they sang a new song, saying,  ‘Worthy art thou to take the scroll and to open its seals, for thou wast slain and by thy blood didst ransom men for God from every tribe and tongue and people and nation,10 and hast made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on earth.’ ” 

Revelation 11:16-18  
“And the
twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying,   ‘We give thanks to thee, Lord God Almighty, who art and who wast, that thou hast taken thy great power and begun to reign.  The nations raged, but thy wrath came, and the time for the dead to be judged, for rewarding thy servants, the prophets and saints, and those who fear thy name, both small and great, and for destroying the destroyers of the earth.’ ”

Hebrews 12:1 says that we are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses.   A brief review of Hebrews chapters 11 and 12 will reveal who Saint Paul is speaking about. 

 

Hebrews 11:1-40; 12:1-29 
1 “Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen.
2 Because of it the ancients were well attested.
3 By faith we understand that the universe was ordered by the word of God, so that what is visible came into being through the invisible.
4 By faith Abel offered to God a sacrifice …
5 By faith Enoch was taken up …
7 By faith Noah, warned … built an ark …
8 By faith Abraham obeyed … 
13-16  All these died in faith. They did not receive what had been promised but saw it and greeted it from afar and acknowledged themselves to be strangers and aliens on earth, for those who speak thus show that they are seeking a homeland.  If they had been thinking of the land from which they had come, they would have had opportunity to return.  But now they desire a better homeland, a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. 
17 By faith Abraham, when put to the test, offered up Isaac, …
20 By faith regarding things still to come Isaac  blessed Jacob and Esau.
21 By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph …
22 By faith Joseph, …
23 By faith Moses … left Egypt…
31 By faith Rahab …
32 What more shall I say? I have not time to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, who by faith conquered kingdoms, did what was righteous, …
35 Women received back their dead through resurrection. Some were tortured and would not accept deliverance, in order to obtain a better resurrection. 36 Others endured mockery, scourging, even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, sawed in two, put to death at sword’s point; they went about in skins of sheep or goats, needy, afflicted, tormented. 38 The world was not worthy of them. … 39 Yet all these, though approved because of their faith, did not receive what had been promised. 40 God had foreseen something better for us …”

 

Hebrews 12:
1. “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith. … 3 Consider how he endured such opposition from sinners, in order that you may not grow weary and lose heart.  4 In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood. …
18 You have not approached that which could be touched and a blazing fire and gloomy darkness and storm … the mountain …21 Indeed, so fearful was the spectacle that Moses said, “I am terrified and trembling.”

22
No, you have approached Mount Zion and the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and countless angels in festal gathering, 23 and the assembly of the firstborn enrolled in heaven, and God the judge of all, and the spirits of the just made perfect, 24 and Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant … 28 Therefore, we who are receiving the unshakable kingdom should have gratitude, with which we should offer worship pleasing to God in reverence and awe.
29 For our God is a consuming fire.”

 

After Saint Paul gives us a veritable list of the heroes in the Old Testament we see that they are surrounding us and cheering us on to fight temptation, to win the race, to follow Jesus Christ.

Luke 15:7 
“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.” 

God has infinite joy.   “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” Hebrews 13:8.  Therefore, the reference to there being more joy in heaven refers to the Saints having more joy.  Therefore they know about us. 

Revelation 6:9-11  
“When he broke open the fifth seal,  
I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slaughtered because of the witness they bore to the word of God.  They cried out in a loud voice,   ‘How long will it be, holy and true master, before you sit in judgment and avenge our blood on the inhabitants of the earth?’    Each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to be patient a little while longer until the number was filled of their fellow servants and brothers who were going to be killed as they had been.’ 

*Therefore, the souls in Heaven have a passionate interest in the events of Earth.

 

 


For the answers to more objections
concerning praying to Mary or the other Saints see

GOD'S  GLORY  MADE  MANIFEST

MEETING  GOD'S  FRIENDS

 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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