Opening the Gates of Heaven Perry Stone

all the saints” upon the golden altar. If the twenty-four elders have golden vials full of odors, “which are the prayers of the saints” (Rev. 5:8), then this passage in Revelation 8 implies that the angel has opened the vials and is now offering all prayers at one time on the heavenly golden altar. Even the imagery found in the heavenly temple reflects the manner of how the words of our prayers ascend from where we are and make their way into the golden vials of the heavenly temple. A MAZING P RAYER S TORIES Many years ago, when I was preaching in Mentor, Ohio, a pastor who had gone on a forty-day fast, Pastor Hess, related this story to me. At the end of his fast, he was lying on the floor in his church when suddenly he felt the presence of God overcome him. When he opened his eyes, the Holy Spirit had taken him “in the Spirit” into the heavenly temple, where he was looking face down from heaven to the earth. (See Revelation 1:10; 4:2; 17:3; 21:10.) He saw what appeared to be large arrows, like missiles, shooting off the earth toward the throne room of heaven. When he asked, “What are these?,” he heard the Lord say, “These are the prayers and praises of My people.” He began to see that there were some arrows that were very thin and short, and some that were large and very tall. He saw some go into the atmosphere and disintegrate, while the larger ones came through the crystal floor past his head and entered into the heavenly temple realms.