Key Scriptures

Having stated the three major positions, it is time to consider the relevant Scriptural passages on the subject. Let’s start in the book of Revelation. Specifically, we want to examine how “leaky” the barrier is between “down here” and “up there.”

When people die on earth, we so often talk about how the person now rests from his toils, how he is enjoying his reward in heaven free from the pains of this earth. The image is a person who dies, arrives in heaven, wipes the sweat off his brow and says, “Whew, I’m glad that’s over! Now I get to rest and praise God for eternity.” Where did this idea come from? This is a picture of eschatological rest, the rest we will receive after Jesus returns and sets everything straight once and for all. But between now and then, the experience of heaven that we see in the book of Revelation is far different than our future eschatological rest. The picture we get in heaven is that heaven is still fully engaged in a spiritual war.[1] Jesus may have won the crucial victory, and we know that he will come again and lead the final victory, but between now and then the war continues. Moreover, heaven and the host of heaven, both angels and saints, are fully engaged in that war, the war we are likewise fighting “down here.”

First, notice what the saints in heaven are doing:

And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. (Revelation 5:8, emphasis added)

And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel. (Revelation 8:3-4, emphasis added)

Notice what the saints are doing in heaven. In the first passage, the focus is on the twenty-four elders. They have a harp for worship, but they also have bowls of incense[2] “which are the prayers of the saints.” In the second passage, the incense if referred to again within the context of the prayers of the saints. In this case, however, it is “the prayers of all the saints.” Does this mean all the saints in heaven or all the saints both in heaven and on earth? The text itself does not say, but one is hard-pressed to say that the prayers in view are only the prayers of those on earth. The immediate focus of both texts is on the saints in heaven praying. What are they praying about? They are praying about the ongoing spiritual war. Although the saints in heaven are physically removed from the fight, they are engaged in spiritual warfare. They are not idle; they are not merely enjoying their eternal rest in worship and fellowship. Indeed, they are still praying, and they are still worshipping, and they are still fully engaged in the war. To put it another way, dying does not release a Christian from this war; it merely transforms his role in this war. He is still engaged, he is still fighting, he is still praying.

Also consider the martyrs, those who gave their lives rather than deny Christ. What are they doing in heaven?

And when He broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained; They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” (Rev 6:9-10).

Are the martyrs sitting around enjoying their reward in peaceful rest? Hardly. They are petitioning the Lord asking how long before this war is finally ended. How long until justice is finally served? They are still engaged in the fight through their prayers.

Finally, it is not just the saints who are involved in spiritual warfare: so are the angels of heaven. Read through the book of Revelation for yourself and note what the angels are doing. They are engaged in the warfare every bit as much as the saints. They are offering the prayers of the saints (8:3-5), and they are fellow servants with the saints doing what the saints do (Rev 19:10; 22:8-9). Are they worshipping God?[3] Of course. But they are doing so much more . . . just like the saints.

This is not the picture of heaven that most people have, a picture of pleasantness and comfort. Indeed, Revelation paints a picture of heaven as a military operations center where soldiers are providing active support for the warriors who are still physically engaged in combat. Heaven is portrayed as a bustling hive of activity, not a quiet, pleasant, and peacefully serene vacation resort. The resort comes after Jesus’ final victory when we receive the New Jerusalem and the New Earth (Rev 21). Until then, Revelation paints a picture of heaven that is busy, busy, busy!

When my wife Lori passed from cancer a few years ago, I prayed initially that she would forget all her struggles down here and that she would enjoy her rest. I prayed that she was pressing into Jesus and growing in her love of Him. Now, however, although I still pray that her love for Christ is deepening, my prayer is that she continues to be fully involved in this war, that she engages in spiritual warfare through her prayers and her worship. Likewise for my mom and for my believing friends who have similarly passed from this earth, my prayer now is that they continue to be fully engaged in this cosmic war until our King returns in triumph. They may not be physically present here on earth, but they are still soldiers in the army of God, and they are still fighting. According to Revelation, when we die, we are not discharged: we are simply reassigned to a new duty station.

What, then, is the communion of the saints? It is certainly more than the example set by the saints of old inspiring the saints today. And it almost certainly more than a communion of worship in which our worship on earth mystically joins the worship in heaven. This is the communion of an army that is engaged in a common war against the same enemy. We are engaged in spiritual warfare through our prayers and worship to see people converted and lives transformed until Christ’s final victory. It is the communion of shared devotion to Christ, shared loyalty, the shared experience of being saved by grace, shared sacrifice, sharing in one another’s struggles, disappointments, tragedies, and triumphs, sharing in the constant effort to life Christ up in our hearts, sharing in the effort it takes to live in such a way as to make much of Christ.

With that in mind, consider the statements about the church that Paul writes about:

Repeatedly St. Paul speaks of the one body whose head is Christ (Colossians 1:18), whose energizing principle is charity (Ephesians 4:16), whose members are the saints, not only of this world, but also of the world to come (Ephesians 1:20; Hebrews 12:22). In that communion there is no loss of individuality, yet such an interdependence that the saints are “members one of another” (Romans 12:5), not only sharing the same blessings (1 Corinthians 12:13) and exchanging good offices (1 Corinthians 12:25) and prayers (Ephesians 6:18), but also partaking of the same corporate life, for “the whole body . . . by what every joint supplieth . . . maketh increase . . . unto the edifying of itself in charity” (Ephesians 4:16).[4]

The author understands these verses as not just applying to the church militant “down here,” but as part of the larger communion of the whole church.

Now whether this means that we need to embrace the full plene view of the communion of the saints is up to you. But if the plene view is not correct, then perhaps something very much like it.

 

Historicity

The communion of the saints has deep roots in Christian history. Below are a series of quotes from leaders of the early church. Although many of them are focused on the intercession of the saints, one cannot have interceding saints without first having communing saints.

When considering the testimony of the early church, I always look for doctrines that developed early and were maintained until the Reformation. Doctrines and practices that were developed in the 400’s and beyond are easily questioned. But doctrines and practices that were firmly in place by the mid-200’s require special attention because they easily could have been part of the original apostolic witness. Minimally, these doctrines and practices were in development during the time of the apostles.

 

Hermas

“[The Shepherd said:] ‘But those who are weak and slothful in prayer, hesitate to ask anything from the Lord; but the Lord is full of compassion, and gives without fail to all who ask him. But you, [Hermas,] having been strengthened by the holy angel [you saw], and having obtained from him such intercession, and not being slothful, why do not you ask of the Lord understanding, and receive it from him?’” (The Shepherd of Hermas 3:5:4, emphasis added [A.D. 80]. Hermas is a manual for catechumens to teach them about the faith and was considered for inclusion into the New Testament.).

 

Clement of Alexandria

“In this way is he [the true Christian] always pure for prayer. He also prays in the society of angels, as being already of angelic rank, and he is never out of their holy keeping; and though he pray alone, he has the choir of the saints standing with him [in prayer]” (Miscellanies 7:12, emphasis added [A.D. 208]).

 

Origen

“But not the high priest [Christ] alone prays for those who pray sincerely, but also the angels . . . as also the souls of the saints who have already fallen asleep” (Prayer 11, emphasis added [A.D. 233]).

 

Cyprian of Carthage

“Let us remember one another in concord and unanimity. Let us on both sides [of death] always pray for one another. Let us relieve burdens and afflictions by mutual love, that if one of us, by the swiftness of divine condescension, shall go hence first, our love may continue in the presence of the Lord, and our prayers for our brethren and sisters not cease in the presence of the Father’s mercy” (Letters 56[60]:5, emphasis added [A.D. 253]).

 

Anonymous

“Atticus, sleep in peace, secure in your safety, and pray anxiously for our sins” (funerary inscription near St. Sabina’s in Rome, emphasis added [A.D. 300]).

“Pray for your parents, Matronata Matrona. She lived one year, fifty-two days” (ibid., emphasis added. Notice how the faith of the parents is shining through even in the face of a heart-breaking loss.).

Methodius

“And you also, O honored and venerable Simeon, you earliest host of our holy religion, and teacher of the resurrection of the faithful, do be our patron and advocate with that Savior God, whom you were deemed worthy to receive into your arms. We, together with you, sing our praises to Christ, who has the power of life and death, saying, ‘You are the true Light, proceeding from the true Light; the true God, begotten of the true God’” (Oration on Simeon and Anna, emphasis added 14 [A.D. 305]. Methodius brings together the communion of the saints as common worship and that the saints in heaven intercede for the saints “down here.”).

 

Cyril of Jerusalem

“Then [during the Eucharistic prayer] we make mention also of those who have already fallen asleep: first, the patriarchs, prophets, apostles, and martyrs, that through their prayers and supplications God would receive our petition” (Catechetical Lectures 23:9, emphasis added [A.D. 350]).

 

Hilary of Poitiers

“To those who wish to stand [in God’s grace], neither the guardianship of saints nor the defenses of angels are wanting” (Commentary on the Psalms 124:5:6, emphasis added [A.D. 365]).

 

Ephrem the Syrian

“You victorious martyrs who endured torments gladly for the sake of the God and Savior, you who have boldness of speech toward the Lord himself, you saints, intercede for us who are timid and sinful men, full of sloth, that the grace of Christ may come upon us, and enlighten the hearts of all of us so that we may love him” (Commentary on Mark, emphasis added [A.D. 370]).

“Remember me, you heirs of God, you brethren of Christ; supplicate the Savior earnestly for me, that I may be freed through Christ from him that fights against me day by day” (The Fear at the End of Life, emphasis added [A.D. 370]).

 

The Liturgy of St. Basil

“By the command of your only-begotten Son we communicate with the memory of your saints . . . by whose prayers and supplications have mercy upon us all, and deliver us for the sake of your holy name” (Liturgy of St. Basil, emphasis added [A.D. 373]).

 

Pectorius

“Aschandius, my father, dearly beloved of my heart, with my sweet mother and my brethren, remember your Pectorius in the peace of the Fish [Christ]” (Epitaph of Pectorius, emphasis added [A.D. 375]).

 

Gregory of Nazianzus

“May you [Cyprian] look down from above propitiously upon us, and guide our word and life; and shepherd this sacred flock . . . gladden the Holy Trinity, before which you stand” (Orations, emphasis added 17[24] [A.D. 380]).

 

“Yes, I am well assured that [my father’s] intercession is of more avail now than was his instruction in former days, since he is closer to God, now that he has shaken off his bodily fetters, and freed his mind from the clay that obscured it, and holds conversation naked with the nakedness of the prime and purest mind” (ibid., emphasis added 18:4).

 

Gregory of Nyssa

“[Ephraim], you who are standing at the divine altar [in heaven] . . . bear us all in remembrance, petitioning for us the remission of sins, and the fruition of an everlasting kingdom” (Sermon on Ephrem the Syrian, emphasis added [A.D. 380]).

 

John Chrysostom

“He that wears the purple [i.e., a royal man] . . . stands begging of the saints to be his patrons with God, and he that wears a diadem begs the tentmaker [Paul] and the fisherman [Peter] as patrons, even though they be dead” (Homilies on Second Corinthians, emphasis added 26 [A.D. 392]).

 

“When you perceive that God is chastening you, fly not to his enemies . . . but to his friends, the martyrs, the saints, and those who were pleasing to him, and who have great power [in God]” (Orations, emphasis added 8:6 [A.D. 396]).

 

Ambrose of Milan

“May Peter, who wept so efficaciously for himself, weep for us and turn towards us Christ’s benign countenance” (The Six Days Work, emphasis added  5:25:90 [A.D. 393]).

 

Jerome

“You say in your book that while we live we are able to pray for each other, but afterwards when we have died, the prayer of no person for another can be heard. . . . But if the apostles and martyrs while still in the body can pray for others, at a time when they ought still be solicitous about themselves, how much more will they do so after their crowns, victories, and triumphs?” (Against Vigilantius, emphasis added 6 [A.D. 406]).

 

Augustine

“A Christian people celebrates together in religious solemnity the memorials of the martyrs, both to encourage their being imitated and so that it can share in their merits and be aided by their prayers” (Against Faustus the Manichean, emphasis added [A.D. 400]).

“At the Lord’s table we do not commemorate martyrs in the same way that we do others who rest in peace so as to pray for them, but rather that they may pray for us that we may follow in their footsteps” (Homilies on John, emphasis added 84 [A.D. 416]).

“Neither are the souls of the pious dead separated from the Church which even now is the kingdom of Christ. Otherwise there would be no remembrance of them at the altar of God in the communication of the Body of Christ” (The City of God, emphasis added 20:9:2 [A.D. 419]).

 

So What?

It does not take Sherlock Holmes to conclude that I am largely on board with the plene view of the communion of the saints. Although I will hesitate on certain aspects of the intercession of the saints, I think that between what we are given in Revelation along with the early church’s understanding of it, the communion of the saints as a genuine communion of “up there” and “down here” is on firm footing. This does not mean I think there are ghosts running around our churches, but it does mean that the saints in heaven have a clear sense of what is happening on earth and that they are praying for us.

So what? How should we respond to the communion of the saints?

First, we should understand the extent of the spiritual war we have been drafted into. This is a war that is fought on earth, but heaven itself is fully engaged in the fight. There is not one part of this world that is not involved. Every part of this world needs prayer, and it needs the faithful witness of Christians. There is no time between now and Jesus’ final kingdom in which we will retire out of God’s army. We muster out after the final battle to enjoy our rest.

Second, we can comfort those whose loved one have passed in the Lord. They are not so distantly removed from us. We still worship with them. Additionally, our loved ones are praying for us, and praying fervently. As someone who has lost his wife, I can assure you that this is a tremendous comfort.

Third, we can still pray for our loved ones. Now, I want to be careful because this might sound like I am advocating prayers for the dead which is the doctrine of praying someone into heaven who passed prior to conversion. I will cover that doctrine later, but suffice it say now that I am very uncomfortable with it. However, for those who have died in the Lord, I can pray that they are pressing further into Jesus, that their love for Christ is deepening, and that they are serving God in prayer and worship. I have a list of friends and family who passed in the Lord that I regularly remember in my prayers. Additionally, a prayer I often say for my late wife goes something like this: “Lord, please let Lori know I love her, I miss her, and I can’t wait to see her again.”

Fourth, we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses (Heb 12:1) who cheer us on and encourage us through their prayers; live like it! I know it is fashionable in Christian circles to talk about an Audience of One (God). In one sense, yes this is true. God is our ultimate audience. But in another sense, it misses the larger picture that there is a host in heaven cheering for you and praying for you. Live like it.

Fifth, we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses (Heb 12:1) who cheer us on and encourage us through their prayers; worship like it! Orthodox churches make extensive use of icons of saints and angels in their churches. This is meant to be a physical reminder of the reality that when we worship, we are mystically joined with those who worship in heaven. However, Orthodox churches take this a step further. They only need two people for a worship service or a prayer service: only two. One will lead (a priest or deacon depending on the type of service) and the other is the cantor, their version of a worship leader. That’s it. If every chair in the parish or cathedral is empty, the worship or prayer service goes on as if the building were packed. Why? Because it is packed! It is packed with the great cloud of witnesses whom they are joining for worship. It is packed with the saints who have gone before, and the church and the saints are communing together in worship of the same Lord, the Lord of heaven and earth. Worship like it!

Sixth, we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses (Heb 12:1) who cheer us on and encourage us through their prayers; pray like it! Some people like to talk about prayer warriors. The reality is that we are all called to be prayer warriors. When we get to heaven, that will be our primary means of engaging in spiritual warfare. Start now. Start praying like you will in heaven. Remember, if you are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, then you’re never truly when you prayer. You may be physically alone, but your prayers join with the prayers of the host of heaven (Rev 5:8; 8:3-4). Pray like it!

Seventh, let’s lose the idea that prayer is the option of last resort. So often I hear people say, “Well, the only thing we can do now is pray.” This isn’t a statement of faith; it’s a declaration of a lack of faith. It is a statement that God doesn’t listen to prayer until after we have exhausted all other options. Please! There is the old saying that so-and-so is so heavenly minded that he is no earthly good. Again, please! The heavenly minded are focused on prayer, and God responds to prayer. Sometimes his response is to transform the one praying, maybe his response is to answer the prayer as it was prayed, and sometimes his response is to do something completely unexpected. Sometimes he waits because the timing is wrong, and yet he still transforms the one praying. The older I get, the more I realize how vital prayer is. Or, as an anonymous author once said, “’When we stand with Christ in glory, looking o’er life’s finished story,’ the most amazing feature of that life as it is looked back upon will be its prayerlessness. We shall be almost beside ourselves with astonishment that we spent so little time in real intercession. It will be our turn to ‘wonder.’”[5] Amen!

 

(This is the final of a 3 part series. Read part 1 here. Read part 2 here.)

 

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[1] Fr Stephen Freeman, “The Communion of Saints,” Glory to God for All Things, May 11, 2009, https://blogs.ancientfaith.com/glory2godforallthings/2009/05/11/the-communion-of-saints/, accessed 3/2/2023.

[2] For those who have not used incense in worship, the bowls are too hot to physically hold. They have chains attached and are held by the chains.

[3] I have heard so many Christians talk about the angels as masters of worship. Perhaps. But in heaven I suspect the saints worship God in a way that the angels cannot conceive. Why? Because when it comes to the grace of God, the angels are on the outside looking in. An angel never could have written Amazing Grace. That song could only be written by a sinner who had been saved by grace, by one who had truly experienced grace.

[4] “Catholic Encyclopedia: Communion of Saints,” accessed February 28, 2023, https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04171a.htm, accessed 2/28/2023.

[5] Albert Ernest Richardson, The Kneeling Christian (Lexington, KY: Whitaker Distributors, 2013). 11.