The Setting
“And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given
seven trumpets”
(Revelation 8:2).
Seven angels are given trumpets to
sequentially blow. What kind of sound will they make? Are they going to
play a musical score, a mournful piece, or will it be a single loud blast?
While our imagination moves into high gear, something stunning happens.
The action is
halted by new imagery given to John. At first the
change seems too abrupt. But wait! A majestic Being appears. Another “angel”
enters the scene. That begins an awesome heavenly short story. It is
called a commentary insert. Incredibly, it is one of God’s “media
interruptions.” It’s an “Oh, before we go on …” message that He feels is
very important to share. These inserts usually portray what will be
happening elsewhere during the time of the vision. Here, it opens to
us what occurs in heaven during part of the unfolding of the Trumpet
and Seal visions taking place on earth. There is a partial overlap of those visions.
Attention is momentarily taken away from the anticipated sound of the
Trumpets. This new Being is without a trumpet. Instead, He has a Golden
Censer.
Amazing? Yes. Notice this fascinating comparison:
|
Trumpets |
Censer |
|
To be filled with sound |
To be filled with coals |
God wouldn’t have interrupted a vision unless He had something very, very
important to tell us. Let’s carefully watch and listen in:
“And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer”
(Revelation
8:3a).
This angel is set apart from the other seven. He is an “eighth.” In prophecy
an eighth means something old will
come to an end and something new
will begin. On the eighth day Jesus arose. The covenant promise of
redemption was then ratified. The great restoration Jubilee year was an eighth year after seven sevens. At the
eighth millennium this
earth is to pass away and the new heavens and earth will mark a beautiful
beginning. We can expect a significant transition in God’s plans to occur by
this eighth “angel!” Something exciting is about to happen.
It says that this “angel” “came and stood.” Contextually, the angel appears
and stands. We aren’t told what He was doing before John saw Him “come,” but
He arrives at the Golden Altar of Incense with a Golden Censer not unlike
the ancient High Priest did once each year. The Seven Trumpet angels “stood
before God” (vs 2). This eighth angel “stood at the altar.” They are all
standing, ready to act, in sequence: Jesus
comes, God
participates, then Christ
officiates and, finally, the
seven angels initiate major
end-time events. The sound of the Trumpets will signal the onset of terrible
events.
When do the Golden Altar and Golden Censer come in
proximity to each
other? During the Day of Atonement activities.
If this is Jesus – and it is – why is He introduced as “another angel” and
not by an honorable name? This picture helps us to see our Lord as active,
functional and in imagery that we can closely identify with. This is not new
(see Genesis 48:16, Exodus 3:2, Joshua 5:13-15, Revelation 7:2). Jesus is
represented in His final intercessory role for mankind.
“We have such an high priest … a minister of the sanctuary … he is the
mediator of a better covenant”
(Hebrews 8:1-2, 6). Jesus is our friend. He’s there at the altar for all
those crying out to God. For the wicked, it becomes a symbol of judgment.
The last time an
altar was in view (and this is so important) was
during the fifth Seal. There, the souls of the martyred saints were crying
out, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our
blood on them that dwell on the earth?” (Revelation 6:10). These two
references are in sequence. The martyrs under the altar cry out; Jesus,
ministering at the altar, prepares to respond!
Altar of Incense
Martyrs: Question – “How long?
When will You vindicate right?
Altar of Incense
Jesus: Answers their question.
Judgment begins – right is vindicated.
This opens to view the fulfillment of another prophecy when Jesus will stand
or “rise up.” “For the Lord shall rise up as in mount Perazim, he shall
be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that he may do his work, his strange
work; and bring to pass his act, his strange act” (Isaiah 28:21). This
commentary insert addresses two issues: first, loving intercession for His
people; second, wrath against the wicked, fulfilling Isaiah’s declaration
(Revelation 8:5). Perazim represents where victory came over the Philistines
and Gibeon, where
The Golden Pieces
The Altar of Incense was located in the
The Golden Censer was symbolic of Christ’s ministration that would finally
be taken into the
With these golden instruments together, it assures us that the redemptive
blood has already been shed. The
Altar sequence reveals it is end-time. When the Trumpets begin to sound,
dramatic events will occur, which usher in probation’s close. This all
represents timing imagery at man’s last opportunity to come to Jesus.
The Incense
“And there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer [it] with
the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne”
(Revelation
8:3b).
The source of the incense is not given, but elsewhere the expression “there
was given unto him” refers to God the Father. God is providing Christ with
extra incense so He can mingle it with the saints’ prayers. The focus opens
here with intercession – then it shifts to vindication.
“Morning and evening the heavenly universe behold every household that
prays, and the angel with the incense, representing the blood of the
atonement, finds access to God.”[1]
“Let them behold him as their Advocate, standing within the veil, having in
his hand the golden censer, from which the holy incense of the merits
of his righteousness ascends to God in behalf of those who pray to
him.”[2]
“The golden censer is waved, and the incense, the representation of
the purity and righteousness of Christ, ascends,
bearing the prayers of every soul that receives and believes on Christ to
the altar which is before the throne of God. And Jesus is in the midst.”[3]
This commentary draws on this portrayal:
Why is extra incense given to Jesus? There can be only one reason: There are
more prayers needing it. The martyrs are symbolically right there pleading.
The only place in the Old Testament where incense represents the blood of
atonement is in Numbers 16:46-47. There, it blocks the wrath of God and
brings mercy. Here, it is no different. It functions as a great intercessory
medium. Christ’s blood pleads His merits for all imploring saints. It brings
cleansing and heavenly favor to all repentant sinners – until the censer is
emptied of coals (vs 5).
Thus – and this is so important – there would be an end to God’s mercy.
Gabriel made precision-clear in the 490-year prophecy of Daniel 9 that
probation had a limit. That limit will shortly be seen. When the coals,
representing fire, are cast down, a stunning end
begins to develop!
Hot coals can cleanse –
mercy. Burning coals can destroy – justice.
One effect for the saints, one for the wicked.
This amazing event is about to happen!
“And the smoke of the incense, [which came] with the prayers of the saints,
ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand”
(Revelation
8:4).
God loves the smell of fragrant offerings and incense (Genesis 8:21,
Leviticus 2:1-2). Thus, He savors the prayers of His people. Here, mercy
still pleads. A unique picture now develops. In the previous verse the extra
incense is to be mingled with the saints’ prayers on the Golden Altar. Here,
the prayers (now mingled with incense) ascend up to God from Jesus’ hand
(Golden Censer).
What does that mean? This opens to us incredible insights into God’s
activity!
The Golden Censer is an extension of the Golden Altar. In the writings of
expositor White, it can be seen as an intermediary item to purify the
saints’ prayers before ascending to God[4]
and
an intermediary item before prayers go to the Altar.[5]
Jesus takes the prayers that came to the Altar and mixes them with His
righteousness. Then, in loving ministry, He places them in the censer from
which they ascend before the throne to God.
But there’s more – far more – given in these few short verses. Get ready.
It’s incredible.
A Progressive Message
In preparation for the Day of Atonement, coals were taken from the Golden
Altar and placed in the Golden Censer. Extra incense was taken with this
Censer, along with the sacrificial blood, into the Holy of Holies. Here in
verses 3-5, John presents several distinct
preparatory issues:
1. Jesus had already died – there was no need of blood to accompany the
Censer. He represents His own merits.
2. The Altar and Censer
are depicted as mediums from which prayers emanate.
3. The Holy of Holies is
not pictured but anticipated.
4.
It is a final Day of
Atonement
period in time.
5.
Before
entering the
uses the coals to
describe an end-time purpose (next verse).
Thus, we can see forward-moving
imagery:
-
Golden Altar of Incense – intercession –
-
Golden Censer Intercession – preparatory to entering into the
-
Because the blood had already been spilled, Christ has authority to judge and to cleanse.
“And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar and
cast it into the earth”
(Revelation 8:5a).
The Censer is not cast to the earth. It is the coals. (Some claim that
expositor White’s quotation in Early Writings, pp. 279-280 of the
censor being cast down is from this verse. Her message related to the
God’s Use of Burning Coals
1.
Judgment on the Wicked:
God’s
character is depicted as one of consuming fire (Deuteronomy 4:24). In
Ezekiel 10:1-2 God asks Jesus, “the man clothed in linen,” to be a bearer of
judgment on
The hurling
of coals to the earth in Revelation 8 is in response to the fifth-Seal
saints’ question, “How long until … ?” (Revelation 6:10). Contextually, it
is a cry as to when God will vindicate His name because of what is happening
to His people.
This now
signals the answer to their prayers for justice. “Upon the wicked he
shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: [this shall
be] the portion of their cup” (Psalm 11:6). This is God’s culmination
response to the abominations committed in
How extensive this destructive judgment is, is not depicted here. This will
be unfolded in the specific Trumpet messages. The first four Trumpets
destroy with mercy. They represent the immediate effects from the coals.
“The Lord
will not suddenly cast off all transgressors, or destroy entire nations, but
He will punish cities and places where men have given themselves up to the
possession of satanic agencies. Strictly will the cities of the nations be
dealt with, and yet they will not be visited in the extreme of God’s
indignation because some souls will yet break away from the delusions
of the enemy, and will repent and be converted, while the mass will be
treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath.”[6]
Note: Though destruction comes to cities and places, for some, repentance is
still available.
“Long had God
delayed His judgments, but now He would visit His displeasure upon them as
a last effort to check them in their evil course.”[7]
“I have seen
the most costly structures in buildings erected and supposed to be
fireproof. And just as
2.
Purification of God’s People
Isaiah bemoaned his uncleanness. A seraph took a coal from the Altar and
touched his lips. He was purged from sin (Isaiah 5:6-8). Here, coals
represent purification,[9]
something that will happen to the 144,000 and the eleventh-hour multitude.
“As we bow before God in humble prayer, He places a live coal from His altar
upon our lips, sanctifying them to the work of giving Bible truth to the
people.”[10]
“The Holy Spirit has fallen upon him, his soul has felt the vital, heavenly
fire, and he will be able to compare spiritual things with spiritual. Power
will be given him to tear down the strongholds of Satan.”[11]
Won’t that be an exciting time? God is filling you up with His Spirit to be
part of the last great movement to finish His work!
“…and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake”
(Revelation
8:5b).
This awesome imagery relates to the Sinai experience when God revealed His
sovereign power (Exodus 19:16-19) to the Jewish nation. It is a theophany of
divine power and announces that judgment is beginning. Another great
transition in time has started. Notice that there is no hail. That occurs
with the seventh Trumpet and
seventh Vial, which come later.
In Revelation 4:5 there is lightning, sounds and thunders. This relates to
the time when the books are opened and judgment is set (Daniel 7:10). Then
just before the 144,000 go out on their final mission (described when
the first Seal of the scroll has been broken) there is a single “noise of
thunder” (Revelation 6:1). Now a full Sinai-type theophany occurs.
Here in Revelation 8:5, the theophany display includes quaking. This
represents the first wave of God’s destructive judgments to fall on the
earth. There is later an earthquake at the opening of the sixth Seal
(Revelation 6:12). That comes at another wave of God’s wrath right after
probation closes. Here, when the coals reach the earth, a dual effect
occurs. This is before the close
of probation.
|
Thunder |
Trumpet |
|
|
(6:1)
Warning:
Something
is about
|
(earthquake)
(8:5)
Destructive
judgment
beginning –
Sealing of |
(
Destructive judgment
ending
|
This fourfold chain of cosmic disturbance (voices, thunder, lightning and
earthquake) has its precedent in the Old Testament, where it refers to
divine judgment (Exodus 19:16, 18; Psalms 68:8; 77:8-19; Isaiah 29:6;
Habakkuk 3). There are additional allusions to prayer for help (like we saw
from the martyrs in the fifth Seal) and then a divine response to the prayer
with fire coming from the temple and consuming the persecutors (Psalm
18:6-15, Habakkuk 2:20–3:15). Voices mean God is decreeing or making a
pronouncement. Thunder warns that judgment is about to come. “Lightning”
announces metaphorically that “God has arrived,” and “earthquake” symbolizes
its result.
Summary
During
the period between the fifth and sixth Seals (after the martyred saints cry
out a timing question, “How long?”), comes the first four Trumpets. It is to
this period that this commentary insert has special allusions.
Christ’s intercession continues. While it does so with increased intensity,
the first phase of God’s wrath begins. The same “coals” that begin punishing
the wicked seal the saints. This period is the grand finale of the
conflict between good and evil. During this time the last gospel appeal will
be given to the world in a crescendoing cry. It is when the “two witnesses”
of Revelation 11 finish their work.