“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. Then the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth, and there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.”
Revelation 8:3-5
Since we don’t use censers for incense I thought it would be helpful to show you what a censer looks like in modern times. I was picturing more of a fireplace shovel. I assume for humans that some kind of shovel or tongs were used to move the fire / coals into the censer. Maybe angels don’t need such implements. Or the angel here just scooped coals directly from the altar into his censer to be most efficient.
We know from earlier in the book that our prayers are collected before God, rising as a pleasing aroma to him like incense (Rev. 5:8). Here in chapter eight we have that same visual, but now it is combined with the outpouring of God’s judgment on the earth. Remember that thunder, lightning and earthquakes are signs of the Day of the Lord. So with this preparation from God’s own throne room, combined with our collected prayers, the trumpets of God’s final judgment are about to sound forth.
If you didn’t see my earlier post about symbolism in Revelation, reading this book as a lens rather than a code, please check that out. The framework is really helpful (thanks Bible Project!).
Really the whole Bible is a lens through which to see God, ourselves and the world. And since the Bible is so beautifully interconnected, passages like this one point us back to other places in Scripture to enhance our understanding. So where in the Bible do censers factor prominently?
Korah’s rebellion.
Now Korah the son of Izhar, son of Kohath, son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, and On the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men. And they rose up before Moses, with a number of the people of Israel, 250 chiefs of the congregation, chosen from the assembly, well-known men. They assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron and said to them, “You have gone too far! For all in the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the Lord?”
Numbers 16:1-3
Korah was a Levite, but was not descended from Aaron, so he and his family were qualified to help with the management of the tabernacle, but were not qualified to minister as priests before the Lord. The other men who went with Korah were not even Levites. Their claim was correct – that all Israelites were holy – but their application was wrong. It wasn’t that Moses and Aaron had exalted themselves but that God had appointed them for specific duties.
In the same way, God had appointed the Levites for delineated tasks.
“But appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the testimony, and over all its furnishings, and over all that belongs to it. They are to carry the tabernacle and all its furnishings, and they shall take care of it and shall camp around the tabernacle… And the Levites shall keep guard over the tabernacle of the testimony.”
Numbers 1:50, 53
But Korah and his band of malcontents were not willing to accept their assignments. They were jealous of Moses and Aaron and publicly defied these two commissioned servants of the Lord. So Moses ordered a contest.
“Do this: take censers, Korah and all his company; put fire in them and put incense on them before the Lord tomorrow, and the man whom the Lord chooses shall be the holy one.”
Numbers 16:6-7
It was 250 against one. Korah and his minions v. Aaron, the designated high priest. They all brought censers filled with fire and incense and gathered before the tent of meeting. Suddenly, the glory of the Lord appeared and God spoke.
“And the Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, ‘Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.’ And they fell on their faces and said, ‘O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and will you be angry with all the congregation?’”
Numbers 16:20-22
God threatened to destroy all of the Israelites and only the intercession of Moses saved them. But it was too late for Korah and the others with him. God ordered everyone who feared Him to move away from Korah’s tent and the tents of the other men who had gathered together to oppose Moses and Aaron.
“And as soon as he had finished speaking all these words, the ground under them split apart. And the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and all the people who belonged to Korah and all their goods… And fire came out from the Lord and consumed the 250 men offering the incense.”
Numbers 16:31-32, 35
So when we read about golden censers, earthquakes and rumblings in Revelation 8, our thoughts should go back to Korah’s rebellion. The ground split open. Fire came from heaven. God’s judgment fell in fiery fury on those who rejected His Law and His Leader.
And so the 7 trumpets begin to blow. And God’s judgment begins to fall on a world that has rejected His Law and His Anointed Leader.
There are lots of lessons to learn here. But an important one is contentment. Whatever place in life and ministry God has assigned to you, you are well advised not to complain about it.