ANGEL WITH CENSER

 

ANGEL WITH CENSER Study of Revelation Continued REVELATION 8.3 Another angel came and stood over the altar, having a golden censer. Much incense was given to him, that he should add it to the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar which was before the throne. 8.4 The smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, went up before God out of the angel’s hand. 8.5 The angel took the censer, and he filled it with the fire of the altar, and threw it on the earth. There followed thunders, sounds, lightnings, and an earthquake. -WEB Bible It is encouraging to know that God saves our prayers! Every prayer for help, for relief, for justice is heard and recorded. In answer to those prayers, which God has saved and treasured, the wrath of God is ready to be poured out on the perpetrators of violence and corruption. Every cry of torment, all the pain and tears caused by violence, every lie told in malice, every injustice inflicted on the innocent: all those prayers are offered up to God on the altar, along with incense. Then the angel puts coals from the altar into the golden censer, and it is hurled to earth. "Vengeance is mine, I will repay," says the LORD in Deuteronomy 32:35. This theme is repeated frequently throughout the Bible. God insists He is in charge of retribution, and He promises to take care of it. Now, the day of the Lord's vengeance has finally arrived. All the events of the Seventh Seal are related to the wrath of God: 7 Trumpets, 3 Woes and 7 Bowls of Wrath. This is no halfway effort on the part of God! As it says in Revelation 16, the full fury of God's wrath will be known to all when the events of the Seven Trumpets are completed. And, this season of wrath will never be forgotten, either. This study of Revelation will continue on Thursdays from now on, beginning with the First Trumpet. IMAGE CREDIT: Illustration of the Angel with Golden Censer is by artist Carl Timoleon von Neff 1805-1877, Russian artist.