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33. Heaven's Glowing Coal
Revelation 8.1-4
"When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. And I saw the seven angels standing before God who gave seven trumpets to them." Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He received much incense to offer, with all God's people's prayers, on the golden altar in front of the throne. The incense smoke, together with God's people's prayers, went up before God from the angel's hand." (Revelation 8.1-4) ✞
Dramatic Silence
This passage begins with an intensely dramatic "silence in heaven" for about half an hour before the woes follow. This time must have been a shattering silence for John of Patmos after the previous minutes' trumpets, singing, and earthquakes. Then follows the first of four trumpet blasts, each of which heralds a new catastrophe. ✞
Incense Types
Another angel brings a golden censer. This burning incense container could be a floor model with fragrance burned on the top like those used in Jesus' day. On a holiday trip to Port Sunlight near Liverpool, I was impressed to discover a collection of such stone Roman incense altars at the "Lady Leverhulme Art Gallery," many of which had Latin inscriptions. ✞
Roman Incense Altars
The ancient Romans burned perfume on stone altars at building entrances. Today, we think of a swinging chain censer for incense or a Catholic "thurible." Incense is an aromatic material that comes as a liquid or granules like pebbly grains or sand and releases fragrant smoke when burned. There are many combinations of fragrance formulations, using frankincense (Boswellia tree resin), benzoin (balsamic Styrax tree resin), myrrh (fragrant gum resin), Styrax (from large shrubs), copal (tree resin), and other aromatic substances. Burning incense has the connotation of prayer rising. In heaven's Temple worship, the censer carries glowing coals. ✞
Incense and Prayer
Incense is entirely separate from prayer, and one is not representative of the other. The word "incense" comes from the Latin "incendere," meaning "to burn." The Bible speaks of incense smoke and the saints' prayers together. Psalm 141.2 says, "Let my prayer rise like incense in thy sight: the lifting up of my hands, as an evening sacrifice." "The incense" reminds us of the Lord God Almighty's faithfulness, for God alone is worthy to receive worship, praise, and supplications! ✞
Breathtaking Stillness
In Revelation, the saints' heavenly prayer is poured out from the angel's hand and rises to God with the altar's incense. Heaven holds a breathtaking stillness, which is even more memorable than the thunder and the lightning. This silence may mean two things - a narrative breathing space or a preparation moment before another shattering revelation. There is also something much more beautiful in it. The saints' prayers in heaven are about to ascend to God, and everything halts so that God may hear them. An Irish Biblical scholar, R. H. Charles (1855-1931), suggested, "The saints' needs are more important to God than all heaven's psalmody." The music and thunder of heaven are stilled so that God's ear may catch the humblest people's whispered prayer. A touching moment! ✞
Incense Altar
An angel stands at the Temple incense altar. An "altar" usually is "a place of slaughter or sacrifice" in the Hebrew Bible, but it burns incense. The word "altar" frequently appears in Revelation's picture of heaven. Revelation 6.9 says, "When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of the slain because of God's word and the testimony they had maintained." In Solomon's Temple, the incense altar stood before the Holy Place. It was made of gold, eighteen inches square and three feet tall, and had a protruding horn at each corner. A small railing, like a fence, kept the burning coals from rolling off. ✞
No Animal Sacrifice
Revelation's altar cannot be the burnt-offering altar, for there can be no animal sacrifice in heaven; it must therefore be "the incense altar." According to Leviticus 16.12, "Aaron is to take a censer full of burning altar coals from before the Lord and two handfuls of finely ground fragrant incense and take them behind the curtain." Numbers 16.46 adds, "Then Moses said to Aaron, 'Take your censer and place incense in it, along with the burning coals.'" ✞
Aromatic Fragrance
In Solomon's Temple, the priests burned incense before the first and after the last daily sacrifice. The people's offerings rose to God wrapped in an envelope of aromatic fragrance. Prayer is also a sacrifice to God. The incense aroma envelopes "the saints' prayers" as they rise to God. A person may have no other gift to offer, but they can submit their prayers to God who is always waiting to receive them. ✞
"Heaven's Glowing Coal"
by Ron Meacock © 2021
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