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, every sigh from those who were murdered, all the pain and tears caused
by violence: all those prayers are offered up to God on the alter, 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 wants to
be 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.
IMAGE CREDIT: Illustration of the Angel with Golden
Censer is by artist Gebhard Fugel (1863-1939, Germany.)