The Coming Storm: Prayers of Incense, Seven Angels Prepare
Introduction
In the book of Revelation, we encounter some of the most profound and mystical imagery in all of Scripture. Today, we turn our attention to a passage that depicts a moment of divine preparation: a holy pause before judgment, where the prayers of God's people play a crucial role in the unfolding of His purposes.
Revelation 8:2-6 offers us a glimpse into the throne room of heaven, where seven angels stand before God, trumpets in hand, ready to announce the approaching judgment. Yet before these trumpets sound, there is a significant moment of intercession where the prayers of the saints rise like incense before the Almighty.
This imagery reveals profound truths about prayer, divine timing, and the connection between heaven and earth. As we explore this text together, we'll discover how our prayers are not forgotten but are gathered and presented before God Himself. And we'll see how even in the midst of impending judgment, God's mercy and compassion remain evident.
Let us turn to Revelation 8:2-6:
"And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets. Then 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. Now the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to blow them."
1. Appointed by Compassion: The Vision of the Seven Angels
"And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets." – Revelation 8:2
The number seven in Scripture consistently symbolizes completeness and perfection. We see this throughout the Bible: seven days of creation, seven churches in Revelation, and here, seven angels with seven trumpets. This indicates not random judgment but the perfect, complete, and measured response of God to the sin and rebellion of humanity.
These angels are described as those "who stand before God." These aren't ordinary angels but special attendants in God's throne room. Jewish tradition speaks of seven archangels who stand before God, including Michael and Gabriel. Their position indicates their readiness to serve, standing at attention before the Creator of all things.
To these angels were given seven trumpets. Trumpets are among the most significant musical instruments in Scripture, as they are associated with various important events.
In the Old Testament, trumpets served multiple purposes:
1. Summoning the congregation of Israel (Numbers 10:2).
2. Sounding the alarm in times of war (Numbers 10:9; 2 Chronicles 13:12; Ezekiel 33:3).
3. Marking religious feasts (Numbers 10:10; Psalm 81:3).
4. Announcing news (1 Samuel 13:3).
5. Acclaiming new kings (1 Kings 1:34, 39).
6. Aiding in worship (1 Chronicles 16:6, 42; 2 Chronicles 5:12-13).
Zephaniah 1:14-16 associates trumpets with the Day of the Lord, emphasizing their role in divine judgment.
In the New Testament, trumpets continue to hold prophetic significance. Scripture teaches that a trumpet will announce the Rapture (1 Corinthians 15:52; 1 Thessalonians 4:16) and that they will be linked to the judgments of that Day (Revelation 8:6ff).
All of these purposes converge in the trumpets of Revelation. They announce God's arrival in judgment, signal the beginning of spiritual warfare on an unprecedented scale, and warn of the coming storm of divine judgment.
Each of the seven trumpets unleashes a specific judgment, with an intensity greater than that of the first six seals but less destructive than the seven bowls (Revelation 16:1-21). Specifically, the first four trumpets devastate the earth’s ecology (Revelation 8:6-12), while the subsequent two bring about the demonic destruction of humanity (Revelation 8:13; 9:1-11, 13-19). Finally, the seventh trumpet serves to introduce the ultimate outpouring of God’s wrath, which is manifested in the seven bowl judgments.
Let me share a story that illustrates the importance of divine appointments. During World War II, a small church in rural England received word that German bombers were approaching their area. The church bell, which normally called people to worship, instead became a trumpet of warning. When the warning sounded, people sought shelter, and lives were saved. What's remarkable is that the church bell ringer had been appointed to that role just a month before, a man who had lost his legs in the previous war and couldn't serve in combat but could faithfully sound the warning to others.
Like that bell ringer, these seven angels were appointed not out of wrath but out of compassion: to sound a warning before judgment falls. God's judgments never come without warning. From Noah to Jonah to John the Baptist, God has always sent messengers ahead to call people to repentance.
Isaiah 30:18 reminds us: "Therefore the LORD waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the LORD is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him."
2. Censer of Redemption: Another Angel and the Prayers of the Saints
"Then 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." – Revelation 8:3-4
In this scene, we encounter "another angel" who approaches the altar with a golden censer. Some scholars believe this angel may represent Christ in His priestly role, offering the prayers of God's people before the Father. Whether this angel represents Christ or is another heavenly being, the action is significant: prayers are being offered before God's throne.
The golden censer recalls the Old Testament worship in the tabernacle and temple, where priests would burn incense as a pleasing aroma before God. As Psalm 141:2 states: "Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice." This powerful imagery reveals that our prayers are precious to God: as valuable as gold, as pleasing as fragrant incense.
Notice that this angel was "given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints." The prayers alone are not enough; they are mingled with incense. This suggests that our prayers, though sincere, are imperfect and need to be purified and made acceptable before God. Romans 8:26-27 explains this mystery: "Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words... the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God."
I once visited a small monastery in Greece where monks had been offering prayers continuously for centuries. Day and night, in shifts, prayers ascended like incense. One elderly monk told me, "We often don't see the results of our prayers in our lifetime. But we trust they are gathered in heaven's treasury." This image from Revelation confirms his faith, our prayers are not lost or forgotten but are gathered and preserved before God's throne.
There's a beautiful truth here: God collects our prayers. Revelation 5:8 describes "golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints." Like a parent who keeps every card and drawing from their child, God treasures our prayers. They don't evaporate or disappear but are collected and remembered.
Even prayers we think have gone unanswered are there in that golden bowl. The widow in Luke 18 who persisted in prayer before an unjust judge teaches us that persistence in prayer matters. Jesus asked, "When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?" (Luke 18:8). This persistent prayer is exactly what God treasures and collects.
3. Consecrated to Commission: The Casting of the Golden Censer
"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 8:4-5
Here we see a dramatic transformation. The same censer that offered prayers to God now returns to earth filled with fire. This reminds us of Isaiah's commissioning in Isaiah 6, where a coal from the altar purifies his lips. But here, the fire represents both purification and judgment.
This scene echoes the Day of Atonement ritual described in Leviticus 16:12-13, where the high priest would take coals from the altar and incense into the Holy of Holies. The incense smoke would cover the mercy seat, where God's presence dwelled. Christ, our High Priest, similarly makes atonement and intercession for us (Hebrews 9:11-14).
What's remarkable is how our prayers participate in God's actions on earth. When the censer filled with fire, the same censer that carried prayers, is cast to earth, creation responds with "thunder, rumblings, lightning, and an earthquake." Our prayers are not passive requests but active participation in God's purposes.
Let me illustrate this with a modern example. During the Cold War, Christians in Eastern Europe prayed faithfully for decades for freedom from Communist oppression. These prayers seemed to go unanswered year after year. But in 1989, something remarkable happened: the Berlin Wall fell, and Communist regimes collapsed across Eastern Europe with surprising speed and minimal bloodshed. Many historians still marvel at how quickly these seemingly impenetrable systems crumbled. Could it be that the prayers of the saints, collected over decades, were finally answered in a dramatic pouring out of God's response?
James 5:16-18 reminds us: "The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit."
Our prayers may seem small and ineffectual in the moment, but when gathered together and brought before God's throne, they have tremendous power. They become part of God's activity in the world.
4. Sounding the Sevenfold Warning: Preparing for the Coming Storm
"Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to blow them." - Revelation 8:6
Scripture describes various ranks and orders of angels, such as cherubim (Genesis 3:24), seraphim (Isaiah 6:2), archangels (1 Thessalonians 4:16; Jude 9), thrones, dominions, rulers, authorities (Colossians 1:16), and powers (Ephesians 6:12). Among these, a unique group, often called the "presence angels," appears to be one such order of high-ranking angels. The use of the definite article to describe them further emphasizes their distinctiveness. Furthermore, the verb translated "stand" is in the perfect tense, indicating that they have been in the constant presence of God for a considerable time. Gabriel, who appeared to Zacharias and Mary, may have been one of these high-ranking angels, as he identified himself to Zacharias as "one who stands in the presence of God" (Luke 1:19).
Now we come to a moment of preparation. The angels with trumpets "prepared to blow them." This pause is significant, it's the calm before the storm, the intake of breath before the trumpet blast. God never acts in hasty anger; even His judgments are measured and prepared.
Nahum 1:3 tells us: "The LORD is slow to anger and great in power, and the LORD will by no means clear the guilty. His way is in whirlwind and storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet."
The coming storm of God's judgment is not capricious or arbitrary but is the necessary response of a holy God to persistent rebellion and sin. Yet even here, we see mercy in the warning. Trumpets don't strike; they warn. They give time for repentance before judgment falls.
This recalls the fall of Jericho in Joshua 6, where trumpets sounded for seven days before the walls fell. The people of Jericho had time to repent like Rahab did, but they ignored the warning.
In our own time, we can see multiple "trumpets" warning humanity of impending judgment: environmental crises, pandemics, social upheaval, and moral decline. These may be merciful warnings before more severe judgments come.
Consider the tsunami that struck Southeast Asia in 2004. Before the massive waves hit, the water receded dramatically from the shoreline. Some recognized this as a warning sign and fled inland. Others, curious, wandered out to see the exposed seabed, only to be caught when the waters returned with devastating force. The physical warning was there, but not everyone heeded it.
Similarly, God provides warnings before judgment. Jesus lamented over Jerusalem: "How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!" (Matthew 23:37).
2 Peter 3:9-10 reminds us: "The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed."
Understanding the Key Elements
Let's take a moment to understand the key symbols in our passage:
Seven Angels - These represent the completeness of God's messengers and His message. They stand ready in God's presence, indicating both their authority and their submission to divine timing. They don't act on their own initiative but wait for God's command. In Psalm 103:20, we read: "Bless the LORD, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, obeying the voice of his word!"
Seven Trumpets - As mentioned earlier, trumpets in Scripture signify announcement, warning, and a call to assembly. The seven trumpets in Revelation announce God's judgments in perfect completeness. Jesus warned in Matthew 24:31 that the final gathering of God's people would be accompanied by "a loud trumpet call." The trumpets of Revelation are both a warning to the unrepentant and an assurance to believers that God's purposes are unfolding.
Another Angel - Whether representing Christ or another heavenly being, this figure serves as an intercessor and mediator, bringing the prayers of God's people before the throne. This reminds us of Christ's ongoing intercessory ministry on our behalf. Hebrews 7:25 assures us that "he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them."
The Coming Storm - The imagery of thunder, lightning, and earthquake that follows the casting down of the censer indicates divine judgment is approaching. Throughout Scripture, storms often symbolize God's judgment (as in the flood of Noah's day) but also His powerful presence (as at Mount Sinai). The prophet Ezekiel described God's presence as coming with "a stormy wind" (Ezekiel 1:4). The coming storm in Revelation represents God addressing the injustice, sin, and rebellion in the world.
Conclusion: Finding Shelter in the Storm
As we conclude our examination of this profound passage, we're left with several vital truths:
First, our prayers matter more than we know. They are gathered before God's throne, mingled with the perfect intercession of Christ, and participate in God's purposes on earth. Even when we don't see immediate answers, our prayers are not forgotten but collected in heaven's treasury.
Second, God's judgments are never without warning. The trumpets remind us that God gives time for repentance before judgment falls. As Peter reminds us, God is "patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance" (2 Peter 3:9).
Third, even in judgment, God remembers mercy. The very structure of Revelation 8: prayers rising before judgment falls, reveals God's compassionate heart. As Habakkuk prayed, "in wrath remember mercy" (Habakkuk 3:2), and God does precisely that.
Finally, our security in the coming storm is found in Christ alone. Just as Noah found safety in the ark and the Israelites found protection under the blood of the Passover lamb, we find our refuge in Christ. As the hymn writer put it: "The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose, I will not, I will not desert to its foes; That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake, I'll never, no never, no never forsake."
Jesus Himself promised in John 16:33: "I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world."
The coming storm revealed in Revelation is not the final word. Beyond the judgment lies restoration. Beyond the storm lies eternal peace. Revelation begins with judgment but ends with the tree of life whose leaves are "for the healing of the nations" (Revelation 22:2).
So let our response be threefold:
1. Let us pray with renewed confidence, knowing our prayers are precious to God and powerful in their effect.
2. Let us heed the warnings God sends, living lives of repentance and faith.
3. Let us find our refuge in Christ, the perfect intercessor, who stands before God on our behalf.
As the Psalmist declared: "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling" (Psalm 46:1-3).
The trumpets are being prepared. The storm is coming. But in Christ, we have a shelter that will never fail.
Let us pray.
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Blessings,
Pastor JM Raja Lawrence
Andaman & Nicobar Islands
email: lawrencejmr@gmail.com
Mobile: +91 9933250072
