Charles Ellicott Commentary Revelation 8:3

"And another angel came and stood over the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should add it unto the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne." — Revelation 8:3 (ASV)

And another angel came and stood at (or, over) the altar, having a golden censer.—The appearance of this other angel has given rise to some questioning and some strained explanations. Some have thought that by this other angel we are to understand Christ Himself. This is very doubtful: the designation “another angel” is against this view. There is really no need to ask who the several angels are: the book is symbolical. The angels are not particular personages, but symbolical of those agencies—whether personal, or natural, or supernatural—which are employed by Him who sits on the throne.

The angel stood at the altar. The altar mentioned in Revelation 6:2 corresponded with the altar of burnt sacrifice, which stood in the open court in front of the tabernacle or temple. The symbolism of the Apocalypse being so largely built up out of Jewish materials, we need not be surprised to find the altar of incense introduced here. This altar was of gold, and was situated in the holy place. Here the priest was used to burn incense, while the people outside were praying. We have an example of the custom in the history of Zechariah (Luke 1:8–11).

The scene described by Luke bears a close resemblance to this and gives a key to the symbolism. The prayers of the people and the smoke of the incense are ascending together. The angel has a golden censer. The word here rendered censer is used sometimes for the incense, but the epithet “golden” shows that it is the vessel to hold the incense which is intended. The censer is of gold, as was the altar, and as are so many things in the Apocalypse (Revelation 5:8; Revelation 15:6–7; Revelation 21:15; Revelation 21:21).

And there was given to him much incense...—Literally, And there was given to him much incense that he might (not “offer it with,” as the English version, but) give it to the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.

The incense was to be mingled with the prayers of the saints. The incense was added to give a fragrance to the prayers of the saints and render them acceptable before God. The action of the angel has been spoken of as though it might lend support to the erroneous doctrine of the mediatorship of saints and angels.

It is only when we persist in viewing symbols as literal facts that there is any danger of such an inference. Dogmas whose only foundation is in the incidental symbolism of a prophetic book are poorly grounded. It is a safe canon that doctrinal inferences from metaphors are always to be suspected.

The angel here is a mere symbol of a divinely-appointed agency. No personal angel actually ever did what is described here: how could incense mix with prayers? The whole is symbolical of the truth that the prayers of all the saints need to be rendered acceptable by the infusion of some divine element.

The best prayers of the best saints are weak, polluted, and imperfect at best. The incense which is added to the prayers is not supplied by the angel: it is first given to him, and he then mingles it with the prayers of all saints. It is hard to forget here Him whose offering and sacrifice became a savour of sweet smell (Ephesians 5:1–2).

The altar is described as the golden altar—i.e., the altar of incense, as noted above. It is well for us to remember Dean Alford’s caution that we must not attempt to force the details of any of these visions into accordance with the arrangements of the tabernacle. “A general analogy in the use and character of the heavenly furniture is all that we can look for” (Alford, in loco).