John Gill Commentary Revelation 8

And when he had opened the seventh seal
That is, when the Lamb has opened the seventh and last seal of the scaled book:

there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour ;
not in the third heaven, the seat of the divine Being, of angels and glorified saints, where are hallelujahs without intermission; but in the church, which is oftentimes signified by heaven in this book, and where now the throne of God was placed, in that form as described in (Revelation 4:4–8) , or rather in the Roman empire: nor is this silence the sum of this seal, or the only thing in it; for it includes the preparation of the seven angels to take their trumpets, though none of them were sounded during this period.

This space of time some think refers to the time which elapsed, while the angel, who had incense given him to offer it with the prayers of saints, did so, and took fire off the altar with his censer, and cast it on the earth: and while the seven angels had their trumpets given them, and they were preparing to sound. Others are of opinion that this was only a pause, a breathing time for John between the former visions and seals, and the following; nothing being said or done, or anything exhibited to him during this interval; but he was at leisure to reflect on what he had seen, and to prepare for what was to come.

Others understand it of the amazement of the saints at the judgments of God, which were coming upon the Christian empire, and of their quiet and silent preparations for these troubles and combats, both within and without, they were to be exercised with; see (Zechariah 2:13) .

Others have thought that this refers to the state of the saints after the day of judgment, when there will be an entire cessation from persecution and trouble, and when the souls under the altar will have done crying for vengeance; but this will be not for half an hour only, but to all eternity; nor will angels and saints be then silent.

Rather this is to be understood of that peace and rest which the church enjoyed upon Constantine's having defeated all his enemies, when he brought the church into a state of profound tranquillity and ease; and this lasted but for a little while, which is here expressed by about, or almost half an hour, as the Syriac version renders it; for in a short time the Arian heresy broke out, which introduced great troubles in the church, and at last violent persecutions.

The allusion is, as in the whole of the following vision of the angel at the altar, to the offering of incense; at which time the people were removed from the temple, from between the porch and altar ^F12 , to some more distant place; and the priest was alone while he offered incense, and then prayed a short prayer, that the people might not be affrighted lest he should be dead ^F13 : and who in the mean while were praying in a silent, manner without; see (Luke 1:9Luke 1:10) ; hence the Jews say ^F14 , that the offering of incense atones for an ill tongue, for it is a thing that is introduced (yavxb) , "silently", and it atones for what is done silently, such as whisperings, backbitings and they call ^F15 silence the best of spices, even of those of which the sweet incense was made.

FOOTNOTES:

• F12: T. Tab. Yoma, fol. 44. 1. Maimon. Hilchot Tamidin, c. 3. sect. 3.
• F13: Misn. Yoma, c. 5. sect. 1.
• F14: T. Bab. Yoma, fol. 44. 1. & Zebachim, fol. 88. 2.
• F15: T. Bab. Megilla, fol. 18. 1.

And I saw the seven angels
Not the seven spirits of God, (Revelation 1:4) (5:5) ; their names, as well as their office, differ; nor the ministers of the word, though these are often called angels in this book, and blow the trumpet of the Gospel, and lift up their voice like a trumpet; but the angelic spirits, and these either evil ones, since they are the executioners of wrath and vengeance, and bring judgments on the earth; and who, are sometimes said to stand before God, (1 Kings 22:21 1 Kings 22:22) (Job 1:6) ; or rather good angels, who are sometimes ministers of divine wrath; see (2 Samuel 24:16 2 Samuel 24:17) (2 Kings 19:35) ; "seven" of them are mentioned, as being a proper number for the blowing of the seven trumpets, which would complete all the woes that were to come upon the world, and in allusion to the seven princes the eastern monarchs used to have continually about them, (Esther 1:14) , as it follows:

which stood before God ;
and denotes their nearness to him, and familiarity with him, they always behold his face; and their service and ministrations, and their readiness to execute his will: the allusion is to the two priests standing at the table of fat, with two silver trumpets in their hands, with which they blew, and another struck the cymbal, and the Levites sung, which was always done at the time of the daily sacrifice ^F16 :

and to them were given seven trumpets :
everyone had one; and which were an emblem of those wars, and desolations, and calamities, which would come upon the empire, and upon the world, at the blowing of each of them; the trumpet being an alarm, preparing for, proclaiming, and introducing these things; (Jeremiah 4:19) (Hosea 5:8) ; these are said to be given them; either by him that sat upon the throne, about which they were; or by the Lamb that opened the seal; and shows that they did nothing but what they had a commission and order to do. Here is manifestly an allusion to the priests and Levites blowing their trumpets at the close of the daily sacrifice, and at the offering of incense ^F17 as before observed.

FOOTNOTES:

• F16: Misn. Tamid. c. 7. sect. 3.
• F17: Maimon. Hilch. Tamidin, c. 6. sect. 5.

And another angel came
The Ethiopic version adds, "from the east", as in (Revelation 7:2); pointing to the same angel, and who is intended: for not a created angel, as Gabriel, or any other, is meant; nor any mere man, at least not Pope Damasus, who lived in Constantine's time, as Lyra thought; nor Constantine himself, which is the opinion of Brightman, who thinks that his, and the desires of other good men to make peace, and compose the differences occasioned by the Arian heresy, are designed by the incense and prayers; and this being brought about at the counsel of Nice, when the Arian blasphemy was condemned, and truth confirmed, is intended by the ascent of the smoke of the incense with the prayers, out of the angels hands; when there followed upon this great contentions, heart burnings, and persecutions, signified by fire, voices, thunderings and others, have been of opinion that the Emperor Theodosius is designed, and that respect is had to his prayer both in the church, and at the head of his army, before the battle with Eugenius, the saints in the mean while putting up united prayers to God for success, and which was obtained; and this victory was attended with a miraculous tempest, and gave a deadly blow to the Pagan religion.

Yet neither of those, but Christ himself, the Angel of the covenant, and of God's presence, is here intended, who appeared in an angelic form; so the high priest in the day of atonement was called (xylv) ^F18 , "an angel", or messenger, to which the allusion is;

and stood at the altar ;
either of burnt offerings, and may be rendered "stood upon it"; and so may represent his sacrifice, which had been lately offered up for the sins of his people, he being both altar, sacrifice, and priest; or rather the altar of incense, since mention is made of a censer and of incense, and the smoke of it; and seeing this altar is a golden one, as that was, and is before the throne, as that was before the vail by the ark of the testimony; (Exodus 30:1Exodus 30:3Exodus 30:6) ; and so Christ is here introduced as the high priest, advocate, and intercessor for his people,

though both altars may be respected in this verse: "the altar" may design the altar of burnt offering from which the coals were taken in the censer; and the "golden altar" the altar of incense where the coals were brought, the incense was put upon them and offered; and here he "stood" as everyone concerned in the service of the sanctuary did {s}:

having a golden censer ;
the Ethiopic version adds, "of fire": for this was a vessel in which were put burning coals of fire taken from off the altar before the Lord (Leviticus 16:12) , and which may denote the sufferings of Christ, the pains he endured in his body the sorrows of his soul, and the wrath of God which was poured like fire upon him; the altar from which they were taken off was typical of Christ: in his divine nature which is the altar that sanctifies the gift, and gave virtue to his blood and sacrifice; and all this being before the Lord may show that Christ's sufferings were according to the will of God, were grateful to him, and always before him; for these burning coals in the censer were also carried within the vail, representing heaven, where Christ entered by his own blood and where he is as a Lamb that had been slain, the efficacy of whose death always continues; and this being a golden censer shows the excellency and perpetuity of Christ's sacrifice and intercession.

In the daily service the priest used a silver censer, but on the day of atonement a golden one ^F20 ; though at the daily sacrifice there was a vessel used, called (Pkh) , like to a large golden bushel, in which was a smaller vessel full of incense ^F21 , and may be what is here designed:

and there was given unto him much incense ;
the intercession of Christ is meant by "the incense", which, like that, is sweet and fragrant, very grateful and acceptable to God and also pure and holy; for though it is made for transgressors, yet in a way of righteousness, and consistent with the holiness and justice of God; nor is there any like it, nor should there be any besides it; the intercession of angels, and saints departed, ought to be rejected; and it is perpetual, or will be for ever; see (Exodus 30:7Exodus 30:8Exodus 30:34–38) ;

and whereas it is said to be "much", this is an allusion either to the many spices used in the composition of the incense, see (Exodus 30:34) ; the Jews say ^F23 , that eleven sorts of spices were ordered to Moses, and the wise men have added three more, in all fourteen; or to the priest's handfuls of incense, which he took and brought within the vail on the day of atonement, (Leviticus 16:12) ; and which were added to, and were over and above the quantity used every day ^F24 ; and even in the daily service the pot of incense was not only filled, but (vwdg) , "heaped up" ^F25 ; now this may denote the fulness of Christ's intercession, which is for all his elect, called and uncalled, greater or lesser believers, and for all things for them, as their cases be; for conversion, discoveries of pardon, preservation, perseverance, and glorification; and to support this, he has a fulness of merit, which makes his intercession efficacious; for incense was put upon the burning coals in the censer, or upon the fire before the Lord, (Leviticus 16:13) , signifying that Christ's intercession proceeds upon his sufferings and death; his blood and sacrifice, from which all his pleas and arguments are taken in favour of his people, and which always prevail:

and this is said to be given him, as his whole work and office as Mediator, and every branch of it is; he is appointed to this work, is allowed to do it, and is accepted in it, by him that sits upon the throne: In the daily offering of the incense, one took the incense and gave it into the hand of his friend, or the priest that was next him; and if he wanted instruction how to offer it, he taught him, nor might anyone offer incense until the president bid him ^F26 ; to which there seems to be an allusion here: now the end of this was,

that he should offer [it] with the prayers of all saints upon the
golden altar which was before the throne ;
the Vulgate Latin and Ethiopic versions add, "of God"; the prayers of the saints, rightly performed, are themselves compared to incense, being very grateful and acceptable to God, (Psalms 141:2) ; and the Arabic version here renders it in connection with the preceding clause, and explanative of that, "and there was given unto him much incense and much spice, which are the prayers of the saints", as in (Revelation 5:8) ; and at the time of incense the people prayed; see (Luke 1:10) ; and these are spiritual sacrifices, which Christ the high priest presents for the saints, perfumes with the incense of his mediation, and makes acceptable to God, being offered upon, and coming up from that altar which is before him, and which gives value to everything that is put upon it:

and they are the prayers of saints, who are set apart by God the Father, whose sins are expiated by the blood of Christ, and who are sanctified by the Spirit of God; who draw nigh to God with a true heart, and call upon him out of a pure heart, and in sincerity and truth; the prayers of such righteous ones, through faith in Christ, avail much with God; and the prayers of all saints are regarded by Christ, and presented by him, whether they be rich or poor, high or low, greater or lesser believers.

The Jews often speak of an angel, whose name is Sandalphon, who is appointed over the prayers of the righteous, and takes them and presents them to God ^F1 : so Raphael in the Apocrypha: ``I am Raphael, one of the seven holy angels, which present the prayers of the saints, and which go in and out before the glory of the Holy One.'' says he was one of the seven holy angels that carry up the prayers of the saints; and the heretic Elxai, who was originally a Jew, talked of the holy angels of prayer ^F2 : so the Jews say, that God "by", or "through his Word", receives the prayers of Israel, and has mercy on them ^F3 .

In the Greek text it is, "that he should give" that is, the "incense", agreeably to the Hebrew phrase in (Numbers 16:47) , and elsewhere.

FOOTNOTES:

• F18: Misn. Yoma, c. 1. sect. 5.
• F20: Yoma, c. 4. sect. 4.
• F21: Misn. Tamid. c. 5. sect. 4.
• F23: Maimon. Cele Hamikdash, c. 2. sect. 1, 2.
• F24: Yoma, c. 5. sect. 1. & T. Bab. Yoma, fol. 47. 1.
• F25: Misn. Tamid. c. 5. sect. 4.
• F26: Misn. Tamid. c. 6. sect. 3. Maimon. Tamidin, c. 3. sect. 8, 9.
• F1: Zohar in Gen. fol. 97. 2. & in Exod. fol. 99. 1. Shemot Rabba, sect. 21. fol. 106. 2.
• F2: Epiphan. Contr. Haeres. l. 1. Haeres. 19.
• F3: Targum in Hos. xiv. 8.

And the smoke of the incense
For the incense being put, as it was used to be, upon burning coals of fire, caused a smoke to arise like a cloud, (Leviticus 16:13) (Ezekiel 8:11) ; so that the whole house, or temple, was filled with it ^F4 :

[which came] with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God out
of the angel's hand ;
alluding to the incense the priest took in his hand, and cast upon the burning coals; and shows how by the smoke of the incense, or the virtue of Christ's mediation, the imperfections of the prayers of the saints are covered; and how they are perfumed and made acceptable to God; and so are said to ascend up before him, and to be regarded by him, as the prayers of Cornelius were, (Acts 10:4) ; now all this is expressive of the wonderful affection of Christ for his church and people, and care of them; that before the angels sound their trumpets, and bring on wars and desolations into the empire, Christ is represented as interceding for them, and presenting their prayers both for deliverance for themselves, and vengeance on their enemies.

FOOTNOTES:

• F4: Misn. Yoma, c. 5. sect. 1.

And the angel took the censer
The golden one before mentioned, the use of which was to take and carry in it burning coals of fire:

and filled it with fire of the altar ;
of burnt offering, for upon that, and not upon the altar of incense, fire was; the allusion is to thepriest that was worthy to use a censer ^F5 ; who took a silver censer, and went to the top ofthe altar (of burnt offering), and having removed the coals there, and there took them in his censer, andwent down and emptied them into a golden one, and there was scattered from it about a kab of coals;'' for thegolden one held a kab less than the silver one ^F6 ;

and cast [it] into the earth :
the Roman empire: by "fire" some understand the Spirit of God, and his gifts and graces, which sat upon theapostles as cloven tongues of fire on the day of Pentecost; and which they suppose were now plentifullybestowed on the ministers of the word, to enlighten them, inspire them with zeal, and abundantly fit them forthe work of the ministry, in consequence of Christ's mediation and intercession: and others think the Gospelis intended, which is sometimes compared to fire, (Jeremiah 20:9) (23:29) , or else those contentions andquarrels which, through the corruptions of men, arise on account of the Gospel, (Luke 12:49) ;

though rather by fire here are meant the judgments of God, and his wrath and fury poured forth like fire upon theRoman empire, now become Christian; and so was an emblem of those calamities coming upon it at the soundingof the trumpets; and shows that as Christ prays and intercedes for his, own people, for their comfort andsafety, so he will bring down, his judgments upon his and their enemies; see (Ezekiel 10:2) ; and theTargum on it:

and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an
earthquake ;
which may be understood either of the nature, use, and effects of the Gospel, speaking to the hearts of menby the sons of thunder, enlightening their minds, and shaking their consciences; the like were at the givingof the law, (Exodus 19:16) ; or rather of those terrors, distresses, and commotions in the world, becauseof God's righteous judgments, and which particularly will be at the sound of the seventh trumpet, and thepouring out of the seventh vial, (Revelation 11:15) (Revelation 16:17Revelation 16:18) ;

the allusion is to the sounds that were heard at the time of the daily sacrifice; for besides the blowing of the trumpets bythe priests, and the singing of the Levites, of which (See Gill on Revelation 8:2); there was amusical instrument called (hprgm) , "magrephah" ^F7. Which beingsounded, a man could not hear another speak in Jerusalem: yea, they say it was heard as far as Jericho.

FOOTNOTES:

• F5: Misn. Tamid. c. 5. sect. 5.
• F6: Vid. Misn. Yoma, c. 4. sect. 4.
• F7: Misn. Tamid. c. 5. sect. 6. & 3. 8.