Thunder roared, lightning flashed, and the earth shook!

After this, the angel filled the incense container with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth. Thunder roared, lightning flashed, and the earth shook. (Revelation 8:5 CEV)

This chapter in the Book of Revelations is about an angel (possibly Jesus) that is giving the prayers of the believers on earth to God the father! In verse 4 we read that the incense represents the prayers of the believers and that God accepted the prayers of the believers. (This was broadly discussed in the last post). The incense container was now empty because the incense was burned and the smoke went upward and thus accepted by God the father!

In verse 5 we read that the empty incense container was filled with fire from the altar. The incense represents the prayers of the believers. The empty container represents that the prayers of the believers have now reached God the father. Now that the righteous is saved the angel proceeds with the next step!

The next step is to throw the fire on the earth. This is the same fire that was used to burn the incense. In other words, that which was used to take the prayers of believers to God the father was now being used in the judgment of the non-believers.

In other words, Christians are saved because we believe that Christ died for our sins so that we can receive the eternal life. Those that don’t believe that Christ died for their sins cannot receive the eternal life.

The main purpose of the core text of this post in the Book of Revelations is that it prepares the reader for the aftermath that now follows. The aftermath now is the first four trumpets that follow in this chapter!

Next time we will discuss the first trumpet!

Till next time!