Revelation 8:5

Verse

Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it to the earth; and there were peals of thunder, and rumblings, and flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.

American Standard Version (1901)

And the angel taketh the censer; and he filled it with the fire of the altar, and cast it upon the earth: and there followed thunders, and voices, and lightnings, and an earthquake.

Bible in Basic English

And the angel took the vessel; and he made it full of the fire of the altar, and sent it down on the earth: and there came thunders and voices and flames and a shaking of the earth.

Douay-Rheims 1899

And the angel took the censer, and filled it with the fire of the altar, and cast it on the earth, and there were thunders and voices and lightnings, and a great earthquake.

Free Bible Version

The angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it down upon the earth; there was the sound of thunder, with lightning flashes, and a terrible earthquake.

Geneva Bible 1599

And the Angel tooke the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth, and there were voyces, and thundrings, and lightnings, and earthquake.

King James (Authorized) Version

And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.

Translation for Translators

In response, the angel took the golden incense burner and filled it with coals of fire from the altar. He threw the contents of the [MTY] incense burner onto the earth. Thunder sounded and rumbled, lightning was flashing, and the earth shook.

Unlocked Literal Bible

The angel took the incense bowl and filled it with fire from the altar. Then he threw it down to the earth, and there were crashes of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.

Noah Webster Bible

And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it upon the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.

World English Bible

The angel took the censer, and he filled it with the fire of the altar, then threw it on the earth. Thunders, sounds, lightnings, and an earthquake followed.

Young's Literal Translation

and the messenger took the censer, and did fill it out of the fire of the altar, and did cast [it] to the earth, and there came voices, and thunders, and lightnings, and an earthquake.

Context

The Seventh Seal

⁴And the smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, rose up before God from the hand of the angel.⁵Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it to the earth; and there were peals of thunder, and rumblings, and flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.

Sermons

The Fire of God

Richard E. Bieber

His Future Work in Connection With the Earth

Arno Clemens Gaebelein

Summary

In Revelation 8:5, the imagery of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake symbolize the powerful and awe-inspiring nature of God's judgment. The angel's action of throwing fire from the altar to the earth signifies the execution of divine justice and the beginning of God's wrath being poured out. This verse conveys the solemn reality of God's righteous judgment upon the world, highlighting the significance of repentance and turning to Him before the final day of reckoning. It serves as a reminder of the sovereignty and holiness of God, calling for reverence and obedience in light of His impending judgment.

Commentary

Adam Clarke
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
John Gill
Tyndale

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

Cast it into the earth - That is, upon the land of Judea; intimating the judgments and desolations which were now coming upon it, and which appear to be farther opened in the sounding of the seven trumpets. There were voices - All these seem to point out the confusion, commotions, distresses, and miseries, which were coming upon these people in the wars which were at hand.

John Gill Bible Commentary

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 the priest "that was worthy to use a censer (e); who took a silver censer, and went to the top of the altar (of burnt offering), and having removed the coals there, and there took them in his censer, and went down and emptied them into a golden one, and there was scattered from it about a kab of coals;'' for the golden one held a kab less than the silver one (f); 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 the apostles as cloven tongues of fire on the day of Pentecost; and which they suppose were now plentifully bestowed on the ministers of the word, to enlighten them, inspire them with zeal, and abundantly fit them for the work of the ministry, in consequence of Christ's mediation and intercession: and others think the Gospel is intended, which is sometimes compared to fire, Jer 20:9, or else those contentions and quarrels which, through the corruptions of men, arise on account of the Gospel, Luk 12:49; though rather by fire here are meant the judgments of God, and his wrath and fury poured forth like fire upon the Roman empire, now become Christian; and so was an emblem of those calamities coming upon it at the sounding of the trumpets; and shows that as Christ prays and intercedes for his, own people, for their comfort and safety, so he will bring down, his judgments upon his and their enemies; see Eze 10:2; and the Targum 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 men by the sons of thunder, enlightening their minds, and shaking their consciences; the like were at the giving of the law, Exo 19:16; or rather of those terrors, distresses, and commotions in the world, because of God's righteous judgments, and which particularly will be at the sound of the seventh trumpet, and the pouring out of the seventh vial, Rev 11:15; the allusion is to the sounds that were heard at the time of the daily sacrifice; for besides the blowing of the trumpets by the priests, and the singing of the Levites, of which See Gill on Rev 8:2; there was a musical instrument called "magrephah" (g), which being sounded, a man could not hear another speak in Jerusalem: yea, they say it was heard as far as Jericho. (e) Misn. Tamid. c. 5. sect. 5. (f) Vid. Misn. Yoma, c. 4. sect. 4. (g) Misn. Tamid. c. 5. sect. 6. & 3. 8.

Revelation 8:5

The Seventh Seal

Scripture
Sermons
Commentary

Berean Standard Bible

Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it to the earth; and there were peals of thunder, and rumblings, and flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.

American Standard Version (1901)

And the angel taketh the censer; and he filled it with the fire of the altar, and cast it upon the earth: and there followed thunders, and voices, and lightnings, and an earthquake.

Bible in Basic English

And the angel took the vessel; and he made it full of the fire of the altar, and sent it down on the earth: and there came thunders and voices and flames and a shaking of the earth.

Douay-Rheims 1899

And the angel took the censer, and filled it with the fire of the altar, and cast it on the earth, and there were thunders and voices and lightnings, and a great earthquake.

Free Bible Version

The angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it down upon the earth; there was the sound of thunder, with lightning flashes, and a terrible earthquake.

Geneva Bible 1599

And the Angel tooke the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth, and there were voyces, and thundrings, and lightnings, and earthquake.

King James (Authorized) Version

And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.

Translation for Translators

Unlocked Literal Bible

The angel took the incense bowl and filled it with fire from the altar. Then he threw it down to the earth, and there were crashes of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.

Noah Webster Bible

And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it upon the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.

World English Bible

The angel took the censer, and he filled it with the fire of the altar, then threw it on the earth. Thunders, sounds, lightnings, and an earthquake followed.

Young's Literal Translation

and the messenger took the censer, and did fill it out of the fire of the altar, and did cast [it] to the earth, and there came voices, and thunders, and lightnings, and an earthquake.

Adam Clarke
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
John Gill
Tyndale

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

John Gill Bible Commentary

Revelation 8:5

Verse

Context

The Seventh Seal

Sermons

Summary

Commentary

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

John Gill Bible Commentary

Tyndale Open Study Notes

Revelation 8:5

The Seventh Seal

The Fire of God

His Future Work in Connection With the Earth

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

John Gill Bible Commentary

Tyndale Open Study Notes