Revelation 8:3

Revelation 8:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.
• New International Version (NIV)Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people, on the golden altar in front of the throne.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And 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,
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.

Context of Revelation 8:3

1When He (the Lamb) broke open the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour [in awe of God’s impending judgment]. 2Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. Another angel came and stood at the altar. He had a golden censer, and much incense was given to him, so that he might add it to the prayers of all the saints (God’s people) on the golden altar in front of the throne. 4And the smoke and fragrant aroma of the incense, with the prayers of the saints (God’s people), ascended before God from the angel’s hand. 5So the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it to the earth; and there were peals of thunder and loud rumblings and sounds and flashes of lightning and an earthquake.

Revelation 8:3 word by word

Καὶ ἄλλος ἄγγελος ἦλθεν καὶ ἐστάθη ἐπὶ τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου ἔχων λιβανωτὸν χρυσοῦν. καὶ ἐδόθη αὐτῷ θυμιάματα πολλὰ ἵνα δώσει ταῖς προσευχαῖς τῶν ἁγίων πάντων ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον τὸ χρυσοῦν τὸ ἐνώπιον τοῦ θρόνου.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• anotherἄλλοςallos · anotherG243
• angelἄγγελοςaggelos · angelG32
• cameἔρχομαιerchomai · to come/goG2064
• stoodἵστημιhistēmi · to standG2476
• atἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
• the altarὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the altarθυσιαστήριονthusiastērion · altarG2379
• havingἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
• a goldenχρύσεοςchruseos · goldenG5552
• censerλιβανωτόςlibanōtos · censerG3031
• there was givenδίδωμιdidōmi · to giveG1325
• unto himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• muchπολύςpolus polos · muchG4183
• incenseθυμίαμαthumiama · incenseG2368
• thatἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
• with the prayersπροσευχήproseuchē · prayerG4335
• of allπᾶςpas · allG3956
• saintsἅγιοςhagios · holy: saintG40
• beforeἐνώπιονenōpion · beforeG1799
• the throneθρόνοςthronos · throneG2362

Cross-references for Revelation 8:3

• Revelation 7:2Then I saw another angel coming up from the rising of the sun, holding the seal of the living God; and with a loud voice he called out to the four angels to whom it was granted [to have authority and power] to harm the earth and the sea,
• Revelation 10:1Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, clothed in a cloud, with a rainbow (halo) over his head; and his face was like the sun, and his feet (legs) were like columns of fire;
• Genesis 48:15Then Jacob (Israel) blessed Joseph, and said, “The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked [in faithful obedience], The God who has been my Shepherd [leading and caring for me] all my life to this day,
• Exodus 3:2The Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing flame of fire from the midst of a bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush was on fire, yet it was not consumed.
• Acts 7:30“After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in the flame of a burning thorn bush.
• Revelation 9:13Then the sixth angel sounded [his trumpet], and I heard a solitary voice from the four horns of the golden altar which stands before God,
• Exodus 30:1“You shall make an altar upon which to burn incense; you shall make it of acacia wood.
• 2 Chronicles 26:16But when Uzziah became strong, he became so proud [of himself and his accomplishments] that he acted corruptly, and he was unfaithful and sinned against the Lord his God, for he went into the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense.
• Romans 8:34Who is the one who condemns us? Christ Jesus is the One who died [to pay our penalty], and more than that, who was raised [from the dead], and who is at the right hand of God interceding [with the Father] for us.
• Hebrews 7:25Therefore He is able also to save forever (completely, perfectly, for eternity) those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede and intervene on their behalf [with God].
• Leviticus 16:12He shall take a censer full of burning coals from the [bronze] altar before the Lord, and two handfuls of finely ground sweet incense, and bring it inside the veil [into the Most Holy Place],
• 1 Kings 7:50the cups, snuffers, bowls, spoons, firepans—of pure gold; and the hinges of gold [both] for the doors of the inner house, the Holy of Holies, and for the doors of the house, the main room [the Holy Place].
• Hebrews 9:4having the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered entirely with gold. This contained a golden jar which held the manna, and the rod of Aaron that sprouted, and the [two stone] tablets of the covenant [inscribed with the Ten Commandments];
• Leviticus 16:13and put the incense on the fire [in the censer] before the Lord, so that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is on [the ark of] the Testimony, otherwise he will die.
• Numbers 16:46Moses said to Aaron, “Take a censer and put fire in it from the altar and lay incense on it; then bring it quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them, for wrath has gone forth from the Lord; the plague has begun!”
• Malachi 1:11For from the rising of the sun, even to its setting, My name shall be great among the nations. In every place incense is going to be offered to My name, and a grain offering that is pure; for My name shall be great among the nations,” says the Lord of hosts.

Commentaries on Revelation 8:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3Another angel - About to perform the office of priest. Having a golden censer - This was a preparation peculiar to the day of expiation. "On other days it was the custom of the priest to take fire from the great altar in a silver censer, but on the day of expiation the high priest took the fire from the great altar in a golden censer; and when he was come down from the great altar, he took incense from one of the priests, who brought it to him, and went…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3And another angel came - Who this angel was is not mentioned, nor have we any means of determining. Of course a great variety of opinion has been entertained on the subject (see Poole‘s Synopsis) - some referring it to angels in general; others to the ministry of the church; others to Constantine; others to Michael; and many others to the Lord Jesus. All that we know is, that it was an angel who thus appeared, and there is nothing inconsistent in the…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3-4The prayers of God's people ask for God's final justice and judgment (Revelation 6:10–11; see also 5:8; Ezra 9:5–6; Psalm 141:2; Daniel 9:21). The mix of incense and prayers that reaches God's presence shows that God hears them (see Revelation 6:9–11) and is ready to act.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. another angel--not Christ, as many think; for He, in Revelation, is always designated by one of His proper titles; though, doubtless, He is the only true High Priest, the Angel of the Covenant, standing before the golden altar of incense, and there, as Mediator, offering up His people's prayers, rendered acceptable before God through the incense of His merit. Here the angel acts merely as a ministering spirit (He 1:4), just as the twenty-four elders…Read the comment

Topics related to Revelation 8:3

• Altar
• Angel (a Spirit)
• Censer
• Incense
• Intercession
• Meteorology and Celestial Phenomena
• Prayer

In the dictionaries

• Altar
• Censer
• Frankincense
• Incense
• Ethics
• Literature, Sub-Apostolic
• Midian; Midianites
• Revelation of John
• Tabernacle

Commentaries on Revelation 8

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings