Revelation 8:4

Revelation 8:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand.
• New International Version (NIV)The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God from the angel’s hand.
• English Standard Version (ESV)and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand.

Context of Revelation 8:4

2Then I saw the seven angels who stand in front of God. Someone gave them seven trumpets. 3Then another angel came. He stood at the altar where people offered gifts to God. He had a gold bowl to put incense in. He received a lot of incense and he burned it as a gift to God. It made a nice smell and it mixed with the prayers of God's people. The angel offered the incense and the prayers on the gold altar that was in front of God's throne. When he did that, the smoke from the incense went up in front of God. The prayers of God's people also went up to God. 5Then the angel took the gold bowl and he filled it with fire from the altar. Then he threw it all down onto the earth. There were loud noises and the sound of thunder. There was bright lightning, like a very bad storm. The earth shook with an earthquake. 6Then the seven angels with the seven trumpets prepared to make a noise with their trumpets.

Revelation 8:4 word by word

καὶ ἀνέβη ὁ καπνὸς τῶν θυμιαμάτων ταῖς προσευχαῖς τῶν ἁγίων ἐκ χειρὸς τοῦ ἀγγέλου ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• the smokeὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the smokeκαπνόςkapnos · smokeG2586
• of the incenseθυμίαμαthumiama · incenseG2368
• with the prayersπροσευχήproseuchē · prayerG4335
• of the saintsἅγιοςhagios · holy: saintG40
• ascended upἀναβαίνωanabainō · to ascendG305
• beforeἐνώπιονenōpion · beforeG1799
• Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• outἐκek ex · out fromG1537
• of the angel’sἄγγελοςaggelos · angelG32
• handχείρcheir · handG5495

Cross-references for Revelation 8:4

• Revelation 8:3Then another angel came. He stood at the altar where people offered gifts to God. He had a gold bowl to put incense in. He received a lot of incense and he burned it as a gift to God. It made a nice smell and it mixed with the prayers of God's people. The angel offered the incense and the prayers on the gold altar that was in front of God's throne.
• Revelation 15:8Then God's house in heaven became full of smoke, which showed God's great glory and his power. As a result, nobody could go into God's house until the angels had finished sending the seven terrible troubles.
• Exodus 30:1Use acacia wood to make an altar so that you can burn incense on it.
• Psalms 141:2I offer my prayer to you like incense. Please accept it when I raise my hands to you. Accept it like a gift that I offer to you in the evening.
• Luke 1:10While Zechariah was burning incense in the special room, many men were outside in the yard. They were praying to God.

Commentaries on Revelation 8:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4The smoke of the incense - with the prayers - Though incense itself be an emblem of the prayers of the saints, Psalm 141:2; yet here they are said to ascend before God, as well as the incense. It is not said that the angel presents these prayers. He presents the incense, and the prayers ascend With it. The ascending of the incense shows that the prayers and offering were accepted.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4And the smoke of the incense … - The smoke caused by the burning incense. John, as he saw this, naturally interpreted it of the prayers of the saints. The meaning of the whole symbol, thus explained, is that, at the time referred to, the anxiety of the church in regard to the events which were about to occur would naturally lead to much prayer. It is not necessary to attempt to verify this by any distinct historical facts, for no one can doubt that, in a…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. 44. the smoke ... which came with the prayers ... ascended up--rather, "the smoke of the incense FOR (or 'given TO': 'given' being understood from Re 8:3) the prayers of the saints ascended up, out of the angel's hand, in the presence of Gods" The angel merely burns the incense given him by Christ the High Priest, so that its smoke blends with the ascending prayers of the saints. The saints themselves are priests; and the angels in this priestly…Read the comment

Topics related to Revelation 8:4

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

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Altar
• Incense
• Abimelech
• Ascend
• Baal (1)
• Ethics
• Literature, Sub-Apostolic
• Midian; Midianites

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