Openbaring 8:5

5 En de engel nam het wierookvat, en vulde dat met het vuur des altaars, en wierp het op de aarde; en er geschiedden stemmen, en donderslagen, en bliksemen, en aardbeving.

Openbaring 8:5 Meaning and Commentary

Revelation 8:5

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 ^F5; 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 ^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 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, ( Jeremiah 20:9 ) ( 23:29 ) , or else those contentions and quarrels 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 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 ( Ezekiel 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, ( Exodus 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, ( Revelation 11:15 ) ( Revelation 16:17 Revelation 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 by the priests, and the singing of the Levites, of which (See Gill on Revelation 8:2); there was a musical instrument called (hprgm) , "magrephah" ^F7, which being sounded, a man could not hear another speak in Jerusalem: yea, they say it was heard as far as Jericho.

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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.

Openbaring 8:5 In-Context

3 En er kwam een andere engel, en stond aan het altaar, hebbende een gouden wierookvat; en hem werd veel reukwerks gegeven, opdat hij het met de gebeden aller heiligen zou leggen op het gouden altaar, dat voor den troon is.

4 En de rook des reukwerks, met de gebeden der heiligen, ging op van de hand des engels voor God.

5 En de engel nam het wierookvat, en vulde dat met het vuur des altaars, en wierp het op de aarde; en er geschiedden stemmen, en donderslagen, en bliksemen, en aardbeving.

6 En de zeven engelen, die de zeven bazuinen hadden, bereidden zich om te bazuinen.

7 En de eerste engel heeft gebazuind, en er is geworden hagel en vuur, gemengd met bloed, en zij zijn op de aarde geworpen; en het derde deel der bomen is verbrand, en al het groene gras is verbrand.