“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. And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand” (Rev. 8:3-4).
So many truths come pouring into the soul from this wonderful vision, and the understanding of these mysteries is of eternal importance, for until they are fulfilled experientially within us we will be ineffectual in our ministry as the priesthood of God. I would draw your attention to seven specific items in this beautiful scene. There is an angel, an altar, a golden censer, incense, fire, prayers, and smoke. We must be very certain about the identity of each of these objects! The imagery is drawn from the typical tabernacle of Moses in the wilderness. The setting is the “holy place,” the location of the golden altar in the tabernacle. It was stationed just before the veil of entrance into the “most holy place” of the throne of God upon the ark of the covenant. Here it is viewed as standing before the throne of God in the heavens of God’s Spirit!
The scene opens with John announcing that “another angel came and stood at the altar.” More literally the Greek indicates that “another angel came and took his place at the altar,” indicating that he had the right to be there, that it was his appointed place to exercise authority. This symbolic angel John saw standing by the altar, having the golden censer in his hand, ministering in the holy things of the altar, is none other than our great high priest of the heavens, the Lord Jesus Christ; for this “angel” occupies the place of the high priest in the temple worship (Heb. 8:1-2; 9:11). This is not a created angel as some contend, for a created angel is never portrayed as a priest. But this angel stands before the altar and officiates as a priest! A mere angel has nothing to do with our prayers, but our blessed Lord has, for our prayers are offered in His name. Nothing can be plainer than this!
The fire upon the altar is the energizing, quickening, transforming presence and power of God Himself who “is a consuming fire” (Heb. 12:29). The purpose of the fire was to consume and transform every sacrifice placed upon the altar. The fire was God Himself! The golden censer represents each member of God’s elect, for the fire of God resides in the life of every man and woman who has been baptized with the Holy Ghost and with fire.
The prayers offered upon the altar are the effectual prayers of those saints who minister as priests in the Spirit and by the Spirit. Now there are multitudes of prayers that are daily offered up to God. You can go to any church and hear many prayers. People pray under all kinds of circumstances. In times of distress, trouble, and crisis, everyone prays! Not every prayer is prayed in the Spirit and by the Spirit. There are all kinds of prayers, Roman Catholics chanting their “Hail Marys,” Moslems on their faces on their prayer rugs five times daily, repeating their prayers to Allah, prayers going around and around on a Tibetan Prayer Wheel, and written prayers pushed into the cracks between the stones of Solomon’s temple at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Let us stand assured of this important fact: If there is not some other ingredient added to all those prayers, they have no value as priestly prayers, no spiritual power whatsoever, they will never get off the altar they are offered upon, they will never ascend any higher than the head of the person offering them, and they can not penetrate through and beyond the veil into the throne-room of God! Apart from the unction of the Holy Ghost they are merely words!