8:2 John saw someone, perhaps God, give seven trumpets to a group of seven angels standing before the heavenly throne (cf. 1:4; 3:1; 8:6; 15:1). Exactly who these angels were is not clear. Some interpreters have identified them with seven archangels in Jewish tradition (cf. Book of Jubilees 1:27, 29; 2:1-2, 18; 15:27; 31:14; Tobit 12:15; 1 Enoch 20:2-8), but there is no basis for this in Revelation. They are apparently simply seven other angels who have great authority. These trumpets appear to be different from the trumpet of God (1 Cor. 15:52; 1 Thess. 4:16) and other trumpets mentioned elsewhere in the New Testament (Heb. 12:19; Rev. 1:10; 4:1), though they too announce God's working (cf. Ezek. 33:3).
Trumpets play a major role in God's dealings with His people (cf. Exod. 19:16; 20:18; Isa. 27:13; Jer. 4:5; Joel 2:1; Zeph. 1:16; Matt. 24:31; 1 Cor. 15:51-52; 1 Thess. 4:16). They were part of Israel's ceremonial processions (e.g., Josh. 6:1, 13-16; 1 Kings 1:34, 39; 1 Chron. 15:24), and they assembled the Israelites for war, journeys, and special feasts (e.g., Num. 10:9-10). They also warned of the coming day of the Lord (e.g., Joel 2:1), and they announced the new year in Israel (e.g., Num. 29:1). Here they announce divine judgment in the day of the Lord (cf. Zech. 1:14-16).
8:3 The vision at this point is very reminiscent of priestly service as it took place in Israel's tabernacle and temples. Another angel acting as a priest came into view and stood before the golden incense altar in heaven (cf. 6:9). His censer of gold, appropriate in view of God's presence, contained coals of fire. The angel received more incense to add to the prayers of the saints already there. This may indicate that the prayers of the Tribulation saints (6:10) joined those of the rest of God's people requesting God's justice (cf. 5:8; 9:13; 14:18; Ps. 141:2).
"No saint's prayer is forgotten, but has its effect in due season, in bringing in the Kingdom, that is, our Lord's return!
"It is the answer at last to Thy Kingdom come' which the saints of all ages have prayed. No other answer could be given, inasmuch as earth has rejected the rightful King!"308
8:4 The angel offered this incense on the coals on the golden incense altar, the only altar referred to in the heavenly sanctuary. The smoke of the incense went up before God symbolizing His receiving the prayers of His people.309Clearly the incense, while symbolizing prayer (5:8), is distinct from prayer here. However the total impression is of prayers commingling as the angel pours more incense on the altar. He facilitates these prayers, though Jesus Christ, of course, is the only mediator between God and man (cf. 1 Tim. 2:5).
8:5 Then the angel took coals from the altar, placed them in his censer, and threw them out onto the earth. These coals of fire, symbolic of judgment, produced symbols of catastrophe: thunder, lightning, and earthquake (cf. Ezek. 10:2-7). The censer thus became a symbolic instrument of judgment in response to prayer.
8:6 The whole scene quite clearly symbolizes God sending judgment on the earth in response to His people's accumulated prayers (cf. Exod. 3:7-10; 19:16-19; Rev. 4:5; 11:19; 16:18). The trumpet judgments to follow are what He will send. The storm theophany, therefore, apparently implies the awful calamities that will come in the trumpet and bowl judgments that are ahead.310
All the trumpet judgments seem to proceed out of the seventh seal judgment. In other words when the Lamb broke the seventh seal John saw not just one judgment but a whole new series of judgments. There is every reason to conclude that these will follow chronologically.311We shall see that seven bowl judgments apparently proceed out of the seventh trumpet judgment in the same way.312
These are the judgments that the angel ascending from the rising of the sun held back until the bond-servants of God were sealed on their foreheads (7:3). Therefore, they are more severe than the first six seal judgments. Their object is to lead hostile unbelievers to repentance, but few will repent (9:20-21).
