Revelation 8

The Seventh Seal and the Golden Censer

Rev 8:1-2 And when he had opened the seventh seal
There was silence in heaven
About the space of half an hour
And I saw the seven angels which stood before God
And to them were given seven trumpets

Consider the following scripture first.

Gen 2:2-3 And on the seventh day God ended His work
Which He had made
And He rested on the seventh day
From all His work which He had made

God needs to rest. So the word rest here is a bad choice. To read it as God ceased from His work on the seventh day is much better. The name God here is the Hebrew Elohim, The Creator. So Elohim ceased from that creation at that time. He did not cease everything.

Again, the seven angels are the seven Spirits, the workers of creation which are to continue creating the New Jerusalem here in Revelation. To do that, the Old Jerusalem is done away with; and all the spiritual evilness of it.

And God blessed the seventh day
And sanctified it
Because that in it He had ceased from all His work which God created and made

Again, seven is the number of spiritual perfection, so the work was spiritually perfect for the plan which God was to work out in His time.

Rev 8:3-5 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

Golden, that is, spiritual pureness.
And the smoke of the incense
Which came with the prayers of the saints
Ascended up before God out of the angel's hand

And the angel took the censer
And filled it with fire of the altar
And cast it into the earth

And there were voices (1)
And thunderings (2)
And lightnings (3)
And an earthquake (4)

Here again the words are misleading in the English. Earth here is not the Earth, it is the earth, the land of Judeah. The fire is not literal fire, it is the spiritual judgment which came upon the Jews for their sinfulness.

Thunders and lightnings are figures for the judgment which They were to receive for Their turning from their God, to the god of the world, Satan.

2Co_4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

The Seven Trumpets
Rev 8:6 And the seven angels
Which had the seven trumpets
Prepared Themselves to sound

The first angel sounded
And there followed
Hail and fire mingled with blood

And they were cast upon the land (earth)
And the third part of trees was burnt up
And all green grass was burnt up

Isa 33:9-12 The land (earth) mourns and languishes
Lebanon is ashamed and hewn down
Sharon is like a wilderness
And Bashan and Carmel shake off their fruits

Now will I rise says the LORD
Now will I be exalted
Now will I lift up Myself

You shall conceive chaff
You shall bring forth stubble
Your breath as fire shall devour you
And the people shall be as (like unto) the burning of lime
As thorns cut up shall they be burned in the fire

Rev 8:8-9 And the second angel sounded
And as it were a great mountain burning with fire
Was cast into the sea (the nation )

And the third part of the sea became blood
And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea
And that had life died
And the third part of the ships were destroyed

Eze 5:1-4 And You, son of man, take thee a sharp knife, take thee a barber's razor, and cause it to pass upon thine head and upon thy beard: then take thee balances to weigh, and divide the hair.

You shall burn with fire a third part in the midst of the city
When the days of the siege are fulfilled

And You shalt take a third part
And smite about it with a knife
And a third part You shalt scatter in the wind
And I will draw out a sword after Them

You shall also take thereof a few in number
And bind them in Your skirts

Then take of them again
And cast them into the midst of the fire
And burn them in the fire
For thereof shall a fire come forth into all the house of Israel

Rev 8:10-11 And the third angel sounded
And there fell a great star from heaven
Burning as it were a lamp
And it fell upon the third part of the rivers
And upon the fountains of waters

And the name of the star is called Wormwood (bitterness)
And the third part of the waters became fowl (wormwood)

And many men died of the waters
Because they were made bitter.

Rev 8:12 And the fourth angel sounded
And the third part of the sun was smitten
And the third part of the moon
And the third part of the stars

A third part of the Sun, Jacob. A third part of the Moon, Israel, a third part of the stars, the tribes of Israel, were smitten.

So as the third part of them was darkened
And the day shone not for a third part of it
And the night likewise (a third part)

All the above is in reference to Israel, not the planet Earth as is most often said in great error. This is how all these false stories get started in the Denominations of the churches’ of today. The lack of prayer and study of the word of God and His Christ Jesus.

Rev 8:13 And I beheld
And heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven
Saying with a loud voice

Woe
Woe
Woe

To the inhabiter's of the land (earth)
By reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels
Which are yet to sound

Notice all the figures of speech used in this chapter that most try to read as literal events or things. This is why it is so important to study all the scriptures to come to the spiritual view of what is being told ot us in these scriptures of the Bible.