Devine Scripture

Revelation 8:5

What does Revelation 8:5 mean?

A plain-English look at Revelation 8:5 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.

What Revelation 8:5 means

From the altar associated with prayer, the angel fills the censer with fire and hurls it to the earth. Thunderings, voices, lightnings, and an earthquake follow—signs of God’s presence and verdict. The same altar that dignified prayer now becomes the source of judgment, teaching that God’s answer to cries for justice includes shaking entrenched evil. “Voices” suggest decrees from the heavenly court. The storm-theophany echoes earlier throne scenes, reminding us the initiative is God’s. Worship and warfare meet: what ascends to God returns as His righteous reply. This is the turning point—no longer waiting, but acting—and the earth will feel it in convulsions both audible and visible.

Parallel translations

WEB

World English Bible · 2000

And the angel taketh the censer; and he filled it with the fire of the altar, and cast it upon the earth: and there followed thunders, and voices, and lightnings, and an earthquake.

KJV

King James Version · 1611

And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.

ASV

American Standard Version · 1901

And the angel taketh the censer; and he filled it with the fire of the altar, and cast it upon the earth: and there followed thunders, and voices, and lightnings, and an earthquake.

BBE

Bible in Basic English · 1949

And the angel took the vessel; and he made it full of the fire of the altar, and sent it down on the earth: and there came thunders and voices and flames and a shaking of the earth.

YLT

Young's Literal Translation · 1862

and the messenger took the censer, and did fill it out of the fire of the altar, and did cast <FI>it<Fi> to the earth, and there came voices, and thunders, and lightnings, and an earthquake.

DRA

Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752

And the angel took the censer and filled it with the fire of the altar and cast it on the earth: and there were thunders and voices and lightnings and a great earthquake.

DBY

Darby Bible · 1890

And the angel took the censer, and filled it from the fire of the altar, and cast [it] on the earth: and there were voices, and thunders and lightnings, and an earthquake.

Context

Having shown that prayers are received, the vision depicts God’s response moving from heaven toward earth. This prelude precedes the actual trumpet blasts and links the forthcoming judgments to the altar. The phenomena mirror motifs from earlier seals, tying the cycles together. After this sign, the focus returns to the seven angels (verse 6), who stand ready. Thus the chapter’s structure leads from silent awe, to intercession, to decree, and now to execution through the trumpet series.

v.4And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, went up before God out of the angel’s hand.

v.5This passage

v.6And the seven angels that had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.

Cross references

Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

  • Matthew 27:52

    and the tombs were opened; and many bodies of the saints that had fallen asleep were raised;

  • Acts 4:31

    And when they had prayed, the place was shaken wherein they were gathered together; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spake the word of God with boldness.

  • Isaiah 66:14

    And ye shall see it, and your heart shall rejoice, and your bones shall flourish like the tender grass: and the hand of Jehovah shall be known toward his servants; and he will have indignation against his enemies.

  • Zechariah 14:5

    And ye shall flee by the valley of my mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azel; yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah; and Jehovah my God shall come, and all the holy ones with thee.

  • Isaiah 66:6

    A voice of tumult from the city, a voice from the temple, a voice of Jehovah that rendereth recompense to his enemies.

  • Matthew 24:7

    For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there shall be famines and earthquakes in divers places.

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