And the smoke of the incense ascended from the angel’s hand with the prayers of the saints before God.
Parallel translations
- WEB The smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, went up before God out of the angel’s hand.
- KJV And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand.
- BSB And the smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, rose up before God from the hand of the angel.
- NKJV And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand.
- NLT The smoke of the incense, mixed with the prayers of God’s holy people, ascended up to God from the altar where the angel had poured them out.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The smoke of the incense and the prayers of the saints ascend before God. God receives and is moved by the prayers of His people.
Overview
The rising smoke pictures the prayers of the saints reaching God's presence and being acceptable to Him. This affirms that the cries of God's people are neither ignored nor forgotten in heaven. Their prayers become the prelude to the judgments that follow, showing God answers His people.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 5
- Ps 141:2Let my prayer be set before you like incense; the lifting up of my hands like the evening sacrifice.
- Luke 1:10The whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense.
- Rev 8:3Another angel came and stood over the altar, having a golden censer. Much incense was given to him, that he should add it to the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar which was before the throne.
- Rev 15:8The temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power. No one was able to enter into the temple, until the seven plagues of the seven angels would be finished.
- Exod 30:1“You shall make an altar to burn incense on. You shall make it of acacia wood.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Revelation ends the story with the slain-yet-standing Lamb who is worthy, the Lion of Judah, the Alpha and Omega, the returning King who makes all things new and dwells with his people forever.
How Revelation 8:4 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.