Ascended up before God out of the angel's hand.—“An odor of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God.”—Phil. 4:18.
8:5. And the angel.—The Watch Tower Society through its proper representatives.
Took the censer.—The Seventh Volume of Studies in the Scriptures, Divinely provided.
And filled it with fire of the altar.—Coals from the altar signify burning truths; and such the Lord's prophecies always are, when rightly understood.—Isa. 6:5-8. This is a plain intimation of God's purpose to use the Society in further unfoldings of His Truth as it becomes due. “We believe that the Lord will not scatter, but will ‘turn His hand [power] upon the little ones,’ in this dark hour of trial (Zech. 13:7).”—Z. '17-30.
And cast it.—Greek, “Deliberately hurled it.”
Into the earth.—Among order-loving people.—Ezek. 10:2; Luke 12:49.
And there were [voices and] thunderings.—Seven Volumes of “Scripture Studies,” this one being the last of the series. (Rev. 10:3, 4.) Thunders are symbolical of controversy, and this volume may cause some. Particularly is it to be expected that the clergy will thunder against whatever Truth it contains. Thunder is caused by the flashing of lightning through the heavens, opening them up, as it were. Immediately after the flash they come together with an angry roar. Thunder, of itself, never does anybody any harm.—Rev. 16:18.
And voices.—“These voices have been circulated here and there throughout the whole civilized world, not by worldly agents, not through book-sellers, but by those who have themselves been blessed by the light, and who desire to render a service to the Lord and to the Truth, and to lay down their lives for the brethren by taking to them the glorious and encouraging message now due to the Lord's people.” (Z. '02-118.) Voices also symbolize discussion, contention.
And lightnings.—See Rev. 4:5; 11:19; 16:18.
And an earthquake.—“The term earthquake is used to symbolically represent revolution—it is in this sense of [pg 146] the word that it is used throughout the Book of Revelation. What we are to look for then will be a great revolution, the great symbolic earthquake, the great shaking of the present institutions which will overthrow everything that is not of the Lord's establishment and approval. Perhaps the symbolical earthquake will be accompanied by a literal one.”—B. S. M.