Scripture reading: Revelation 8:4-5
Revelation 8:4, “And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand.”
Leviticus 16:13, “And he shall put the incense upon the fire before the Lord, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is upon the testimony, that he die not.“ This scripture says that the smoke, or the essence of the soul of man, must cover the Mercy Seat and the Ark of the Covenant before we speak to God. That means that our offering must be perfect before God. Revelation 8:4 says that the angel had it in his hand and was offering it up to God and to His throne. This is the very essence of the soul of the people of God. We are talking about a mind that is dedicated to God, a heart that is in tune with God; the emotions that have been weaned from the world and from the emotional outbursts of the normal, carnal, natural man; the will that is dedicated to God; and the desires that have been completely turned to God and belong to God. This is what was being offered up to God. Another scripture says that it comes up to God as a sweet smelling savour. GOD IS ABSOLUTELY PLEASED with the man who offers his heart and who cries from his heart and soul towards God.
Revelation 8:5, “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.”
What on earth are we looking at here? All of a sudden, we see people offering themselves to God. Without that offering, there is no overshadowing, no covering. In other words, God is saying that the true people of God will find safety under the shadow of His wings before the destruction breaks out. The angel came and took the fire from the altar and “cast it into the earth.“ There is a similarity here between this language and the language in Revelation 16:18. The “fire” that is “cast… into the earth” is the RESULT of the rejection of the Word of God which will be preached.
(Excerpt from The Book of Revelation, Volume 1, pg. 156)
Thought for today: May our offering be perfect through the cry of our heart and soul unto God.
Sonlight Devotional 
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