Revelation 8:3

Between royalty and ritual the scenery of the Apocalypse fluctuates. It is assumed (as at Revelation 6:9), after Revelation 7:15 perhaps, that heaven is a temple, although this is not expressly stated till Revelation 11:19; nor is it homogeneous with the throne-description in chap. 4. λιβανωτόν (“incense,” ἅπ. λεγ. N.T.) is used by mistake for the classical λιβανωτρίν (LXX, πυρ [ε] ιον or θυίσκη) = “censer,” as already in an inscription of the second century B.C. (Dittenberger's Sylloge Inscript. Grace. 588 156) λιβανωτίς is employed by confusion for “frankincense”. Golden censers (1Ma 1:22) and golden bowls (φιάλαι) were among the furniture of the temple (1EEsther 2:13). On prayers as an offering, see Acts 10:4. The symbolism is borrowed from the temple-ritual; when the saucer of incense had been emptied over the burning coals placed on the altar of incense, the people bowed in prayer, as the fragrant cloud of smoke rose up. Wellhausen's deletion of 3 b, 4 as a gloss is therefore unnecessary. John is consoling the church (cf. on Revelation 6:10) by the assurance that their prayers for the coming of the kingdom are not breathed in vain.